December 16, 2015 Story Time - Reindeer

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

*marks the books we read

The Great Reindeer Rebellion  by Lisa Trumbauer*
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  by Robert Lewis May
Rudolph's Christmas Party!  by Mary Man-Kong*
Caribou: and Reindeer, Too  by Joyce L. Markovics
Olive the Other Reindeer  by J. Otto Seibold
Bob and 6 more Christmas Stories  by Sandra Boynton*
Merry Christmas Samantha Reindeer  by Eugene Bradley Coco

For our craft we made a reindeer ornament like the one here:
http://goo.gl/tTOaQj

We also made candy cane and round ornaments with pipe cleaners and beads

December 9, 2015 Story Time - Winter/Polar Animals

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

*marks the books we read

Polar Animals  by Paul Hess*
Polar Bear by Trevor Ricketts
10, 9, 8 Polar Animals! A Counting Backward Book  by Rebecca Fjelland Davis*
No  by Claudia Rueda*
Bear Has a Story to Tell  by Philip C. Stead
Polar Animals  by Deborah Hodge
Animal Babies in Polar Lands  by Jennifer Schodield*
The Magic School Bus Presents Polar Animals  by Cynthia O'Brien
20 Fun Facts About Penguins  by Heather Moore Niver

For our craft we made a circle polar bear like the one here:
http://goo.gl/SwJ48w


Extra activities:
Polar bear, polar bear
Polar bear, polar bear turn around
polar bear, polar bear touch the ground
polar bear, polar bear growl real loud
polar bear, polar bear sit on the ground

Five Little Polar Bears
One little polar bear
wondering what to do
along came another
then there were two!
Two little polar bears
climbing up a tree
along came another
then there were three!
Three little polar bears
ate an apple core
along came another
then there were four!
Four little polar bears
happy to be alive
along came another
then there were five!

5 Perky Penguins
Five perky penguins, stood on the shore
one went for a swim, and then there were four
four perky penguins, looked out to sea
One went swimming, and then there were three
three perky penguins said, "What can we do?"
one jumped in the water, and then there were two
two perky penguins, sat in the sun
one swam off, and then there was one
one perky penguin said, "this is no fun!"
he dived in the water, and then there were none

December 2, 2015 Story Time - Hibernation

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

*marks the books we read

Hibernation  by Margaret Hall*
Wake me in Spring  by James Preller
Animal Hibernation  by Jeanie Mebane
Every Autumn Comes the Bear  by Jim Arnosky*
Over and Under the Snow  by Kate Messner
Animals are Sleeping  by Suzanne Slade*
Time to Sleep  by Denise Fleming

For our craft we made a picture like this one from:http://goo.gl/vRh8oU

Extra activities:
Where is bear?
(substitute any hibernating animal - sung to "Where is Thumbkin?")
Where is bear? Where is bear?
here I am, here I am
How are you this winter?
very tired, thank you
go to sleep
go to sleep
(other animals you can use in the song: badger, chipmunk, groundhog, turtle, frog, bat, etc)

Bear is sleeping
(sung to "Frere Jacques")
Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
let it snow! let it snow!
sleeping all the winter, sleeping all the winter
snug and warm, snug and warm
bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
in a cave, in a cave
I wonder when he'll come out, wonder when he'll come out
in the spring, in the spring

November 25, 2015 Story Time - Turkeys

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

*marks the books we read

Gobble Gobble  by Cathryn Falwell*
Turkey Day  by Grace Maccarone
Turkeys Never Gobble!  by Joan Holub
Run, Turkey, Run!  by Diane Mayr*
10 Turkeys in the Road  by Brenda Reeves Sturgis
I'm No Turkey!  by Hans Wilhelm
This Is The Turkey  by Abby Levine*
Turkeys That Fly and Turkeys That Don't  by Allen Fowler
10 Fat Turkeys  by Tony Johnston

For our craft we made a paper turkey that looked like this:
http://goo.gl/6T9ljV

Extra activities

We talked about the parts of a turkey; head, body, beak, tail, wings, legs, etc and what people and turkeys have/don't have in common

Five Little Turkeys
Five little turkeys by the barn door
one waddled off, then there were four
four little turkeys out under the tree
one waddled, off, then there were three
three little turkeys with nothing to do
one waddled off, then there were two
two little turkeys in the noonday sun
one waddled off, then there was one
one little turkey - better run away!
soon it will be Thanksgiving day

If You're Thankful (sung to "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
if you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
if you're thankful and you know it
then your face will surely show it
if you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
(repeat with other actions like; stomp your feet, slap your knees, say "hurray")

November 18, 2015 Story Time - Time for Thanks and Thanksgiving

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

Thanks for Thanksgiving  by Julie Markes
The Great Thanksgiving Escape  by Mark Fearing
The Thankful Book  by Todd Parr
The Best Thanksgiving Ever  by Teddy Slater
Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks  by Margaret Sutherland
Grace's Thanksgiving  by Lisa Bullard
Thank You, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving for Emily Ann  by Teresa Johnston
Thanksgiving Is Here!  by Diane Goode

For our craft we colored a Thanksgiving turkey doorknob hanger

November 10, 2015 Story Time - Squirrels

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

*marks the books we read

Squirrels and Their Nests  by Martha E. H. Rustad*
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin  by Beatrix Potter
I See a Squirrel  by Alex Appleby*
One Wide Sky A Bedtime Lullaby  by Deborah Wiles
The Very Best Bed  by Rebekah Raye*
Earl the Squirrel  by Don Freeman
Nuts to You!  by Lois Ehlert*

For our craft we colored a picture of a squirrel, pasted on the letter "S" for it's tail and taped it to a craft stick to make a puppet.

Extra activities

Help your child think of words that start with the letter "S"

Help your child think of words that rhyme with the foods that squirrels eat; "nuts", "seeds", etc

Five Little Squirrels Fingerplay
Five little squirrels sitting by the door,
One ran away and then there were four.
Four little squirrels climbing up a tree,
One ran away and then there were three.
Three little squirrels with coats so new.
One ran away and then there were two.
Two little squirrels warming in the sun,
One ran away leaving only one.
One little squirrel wasn't having any fun,
He ran away and then there were none.

November 4, 2015 Story Time - Birds

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

*marks the books we read

Birds  by Kevin Henkes*
Bring on the Birds  by Susan Stockdale*
Mama Built a Little Nest  by Jennifer Ward
Birds and Their Nests  by Linda Tagliaferro*
Have You Heard the Nesting Bird  by Rita Gray
"I'm Not Cute"  by Jonathan Allen*

For our craft we glued birds onto a nest and covered them with feathers

Extra activities:

We talked about how birds are different than we are, we have skin to cover our bodies and birds have feathers; we have mouths and birds have beaks, etc

Little birds, little birds
Little birds, little birds, jump up and down
little birds, little birds, don't make a sound!
little birds, little birds, tip-toe to me
little birds, little birds, bend your knees!
little birds, little birds, peep, peep, peep
little birds, little birds, sleep, sleep, sleep
little birds, little birds, fly to the leaves!
little birds, little birds, sit down, please