Thursday 20 September 2012

"I don't want to go to bed!" by Julie Sykes

"I don't want to go to bed" by Julie Sykes how familiar is that phrase to us parents ! 


This is  the story of a baby tiger who doesn't want to go to sleep. So mummy tiger loses her cool calm exterior ! one night at bed time and says,"  fine stay up all night - see if I care". So baby tiger goes off to play in the dark forest, finding on his way that all his friends have gone to bed... Then he goes home and falls asleep.
"I don't want to go to Bed by Julie Sykes"

This book is incredibly and full of repetition which some parents may find frustrating but really I don't see a problem in this at all. As for young one it helps them with structure and can easily be adapted in activities that they might do at school or even at home.

One such activity that my son did at school can easily be done at home with a little patience and the most basic of drawing skills ! Honest ! Such activities as this will work in harmony with what they are doing at school, What I going to show you is typical of what a year one child might do.  This activity helps children with their writing skills and how to order a story.


"I don't want to go to bed" Writing activity incorporating ordering skills.


When my son did this he was in the lowest ability group I did this work all the time with him at Infant School and Junior school and he is now int the top set in year 9 and predicted an A *. So never despair with the right love, support and understanding anyone can make it.

You could also make your own story sack around this book :


  • I Don't Want To Go To Bed Story and CD
  • Jungle Animal Puppets
  • Materials to Sew Own Pillows - material and stuffing (Use sewing machine)
  • Pillowcases, fabric paint and stampers for decorating
  • Felt jungle animals for sewing onto pillow
  • Lullaby CD
  • Plastic Jungle Animals
  • Paper bags, scissors, construction paper, glue, wool, googly eyes, and pompoms to create paper bag jungle puppets
  • Paper and animal stamps.
  • For the daytime why not use a potato with the animal carved into it ( obviously do this for the child )
Extended Activities:
You can turn it into pyjama party.

You can make your own little play up!

I was inspired by the story sack ideas from here when don't you try some of the others out.
There are so many possibilities to what activities you can do with this story and what you can  put in your story sack you are only limited by your imagination.At the moment this book is super cheap on Amazon at only £3.74 !.


(Disclosure I haven't been ask to write about this as I work in a school I though it would be nice to share my ideas and experiences !)

28 comments:

  1. This is a great article - I will have to look into ways to make bedtime more fun (plus learning). Very informative, thanks

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  2. Sounds like a fab book!


    Would love for you to link it up at my new Empty Your Archive link party which is a chance to dust off great posts from your archive - there is a focus this week on sleep and bedtime - would really love to see you there, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x

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  3. I love Julie Sykes and use her books but don't have any on cd - will look out for those! Thanks for the fab post :)
    @hannahmdy

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  4. Great post! Just off to look for this book now, thank you!

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  5. As a parent you get used to repeating so many things - it's the way kids learn! sounds like a fun book and the activities to go with it too!

    I recently posted: Steak, Leek + Guinness Pie

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  6. We love the book, my wee one is only 4 so reading it is about the only thing we are doing with it at the moment but great ideas!

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  7. Story Sacks are fabulous! I made several for the twins' school last year :)

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  8. "I don't want to go to bed", now that's a phrase I'm tired of hearing! I've never heard of story sacks before but they are a wonderful idea.

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  9. This is a great post and such a wonderful idea too, will definitely be trying this out with my two boys xxx

    Vikki
    Love From Mummy - UK Parenting Lifestyle Blog

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  10. love the extra activity ideas based on the book, a good idea to learn, as well as things to take up some time.

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  11. I loved using story sacks when my boys were small. Also this book is so like Mini!

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  12. I love story sacks and related activities, so much fun bringing the book alive!

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  13. We just read that story the other day! What a coincidence :)
    I love your ideas and activities, I usually read the stories and talks them over, but am too lazy to think of more creative ways to enjoy them.

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  14. My eldest loved this book when he was younger and we have kept it for the twins. There are some great activity ideas to go with the book that I must try and remember for when the twins are a bit older x

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  15. We have this book and its a really lovely one

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  16. This was one of my, now 18 year old faves growing up. I recently bought a new copy to read with Kit and Ozzy and they love it too!

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  17. I think i need to get this book right now. Elle keeps wanting to stay up at night time and i think this sort of book might help her x

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  18. These activities look as though they'd be really beneficial - and fun, too. I'll bear them in mind for when Austin's a wee bit older...

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  19. What great ideas, thanks for sharing. Story sack is such a good idea x

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  20. What a great post Claire. My 3 YO rarely sleeps when she's supposed to - I need this book! Thank you for sharing :)

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  21. I've not heard of this book before but you have some great ideas of how to use it! I will look out for it. Thank you!

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  22. We love this story. I really need to start planning activities focused on our story books. I'm sure Emmy would love it

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  23. I love the ways books provide inspiration for a wealth of activities. My two eldest (6 & 8) are into drawing their own cartoons right now which grew out of story-boarding favourite books.

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  24. I am going to have to hunt this book down - it sounds like a great story and the kids would love the activities

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  25. Thankfully my two have been in a routine since babies and don't question bedtime but I'm sure they will as they become teens haha!

    Some lovely ideas to link in with the book there too x

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  26. We used to love story sacks - our local library has loads of them and hires them out for free x

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  27. I like the idea of Jungle Animal Puppets - all I need to do now it to find some inspiration and templates on how to create them

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  28. I've never heard of that book before, sounds like it would be really good for kids that hate bedtime though! Some great ideas to go with it too :)

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