Hello friends! I am so excited to share this resource to go with this week’s folk song A Fairy Seed. Make sure you’ve printed off the free 4x6 song card from my last post to go along with this play set, because I love having the song card available for the child to see, reference, and “read” as they are playing. Seeing the music they are singing written down is a special experience for a child, and their absorbent mind is paying incredible attention to the details they see on the page, even if they aren’t technically reading it like you or I would.
I created this resource as a little invitation for musical play. The child can act out every step of the gardening process to grow their own pumpkin out of the little fairy seed, and then delight as they watch their pumpkin growing larger and larger until it becomes a jack-o-lantern and then finally a pumpkin pie! I mentioned in my last post how magical this song is, and I think playing through the story will really help the children solidify what this song is talking about.
After printing out the play set onto a nice heavy cardstock (free download available at the end of this post), cut out each element and laminate for longevity. The set can be played with as is, or in a bin with some dry pinto or black beans to act as dirt in a garden. (I did personally print two copies of the vine page so I could have a more “sprawling” vine.)
Sing through the song as you play with each element. Plant the seed, watch the vine grow, let the flowers bloom, watch as the pumpkin grows, and so on. Another way to play is to hide the elements in the beans, and then try to put them in the right order as they are found. Sing through after finding all the pieces to check your work.
There are many ways to play, and I think this would be so fun as a center in a classroom, or as an invitation to musical play at home. Make sure to reach out and let me know if you give this activity a try, I always love to see your kids using the materials I create. It’s seriously the best feeling!
Happy singing!
-Lauren