Diggers!
By Patricia Peters
Books to Share
Badger's Fancy Meal by Keiko Kasza
Dig Hole, Soft Mole by Carolyn Lesser
Turtle in the Sea by Jim Arnosky
What a Treasure! by Jane Hillenbrand
Books to Show or Booktalk
Dig, Wait, Listen by April Pulley Sayre
The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins
Turtle Tide by Stephen R. Swinburne
Turtle Tracks by Sally Harman Plowdon
Bulletin Board
Dig Up a Good Book
Create a beach and wave background and add dogs, moles, badgers, and sea turtles, all digging.
Nametag
Dog Tags
Make Dog Tag nametags using the pattern provided at the end of this chapter.
Costumes and Props
Introduce the theme for the program with Clifford the Big Red Dog or a puppy puppet.
Songs
B-I-N-G-O
(Traditional)
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
And Bingo was his name-o
Action Rhymes
Dig With Me
(By Patricia Peters)
Dig a hole. (Use hands like front paws in digging motion)
Drop in the bone. (Pretend to drop bone in hole)
Cover it up. (Use "paws" to fill in hole)
Now we're done. (Brush "paws" together)
Dig a hole. (Use hands like front paws in digging motion)
Find the bone. (Pick up the bone)
Chew it up. (Pretend to crunch the bone)
The bone is gone. (Put hands out to show "all gone")
Flannel Boards
Dog Bone Addition
Cut out 10 bones from felt using the same pattern provided in this chapter for the nametags). Also cut out the numerals 0-10 plus an extra 10, a plus (+) sign, and an equal (=) sign. Use a green background on the flannel board to great a grass lawn-like surface. Add two brown circles to the green flannel to look like holes where the dog can bury the bones. Have the children help count the bones as you place them on one of the holes. Then put up the numeral 10 above to the far right. Move some of the bones to the other hole, counting as you go, and put up the corresponding numeral. Then count the bones that are left in the first hole, putting up that corresponding numeral when you are finished. Now you're ready to add the "+" and "=" signs to show the appropriate math.
This is a great introduction to basic addition for preschoolers. They will have fun counting with you, and seeing the correct signs forming an equation will help them see what "real math" looks like.

Crafts
Dog Bone Necklace
Materials
- White or manila construction paper
- Yarn
- Hole punch
Directions
In advance, cut out four to six dog bones from construction paper and 24" of yarn for each participant using the patterns provided at the end of this chapter. Punch holes in both ends of the dog bones. Distribute these items to the children and let them thread the bones onto the yarn. Tie the yarn to create a necklace.
Games and Activities
Dog Bone Toss Game
Purchase bone-shaped dog toys or bone-shaped bean bags. Let the children stand on all fours and toss the dog bones into a dog dish. For added difficulty, use colored dog toys and multiple colored dog dishes. Have the children toss the toy into the dish of a matching color.
Craft Materials
Dog Tags Nametag Pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (173 KB) (Full Page)
Dog Bone Necklace Craft Pattern and Bone Nametag
Printer Friendly PDF Version (179 KB) (Full Page)