Little Bird’s Day: Becoming Little Bird Crown Craft is a hands-on, creative activity designed to complement a classroom reading of the beautiful picture book Little Bird’s Day by Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr. This engaging craft invites students to step into the world of Little Bird by making their own wearable crown, sparking empathy, imagination and meaningful connections to the story’s themes.

Perfect for Early Years learners, this activity combines fine motor development with storytelling and visual symbolism. As students cut, decorate and assemble their own colourful crowns, they are encouraged to reflect on Little Bird’s journey through the skies, the passage of time, and the connection between self and nature. Whether you’re exploring character, identity or perspective in your literacy block, this creative task brings the book to life in a tactile and memorable way.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Build fine motor skills through cutting, painting and assembling
• ✅ Explore symbolism and visual representation linked to character
• ✅ Strengthen text-to-self connections through role-play and costume
• ✅ Develop language and writing skills through descriptive tasks
• ✅ Foster engagement with Aboriginal storytelling and themes of Country

What’s Included:

• 2 crown template options featuring Little Bird elements
• Headband strap templates to fit individual head sizes
• Instructions for preparation and classroom use
• Suggestions for decorative materials and classroom display

Materials Needed:

• Printed crown and headband templates (on white or coloured cardstock)
• Scissors and glue or staplers
• Paints, pencils or markers for colouring
• Optional: googly eyes, feathers, leaves, bark, twigs for natural collage

How to Use:

• Print the selected templates (choose from two design options)
• Cut out the crown and headband straps
• Fit the crown to each student’s head and trim the strap as needed
• Paint or colour the template, then glue on feathers, collage pieces or other decorations
• Attach the headband straps to create a wearable crown

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during a shared reading or retelling of Little Bird’s Day
• 💡 Pair with descriptive writing tasks focused on character or setting
• 💡 Create a gallery wall of student crowns to celebrate visual interpretation
• 💡 Use in a class performance or role-play exercise
• 💡 Combine with nature walks to collect natural materials for crown decoration
• 💡 Use in conjunction with the other resources in our Little Bird’s Day Mini Book PACKAGE

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Pre-cut the crown shapes for younger students to support independence
• 💛 Encourage discussion of colour choices and what they represent
• 💛 Play calming music or read the story aloud while students decorate their crowns
• 💛 Take individual or group photos of students wearing their crowns to display or send home
• 💛 Display all finished crowns alongside student reflections or drawings about Little Bird

Little Bird’s Day: Becoming Little Bird Crown Craft offers a creative, hands-on entry point into the themes of identity, perspective and belonging. Whether used during a literacy rotation, as part of a book study, or during NAIDOC Week celebrations, it’s a meaningful way to extend engagement with the story and invite students to fly alongside Little Bird.