Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
Get ready to discuss, share, play, create, and read your way to developing and empowering a strong character.
Imagine
You and your friends have worked very hard all year long on the farm. Now you are waiting to hear which farm has been selected as the best. Everyone wants to win and bring home the blue ribbons.
Story Focus, Virtues, and Life Lessons
Story Focus:
Farmer John celebrates his farm’s success with the animals
Express gratitude and thanks for the things in our lives
- Where in the story does gratitude prevail?
- How did Farmer John show his gratitude and thanks to his farm
animals?
Virtues:
Gratitude
Life Lessons:
Farmer John was thankful for the animals on his farm.
“Thank you for another good year. These ribbons are for you. I could not have done it without you.”
Magical Moments
Interactive Discussion and Activities
Reading Story Techniques
First, pre-read the story before reading it aloud with your learner. Use expressive language, gestures, motions, and sounds to make the story come alive:
- After reading the first line of the story, bark (bow-wow) excitedly for Belle.
- Sound excited with all the animal’s parts.
- Neigh like a horse and have your learners neigh back.
- Change your tone of voice for each animal in the story.
- Give a chuckle and laugh when Shelly tells about the pet parade.
- Give a little bark before reading Belle the dog’s responses.
- Cluck like a hen before reading the hen’s lines. Have your learner imitate a cluck.
- Moo before the cow’s lines.
- Give all four animal sounds plus a meow for the cat in response to being told they got a blue ribbon for the best farm.
- Have Farmer John sound extremely grateful and appreciative at the end of the story.
While Reading
Interject these questions to involve the learner:
- Where was Belle waiting for Farmer John?
- Why was Haley the horse tired?
- Who told the animals the good news?
- When did Shelley tell the animals about the best farm award?
- What did Farmer John say to the animals?
After Reading
Use the answers to these questions to recall points in the story.
- Why was Haley, the horse, tired?
Haley said, “Neigh! Neigh! Please, one at a time. I am just too tired to tell you. We gave hay rides to the learners all day.” - Who told the animals the good news?
Shelley, the small black spider, had been with Farmer John all day. Now she could tell the animals the good news. - What did the animals want to know?
The hen clucked, “Tell us how we did at the Farmer’s Market.” They all wanted to know who had won ribbons. - What was the last ribbon that Shelley told the animals about?
She said, “We got the blue ribbon for “The Best Farm on Breakers Island.” - What did Farmer John say to the animals?
He looked at each of them and said, “Thank you for another good year. These ribbons are for you. I could not have done it without you.”-
Behavior/Social Development (All Ages):
- Name your blessings. Have a moment of thanks each day when you share something you are thankful for.
- Have your learner help (start to finish) with a chore like categorizing and organizing books on a shelf. The more effort your learner puts into a task the more conscious they become of what others do for them.
- Do a good will project with your learner, like helping a younger person with school project. A simple task like that offers not only bonding time while doing the deed, but also a topic to discuss feelings and consequences of a good deed.
- Write gratitude letters. Have your learner think about writing a letter to somebody, like a teacher of a family member, who has done something for them that should be acknowledged with gratitude. This teaches them that it is not just about when somebody gives you something materials, but when somebody really does something for you. Help your learner write the letter. With younger children, have them dictate their thoughts to you.
Language Development (Younger Learners):
- Antonyms: up – down, quiet – noise
- Colors: black, blue, green, pink, white
- Identify word patterns: Lone O Sounds _– ow”
Bolded words, among the following, are those used in “Blue Ribbons” – bow, brow, chow, cow, how, meow, now, ploy, sow, vow, wow - Create scenarios where your learner will have to respond with a polite gratitude statement. Example: The lady at the grocery bakery gave you a free cookie, “Thank you for the cookie.”
- Ask your learner to give you examples of ways to say thank you.
- Make gratitude statements a daily part of your conversation.
Language Development (Older Learners):
- Make gratitude statements a daily part of your conversation.
- Count your blessings. Have your learner identify the blessings in their life.
- Make a habit to have your learner tell you three good things in the day. This routine will help teach your learner to slow down, savor the moments, and take in things that they feel appreciative about and should be thankful for.
- Introduce the Motto – Gratitude is my Attitude and discuss the meaning behind it. Share personal examples with your learner.
- Introduce the age-old question, “Is the glass fall full or half empty?”
Explain the gist gehind the questions – it’s about perspective more than the circumstances. Discuss with your learner the merits of looking for the brightr side of things rather than complaining about them. Show your leaner how to be resilient and focus on the positive aspects they do not see when they are feeling sorry for themselves.
Making Memories
Discover the values covered in this story through guided activities and fun projects that ensure learner involvement.
Arts and Crafts ideas for Creatively Understanding the Virtues
Arts & Crafts Activities (Younger Learners):
Gratitude Leaf
- Materials: Thick craft paper, glitter glue tubes, ribbon, scissors, and pencil
- Directions:
- Draw or trace a leaf and have learner cut it out.
- Write a two-word gratitude statement. Example: “Give Thanks,” “I Appreciate,” “and Gratitude.”
- Learners decorate with glitter glue.
- Display gratitude leaf where appropriate.
Arts & Crafts Activities (Older Learners):
- Blue & Gold Ribbons Place Mats
- Materials: Blue and yellow construction paper, ruler, pencil, and scissors.
- Directions:
- On the right side of the blue construction paper, about 1″ from the short side, make a mark about 1 1/2″ from the top (long side) of the paper.
- Measure down about 1 1/2″ and make another mark. Repeat until you have 5 marks.
- Cut a slit on each of the 5 marks about 1″ from the right (short side), going towards the middle about 1 3/4″.
- Cut a strip of yellow construction paper 1 1/2″ wide by the length of the paper.
- Cut a V shape in one short end of the yellow strip. This is the ribbon.
- Weave the ribbon through the place mat.
- Create and decorate a “Gratitude Journal.” Have your learner develop a habit of cataloging their thankfulness each day.
- Create a “Gratitude is my Attitude” collage. Have your learner choose the art medium to use.
- Create a rap for “Gratitude is my Attitude”.
Involvement Tips (All Ages):
- Learners are watching you show appreciation and gratitude for the things in your life.
- Be consciously aware of how much you complain and object to things. Your learner is watching and listening to your behaviors. Show your learner how you turn things around with an attitude adjustment.
- Show your learner the “other side.” Many times learners are ungrateful because they have no idea how blessed they are compared to others in the world. Give your learner a “reality check” by reading books and magazines, or watch television documentaries to see the “other side.” Look for opportunities to serve others less fortunate individuals.
They asked, “Haley, what happened at the Fall Festival? We want to know everything.
Lasting Impressions
Continue with learning experiences to extend your stay.
Follow-up Activities (All Ages):
- Work gratitude into your daily conversation. Make saying what good things happened each day as part of your conversation.
- Have your learner help by participating in simple chores like feeding the dog or picking up objects and putting them in their place. This will help your learner realize that all things take effort.
- Find a project and a way your learner can actively participate in helping someone else. Example – make “thinking of you” cards for the elderly. As you and your learner make the cards, talk about how happy the recipient will feel.
- Encourage generosity by having your learner gather unused toys, books, and other possessions to give to charity. This can inspire them to give something special to those in need, as they copy your behavior.
- Insist that your learner write thank-you notes for gifts. If your learner is too young to write a note by themselves, write the note for them and have them “sign” their name or draw a special picture to include with the thank-you card.
Real-Life Activities (All Ages):
- Write thank-you notes for gifts and acts of kindness.
- Follow through, on a daily basis, discussing or journaling, at least three things (or persons) that you are grateful for and appreciative of that day.
- Give at least one sincere compliment to someone each day.
Farmer John put a nail by the barn door. Then he hung the five blue ribbons for the animals to see.
Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
They all wanted to know who had won ribbons.