Little Red Hen call-and-response activity

Let the children tell the repeated lines

Prep: About 5 minutes with pieces ready · Play: About 10 minutes

Gather: Your favorite version of The Little Red Hen, a hen picture, and two or three pictures of animals from that version.

1. Practice the refrain. Give the hen to one storyteller. Say, “Who will help me?” and let the other children practice their reply: “I will!” or “I won’t!”
2. Pause for each reply. Retell the story and pause each time the hen asks for help. Invite the children to hold up their animal pictures as they speak.
3. Try a new ending. Retell one part with an animal who offers to help. Ask what that character could do, then let the group act it out.

Try saying: “Who will help me plant the wheat? What could your animal say?”

Make it easier: Have the whole group answer together. Keep it going: Trade roles and let the child playing the hen decide what help to ask for next.

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