Background
Duck rhymes songs has an unknown origin. However, it’s been around for a very long time and is still very popular today.
What skills are used?
The rhyme helps 0 to preschool aged children with fine and gross motor skills; such as but not limited to balance while waddling, walking a straight line, wiggling, wiggling fingers, arts/crafts, pretending to be ducks, understanding learning, and rhyming. Nursery rhymes are a great way to teach children. The nursery rhyme will get children doing a variety of physical activities. Repetition is important for the children to learn the song.
What is the appropriate age group?
0 thru preschool are the best ages, because these are the their formative years.
What educational activities/experiences can be used?
Sing while children are drawing pictures of the ducks. Good opportunity to take children to the park to witness live ducks and sing as they observe the ducks, have them make duck masks to wear and take turns being the leader. Ducks could be fed while at the park which would lead into a discussion about what ducks eat. Watch the ducks swim and then discuss how they are swimming with their webbed feet. Listen for the ducks to quack and discuss that quacking is how duck talk to each other.
Buy some plastic ducks and float them in the tub or pool while singing.
Provide younger children outline of ducks and have them glue on tail feathers and color.
Print duck pictures or have children color pictures of ducks and paste them to straws or dowel sticks.
Have children wear yellow and make crowns with feathers; make one crown a little different to represent the duck with the feather on it’s back.
Make webbed feet templates and place around room or outside for children to follow.
Make duck beaks with elastic string attached so beaks can be worn.
Incorporating actions to the songs will help to calm children down who have been sitting too long and need some physical activity. As the repetition of the words will have your children singing on their own.
A snack could be provided that looks like duck food – some type of trail mix, gummy worms and/or fish, yellow or blue drink,
What life lessons can be learned?
Children learn about what ducks eat, how they swim, how they follow in a line, how they talk and many other things associated with ducks. For another great life-lesson rhyme, check out Johny Johny Yes Papa.
Children are taught that ducks come in different shapes and sizes; they are also taught about leadership roles, how a duck gets around by waddling to and fro. Can also teach that ducks are like people and they are all different.
What benefits can be obtained?
Singing, doing the actions, and repeating is such a great way for children to learn the nursery rhyme, but to also learn other things associated with ducks and their actions; as well as life lessons. This nursery rhyme/song has so many teachable benefits to be gained.