Arthur’s Birthday
Arthur's birthday party is on at the same time as Muffy's and no-one knows what to do. The boys decide to go to Arthur's and the girls decide to go to Muffy's. Suddenly Arthur has a brainwave which surprises everyone. Children love birthdays and parties, and this School Edition provides many thought-provoking activities for children covering areas across the curriculum.  The Classroom Activities
Memory Magic - it’s quite a challenge to remember all of a party’s essential ingredients. Help your children to discover which memory strategies work successfully for them. And Then What Happened? - Arthur and his friends have a busy week. This activity encourages children to recall the sequence of events in the story, orally, visually and in writing. Special Days - once a year each of us has our own special day. As your children share Arthur’s celebration, they can discover more about themselves and their friends, and learn to value each person’s uniqueness. Biscuit Bakers - what would a birthday party be without an array of special treats? Whether it’s icing cupcakes, baking biscuits or concocting delectables from scratch, every child loves cooking and then gobbling up his or her creations. In this activity, careful reading has a tasty payoff. Word Play - playing with the text on the computer screen can inspire your children to use new words in original sentences and stories. The Envelope Please… - this activity uses invitations and cards as a springboard for writing and for exploring the concept of audience in writing. Confetti Clues - in this activity teams explore a screen to find the surprise and then draw or write clues to guide other children to the fun. Secrets and Surprises - Arthur and Francine are whispering together on Screen 7 of Arthur’s Birthday. One the children have read the whole book, they can probably imagine what Arthur and Francine are planning in those whispers. This writing activity gives them a chance to invent conversations which fit the context. Choices - two birthday parties the same day! Friends are in a quandary about which to choose. Arthur and Francine have designed one solution, explored in the activity Secrets and Surprises. Encourage your class to brainstorm alternative solutions and evaluate each.  Birthdays Suited to a T - create special regalia for your birthday event. All you’ll need is a supply of stamps, some fabric paint and an assortment of T-shirts.
Times and Places - were birthdays always special events? Explore how our ancestors might have held celebrations. Re-enact birthdays in Tudor and Victorian times, or explore birthdays in parts of the world where children have friends or relatives. Timing is Everything - create traditional monthly calendars as well as a time line calendar. As you watch the days fly by, explore alternative counting methods. Count On Us - graphs are an ideal method to compare data. In this activity, children explore the relationship between age and size. Birthday on a Budget - Arthur needs lots of things for his party, but his budget is limited. Let’s help him organise his celebration, keeping within his allowance. What’s in your Lunch Box? - encourage children to be aware of their nutritional needs, and become aware of each others’ dietary restrictions. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary - Arthur’s relations are coming from Scotland for his party. Use a local map, a map of Britain, or a world map to discuss where your children’s friends and relations might come from. "Pink for a Little Girl, Blue for a Boy?" - this activity discusses the reasons for stereotyping, initially of the sexes, but also in a wider context. Points of View - the weather vane on page 7 of Arthur’s Birthday spins when you click on it. Study of weather vanes, leading to points of the compass and basic map reading. Weather Clouds - what kind of weather will we have today? Using clouds to forecast the weather. What’s Your Favourite? - this activity explores likes and dislikes, and uses graphs to display the most popular foods, books, television. Wrapping up a Parcel - exploring shape and volume. What’s in a Funfair? - designing and making a roundabout, Ferris Wheel and other fairground rides. Using computers to control them. Alphabet Games - starting with the A is for aeroplane on page 3, making a transport alphabet, a names alphabet, an animals alphabet, an alphabet for any curriculum area. Sentence Builders - using word cards to build sentences. All the words which appear on-screen in Arthur’s Birthday are included in a photocopiable sheet. You may also be interested in IntelliKeys Instant Access to Brøderbund Living Books | 
