In this post you’ll find resources and ideas for ways to extend this activity, with crafts and free printables you can use. Recap on the story of ‘What the Ladybird Heard’– whether at home or in class, read the story again with the children or invite the children to tell you or their parents/siblings the story. Wonderfully written, we see this little hero save the day again and out smart the troublesome duo Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len. Draw a map of the farm on the coordinate grid (see Resources below) and use the coordinates / compass directions to show somebody how to move from one place to another. Invite the children to dress up like one of the characters from the book and re-tell the story for a friend, grandparent or other relative over Skype or Facetime.

Try out this easy pig craft, this sheep, or this ‘not quite a chicken craft but I think it’s close enough’ chick craft. Sunday Post Bright, sparkling, full of humor, subterfuge and rhyming fun, this is another exceptional title from the award winning pair of Donaldson and Monks.We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. All online references have been selected on an illustrative basis for the relevant potential learning activities. This paper plate craft for The Snail and The Whale is movable so your characters can sail across the ocean, can you see the little snail on the whale’s tail?

This full-colour activity book is packed with puzzles and scenes to recreate, with over 400 stickers inspired by the book’s cast of creatures. The tactile illustrations feature an appealing, glittery ladybird to follow and feel throughout the story. A fantastic way for babies, toddlers and young children to develop their fine motor skills, this interactive story is perfect for little ones to enjoy alone or to read together with a grown-up. By using food dye, colour a water tray or if at home, have fun at bath-time – by making the Red Sea!v=KpleGh5-6zU There are follow on videos from which the children can learn to draw all the characters in the book. Help the ladybird stop Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh from stealing the Queen’s crown in this sticker and activity book. The clear, full-colour instructions and templates have everything you and your little one need to make the characters from What the Ladybird Heard, including a ladybird dress-up outfit and a farmyard play set. My kids loved sensory play but I must admit that I was a fan of the ones that were pretty quick to set up! The characters in this book involve amazing sea creatures and the mythical sea-dwelling creature (a mermaid).

As well as ladybird crafts and activities you’ll also fine ones for Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, the mermaid and her friends in the sea with sharks, crabs, whales and a sealion. This recipe book has twenty-four child-friendly recipes for healthy snacks, sweet treats and family favourites, all inspired by the stories and characters in the What the Ladybird Heard books. Take a trip to the zoo with this interactive picture book based on What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday. Starring a crime-fighting little ladybird as she embarks on a series of daring adventures, the What The Ladybird Heard books are written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks. I made these cotton bud printed ladybirds with my daughter when she was a toddler and the post also contains a few ideas for how you could change this activity for different age groups.

With twelve speaking parts (which can be shared) and lots of animals for non-speaking parts, this play best suits Upper Key Stage One or Lower Key Stage Two classes. Enjoy more stories from Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks: The Singing Mermaid, Sharing a Shell, and What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday. Packed with fun activities that will keep kids entertained on a rainy day, this sticker and activity book is based on the bestselling story by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.