🐿️ Sammy the Squirrel Who Prepared for Winter

Theme: Planning Ahead & Working Hard
Age Range: Preschool–Early Elementary
Core Idea: Learn from Sammy the Squirrel how preparing today helps us tomorrow.

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📖 The Story of Sammy the Squirrel

Once upon a time, in a big oak tree at the edge of the forest, lived a little squirrel named Sammy. Sammy was smart, energetic, and always on the move.

Every morning in the fall, when the air grew crisp and the leaves tumbled down in shades of gold and red, Sammy set out with one goal: gathering acorns for the winter.

Sammy would scurry across the forest floor, dig under the leaves, and carefully carry each shiny brown acorn back to his tree. He piled them up in a snug little storage nook he had built inside his hollow trunk.

But Sammy wasn’t alone in the forest. Two other squirrels, Benny and Lulu, often sat high on the branches watching him.

“Sammy, why do you work so hard every day?” Benny teased. “Winter is so far away! There’s still plenty of time!”

“Yes!” laughed Lulu, lounging on a branch with her tail curled around her. “Come play with us! Stop running around with those silly acorns. You’re missing all the fun!”

Sammy paused to catch his breath, clutching an acorn in his tiny paws. He looked up at them and said,
“I know winter feels far away, but the snow will come before we know it. If we don’t prepare now, we won’t have enough to eat later. I’d rather work today and rest when the cold winds blow.”

Benny and Lulu just giggled and chased each other around the tree while Sammy kept on working.

Day after day, the same thing happened. Sammy gathered and stored acorns, while Benny and Lulu laughed and played. They thought Sammy was being too serious, too busy, and even a little silly.

But then… the first snow fell. ❄️

At first, it was beautiful — soft flakes drifting through the trees. But soon the forest grew quiet and cold. The ground turned white, the branches grew bare, and the acorns were buried under thick layers of snow.

Sammy curled up in his cozy tree hollow, surrounded by neat piles of acorns. He felt safe, warm, and grateful that he had worked so hard in the fall.

Meanwhile, Benny and Lulu were not laughing anymore. Their bellies growled with hunger, and their paws shivered in the cold. They hadn’t gathered enough food to last through the winter.

One frosty morning, they knocked on Sammy’s tree.
“Sammy,” Lulu said softly, “we were wrong. We should have prepared like you did. Now we’re cold and hungry. Will you help us?”

Sammy thought for a moment. He remembered how they had laughed at him, how they had called him silly. But Sammy’s heart was kind.

“Yes,” Sammy said, pushing a pile of acorns toward them. “I will share what I have. Next time, though, you should start preparing early too. Working hard today makes tomorrow easier.”

Benny and Lulu’s eyes filled with relief and gratitude. “Thank you, Sammy. We’ve learned our lesson. We won’t laugh at you again — next fall, we’ll gather acorns too.”

So the three squirrels spent the rest of the winter together, safe and warm in Sammy’s hollow tree, sharing acorns, telling stories, and waiting for spring.

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🌟 Moral of the Story

It’s wise to prepare and work hard before the hard times come. Planning ahead doesn’t just help us — it can also help us care for others.

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🎶 Song: “Pick, Pick, Pick Acorns”

(Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

🎵
Pick, Pick, Pick acorns,
One by one each day.
Winter’s coming, snow will fall,
The food is stored away.
🎵

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✍️ Poem: “Sammy’s Lesson”

Sammy worked while leaves blew down,
Gathering acorns all around.
His friends just laughed, they played instead,
But Sammy thought ahead.

When winter came with icy cold,
Sammy’s work was worth pure gold.
He shared his food, he shared his cheer,
Prepared hearts help each year.

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🎨 Craft: “Sammy’s Acorn Stash”

• Materials: Construction paper, glue, scissors, crayons.

• Kids cut out or color acorn shapes. On each acorn, they write or draw one way they can “prepare.”

• Glue the acorns onto a paper tree or basket labeled “Sammy’s Stash.”

 

🎨 Sammy’s Acorn Stash Craft

Materials Needed:

• Construction Paper-Brown, Pink, Tan, Dark Brown
  

• Scissors ✂️

• Glue stick or school glue

• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

• Acorns (real or fake)

 

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🍎 Snack Idea: “Sammy's Trail Mix Cups”

Give each child a small cup of trail mix (or nut-free mix like Cheerios, raisins, pretzels). Explain: “Sammy the Squirrel gathers lots of little snacks for later — just like this mix has many small pieces.”

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🎲 Game: “Acorn Hunt”

Hide paper or plastic acorns around the room. Kids collect them in baskets or cups. Afterward, talk about how planning and effort helped them gather their stash.

🐿️ “Sammy the Squirrel” Fingerplay Rhyme

(Do actions with the rhyme — toddlers will copy you!)

Sammy the squirrel ran all around,
(run fingers quickly across the table or in the air)

Picking up acorns off the ground.
(bend down, pretend to pick up acorns)

He carried them home, one by one,
(pretend to carry acorns and drop them in a pile)

Working hard until he was done.
(wipe forehead like “phew”)

Winter came with snow so deep,
(wiggle fingers down like falling snow)

Sammy was cozy, fast asleep.
(rest cheek on hands like sleeping)

Benny and Lulu came to say,
(knock on the air like knocking on a door)

“Sammy, can you help us today?”
(hands out, asking)

Sammy shared, he was so kind,
(pretend to hand out acorns with both hands)

Prepared and ready, peace of mind.
(hands together on chest with a big smile)

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💬 Let’s Talk About It (Toddler Version)

• What do squirrels like to eat?

• What was Sammy putting in his tree?

• What did Benny and Lulu do while Sammy was working?

• What happened when it got cold and snowy?

• Was Sammy kind when he shared his acorns?

• How can you help at home like Sammy did?

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🏡 Parent Resource Tips

Encourage parents to connect the lesson at home:

• Practical Prep: Let your child help prepare tomorrow’s lunch or set out clothes. Say, “We’re planning ahead like Sammy!”

• Chore Prep: Involve them in small household tasks (sorting laundry, setting the table).

• Nature Walk: Go outside and look for real squirrels gathering food. Talk about why animals prepare.

• Reflection Time: Ask, “What is one way you worked hard today?” Write it down on a paper acorn and keep them in a “Family Acorn Jar.”

 

💛 Adaptive Learning: How Everyone Can Join In

Every child can enjoy the Sammy the Squirrel Who Prepared for Winter Lesson in their own special way!

• Story: Children can listen and join in by making squirrel sounds (“chatter-chatter!”) or saying “brrrr!” when the cold winter wind comes.

• Craft (Sammy’s Acorn Stash): A helper can glue acorns or paper cutouts where the child points with their eyes or directs with words. The child can choose crayon colors for Sammy’s acorn.

• Snack (Trail Mix Cups): The child can select what goes into their snack (Cheerios, raisins, pretzels, etc.) by saying, nodding, or looking toward the item, while a peer or adult scoops it for them.

• Activity (Acorn Hunt): Instead of physically searching, the child can be the “caller” who tells others where to look (“under the chair!” or “by the box!”).

• 🐿️ Adaptive Participation for the Acorn Hunt

  • Helper Buddy Hunt: A teacher, aide, or peer can gently push the child around the room in a wheelchair or supportive seat so they can be part of the movement and excitement. When they spot an acorn, they can call out “There’s one!” and a helper can pick it up for their basket.

  • Eye Pointing or Voice Directions: Place several acorns in plain sight at different spots. The child can use their eyes or voice to signal which one to get, and their buddy retrieves it. This way, they are the leader.

  • Switch-Activated Participation: If the child has an adaptive switch or button, you could make a simple “Go!” signal. When they press it, their partner runs to grab an acorn. They get to control the pace of the game.

  • Lap Basket: If in a wheelchair, a small basket or bowl can be placed on their lap. As acorns are found, helpers place them in the basket so they can feel like their stash is growing.

  • Group Gather Style: Instead of hiding all acorns individually, place some on a tray or shallow bin on their lap. As other kids bring their acorns, this child gets to be the “Keeper of the Acorn Stash” — the one who guards and counts them as they’re added.

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  ✨ This way, the Acorn Hunt is not something they miss, but something they’re central to — either as the one being moved through the patch, the one directing where others find acorns, or the one who keeps and counts the collection.

• Game (Squirrel Gathering Leaves): The child can cheer on friends or call out leaf colors as they’re picked up, so they’re part of the action.

• Coloring Page: A buddy can color alongside, while the child directs which parts should be which colors.

✨ Just like Sammy the Squirrel, every child can help prepare for winter in their own way — through choices, voices, and shared laughter that make them an important part of the group.