Print, transfer and cut (or purchase pre-made) all the characters in the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle." Children can match the rhyming sounds of diddle/fiddle and moon/spoon, count the number of animals, select living and nonliving objects, and sequence the story. The story plot opens up the possibility of discussing what is real and what is not---cats playing fiddles, cows jumping over the moon, dogs laughing or dishes running.
Use felt or flannel numbers to create an analog clock. Create and place a separate felt grandfather clock next to the analog clock face. Have a felt mouse sitting at the base of the grandfather clock. As you recite the nursery rhyme, have one of the children move the hands around the face of the analog clock and another child inch the mouse up the grandfather clock. When the child reaches the 1 o'clock position, prompt the child to slide the mouse down the grandfather clock. This is great rebus activity and also can incorporate number learning and time telling.
Use arrow felt pieces to symbolize "up" and "down" in the nursery rhyme. This will help teach children direction and symbols. Clouds with rain and a yellow felt sun can help children anticipate what will happen when the rain cloud or the sun appears. Have children take turns crawling a felt spider up a felt garden spout and then down again when it rains. Their hands-on involvement as they act out the rhyme develops sequencing skills and directions (up and down) and can be expanded into a lesson about weather.
Provide felt pieces to represent the characters and objects in the nursery rhyme: a lion, unicorn, houses for the town, white bread, brown bread, a plum and a cake. As you recite the rhyme, have children attach the picture symbol to the felt board. This rhyme has many colors for children to learn. Children also can pick out animate and inanimate objects, or what a lion and a unicorn might really eat. You can expand on children's learning by discussing what brown bread is, perhaps even making brown bread together.