This week’s theme:
The Mysteries of Spring & Easter
Fact of the day:
William Blake wrote ‘Songs of Innocence’ in 1789; several of the poems from this collection were written to welcome the Spring.
Resources list:
‘Spring’ poem; Youtube; bag with hidden textured household objects, blindfold; paper, art materials; ‘Ecchoing Green’ poem; metal cutlery.
Activity 1:
Read the poem ‘Spring’ by William Blake here or ask someone to read it out to you. Can you make some actions and sounds to go with the different lines?
The poem mentions ‘bird’s delight’, ‘nightingales’, ‘larks’ and a ‘cock crowing’. Open a window, or an outside door and quietly listen to the birds that you can hear. Count how many different birds you hear. Can you identify any of the birdsong, try watching this video.
Activity 2:
The poem mentions ‘Little Lamb Here I am’; practice calling out to let people know where you are – try Baaing and Bleating like the sheep heard here.
In the poem, the author can feel the soft wool of the sheep. Have somebody hide some textured objects in a bag for you; without looking (you can wear a blindfold) can you identify what the objects are just by feeling them – no peeking!
Activity 3:
Read the poem ‘Ecchoing Green’ by William Blake here or ask someone to read it out to you. Can you make some actions and sounds to go with the different words in bold?
The poem says ‘The sun does arise, And make happy the skies’; create your own ‘Sunrise’ artwork in the ‘pop art’ style of Roy Lichtenstein, using dots, bright colours, and cotton wool for clouds. Or, print out a version to colour in here.
Activity 4:
The poem says ‘The merry bells ring To welcome the Spring’; stretch up and pull down an imaginary bell rope in time with the bell ringing here, or, listen to ‘Ring My Bell’, have a dance and ding metal cutlery together in time with the song here.
Add-on Activity:
Both poems mention the birds of Spring; watch live video streams of birds feeding here, here, and here. Watch a live stream of goats, lambs and sheep here.
