Dig Down, Build Up
By Anne Neidinger
Books to Share
Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo
Get to Work Trucks by Don Carter
The Little Dump Truck by Margaret Cuyler
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia
Books to Show or Booktalk
Building with Dad by Carol Nevius
Construction Zone by Tana Hoban
Dazzling Diggers by Tony Mitton
I Stink! by Kate McMullan
Nametag
Dump Truck
Use the dump truck pattern provided at the end of this chapter to create nametags. If desired, the children may also color them.
Refreshments
Edible Mud Shapes
(Adapted from The Arts and Crafts Busy Book: 365 Art and Craft Activities to Keep Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy by Trish Kuffner.)
Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Honey
- Dry milk
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate milk powder
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
Directions
Mix peanut butter, honey, dry milk and crushed graham crackers into a bowl. Have children roll up balls and put them into a plastic baggie with the chocolate milk powder. After shaking the balls up, children can roll out the "edible mud" into shapes using cookie cutters or their imagination!
Fingerplays
Johnny's Hammer
(Traditional)
Johnny pounds with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer,
Johnny pounds with one hammer all day long (Pounding motion with one fist)
Johnny pounds with two hammers, two hammers, two hammers,
Johnny pounds with two hammers all day long. (Pounding motion with two fists)
Johnny pounds with three hammers, three hammers, three hammers,
Johnny pounds with three hammers all day long. (Pounding motion with two fists and one foot).
Johnny pounds with four hammers, four hammers, four hammers,
Johnny pounds with four hammers all day long. (Pounding motion with two fists, two feet, and nod head).
Johnny now is so tired, so tired, so tired,
Johnny now is so tired all day long. (Hold hammering position)
Johnny goes to sleep now, sleep now, sleep now.
Johnny goes to sleep now all night long. (Drop head and close eyes).
Five Little Trucks
(Adapted by Anne Neidinger. Sing to the tune of "Five Little Ducks")
Five Little Trucks went out to play, (Hold up five fingers)
Into the mud pit far away. (Make circle in front of you like hole in the ground with both hands and move far away from body)
When a big HONK HONK (Pat palm of one hand twice over fist of other like honking horn)
Came from Big Truck Mac, (Hold up fist only)
Four Little Trucks came rumbling back. (Hold up four fingers and move them from far away toward body)
Four Little Trucks went out to play, (Hold up four fingers)
Into the mud pit far away. (Make circle in front of you like hole in the ground with both hands and move far away from body)
When a big HONK HONK (Pat palm of one hand twice over fist of other like honking horn)
Came from Big Truck Mac, (Hold up fist only)
Three Little Trucks came rumbling back. (Hold up three fingers and move them from far away toward body)
Three Little Trucks went out to play, (Hold up three fingers)
Into the mud pit far away. (Make circle in front of you like hole in the ground with both hands and move far away from body)
When a big HONK HONK (Pat palm of one hand twice over fist of other like honking horn)
Came from Big Truck Mac, (Hold up fist only)
Two Little Trucks came rumbling back. (Hold up two fingers and move them from far away toward body)
Two Little Trucks went out to play, (Hold up two fingers)
Into the mud pit far away. (Make circle in front of you like hole in the ground with both hands and move far away from body)
When a big HONK HONK (Pat palm of one hand twice over fist of other like honking horn)
Came from Big Truck Mac, (Hold up fist only)
One Little Truck came rumbling back. (Hold up two fingers and move them from far away toward body)
One Little Truck went out to play, (Hold up one fingers)
Into the mud pit far away. (Make circle in front of you like hole in the ground with both hands and move far away from body)
When HONK HONK, HONK HONK (Pat palm of one hand four times over fist of other like honking horn very hard)
Came from Big Truck Mac, (Hold up fist only and shake it)
All Little Trucks came racing back. (Hold five fingers and move them quickly from far away toward body)
Songs
"Old MacDonald's Truck" from Piggyback Songs for Infants and Toddlers by Jean Warren.
Puppet Play
Little Dump Truck
Dress up as Hard Hat Pete by wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans. Wear a hard hat from a discount store or create your own from yellow construction paper. Enlarge and color the dump truck pattern at the end of this chapter to create a puppet on a stick. Tell The Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler and Bob Kolar as a puppet play, starring Little Dump Truck.
Craft
Dump Truck Craft
(Adapted from "Terrific Trucks" from The Best Kids Book Site, http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/craftdetails3.cfm?CraftID=197.)
Materials
- White cardstock
- Brads
- Craft stick (optional)
- Crayons
Directions
In advance, make copies of the dump truck pattern provided at the end of this chapter. Cut away the "dumpster" portion of the truck. Distribute the truck parts and have children color their trucks. Help the children attach the dumpster to the truck with a brad. If desired, attach a craft stick with tape to make a dump truck puppet.
Games and Activities
Construction Zone
Create a construction zone that includes building blocks and other objects and shapes that children may safely build with. If possible, bring in a small, empty plastic pool filled with dirt and toy trucks. Children may dig in the dirt using the toys.
Decomposition
(Adapted from What's the BIG Idea? Making Math and Science Come Alive for Children and Families in Your Library: Library Manual by The Vermont Center for the Book.)
Introduce children to the concept of decomposition by using the example of an apple core. What happens to an apple if you don't eat all of it? Cut an apple in half and put one half inside a sealed, clear plastic bag. Share the other half with children to eat. Allow children to observe what happens to the saved apple at your next storytime. Talk about the size and color of the apple but don't let the children smell it!
DVDs/Films
"I Stink!"on I Stink—and More Stories on Wheels by Weston Woods Studios.
Craft Materials
Dump Truck Nametag
Printer Friendly PDF Version (127 KB) (Full Page)
Dump Truck Craft *and* "The Little Dump Truck" Puppet Play Pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (171 KB) (Full Page)
