storytime katie

Even though I’m scheduling this post ahead of time (it’s actually 12/10 as I write this), I’m sure that it’s safe to say that I’m ready for spring. (I am not a winter person.)

So today’s post is looking ahead to warmer weather with some butterfly props.

I made these ridiculously easy props for the kids to use while I sing “Flutter, Flutter”. I bought a set of foam shapes and some self-stick popsicle sticks and a few minutes later, boom, prop! Words to the song are below:

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle
Flutter, flutter butterfly
Floating in the spring sky
Floating by for all to see
Floating by so merrily
Flutter, flutter butterfly
Floating in the spring sky

The kids love having their own way to act out the song, especially if I’m using one of my butterfly finger puppets at the same time!

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Cate is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

A different kind of Flannel Friday to kick off the New Year!

This is my hugely successful, used in nearly every toddler storytime, song cube. The first time I saw this prop used was from Melissa at Mel’s Desk. Since then I’ve seen it in a whole lot of places because it’s the best thing ever.

And here’s mine:

I have six songs on my cube and since I use the cube in every program, I also took the time to pair up each song with an early literacy tip:

ABCs — If you child is having trouble with mashing up LMNOP, try singing the ABCs to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to break up those syllables.

Five Green and Speckled Frogs — Counting helps to develop early math skills and prepares children for school readiness.

I’m a Little Teapot — Pretending helps your child develop their imagination. By pretending to be a teapot, we are encouraging dramatic play.

Itsy Bitsy Spider — Because we sing Itsy Bitsy Spider three ways (Itsy Bitsy, Teensy Weensy, Great Big Hairy), we are giving children more vocabulary. And repetition helps with learning!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star — Lullabies or other slow songs can help children to relax. Sing this song when you need your child to settle down.

Wheels on the Bus — Songs like “Wheels on the Bus” teach children about how things work. You can expand this song throughout different places and include new lyrics.

As for the actual construction, I went a bit advanced and bought these dice to use as the contents. It’s saved me from a lot of “OH MY GOODNESS, DON’T CRUSH THE CUBE, HELPFUL TODDLERS” stress. After that, it’s laminated pieces taped together with book tape. No one has destroyed it yet!

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Anne is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!