The Lion is a Bookworm: Storytime: Apples

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this first week, A is for Apples!

1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)

2) Mystery Box
This week I put in a real apple.

3) Apple Farmer Annie - Monica Wellington

This cute book got us started with what it's like to be an apple farmer. Annie picks her apples and brings them to market, and makes some tasty apple treats too (there were even recipes in the back!)

4) A-P-P-L-E
I got the idea for an apple B-I-N-G-O type song from Falling Flannelboards.

I know a fruit that’s good to eat and apple is its name-o.
A-P-P-L-E, A-P-P-L-E, A-P-P-L-E
And apple is its name-o.

I changed it up just a little bit -- I found I already had a few felt letters, so I made a few more to spell the word apple, which I put on my flannelboard to start. Then the pictures of the apple getting eaten I printed out and put felt on the back. As we sang the song, I put an apple picture over the letter we were removing.

5) Ten Apples Up On Top - Theo LeSieg

I ended up skipping a couple of pages in this one for my younger group. Afterward I had them all stand up and put a fist on their head and ask if they could follow me around the room with one apple on their head. Then two fists for two apples. Then I asked them to pretend they had ten apples on the top of their head. Some of the kids really got into the balancing idea, most didn't get it though...

6) Five Little Apples Flannel
In my filing cabinet I found yet another flannel gem -- a tree and five apples. I came across a rhyme at Storytime Katie and changed the characters to match the animals I could also find in my cabinet...

Five little apples hung in a tree
The farmer wasn’t looking, so guess who came to eat?
A cow! Munch munch munch!

Four little apples hung in a tree
The farmer wasn’t looking, so guess who came to eat?
A horse! Munch munch munch!

Three little apples hung in a tree
The farmer wasn’t looking, so guess who came to eat?
A pig! Munch munch munch!

Two little apples hung in a tree
The farmer wasn’t looking, so guess who came to eat?
A worm! Munch munch munch!

One little apple hung in a tree
The farmer wasn't looking, so guess who came to eat?
A cat! Munch munch munch!

Now the tree is bare, there are no more apples there
But when next fall comes around, guess who’ll be there?
A cow, a horse, a pig, a worm, and a cat!

(Yes I know cats don't eat apples but it's all I could find...)

7) Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple - A.H. Benjamin

This one was probably a little long for a final book. The kids weren't that interested.

8) Song/rhyme cube
I saw the idea for a song cube in a few places, including Mel's Desk. I wanted to include more classic rhymes and kids songs this year, and this was the perfect way to do that. I made mine from a full tissue box, covered in scrapbook paper. Since I had a hard time narrowing down the songs I like to only 6, I made my little pictures removable (stuck on with poster putty).

This week we rolled it twice in each group. I make sure the kids know to not touch it, and just look and tell me what picture they see on the top.

9) A is for Apple coloring page (18-36 mo.) or A apple craft (3-5 yrs)
I'm loving Pinterest for finding kids craft ideas. This A is for apple preschool-age craft came from two different sources: Mamas Like Me and I Can Teach My Child. We didn't use actual apple seeds though, just black dots from a hole-puncher!