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Bookbug Session Plan: Dick the Delightful Duck
Celebrate Dick the Delightful Duck by Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle in this year’s Bookbug Explorer Bag!
This magnificently funny rhyming tale shows that even the most delightful ducks can have a bad day (and that's alright).
Introduction song
Benefits
Familiar start – lets everyone know a Bookbug session has started.
Tips
Smile and use names if you know them. Clap or tap along to the beat and use signs if you know them.
Finger rhyme
Benefits
This short rhyme is great for finger play and introducing older children to tapping out syllables.
Tips
Enjoy sharing this short rhyme over and over, encouraging older children to change the names to other one and two-syllable ones. Maybe their friends? Siblings? Adults in their lives?
Action song
Benefits
This is a lovely song with familiar actions. It also introduces the concept of counting down from five to zero.
Tips
Babies will enjoy tracking finger movements as you count and make the ducks swim. Older children might like to take turns to be one of the five little ducks or the mummy/daddy duck. At the end of each verse, one ‘little duck’ can sit down, and the other children can count how many are left.
Transition song
I wonder what’s in my bag today?
Benefits
Builds anticipation and captures the attention of the children.
Tips
Use Bookbug to help engage the children in singing the ‘I wonder what’s in my bag song’. Use Makaton to support different communication needs.
Sing the song to the tune of ‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’
‘I wonder what’s in my bag today, bag today, bag today
I wonder what’s in my bag today, come and take a look,
At Bookbug’s favourite book.’
Story
Dick the Delightful Duck by Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle
Benefits
This book is full of rich opportunities to explore alliterative sounds as well as animal sounds. It’s also a great way to start conversations about emotions and talk about our unique personalities.
Tips
Leave space for wee ones to predict the words in this rhyming book.
Action song
All the Little Ducks Go Upside Down
Benefits
This is a fun and interactive song that encourages children to move their bodies and make up their own actions.
Tips
Children will enjoy going ‘upside down’, snapping their hands together like beaks and wiggling their bottoms! The repetition of the actions makes it easier for them to join in.
Lycra song
Benefits
Recycle your material! This time, share this song using the sparkly blanket and possibly some yellow shower puffs or balled-up socks to be the ducks.
Tips
Children will enjoy returning to this song from earlier in the session and exploring it in a new way. Depending on numbers, can they take turns to remove the ducks from the sparkly blanket?
Final Lycra song / calming song
Benefits
A short, soothing song to end Lycra play or share at quiet times, nap times or bedtime.
Tips
You can share this when it’s time to put the sparkly blanket away, gently swinging a teddy on it from side to side. Repeat it more quietly and wrap the teddy up to put the blanket away.
Why not sing it again when the lycra has been packed away? Gently rock your baby in your arms as you share quiet time together. Use the opportunity for face-to-face interaction. Older children might enjoy a cuddle or swinging a teddy in a smaller blanket.
Final song
Benefits
Tells everyone the session is coming to an end.
Tips
Wave goodbye, smile and use names if you know them. If you know Makaton you can support this song with signs.
Permissions
Please read our guide on permission to read books aloud online.