Your Grand  Ideas for
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

(I don't know why she swallowed that fly)

(this is just a beginning)

I have seen a teacher take a kitchen apron and add a clear pocket to it and then created each of the animals. Then she got an old wig and glasses. Would be great to tell the story with the apron and then have the kids use the ziplock bag someone mentioned and make their own lady. Becky Settlemoir

Somewhere on the net there was some sort of diary council site where they had an imitation of the story to use with teaching  food groups. Their version was The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Cheeseburger or something similar to that. Unfortunately I don't have it any longer and can't find it. Maybe someone else could help?

There are a couple of other versions...The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie and The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout. We have a puppet in our media center with a clear pouch under her apron so you can see what she swallowed. It came with little felt animals. Barb

How about having the kids rewrite the story, using different things or animals.  They could substitute food items, clothing, or any nouns that are part of a unit of study such as plant parts, for instance.  At the end, instead of dying, she could "turn into" a plant.

I like the idea of using something like this for a sub day!  Do you mind if I borrow your idea?  Anne - 1st – Seattle

 I did this with a story about a little old lady who ate too much.  To make the pocket, I bought the clear acetate stuff in the fabric department at Wal-Mart.   This also makes a darling guessing jar-the students can guess how many ____ the teacher has on. Elizabeth

As you read the story, let the children join in on the repetitive phrases with props.
Have the children act like flies when they leave circle to go to their various activities.
Talk about the similarities and differences between the animals/insects.   Have the children classify the pictures (insects vs. animals, walk on the ground vs. fly in the air, by number of legs, etc.)   
Eat a spider snack (oreo cookie with licorice legs, muffin decorated as a spider, etc. Have children create their own, "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a . . . " book. 
Capture a fly in a jar.  Give it some air and some items necessary for its survival.  Let the children observe the fly for a while.  At the end of the observation, release the fly again. Talk about how the fly moves, what it does, etc.
Check out-- I just purchased the most wonderful "old Lady..." doll/puppet at a conference I presented at this past week. She costs $25.99, and is well worth the cost. She has all the things she swallows and has a wide open mouth and ample "belly" to hold them all! I have been meaning to make one for years, and never got around to it, so when I saw this, I had to buy her! She can be purchased through:

Tout About Toys
551 Foster City Blvd. Ste 1
Foster City CA 94404-1523
(800) 508-1523  From: A & E Van Hoffen

In a small container place several miniature animals from the story. Have a child reach in and (by touching) describe the animal. Let the others guess which one it was. (horses, spiders, cow, dog etc.)

Think of O words. Use the activity for handwriting practice. old, orange, octopus, oval.....

As the Old Lady eats the various creatures  use tally marks to keep track of how many she has eaten.

Make up math problems about what the Old Lady ate.

Give each student a paper plate and have them draw what they have eaten so far today.

Discuss the food chain. What animal might eat the fly, the spider.

Make spiders and flies to eat.. You could use black or brown gum drops, licorice  or make sugar cookies with animal shapes.