Storytime: S is for Squirrel, T is for Tree

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. I'm needing to double up a few letters so we finish by a certain date... so S is for Squirrel while T is for Tree!

Last week's storytime had almost double the number of kids because it was a snow day for the older siblings. This week was also a snow day, but I had NO ONE show up. Ok, one toddler came for my early class, but her dad told me to not do it just for her. The weather was definitely worse this week than last, but I was still disappointed. So this is the storytime plan I would have used if anyone had come. I need to finish my season by a certain date, so rather than putting this plan off until next week, unfortunately I'm going to just skip it (but that just means I can easily use it in its entirety sometime next year! :) SO all of that to say, I don't have any input on how kids liked or didn't like these things like I usually do...


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.

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 a few fake green leaves in the box along with a little squirrel finger puppet.


3) Ol' Mama Squirrel - David Ezra Stein

4) Five Little Acorns Flannel

Katie has some fun squirrel and acorn flannel rhymes, as does Silly Librarian. I had a hard time choosing which to use. I ended up going with:

Down around the corner in the big oak tree 
Hung five little acorns looking so yummy 
Along came a squirrel with a big bushy tail. 
He took one acorn and ran off down the trail.
etc...

I had a big tree flannel from my apples storytime, and made five acorns to fit on it. I was planning to use my little squirrel finger puppet (from the Mystery Box) to sneak up and take the acorns.

5) Apartment House Tree - Bette Killion

This book bridged the gap between S is for Squirrel and T is for Tree really well. It describes all the different creatures who can live in the same tree, starting with a squirrel.


6) Little Squirrel Song
I had first seen the "Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel" song on Miss Tara's blog (and here's a YouTube link). Since I don't have the pom poms but liked the song, my plan was to give the kids colored scarves and sing about different colors instead. And to have everyone participate for the first and last verses, I changed the "grey" squirrel to a "little" squirrel.

Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail 
Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail 
Hold a nut between your toes, wrinkle up your little nose 
Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail

Red squirrel, red squirrel, swish your bushy tail...


7) Frisky Brisky Hippity Hop - Susan Lurie and Murray Head

This is a super cute book with real photos of squirrels and an easy rhyme. I think the kids would have really enjoyed it.


8) Parachute play
I was planning to put the little squirrel finger puppet in the parachute for the kid to bounce around. Kinda goes with the hippity hop book we'd just read.


9) S is for Squirrel and T is for Tree craft
A combination of this squirrel and this tree created my craft.

My 3.5-year-old daughter's version

Other squirrel & tree ideas:
Nuts to You - Lois Ehlert
Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri (I probably would have used this one if it was currently fall)
Scaredy Squirrel - Melanie Watt
What Will it Rain? flannel and squirrel coffee ground craft

Storytime: R is for Red (Valentine's Day!)

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. Since the letter R fell right on Valentine's Day, R is for Red! (which was really just a way to let me read V-day books :)

I ended up having only one toddler come for my 10:00 class, and they decided to just stay for the 11:00 preschool class since I generally use the same books anyway. It was also a day off school for the older siblings (a pre-scheduled mid-winter break... even though they've already had 13 snow days...) so my 11:00 class was busy!


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.

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 a bunch of red things in the box, like an egg shaker, scarf, and flannel piece. I sat the kids back down and asked them what else they knew that was red. I was going to bring in a big piece of posterboard and list the things they said, but forgot to grab it, so we just talked about it instead.


3) Little Mouse's Big Valentine - Thacher Hurd

Little Mouse got out a bucket of red paint... so this was a great start to our storytime! The kids liked how it ended, and it led really well into our next little story.


4) Squirrel Gives Her Heart - paper cutting story
I simply used a piece of red construction paper for this story. I really tried to play it up that there was NO way the one heart would be big enough to give a Valentine to all of squirrel's friends!! When I started cutting, I could see smiles on the adults' faces as they realized what was happening, and the kids lit up when I showed them all five hearts.


5) Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine - Sarah Weeks

I lucked out -- I was really hoping to use this book but it was checked out during all of my planning. BUT someone returned it the day before my storytime! Yay! Coming out of the paper cutting story above, where all of squirrel's friends got the Valentine that was just the right size for them, this little book was fun. I pointed out the rhyming, and had the kids guess the answer before opening the flap. Because there were school-age kids there, they got all of the answers easily (except the clam. No one guessed the clam!).


6) Flannel - Red Heart Red Heart
Brooke gave me the idea for this one, I cut out 8 different colored felt hearts and handed them out to the young kids. I kept the red one and started it, then called the kids up in order. Some of the older kids were disappointed they didn't get to participate, but I told them they could do it later. And guess what? While the little ones were doing their craft, the four big kids politely asked if they could do the heart story, and I could hear them reciting it as they put the colored hearts up on the board themselves! So fun!

Red heart, red heart, what do you see? I see an orange heart looking at me!
Orange heart... etc... 
White heart, white heart, what do you see? I see a whole bunch of children looking at me!
Children, children, what do you see? We see a red heart, an orange heart... looking at us! That's what we see!


7) Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day is Cool - Kimberly and James Dean

I just couldn't pass up the chance to use the new Pete the Cat book! My kids looooove Pete, and the older ones do too! Plus it fit great with the mini-theme we had going of choosing valentines that are just right for the people receiving them. This book came with stickers that I gave to the kids while they were doing their craft.


8) R is for Red craft
I cut large letter R's from red construction paper, found some little pieces of red yarn, red pom poms, and stickers of red things, and let the kids go to town. I asked them to first try and use their glue to "trace" the letter R (trying to get some of that skill practice in), then stick their red things in the glue.

9) Valentines Day cards
When they were finished, I had another table set up with colored paper, Valentine's Day stickers, foam letters, scissors, glue... for any of the kids, young and old, to make Valentines. It was a very crafty day. :)

Oh, and can I just share how much I love these kids and my job??? :)

Other red/Valentines ideas:
Mouse's First Valentine - Lauren Thompson - I would have used this as my opening book with my toddler group if anyone had come...
Sweet Hearts - Jan Carr
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear - Don & Audrey Wood
Mary Wore Her Red Dress - Merle Peek
Red is Best - Kathy Stinson

Storytime: P is for Prince & Princess, Q is for Queen

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)
Time: 30 minutes plus craft

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. I'm needing to double up a few weeks so that we finish when we're supposed to... This week, P is for Prince & Princess and Q is for Queen!


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 brought one of my daughter's play crowns to put in the box. The kids identified it right away, and I asked them "who wears a crown??"


3) Over at the Castle - Boni Ashburn

This was a great book to introduce the kids to lots of aspects of castle life. I was wondering what the dragons were up to... and was pleasantly surprised at the end. :)


4) There's a Castle in the Middle of the Moat

I found this awesome flannel at Mel's Desk. It was great that the book we just read showed the moat around the castle, so I could explain what a "moat" is before we sang! I used a moat, castle in the moat, throne in the castle, princess on the throne, prince by the princess, crown on the prince, jewel on the crown. For the toddler group I just put the pieces up (we had only two kids), and for the preschoolers I let them have a piece (we had five kids). Both groups loved remembering what each thing was -- I'd sing most of the verse myself, then sing "there's a ____ (pointing at the prince, waiting till they said it) by the _____ (princess)" etc.


5) Queen's Feet - Sarah Ellis

I pointed out the "Q" in queen, since we're doing that letter today too. This book led great into our next song.


6) Song – We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner
"Where are your feet? Can your feet do crazy things too? Like march like a dinosaur??"


7) Not All Princesses Dress in Pink - Jane Yolen

I wanted to make sure I had a princess book that wasn't too girly, so our boys wouldn't feel left out... I shouldn't have worried, in my toddler group I only had girls!


8) The Famous Prince of York
I tweaked the "Grand Old Duke of York" song to fit our theme. We started by marching in place, then whenever we said up we reached up high with our arms, and whenever we said down we touched the floor. With the preschoolers I did this four times -- normal, really slow, kind of fast, really really fast!

The famous Prince of York, he had ten thousand men 
He marched them UP to the top of the hill 
And he marched them DOWN again 
And when they were UP, they were UP! 
And when they were DOWN, they were DOWN! 
And when they were only halfway up, 
They were neither UP nor DOWN!


9) The Prince Won't Go to Bed - Dayle Ann Dodds

"That song was about a prince, so let's read a book about a prince too..." I used a lot of dynamics with the repeated parts of this one, reading quietly when the prince went to bed, then crying waa waa waa really loudly. The kids giggled a lot.


10) P & Q coloring page (18-36 months) or P & Q craft (3-5 yrs)
This was a pretty easy craft to come up with, a friend of mine did this queen Q with her daughter awhile ago. Just paper, gluesticks, and sequins. I would have loved to use those stick-on jewels, but I was sick earlier in the week and didn't have the chance to hunt for some at a store. I found a package of sequins in my cabinet instead.

Other prince/princess/queen ideas:
The Queen of Hearts - paper plate cutting story from Cut & Tell: Scissor Stories for Winter by Jean Warren
The Knight and the Dragon - Tomie DePaola
Princess Baby - Karen Katz
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub - Don & Audrey Wood
One Monday Morning - Uri Shulevitz
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots - Carmela Coyle
The End - David LaRochelle

Bulletin Board: Winter Olympics

I have loved watching the Olympics since I was a kid. My favorite sports to watch were always gymnastics in the summer and figure skating in the winter. I did an Olympic-themed storytime with my toddler and preschool groups, and was needing something new for one of my bulletin boards.

 

The colorful schedule of events below the dates is a screenshot of this page from the Sochi website (it could very well have changed from what I have by the time you click over to it). I took a piece of posterboard and dangled a pen next to it and asked people to write down their favorite Winter Olympic sport.

The medal count page and the Olympic event art pages came from an amazing, 100+ page packet of activities from the Enchanted Homeschooling Mom. I'm tellin ya, if you have kids, whether they're homeschooled or not, K-6th grade, check out this packet! I wish my own kids were older so we could use it!!

So... what is YOUR favorite Olympic sport to watch?? :)

Storytime: O is for Olympics

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)
Time: 30 minutes + craft

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. Since the Winter Olympics are starting very soon, I thought it would be a great chance to use something different for the letter O!


1) Mystery Box
This week I skipped my opening "These Are My Glasses" song and jumped right into our topic. I had printed a picture of the Olympic rings that I put in the box. A couple kids did call them "rings". I pointed out how they were shaped like letter O's.


2) Explaining the Olympics
I tried to keep things really simple about what the Olympics are, since the majority of them had no clue what we were talking about. Come to think of it, the kids in my younger class would have barely been born when the last Olympics were (Summer 2012 - I remember watching the Olympics in the hospital when I was in labor! :) and of course the last Winter Olympics were four years ago...

So here is how I described the Olympics:

• Lots of people from all around the world get together in one place and play a bunch of different games and sports. What do you like to do in the snow? Some of the Winter Olympic games are skating, skiing, and "sledding". 
• There are also Summer Games at a different time of the year (lots of the kids told me sports they like to play that aren't winter ones)
• This symbol (the rings) is on flags and posters and all over when it's time for the Olympics! It represents the different people and different countries and different colors of flags of the people who compete in the games.
• At the beginning of every Olympics, all the people who will be playing the games get to march around, waving flags. One person also marches in with a torch.

3) Marching
I had bandannas in the five Olympics colors that I handed out to the kids. Then I played The Olympic Anthem "Bugler's Dream" from YouTube on my iPad, and we marched around the room while I carried the torch (that I had personally gotten for another event I was involved in about three years ago, from ebay!).

4) Tacky and the Winter Games - Helen Lester

I figured I would only have time for one full book, and while I had a few other options (see below), this one was completely about winter sports. I paperclipped out one of the penguins' events in the middle for my younger group to shorten it a little. When we got to the end, a kid asked "what's a baton?" Oops I guess I should have explained that while I was reading...


5) Snowball ring toss
I had some foam rings from my donut storytime, including the five Olympic colors. So I arranged them like the rings, put a masking tape line on the floor, and gave the kids snowballs crumpled white paper. Then I counted to three and had the kids throw their snowballs at the rings. They ran and picked them up, then got back behind the line and we did it two more times. The littlest ones had a hard time staying behind the line and waiting to throw, but it was really fun. Lots of the parents were taking pictures.

(sorry about the poor photo quality. my phone sucks at indoor pics.)

6) Winter Olympic Sports: Figure Skating - Joseph Gustaitis

With this book I just read the first bit of info on the page and elaborated the pictures -- "The best jumper often wins the competition... Sometimes girls skate alone... Sometimes boys skate alone... Sometimes boys and girls skate together...." I skipped probably half the book, but I just wanted to show some photos of Olympic skating, and it led into our next activity...


7) "Ice" skating
I've seen this idea in a number of places, including I Can Teach My Child (by the way, that there is a great link for lots of other Olympic activities if you want to do more!). I took wax paper, wrapped a piece around each kids' shoes, and masking taped it on. Then they skated around the room! Some of the older kids tried doing spins and jumps like the real Olympic skaters. A number of kids fell, but they all laughed and kept going!

8) Parachute play
Once everyone's skates starting ripping and falling off, they helped me clean up and I got out the parachute. I explained how some Olympic sports are for people competing all by themselves (like most of figure skating), but there are also sports where people work as a team. So we tried to work together to bounce our "snowballs" (from the ring toss above) on the parachute. Of course they keep flying all over the place, but that's part of the fun of the parachute. :)


9) O is for Olympics coloring page (18-36 months) or O is for Olympics craft (3-5 years)
This craft came completely from I Can Teach My Child. Super easy. And actually in the older class we did the craft before the parachute, so it would have some extra time to dry. But most just left their page in the room anyway to dry while they went to look at books.

Other Olympics books:
G is for Gold Medal - Brad Herzog (I probably would have chosen this one over Tacky except that it has a lot of Summer Olympics stuff, and I didn't want to confuse the kids right now)
Elympics - X.J. Kennedy - I could have used the winter sports poems from here, but our storytime was already so full
Olympig! - Victoria Jamieson
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee - Chris VanDusen
Koala Lou - Mem Fox
How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals - Michael Phelps
The Story of the Olympics - Minna Lacey (this one is way too long for storytime, but has a lot of great information for kids who want to learn about the history of the Olympics!)


I also created a bulletin board about the upcoming Olympics in Sochi!