Henny Penny
When an acorn falls on Henny-Penny's head, she assumes the sky must be falling!
When an acorn falls on Henny-Penny's head, she assumes the sky must be falling!
This classic silly story for children begins with a bump on the head and a big misunderstanding! When Henny-Penny thinks the sky is falling, she rushes to tell the king, gathering a line of animal friends along the way.
About this story
Based on
Traditional English folktale Henny Penny (also known as Chicken Little)
Ages
3-8
Themes
thinking before acting, peer influence, staying safe, making better choices next time
Story type
audio folktale for kids
Big Ideas in this story
- How rumors can spread quickly
- Thinking carefully before acting
- The importance of staying calm in times of uncertainty
Core early learning skills
- Sequencing: Remembering the order in which each animal joins the journey
- Social-emotional learning (SEL): feelings like fear and worry
- Predicting outcomes: Guessing what might happen next as new characters appear
- Oral language development: Hearing and repeating rhythmic phrases and character names
Talk & explore together
Try these conversation starters
- Have you ever believed something that turned out to be not true?
- What makes someone trustworthy?
Activities
- Make Your Own Ending: Draw or tell what might happen if the animals made a different choice.
- Stay Calm Practice: Place your hands on your belly. Take a slow breath in and feel your belly get big like a puffed-up chicken. Breathe out slowly and feel your belly get small again. Repeat several times.