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FARM THEME

CRAFTS:

Buttermilk Chalk Picture
Brush a piece of cardboard with 2 to 3 tablespoons of buttermilk or dip chalk in buttermilk. Create designs using colored chalk.

Barn
Make a barn out of a large cardboard box. Have the children help paint it. When dry, the children can play in it.

Clay Piggies
Mix up a batch of clay that will harden. Add red food coloring to give a pink color. Allow the children to make pigs and then press a strip magnet into the back.

Chick
Materials: 1 large & 1 small yellow pompon, Orange pipe cleaner, Wiggly eyes, Yellow feathers
Direction: Glue pompons together. Cut two orange pipe cleaner pieces about 2 inches long, twist centers together, glue on for feet. Cut small beak out of orange pipe cleaner glue to face & add wiggly eyes. Glue some yellow feathers if you like.

Corn Cob Farmers
Cut a 38 mm section of dried cob for a body and a 25 mm section for a head. Turn the head on its side, glue to the body and add a face using a marker pen. Split a 50 mm section of corn stalk in two for legs and glue to the bottom of the body. Split a 25 mm section of corn stalk in four, glue on two pieces as arms, then bend the ends slightly to make hands. Experiment to see if you can add corn silk hair and other corn husk details (e.g. hat, tie, necker). To make husks pliable and easy to shape, try soaking them in warm water for five minutes. When the figure is complete, add a screw eye and loop of fishing line in the top of the head for hanging.

Corn Husk Farmers
1. Gather the husks, and tie them tightly together at one end with the yarn or string. 
2. To make the head, tie the husks a little way down from the top knot.
3. Gather three of the husks and tie them together halfway down arm. Cut away most of the excess corn husk that is below the knots. 
4. To make the body, tie the remaining corn husks halfway between the head and their ends. 
5. Make the legs by taking three husks and tying them together a little way up from their ends. 
6. Make the other leg the same way.
7. Decorate with coloured felt-tipped markers, construction paper, fabric or any other craft  supplies you may have.

Donkey
Donkeys will require toilet roll tubes, strong toothpicks, half corks, wool, scissors, glue, construction paper, paint or crayons, and a pattern of a donkey’s head and neck to cut out. Ask the kids to colour or paint the tube brown or grey. Cut a slit at one end for the cutout donkey head and neck to slide into. Glue the wool to make a mane and tail. Poke one end of the toothpicks into the tube to make legs; poke the other end into the half corks for feet.

Duckies
Trace a duck shape on a piece of paper and have children glue on different colored feathers onto the duck.

Duck Fun
Materials: Paper (white & orange), Pencil or marker, White Kleenex, Googly eyes, Glue
Have the children trace their foot on paper and cut it out. When they are done,use shredded tissue and have the children glue it onto the footprint. Add eyes beak and feet for a cute little duck.

Duck Mask
Cut wings on the side of brown grocery sacks, leaving the top attached. Make a hole for the child's head. Make a duck beak with orange paper and fold. Let them hold it in their mouths. Hard to quack though!

Grain Collage
Use corn, wheat, hay, oats, barley, and other grains that farm animals eat to sort and/or make a collage.

Farmer’s Hat
Each kid needs a paper bag big enough to fit on his head. Form it by grabbing 5cm - 6cm at the bottom of the bag, twisting it into a kind of top-knot, and holding it together with tape. Then turn the bag inside out so that the twist is on the inside. Cut slits up the edges of the bag to resemble straw, and fold up the bottom to make a brim. Wear these hats for the rest of  the group play.

Little Lamb
Glue
Small plastic cup, a L'eggs panty hose egg, or a plastic deli container
Large bag cotton balls
Four miniature spring-action clothespins
Paintbrush and white paint
Black marker
Black pom-pom
Black felt
Googly eyes
Spread glue all over the cup and cover it with a coat of cotton balls. Paint four clothespins white and color the bottom tips (the part you squeeze) with black marker. Clip clothespins at even intervals around the bottom of the cup to form legs. Glue a black pom-pom into position as the head, then glue on two ears cut from black felt. Attach googly eyes to the head--and don't forget to add one last cotton ball as a fluffy tail.

Make Pig Stick Puppets 
Have children paint their small paper plates pink. When dry glue on facial features cut from construction paper.

Muddy Pigs
Cut out pig shapes and then let the children press their fingers in brown paint and then onto the pig to make their pigs muddy.

Paper Plate Duck
Materials needed:
Paper plates, preferably the small white ones
yellow paint, or yellow crayons
some yellow feathers
orange felt
jiggle eyes
Let the kids paint the plate yellow, and let dry. Fold plate in half with the folded edge as the top. Cut out round circles for duck head, glue onto one end of plate, sticking it slightly inside plate near fold. Use one yellow feather on each side of plate for wings, cut out small triangle orange felt shapes, for the beak with rest of felt, cut out web feet for the duck. Place on head the jiggle eyes. 

Paper Plate Pigs
Glue pink cotton balls to small paper plate. Add ears, eyes, and snout from construction paper or felt.

Quacking Duck
Use yellow plastic solo cups. Decorate to look like a duck, cup is upside down. Teacher pokes a small hole in the bottom of the cup. Thread a piece of string through the hole and have it dangle out the bottom of the cup. Knot the top so string will stay. String needs to hang down 8 or 10 inches. tie a small piece of sponge on the end of the string. To make the duck "quack," moisten the sponge and use the sponge to grab the string, then jerk the sponge pulling it down the string.

Swimming Duck
Material: yellow, blue, white and orange construction paper, scissors and paste
Trace around 1 hand on white paper, cut it out. Cut out a yellow duck body and yellow duck head, orange feet and an orange bill. Glue them on blue paper - using the hand print sideways as the ducks wings. Draw an eye on the duck and water lines around the duck.

Splendid Swan
Materials: white and blue tempera paint, blue construction paper, flat paintbrush, orange and black felt-tip markers, small sponge, newspaper
Directions:
1. Spread newspaper over the work area.
2. Paint inside of palm, fingers, and thumb with white paint.
3. With fingers together and thumb at a right angle, make a print in the center of a sheet of blue construction paper (thumb pointing up).
4. Make a small dot in the center of the thumb print wit a black marker.
5. Use an orange marker to draw a beak near the top of the thumb print.
6. Dip sponge in blue paint squeeze it dry. Dab blue water around the swan.
Present this as a follow-up activity after reading "The Ugly Duckling." Help each child write one thing that makes him or her special below the swan print. Display the picture with the title "I'm a Splendid Swan!"

Pumpkin Seed Masks
The masks will require dry pumpkin  seeds, paper bags painted orange, and glue. Ask your the kids to draw faces on the bags. They can glue down pumpkin seeds for decorations or to highlight facial features. Let them add small boxes for nose, ears and eyes. Cut holes for the eyes and nose. Voila! The masks are ready to wear.

Toilet Paper Roll Pigs
Make pig snouts from toilet paper rolls cut in half and paint pink or glue pink construction paper around it. Punch holes in sides and tie on yarn or elastic.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Animal Tag
Place a different farm animal sticker or cutout on the arm of each child where it can be seen. Select one child to be "it." The remaining children stand in a circle around the child who is it, who calls out the names of two farm animals. The children with those animals on their sleeves must quickly leave their homes in the circle and try to trade places with each other. The child who is it tries to get to one of their homes first. The child left without a home starts the next round as it.

Animal Voices
Have the children imitate the sounds of several different farm animals. Record their voice and replay the tape so they can hear themselves.

Bull Ring
Equipment: none 
How to play: Kids hold hands and form a ring around one who is the bull. The bull tries to break through, or duck under hands to escape. When he escapes, the rest of the Kids race to tag him. The one who succeeds is the next bull. (You can play with more than one bull!)

Big Bad Wolf
Choose one child to be the wolf. The wolf stands with its back to the other children pretending to be asleep. The other children are the pigs. They stand at a starting line about 12 feet from the wolf. When the teacher says, "Go!" the pigs try to creep up to the wolf without waking it. The wolf counts to 10, shouts, "Freeze!" and turns around. The pigs must stop and be very still. Anyone the wolf sees moving must go back to the starting line. Repeat the game until one of the pigs reaches the wolf. This child may start a new round, becoming the next wolf.

Baby Animal Sounds
Select one child to be the mother or father farm animal. The best animals to choose would be sheep, chickens, or cows. Take the mother farm animal to a remote corner of the room and have the animal hide its eyes. Choose one or two of the remaining children to be the babies. All of the children must cover their mouths, as the mother returns to find her babies. The children chosen to be the babies make tiny baas or peeps or moos. The mother or father must listen very carefully to find the babies.

Blocks
Encourage the children to build pigpens for toy pigs. Encourage the children to build a farm. Provide some toy farm animals to enhance their play. Using rubber farm animals, children can build homes the correct size for each animal using different kinds of blocks.

Crossing The Stream
Place two long pieces of string parallel to each other, about 12 inches apart. The strings represent the banks of the stream. Between the two strings lies the water. Have the children line up on one side of the stream. The object of the game is for the children to take turns jumping over the stream without touching the strings or the space in between them. Once every child has had a turn, move the strings farther apart to make the next crossing more difficult. Those children who "fall into the stream" may sit on the sidelines, moving the strings.

Corn Cob and Ring
Make a toy as a craft at your harvest celebration and play this simple game. It’s based on a Native game played by Algonquin Indians, Inuit, Ecuadorians and Colombians. Each kid needs a dried corn cob (stripped of kernels), a 2 cm ring cut from a toilet roll, a 40 cm length of string, and markers to decorate the ring. A leader might do the first step while your kids are busy decorating. Knot the string at one end, thread it onto a tapestry needle, and pull the needle  through the tip of the corn cob. Remove the needle and let your kids tie the free end of the string around the ring. Younger kids will need help. To play the game, hold the corn cob at the base, flick the wrist to toss up the ring, and catch it on the tip of the cob. It’s great for eye-hand coordination! 

Corn Cob Darts
Native Canadian youngsters made a simple toy kids will enjoy. Push two or three bird feathers picked up on a ramble or at a craft store into one end of a 10 cm piece of dried corn cob (kernels removed). Mark a target on the ground and a throwing line some distance away. Who can hit the target? 

Corn Husk Kicking
Take a handful of corn husks and tie them with a piece of yarn. Make one for each group. Hang the corn husk so it is level with most of your kids’ waists. Let the kids take turns going up to the corn husks and kicking them in different ways. Raise the corn husks to increase the level of challenge.

Duck, Duck, Goose
All of the children but one sit in a circle on the floor facing the center. The one child left standing goes around the outside of the circle, tapping each child on the head, each time saying "duck." After several times, the child must say "goose!" as he or she taps one last child. This child must jump up and chase "it" around the outside of the circle. If it reaches the "goose's" spot first and sits down, he or she is safe and the goose becomes it. If the goose reaches home first, it must start over again.

Duck Watching
Go to a duck pond and see the ducks. Ducklings generally arrive in May.

Duck, Duck, Goose
Children sitting in a circle. One child walks around the circle touching each child on the head saying saying, "Duck, duck..." The child chooses a person and says "Goose." That child gets up and chases the other around the circle back to his/her spot where the first child sits down. The second child begins the game again.

Farmer's Truck
Place several plastic fruits and vegetables on the table. Using a toy phone, pretend to be the grocer and place a call to the child, who pretends to be the farmer. Name two or three specific items for the farmer to place in his or her toy truck for delivery. The better the child becomes at the game, the more items the grocer can request for delivery.

Find the Egg Game
Teacher hides an egg while one child covers their eyes or goes out of the room. This child is the Parent Duck. The Parent duck tries to find the egg. All the ducklings (other children) quack softly and more and more loudly as Parent gets closer to where the egg is hidden, When the egg is found choose another Parent Duck and repeat.

Farm Sounds
After asking the kids to tell you some of their favourite farm animals, form the kids into groups of two (three if there is an unequal number). Assign each group a farm animal name; they should practise its call. Mix the groups up and spread them around the room. Blindfold them and ask them to make their animal’s sound while trying to find their partner. When the same animals meet, they remove their blindfolds and stand to the side of the room to watch the others.

Good Eggs
Choose one child as an Egg Tester. The others are the Eggs. Eggs should sit in a circle with feet flat on the ground, knees tucked up to  their chins, and hands clasped tightly around their knees. The Egg Tester must ‘test’ each Egg by pushing against the Egg’s knees so that the Egg rocks onto his back. If the Egg can rock back up without letting go of his knees, he’s a Good Egg. If not, the player becomes the Egg Tester.

How Now Brown Cow
Make a different cow for each child and a duplicate set for yourself. Give each child a cow. Pick one from your stack and pin it to the bulletin board. Have the children look at their cows. If the children think that they have a match to the one on the board, let them bring them up and pin them next to your cow. Have the children examine the cows closely. If they match, have the children say, "How now, brown cow!" If the cows do not match, the children should take the cow back and continue to watch for a match.

Hawk & Hen
Choose a kid to be Hawk and another to be Hen. All the others are Chickens who line up in file behind the Hen, each with a hand on the player in front. On a signal, Hawk begins to chase the Chickens, but may only catch the last Chicken in line and may not touch Hen. The Chickens must keep their order in line, and Hen tries to protect them by holding out and flapping arms, turning and dodging. When Hawk catches Chicken at the end of the line, the Chicken becomes Hawk and Hawk takes Hen’s place, shuffling down until all have had a turn being Hawk and Hen.

Harvest Hunt
A simple Harvest Hunt fits nicely with a Thanksgiving theme. Play it indoors or outside. Hide common harvest fruit and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, apples, onions and ears of corn around the area, and send out the kids to gather the harvest. Each group can then create a Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty) to use as decoration for the rest of the season. Combine all the Cornucopias together and share the bounty with the kids to take home. If you use this game as part of an outing, you might like to highlight the day with a corn roast feast and a dessert of crunchy harvest apples. Yum!

Horse Relay
Line up the kids in relay formation at one end of the room; place a chair for each team at the other end. On a signal, players run in turn to the chairs, place their hands on the seat, kick up their legs three times and neigh like a horse. Then they run back to tag the next kid, until all have had a turn.

Milk A Cow
Ahead of time, make a pinhole in each fingertip of a latex glove. Outside, hang a clothesline about three feet above the ground. Clip the prepared glove to the clothesline with a spring-type clothespin. Place a pail below the glove and a low stool or chair beside it. To help the kids understand more about cows, milk a glove! Fill the prepared glove with water. Let the kids take turns squeezing the fingertips of the glove as if milking, so that the bucket goes into the bucket.

Missing Duck Eggs
Put on grass, one egg per child. The children squat down, tucking hands under armpits, as ducks. Have a home base, a nest for the eggs to be returned to. As a duck they cannot use their hands to pick them up but must find other ways to get the egg back to the nest. Kick it with their foot, without standing up, or butting it with head, First one to get a egg back to the nest, is the winner. 

Pigs In The Mud
Talk about why pigs roll in the mud. Then have the kids cut out pigs, and then splatter paint with brown paint to symbolize the mud.

Rubber Boot Relay
Bring in some large rubber boots and coveralls. Form the kids into two lines, with the boots and coveralls at one end of the room, and the children at the other. On GO, the first kids run to the clothes and boots, put them on and run back to the line. There they take them off, give them to the next kid and go to the end of the line. The next kid puts on the clothes and boots, runs to the end of the room, takes them off, and runs back to the end of the line. The game continues until everyone has dressed up and run.

Rain Making 
Sit the kids in a circle. Practise the various rain sounds before doing the chant. If you wish, before starting this game, discuss the importance of rain for both farmers and other people. Leaves rustle before the rain starts (Rub thumbs against your first two fingers to make a rustling sound) The first raindrops start to patter down (Slowly rub together the palms of your hands) The rain is falling down hard and fast now (Cross your arms and rub your hands up and down your arms as if you are very cold) The rain drops are getting bigger (Pat your knees with your hands as fast as you can) Here comes the downpour! (Tap your feet on the floor quickly and lightly) When the shower has reached full force, reverse the order of the actions until the rain stops.

Speak
Select one child to be the farmer. The remaining children are the animals. The farmer sits on a chair with his or her back to the other children. Quietly choose one animal to tap the farmer on the shoulder. The farmer says, "Speak, speak," filling in the blank with the name of an animal. The animal who tapped the farmer on the shoulder makes the appropriate animal sound until the farmer guesses the child's name. That child becomes the farmer for the next round.

The Wonder Horse
Characters: A horse (two people with a blanket over them), and its owner The owner demonstrates how smart the horse is: he can count with his hoof, do arithmetic, etc. Then the owner introduces the most wonderful and dangerous trick of all.  He calls for a volunteer who lies on the ground. The owner helps the wonder horse step over the volunteer.  As the second person steps over, he spills a glass of water on the volunteer!

Ten Galloping Horses
Ten galloping horses came through the town (wiggle ten fingers)Five were white (hold up left hand)Five were brown (hold up right hand)They galloped up (raise hands over head)They galloped down (lower hands to floor)Then galloped away, out of town! (hide hands behind back)

Turkey Strut
Use masking tape to make turkey footprints on the floor. Put the footprints all over the room. Play a tape of the song "Turkey in the Straw" or some other farm music. Invite the children to act like turkeys, strutting around the room and gobbling as the music plays. When the music stops, the turkeys must quickly find a pair of turkey prints on which to stand. When the music resumes, the turkeys strut around the room again. If you wish, play this game as you would musical chairs, removing a set of prints each time the music stops.

Young Farm Animals
Locate a farm, ranch or stable to visit and newborn lamb, go, calf or forest.  If newborn animals are available what is observed?  How big is the baby?  How does it see?  Where does the mother keep the baby?  Can the baby walk right away?  Oust the farm manager to separate mother and baby.  How do they find each other?  Price?  Smells?  Site?  Smell?  How do the parent and young animal assemble each other?  Feel the for, listen to sounds, compare the size of newborn or young farm animals to size of a child.
 

SONGS:

All Around the Barnyard
All around the barnyard
The animals are fast asleep.
Sleeping cows and horses,
Sleeping pigs and sheep.
(Rest cheek on folded hands)
Here comes the cocky rooster
To sound his daily alarm.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Wake up sleepy farm!"
(Flap arms at sides and crow.)

Chicken
Chicken, chicken, you can't cluck too much for me.
Chicken, chicken, now come down off of that tree.
Chicken, chicken, chicken, you can't cluck too much for me.
"C" is for the little chick
"H" for the mamma hen
"I" cause I love that bird
"C" for the cluck, cluck
"K" for the Kackle, Kackle
"E" and the little "N"
C-H-I-C-K-E-N
That's the way to spell chicken
That's my friend the chicken.

Five little Ducks
Five little ducks, went out to play (hold up five fingers)
over the hills, and far away, (hold hand to eyebrows)
When the mother duck went "Quack Quack Quack"
(motion "quack" with your hand)
Four little Ducks came waddling back.
(make wings with arms and move elbows up and down)
Continue to count down until there are no little ducks then sing:
No little ducks went out to play,
Over the hills and far away,
When the father duck went "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK",
Five little ducks came waddling back.

I Had a Little Chicken
Tune: Turkey in the Straw 
I had a little chicken and she wouldn't lay and egg, 
So I rubbed hot butter up and down her leg, 
I rubbed hot butter up and down her leg, 
And my little chicken laid a fried egg. 
Chorus:  A fried egg, a fried egg 
My little chicken laid a fried egg 
I had a little chicken and she wouldn't lay an egg, 
So I rubbed hot water up and down her leg, 
I rubbed hot water up and down her leg, 
And my little chicken laid a hard boiled egg. 
Chorus:  A hard boiled egg, a hard boiled egg 
My little chicken laid a hard boiled egg 
I had a little chicken and she wouldn't lay an egg, 
So I rubbed hot chocolate up and down her leg,
I rubbed hot chocolate up and down her leg, A
nd my little chicken laid an Easter egg!

Six little ducks
Six little ducks
That I once knew
Fat ones, skinny ones,
Fair ones, too
But the one little duck
With the feather on his back
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack
Down to the river
They would go
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble,
To and fro
But the one little duck
With the feather on his back
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack
Back from the river
They would come
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble,
Ho, hum, hum
But the one little duck
With the feather on his back
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack
He led the others
With a quack, quack, quack

Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,
And on this farm he had some chicks, E-I-E-I-O,
With a chick, chick, here and a chick, chick, there
Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick, *
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
2nd verse: Ducks — quack, quack
3rd verse: Turkeys — gobble, gobble
4th verse: Pigs — oink, oink
5th verse: Cows — moo, moo
6th verse: Mules — hee haw
7th verse: Dogs — bow woo
8th verse: Cats — mew mew
9th verse: Truck — rattle rattle
* Repeat third and fourth lines of each
verse previously sung.

Oats, Beans and Barley
This is an old English chanting song. Form a large circle and join hands.
One kid stands in the middle as the Farmer. All chant:
Oats and beans and barley grow
In fields and rows,
In fields and rows.
And this is the way the Farmer sows:
He stamps his foot (all stamp foot)
He claps his hands (all clap hands)
And turns around and views the land (all turn around)
Waiting for a partner.
Waiting for a partner (all fold arms and stand still)
At this point, the Farmer chooses a partner and the two hold hands.
kids repeat the chant until all have been chosen and stand with hands
linked in a new circle.

To the Farm
Horses, donkeys, cows that moo,
(Make mooing sounds.)
Chickens, kittens, piglets too,
(Make oinking sounds.)
Fish that swim down in the pond,
(Make swimming movements.)
Ducklings quacking all day long.
(Make quacking sounds.)
All these animals you can see
(Cup hand above eye.)
If you go to the farm with me.

The Barn
Here is the barn,
So big, don't you see?
(Form roof shape with fingers)
In walk the cows,
One, two, three.
(Hold up three fingers, one at a time.)
Soon there will be milk
For you and me.
(Point to other person, then to self.)

The Purple Cow
I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

The Little Ducklings
All the little ducklings
Line up in a row.
(Stand up)
Quack, quack, quack,
And away they go.
(Hands and thumbs together with both hands)
They follow their mother,
(put hands behind as a tail waddle
Waddling to and fro.
Quack, quack, quack
And away they go.
(repeat above)
Down to the big pond
Happy as can be. (smile)
Quack, quack, quack
They are full of glee. (repeat)
They jump in the water
(jump up and down)
And bob up and down,
Quack, quack, quack,
they swim all around.
(repeat)
All the little ducklings
(swimming motion)
Swimming far away.
Quack, quack, quack,
They'll play another day.(repeat)

The Farm Song
Baa, baa, Black Sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full;
One for your sweater, and one for your rug,
And one for a blanket to keep you warm and snug.
(Repeat first two lines)
Cluck, cluck, Red Hen, have you any eggs?
Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs.
One for your breakfast, and one for your lunch,
Come back tomorrow, I’ll have another bunch. (etc.)
Moo, moo, Brown Cow, have you any milk for me?
Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be.
Churn it into butter, make it into cheese,
Freeze it into ice cream, or drink it as you please. (etc.)
Buzz, buzz, Busy Bee, is your honey sweet?
Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat.
Honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,
Honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make. (etc.)
 

STORIES:

Mickey the Monkey
Organize the kids into 6 groups. 
Give each group one of the following animal roles; whenever a group hears its animal it must make the appropriate sound.
Mickey the Monkey: Eek, eek, eek!
Cow: Moo!
Horse: Neigh!
Dog: Bow wow!
Cat: Meeoow!
Chickens: Cluck, cluck, cluck!
Animals: All make their own sounds together
Mickey the Monkey was always getting into trouble. And no wonder. He was
always up to some naughty monkey trick. Mickey the Monkey lived on a farm. All the other animals were always cross with him because he did such naughty things.
One day Mickey the Monkey was in the big feeding shed where Mr. Giles, the
farmer, was busy putting out food for the animals.
“Now,” said Mr. Giles to his wife, Mrs. Giles, “Today I have to go out. I
won’t be back in time to feed the animals. Will you feed them for me?
Everything’s ready so you won’t have to do anything except give the right
food to the right animal at five o’clock.”
“Of course I’ll feed them,” replied Mrs. Giles. “I’ll just have to watch that
Mickey the Monkey doesn’t get up to his usual tricks.”
Mickey the Monkey heard this conversation, and thought that he would like to
help feed the animals. After all, Mrs. Giles was very busy, and he was sure she would be glad to have his help. So when it was nearly five o’clock, Mickey the Monkey put back the hands of the big clock so that Mrs. Giles thought that it was only four o’clock. Then Mickey the Monkey ran to the big feeding shed to feed the animals.
He gave a big bowl of bones to the cow. She didn’t like that at all.
He gave a bowl of fish to the horse. He didn’t like that at all.
He gave a bowl of corn to the dog. He didn’t like that at all.
He gave a bunch of bananas to the chickens. They didn’t like that at all.
He gave a bowl of cow cake to the cat. She didn’t like that at all.
At six o’clock when Mrs. Giles came out to feed the animals (she thought it was only five o’clock), she heard a dreadful noise in the farmyard. The cow was mooing because she didn’t like the dog’s bones. The horse was neighing because he didn’t like the cat’s food. The dog was barking because he didn’t like the chickens’ food. The cat was mewing because she didn’t like the cow’s food. And the chickens were clucking and squawking because they didn’t like bananas at all.
When Mrs. Giles saw the bananas, she knew what had happened. So she smiled to herself and found the only food that was left. It was a big bundle of hay that was really the horse’s dinner and she gave it to Mickey the Monkey. Poor Mickey the Monkey didn’t like that at all. He began to cry.
“See what you do when you muddle up the food,” said Mrs. Giles.
Poor Mickey the Monkey didn’t get any supper that night, and never played
that trick again. But he still plays other naughty tricks. He can’t really help it,
because all monkeys get up to monkey tricks, don’t they?

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Bologna Pigs
Make bologna sandwiches into pigs with raisins for eyes, a small circle of bologna for a nose, and triangles of bologna for ears.

Black Cow or Purple Cow 
You need ice cream and root beer or grape soda. Put a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass and fill to the top with the soda.

Farm Foods
Discuss and taste different foods that come from the farm.

Haystacks
Melt a bag of butterscotch chips (not the store brands they do not melt well) in the microwave. On high it takes about 1 min 30 sec. Add 10 oz. of Chinese Noodles and place in piles on a sheet of wax paper. That is all you do, they taste GREAT! and really look like piles of hay ( or straw actually!!)

Make butter!
Place some heavy cream in a baby food jar. Have the kids shake the jar ten times. If desired, mix in a pinch of salt and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Spread the butter on crackers for kids to taste.

Pink Pig-Sicles 
Mix together 2 cups plain yogurt, a 12 ounce can unsweetened frozen apple-cranberry juice concentrate and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Pour the mixture into small paper cups and insert plastic spoons for handles. Chill in the freezer until set, then serve as treats for snack time. Makes 8 to 10.

Pigs In A Blanket
Make pigs in a blanket. Which is a hot dog with a crescent roll wrapped around it and then baked.

The Purple Cow
For each child figure on 2 oz. of grape juice, 2 oz. of lemon-lime soda, and about 1/4 c. vanilla ice cream . Put about 1 c. of grape juice and 1 c. of ice cream in blender at a time and blend for 15 seconds or less. Fill small paper cups about half full of this mixture, then add the soda and serve. Make batches until you've got enough for everyone. Kids really liked this and copied down the recipe to take home on their own.

TIPS/NOTES:

Visit the barns
Visit the animals
Play in the hay
Hay wagon rides