Families: Garden

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

A Closer Look by Nancy McCarthy*
Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn*
Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins
My Garden by Kevin Henkes*

Early Literacy Tip
Watching a seed turn into a plant is a magical experience for most children. They are fascinated by the process.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: “More Please” by Caspar Babypants*

Featured Track: #5 Rocks and Flowers*

Flannelboard: Planting a Rainbow*

Flannelboard: Six Little Bumblebees*

Props: Ten Little Flowers*

Props: Sunflower Life Cycle*

Repeating Extension Activities

I had lots of back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I starred which ones I used in this storytime:

• Dance Your Fingers Up
• Hands Are Clapping
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes*
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Mister Sun
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
• Thumbkin
• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Wheels on the Bus

How It Went

The books were all fairly short (and we got through THREE), and I still had a ton of time for extension activities. One of my little boys did not think I could “plant” a rainbow because plants go in the ground and rainbows are in the sky! He was pleasantly surprised when I accomplished my task. One family stayed afterwards to continue dancing to Caspar Babypants. (I play music as families arrive and leave.) And the props/puppets were AWESOME.