T is for Toys and Teddy Bears!

What's more fun than toys and teddy bears?!

Books

Too Many Toys  by David Shannon

This book was "perfect" but a bit long.  I summarized the negation between Spencer and his mom so it wasn't so long.  "Spencer did not want to give up any of his toys!  But he knew his mother meant business so he made a deal with his mom that he would give away some of his toys, if he could be the one to choose which ones to keep…the ones he loved the best."

Where's My T-R-U-C-K?  by Karen Beaumont;  illustrated by David Catrow

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

Teddy
There was a boy who had a bear and Teddy was his name-o
T-E-D-D-Y, T-E-D-D-Y, T-E-D-D-Y
And Teddy was his name-o!

There was a boy who had a bear and Teddy was his name-o
T-E-D-D-(clap), T-E-D-D-(clap), T-E-D-D-(clap)
And Teddy was his name-o!

There was a boy who had a bear and Teddy was his name-o
T-E-D-(clap)-(clap), T-E-D-(clap)-(clap), T-E-D-(clap)-(clap)
And Teddy was his name-o!

Continue singing taking one letter away from the end each verse until you have five claps

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn around
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear dance on your toes
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch your nose
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear reach up high
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch the sky
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear bend down low
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear touch your toe.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear jump up now
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear take a bow!

Teddy Bear Hug
Do you have a moment please
To give this bear just one small squeeze?
'Cuz teddy bears need hugs to live
So don't you have just one to give?

Enrichment

Teddy Bear Sorters

Play dishes and food

Ball Puzzle Match

Teddy Bear Counting Book

Just a little six page book I made in Word.  A title page and each page had one simple sentence, "I see ___ teddy bears."  (1-5)  The children put the correct number of teddy bears stickers on each page.

W is for Winter (Olympics)

To celebrate the Winter Olympics I did a winter fun theme for outreach programs this month.  I mixed up the books depending on the amount of time I had, how attentive the children were, etc.

Books (KinderCare)

Pearl's New Skates  by Holly Keller

Snowman Magic  by Katherine Tegan; illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee  by Chris Van Dusen

Books (Welcome School)

A Perfect Day  by Carin Berger

The Snowmen Pop-up Book  by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner

Bunnies on Ice  by Johanna Wright

Songs/Action Activities

Snow  

Sung to: "This old Man"

Snow is falling on the ground
We can make things all around
Like snowmen, snowballs
Snow forts, too.
There are lots of things to do.

Snow is falling come and see
You can have some fun with me
sledding, skating, skiing, too,
There are lots of things to do.

Build a Snowman

Act out getting dressed to go outside, building a snowman, adding all the snowman features, going inside and getting hot chocolate.

Five Little Snowmen (action rhyme)

Five little snowmen standing in a row.
(Hold up five fingers)

Each had two eyes and a carrot nose.
(Point to eyes; point to nose.)

Along came the sun and shone all day,
(Hold arms over head)

And one little snowman melted away.
(Hold up one finger; slowly "melt" to the ground.)

Four little snowmen...
Three little snowmen...
Two little snowmen...
One little snowman...

S is for Spiders...and other things that scare me!

There are things that may scare us...be we can also learn to be very brave!

Books

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!  by Lydia Monks

Go Away, Big Green Monster  by Ed Emberley

Used in place of a flannel board.  We "blow" the parts of the monster away!

Boom! Big, Big Thunder and One Small Dog  by Mary Lyn Ray; illustrated by Steven Salerno

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

There's a Spider on the Floor (words adapted by Tammy Henry)

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor
Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor?
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

There's a spider on my toe, on my toe
There's a spider on my toe, on my toe
How could it be so? There's a spider on my toe!
There's a spider on my toe, on my toe.

There's a spider on my knee, on my knee
There's a spider on my knee, on my knee
Oh, how could it be? There's a spider on my knee!
There's a spider on my knee, on me knee.

There's a spider on my tummy, on my tummy
There's a spider on my tummy, on my tummy
Oh it really isn't funny! There's a spider on my tummy!
There's a spider on my tummy, on my tummy.

There's a spider on my arm, on my arm
There's a spider on my arm, on my arm.
Oh, it doesn't mean any harm, this spider on my arm!
There's a spider on my arm, on my arm.

There's a spider on my face, on my face
There's a spider on my face, on my face
Oh, what a big disgrace! There's a spider on my face!
There's a spider on my face, on my face.

There's a spider on my head, on my head
There's a spider on my head, on my head
Oh, I wish I was in bed! There's a spider on my head!
There's a spider on my head, on my head.

Now, the spider's on the floor, on the floor
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor
Who could ask for any more, than a spider on the floor
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffett sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away!

What else scared Miss Muffet away?  Answers included: dog, alligator, and dragon

Enrichment Activities

Spider webs

Cut and paste--match number of dots on spider with numeral on web from Paging Supermom

Enjoying Go Away, Big Green Monster

Buffet

Book Display 

Buffet--All You Can Read!

Pictures books, chapter books and non-fiction books about food and eating!!

R is for Raccoon...and other forest animals

A day to celebrate my storytime puppet friend, Henrietta Raccoon!

Books

Brave Little Raccoon  by Erica Wolf

Little Owl's Night  by Divya Srinivasan

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

If you're ever in the forest
(tune:  Have you ever seen a Lassie?)

If you're ever in the forest, the forest, the forest
If you're ever in the forest, you might see a raccoon.
It climbs a tree and hides from me.
If you're ever in the forest you might see a raccoon.

Additional verse:

Deer...With antlers on one, the other may run
Snake...It hides in grass and slithers real fast
Skunk...It's black and white, get out of sight!

Wise, Old Owl
There was a wise, old owl--
Who lived up in a tree.
He sat upon a branch--
So all the world he'd see.
He looked at a snake,
He looked at a bee.
He looked at a mouse,
But he winked at me!

Enrichment Activities

Sorting small, medium, and big forest animals (from Two Teaching Mommies)

Forest Animal Tracks puzzle (also from Two Teaching Mommies)

Make a simple bird feeder
Cheerios on a pipe cleaner to hang in a tree

Forest Tree Puppet and finger puppets

Valentines I passed out to my preschool pals!

Have a "dino"-mite Valentine's Day!  (with plastic dinosaur)
Have a colorful Valentine's Day! (with pack of 4 crayons)
You blow me away Valentine! (with bubbles)
Have a crazy Valentine's Day! (with crazy straw)

Read 20 minutes a Day!

Source

Take Your Child to the Library Day--Luau Style!

It has been so cold here in Nebraska that we thought a Luau theme would be a perfect way to celebrate this day!

Activities included:

Pawsitive Reading

Legos @ your library  (to see all the awesome creations visit our Lego blog)

Scavenger Hunt

Bookmarks

Guessing Game

READ posters

And free plastic leis for everyone!