Every once in a while we include some games in class. This time, I made six different bird actions and inserted them into my foam die. Here are some actions you can encourage your child to do at home – Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... Circle time is a fun way to bring out some popular rhymes, new rhymes and new twists to old favorites. Here are a few “bird” themed songs you can sing with your child –

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There’s more maniacal energy – though a slight dearth of restraint – in the first children’s book from AL Kennedy. In Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Almost Entirely Unplanned Adventure (Walker), a young badger falls foul of two dastardly sisters, who plan to pit him against terrifying fight dogs. It’s perhaps a pity that the adult Uncle Shawn is drafted in to save the day, but there are several belly laughs along the way – especially courtesy of Gemma Correll’s wide-eyed illustrations.Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... Although this book can get kids involved in acting out bird actions, it also makes for plain fun reading and I know that the rhymes and colourful pictures would have made me want to read this over again and again when I was younger. It’s a great book and lots of fun and one I’d recommend. I certainly can visualise all the little kids copying the birds, wanting to be just like them. For this reason I doubt it would be any good as a bedtime story as the actions would get the child excited, but during the day I can just see them having so much fun. I can also picture a teacher reading this book to a class and all his/her students acting like birds too. This few steps may require some help from an adult – take the other ball and place the googly eyes to make a face. Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-award-winning author Lucy Cousins.

A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins | Waterstones A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins | Waterstones

Moving from badgers to bears, Mostly Mary (Egmont) is a charming reissue of Gwynedd Rae’s Mary Plain stories, first published in 1930. Clara Vulliamy’s joyous fuzzy-furred pictures are a perfect match for these down-to-earth tales of a mischievous, haughty, trouble-prone bear cub, set in the bear pits in Berne. (Purists may note that references to corporal punishment have been tactfully edited out.) If this book is also a hit with your child, then the following are suggestions for some modifications that might help: Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri...

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Finally, DJ and presenter Gemma Cairney’s Open – A Toolkit for How Messed Up and Magic Life Can Be (Macmillan) is a chunky non-fiction splurge of glitter, anecdote and jubilation. With sections on mental health, sex, identity, family, politics and first love, it’s likely to appeal more to female readers at first glance (but would be invaluable for boys brave enough to sneak a peek). The intense, sometimes confessional tone, strongly personal throughout, may polarise readers, and some areas, such as the section on climate change, seem slightly perfunctory. Overall, however, it’s a valuable resource, full of reassurance for teenagers that they are not alone, whatever they feel. Lucy Cousins, BA Honours in Graphic Design from The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton Polytechnic, postgraduate degree from Royal College of Art, is an author-illustrator of children’s books.

A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins | Waterstones

My class consists of 1.5 to 3 year olds, so one of my biggest creative challenges is to come up with art and craft ideas that keep this age group engaged. More importantly, the skill level of the activity mustn’t frustrate the child. Definitely recommended for a fun, silly read with some pretty birds and hilarious noises to impress your children with. Sensory bins are great ways to spike a child’s curiosity and imagination. Additionally, it provides unlimited opportunities of texture play that is known to build nerve connections that trigger a child’s inclination and ability to pursue complex learning. Language development, motor skills, social skills, problem solving, all get honed with sensory play.Once the paint dries off, help your child squeeze out some glue on the plate. Make sure it’s well spread out. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have...