Hello everyone! We hope you are all excited for Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner!
Leanna and I have put together a bunch of fun activities and crafts for the little ones. Starting on Friday, July 1st (today), the kits are available to pick up for our online storytime for the whole month!
Enjoy a FREE copy of the book, and have fun doing the activities.
Everything is yours to keep!
"Over and Under the Pond" by Kate Messner
“In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the pond is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, tadpoles growing. These and many other secrets are waiting to be discovered...over and under the pond.”
Watch the Missouri Botanical Garden read the story on YouTube! They did such a great job; we hope you enjoy the reading as much as we did!
Kits include:
a FREE copy of Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
information page
colors game (5 colored Turtles)
a flyer for this website
4 activity pages
2 coloring pages
bookmark page
rhymes/song pages with web links (instrument included)
Lily Pad craft
3 magnets from the story
sticker book
HANDOUT GAMES – play with included turtle handouts
Can You Show Me…?
(Tune: “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)
Can you show me the green turtle?
Green turtle, green turtle?
Can you show me the green turtle?
And wave it in the air?
Red… yellow… blue… orange
Hold It High – Choose one turtle from handouts
Hold your turtle high and stand
Now wave it around in gestures grand!
Hold your turtle below your chin
Now hold it way up high again
Hold your turtle against your nose
Now touch the turtle to your toes
Touch your turtle to the ground
Now wave that turtle all around!
Hold your turtle in front of you
Now turn around – one time, two!
Hold your turtle and jump up high!
Now let your turtle fly fly fly (throw it in the air)
SONGS & INSTRUMENT – use included instruments
Down in the Pond by DC Musicals
Five Green and Speckled Frogs by The Learning Station
Little White Duck by Edewcate
Kermit Sings On My Pond by Sesame Street
BOUNCE RHYME (bounce along with child in lap)
Five Little Toadies
One little toadie goes – HOP!
(bounce child once)
Along comes another and they just can’t stop.
So… Two little toadies go – HOP! HOP!
(bounce child twice)
Along comes another and they just can’t stop.
So… Three little toadies go HOP! HOP! HOP!
(bounce child three times)
Along comes another and they just can’t stop.
So… Four little toadies go – HOP! HOP! HOP! HOP!
(bounce child four times)
Along comes another and they just can’t stop.
So… Five little toadies go –
HOP! HOP! HOP! HOP! HOP!
(bounce child five times)
DROP! Time to stop!
(lean child down low and go still)
ACTION RHYMES
If You Want to Be…
(Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you want to be a frog, jump up high!
If you want to be a frog, jump up high!
If you want to be a frog, if you want to be a frog,
If you want to be a frog, jump up high!
Duck/shake your tail
Goose/honk your horn
Fish/swim real fast
Turtle/walk very slow
Down in the Pond
Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam ten little ducklings and a mama duck too
"Swim," said the mama duck, "Swim like I do."
So they swam and they swam all over the pool.
"Splash," said the mama duck...
"Dive," said the mama duck...
"Float," said the mama duck...
Turtle
There was a little turtle
That lived in a box.
(put hands together to make a box)
He swam in a puddle,
(make swimming movements)
And he climbed on the rocks.
He snapped at a mosquito,
(snap your fingers)
He snapped at a flea,
(snap your fingers)
He snapped at a minnow,
(snap your fingers)
And he snapped at me.
(snap your fingers)
He caught the mosquito,
(clap)
He caught the flea,
(clap)
He caught the minnow,
(clap)
But he didn't catch me!!
(make a proud face)
There's a Hole in the Middle of the Pond
There's a hole in the middle of the pond
(make large circle with arms)
There's a hole in the middle of the pond
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the middle of the pond
There's a log in the hole in the middle of the pond...
(extend arm like a log)
There's a bump on the log in the hole in the middle of the pond...
(make a fist to be the bump)
There's a frog on the bump on the log in the hole in the middle of the pond...
(jump other hand on the 'bump')
EXTRA LINKS!
Author Kate Messner’s site: https://katemessner.com/
Artist Christopher Silas Neal’s site: https://www.csneal.com/
Let us know what your little ones thought of Over and Under the Pond! What did they think of the activities? Do you have any suggestions for us?