Tiny Little Fly Book Activities for Kids

📝 This post, Tiny Little Fly Book Activities for Kids, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Michael Rosen’s Tiny Little Fly has been a favorite in our house for years. My youngest first fell in love with it as a preschooler, and like so many favorite books, it eventually found its way back onto our bookshelf. When it was his turn to be the “Shining Star” in preschool, he knew exactly which book he wanted to share with his classmates.

That gave us the perfect excuse to revisit one of our favorite stories—and make a Tiny Little Fly for every child in his class to take home!

Whether you’re reading this delightful book at home or in the classroom, here are a few fun ways to bring the story to life.

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About Tiny Little Fly

Michael Rosen has written some of our family’s favorite children’s books, including We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. A few years ago, we discovered this gem —and it quickly became one of our favorites.

My oh my,
Tiny Little Fly!
Tiny Little Fly
Sees great big toes…
Tiny Little Fly
Sits on Elephant’s nose.

The story follows Tiny Little Fly as he stirs up all kinds of trouble among the animals.

First, he lands on Elephant’s nose. Elephant declares, “I’m going to catch that fly!” and stomps after him with a loud “TRAMP! CRUSH! TRAMP!” But off flies the fly.

Next, Tiny Little Fly lands on Hippo’s ear. Hippo rolls and squashes with a great big “ROLL! SQUASH! ROLL!” but still can’t catch him.

Then the fly lands on Tiger’s paw. Tiger swoops and snatches, but Tiny Little Fly escapes once again before happily flying away saying,

“See you all soon. Bye, everyone, bye!”

The illustrations by Kevin Waldron are simple, expressive, and full of movement. Combined with Michael Rosen’s predictable rhyming text and playful sound effects, they make this a wonderful read-aloud that children quickly begin joining in with.

Why Kids Love This Book

There are so many reasons this book is a hit with young readers.

• Predictable rhyming text
• Repeated phrases children quickly learn
• Fun sound effects to read aloud
• Opportunities to predict what happens next
• Wonderful discussions about the different animals
• Plenty of movement and dramatic expression while reading

It’s one of those books that somehow gets even better with every reading.

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Make Your Own Tiny Little Fly

After reading the story a few times, I surprised my son with our own Tiny Little Fly.

I placed it in his waiting hands where he held it ever so carefully, brought it right up to his face, and whispered,

“I love you, Little Fly.”

💚 Cue the melting mama heart.

Then we read the story all over again. This time Tiny Little Fly landed on Elephant’s nose, Hippo’s ear, Tiger’s paw, and finally flew right off the page before landing on my son’s head, nose, knees, and toes. It made an already wonderful book even more interactive.

Materials

✔️ Sparkly pom poms

✔️ Two googly eyes

✔️ Plastic lid (for the wings)

✔️Hot glue gun

Directions

While the glue gun heats up, cut two tiny wings from the plastic lid.

Hot glue the wings and googly eyes onto the pom pom.

That’s it! Simple to make, inexpensive, and absolutely adorable.

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Sharing Tiny Little Fly at Preschool

When my son chose this book for his preschool Shining Star Week, we decided to make a Tiny Little Fly for every child in his class to take home.

Thankfully we already had all the supplies on hand, so it was simply a matter of putting them together.

Of course, tossing twenty little flies into his backpack didn’t seem quite right! Instead, I designed a simple label and packaged each fly in its own zip-top bag.

The following week I visited his classroom to read the story, and every child received their very own Tiny Little Fly to take home.

It was such a fun way to extend the story beyond read-aloud time, and I loved seeing the excitement on the children’s faces as they carefully carried their little flies home.

💚 Grab the FREE Your Very Own Tiny Little Fly Gift Labels here.

Wrapping Up

One of my favorite things about picture books is finding simple ways to bring the stories to life. Whether you’re reading Tiny Little Fly at home or sharing it with your class, this little craft makes the story even more memorable.

I hope these activities inspire you to create a few special memories of your own.

💚 What’s your favorite Michael Rosen book? Share in the comments!