Flannelboard: Chickens

If I come up with more rhymes and songs to go with this set, the post will be updated to reflect that. If you have ideas for other ways to use the set, please share!

Flannelboard

This flannelboard is super cute and fun! I really love ones that have double sided pieces, it's almost like magic when you change them. I used this one for my chicken and bird storytimes. I had the kids help me count the eggs after I put each clutch on the board, so we counted to five twice and then to ten. I also made sure to count the chicks at the end of the rhyme since you don't want to count your chickens before they hatch!

Songs, Rhymes, Games, and Fingerplays

“Ten Fluffy Chickens”

Five eggs and five eggs

(Add a clutch of eggs each time you say “five eggs”)

And that makes ten

Sitting on top

(Add the hen)

Is Mother Hen

Cackle cackle cackle

(Clap hands as you say Cackle!)

What do I see?

Ten fluffy chicks

(Flip over each clutch of eggs.)

Yellow as can be.

Source: Mel's Desk

Storytime: Chickens

Books

Five Little Chicks by Nancy Tafuri

~Count with maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!  by Lucy Cousins

Chicken Story Time by Sandy Asher

~Where, Oh Where, is Rosie’s Chick? by Pat Hutchins

*The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberly and Ed Emberly

~*Here a Chick, Where a Chick? by Suse MacDonald

Books marked with a ~ were used for my toddler storytime and books marked with * were used for my all ages storytime. Chickens are a fun theme. There are so many picture book options about them! Both Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep and Here a Chick, Where a Chick? have flaps to lift up and look behind. The kids defintiely wanted to help lift the flaps, which doesn't work well with large groups, but regardless, lifting flaps is fun! Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? went over really well. The kids were all laughing at silly Rosie not seeing the chick right behind her. I think I probably should have used this one in my all ages storytime too. They weren't as engaged with the two titles I chose. I thought Here a Chick, Where a Chick? would be a winner with the animal noises, but they weren't as into it today as they usually are.

Click read more for extension activities.