Health-related Activities
To accompany Barnyard Song by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Bee's sneeze changes moo and mew to snort and sniffle in the barnyard. Explore good health practices with one or more of these activities. All handouts are downloadable in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

1. Catch the Sneeze.
   Read Barnyard Song aloud to the children. Ask, "How did the animals catch the flu?" (Bee sneezed.) "How could Bee have kept the sneeze from making the animals sick?" (cover/catch the sneeze in a tissue or handkerchief) Tell the children that now they are each going to pretend to be the bee. Tell them that they will "catch" the sneeze when it happens in the story. Bring out a box of tissues and let each child take a tissue to hold until Bee sneezes. Reread the book as far as the "whisper of a sneeze." Have the children "sneeze" into their own tissues. Call attention to the fact that now the barnyard animals will not catch the flu, so they will be able to sing their song. Go back to the beginning and read the story to "Neigh, neigh, neigh" (just before the bee sneezes) and skip to the last two pages. Finish the story by reading from "Now the barnyard song gets sung...." to the end. Congratulate the "Bees" for catching their sneezes so well. Collect tissues in a waste basket.

2. How does Bee feel?
   Distribute crayons and the coloring page with the two drawings of a bee. Tell children that the bee on the left has the flu and feels sad because the barnyard animals caught it from the sneeze. Ask them to draw a face that shows how the bee feels. Tell them that the bee on the right has recovered from the flu and feels happy because the barnyard animals are feeling better, too. Ask the children to draw a face that shows how the bee feels. Let children color the page.

3. What does Bee need for a sneeze?
   Distribute the coloring page that has a drawing of the bee and three items (baseball bat and ball, broom and dust pan, and tissue box) and crayons. Ask children to name the three sets of objects. Ask, "Which one will the bee need to help with the flu or a cold?" Ask children to circle the object that the bee will need for catching its sneeze (or draw a line connecting it and the bee). Let children color the page.

4. How will these help Bee feel better?
   Distribute the coloring page that has a bee and five "comfort" items (family, doctor, teddy bear, bowl of soup, and bed) and crayons. Ask children how each helps them feel better when they are sick. Ask what else helps and accept any appropriate response. (Optional: bring in a selection of items such as an empty cough medicine box or bottle, warm slippers, storybook, etc., to encourage responses.) Discuss. Let children color the page.

5. Make a Savory Soup.
   This activity is especially suitable for home or day care use. After the children are familiar with the story, have them help you make a nourishing vegetable soup. See the handout for suggested recipes.

Updated 01/22/2004