RIC-20943 Early years Special days - Mothers day and Fathers day

EARLY YEARS THEMES
Special days
and celebrations
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
A complete unit of lessons and activities

Early years themes—
Special days and celebrations
Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2011
Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2011
RIC– 20943
Titles in this series:
Early years themes—Places
Early years themes—People
Early years themes—Animals
Early years themes—Science
Early years themes—Fantasy
Early years themes—Fairytales
Early years themes—Special days and celebrations
Copyright Information
Only the blackline masters contained within this
publication may only be reproduced by the original
purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher
prohibits the loaning or onselling of these blackline
masters for purposes of reproduction. No other part of
this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without written permission from the publisher.
Accompanying resources available:
Early years themes—Special days and celebrations Posters (set of 6)
Early years themes—Special days and celebrations Stickers (set of 6)
Early years themes Interactive CD (Places, People, Animals, Science)
Early years themes Interactive CD (Fantasy, Fairytales, Special days and celebrations)
Internet websites
In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication,
the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages. It is strongly recommended that the class
teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.
View all pages online
PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924
Website: www.ricpublications.com.au
Email: mail@ricgroup.com.au

Early years themes – Special
days and celebrations
Foreword
Early years themes—Special days and celebrations is one of a new series of teacher resource books designed to support
teachers as they impart knowledge about commonly-taught themes in early childhood classrooms. The books contain a variety
of ideas for using the themes to assist the teacher as they convey early skills and concepts using cross-curricular activities in
learning centres or whole-class activities.
Titles in this series include:
Supporting materials available from R.I.C.
• Early themes—Places Publications ® to accompany these books
• Early themes—People include posters, stickers and interactives.
• Early themes—Animals
• Early themes—Science
• Early themes—Fantasy
• Early themes—Fairytales
• Early themes—Special days and celebrations
Contents
Teachers notes................................................................................ iv – xiii
The format of this series of books.......................................................iv – v
An explanation of the icons..................................................................... vi
About the artwork................................................................................. vii
About the resource sheets/blacklines....................................................... vii
Curriculum links.................................................................................. viii
Sample social skills checklist.................................................................. ix
Sample language skills checklist..............................................................x
Sample fine motor skills checklist............................................................ xi
Sample fundamental movement skills checklist........................................ xii
Sample mathematics skills checklist...................................................... xiii
Birthdays............................................................................................1–20
Christmas ........................................................................................21–40
Easter ..............................................................................................41–60
Mother’s/Father’s Day ........................................................................61–80
Valentine’s Day .................................................................................81–90
Celebrations ...................................................................................91–100
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations iii

Teachers notes
The format of this series of books
This series of books is designed to cater for early childhood teachers who use learning centres and cross-curricular activities as
a basis for planning activities to develop key concepts and skills. Teachers will easily be able to locate activity-based learning
within this complete compilation of ideas.
All of the five themes within each book follow the same format over 20 pages. Each theme consists of:
1. A title or cover page with appropriate
artwork which the teacher can utilise
for theme-based activities.
2. A number of pages of cross-curricular learning activities to develop the
theme. Those themes which relate closely to a specific learning area may
have more activities in key learning areas such as science. All themes
have activities which are predominantly ‘hands-on’.
3. Background information with useful facts about the theme.
4. A list of concepts to be developed provides suggested developmentallyappropriate
learning outcomes that are achieved by completing the theme.
iv www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
The format of this series of books
5. A small number of resource/blackline pages
which can be used to create games or oral
language activities, as templates for art and
craft activities or as worksheets for more
capable children who are beginning to read
and understand mathematical concepts.
6. Recipes relating to the
theme—simple cooking and
non-cooking recipes, including
those for manipulative play,
such as ‘goop’.
7. Display ideas for art and
craft or specific learning
centres.
8. A list of literature resources to complement the theme,
including songs, action rhymes and fiction and nonfiction
books.
9. A notes section to enable the teacher to record useful
websites or resources relating to the theme, or other
worthwhile activities or ideas etc.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations v

Teachers notes
An explanation of the icons
A number of icons have been used throughout the cross-curricular activities sections to make it easier and quicker for teachers to
locate appropriate learning activities.
Fine motor activities—building with blocks, puzzles, sorting, sand and water play, sensory items
such as ‘feely boxes’, playdough or clay work, threading, chalkboards, construction using recycled
materials such as boxes
Outdoor play—sand and/or water play (see also ‘fine motor activities’); gross motor activities such as
climbing, balancing, bikes, scooters, jumping, throwing, obstacle course activities etc.; tracking activities
using balloons and bubbles etc.; other messy art activities
Dramatic play—home corner, dramatising stories, dress up, puppets, shop etc.
Art and craft—free painting, directed and supervised painting,
craft (assisted and independent)
Computer—suggestions for simple games or activities (usually
individual or in pairs) or relevant internet activities
Cooking—supervised activities, some of which use heat
Games—indoor or outdoor games relating to literacy such as card games, memory games etc.;
mathematics, singing games, any physical education games involving movement etc.
Writing—tracing, copying, writing on, and with, different things—cards, different types of paper etc.;
adding patterns or stripes etc.; tracking and following paths, dot-to-dot activities etc.
vi Early years themes—Special days and celebrations www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
About the artwork
All the artwork in this series of books is:
• age-appropriate
• teacher- and child-friendly
• an additional resource to help develop the theme
• suitable for enlarging for:
~ colouring
~ handwriting
~ dot-to-dot sheets
~ use as templates for art and craft activities
~ visual texts to encourage oral language development.
Some artworks are based on simple shapes to support learning in the mathematics
area; others are more elaborate. It is anticipated that early childhood teachers will
view an illustration based on shapes and be able to use this idea to develop concrete
play activities using shapes or as a technology and design project. More elaborate
artwork is used to demonstrate a teaching resource which needs to be made, a recipe,
game or other activity.
Examples of artwork relating to art and craft activities have wide, bold, easily visible
cutting outlines to allow the children some variation in the cutting path they will use.
About the resource sheets/blacklines
All resource sheets/blacklines contain:
• simple, age-appropriate artwork
• prominent visual clues
• little or no text
• visual clues to support text pages
• few instructions, so as not to confuse beginning readers
• teacher instructions in the margins with a number of different
suggestions for using the resource sheet/blackline
• literacy and numeracy activities.
These resource sheets/blacklines are included as valuable time-savers
for teachers.
It is anticipated that the teacher will enlarge any pages to A3 size and
photocopy them onto more durable paper or card, to make them easier
for learners of this age group to manipulate.
The cross-curricular section of each theme includes a reference to
resource sheets/blacklines relating to specific activities.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations vii

Teachers notes
Curriculum links
All the learning activities in this series of books support the key learning areas of the current curriculum documents.
In particular, one or more activities also support each strand of the new English and Mathematics National Curriculum. The
specific strands from the National Curriculum relating to each activity are denoted by the words in brackets in the English and
Mathematics learning areas of the cross-curricular section.
For example, in the ‘Easter’ theme:
English Attach the names or the first letters of each child’s name to plastic (or chocolate) eggs and hide them
in the room or an outdoors area. The children try to find the egg with their name or the first letter in their
name only. (Literacy)
Mathematics
Reference to both is shown below.
Hold a cream-filled or solid chocolate egg and a hollow egg of the same (or slightly larger) size.
Demonstrate comparing by hefting to see which is heavier. (Measurement and Geometry)
Relevant curriculum reference
NSW
Qld
SA
Vic.
WA
National Curriculum: refer to Pages 6 and 11 Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English
National Curriculum: refer to Pages 6 and 7 Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics
National Curriculum: Science learning activities also support Pages 6 and 7 Shape of the Australian
Curriculum: Science
Belonging, Being and Becoming—The Early Years Framework for Australia (2009)
Refer to Early Years Curriculum Guidelines Page 55 (Table 9: A
summary of the learning statements in the early learning areas)
and pages 61–75.
Refer to ‘Early Years Band: Age 3–Age 5’. South Australian
Curriculum, Standards and Accountability at
Refer to Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 1 at
Refer to K-3 Scope and sequence charts at .
viii Early years themes—Special days and celebrations www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample social skills checklist
Date:
Student name
separates easily
from parents
interacts readily with
adults
interacts readily with
peers
shares with others
and takes turns
participates in group
activities
cooperates with
others
accepts
responsibility for
own behaviour
respects the property
of others
respects the feelings
of others
listens without
interrupting
expresses feelings
appropriately
solves simple
problems
is developing an
awareness of the
wider community
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations ix

Teachers notes
Sample language skills checklist
Date:
Student name
communicates needs clearly
articulates most words correctly
relates personal experiences
contributes to discussions
uses age-appropriate
vocabulary
articulates most initial sounds
correctly
asks appropriate questions
speaks in complete sentences
relates events in order of
occurrence
able to tell a story from pictures
retells a familiar story without
pictures or clues
uses simple compound
sentences
responds appropriately to
questions about himself/herself
listens to a story for a given
length of time
follows simple two-step
instructions
knows his/her first and last
name
recognises rhyming words
answers simple oral cloze
questions
labels emotions such as happy,
sad, angry, scared …
x Early years themes—Special days and celebrations www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample fine motor skills checklist
Date:
Student name
completes simple puzzles
builds a tower of eight or more
small blocks
dresses himself/herself (apart
from buttons and shoelaces)
manipulates playdough to
create a specific object
places small pegs in small
holes
threads small beads
uses scissors to cut out simple
shapes and pictures
completes simple folding
activities
uses a knife, fork and spoon
correctly
holds a crayon or pencil
correctly
colours within lines
writes or copies own name
draws and copies simple
pictures
copies a sequence of letters or
numbers adequately
traces or recreates patterns
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations xi

Teachers notes
Sample fundamental movement skills checklist
Date:
Explicit teaching
Exposure
Student name
balances on one
foot (static balance)
runs
jumps vertically
catches a ball or
beanbag
hops
throws a ball or
beanbag using an
overarm movement
gallops sideways
skips
leaps
kicks a ball
strikes a ball or
object using a twohanded
strike
dodges a ball or
object
xii Early years themes—Special days and celebrations www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teachers notes
Sample mathematics skills checklist
Date:
Number and algebra Measurement and geometry Statistics and probability
Student name
recognises numerals 1 to
writes numerals 1 to
rote counts to
places numerals to
in correct order
understands one-to-one
correspondence
understands ‘more than’ or ‘less
than’
able to do simple addition and
subtraction using concrete materials
shares collections
creates or completes a pattern
measures using everyday items
makes comparison of size and
length
recognises basic shapes
identifies attributes of objects and
collections
aware of use of devices used for
measuring (scales, tape etc.)
shows awareness of
(money, temperature, time) etc.
sorts or orders objects
is aware of collections and
presentations of data
interprets data in a display
makes predictions about chance
events
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations xiii

xiv Early years themes—Special days and celebrations www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Cross-curricular activities
English
• Provide blocks with the letters of
the alphabet written on them, or
magnetic letters or felt letter shapes.
The children can choose the correct
letters to copy flashcards with the
words ‘mum’, ‘dad’, ‘mother’ and/
or ‘father’ written on them or copy
their mother’s or father’s name; e.g.
Steve, Mr Davies. Some children will
not need the reference. (Language)
• A group of children sit in a circle. They take turns asking
questions about their mums and dads; e.g. ‘Does your
dad sometimes cook?’, ‘Does your Mum like to read
books?’. Children respond to each question by standing
up if their answer is ‘Yes’. They all sit down before the
next child asks a question. Demonstrate how to play
the game a few times with the teacher asking questions,
before expecting the children to do so. (Literacy)
• Play a version of the circle game ‘My grandmother went
to market’. Provide cards or similar with the letters of the
alphabet. Place them facedown. One child begins by
choosing a card and shows the letter to the other players.
If it was ‘b’, he or she says ‘My mum/dad went to the
shops and bought a ‘banana’. The next child repeats
the sentence and adds another item starting with ‘b’.
Continue with that letter until all have had a turn. Then the
child seated next to the beginner chooses another card
and the game continues. The categories can be made
general or specific; e.g. fruits, vegetables, animals, items
found in a house. (Language)
• In the days leading up to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day,
read the children a variety of books relating to the theme.
(Refer to the literacy resources on page 79.) Choose a
popular story for them to draw a picture about an event
in it. The teacher can scribe a sentence or the children
can copy or trace their own. Display with the actual
book for others to view or compile into a class book.
Additional activity: The children can sort the picture they
drew by placing it on one of three charts, marked either
‘Beginning’, ‘Middle’ or ‘End’. (Literature, Literacy)
• Talk with children about something that would be nice
for them to do for their mums or dads on their special
day; e.g. help to give breakfast in bed, pack away toys
without being asked, giving 20 hugs throughout the day.
The children can then complete a voucher to give to their
mum or dad on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Words
can be scribed, traced or copied by them. (Refer to the
blackline on page 74.) (Literacy)
• The children take turns to say the name of their mother or
father. Any children with a parent that also has that name
stands up. They have to identify the initial sound, which
is then written on the board. (The teacher may need to
explain how some names are tricky; e.g. Phoebe and
Sean aren’t spelt the way they sound.) (Language)
• The children think of rhyming words for ‘Mum’ (hum,
some) or ‘Dad’ (bad, had). (Language)
• After Mother’s Day or Father’s Day has been celebrated,
the children can take turns during the week to tell the
class how their family celebrated the day. (Literacy)
• Provide an outline of the words ‘Mummy’, Daddy’ or similar. The children
spread glue in the outline to stick pasta or bits of coloured cottonwool
balls to form the letters. (Language)
• Scribe, trace or copy words and messages on Mother’s Day and
Father’s Day cards made in visual arts. (Literacy)
• Discuss the different things children’s mums and dads do for them.
Talk about why they love their mum or dad. Finish a sentence on a
heart-shaped sheet of paper: ‘I love you because ...’. (Literacy)
62 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Mother’s/Father’s Day – 1
Mathematics
• Choose five or six books related to the theme that the
children have had read to them. (Refer to literature
resources list.) Each child decides on his or her favourite.
Construct a pictograph about it. Make photocopies of the
reduced covers of the books and glue them along the
bottom of a chart. Give each child a small rectangular
strip of paper that has his or her name written on it (or
the child can write own name). The children help to make
the pictograph by gluing the cards in the column above
their chosen book cover picture. Talk about the results.
Ask them why they think a particular one was popular/
not popular etc. (Statistics and Probability)
• Send home a note asking the children’s parents to send
in a tracing of one of their hands and feet. (Label
the back with the parent’s name.) The
children make a tracing of their same
hand and foot and compare the
differences in size and shape.
Display side by side at eye
level. The same could be done
with parents sending in a length
of wool or strip of paper of their
height. (Measurement and
Geometry)
• Flowers are a popular Mother’s Day gift. Refer to the
blackline on page 72 for an ordinal activity idea. The
teacher writes the ordinal numbers or words (the children
can trace over them) 1 to 6, one to six, 1st to 6th or first
to sixth in the flower centres at the bottom of the page.
The children cut them out and glue them in the correct
order on each flower. The flowers and flower centres
could be coloured before gluing. Mathematical questions
can also be asked about the flowers; e.g. ‘What colour
is the third flower?’, ‘Which flower is taller, the first or the
fifth?’ (Number and Algebra)
• Complete a similar ordinal activity to that above but for
Father’s Day, using the blackline on page 73 (which
shows dads driving different cars). Ask
the children to cut out the boxes at the
bottom of the worksheet and place the
cut-out box over the correct car, or place
a row of glue along one edge to fold
the box up to create a flap which can
be lifted up to reveal the car beneath.
(Number and Algebra)
• Make a bookmark for Mother’s Day
or Father’s Day by choosing shapes
to make one in the shape of a house.
When complete, the children can copy,
trace or write a suitable message; e.g.
‘Happy Mother’s/Father’s Day, I love
you. To Dad/Mum, love from (name)’.
(Measurement and Geometry)
• Place a pile of dress-up clothes that would be used by
a ‘mum’ (skirts, blouses, jeans, shoes, stocking/tights,
handbags, scarves etc.) for a sorting game around
Mother’s Day and the same for Father’s Day (trousers,
jeans, shirts, T-shirts, shoes, socks, ties, scarves,
beanies). Pairs or a small group of children sort the
clothes into piles according to the category they belong
to (e.g. all footwear) and count how many are in each
group. Provide large flashcards with numbers painted on
for the children to place on top of the pile for the teacher
to check. (Number and Algebra)
• Pairs of children play this game. Each child has a copy of
the footprint or handprint from his or her mother or father.
Provide the children with a dice, and counters, cubes or
similar. They take turns throwing the dice, counting out
the matching number of counters or cubes, and placing
them next to each other on their tracing to eventually
cover the area. The first to cover their tracing is the winner.
(Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability)
• Ask the children questions about their mothers or fathers in the week leading up to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day; e.g. ‘Whose
dad has black hair?’, ‘Whose mum drives a white car?’ The children who answer ‘Yes’ stand up so the others can count how
many answered. (Number and Algebra)
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day 63

Cross-curricular activities
Society and environment
• Discuss some of the things their mum or dad would like
for a special Mother’s/Father’s Day breakfast.
The children can draw
or glue pictures on
a paper plate or
on an outline of a
breakfast tray.
• The children think about their mum’s or dad’s favourite
things; e.g. colour, flower, clothes, food, book, shop,
place they like to go to for a holiday. Each child folds
an A3 sheet of paper into fours. The front page has the
title written: ’Mum’s/Dad’s favourite things’. Assist as
necessary. The next three pages have drawings and labels
of either a collection of favourite things or a separate page
for three categories.
• Provide a pile of dress-up clothes that
could be used by a mother (skirts,
blouses, jeans, shoes, stocking/tights,
handbags, scarves etc.) or a father
(trousers, jeans, shirts, T-shirts, shoes,
socks, ties, scarves, beanies). Pairs or
a small group of children sort the clothes
into those worn by a ‘mum’ or a ‘dad.’
The children will need to carefully look at
an article of clothing that could be worn
by either; e.g. jeans, shirt. Clues such
as colour, size and style will need to be
considered.
• At the appropriate time of the year, talk about the meaning of Mother’s
Day and Father’s Day. Discuss how presents are bought or made by
many children to give on Mother’s/Father’s Day as a way of showing
appreciation for mothers and fathers. The children can think of ways to
show appreciation other than gifts; e.g. giving hugs, not arguing with a
sibling, cleaning up toys without being asked, eating a vegetable not well
liked without complaining, being quiet for five minutes, singing a song,
setting the table. These ideas could be used in making the vouchers for
Mother’s/Father’s Day on page 74.
• The children help to plan and set up a special morning or afternoon tea
for available mums and dads for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Some of
the recipes on pages 76 and 77 could be used. A selection of songs from
pages 79 and 80 could be part of the program.
• Discuss the responsibilities or chores Mum or Dad have at home.
Drama
• Provide props and dressing-up clothes relating to mums and dads for use in role-play. Suggestions: dresses, skirts, shirts,
jeans, belts, tights, ties, scarves, hats, handbags, briefcases, ladies and men’s shoes, furniture, cardboard TV, plastic
lawnmower, kitchen/cooking equipment, cosmetics, brushes and combs, hairdryer (without cord), prams, dolls (babies),
toy dog or cat, pet leads, plastic gardening items and sporting equipment.
Technology (and design)
• Play online games based on a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day theme. Refer to:
(Involves clicking on items to make a Father’s Day breakfast.)
(A ‘Tic tac toe’ with Mum.)
; or
(Memory games)
; or
(Jigsaw puzzles)
• Design and make a
Mother’s/Father’s Day card
from sheets of white or
coloured card and a variety
of collage materials.
64 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Mother’s/Father’s Day – 2
Visual arts
• The children make a Mother’s Day card or Father’s Day
card by folding an A4 sheet of white or coloured card in
half. On the front, they make a handprint by dipping the
palm of their hand in paint and pressing it against the
paper. Their fingerprints can be made using the same
coloured paint or individual fingers dipped
in different colours. When dry, assist them
to use white correction pen to form a heart
shape in the palm area. ‘Happy Mother’s
Day/Father’s Day’ can be printed using
letter stamps or written/traced in their
own handwriting. A picture can be drawn
inside or a message scribed, copied or
written by the child.
• The children trace or draw freehand a heart shape
on a paper plate. Then craft glue is spread
along the border or as a heart shape.
Small pasta shells are placed on top
of the glue as decoration. When dry,
use the glue to write ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’
in the centre and place coloured or
dyed pasta shells to form the word.
Add a length of ribbon or wool so it
can be hung.
• Provide a selection of material scraps for the children to
cut up into strips and shapes to form the words ‘Mum’,
‘Dad’ or similar. (Cardboard templates of the letters could
be used.) They fold a sheet of coloured card in half
and glue the strips on the front. Inside, they can have a
Mother’s/Father’s Day message scribed to their mum or
dad or children can trace or write their own message.
• Children use the heart template on page 68 to make a card
for their mum or dad. On stiff coloured card, photocopy
the template for each child. Use a paper punch to make
holes around the edge where indicated. The children
carefully cut out the heart. They choose their mum’s or
dad’s favourite colour to thread or sew wool or ribbon
(using large, blunt needles) around the edge. Extra
lengths can be left at the top or bottom to tie into a bow.
Assist the children as necessary to complete the front of
the card and write a message on the back. (Suggestions
for other decorations: glitter, stickers, clip art on page
75, the children’s own drawings, dots of paint or flowers
made by gluing a cottonwool ball in a cupcake paper.)
• The children colour, paint and decorate the border of a
photo frame template. Refer to the blackline on page 69.
They could draw suitable pictures, such as flowers for
Mum and star shapes for Dad, to colour within the border.
Stickers and glitter could also be used. The children either
attach a photo of themselves with Mum or Dad or draw a
picture of the same.
• ‘Handprint heart’ gifts for Mum or Dad can be made by
the children dipping their hands in one colour of paint
and pressing it onto paper at a
slight angle. When dry, the other
hand is dipped in another colour
and placed at an overlapping
angle to form a ‘heart’. The
artwork can have a Mother’s Day
or Father’s Day greeting added by
the children.
• Paper or plastic plates form the basis for a variety of
Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day gifts.
– The top part of a coloured plastic
plate can be cut out, with the rim
left as a handle to form a basket.
Trace around the basket shape
on a piece of card. Cut it out and
attach to the back of the basket.
Glue flowers made from coloured
pieces of card on the basket so
they overlap. The clip art flower
templates on page 75 could be used.
– A similar basket can be made by cutting a paper plate
in half and attaching one half to the bottom half of
a whole paper plate. The plate can be painted and
decorated. Flowers can be added in a similar fashion
as above. Finally, attach a length of ribbon to the top
so the basket can be hung. Note: If flowers are not
added, this craft becomes a handy wall pocket for
Mum or Dad to store odds and ends in.
• The children can make a simple bookmark for Mum or
Dad by cutting out a rectangle from a sheet of coloured
card. Fringe one end by making small cuts. Use different
colours of thick paint to make suitable decorations; e.g.
flowers, stars, dots, clouds, squiggles, zigzags.
Music
• Practise the songs on pages 79 and 80 for children to
sing to their mum or dad at home on Mother’s Day or
Father’s Day, or at a special morning/afternoon tea at
school.
• Children bring a CD to school with a favourite song
their mum/dad enjoys listening to. Play the songs to the
children, who can sing along, dance or listen. See if they
can recognise the tunes.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day 65

Cross-curricular activities
Health and physical education
• Play the game ‘Mother (or Mum/
Mummy), may I?’ around Mother’s
Day and change it to ‘Father’ (or
Dad/Daddy), may I?’ around
Father’s Day. The teacher should
demonstrate how to be the leader
(i.e. Mother or Father), before
any children have a turn. ‘Mother/
Father’ stands about six metres
away from a line of children. He or
she chooses a child at random, or
in order, and gives an instruction
such as: ’Aidan, take three jumps
forward’. Aidan replies, ‘Mother/
Father, may I?’ Mother/Father
answers with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If a
child forgets to ask ‘May I?’ and
moves before asking, he or she
must go back to the starting line.
First to touch ‘Mother/Father’ takes
over that role.
• A group of children stand spread
out in a circle around the teacher or
another child who is holding a ball
or beanbag. He or she carefully
throws, rolls or kicks the ball or
beanbag to one of the children.
That child picks it up and says
something about his or her mum
or dad; e.g. name, favourite food,
a physical characteristic such as
hair colour, job. Then that child
passes the ball or beanbag back
to the person in the middle, who
continues the game. Play until all
children, including the one in the
middle, have had a turn to speak.
• Hold a Mother’s Day or Father’s
Day relay race. Group the children
into equal teams of four or six
members. The idea is for each
team member to wear an article of
clothing or accessory belonging to
a mum or a dad and race around
a marker (witch’s hat) and back
to the next team member. They
have to pass the clothing and
continue the race. All teams have
the same kind of article; e.g. slipon
shoes, high-heel shoes, cap,
dress, trousers (the children can
hold them up with their hands),
handbag, sock(s).
• Identify whether the foods chosen to have at a Mother’s/Father’s Day morning/
afternoon tea are healthy choices or should only be eaten as special treats.
Science
• Have the children bring in photos, if possible, of
themselves with their mum and/or dad. Study the photos
to see any similarities or differences between themselves
and a parent; e.g. hair colour or texture, eye colour, build,
smile. This activity could also take place with actual
parents that are able to visit
the classroom for the children
to compare in ‘real life’.
• Relate how animals, like humans, have a mother and
a father. A book, such as Are you my mother?, by PD
Eastman, could be read as a stimulus. Identify the names
and pictures of easy-to-recognise animal and human
young and parents. Refer to the blacklines on pages
70 and 71. Sort the mothers and babies for matching
activities leading up to Mother’s Day and the fathers and
babies for those leading up to Father’s Day. The children
can simply match the young to the parent or play a game
such as ‘concentration’. Capable children could read and
copy the names for each.
• Let the children observe and smell the ingredients for making the following bath salts recipe, suitable as a Mother’s Day gift.
They then observe the changes that take place while they are being made.
Ingredients:
Method:
3 cups Epsom salts (i) Combine the glycerine, food colouring and perfume.
1 tbs. glycerine (ii) Add the mixture to the Epsom salts.
2 drops food colouring (iii) Place in decorated jars.
(A light colour so it won’t stain skin.)
drops of perfume
66 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Teacher background information
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are days set aside each year for honouring mothers and fathers. These special days are
celebrated in many countries around the world, though not all on the same date. The dates chosen fit around existing special
days or celebrations adopted by specific countries.
Mother’s Day has its origins in the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who both held ceremonies during annual spring
festivals to honour their maternal goddesses. Today, more than 50 countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in
May. These countries include the USA, Canada, Australia, India, Finland, Turkey, China, Italy, Brazil, Singapore and South Africa.
The United Kingdom and Ireland celebrates Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday in Lent (which occurs between mid-March and
early April). Other countries have different dates throughout the year.
The tradition of Father’s Day is believed to have its origins from about 4000 years ago in Babylon, when a young boy carved a
Father’s Day message on a card made from clay. Many countries in modern society have celebrated Father’s Day since the early
20th century. More than 50 countries celebrate it on the second Sunday in June. These include the USA, Canada, France, Japan,
China, India, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Jamaica. Australia and New Zealand celebrate it on the first Sunday in September.
Scandinavian countries celebrate it on the second Sunday in November.
On both days, many people show their
appreciation for their mother or father by giving
flowers (particularly to mothers) and either
homemade or commercially bought gifts and
cards. Presenting Mum or Dad with breakfast in
bed is another popular tradition. Many families
celebrate with an extended family picnic,
barbecue or meal together.
Not all children in your class may be part of a traditional family—a mother and father living together with their children. They
could be part of a single-parent family. Celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day could include appreciation of a step-parent, a
grandparent as a ‘parent’ or a foster parent. Some children have little or no contact with their biological mother or father.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have become quite commercialised, with florists, card manufacturers and gift sellers producing
items to sell to the public.
This unit provides a wide variety of activities for the children to participate in during the week or two leading up to Mother’s Day or
Father’s Day.
Concepts to be developed
• Mother’s Day is a special day of the year when we show our mum how much we love her.
• Father’s Day is a special day of the year when we show our dad how much we love him.
• Many children make a special card or gift to give Mum or Dad on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
• The shops have many cards and gifts to buy for Mum or Dad on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
• Many families make Mum or Dad breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
• Many families have a picnic or a special meal on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
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Heart card
68 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®
Instructions: Enlarge to A3 size. Refer to page 65 for instructions for making a heart card for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

Photo frame
Instructions: For use with the visual arts activity on page 65.
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Mums, dads and babies – 1
mum baby dad
mare foal stallion
cow calf bull
hen chick rooster
70 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®
Instructions: Can be enlarged to A3.Colour and cut out the pictures. Laminate for durability. Use with page 71 for matching activities. The babies and mothers can be used leading up to Mother’s Day and
the babies and fathers for Father’s Day.

Mums, dads and babies – 2
Instructions: Can be enlarged to A3.Colour and cut out the pictures. Laminate for durability. Use with page 70 for matching activities. The babies and mothers can be used leading up to Mother’s Day and
the babies and fathers for Father’s Day.
doe fawn buck
goose
gosling gander
ewe lamb ram
lioness cub lion
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Count the flowers
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Instructions: For use with the ordinal maths activity on page 63.

Count the cars
Instructions: For use with the ordinal maths activity on page 63.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
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Vouchers for Mum and Dad
I promise to
love
I promise to
love
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Father’s Day
Instructions: Photocopy onto stiff white or coloured card. The children colour the voucher and have something they will do for their Mum or Dad scribed on the voucher; or it can be copied, traced or
written by the child.
74 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Clip art
Instructions: Can be enlarged to A3. Use the letters and shapes to make cards and craft outlined in Visual arts on page 65.
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Recipes
The recipes on the next two pages are a selection for use for a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day breakfast or a morning or afternoon
tea. Teachers could familiarise the children with various recipes by allowing them to observe them being made and helping with
parts of the recipes, where appropriate. The children could take a copy of a recipe or two home with them and ask a parent or
older sibling to make it with them for their mum or dad on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Ingredients
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 2¹⁄ ³ cups milk
• vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
Pancakes
• ½ cup plain flour
• 80 g butter/margarine
• 1 egg (beaten)
• Sift flour into a bowl. Add milk, butter and egg. Mix until
well combined. Heat oil in a frying pan. Pour in about
¹⁄ ³ cup of mixture for each pancake. Add extra oil before
cooking each batch. Serve the way Mum or Dad enjoys:
lemon juice and sugar, honey, jam, maple syrup or golden
syrup.
Heart-shaped toast
• Toast a slice of white, wholemeal or wholegrain bread.
Spread with margarine or butter. Place a heart-shaped
cookie cutter on top of the bread and spoon Mum’s or
Dad’s favourite jam in. Remove cutter and spread jam
evenly within shape. Serve on a plate.
Note: A heart shape can be cut out from a piece of tin foil
and placed over the bread in a similar fashion.
Ingredients
• 1 English muffin, split in half
• 2 slices ham
• paprika or pepper to season
Instructions
Egg muffin mountains
• oil for frying
• ¼ cup grated cheese (optional)
• Toast each muffin half and place on a plate. Spread with margarine (optional). Place
a slice of ham on each muffin. Heat oil in a frying pan. Beat the eggs and milk. Pour
into hot pan and stir until lightly scrambled. Place half of scrambled egg on each
muffin. Check if Mum or Dad would like cheese, paprika or pepper on top. If using the cheese,
sprinkle it on top of each muffin and place under a grill until melted.
Ingredients
Egg in a hole
• 1 slice bread • 1 egg • margarine/butter
Instructions
• Butter bread on both sides. Cut a hole about 5 cm in
diameter in the middle. Heat frying pan and brown bread
on one side. Turn bread over and break egg into the hole.
Cook until set and bread is browned underneath.
Ingredients
Fruit and yoghurt
breakfast sundae
• 1 cup chopped fresh or tinned fruit (berries, peaches,
pears, fruit salad)
• ½ cup vanilla yoghurt
• ½ cup wholegrain cereal
Instructions
• Place half the fruit in a small serving bowl or tall glass. Add
half the yoghurt. Repeat with fruit and yoghurt. Sprinkle the
cereal on top. Serve with a spoon.
76 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Fancy sandwiches
Ingredients
• sliced loaves of wholegrain, white or wholemeal
bread
Suggested ingredients for fillings:
– chopped chicken, mashed avocado, lemon juice
(combine all)
– mashed hard-boiled egg, blob of mayonnaise,
splash of milk (combine all)
– cream cheese, grated carrot, chopped sultanas
(combine all)
– thinly sliced ham, grated cheese (spread pickles
or chutney on bread if desired)
Instructions
• The children can help mix the chosen ingredients,
grate cheese, peel eggs, spread bread with
margarine and complete fillings and arrange
sandwiches on plates etc.
Ingredients
Fruity spaceship
kebabs
• watermelon, pineapple, banana, strawberries, apple
Instructions
Recipes
• Cut watermelon into four-sided shapes as shown. Cut
strawberries in half lengthways. Cut banana in half
lengthways and then into three or four crossways, depending
on its length. Cut pineapple into triangles. Thread the fruit onto
small wooden skewers in the following order from bottom to
form a ‘spaceship’: watermelon, strawberry,
banana, pineapple.
Mum/Dad cupcakes
Ingredients
(Makes approximately 12 large muffin-sized cupcakes.)
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• desicated coconut (for decoration)
Ingredients
Easy scones
• 3 cups self-raising flour • pinch salt
• 1 cup cream • 1 cup flat lemonade
• margarine • jam
• whipped cream
Instructions
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 beaten eggs
Icing: 1½ cups icing sugar, food colouring,
1 to 1½ tbs. water
Instructions
• Line a 12-cup muffin tin with
cupcake liners. Mix sifted flour
and caster sugar in a bowl. Make
a well in the centre. Add milk,
beaten eggs and vanilla to mixture.
Stir gently to combine. Spoon mixture
into the cases. Bake for 12 to 15
minutes in 200 °C oven. Remove from tin and allow to cool.
Icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add food colouring
and water. Stir with a fork until smooth. Spread icing onto
cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut. Another idea is to pipe
‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’ on top with different coloured icing.
• Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the
centre. Add cream and lemonade. Mix with a knife.
Tip onto a lightly-floured surface. Knead gently until
dough is smooth and well combined. Flatten slightly
until about 3 to 4 cm thick. Use a scone cutter or rim
of a cup to cut into rounds. Place close together on
a greased baking tray. Bake in 220 °C oven for 10
minutes. Serve with margarine, or jam and cream.
Ingredients
No-bake chocolate slice
• 125 g butter/margarine • 1 cup sultanas • 1 beaten egg
• 1 tbs. desicated coconut • 1 tbs. cocoa • ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1 x 250 g packet arrowroot biscuits, placed in a strong plastic bag and crushed with a rolling pin
• chocolate icing, coloured sprinkles or extra coconut to decorate
Instructions
• Heat butter/margarine, sugar, sultanas and bring to boil. Add biscuits, cocoa and coconut to mixture and combine. Press
into a slice tin. Ice with chocolate icing. Sprinkle with coconut or coloured sprinkles. Chill in fridge until firm. Cut into small
squares.
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day 77

Mum/Dad photo gallery
Display ideas
• The children bring in a photo of themselves doing something with their mum or
dad in the week or two leading up to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Pin them on
a display board for all to view the ‘gallery’. A sentence could be scribed, traced
or copied underneath each photograph.
– Alternatively, the children could draw a picture of themselves doing
something they like to do with their mum or dad.
– Ask the children to bring from home (if possible) a photograph of Mum or
Dad to ‘copy’. If unable to do this, the children could complete the portrait
from memory, although this will be less accurate. Using black crayons and
an A3 sheet of art paper in portrait position, the children sketch a portrait of
the parent. Use step-by-step instructions to focus the children’s attention on
(in order): face shape (to almost fill the page), neck, nose (in the centre of
the face), eyes (including shape), mouth (size, shape and thickness), ears
(shape and size), eyebrows (include shape—rounded, arched, bushy), eyelashes (thick or thin, dense or sparse; i.e
many or few), cheek folds, eye socket lines underneath eyes, hair (long, short, curly, straight), and distinguishing marks
such as freckles or birth marks, moustache, beard etc. Young children—if given slow, careful, specific steps—can create
extremely detailed illustrations. They just need to be trained to observe.
Gifts for Mum/Dad
• The children cut out pictures of suitable gifts for a mum for Mother’s Day or a dad for Father’s Day from advertising material.
Provide large sheets of cardboard with headings such as ‘Clothes’, ‘Tools’, Foods’ or ‘Things used in the bathroom/kitchen’
etc. The children have to decide which sheet to glue each picture onto.
Things mums do/Things dads do
• Title a chart with either ‘Things mums do’ or ‘Things dads do’. The children can draw pictures of things to glue onto the chart.
A word or phrase can be written under each; e.g. ‘Gives hugs’, ‘Tickles me’, ‘Growls when I’m naughty’.
Guess the parent
• The children bring separate photos of their mum, dad and themselves. Display a few different mum/dad and son/daughter
photos on a board or shelf. The children try to work out which mum/dad matches each son/daughter. Change the selection
daily in the week leading up to Mother’s/Father’s Day.
Happy mother’s day
Mother’s Day/Father’s Day book display
Happy Mother’s Day/Father’s Day banner
• Display a banner on the entrance gate or classroom door to wish the
children’s parents a happy Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Pencil an outline
of the words on a large rectangular sheet of card or length of canvas or
calico. The children can help paint it, glue strips of material in the outline or
glue pieces of coloured paper between the borders of the letters.
• Display a selection of books related to mums or dads that you have read to the children for them to browse through. (Refer to
the literature resources on page 79.) The children can take turns choosing a book to take home for a night to share with their
mum or dad.
My mum is special/My dad is special
• Have the children trace and cut out a large heart shape from light, coloured card or paper. Trace a circular shape in the top
left hand side of the heart. This marks the position where each child’s drawing will go. Trace a
corresponding circle on a sheet of white paper and ask the children to draw a coloured
picture of their mum or dad’s face to fill the circle. They cut out the circle and glue
the picture over the circle on the heart. Write the sentence beginning ‘My
mum is special because ...’ or ‘My dad is special because ... .’ in marker
for the children to complete. If desired, the children can add a border to the
completed heart using a fringed strip of crepe paper in mum or dad’s favourite
colour. They could also use paint to print a second sheet of art paper with
shapes of their mum or dad’s favourite things (flowers, hammer, computer
etc.) When dry, the children trace and cut out a heart shape slightly larger
than the first to use as backing to create a colourful border. Display as a
group under the one of the headings ‘My mum is special’ or ‘My dad is
special’.
78 Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®

Literature resources – 1
Stories
Mother’s Day
• Mother’s Day by Anne Rockwell • The Mother’s Day mice by Eve Bunting
• Love you forever by Robert Munsch • Are you my mother? by PD Eastman
• Don’t wake up, Mama! by Eileen Christelow • Happy Mother’s Day by Mercer Mayer
• Five minutes peace by Jill Murphy • Just moms by Bonnie Louise Kuchler
• The night before Mother’s Day by Natasha Wing • My mom by Anthony Browne
• I love you, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
• Just me and my mom by Mercer Mayer
• I like noisy Mom likes quiet by Eileen Spinelli
• Mother’s Day surprise by Stephen Krensky
• Koala Lou/Harriet, you’ll drive me wild by Mem Fox
• Is your mama a llama? by Deborah Guarino
• Llama llama mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney
Father’s Day
• Father’s Day by Anne Rockwell • Just dads by Bonnie Louise Kuchler
• Happy Father’s Day by Mercer Mayer • My dad by Anthony Browne
• Just me and my dad by Mercer Mayer • A perfect Father’s Day by Eve Bunting
• A wild Father’s Day by Sean Callahan • Daddy, did I ever say? I love you, love you ever day
• David’s father by Robert Munsch
by Daryl K Cobb
• The day I swapped my dad for two goldfish by Neil Gaiman
• I love my daddy because ... by Laurel Porter-Gaylord
• Biscuit loves Father’s Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
• I love you always and forever by Jonathon Emmett
• The ten best things about my dad by Christine Loomis
• The best Father’s Day present ever by Christine Loomis
Songs, action rhymes, fingerplays and poems
Happy Mother’s/Father’s Day to you!
(Sung to the tune of ’Happy birthday to you!’.)
Happy (name) Day to you!
Happy (name) Day to you!
Happy (name) Day, dear (name)
Happy (name) Day to you!
M-U-M-M-Y/D-A-D-D-Y!
(Sung to the tune of: ’B-I-N-G-O!’.)
I love her/him
And she/he loves me.
And Mummy/Daddy is her/his name–o!
M-U-M-M-Y, M-U-M-M-Y, M-U-M-M-Y
(or D-A-D-D-Y etc.)
And Mummy/Daddy is her/his name–o!
My mother/father loves me
(Sung to the tune of ’You are my sunshine’.)
My mother/father loves me.
My mother/father loves me.
My mother/father loves me;
This I know!
My mother/father loves me.
My mother/father loves me.
Every day she/he tells me so!
R.I.C. Publications ® – www.ricpublications.com.au Early years themes—Special days and celebrations—Mother’s/Father’s Day 79

Literature resources – 2
Songs, action rhymes, fingerplays and poems
Mum/Dad loves me!
(Sung to the tune of ‘Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush’.
Children perform the actions while singing each verse.
Choose from suggested verses or children can help to make their own.)
This is the way Mum/Dad gives me a hug,
Gives me a hug,
Gives me hug.
This is the way Mum/Dad gives me a hug—
She/He loves me!
Substitute ‘Gives me a hug’ for the following:
Brushes/Combs my hair
Makes my breakfast
Cheers me up
Reads to me
Gives me a tickle
Makes me smile
Puts me to bed
Irons my clothes
Notes:
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