Month: August 2011

Flannel Friday: Toolbox

Originally, I found this flannelboard on Pinterest, which I am fast becoming majorly addicted to. However, the original templates were from Serving Pink Lemonade; toolbox here and tools here.

Here’s my rendition:

Pretty much just copied this from the template. I did wind up using felt letters stickers for the lettering though. Michaels now has stickers in felt, which makes my life way easier!

I have a plan to use this flannel as a conversation starter and matching game. I do need to create a piece of wood for the saw, if I do use it as a matching game. [Edited: In the new picture, you can see my piece of wood that looks like bacon.] I think that the kids will probably really enjoy this, and I certainly enjoyed making it.

August 26, 2011 10 Comments Short URLFlannels

Flannel Friday: Ouch

It’s another inspired by Flannel Friday post today. This time, I took a page out of Cate at Storytiming’s book and recreated her version of “Ouch.”

I am particularly in love with the adorable hedgehog and his home.

And I am also partial to raccoon. As for the goat in the story, I am planning on using a goat puppet to eat the flannel pieces off of hedgehog. I am trying to use more interactive flannels this fall, and this one was just perfect for a “fall animals” theme.

Tracey has today’s round-up; check her blog for more info later on!

August 19, 2011 13 Comments Short URLFlannels

ALSC: Summer Reading for Pre-Readers

newalscblog

While summer is already winding down for this year, I’m already thinking about what I can do for pre-readers in Summer Reading *next* year. Join me over at the ALSC blog as I brainstorm!

August 13, 2011 0 Comments Short URLALSC Post

Flannel Friday: Family Knock Knock

Inspired by Katie at Story Time Secrets, I made my own set of family members to do the “Knock Knock” flannel she showed us here. (I used the clipart that Katie linked from Kizclub.)

The story goes as such:

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Grandma Jennie.
All the other relatives show up and then:
Knock, knock
Who’s there?
Pizza! Party!

I’m sure the kids will be tickled pink. I hope the appreciate the little details in this board though.


Shoelaces! I sewed this week.


And painted ducks.


And managed to bend a paperclip to make Grandma’s glasses!

I’m super excited to use this board in storytime this fall and even more excited to be back doing some Flannel Friday posts! Cate is hosting this week, so be sure to stop by for the round-up!

August 12, 2011 5 Comments Short URLFlannels

Ocean!

A few weeks ago, I did the ocean as my storytime theme because I was clearly missing it from last summer where I did nothing but water themed storytimes!

The Plan

Books

Big Fish, Little Fish by Ed Heck
Fish Swish Splash Dash by Suse MacDonald
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Rub-a-Dub-Sub by Linda Ashman

Extension Activities

Action Rhyme: “I’m a Little Octopus”
Arm #1 goes swish, swish, swish (swing arms back and forth)
Arm #2 helps me catch fish (wiggle hand back and forth)
Arm #3 pats my head (pat hand on head)
Arm #4 makes sure I’m fed (put hand to mouth)
Arm #5 swims me to shore (move arms in swimming motion)
Arm #6 touches the ocean floor (touch hand to floor)
Arm #7 can grab and tug (open and close hands)
But all eight arms give me a hug! (cross arms and hug yourself)
Credit: Pubyac (Library listserv)

Action Rhyme: “Mr. Lobster and Mrs. Crab”
Mr. Lobster and Mrs. Crab pinch and snap all day
Mr. Lobster and Mrs. Crab pinch and snap all day
With a pinch, pinch here and a snap, snap there
Here a pinch, there a snap, everywhere a pinch, snap
Mr. Lobster and Mrs. Crab pinch and snap all day.
Credit: Everything Preschool

Song & Puppet: “Did You Ever See a Fishy?”
Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way, and that way and this way?
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that?
Credit: Childhood

Song: “One, Two, Three, Four, Five”
One, two, three, four, five, (hold up fingers one by one, while counting)
Once I caught a fish alive. (put hands together and wiggle like a fish)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, (hold up fingers one by one, while counting)
Then I threw it back again. (make throwing motion)
Why did you let it go? (hold hands out asking why)
Because it bit my finger so. (shake hand, as if hurt)
Which finger did it bite? (hold hands out asking why)
This little finger on my right. (wiggle pinky finger)
Credit: Childhood

Flannelboard: “Five Little Ocean Friends”
Five little ocean friends on the ocean floor,
The starfish walks away and now there are four
Four little ocean friends living in the sea
The crab slides away now there are three
Three little ocean friends looking for a clue
“Glub, glub,” said the lobster now there are two
Two little ocean friends not having much fun
Off swam the sea horse now there is one
One little octopus sad and all alone
Back swims the starfish, back swims the crab,
Back swims the lobster, back swims the sea horse
And they played in the sea foam, safe in their home.
Credit: Beach Fingerplays from Carroll County Public Library

Craft

On Thursday, we made a paper plate fish that I got from KidsSoup for the Thursday group. For the Friday group, I redid a craft from last summer: Aquariums.

How It Went

Thursday morning
I had a pretty nice sized storytime crowd this morning; 16 kids — which is a perfect amount if you ask me. Everyone had a great time, but my absolute favorite part was when we read “Big Fish, Little Fish.” I have the kids read with me, identifying Big Fish and Little Fish. One of my little girls turned to her mom and said, “I did storytime all by myself!” So cute! The favorite book of this morning, though, was definitely “Hooray for Fish.”

Friday morning
Another pretty packed daycare storytime, with three daycares attending again. This group really enjoyed the “One, Two, Three, Four, Five” song and we sang through it several times at their request. Their favorite book was “I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean,” which we re-told as a flannelboard once I finished the book.

August 10, 2011 14 Comments Short URL, Family Storytime

Birthdays!

The Plan

Books

A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas
The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli
Don’t Spill the Beans! by Ian Schoenherr
Magic Box by Katie Cleminson
The Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle

Extension Activities

Action Rhyme: “A Birthday”
Today is everyone’s birthday
Let’s make us a cake (form cake with hands)
Mix and stir, stir and mix (stir)
Then into the oven to bake (push hands out)
Here’s our cake so nice and round (make a circle)
We frost it pink and white (spread frosting)
We put five candles on it (hold up hand)
To make a birthday bright!
Credit: Addison Public Library

Action Rhyme: “Birthday Months”
If your birthday is in January, turn around
If your birthday is in February, touch the ground
(March, march along; April, sing a song; May, wiggle your nose; June, shake your toes; July, jump up high; August, reach the sky; September, tap your shoe; October, call out “Boo!”; November, tickle your ears; December, give three cheers)
Credit: Addison Public Library

Song: “Happy Birthday” (English & Spanish)

Flannel: Five Candles
Five candles on a birthday cake
Five, and not one more
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves four!
(There for all to see / three; Standing straight and true / two; Helping us have fun / one; We know its task is done / none)
Credit: Addison Public Library

Craft

Birthday party hats; purchased from Oriental Trading. These were self-stick, so all the kids had to do was color and their parents had to attach the string for the most part. (Looping the string through the hole, catching with the metal endpin.)

How It Went

I have to say — both of these storytime sessions were absolute DREAMS. I don’t know if knowing it was my birthday that week made them behave or if the storytime was just so engrossing that no one felt like running through the room; but I’m telling you — this is the stuff dreams are made of!

Thursday morning

This group had the most fun with “Magic Box.” And the book that I was worried about most, “Don’t Spill the Beans” turned out to be a huge success when I decided spur of the moment to have the kids whisper secrets after I read each page. Also, my mommas were thrilled when I sang with the kids “Happy Birthday” in both English and Spanish. I try my hardest to get some bilingual storytime moments, so I was happy to call upon my high school Spanish to remember how to sing “Feliz Cumpleaños.”

Friday morning

My daycare kids were thrilled with “The Secret Birthday Message” because they had just finished a unit on shapes! This book is all about a child finding a map to their present — but the map is not written out in words, but instead in all different kinds of shapes. They had a harder time with the action rhyme, “Birthday Months” — without parents around to remind them when it was their turn, most of the kids just did the action for every month — which I never even said anything. Their teachers, however, kept trying to get them to only do one. Sometimes it’s easier to just live and let live though!

August 3, 2011 8 Comments Short URL, Family Storytime

Jungle!

The Plan

Books

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
If I Were a Jungle Animal by Tom and Amanda Ellery
If You’re Happy and You Know It Jungle Edition by James Warhola
Starry Safari by Linda Ashman
Tall by Jez Alborough

Extension Activities

Action Rhyme: “I’m a Giraffe”
I’m a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up)
A big tall giraffe, I almost reach the sky (stand on tiptoes)
I eat the leaves from the tallest tress (pretend to eat)
And when I run, I move with ease (pretend to run)
I’m a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up)
Way…up…high! (reach on tiptoes)
Credit: Perry Public Library

Song: ”I Went to the Jungle One Day” (London Bridge)
I went to the jungle on day,
jungle one day, jungle one day.
I saw a lion on the way
And this is what he said, “ROAR!”
(Other animals: snake, monkey, elephant, frog, etc.)
Credit: Perry Public Library

Action Rhyme: “Monkey See, Monkey Do”
Monkey see, monkey do
Little monkey at the zoo
Monkey, monkey in the tree
Can you ________ like me?
(jump around, swing your arms, scratch an itch, eat a banana, screech)
Credit: Perry Public Library

Flannel: Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree

Craft


Thursday Morning


Friday morning

Thursday’s craft was purchased during a Michaels clearance sale. Friday’s craft came from Crayola.com.

How It Went

Thursday morning
My regular storytime kids had a great time with this theme! They loved the two books with interactive parts: “If You’re Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition” and “From Head to Toe.” I had a new young lady this week who was an absolute delight — and she loved everything that we did from rhymes to songs to books to the craft. Her sincere thank-you at the end of storytime will remain one of the sweetest things I’ve ever encountered.

Friday morning
My daycare storytime groups included three different daycares! Since we had such a large group, I had to quickly come up with another craft because I did not have enough supplies for the amount of kids that came. Luckily, I had these puppets cut out, stored away for a rainy day. (When I have a surplus of volunteers or nothing for them to do, they cut out simple crafts for days just like this!) This group was hugely enthusiastic and I was pleased to see that at least one daycare knew almost every song or rhyme that we did! And even though I had to do a last minute craft, the kids were really engaged by coloring their elephants. They had a lot of creative moments once I presented my very unusual elephant.

August 1, 2011 6 Comments Short URLFamily Storytime