Three Men in a Tub Art

For nursery rhyme week, one of the art projects that you can complete goes with the nursery rhyme "Three Men in a Tub."

First you're going to want either white construction paper or light blue construction paper. If you choose white then you can use other pieces of construction paper to represent the ocean and the sky or you can have the children use crayons or colored pencils or markers to add these touches.

Second you're going to want to either cut some brown "tubs." You may not know this, but the tub that is in the rhyme is actually more like half a whiskey barrel rather than an actual bathtub.

Now, you can have each child place their hand on the larger piece of construction paper and you can trace around it or if they're older they can trace around themselves -- but don't trace around the whole hand. You only want to trace around the three middle fingers.

The children can then glue the boat on top of the fingers, letting the top stick out just a bit since these represent each of the three men. They can then decorate their fingers with happy faces and hats or hair if they wish. And of course, they can add bits of construction paper or drawing to represent the ocean and sky.

Here's my 5 second sketch of horrendousness, but it should look something like this:

Make a Plant Person

What you need:

• Old pantyhose or knee-high stockings (one pair will work for two children)


• Sawdust or peat moss mixed with some potting soil


• Grass seed (enough for each child to have a few tablespoons)


• a leak-proof saucer or bowl (one for each child)


• Felt pieces


• Glue or glue gun


• Peanuts

What to do:

1. Cut the feet off of the pantyhose or knee highs at about the ankles.


2. Put a few tablespoons of grass seed in the toe and then fill the rest of the way with the  sawdust/peat moss mixture leaving enough room to tie it in a knot.


3. Knot it closed and then form the stocking into a rounded head shape with the knotted side down.


4. Allow the children to decorate the "heads" with felt pieces for eyes and nose and peanuts for a mouth.  If using a glue gun (recommended since it has a bit more staying power than regular glue) assist children in this process.


5. Soak the "head" in water and put it in a window or other sunny area.


6. Be sure to keep the heads moist, watering as necessary which could mean every day.

The grass will begin to grow out of the top making hair which the children can then leave or shape into hair styles with scissors, ribbons, etc.

Kittens and Mittens Bulletin Board

For nursery rhyme week, if you use a system where children move their clothespins or name tags when they arrive and depart each day, then you can make an interactive bulletin board with cats and mittens.

Copy a mitten pattern and allow children to color the mitten. Then write the child's name on each mitten.

Here are two nice patterns:

• This one has some detail added.


• This one is just plain black line.
  

Place some kittens on the board and use a line from the nursery rhyme such as, "Little Kittens, Find your mittens" or you could use the entire rhyme or the first few lines.

Kitten patterns:

• plain black outline of cat from the back


• another plain outline from the side

You can use a small basket under the board or a sturdy manilla envelope to hold the children's mittens, although I always preferred to put a string along the bottom of the board with clothespins. Children would put their tags there when they left school each day and find them there when they returned the next day. Then each child would have another clothespin "spot" on the bulletin board where they would put their tags (in this case, their mittens).

If your children are young and can't handle the motor skills involved with clothespins, use magnets or velcro. Just make sure that you secure the velcro with staples or you'll end up with a ripped bulletin board. Also, with magnets, make sure you test them before you affix them permanently (does side A go with side B) or they will repel each other.

Another note on magnets... Magnets can be very dangerous if two are swallowed, so I wouldn't recommend using them if you have children who put things in their mouths. Laminating the mittens after the magnets are in place should be sufficient for older children.

Three Little Kittens

Three little kittens,
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.

What! Lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Meow, meow, meow.
No, you shall have no pie.

The three little kittens,
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.

What! Found your mittens,
You silly kittens!
Then you shall have some pie.
Purr, purr, purr,
Oh, let us have some pie.

The three little kittens,
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear,
We greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.

What! Soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Meow, meow, meow.
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens,
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh mother dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed.

What! Washed your mittens,
You're good little kittens.
But I smell a rat close by!
Hush! Hush! Hush!
I smell a rat close by.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Rub-a-dub-dub

Three men in a tub

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker,

The candlestick maker,

Turn them out knaves, all three

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
And down he run,
Hickory, dickory, dock!

Polly and Sukey

Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
And let's drink tea.

Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
They're all gone away.

London Bridge

London Bridge is broken down,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
London Bridge is broken down,
With a gay lady.

How shall we build it up again?
Dance over my Lady Lee;
How shall we build it up again?
With a gay lady.

Build it up with silver and gold,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Build it up with silver and gold,
With a gay lady.

Silver and gold will be stole away,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Silver and gold will be stole away,
With a gay lady.

Build it up with iron and steel,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Build it up with iron and steel,
With a gay lady.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
With a gay lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Build it up with wood and clay,
With a gay lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Wood and clay will wash away,
With a gay lady.

Build it up with stone so strong,
Dance over my Lady Lee;
Huzza! 'twill last for ages long,
With a gay lady.

There Was an Old Woman

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread.
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
"Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
And that's what little boys are made of."

What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice, and all that's nice;
And that's what little girls are made of."

The Tarts

The Queen of Hearts,
She made some tarts,
All on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts,
He stole the tarts,
And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts
Called for the tarts,
And beat the Knave full sore;
The Knave of Hearts
Brought back the tarts,
And vowed he'd steal no more.

Peter Piper

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

The Bells

"You owe me five shillings,"
Say the bells of St. Helen's.
"When will you pay me?"
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
"When I grow rich,"
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
"When will that be?"
Say the bells of Stepney.
"I do not know,"
Says the great Bell of Bow.
"Two sticks in an apple,"
Ring the bells of Whitechapel.
"Halfpence and farthings,"
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
"Kettles and pans,"
Say the bells of St. Ann's.
"Brickbats and tiles,"
Say the bells of St. Giles.
"Old shoes and slippers,"
Say the bells of St. Peter's.
"Pokers and tongs,"
Say the bells of St. John's.

The Crooked Sixpence

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Ring a Ring O’ Rosies

Ring a ring o' roses,
A pocketful of posies.
Tisha! Tisha!
We all fall down.

Pease Porridge

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.

Peter Pumpkin Eater

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

The Ten O’Clock Scholar

A diller, a dollar, a ten o'clock scholar!
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
But now you come at noon.

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all of a row.