1,2,3 Storytelling
Storytelling 1
Look at the front cover together.Ask: Who can you see? What is he holding? What might happen in this story? Read the whole story to your child. Emphasise any words that are written in bold, such as ‘THE BIGGEST BUBBLE IN THE WORLD.’
Storytelling 2
Read the story again and ask your child about each page and the illustrations.Ask:How does Bert feel about his bubble? Why does he build a fort? How does he feel when he is inside the fort? How does Bert feel when the last bubble pops? Why? Encourage them to join in with any sounds such as POP! or TAP!
Storytelling 3
Ask your child to share the story with you. They tell you the story using the pictures on each page.
Ask: Did you like the story? Why? Which was your favourite part?
Watch Kim Hillyard talk about her book Bert and the Bubble here
Activities
Make
Make homemade bubbles!
50ml washing-up liquid (1 part)
300ml water (6 parts)
- Put the washing-up liquid into a jar or bottle.
- Slowly add the water. Try not to make too many bubbles. Stir gently to mix.
- Leave the mixture to rest for a short time if you can. This helps make better bubbles.
- Dip your bubble wand into the mixture and blow bubbles.
Bubble Wands
Use different household items like sieves, whisks, and coat hangers to explore different bubble sizes and shapes.
Bubble Painting
Mix paint, water, and washing-up liquid, then let your child blow bubbles into the mixture with a straw (supervised) and place paper on top to create prints.
Play
Inside the Bubble
Tell your child they are inside an imaginary bubble. They must:
- Stretch up to make the bubble tall
- Stretch wide to make the bubble big
- Curl into a tiny bubble
- Roll, float, or drift like a bubble.
Bubble Body Parts
Blow bubbles. Call out a body part:
“Pop with your elbow!”, “Pop with your head!”, “Pop with your toes!”
Children move to pop the bubbles using that body part.
Rhymes
Bubbles in the Air
Bubbles, bubbles in the air
(wiggle fingers in the air)
Swirling, twirling everywhere
(Make hands in circles)
Some are big
(Make a big circle with both hands)
Some are small
(Make a small circle with one hand)
See if you can pop them all!
(Pretend to pop bubbles with pointed finger)
5 Little Bubbles
5 little bubbles, floating to the floor,
One bubble popped (clap hands) and then there were 4.
4 little bubbles, round as can be,
One bubble popped (clap hands) and then there were 3.
3 little bubbles were flying just to you,
One bubble popped (clap hands) and then there were 2.
2 little bubbles were having so much fun,
One bubble popped (clap hands) and then there was 1.
1 little bubble, round as the sun,
Until that bubble popped (clap hands) and then there were none.
Bubble Bubble
(action rhyme)
Bubble, bubble, turn around
Bubble, bubble, land on the ground
Bubble, bubble, float up high
Bubble, bubble, towards the sky
Bubble, bubble, float down low
Bubble, bubble, land on my toe
Bubble, bubble, stop, stop, stop
Songs
10 Little Bubbles
1 little, 2 little, 3 little bubbles
4 little, 5 little, 6 little bubbles
7 little, 8 little, 9 little bubbles
10 little bubbles go pop, pop, pop
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
Pop those, pop those, pop those bubbles
10 little bubbles go pop, pop, pop
Bubbles All Around
(sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Bubbles floating all around
(pretend to catch bubbles)
Bubbles fat and bubbles round
(Make a big circle with arms)
Bubbles on my toes and nose
(Point to toes then point to nose)
Blow a bubble up it goes
(Pretend to blow a bubble then point up)
Bubbles floating all around
(Pretend to catch bubbles)
Bubbles falling to the ground
(Sing slowly and sink to the ground)
Bert and the Bubble is written and illustrated by Kim Hillyard and published by Ladybird.