MSU Extension Child & Family Development

This board book shares several of the original Mother Goose nursery rhymes and pictures.

BEFORE READING:

• Show the children the front of the book. Ask them to guess what the book is about.
• Ask them the color of the witch’s cape.
• Ask them to count the squares on the front cover.

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 kind of cake do you like to eat?
  • What do you do when it rains?
  • Where have you seen flowers grow?
  • What did the flowers look like?

AFTER READING:

• Spend some time talking about the story. Ask the children things like:
  • Which nursery rhymes did you like the best?
  • What happened to Humpty Dumpty?
  • Where does Mary’s lamb go?
  • What happened to the king’s pie?

Read this book several times to the children. Hearing the same story again and again helps them learn new words and understand the ideas they hear better. Each day, pick a different activity to do with the children after reading “The Real Mother Goose Board Book.”

MATH AND SCIENCE

Look for different shapes together in signs, boxes or books. Start with shapes such as squares, circles and triangles. After they know those shapes well, introduce them to shapes such as ovals, rectangles and octagons.

THINKING SKILLS

Plan your day together. Help them think of what you will do for an entire day, starting with breakfast. Plan for morning activities, what you will have for lunch, where you will take a nap, and games or toys to play with in the afternoon.

READING READINESS

Repeat the nursery rhymes together, or sing them if you know a tune that goes with them.

ART

Make water art. Mix a little food coloring with water. Drip a few drops of the colored water on a piece of paper or a coffee filter. Take a drinking straw and help them blow the water in different directions.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Be “Jack Be Nimble”. Place an empty toilet paper roll on its end as the candle. Stand in front of the “candle” and say “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick” and help them to jump over the “candle” as you say “Jack jump over the candlestick”.

PRETEND PLAY

Have a tea party together. Use a play tea set or small drinking cups. Let them pour you tea and serve you a snack. Make up silly names for one another or use silly voices. Be sure to use your best manners during your tea party too.

MOTOR SKILLS

Play “Pat A Cake” together. Help them clap their hands together and do the hand motions (rolling and patting) as you sing. Tickle them as you sing “for Baby and me” at the end.

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