Fun Games 4 Learning: Turkey Math Games: Flannel Friday: There Was a Little Penguin

Friday, January 27, 2012

Flannel Friday: There Was a Little Penguin

My love affair with penguins began years ago when I was teaching my very first preschool classes. I used to visit my local library every week to collect new books (on our weekly themes) for my class to enjoy.

This particular day, I was looking for books on individuality.

Boy, did I find the perfect one!
It was:

I was IN LOVE from the very first page! Tacky was AWESOME! He was cute and cuddly but, best of all, he was DIFFERENT!

I took Tacky to my classroom and he soon became everyone's favorite. We read about Tacky and then we read about real penguins. We pretended to be Tacky ~ waddling all around the playground and singing our own made-up songs. We counted our penguin friends; we played in the "snow" at the water table; and we even made our very own Tacky to take home ~ each one delightfully different from all the others!

It was a glorious week of learning about penguins but also about learning to be happy with being ourselves ~ just like Tacky!

Ever since I first read those final words on the last page of the book ~ "Tacky was an ... " ~ Oh, wait! If you haven't read the book, I don't want to spoil it for you. Just take my word for it! Tacky the Penguin is a true one-of-a-kind, there-is-noone-else-like-him kind of friend!

I hope you will check him out at your library and share him with your own budding individualist(s).

In the meantime, I would like to share a fun flannel board activity with you:

There was a Little Penguin

(A penguin version of "There was a Little Turtle")

(Click on the title above for the words without pictures.)

There was a little penguin

Who waddled when she walked.

She swam in the ocean,

And she climbed on some rocks.

(Before placing the penguin on the board, make her waddle, swim, and climb.)

She snapped at seagull.

(After placing the seagull on the board, snap hands together one time.)

She snapped at a seal.

(After placing the seal on the board, snap hands together one time.)

She snapped at a fish.

(After placing the fish on the board, snap hands together one time.)

Mmmmm, what a meal!

(After moving the fish over to the penguin, rub your tummy.)

(I am thinking about making my fish smaller but for now he is one ENORMOUS, yummy meal. ;-)

Since my first meeting with my wonderful friend, Tacky, there are been several more books written about him. They are all fun, silly adventures that I wholeheartedly recommend sharing with friends...