Focus: To create awareness of evergreen trees, bird songs, and bird coloration.

This is a beautiful story for the winter season. Its original version is about Joseph and Mary and the Christmas story, but I have changed it in order to be all-inclusive, while still keeping the essence of the tale intact.

Playing with the story:

• Find evergreen trees. Then notice trees in the dead of winter that are not evergreen.
• Notice how trees change throughout the seasons.
• Do some trees have branches that bend over? Do others have branches that point up to the sky? What else can you discover about trees?
• Make a collection of leaves.
• Create a simple ceremony of bringing gifts to the animal and plant people.
• Look for Robin Redbreast. Does he really have a red breast? Are there any birds that are only brown?
• Watch Robin Redbreast to see what he eats.
• What birds sing in your area? Go out at different times of the day and listen to the birds’ voices. Listen at night for the birds singing.
• Where safe and appropriate, and with adult supervision, make a fire. See if you need to fan it to get started.

Song:

The North Wind Doth Blow

The North wind doth blow and the rain it shall flow

And what will the Robin do then, the dear thing?

It’ll cuddle with its friends in the tree as it bends,

And wait till the Sun it does glow, the dear thing.