“Penguin And Pinecone” Movement Story-time

The book “Penguin and Pinecone” by Salina Yoon is great for reading and completing an obstacle course at the same time. This obstacle course is particularly fun to do in winter, but snow is not required. Here in middle Tennessee we rarely get snow, but the kids have fun pretending to go on a snow journey.

Supplies:

• Book “Penguin and Pinecone” by Salina Yoon

• pinecone (1 per child)

• pipe cleaner (1 per child)

• sled (or a wagon, or a cardboard box with a rope tied to it)

• Pieces of firewood and large rocks

• Pine needles (or sticks)

• Rocks (or wood pieces or sticks)

• Optional: log or 2x4

• Printout of instructions

Plan your route for the obstacle course. Consider having designated spots to stop, read the section of the book, and then do that part of the obstacle course.

Pages 1-3 Start at a spot with pinecones. Talk about what the pinecone feels like. “Is it smooth or prickly?”

Pages 4-6 Walk to a spot where there are pipe cleaners. For a scarf, wrap the pinecone with a pipe cleaner, getting the pipe cleaner in between the scales.

Pages 7-10 Fill the sled with heavy items like logs and rocks pretending they are items you would need on a long journey. The children take turns pulling.

Pages 11-14 To journey to the woods, have the children walk on a log, or a 2x4 board. You could also have them walk through trees or crawl under bushes.

Pages 15-18 Make a nest of pine needles and set the pinecone on it. Make a heart out of rocks. (provide a shape of the heart for the children to refer to).

Journey “home” (the spot where you started. )

Pages 19- 22 Pulling the sled, go back to the pinecone. (over balance beam etc.)

Pages 23-32 Read the rest of the book. Ask the children “What do you think this pine cone will look like when it grows into a tree?”