December 17, 2014 Story Time - Snow & Snowmen

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did

*marks the books we read


Snowballs  by Lois Ehlert*
Snow Happy!  by Patricia Hubbell
Animal Camouflage in the Snow  by Martha E. H. Rustad*
100 Snowmen  by Jen Arena
Winter is for Snow  by Robert Neubecker*
Snow Day for Mouse  by Judy Cox
Snowmen at Christmas  by Caralyn Buehner*
Snowbots  by Aaron Reynolds

For our craft we decorated a snowman with winter stickers

Extra activities:

We talked about what you need to decorate a snowman

We sang "Frosty the Snowman"
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,
with a corncob pipe and a button nose
and two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,
he was made of snow but the children
know how he came to life one day.
There must have been some magic in that
old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head
he began to dance around.
O, Frosty the snowman
was alive as he could be.
And the children say he could laugh
and play just the same as you and me.
Thumpetty thump thump,
thumpetty thump thump,
look at Frosty go.
Thumpetty thump thump,
thumpetty thump thump
over the hills of snow!

December 10, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

This is our last week to read and vote on the Missouri Building Block award book nominees for 2014.

*marks the books we read


Open Very Carefully A Book with Bite  by Nicola O'Byrne* (Building Block nominee)
The Watermelon Seed  by Greg Pizzoli* (Building Block nominee)
Crocodiles Are The Best Animals Of All!  by Sean Taylor*
My Crocodile Does Not Bite  by Joe Kulka
Crocodile Listens  by April Pulley Sayre

For our craft we made this:
http://goo.gl/AgYOSr


Extra Activities
We talked about the differences between alligators and crocodiles
*crocodiles have a longer more V shaped head while alligators have a shorter, wider U shaped head
*the fourth tooth of a crocodile sticks out when it's mouth is closed
*crocodiles are better adapted to living in seawater; alligators favor freshwater
*crocodiles have a lighter appearance than alligators
*corcodiles in the wild are found all over the world while alligators are only found in the US and China

Crocodile, Crocodile Turn Around
(suit actions to words)
crocodile, crocodile turn around
crocodile, crocodile touch the ground
crocodile, crocodile dance on your toes
crocodile, crocodile touch your nose
crocodile, crocodile jump up now
crocodile, crocodile take a bow
crocodile, crocodile stomp your feet
crocodile, crocodile take a seat

There was a Crocodile
there was a crocodile who lived in the glade (open and close hand for mouth)
he swam in the swamp (twist arms side to side)
and napped in the shade (pretend to sleep)
he snapped at a bird (open and close hands)
he snapped at a bee (repeat)
he snapped at a frog (repeat)
AND he snapped at me (repeat)

he caught the bird (open and close hands)
he caught the bee (repeat)
he caught the frog (repeat)
but he didn't catch me! (shake head NO)

December 3, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

For the first two weeks of December we will be reading and voting on the 2014 Building Block Award nominee books

*marks the books we read:


Mustache Baby  by Bridget Heos* (Building Block nominee)
I Dare You Not to Yawn  by Helene Boudreau* (Building Block nominee)
Don't let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!  by Mo Willems*
Yawn  by Sally Symes*

For our craft we colored different shaped mustaches and taped them to craft sticks

Extra activities:

Stretch up High
Stretch up high, as high as a house
curl up small, as small as a mouse
now pretend you have a drum and beat it like this: rum, tum, tum
shake your fingers,
stamp your feet,
close your eyes,
and go to sleep!

November 26, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

For the next two months we will be reading and voting on the 2014 Missouri Building Block award nominee books.

*marks the books we read


This Little Piggy  by Tim Harrington*
Ribbit!  by Rodrigo Folgueira*

For our craft we made a paper bag frog like the one found here:
http://goo.gl/55G3ob

Extra activities:
Little Frog
I'm a little frog (point to self)
sitting on a log
Listen to my song (hand to ear)
I sing it all day long (cup hands to mouth)
Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!
If I'm hungry, I eat flies (hand to mouth)
and I can blink my eyes (blink)
I hop, and hop and hop (jump 3 times)
and then, I stop! (clap clap)

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

November 19, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

For the next two months we will be reading and voting on the 2014 Missouri Building Block award nominee books.

*marks the books we read


Count the Monkeys  by Mac Barnett*
Little Nelly's Big Book  by Pippa Goodhart*

For our craft we made a monkey mask like the one here:
http://goo.gl/h887oO

Extra activities:
We sang "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and "Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree"

November 12, 2014 Story Time - Turkeys & Thanksgiving

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Gobble Gobble  by Cathryn Falwell*
I'm A Turkey  by Jim Arnosky
Turkey Day  by Grace Maccarone
Thanksgiving at Our House  by P.K. Hallinan*
Thanksgiving is For Giving Thanks  by Margaret Sutherland
The Best Thanksgiving Ever!  by Teddy Slater

For our craft we made a leaf turkey like the one pictured here:
http://goo.gl/tYTS0U

Extra Activities
We talked about the letter "T" the sound it makes and words that start with "T"

Mr. Turkey
Mr. Turkey's tail is big and wide (spread fingers)
He swings it when he walks (swing hands)
His neck is long (stretch neck or pull hands apart)
His chin is red (stroke chin)
And he gobbles when he talks (open and close hands and gobble)

Turkey Wore His Red Feather (sung to Mary Wore Her Red Dress)
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather
turkey wore his red feather, all day long!

Turkey wore his orange feather, orange feather, orange feather
turkey works his orange feather, all day long!

We repeated the song with yellow and brown feathers

Last line: Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers
turkey wore his rainbow feathers, all Thanksgiving long!

I handed out several feathers of each color and had the children wave their feather when their color was sung about. Then all of the feathers were waved at the end to make a rainbow of feathers

November 5, 2014 Story Time - Building Block Award Books 2014

For the next two months we will be reading and voting on the 2014 Missouri Building Block Award Nominee books.

*marks the books we read


The two nominees we read this week were:
That is Not a Good Idea!  by Mo Willems*
Moo!  by David LaRochelle*
Extra books:
The Cow Who Clucked  by Denise Fleming*
Blue Goose  by Nancy Tafuri*
Out Foxed  by Mike Twohy*
Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak, Pop-pop, Moo  by Jim Aylesworth

For our craft we made a simple origami fox like the one found here:
http://goo.gl/BfMbi2

Extra activities:
We played a color guessing game with the information found here:
http://goo.gl/V61okd
I made a copy of the coloring sheets with the poem for everyone

October 29, 2014 Story Time - Halloween

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Click, Clack, Boo!  by Doreen Cronin*
Ollie's Halloween  by Olivier Dunrea
Little Goblins Ten  by Pamela Jane
Where's My Mummy?  by Carolyn Crimi*
Halloween Good Night  by Doug Cushman*
Jack-o'-Lanterns  by Megan Cooley Peterson
Mouse's First Halloween  by Lauren Thompson*
Celebrate Halloween  by Megan Cooley Peterson*

For our craft we covered a Tootsie Pop sucker with a tissue to make a ghost

Children came dressed in costume and trick or treated around the library for goodies, then we had a contest to see who could get a soft disc through the ghost's mouth!!

October 22, 2014 Story Time - Pumpkins

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Ten Orange Pumpkins  by Stephen Savage*
We Harvest Pumpkins in Fall  by Rebecca Felix
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?  by Margaret McNamara
I like Pumpkins  by Jerry Smath*
Pumpkin Trouble  by Jan Thomas
Fall Pumpkins Orange and Plump  by Martha W.H. Rustad
Five Little Pumpkins  by Dan Yaccarino*

For our craft we made a pumpkin book similar to this:
http://goo.gl/gVIxyN

Extra activities:

We cut open a pumpkin so we could explore what was inside

Five Little Jack-O'Lanterns
Five little jack-o'lanterns glowing by the door
Father took one and that left four
Four little jack-o'lanterns, a sight to see
Mother took one and that left three
Three little jack-o'lanterns lit through and through
Brother took one and that left two
Two little jack-o'lanterns greeting everyone
Sister took one and that left one
One little jack-o'lantern with a great big grin
I picked him up and took him in!

October 15, 2014 Story Time - Apples

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Johnny Appleseed  by Jodie Shepherd*
Apples  by Ann L. Burckhardt
We Harvest Apples in the Fall  by Rebecca Felix*
Apples, Apples Everywhere!  by Robin Koontz
A Visit to the Apple Orchard  by Patricia J. Murphy*

For our craft we glued a basket and apples on paper, then wrote down how many apples were in our baskets

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "A" the sound it makes and words that begin with "A"

Apple Roll Chant
Five little apples in the bowl (hold up five fingers)
One fell out and started to roll (rotate fists)
It bumped the table & hit my feet (clap hands)
How many apples left to eat? (shrug shoulders)

Big Juicy Apple
There's a big red juicy apple on the tree, yumee! (repeat two times)
Oh it's gotten nice and ripe
So I can take a great big bite
There's a big red juicy apple on the tree, yumee!
(Repeat using green & yellow verses)
There's a big brown squishy apple on the tree, yuckee! (repeat two times)
Oh it's gotten way too ripe
There's no way I'm taking a bite
There's a big brown squishy apple on the tree, yuckee!

October 8, 2014 Story Time - Fall/Leaves

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Leaf Jumpers  by Carole Gerber*
Fall Mixed Up  by Bob Raczka
What Happens to Leaves in Fall?  by Rebecca Felix
Animals in Fall  by Martha E.H. Rustad*
Counting on Fall  by Lizann Flatt
We're Going on a Leaf Hunt  by Steve Metzger
The Little Yellow Leaf  by Carin Berger*
I See Fall  by Charles Ghigna
Tap the Magic Tree  by Christie Matheson*
Footballs and Falling Leaves  by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

The craft we made can be found here:
http://goo.gl/w1CyyB

EXTRA ACTIVITIES:

We talked about the letters "F" & "L" the sounds they make and words that begin with "F" & "L"

FALL
Autumn winds begin to blow (sway like a tree)
colored leaves fall fast and slow (wiggle fingers fast & slow)
twirling, whirling all around (turn around)
until at last they touch the ground (touch ground)

FALL/LEAVES
Five little leaves so bright and gay (hold up 5 fingers)
were dancing on a tree one day (wiggle fingers)
the wind came blowing through the town (hold hands around mouth and blow)
one leaf came tumbling down (make a sound 'wheeee' or 'aaaaaah")
Repeat the rhyme with 4 leaves, 3 leaves, 2 leaves, 1 leaf

October 1, 2014 Story Time - Monkeys

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Monkey Colors  by Darrin Lunde*
A Trip to the Zoo  by Karen Wallace
Two Little Monkeys  by Mem Fox*
Banana!  by Ed Vere
Monkey and Me  by Emily Gravett*
Naughty Little Monkeys  by Jim Aylesworth
What Do You Do At The Zoo?  by Susan E. Goodman*

For our craft we made paper bag monkeys. I used the pattern found here:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mpapermonkey.htm


Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "Z" and "M" the sound they make and words that begin with "Z" and "M"

Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
teasing Mr. Crocodile, you can't catch me
along comes Mr. Crocodile....quiet as can be
and he snaps (clap hands) that monkey right out of that tree.
Repeat with four, three, two and one. After the last monkey, say no more monkeys swinging in the tree!

Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
one fell off and bumped his head
momma called the doctor and the doctor said
no more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Repeat with four, three, two, one little monkey, then....
no little monkeys jumping on the bed
none fell off and bumped his head
momma called the doctor and the doctor said
put those monkeys back in bed!

September 24, 2014 Story Time - Elephants

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


What To Do If An Elephant Stands On Your Foot  by Michelle Robinson*
How Much Does the Gray in an Elephant Weigh?  by Elle Van Lieshout & Erik Van Os
'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day  by Catherine Ipcizade*
Feeding Time  by Lee Davis
I Dream of an Elephant  by Ami Rubinger*
The Biggest Animal On Land  by Allan Fowler*

For our craft we made a CD elephant I found on:

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/shapes/animals/elephantcd.htm


Extra Activities:

We talked about the letters "Z" & "E" the sounds they make and other words that begin with "Z" & "E"

The Elephants Are Here!
(sung to the tune "The Farmer in the Dell")
The elephants are here! (look excited)
the elephants are here!
look at all the elephants! (shade eyes as if looking)
the elephants are here!

They're exercising now. (march in place)
they're exercising now
look at all the elephants!
they're exercising now.

They're jumping up and down!
they're jumping up and down!
look at all the elephants!
they're jumping up and down!

They're touching all their toes
they're touching all their toes
look at all the elephants!
they're touching all their toes

They're spinning 'round and 'round
they're spinning 'round and 'round
look at all the elephants!
they're spinning 'round and 'round.

They're all tired now
they're all tired now
Look at all the elephants
they're all tired now
ZZZZZZZ (lots of snoring)

September 17, 2014 Story Time - Giraffes

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Giraffes  by Kari Schuetz*
Zoo Animals 1 2 3  by Rebecca Fjelland Davis*
When Lulu went to the Zoo  by Andy Ellis
Giraffe  by Anders Hanson*
Stay Close to Mama  by Toni Buzzeo

For our craft we colored paper giraffes and used clothes pins for their legs

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "Z" & "G" the sounds they make and words that begin with "Z" & "G"

Giraffes
(tune: "Wheels on the Bus")
This giraffe has green spots, green spots, green spots
this giraffe has green spots
count them for me now
Repeat with other colors like; purple, red, blue, etc
(I made small giraffes and colored dots on them. The children had to guess what color the dots were and then counted how many dots were on each giraffe).

We used a tape measure to measure how tall a giraffe is and how long it's tongue is using a non-fiction book we read during story time.

September 9, 2014 Story Time - Lions

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Lions  by Elizabeth Vogel*
1 Zany Zoo  by Lori Degman
Animal Strike at the Zoo  by Karma Wilson*
Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo  by E.S. Redmond
You and Me: We're Opposites  by Harriet Ziefert*

For our craft we made lion masks

Extra activities:

LIONS
Five little lions all in a row
one ran away. Where did he go?
Four little lions left to play
one went home: he could not stay.
Three little lions chasing one another
one went into the jungle to find her mother.
Two little lions loudly roaring
one fell asleep and now he's snoring.
One little lion without a friend
left to eat supper back at the den.
No little lions left today
come back tomorrow and again we'll play.

THE ANIMALS AT THE ZOO
(sung to "wheels on the bus")
The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar
roar, roar, roar
roar, roar, roar
the lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar
all day long!

Repeat with:
The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss
The hyenas at the zoo go ha, ha, ha
The monkeys at the zoo go oooh, oooh, oooh

WHERE WILL YOU FIND THEM?
We made a chart of where we would find certain animals. There was a picture of a barn, a jungle and a house and children named the animals that lived in each place.

September 3, 2014 Story Time - Zoo

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


The View at the Zoo  by Kathleen Long Bostrom*
Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo  by Karma Wilson
My Trip to the Zoo  by Mercer Mayer*
Zoo Ah-Choooo  by Peter Mandel
Two at the Zoo  by Danna Smith*

For our craft we made a zebra out of the letter "Z"

August 27, 2014 Story Time - Cookies

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?  by Bonnie Lass*
No More Cookies!  by Paeony Lewis
Fortune Cookies  by Albert Bitterman*
YUM! A Tale of Two Cookies  by Jane Seymour
Who Put The Cookies in The Cookie Jar?  by George Shannon*
Calling All Cookies!  by Charles M. Schulz*
Honey Cookies  by Meredith Hooper
The Difference Between Babies & Cookies  by Mary Hanson
Cookies Bite-Size Life Lessons  by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

For our craft we colored different shaped cookies and glued them to a paper plate

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "C" the sound it makes and words that start with "C"

Making Cookies
I am making cookie dough (hold out arms in a circle, like a bowl)
Round and round the beaters go (roll hands)
Add some flour from a cup (shake a pretend cup)
Stir and stir the batter up (stirring motion)
Roll them, cut them nice and neat (roll hands)
Put them on a cookie sheet (hold hands together)
Bake them, count them 1-2-3 (counting motion)
Serve them to my friends and me (take a bite!)

Who took the cookies?
Who took the cookies from the cookie jar?
Who me? Yes you!
Couldn't be! Then who?
(child's name) took the cookies from the cookie jar
Who me? Yes you!
Couldn't be! Then who?
(Continue with the other children's names)

August 20, 2014 Story Time - Spaghetti

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


On Top of Spaghetti  by Paul Brett Johnson*
Spaghetti For Suzy  by Peta Coplans*
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!  by Marilyn Burns
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?  by Jane Yolen

For our craft we colored meatballs and glued them and some yellow yarn on a plate

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "S", "N" and "P" the sounds they make and words that begin with those letters

Ten Little Meatballs
One little, two little, three little meatballs
Four little, five little, six little meatballs
Seven little, eight little, nine little meatballs
Ten little meatballs cooking in a pan
(Then we counted down from 10 to 1)

On Top of Spaghetti
On top of spaghetti
All covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball
When somebody sneezed
It rolled off the table
And onto the floor
My poor little meatball
Rolled out of the door
It rolled in the garden
And under a bush
My poor little meatball
Was nothing but MUSH!

August 13, 2014 Story Time - Carrots

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


CREEPY CARROTS!  by Aaron Reynolds*
The Carrot Seed  by Ruth Krauss*
The Princess and ...The Peas and Carrots  by Harriet Ziefert
Orange Food Fun  by Lisa Bullard*
Colors in Nature Orange  by Martha E. H. Rustad*
Carrot Soup  by John Segal*

For our craft we made creepy carrot puppets and taped them to a craft stick

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "C" the sound it makes and words that begin with "C"

We talked about our favorite orange foods

August 6, 2014 Story Time - Food

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did

*marks the books we read


Food Fight!  by Carol Diggory Shields*
I Will Never NOT EVER Eat a Tomato  by Lauren Child*
Worms for Lunch  by Leonid Gore
Too Pickley!  by Jean Reidy*
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs  by Judi Barrett
Chew, Chew, GULP!  by Jarrett J. Krosoczka*
Brownie & Pearl Grab a Bite  by Cynthia Rylant*

For our craft we made alpha bit soup by gluing Alpha Bit cereal onto a picture of a bowl

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "F" the sound it makes and other words that start with "F"

We talked about our favorite foods and using good manners

July 30, 2014 Story Time - Fish

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School  by Deborah Diesen*
Sea Horses  by Ann Herriges
Memoirs of a Goldfish  by Devin Scillian*
Ten Little Fish  by Audrey Wood
Drippy Fish  by Nicola Baxter*
Fish  by Karen Perez
A School of Fish  by Alex Kuskowski*
Over in the Ocean In a Coral Reef  by Marianne Berkes
Swim! Swim!  by Lerch*
How to Catch a Fish  by John Frank

For our craft we took a paper fish taped it to a craft stick then stuck the stick through a small paper plate that had a slit cut in it. We colored our plates to look like the ocean or an aquarium

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "F" the sound it makes and words that begin with "F"

Five Little Fishes
Five little fishes swimming in the sea
teasing Mr shark you can't catch me
along comes Mr shark as quiet as can be and
SNAP!
(repeat with four little fishes, etc)

July 23, 2014 Story Time - Frogs

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


AH HA!  by Jeff Mack*
The Frog Who Could Not Croak  by Lavelle Carlson
See How They Grow Frog  by Kim Taylor*
Bad Frogs  by Thacher Hurd
Too Many Frogs!  by Ann and John Hassett*
Tadpoles and Frogs  by Anna Milbourne
One Frog Sang  by Shirley Parenteau*

The craft we made can be found here:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/puppets/frog/

Extra activities:

We sang along to "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" by Raffi

I'm a Little Frog
I'm a little frog (children sit with legs crossed)
Hopping on a log (bounce up and down)
Listen to my song (ribbit, ribbit)
I sleep all winter long (lay head against hands)
Wake up and peek out (peek between fingers)
Up I jump, all about (bounce up and down)
I catch flies (grabbing motion)
I wink my eyes (blink)
I hop and hop (bounce up and down)
And then I stop! (stop bouncing)

July 16, 2014 Story Time - Books and Reading

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Count the Monkeys  by Mac Barnett*
Check it Out! Reading, Finding, Helping  by Patricia Hubbell
Boom! Boom! Boom!  by  Jamie A. Swenson
Which is Round? Which is Bigger?  by Mineko Mamada*
Open This Little Book  by Jesse Klausmeier
Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed  by Eileen Christelow
Old Black Fly  by Jim Aylesworth*
I Wish I Could....Read!  by Tiziana Bendall-Brunello
How Rocket Learned to Read  by Tad Hills
Reading Makes You Feel Good  by Todd Parr*
Look! A Book!  by Bob Staake
Monster Knows Shapes  by Lori Capote*
How Do You Read to a Rabbit?  by Andrea Wayne von Konigslow

We colored a reading crown purchased from Oriental Trading, Inc.

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "B" and "R" the sounds they make and words that begin with "B" and "R"

Counting
We counted to ten and back down to 0

What Shape is This?
(sung to the "Muffin Man")
Do you know what shape this is
what shape this is, what shape this is
do you know what shape this is
I'm holding in my hand?

I asked everyone to guess the shapes I had and what color they were:
Circle, square, triangle, diamond, rectangle, oval, star

July 9, 2014 Story Time - Beach/Ocean

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Life in an Ocean  by Carol K. Lindeen*
Duck & Goose go to the Beach  by Tad Hills
We Love the Seashore  by Kate Tym
Sea, Sand, Me!  by Patricia Hubbell*
Colors of the Ocean  by Laura Purdie Salas
Crustacean Vacation  by Brian Benoit
Seashore  by Lucy Beckett-Bowman
Little Kids Ocean Counting  by Janet Lawler*
Baby Animals of the Ocean  by Carmen Bredeson
First Big Book of the Ocean  by Catherine D. Hughes

For our craft we colored a starfish and made a necklace

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "B" and "O" the sounds they make and words that begin with "B" and "O"

Five Little Seashells
Five little seashells sleeping on the shore
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were four
Four little seashells quiet as can be
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were three
Three little seashells pearly and new
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were two
Two little seashells having great fun
Swish! went a big wave, and then there was one
One little seashell lying in the sun
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were none

Waves in the Sea
(to the tune of: Wheels on the Bus)
The waves on the sea go up and down (raise and lower arms)
up and down, up and down
the waves on the sea go up and down
all day long

The shark in the sea goes snap, snap, snap (clap your hands)
snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap
the shark in the sea goes snap, snap, snap
all day long

The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish (swish hand back and forth)
swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish
the fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish
all day long

The boats in the sea go toot, toot, toot (bob hand up and down)
toot, toot, toot, toot, toot, toot
the boats in the sea go toot, toot, toot
all day long

July 2, 2014 Story Time - Patriotic/ 4th of July

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Hats Off for the Fourth of July!  by Harriet Ziefert*
Happy Birthday, America  by Mary Pope Osborne
Summer Beat  by Betsy Franco*
Red, White, and Boom!  by Lee Wardlaw*

For our craft we colored an American flag and taped it to a straw

Extra activities:

We talked about being safe around fireworks

10 Little Firecrackers
1 little, 2 little, 3 little firecrackers
4 little, 5 little, 6 little firecrackers
7 little, 8 little, 9 little firecrackers
10 little firecrackers popping on the ground (clap hands)

June 25, 2014 Story Time - Heroes/Super Heroes

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


My Dad, My Hero  by Ethan Long*
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas  by Viviane Schwarz
My Mom  by Anthony Browne*
The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man  by Michael Chabon*
Elecopter  by Michael Slack*

For our craft we colored finger puppet super heroes purchased from Oriental Trading Company

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "H" and "S" the sounds they make and words that start with "H" and "S"

June 18, 2014 Story Time - Summer

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


I See Summer  by Charles Ghigna
Summer  by Emily C. Dawson*
It's Sunny Today  by Kristin Sterling
Summer Days and Nights  by Wong Herbert Yee*
Summer Stinks  by Marty Kelley*

The craft we made can be found at:

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/fruit/watermelon-craft.asp

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "S" the sound it makes and words that begin with "S"

June 11, 2014 Story Time - Father's Day

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read

The Night Before Father's Day  by Natasha Wing*
A Wild Father's Day  by Sean Callahan
I Love My Daddy  by Giles Andreae*
A Father's Day Thank You  by Janet Nolan
Daddies  by Lila Prap*
The Best Father's Day Present Ever  by Christine Loomis

The craft we made can be found at:

http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2013/06/allParenting/fathers_day_crafts/fathers-day-dad-award.jpg


Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "D" & "F" the sounds they make and other words that begin with "D" & "F"

Daddy (sung to "Bingo")
There is a man who had a child
And daddy is his name-o,
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
And daddy is his name-o

There is a man who's really nice
And daddy is his name-o
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
And daddy is his name-o

There is a man I love a lot
And daddy is his name-o
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
D-A-D-D-Y
And daddy is his name-o

June 4, 2014 Story Time - Dads

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Me and My Dad!  by Alison Ritchie*
Daddy All Day Long  by Francesca Rusackas
Daddy's Lullaby  by Tony Bradman*
Because Your Daddy Loves You  by Andrew Clements
How to Cheer Up Dad  by Fred Koehler*
My Dad  by Anthony Browne
I Love My Daddy Because... by Laurel Porter-Gaylord*
The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish  by Neil Gaiman
My Dad Thinks He's Funny  by Katrina Germein*
Very Best Daddy of All  by Marion Dane Bauer
The Daddy Book  by Todd Parr

You can find the craft we made at:
http://goo.gl/C42Yuz

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "D" the sound it makes and other words that start with "D"

Daddy (sung to "Bingo")
There is a man who's really nice
And Daddy is his name-o
D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y
And Daddy is his name-o

There is a man who plays with me
And Daddy is his name-o
D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y
And Daddy is his name-o

There is a man I love a lot
And Daddy is his name-o
D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y, D-A-D-D-Y
and Daddy is his name-o

May 28, 2014 Story Time - Flowers

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Flower Garden  by Eve Bunting*
Flowers for Mami Unicorn!  by Christine Ricci
What Does Bunny See?: a Book of Colors & Flowers  by Linda Sue Park
Counting Wildflowers  by Bruce McMillan*
Flowers & Showers: a Spring Counting Book  by Rebecca Fjelland Davis
Spring Blossoms  by Carole Gerber
Flowers  by Vijaya Khisty Bodach*
Koala and the Flower  by Mary Murphy
Planting a Rainbow  by Lois Ehlert

For our craft we colored a flower and glued it to a craft stick, then colored a styrofoam cup to use as a pot

Extra Activities:

We talked about the letter "F" the sound it makes and other words that begin with "F"

One Little Daffodil
One little daffodil had nothing to do
Up popped another one and then there were two
Two little daffodils smiling at a bee
Another popped up and then there were three
Three little daffodils were growing by a door
Up popped another one and then there were four
Four little daffodils happy to be alive
Up popped another one and then there were five
Five little daffodils wearing golden crowns
They danced in the breeze wearing green satin gowns!

May 21, 2014 Story Time - Plants

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Up, Down, and Around  by Katherine Ayres*
The Little Pea  by Eric Battut
From Seed to Plant  by Allan Fowler*
Trust Me, Jack's Beanstalk Stinks! The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk as Told by the Giant by Eric Braun
Shapes in the Garden  by Rebecca Rissman
Once There Was a Seed  by Judith Anderson and Mike Gordon
A Green, Green Garden  by Mercer Mayer

The craft we made can be found at:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mflower.html

We added words that described the parts of the plant: Stem, Leaf, Roots and Flower

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "P" the sound it makes and words that begin with "P"

This is the way we plant our seeds
(sung to "Here we go Round the Mulberry Bush")

This is the way we plant our seeds
plant our seeds, plant our seeds
this is the way we plant our seeds
so early in the morning

This is the way the wind does blow
wind does blow, wind does blow
this is the way the wind does blow
so early in the morning

This is the way the rain comes down
rain comes down, rain comes down
this is the way the rain comes down
so early in the morning

This is the way the sun shines bright
sun shines bright, sun shines bright
this is the way the sun shines bright
so early in the morning

This is the way the seed grows up
seed grows up, seed grows up
this is the way the seed grows up
so early in the morning

This is the way we pick our beans
pick our beans, pick our beans
this is the way we pick our beans
so early in the morning

May 14, 2014 Story Time - Seeds

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


A Seed Is Sleepy  by Dianna Hutts Aston*
Plant a Little Seed  by Bonnie Christensen
The Watermelon Seed  by Greg Pizzoli*
Once There Was a Seed  by Judith Anderson
Little Seeds  by Charles Ghigna*
From Seed to Plant  by Allan Fowler
Ten Seeds  by Ruth Brown*

For our craft we decorated small brown cardboard pots

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "S" the sound it makes and words that begin with "S"

Planting Time
(sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Dig, dig, dig the earth (make digging motion)
Then you plant your seeds (pretend to drop seeds)
A gentle rain (flutter fingers down)
And bright sunshine (circle arms above head)
Will help your flowers grow (put hands together, raise them and then part your palms)

Seeds Grow
(sung to "Farmer in the Dell")

the Gardner plants the seeds
the Gardner plants the seeds
Deep down inside the ground
The Gardner plants the seeds

The rain clouds give them water
The rain clouds give them water
Seeds need some water to drink
The rain clouds give them water

The sun gives heat and light
The sun gives heat and light
Seeds like it warm and bright
The sun gives heat and light

The Gardner pulls the weeds
The Gardner pulls the weeds
Seeds need the room to grow
The Gardner pulls the weeds

The seeds grow into flowers
The seeds grow into flowers
Flowers that are beautiful
The seeds grow into flowers

May 7, 2014 Story Time - Mothers & Mother's Day

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Mommy's Best Kisses  by Margaret Anastas*
Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do....  by Marianne Richmond
My Mother is Mine  by Marion Dane Bauer*
The Night Before Mother's Day  by Natasha Wing
I Love my Mommy  by Giles Andreae*
Mommy, Carry me Please!  by Jane Cabrera
Mother's Day Ribbons  by Michelle Knudsen*

For our craft we made a necklace with yarn and colored pasta

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "M" the sound it makes and words that begin with "M"

Special Friend (sung to "Bingo")
I have a very special friend
and Mommy is her name-o
M-O-M-M-Y, M-O-M-M-Y, M-O-M-M-Y
and Mommy is her name-o

April 30, 2014 Story Time - Kites & Things That Fly

If you  missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


The Berenstain Bears and the Big Red Kite  by Stan & Jan Berenstain*
Planes Fly  by George Ella Lyon
The Kite Princess  by Juliet Clare Bell
Cows Can't Fly  by David Milgrim*
Today I Will Fly!  by Mo Willems
Stuck  by Oliver Jeffers
Shoo Fly!  by Iza Trapani*
Rabbit's Birthday Kite  by Maryann Macdonald
Catch the Wind! All About Kites  by Gail Gibbons
Super Duck  by Jez Alborough

The craft we made can be found here: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/summer/mkite.html

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "K" the sound it makes and words that begin with "K"

Five Little Kites
Five little kites way up in the sky
say hi to the clouds as they pass by
say hi to the birds
say hi to the sun
say hi to the airplane, oh what fun
then swish went the wind
and they all took a dive....1-2-3-4-5

Kite Friends
One little kite in the sky so blue
along came another, then there were two
two little kites flying high above me
along came another, and then there were three
three little kites, watch how they soar
along came another, then there were four
four little kites so high and so alive
along came another and then there were five
five little kites dancing across the sky
what a sight to see, way up so high!

April 23, 2014 Story Time - Bunnies/Rabbits

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Peek-A-Boo Bunny  by Holly Surplice*
What Noise Does a Rabbit Make?  by Carrie Weston
Oh So Tiny Bunny  by David Kirk*
Rabbit Ears  by Amber Stewart
Seven Little Bunnies  by Julie Stiegemeyer*
Creepy Carrots  by Aaron Reynolds
If You're Hoppy  by April Pulley Sayre*
Little Bunny Foo Foo: the Real Story  by Cori Doerrfeld

We decorated a paper bunny and glued it to a craft stick for a puppet

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "B" the sound it makes and other words that start with "B"

Bunny
Here is a bunny with ears so funny
(make a fist and then extend index and middle finger)
And here is a hole in the ground
(make a hole with other fist)
When a noise he hears, he pricks up his ears
(extend 2 fingers straight upward)
And hops into his hole in the ground
(jump fingers into hole in other fist)

10 Little Bunnies
1 little, 2 little, 3 little bunnies, 4 little, 5 little, six little bunnies, 7 little, 8 little, nine little bunnies, 10 little
bunnies hopping up and down.
Then we counted backwards from 10 to 1

April 16, 2014 Story Time - Eggs

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


An Egg is Quiet  by Dianna Aston*
True or False? Farm Animals  by Daniel Nunn
10 Easter Egg Hunters  by Janet Schulman*
Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg  by Mia Posada
Egg Drop  by Mini Grey*
Eggs  by Marilyn Singer
A Nest Full of Eggs  by Priscilla Belz Zenkins

For our craft we decorated a sticky egg with tissue paper and tied a string on for hanging

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "E" the sound it makes and words that begin with "E"

Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
all the kings horses and all the kings men
couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again

Cluck Cluck Red Hen (tune: "Baa Baa Black Sheep")
Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool?
yes, sir, yes sir, three bags full
one for your sweater and one for your rug
and one for your blanket to keep you warm and snug (repeat first two lines)

Cluck, cluck red hen, have you any eggs?
Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs
one for your breakfast and one for your lunch
come back tomorrow, I'll have another bunch (repeat first two lines)

Moo, moo, brown cow, have you milk for me?
Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be
churn it into butter, make it into cheese,
freeze it into ice cream or drink it if you please (repeat first two lines)

Buzz, buzz, busy bee, is your honey sweet?
Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat
honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,
honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make (repeat first two lines)

April 9, 2014 Story Time - Earth Day

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



Recycling Is Fun  by Charles Ghigna*
Let's Save Water  by Sara E. Nelson
You Can Help  by Jennifer B. Gillis*
Let's Reduce Garbage  by Sara E. Nelson*
Earth Day, Birthday!  by Maureen Wright*
The Dumpster Diver  by Janet S. Wong
Let's Reuse  by Sara E. Nelson

For our craft we colored a small Earth and made it into a necklace to wear

Extra Activities:

Recycling In My Home (sing to "Wheels on the bus")
Recycling in my home goes round and round
round and round, round and round
recycling in my home goes round and round
all through the day
Tie up the papers and take them back
take them back, take them back
tie up the papers and take them back
all through the day
Crush the cans and take them back
take them back, take them back
crush the cans and take them back
all through the day
Rinse the milk bottles and take them back
take them back, take them back
rinse the milk bottles and take them back
all through the day
Save the glass and take it back
take it back, take it back
save the glass and take it back
all through the day

April 2, 2014 Story Time - April & April Showers

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read


Flowers and Showers  by Rebecca Fjelland Davis*
April Fool!  by Harriet Ziefert
Rain  by Marion Dane Bauer
Who Likes Rain?  by Wong Herbert Yee*
Let's Read About Rain  by Kristin Boerger
Rain  by Kristin Ward*
The Rain Train  by Elena De Roo
April  by Robyn Brode*

The craft we did can be found at: http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/littlecritter/

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "A" & "S", the sounds they make and other words that start with those letters

Itsy Bitsy Spider
Itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout
down came the rain and washed the spider out
out came the sun and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider crawled up the spout again

(We used colored umbrellas for both finger plays listed below)

Color Umbrellas
Here are some umbrellas
just for me and you
can you name their colors?
red, yellow, blue
Here are more umbrellas
the prettiest we've seen
now let's name their colors
purple, orange, green

Five Umbrellas
Five umbrellas stood by the back door
the red one went outside
and then there were four
Four umbrellas, pretty as can be
the blue one went outside
and then there were three
Three umbrellas, with nothing to do
the green one went outside
and then there were two
Two umbrellas not having much fun
the yellow one went outside
and then there was one
Just one umbrella alone in the hall
the purple one went outside
and that was all

March 26, 2014 Story Time - Your Face

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



Whose Nose Is This?  by Wayne Lynch*
Another Mouth to Feed  by Michael Dahl
The Body Book  by Shelley Rotner*
Caring For Your Teeth  by Sian Smith*
Here Are My Hands  by Bill Martin, Jr.*
Watch Your Tongue, Cecily Beasley  by Lane Fredrickson
The Nose Book  by Al Perkins

For our craft we pasted a face on a paper plate then added a hand with a tissue glued to it so it covered the mouth and nose

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "F", the sound it makes and other words that begin with "F"

We talked about the parts of our faces (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, teeth, tongue, cheeks, etc)

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes

Touch Your Nose
Touch your nose
touch your chin
that's the way this game begins
touch your eyes
touch your knees
now pretend you're going to sneeze
touch your hair
touch one ear
touch your two red lips right here
touch your elbows
where they bend
that's the way this touch game ends

I Wiggle
I wiggle my fingers
I wiggle my toes
I wiggle my shoulders
I wiggle my nose
now no more wiggles
are left in me
so I will be still
as still as can be

March 19, 2014 Story Time - Feet

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



Who Has These Feet?  by Laura Hulbert*
The Foot Book  by DR. Seuss
Dancing Feet!  by Lindsey Craig*
Whose Feet?  by Nina Hess*
Beach Feet  by Kiyomi Konagaya

For our craft we traced our foot and then measured ourselves and other items in the meeting room

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "F", the sound it makes and other words that start with "F"

Head and Shoulders
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Eyes, and ears, and mouth and nose
Head shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes

I Can
I can walk with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can walk with two feet all day long
I can skip with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can skip with two feet all day long
I can jump with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can jump with two feet all day long
I can march with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can march with two feet all day long
I can run with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can run with two feet all day long
I can hop with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can hop with two feet all day long
I can slide with two feet, two feet, two feet
I can slide with two feet all day long

My Two Hands, My Two Feet (tune Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
My two hands go clap, clap, clap
My two feet go stamp, stamp, stamp
My two hands go thump, thump, thump
My two feet go jump, jump, jump
My body can turn around and around
and now my body can quietly sit down

March 12, 2014 Story Time - Your Hands

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read




Clap Your Hands  by Lorinda Bryan Cauley*
Wash Your Hands  by Tony Ross
Washing My Hands  by Elizabeth Vogel*
Eyes, Nose, Fingers and Toes  by Judy Hindley
Hands Can  by Cheryl Willis Hudson*

For our craft we traced our hand on paper and then decorated it with foam hearts and letters that spelled our names

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "H", the sound it makes and words that begin with "H"

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Head, shoulders, knees & toes
knees & toes
head, shoulders, knees & toes
knees & toes
eyes and ears and mouth and nose
head, shoulders, knees & toes
knees & toes

Ten Little Fingers
I have ten fingers and they all belong to me
I can make them do things. Would you like to see?
I can shut them up tight
Or open them wide
I can put them together or make them all hide
I can make them jump high
I can make them go low
I can fold them quietly and hold them just so

Right Hand, Left Hand
This is my right hand, I raise it up high
This is my left hand, I touch the sky
Right, hand, left hand
Roll them round and round
Right hand, left hand
Let's all sit down

Clap Your Hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands
as s-l-o-w-l-y as you can
clap, clap, clap your hands
as quickly as you can
(repeat verses with new words & motions)
shake, shake, shake your hands
roll, roll, roll your hands
rub, rub, rub your hands
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers

I Wiggle
I wiggle my fingers
I wiggle my toes
I wiggle my shoulders
I wiggle my nose
now no more wiggles
are left in me
so I will be still
as still as can be

March 5, 2014 Story Time - Your Body

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



My Body  by Brian Enslow*
Armpits to Zits  by Colleen Dolphin
The Bones You Own  by Becky Baines*
Thank You For Me  by Marion Dane Bauer
Look at You!: A Baby Body Book  by  Kathy Henderson
All of Baby Nose to Toes  by Victoria Adler*

For our craft we decorated craft sticks that were shaped like a person

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "B", the sound it makes and words that begin with "B"

We talked about the different parts of our bodies and then sang the following songs:

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Head, shoulders, knees & toes
Knees & toes
Head, shoulders, knees & toes
Knees & toes
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees & toes
Knees & toes

I Use my Five Senses (tune: Farmer in the Dell)
I use my eyes to see, I use my eyes to see
and when I want to see a star, I use my eyes to see
I use my nose to smell, I use my nose to smell
and when I want to smell a flower, I use my nose to smell
I use my tongue to taste, I use my tongue to taste
and when I want to taste a peach, I use my tongue to taste
I use my ears to hear, I use my ears to hear
and when I want to hear a bird sing, I use my ears to hear
I use my hands to touch, I use my hands to touch
and when I want to touch something, I use my hands to touch

February 26, 2014 Story Time - For the Birds

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



Can You Find These Birds?  by Carmen Bredeson*
Our Yard is Full of Birds  by Lizzy Rockwell
Backyard Birds: Cardinals  by Lynn Stone
Birds and Their Nests  by Linda Tagliaferro*
Outside My Window: Birds  by Ernestine Giesecke
Birds  by Kevin Henkes*
Baby Birds  by Bobbie Kalman

For our craft we tied a piece of yarn around a bagel, put peanut butter on it and then dipped it in bird seed

Extra Activities:

We talked about the letter "B", the sound  it makes and other words that begin with "B"

Five Little Birdies
(put five fingers up in the air, as verse is said the other hand bends down each finger)
Five little birdies flying around our door
The blue one flew away and then there were four
Four little birdies sitting in a tree
The yellow one flew away and then there were three
The little birdies didn't know what to do
So the red one flew away and then there were two
Two little birdies sitting in the sun
The brown one flew away and there was one
The little green birdie felt so all alone
He/she flew away and there there was none

Two Little Black Birds
Two little black birds sitting on a hill
One named Jack (move one hand forward)
And one named Jill (move other hand forward)
Fly away Jack (move one hand behind your back)
Fly away Jill (move the other hand behind your back)
Come back Jack (return hand to the front)
Come back Jill (move other hand to the front)

Birds (tune: "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we scratch for worms, scratch for worms, scratch for worms
This is the way we scratch for worms so early in the morning
This is the way we peck our food, peck our food, peck our food
This is the way we peck our food so early in the morning
This is the way we sit on our nests, sit on our nests, sit on our nests
This is the way we sit on our nests so early in the morning
This is the way we flap our wings, flap our wings, flap our wings
This is the way we flap our wings so early in the morning

February 19, 2014 Story Time - Arctic Animals

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



Hello, Arctic!  by Theodore Taylor  Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine*
Over in the Arctic  by Marianne Berkes  Illustrated by Jill Dubin
Arctic Hares  by Helen Frost
In Arctic Waters  by Laura Crawford  Illustrated by Ben Hodson*
Mama, Do You Love Me?  by Barbara M. Joosse  Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
Live in a Polar Region  by Carol K. Lindeen*
Baby Animals of the Frozen Tundra  by Carmen Bredeson

Our craft was a walrus puppet found in the book: Seasonal Storytime Crafts by Kathryn Totten  page 47

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "A", "P", "S" & "W", the sounds the letters make and words that begin with those letters

10 Little Polar Bears
1 little, 2 little, 3 little polar bears
4 little, 5 little, 6 little polar bears
7 little, 8 little, 9 little polar bears
10 little polar bears playing in the snow

Fingerplay
One little polar bear feeling kind of blue
Along came another one and then there were two
Two little polar bears feeling quite free
Along came another one and then there were three
Three little polar bears wanting something more
Along came another one and then there were four
Four little polar bears feeling quite alive
Along came another one and then there were five
THEN
We counted down from 5 to 1

February 12, 2014 Story Time - Valentine's Day

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read



10 Valentine Friends  by Janet Schulman*
The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever  by Brenda A. Ferber
Let's Get Ready for Valentine's Day  by Lloyd G. Douglas*
The Night Before Valentine's Day  by Natasha Wing
Boy + Bot  by Ame Dyckman*
1,2,3 Valentine's Day  by Jeanne Modesitt
If You'll Be My Valentine  by Cynthia Rylant

For our craft we colored and decorated Valentine cards found here:
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mcards-preschool.htm

Extra activities:
We talked about the letters "V", "F", "L", "K" and "H", the sounds they make and words that begin with those letters

Ten Little Valentines
One little, two little, three little valentines
Four little, five little, six little valentines
Seven little, eight little, nine little valentines
Ten little valentines in a row!
(Then we counted backwards, down from ten)

If You Love Me and You Know It (sung to "If You're Happy and You Know It')
If you love me and you know it, clap your hands
If you love me and you know it, clap your hands
If you love me and you know it,
Then you're face will surely show it
If you love me and you know it, clap your hands

Other verses:
Blow me a kiss
Give me a hug

Five little Valentines
Five little valentines from the grocery story - I sent one to mother, now there are four
Four little valentines pretty ones to see - I gave one to my brother, now there are three
Three little valentines what'll I do? - I gave one to my sister, now there are two
Two little valentines it's so much fun - I gave one to daddy, now there is one
One little valentine I'm almost through, who should I give it to? How about YOU!

This Valentine is shaped like.....
(children must guess what shape and color)
This valentine is shaped like a square (red)
This valentine is shaped like a bear (red)
This valentine is shaped like a circle (light purple)
This valentine is colored purple (heart)
This valentine is shaped like a rectangle (dark pink)
This valentine is shaped like a triangle (light pink)
This valentine is shaped like a dove (white)
This valentine is shaped with love!

February 5, 2014 Story Time - Snowmen

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

(*marks the books we read)



Snowmen at Night  by Caralyn Buehner*
Sneezy the Snowman  by Maureen Wright
Snowboy 1, 2, 3  by Joe Wahman*
Snowzilla  by Janet Lawler*
S is for Snowman  by Kathy-jo Wargin
A Really Good Snowman  by  Daniel J. Mahoney

For our craft we decorated a snowman shape with winter stickers

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "S", the sound it makes and words that start with "S"

I'm a Friendly Snowman (sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a friendly snowman big and fat
(stretch arms out to sides)
Here is my tummy and here is my hat
(point to tummy and then to your head)
I'm a happy fellow, here's my nose
(smile, then point to your nose)
I'm all snow from my head to my toes
(point to head and then to toes)
I have two bright eyes so I can see
(point to your eyes)
All the snow falling down on me
(flutter fingers downward)
When the weather's cold I'm strong and tall
(stand up tall)
But when it's warm I get very small
(crouch down low)

Where is Snowman? (sung to "where is Thumbkin")
Where is snowman? Where is snowman?
(hide hands behind back)
Here I am. Here I am.
(hold up each index finger)
How are you today sir?
(wiggle each index finger as if talking)
Very well, I thank you
(wiggle each index finger again)
Melt away. Melt away
(hide hands behind back)

January 29, 2014 Story Time - Quilts & Blankets

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did

(*marks the books we read)



A Quilt for Baby  by Kim Lewis*
Grandmother Winter  by Phyllis Root
Quilt Counting  by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Oh, Brother  by Kathy Mallat
Flora's Blanket  by Debi Gliori*
Fly Blanky Fly  by Anne Margaret Lewis

The craft we made can be found at:
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/GroundhogPuzzle.htm

Extra activities:

We talked about the letters "B" and "Q", the sounds they make and words that start with those letters

Blanket Colors (guessing game)
I once had a blanket
it was fluffy and new
I once had a blanket
and its color was _____ (blue)

I once had a blanket
the prettiest I've seen
I once had a blanket
and its color was _____(green)

I once had a blanket
soft as a pillow
I once had a blanket
and its color was _____(yellow)

I once had a blanket
at the foot of my bed
I once had a blanket
and its color was _____(red)

January 22, 2014 Story Time - Hats & Mittens

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

(*marks the books we read)




The Hat  by Jan Brett*
Hats Can Help  by Alice K. Flanagan
One Mitten  by Kristine O'Connell George*
Zoe's Hats: a Book of Colors and Patterns  by Sharon Lane Holm
A Mountain of Mittens  by Lynn Plourde

For our craft we glued two mittens on paper, glued a piece of yarn from one mitten to the other and added cotton and sequins to decorate.

Other activities:

We talked about the letters "H" and "M", the sound they make and other words that begin with those letters

We played a matching mitten game

My Hat (make triangle with thumb and index fingers)
My hat has three corners (put triangle on head)
Three corners has my hat (hold up three fingers)
If it did not have three corners (shake head "no")
It would not be my hat (place triangle on head again)

Mitten Weather
The thumb in the thumb place
Fingers all together
This is the song we sing
When it's mitten weather

January 15, 2014 Story Time - Winter Clothes

If you missed this weeks story time here is what we did:

(*marks the books we read)



The Jacket I Wear in the Snow  by Shirley Neitzel*
Froggy Gets Dressed  by Jonathan London
Ruthie's Big Old Coat  by Julie Lacome*
A New Coat for Anna  by Harriet Ziefert

The craft we made can be found at: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/winter/mpaper-winterwear.htm

Extra activities:

We talked about the letter "J", "H" and "B" (jacket, hat & boots) the sounds the letters make and other words that start with those letters

Five Little Snowflakes (magnetic board rhyme)

One little snowflake with nothing to do
Along came another and
Then there were two

Two little snowflakes laughing with me
Along came another and
Then there were three

Three little snowflakes looking for some more
Along came another and
Then there were four

Four little snowflakes dancing a jive
Along came another and
Then there were five

Five little snowflakes having so much fun
Out came the sun and
Then there were none!