My Montessori Journey: Penguin song and group activity

We are focusing our study of polar animals on penguins this week. I sewed up some egg shaped beanbags this weekend to use as props for a song that we have been singing during line time.

This photo shows the book I've been using to introduce penguins. It is a nice basic book that isn't too in depth for this age group. It is available on Amazon; click here for the link. You can also see my basket of egg beanbags and a little stuffed penguin that we have passed around and used as a prop as we talk about the things we are learning about penguins.

Here's a close-up of the "egg-bags". I used an egg pattern that I printed from Preschool Express. I cut out the eggs from a half-yard of white polar fleece, sewed around them leaving a hole, filled them with beans, then sewed the hole shut. I used the sewing machine. They probably would have looked more authentic if I had hand-stitched them, but sometimes time is a factor, and the children don't care at all how they are made!

After we learned from the book that the father penguin carries the egg on his feet and in his brood pouch, I taught them the following song:

Peniguin Song (TUNE: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Penguins, penguins having fun

Waddling in the winter sun.

Waddling fast and waddling slow,

Waddling to and waddling fro.

Penguins, penguins having fun

Waddling in the winter sun.

For the activity, I have 5 or 6 children come to the center of the group and I give each one an egg. They try waddling around with it on their feet as the rest of us sing the song. It is pretty hard to keep the egg on their feet without it sliding out! If only humans had brood pouches!!

Here are some "daddy" penguins trying to keep their eggs from rolling off.

After the children learned this activity at group time, they are allowed to get an egg out of the basket during the work period and try waddling on our line with it.