Act Out with Props

• "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" is so compelling because of the many fantastical images it contains. Have your kindergartners recite the nursery rhyme while acting it out with objects. Bring in some paper plates and plastic spoons and give one to each student. For the cat, fiddle, dog, cow and moon, you can bring in pictures and give them to each student. Or, find stuffed animals or toys and have one volunteer hold up each at the appropriate time. Show students how to act out fiddling, jumping, laughing and running away.
  
  

Reciting with Emphasis

• The repetitive sounds of nursery rhymes can help young children recognize patterns in speech. Recite "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" by emphasizing a different sound or word each time. Try it once by having students emphasize the "D" sounds each time they come up. Recite it again emphasizing the "C" or "S" sound. You can also have students emphasize all the rhyming words, or all the animals in the nursery rhyme. Try asking for suggestions from students as well.
  
  

Sorting Cards

• This activity helps kindergartners learn vocabulary and teaches them about classification and patterns. Write each word of the nursery rhyme on an index card and bring the cards into the classroom. After reciting the poem together, name a category or word. This can be animals, objects, words beginning with a certain letter, or anything else. As a class, find all the cards with words that fit the category and set them aside. Review these words together. Begin the activity again with another category.
  
  

Drawing and Coloring

• Use "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" as an opportunity for kindergartners to express their creativity and practice coloring. Take advantage of the fact the nursery rhyme is full of vivid images. Have students draw a picture of their favorite scene from the nursery rhyme. Allow them to color it in using crayons, colored pencils or markers. Alternatively, you can find "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" coloring pages online at Apples4theteacher.com or at DLTK-Teach.com. Download and print these, and distribute them to your students.