Number Eight!

The Plan

Books

Bears! Bears! Bears! by Bob Barner
Funny Tails by Liesbet Slegers
Octopus Opposites by Stella Blackstone
Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Eight Teddy Bears”

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 Compilation

Fingerplay: “Two Mother Pigs”
Two mother pigs lived in a pen (show thumbs)
Each had four babies, and that made ten (show fingers & thumbs)
These four babies were black as night (thumb in palm, wiggle fingers)
These four babies were black and white (switch hands, repeat)
But all eight babies loved to play
And they rolled and rolled in the mud all day (roll hands)
At night, with their mother, they curled up in a heap (clasp hands)
And squealed and squealed till they fell fast asleep.
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime

Song: “Itsy Bitsy Spider”
Credit: Childhood

Craft
Still working on our number book!

How It Went

I have to say it…eight was great! Really, the kids loved EVERY book and were so attentive during the stories. I personally enjoyed “Bears, Bears, Bears” which shows eight different kinds of bears, and “Funny Tails” where the kids had the opportunity to correct me during the eight different animal match-ups. It is always a pleasure to have thirty tiny voices shouting, “No, Miss Katie, that’s WRONG!” when you try and give a fish a pig’s tail.