Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Not Just Cute

Whole Child Development

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here.

Book Activity: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

October 14, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Create, Learning through Play and Experience 3 Comments

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition  If there is one book that I think every child should own……OK, I could never decide on just one book, but if there was a short list of books that every child should own, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault would definitely be on that short list!  It is not only a great way to introduce the letters of the alphabet, but it also differentiates between uppercase and lowercase letters, all in a rhythmic, rhyming fashion, which makes the whole experience so fun it’s nearly addictive.  Plus, all that rhyme and rhythm is great for building phonological awareness (read more about that peculiar sounding term here).

Before reading this book with children, it’s a good idea to practice the text first, so that you can read it aloud smoothly and with the right “em-PHA-sis on the right syll-A-ble”, as my mom always says.  Also, while reading this story, it’s really helpful to point to each letter in the illustrations as it is introduced in the story, reinforcing to the child the letter shape and letter name.

After reading this book, it’s great to have children make their own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees.  Preparation for this activity is really simple!  First, I turn a sheet of construction paper on its side, so that I’m cutting shorter strips rather than longer strips.  I curve them a bit as I go so that they look a bit like the bending coconut tree trunk.  I’d say I cut them about 1-1 1/2 inches wide.  (There’s no scientific formula here.)  You could even pile a couple papers on top of each other if you need a lot of trunks!  Next, I cut zig-zag leaves from two different colors of green paper.  Again, there’s no pattern,  I just cut in a zig-zag, make a point at the end, and then zig zag back.

DSCN2514Provide these pieces, along with self-adhesive foam letters, sheets of paper for the background, as well as glue sticks for putting it all together.  Have the children select and attach a trunk, then several leaves.  Then have them get some letters to climb up the tree!  Talk about the letters as they choose them.  Label them and compare them (the letters, not the children :)).  “That’s an M, just like at the beginning of Matt’s name!  Oh, that R looks a lot like Peter’s P, but it has an extra “leg”.”  Some children will point out the letters in their names, others will want to match “Mamas and Babies”.  One of my own sons even decided not to put any letters on because “they already fell out.”  That’s OK too.  He’s showing story comprehension, and we could still talk about some of the letters as he played with them, he just didn’t want any on his tree.

DSCN2459

Almost inevitably, when you’re letting children place random letters on a project, you’ll end up with some unintentional spellings.  If the word is something they will get excited about or something you think they spelled intentionally, point it out (“Hey, you spelled cat!” “I think you almost spelled your whole name here!”) .  However, there are times to ignore spellings and recognize them for the random arrangement they were intended to be.  I’m sure you can think of plenty of examples, and trust me, it does happen.  Don’t discourage their innocent effort by removing their letters.  Just accept it as a random accident, that doesn’t need to be turned into something else by pointing it out.

So enjoy one of the best books for preschoolers and create your own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree to go with it!

For more favorite fall activities, click here!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Comments

  1. Cath A. says

    October 14, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    Amanda! Thanks for your comment. I responded on my blog but wanted to tell you here how much I enjoy Not Just Cute! (Kara turned me on to your site.) You have fantastic ideas! When life settles a bit more for us (post-twin-spin-mania), I’ll be checking often for ideas or projects to do with my toddlers. And I’ve loved your book recommendations. I’m wondering – do you have any favorite Halloween or Autumn children’s books? Thanks for connecting. Catherine

    Reply
    • notjustcute says

      October 15, 2009 at 6:37 am

      Catherine-

      Thanks so much! I do have a few favorites I listed back at this post: https://notjustcute.com/2009/10/05/fall-favorites/
      The book list is toward the bottom. I’ve only linked an activity for Leaf Man so far, but hope to get several of the others posted this weekend. You’ve given me new resolve! Mandy

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 10 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activities - Fun-A-Day! says:
    March 20, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    […] Book Activity: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom | Not Just Cute My preschoolers would adore this activity because it’s linked to a fun book and uses lots of stickers! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

search this site

Privacy & Cookies: This site may use cookies to customize your experience. Learn more by reading our Privacy Policy.

I’m Amanda Morgan. Here’s what I’m about…

In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

Content Copyrighted (2008-2025), Amanda Morgan, All Rights Reserved

Get Our Newsletter & Developmental Guide

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Swank WordPress Theme By, PDCD

 

Loading Comments...