30th May Hole in My Bucket Day

On May 30th of each year, National Hole in My Bucket Day is observed in the USA. This wacky holiday is in honour of the fun children's song; There's a Hole in My Bucket. I grew up singing this song on long car trips with my family, but I knew nothing of its origins.  The song originated in Germany in the 1700s. It describes a deadlock situation where the character, Henry, faces problem after problem all due to a hole in his bucket.He attempts to find a solution through his friend Liza’s advice, but he is unsuccessful. 

The lyrics to ‘There’s a Hole In My Bucket’ are a conversation between Henry and Liza. Henry tells Liza about the hole in his bucket and he is advised to fix it using a straw and when each solution initiates a new problem, Liza needs to amend her suggestion. This makes this text a good one for a plot profile using drawing, a role play of the conversation, writing problem/solutions or a hot seat situation where the two characters are interviewed about their motives.

How else could the day be celebrated? Round up some 'bucket' books , put them in a bucket in the reading corner with two puppets...a Henry and a Liza.

You will have no trouble finding the lyrics online, but there are actually picture book versions of the song eg

• There's a Hole in My Bucket  by John Feierabend and Marissa Madonna

• There's a Hole in My Bucket by The Topp Twins and Jenny Cooper

• There's a Hole in My Bucket  by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

• There's a Hole in My Bucket  by Nadine Bernard Westacott 

There are many picture books about 'bucket filling' as teachers often use this metaphor as a means of encouraging children in their class to think about others eg

• How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath

• Fill a Bucket by Carol McLeod

There are books that feature buckets albeit without holes eg

• Billy's Bucket  by Kes Gray and Garry Parsons

• Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds

• A Bucketful of Blessings  by Kabir Sehgal and Jing Jing Tsong

• Bravo, Bucket Head!  by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger

And you might even like to explore the concept of a 'bucket list' which needs no bucket at all eg

• Stay A Girl, A Dog,  a Bucket List by Kate Klise

• Judy Moody and the Bucket List  by Megan McDonald

And two books where buckets feature, but not in the title

• Max Found Two Sticks by Jerry Pinkney

Max doesn't feel like talking but he uses various objects including a bucket as drums.

• Fatou, Fetch the Water by Neil Griffiths and Peggy Collins

The water bucket is empty!  Fatou fetches a fresh supply for a family feast.