MSU Extension Child & Family Development

This book shows all of the different things that can happen from doing just one thing, like giving a mouse a cookie.

BEFORE READING:

• Show the children the front of the book. Ask them to guess what the book is about.
• Ask them what they see on the front cover.
• Ask them to count (or count with you) the chocolate chips they see in one of the cookies.
• Ask if they have ever given a mouse a cookie.

WHILE READING:

• Stop at any time if there is something you or the children would like to talk about.
• Ask them questions so that they can connect what is happening in the book to things they already know about. Try some of these ideas:
  • What do you like to drink when you eat cookies?
  • What do you like to do before you take a nap?
  • Where do you put the pictures that you draw?

AFTER READING:

• Spend some time talking about the story. Ask the children things like:
  • What did the mouse want in the beginning of the story?
  • How did they hang the mouse’s picture?
  • What did the mouse want at the end of the story?

Read this book several times to the children. Hearing the same story again and again helps them learn new words and understand the ideas the hear better. Each day, pick a different activity to do with the children after reading.

MATH AND SCIENCE

Count the number of chocolate chips you see in a cookie. Use either the pictures in the book, cookies you have in your cupboard, or make your own batch together. If you have a real cookie, take a bite and count how many chocolate chips are left.

THINKING SKILLS

Find four or five things that are different sizes. Put them in a pile and ask the children to sort them from biggest to smallest, or smallest to biggest. Add a few more objects and have them do it again.

READING READINESS

Ask the children to guess what will happen next as you read. For example, say, “If you give...then he’ll want…” and stop. Let them tell you what the mouse will want. Have them use the pictures for clues if they need help.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Sing the “Cookie Jar” song. The words are: “So and so...put the cookie in the cookie jar,”; “Who me?”; “Yes you,”; “Couldn’t be,”; “Then who?” Sing back and forth.

PRETEND PLAY

Have the children pretend they are a chef in the kitchen. Let them help you prepare a meal or snack. Let them touch, smell and taste the different foods while they work. Use a lot of descriptive words like hot, cold, soft, crunchy, sweet, sour, spicy, creamy and delicious. Ask questions like, “Which vegetable do you like best?” and “I wonder how that smells,” so they can talk about what they are doing.

ART

Use a grocery ad to make a grocery list. Help the children tear or cut out pictures of items that they would like to buy at the store. Glue the pictures to a piece of paper and ask them to tell you how much they think the item costs. Write the price next to each picture.

MOTOR SKILLS

Let the children pour some cereal into a small bowl, or juice into a cup by themselves. Try putting it into a smaller container first so that it is easier for them to pour without spilling. They could also practice pouring with plastic cups during outside play or at a sensory table.

For more information, visit the MSU extension early childhood development site.