Baby Beetles - Nursery

Preparation

• Support Sheet – Zoom 1 or flashcards or toys or a book

Day 1: Film

The oldest hiding game for young children is still the most popular!

Invite them all (in the home language) to copy the actions/sounds: hide (cover your face with two hands).
Open your hands to show your face and say the sound Boo!
Place your finger vertically over your mouth and make the sound Shshsh!

Note: when the children are joining in with this song allow them to say a very long ‘Booooooo!’ because this helps them to practise long vowel sounds.

Watch the film using this simple way of joining in while watching: hide your face behind your hands and then take the hands away when the song says Boo!
Encourage the group to copy the simple sounds and actions of Boo! and Shsh! [put a finger over your lips].
After viewing the film, ask the children to tell you in their home language what they say in their home language when the find the person who is hiding in a game. Is it the same in English or different?
Invite them to watch again.
Repeat the actions above. Encourage the group to join in with the word or phrase they can manage.
Praise them all.

Day 2: Song

Even small children like to peep round things too – trees, doorways, past other people and so on. Hold up an object such as one of the Baby Beetles toys or a book. If possible, say the phrase, I am hiding, then peep round the side and say, Boo!

Turn to each child and repeat the process. See which children try to sway or move to see you before you peep round. Notice which ones learn the pattern in this way quickly.
Praise them all

If you are not allowed to use books or toys, print the Support Sheet – Zoom 1 and peep round those characters!

Note: This is a good opportunity to introduce the idea of taking turns.

Day 3: Sharing play – My turn

Prepare the Support Sheet – Zoom 1 and cut out one figure for each child to hold.
Encourage them to hide behind it and then peep round. Perhaps say the phrase I am hiding for them, but encourage those who can already make sounds to say Boo!
Praise them all

Day 4: Location - Where’s Zoom?

If your class can point, play the following game. If the children are too young to point, go through the steps and point for them.
Try to seat your young learners in a semi‑circle, where they can see you.
Hold up the picture of Zoom hidden behind a picture or puppet of Ring Ring. Use the phrase Zoom says, I am hiding.
Ask Where’s Zoom?
Move the Zoom picture slowly out from behind Ring Ring and say Boo!
Encourage the children to join in.

Repeat the activity holding the Zoom image behind each of the other two characters and follow the same steps. If the children enjoy this, repeat the process again or hide Zoom behind another picture, for example of the car or ball.

Note: Now that they have practised clapping in the last unit, encourage them to clap every success achieved by the group.
Praise them all