Madeline Sensory Bin & Small World

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Ella’s first favourite book was Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. She requested it so many times that I had it memorized before she was a year old, and I still know it by heart!

I thought it would be fun to revisit the book this week, and what better way to start than with reciting the book while playing with a Madeline Sensory Bin!

Madeline sensory bin and small world set-up. Read Madeline to your child as they engage in either of these fun sensory activities for kids, learning about French culture and incorporating a bit of math into the fun. Perfect for a Madeline unit study

We set up this fun invitation to play in a two different ways – as a small world set-up and as a sensory bin. Ella still loves her sensory bins, but she preferred the small world set-up for this activity.

Materials Needed for Madeline Sensory Bin:

  • Madeline book, to read before or while your child plays
  • Red, blue, and white pompoms (optional)
  • Flowers – yellow or red, we went with Poppies to emphasize the connection between France’s Flander’s Fields and our upcoming Remembrance Day
  • French flag (real or paper cut-out) — I wish I had known about this 3ft by 5ft one for less than $5 – it would have been great to do the activity on!
  • Tiger in a “zoo” (metal container) from our Wild TOOB
  • L’arch d’triumph and Eiffel Tower figures from Around the World TOOB
  • Small peg dolls
  • Bakery or small dollhouse – we did this activity adjacent to Ella’s dollhouse so she could use it as an additional “setting” while acting out the story with the peg dolls, and I included the bakery because it’s oh-so-French to me!
  • Any other symbols of French culture, or objects mentioned in the book (vines, rain, shine, ambulance, mice, etc)

I also have started placing these plastic tablecloths under our sensory play activities. While I expect for the children to keep sensory bin items in their bins, the tablecloths help make it easier to clean up any accidental spills, and they are good for still defining the “play area” for my kids who like to deconstruct their sensory bins, pulling items out and organizing them.

Madeline sensory bin and small world set-up. Read Madeline to your child as they engage in either of these fun sensory activities for kids, learning about French culture and incorporating a bit of math into the fun.

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.

In two straight lines they broke their bread
and brushed their teeth
and went to bed.

Putting a Madeline peg doll "to bed" in our Madeline small world set-up

They smiled at the good
and frowned at the bad

They left the house
at half past nine
in two straight lines
in rain
or shine-

A little bakery is a fun addition to a Madeline unit study - what's more French than pastries?

the smallest one
was Madeline.

To the tiger in the zoo
Madeline just said,
“Pooh-pooh,”

A simple tiger in the zoo to add to your Madeline play

In the middle of one night
Miss Clavel turned on the light
and said, “Something is not right!”

Little Madeline sat in bed,
cried and cried; her eyes were red.

And soon after Dr. Cohn
came, he rushed out to the phone
and he dialed: DANton-ten-six-
“Nurse,” he said, “it’s an appendix!”

Dr Cohn? Bringing real tools into our sensory play

In a car with a red light
they drove out into the night.
Madeline woke up two hours
later, in a room with flowers.

Poppies are great for adding to play during the month of November, providing natural opportunities to discuss Remembrance Day or Memorial Day

Madeline soon ate and drank.
On her bed there was a crank,
and a crank on the ceiling had the habit
of sometimes looking like a rabbit.

Outside were birds, trees, and sky-
and so ten days passed quickly by.

Count to ten, count to twelve, walk in pairs - lots of fun math opportunities while reading Madeline!

One nice morning Miss Clavel said-
“Isn’t this fine-
day to visit
Madeline.”

Madeline sensory bin and small world set-up. Read Madeline to your child as they engage in either of these fun sensory activities for kids, learning about French culture and incorporating a bit of math into the fun. Perfect for a Madeline Unit Study

And all the little girls cried, “Boohoo,
we want to have our appendix out too!”

A fun Madeline sensory bin - laid out like a French flag and incorporating many symbols of French culture

“Good night, little girls!
Thank the lord you are well!
And now go to sleep!”
said Miss Clavel.
And she turned out the light-
and closed the door-
and that’s all there is-
there isn’t any more.

We are planning on getting up to a whole lot of Madeline-inspired fun over the next month, including exploring some French food and making our own Madeline peg dolls from the ones you see in our sensory play. Make sure you’re subscribed to our free newsletter so you don’t miss it!

Check out these other fun Madeline-inspired activities from my Co-Hosts in the Virtual Book Club for Kids:

Doubles Activity for Preschoolers from Toddler Approved

Learning About Body Parts with Madeline

Madeline Snack from Still Playing School

Exploring Art & Color from Mama Miss

Made”line” Sensory Tray Writing from Growing Book by Book

Madeline Movement Game from Mom-Inspired Life

Toddler Shape Activity from The Pleasantest Thing

Build the Eiffel Tower from Inspiration Laboratories

Skip Counting 2’s with Madeline from Rainy Day Mum

Flowers for Madeline from the Educator’s Spin On It

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