These activity ideas are extended learning opportunities for the book Peace at Last by Jill Murphy. Begin by reading the story aloud using the Story Bucket and then follow up with the many great Maths early learning ideas! Children can practice basic concepts, such as same and different, serial order, sequencing, counting, measuring, shape recognition, and time, as well as emergent literacy skills and visual attention.
Materials
- Peace at Last by Jill Murphy
- Teddy bears of different sizes
- Knitting needles
- Toy bed
- Toy aeroplane
- Wind-up cuckoo clock
- Toy car
- Toy house
- Alarm clock
- Newspaper
- Mug of tea
- Other items from the story
Emergent Literacy Skills: “Peace at Last” presented in a Story Bucket
- Gather together items from the story to make a story bucket.
- Read the story aloud with the children.
- Watch the video together.
Skills to work on
- Sequence events
- Match initial letter sounds to objects
- Match words to objects
- Role play the story
- Put all objects together beginning with the same letters
- Make model of house, add tactile windows, door
- Explore real objects in story bucket
Same and Different
- House sides, knitting needles, two legs, arms, eyes, ears
- Same aeroplanes
- Different animals in the trees
- Explore different textures within story bucket – fur, wool, wood
Ordering
- Arrange bears by size
- Organize pyjamas and slippers by size
- Role play story by sequence of events, place items from story in order
Counting
- Count snores by bears
- Count arms, legs, eyes (twoness of two, oneness of one)
- Count house sides
- Count windows, door, roof, chimney
- Count knitting needles
- Count slippers
- Count paws (match colours) make patterns with paws
- Count doors/windows/windscreen wipers
- Make bed for Bear – how many boxes are needed to make a bed big enough for a teddy bear?
Measuring
- Measure bears – toy, baby, mum and dad bear (order smallest to biggest)
- Measure bears: biggest and smallest (hold smallest, hold biggest feel difference)
- Measure knitting
- Unwind ball of wool and measure length
- Measure length of knitting needles
- Measure sides of house
Shape Recognition
- Explore circular shape of moon
Time
- Tell time on Cuckoo Clock.
- Use Lazy Sue to make a clock face and a moving clock hand.
Positive Looking: Visual Skills, such as looking, attending, fixation
- Shiny roof on house
- Light inside house
- Shiny paws on teddies
- Shiny buttons on dress – Mrs. Teddy
- Red ribbon on teddy (baby teddy)
- Red patch on toy teddy
- Shiny pillow (Mr Bear’s)
