Hey Diddle Diddle | Nursery Rhyme Invitation to Play
Sing, explore and imagine! Bringing a much loved nursery rhyme to life through magical, hands on play.
Our Hey Diddle Diddle Invitation to Play is a beautifully designed, two page planning resource inspired by the traditional nursery rhyme, encouraging children to explore storytelling, movement, imagination and sensory play.
Featuring the cow jumping over the moon, the cat and the fiddle, the little dog and the dish running away with the spoon, this enchanting small world invitation encourages children to recreate the rhyme, explore familiar characters and develop their own stories through open ended play.
Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, childminders, nurseries and early years settings, this simple invitation demonstrates how familiar nursery rhymes can inspire meaningful learning experiences using everyday and natural materials.
What's included?
2 beautifully designed A4 printable pages
A realistic, inspiring small world play set up
Simple resource and preparation guidance
Step by step instructions to create the invitation
Key vocabulary to support communication and language
Extension ideas to develop children's interests and understanding
Ideas for sensory exploration, movement and storytelling
Learning opportunities
Developing communication and language through singing, repetition and storytelling
Encouraging imaginative and symbolic play
Exploring positional language such as over, under, next to and on
Developing early mathematical awareness through counting stars and objects
Strengthening fine motor skills through handling small world resources
Encouraging movement, creativity and self expression
Exploring sounds, rhythm and familiar nursery rhyme patterns
Building confidence through repetition and shared experiences
Ideas for play
Create a night sky using dark fabric, wooden stars and a crescent moon.
Add a cow, cat, dog, spoon and dish to bring the rhyme to life.
Sing Hey Diddle Diddle together and encourage children to move the characters.
Explore the cow jumping over the moon using positional language.
Count the stars and investigate different shapes and textures.
Introduce musical instruments and explore the sounds of the rhyme.
Invite children to create their own endings and imaginative stories.
Inclusive and adaptable
Designed to support children at different developmental stages, including children with SEND.
Keep the invitation simple and introduce characters gradually, allowing children to explore at their own pace.
Children can participate through singing, signing, pointing, moving figures, exploring textures or using their preferred communication methods.
Use familiar objects, repeated vocabulary, visual prompts and adult modelling to support understanding, while following children's individual interests and sensory preferences.
Small moments. Big learning.
A simple, engaging invitation that celebrates the magic of nursery rhymes and the wonderful learning opportunities that can emerge from everyday play.
The Early Years Edit | The Play Library
Digital PDF download only. No physical product will be posted.