Autumn Term 2020 Owl Babies
When three baby owls wake up to find their mother gone, they feel scared and vulnerable. But their anxieties soon prove unfounded by Mum's safe return. This reassuring and stunningly illustrated book tackles the subject of temporary separation - a situation which all children are likely to experience, be it Mum going to work or first day at Nursery.
We find this book is a really useful book to explore all the feelings that the children are experiencing as they separate from their carers.
Watch the reading of the story together with your child by clicking on the YouTube link
Once you have shared the story with your child you could try some of these activities.
Communication and Language
There are lots of repeated phrases in this story- really encourage your children to join in with the video. ‘I want my Mummy!’
Physical Development
Re-enact the story with your child and encourage them to experiment with different ways of moving. They could wobble along the branch like the owl babies or glide around the room like the mother owl.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Once you have watched the story talk to your child about how the owl babies must have felt when they were on their own on the branch. Has your child ever felt scared? What could the babies do to make themselves feel better? What makes your child feel better?
Silly selfies- use your mobile phone on the selfie mode to take pictures of you are your child. Can you pull different faces to show different emotions? Happy/ Sad/ Worried/ Scared.
Literacy
If your child enjoyed this story they might also enjoy these stories. They all have links to either families or woodlands.
Mathematics
Children will notice that the 3 baby owls are different sizes. Can you find some sticks, leaves or feathers in your garden and then ask the children to sort or order them according to size. Use the words ‘big’, ‘bigger’, biggest’, ‘small’, ‘smaller’, smallest’ and ‘middle sized’. Provide various sticks/twigs for comparing length. Which stick is the shortest? Which stick is the longest?
Understanding the World
Set up a bird-watching station in your house where you are able to see out of a window. Look out for birds. Can your child count the birds? Name the colours of the birds? This Garden Birds Sighting Checklists might come in handy. Link saved in Website links
Expressive Arts and Design.
Look carefully at these owl photographs. What features does your child notice? Big Eyes/ Fluffy Feathers/ Pointy Beak/ Sharp Claws. Allow your child to have a go at drawing their own owl.
