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Juvenile Nonfiction - Animals - Horses; Juvenile Nonfiction - House & Home; Juvenile Nonfiction - Activity Books | Random House Books for Young Readers | Hardcover | January 2008 | $7.99 | 978-0-375-84210-8 (0-375-84210-1)
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Grover and his furry red pal, Elmo, learn all about horses and ponies: how they're born, how they live, and how they work, from enormous farm horses to tiny guide horses. The Twiddlebugs are abuzz with interesting bits of trivia along the way.
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you can incorporate
this title into your classroom curriculum:
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Recite these rhymes with the children, displaying the appropriate number of fingers when prompted-and don't forget to "trot" with your hands at the end!
Ten Fine Horses
Ten fine horses trotted in to town:
(Display ten fingers)
Five were white and five were brown
(Display fingers of one hand, then the other)
They trotted up and they trotted down,
(Point fingers up, point fingers down)
Ten fine horses, trotting in to town.
(Clap hands to sound like trotting)
This traditional rhyme invites dramatic interpretation-hopping, trotting, and cantering!
Shoe the Little Horse
Shoe the little horse
And shoe the little mare
But let the little colt
Go bare, bare, bare!
Horsey, Horsey
Here is an old favorite circle game, similar to "Ring Around the Rosy." Children join hands and circle while singing these words to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush," ending with a great big fall!
Horsey, horsey, come ride with me
Across the land,
Across the sea.
Horsey, horsey, come ride with me
But do not let me FALL!
Frozen Macaroni
This one's sung to the tune of "Ring Around the Rosy." The trick is to freeze when the pony stops. The first child to move is out! Continue until only one child remains.
I have a little pony
His name is Macaroni
He trots and trots,
And then he
STOPS.
My silly Macaroni pony!
Horse Memory Game
A great game to play alone or with a friend! Create a set of Memory game cards by pasting pictures of different-colored horses (you can draw them, print them from an online source, or cut them from magazines) to index cards. You should make two cards for each kind of kind of horse (e.g., two spotted horses, two brown ponies, two black stallions, and so on.) Place the cards facedown in a square on the table or floor.
On each turn, a player will first turn any one card over, and then any second. If the two cards match, the player scores one point. The two cards are removed from the game, and the player gets another turn. If they do not match, the cards are turned back over. The turn then goes to the next player, or the solitary player continues to hunt for matches. The object is to match more pairs of cards than the opposing player, or to sharpen your skills if you are playing alone.
Horse Bingo:
Everyone loves Bingo! For a simple twist on a favorite game, just change the letters on the Bingo board to H-O-R-S-E!
Horseshoes
Purchase a commercial horseshoe set appropriate for children/indoor play, or make one of your own: trace a horseshoe shape on cardboard or foam core, and then have children take turns "pitching" the horseshoes. Rather than stakes, you might wish to use hula-hoops or some other sort of ring for targets. Closest horseshoe to the center gets the most points!
Horse Food Feast
Offer children a buffet of foods that horses eat-and people eat, too! Apples, carrots, shredded wheat-even hard-boiled eggs, corn, and oats (perhaps in the form of a cereal such as Cheerios) are good choices!
Big Black Horse by Walter Farley
Pat the Pony by Edith Kunhardt Davis
Farm Animals by Phoebe Dunn
Donkey-Donkey by Roger Duvoisin
Old Macdonald Had a Farm illustrated by Kathy Ember
Baby Farm Animals illustrated by Garth Williams
Horses by Monica Julling
Cowboy Small by Lois Lensky
Site of the Guide Horse Foundation
Their mission is to provide a safe, cost-effective, and reliable mobility alternative for visually impaired people.
What Is a Horse?
This is the companion site to the award-winning Nature public television series, produced by the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. Here you can find teachers guides, puzzles and games, videos, and more!
4-H Virtual Horse Farm
Sponsored by the Virginia Horse Industry Board, learn all about the world of horses.
How to Play Horseshoes
This site gives setup instruction, scoring guidelines, and helpful tips sure to make a game of horseshoes your new favorite pastime!
Activities prepared by Kathy Krasniewicz, Youth Services Librarian, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT.
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