A story-time workshop is a little more than reading a story, and it is a wonderful way to bring books to life and help children fall in love with the wonder of reading.
Cupcake and Can We Lick the Spoon Now? were the featured books at our baking themed Cubbyhouse Tales. Below is an outline of the workshop. It would be easy for you to re-create at home with your children. The boys seemed to particularly enjoy these activities.
This workshop involves four stages:
- Tuning In: Capturing the child’s interest and attention so they can gain as much from the story as possible
- Reading the story
- Making Connections: Providing the child with an experience that can help them relate to the story
- Book-chatting: A chance to talk about the story, characters and messages in the book
The stages can take place in one session or they can take place over a number of days, depending on the age of the child. I hope you can find a way to incorporate some of these activities in your home, as this is one very special book to share with your children.
This workshop was inspired by:
1. Cupcake by Charlise Mercile Harper (Disney-Hyperion)
2. Can We Lick the Spoon Now? by Carol Goess and Tamsin Ainslie (Working Title Press)
TUNING IN:
1. Introduce children to some of the ingredients that appear in the books by using empty packets to make a pretend cake
2. Sing a selection of cake and baking songs (See below for a list of songs)
READING:
Tell the story using props (plaster cupcake and candle) and actions
MAKING CONNECTIONS:
Cupcake liners and candles from www.cupcakecity.com.au
1. Use colourful playdough and cupcake liners, create pretend cupcakes. (Our featured cupcake liners were from Cupcake City who offer quick and reliable service). These are some of our favourite playdough recipes:
- Edible chocolate play-dough from Kidding About Town
- Scented play dough from Mini Eco
- Silky Smooth playdough (Teacher Tom’s Mum’s Very Special Recipe) from Teacher Tom
2. Collect a range of tactile materials from around the house to use as toppings/decorations for the cupcakes (For e.g. candles, glitter, basket filler, toy animals, feathers, rocks, stones, sand etc.)
3. You might try using baking terminology as you create (e.g. mix, beat, whip)
BOOK CHATTING:
Literal:
- What ingredients were used to make the cakes?
Inferential:
- What part of baking the cake do you think the children enjoyed most of all?
- How do you think the children felt when the dog ate their cake?
Application:
- Imagine you were Cupcake. How would you feel if you were left alone on the cake stand?
- What is your favourite type of cake?
Analysis and Evaluation:
- What type of cake do you think the children will bake next?
- What topping do you think would make Cupcake special?
OTHER BOOKS:
Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
PLAY
Play in your Outdoor/Mud Kitchen and create a selection of mudpies and concoctions
CREATE
Head into the kitchen and make or decorate a real cake
FIND OUT
Search through a few recipe books and find out what other flavoured cakes you could bake.
WRITE
Write a list of your own wacky cupcake flavours and designs.
OUT AND ABOUT
Visit a bakery and see what else is baked in a bakery
CAKE AND BAKING SONGS AND FINGER PLAYS:
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear [insert name],
Happy birthday to you.
Pat-a-cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Baker man
Bake us a cake as fast as you can
Roll it, and pat it and mark it with B
And put it in the oven for
Baby and me
Baking Song- sing to the tune of The Mulberry Bush Source: Addison Library, Fabulous Food Rhymes and Resources
What would you like to bake today,
Bake today, bake today?
What would you like to bake today
So early in the morning?
I’d like to bake a cake today,
A cake today, a cake today.
I’d like to bake a cake today.
So early in the morning.
A Delicious Cake Source: Toddler Storytime
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make stirring motion)
Shake some flour in (make shaking motion)
Mix the batter, stir the batter (make stirring motion)
Place it in a tin (make pouring motion)
Sprinkle little raisins on (sprinkle motion)
Pop it in to bake (make motion)
Open wide the oven door, (make motion)
and out comes a cake! (open palms)
Five little candles
Five little candles straight and tall (hold up five fingers)
Burning brightly (Wiggle fingers)
Count them all
1, 2, 3, 4 ,5
I blow with all my might (Blow)
And out goes one little candle light (drop one finger)
Continue until all candles (fingers) have been blown out
Birthday Cake-Source: The Best Kids Book Site
(Hold up hands with palms facing out and fingers extended)
Ten candles on a birthday cake
All lit up for me (wiggle fingers)
I’ll make a wish and blow them out
Watch and you will see (blow and bend fingers down)
Birthday Candles Source: The Best Kids Book Site
Today I have a birthday
I’m four years old you see (hold up 4 fingers)
And here I have a birthday cake (make circle with arms)
Which you may share with me (point to group)
First we count the candles
Count them every one
One, two, three, four (hold up fingers one by one)
The counting now is done
Let’s blow out the candles
Out each flame will go (pretend to blow)
As one by one we blow (bend fingers down one at a time)
Five Candles Source: Storytime Share
Five candles on a birthday cake
Five, and not one more.
You may blow one candle out, [make blowing sound and motion]
And that leaves four!
Four candles on a birthday cake
There for all to see.
You may blow one candle out, [make blowing sound and motion]
And that makes three!
Three candles on a birthday cake
Standing straight and true.
You may blow one candle out, [make blowing sound and motion]
And that leaves two!
Two candles on a birthday cake
Helping us have fun.
You may blow one candle out, [make blowing sound and motion]
And that leaves one!
One candle on a birthday cake
We know its task is done.
You may blow this candle out, [make blowing sound and motion]
And that leaves none!
The Birthday Cake Source: Kinder Korner
Today is my birthday.
I think I’ll make a cake.
Mix and stir, stir and mix,
Then into the oven to bake.
Here’s the cake so nice and round,
I’ll put icing on so white.
I’ll put on all the candles
To make my birthday bright!
Hip, Hip, Hooray, It’s Your Birthday! (To the tune of Old MacDonald) Source: Kinder Korner
[insert child’s name] has a birthday.
Hip, hip, hip, hooray!
And on her cake, she has____candles.
What a happy day!
With a puff puff here
And a puff puff there,
Here a puff
There a puff
Everywhere a puff puff,
[insert child’s name] has a birthday,
Hip, hip, hip, hooray!
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