All suggested activities can be found via the link at the bottom of the page.  Have a read through of the story to see our suggestions for additional items you could gather to help bring the story to life.

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Play or sing 'The Sun Goes Up' to open.

 

It was a hot and sunny day

Activity - Make your own sun.

This is also a lovely story to enjoy outside on a sunny day.

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An old man was walking down a lane

Tap a walking rhythm on knees, a table or another surface.

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He saw a mossy green hill.  There was a shady tree on top.

Activity - Tree Umbrella

Alternatively you could collect fallen branches and attach

handprint leaves or leaf cut out shapes. Or if outside, gather under

a lovely big tree.

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The old man sat under the tree

Shade participants with the tree umbrella or branches.  If outside,

take some time to listen to the leaves, the birds, feel the breeze...

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He took off his boots and sighed

Activity - An Outdoor Walk Sensory Trays

Sigh a big happy sigh

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The soft wind lulled him to sleep

Gently fan everyone. 

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In his dream he heard magical bells

Gently shake bells​

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When suddenly a voice shouted "Get up...get out...go go go!"

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The old man woke...he looked...but he could see nobody

Stretch and yawn, then look all around - up, down, left and right.

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The soft wind lulled him back to sleep

Gently fan everyone.

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In his dream he heard magical bells

​Shake the bells.​

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When suddenly a voice sang:

"Get up...get out...go go go,

come on old man, you're too slow.

The fairy king, he wants you gone,

so make a wish and don't take long!"

Shake the bells.

Repeat - either speak or sing - the rhyme a few times.

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There he saw a wee fairy man dressed in red and green.

Activity - Wee Fairy Man

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So the old man wished for a pair of buttercup yellow fairy boots.

Activity - Fairy Boots

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His wish came true.

Shake the bells.

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The old man put them on and sang a little song:

"The sun goes up, the sun goes down,

the world keeps turning round and round.

The birds they sing, the bees they hum,

the frogs they croak that summer's come."

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The fairy man said "Ssssshhhhh...don't tell anyone about the

boots...Ssssssshhhhhh!"

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The boots made the old man happy

and he walked

Tap a walking rhythm on knees, a table or another surface

or take turns to 'walk' the fairy boots over a surface

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​and he skipped

Tap a skipping rhythm on knees, a table or another surface

or take turns to 'skip' the fairy boots over a surface

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and he danced

'footsteps' on table, knee, floor

Tap a dancing rhythm on knees, a table or another surface

or take turns to 'dance' the fairy boots over a surface

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When one day he saw a river

Blue fabric - ideally a blue silk material 

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The old man took off his boots and put his feet in the river and

sighed: "Aaaaaahhhhhhh."

Run blue fabric over feet or hands, if feet are not tolerated.

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When a fisherman shouted: "Where did you get those boots?"

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"The fairy king gave them me", cried the old man.

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Whooooooosh! and the fairy boots were gone.

Use your voice or a groan tube, or a whistle.​​

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In their place were two yellow buttercups

Activity - Buttercup craft

Perhaps with a drop of aromatherapy oil if safe to do so.

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And the birds they sang

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And the bees they hummed

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And the frogs they croaked...

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Play or sing 'The Sun Goes Up' song to close

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