Walter the Waltzing Worm

Whole Group Activities
Involve the children in concrete observation and discussion about real worms:
Take a walk after a rain and observe worms on the sidewalk.
Look for worms in the outside play area.
Bring a container of dirt with worms into the classroom for observation.

Music and Movement Activities
Introduce pieces of yarn as "worm" play prop. Invite each child to choose a yarn worm.
Play the music Walter the Waltzing Worm , by Hap Palmer, and demonstrate moving the yarn "worm" as the lyrics indicate. Invite the children to participate. This music uses the concepts of directionality (up, over, in front of, down, between) and body part recognition as Walter crawls over the child's body. Help reinforce these concepts as the music plays and you are moving your yarn worm.

Art Activities
Materials
table with large pieces of drawing paper
shallow paint pans with a variety of colors of tempera paint
yarn cut into 9"-12" lengths (this is the paint tool)
paint shirts
clean-up materials
"Wormy" music to accompany the paint activity
Procedure
Wet the lengths of yarn to make them easier to transport paint. Suggest to the children that the yarn can be "wet worms" making tracks on their paper. Demonstrate and model dipping the yarn in the paint and pulling the yarn across, up, down, and around on the paper. Invite the children to try. As the children work, verbalize their arm movements to reinforce directionality concepts and the visual art element (line). Play "wormy" music as the children paint and observe the children moving the yarn to the beat and rhythm of the music.

Free Choice/Center Time
Use props such as a stuffed worm and cardboard box tunnel for dramatic play.
Make the container of dirt with worms available for children to observe and explore.
Make children's books about worms available in the book center.
ex: Van Laan, N. (1987). The Big Fat Worm , New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Make drawing materials available for the children to make marks and draw their worm observations.
Make the Walter the Waltzing Worm music and yarn worm props available in the music center. Add blocks for the children to build tunnels for the yarn worms.

"Wormy" software available for the computer
Switch Intro by Jokus has a section called "Willy the Worm"
Backyard by Brøderbund has a worm that eats the vegetables in the garden.

Gross Motor Activity in large play area or gym
Move like worms.
Set up a series of tunnels with large cardboard boxes, large waffle blocks, or commercially available play tunnels.