Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Reindeer Games

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

"If You're Happy and You Know It" Action Song:
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
Additional Verses --
stomp your feet
shout, "Hooray!"
do all three

"Peanut Butter Sandwich" Action Rhyme:
A peanut butter sandwich made with jam
One for me, and one for David Anram
A peanut butter sandwich made with jam
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!

"Pot of Tea" Action Rhyme:
Here's a cup, and here's a cup
And here's a pot of tea
Pour a cup, and pour a cup
And share a drink with me!

Brrrr!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

I Am Grateful For...

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Gobble Gobble!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Time to Read!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013



Look Whooo's Counting by Suse MacDonald
The reader is asked to find numbers that are transformed into animal shapes and hidden in the illustrations.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Five Fat Peas" Action Rhyme:
Five fat peas, in a pea pod pressed
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest
They grew and they grew and they did not stop
Until one day, the pod went POP!


Daddy Hugs 1-2-3 by Karen Katz
A loving father counts the number of hugs he gives his baby to say I love you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Ten in the Bed" Action Song:
There were ten in the bed, and the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over"
And they all rolled over, and one fell out!
Repeat as you count down to zero
 


Goodnight Moon 1 2 3:  A Counting Book by Margaret Wise Brown
A little bunny counts and bids goodnight to all the objects in his room before falling asleep.









Tick-tock!  We practiced counting by making a clock!
 

Books Don't Grown on Trees!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

"If You're Happy and You Know It" Action Song:
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
Additional verses:  stomp your feet, shout "Hooray!", do all three

"The More We Get Together" Action Song:
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together, the happier we'll be
For your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends
The more we get together, the happier we'll be!

Morning Story Time @ 10:30am:





Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
A man made of leaves blows away, traveling wherever the wind may take him.





The morning group created these awesome fall trees with paper bags!
Thanks to the Pikadilly Charm blog for the awesome idea!!!

 Afternoon Story Time @ 3:30pm:

The afternoon kiddos created these awesome Book Worm bookmarks!


'Dem Bones

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Bats in the Belfry

Wednesdsay, October 23, 2013

Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde
Meet the tiny, pig-nosed bumblebee bat of Thailand!









"Five Little Bats" Action Rhyme:
Five little bats sitting on a gate.
First one said, "Oh my, it's getting late."
Second one said, "There are mosquitoes in the air."
Third one said, "Let's eat them up right here!"
Fourth one said, "I'm ready for some fun!"
Fifth one said, "Let's flap and run."
The whoooo went the wind, and out went the light,
And the five little bats flew off in the night.


Boo, Bunny by Kathryn Galbraith
Two small bunnies face their fears while trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Five Little Bats on a Dark Night" Action Rhyme:
Five little bats on a dark, dark night
Five little bats are quite a sight
Five little bats.  Are you keeping score?
One flies away and that leaves four.
Four little bats as happy as can be.
One flies away and that leaves three.
Three little bats swooping to and fro.
One flies away and that leaves two.
Two little bats having lots of fun.
One flies away and that leaves one.
One little bat and we're almost done!
He flies away and that leaves none.


Mouse's First Halloween by Lauren Thompson
 "One spooky night in the fall, Mouse creeps out and hears bats flying flit! flit! flit! and apples dropping plop! plop! plop! and children singing 'trick or treat!' What could it be?"
 
 
 
 
 
 




Our Bat Craft hangs upside down AND flaps its wings!
 
 
 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Hello, Fall!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Miss Tiffany from the Children's Museum visited us this morning!  She brought some super-fun activities, including self-esteem flags, friendship bracelets, crazy glasses and face painting crayons.  We had a blast.  In the afternoon...

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
A yellow leaf is not ready to fall from the tree when autumn comes, but finally, after finding another leaf still on the tree, the two let go together.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Five Little Leaves" Action Rhyme:
Five little leaves on the tree next door
One fell off, and then there were four
Four little leaves all over the tree
One fell off, and then there were three
Three little leaves where the wind blew
One fell off, and then there were two
Two little leaves sitting in the sun
One fell off, and then there was one
One little leaf in the tree all alone
The wind blew and blew
And now there are none!
 


Who Loves the Fall by Bob Raczka
 Rhyming text and illustrations portray the sights and sounds of autumn, from "rakers, leapers, and corn crop reapers" to "trickers, treaters, and turkey eaters."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"The Leaves are Falling Down" Action Song:
To the tune of "The Farmer and the Dell"
The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green and brown
The leaves are falling down
 


Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
A man made of leaves blows away, traveling wherever the wind may take him.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


We created these awesome fall trees at craft time!
Thanks to the Pikadilly Charm blog for the idea. :)
 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Sleepy Time!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed? by Barney Saltzberg
Cornelius the pig has his own style when preparing for bed, but he does not really feel ready until he gets a hug.









"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Action Song:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are




Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
A young dinosaur takes on many challenges and wins every time. Then Dinosaur faces his toughest challenge of all: bedtime.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Big Yellow Moon" Action Rhyme:
Big yellow moon shines so bright
Glides across the starry night
Looks down at me asleep in bed
Whispers, "Good night, sleepyhead."
Big yellow moon, your turn is done.
Here comes Mr. Morning Sun!
I wake up, you go to bed
"Sleep well, moon, you sleepyhead."
 


Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
At bedtime, a little llama worries after his mother puts him to bed and goes downstairs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


This Moon and Stars Mobile is easy
to make!  I am feeling sleepy...
 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Pumpkin Spice Latte, Coming Right Up!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas
 When Duck decides to make a jack-o-lantern, he and his friends Pig and Mouse are in for a scary adventure.










"Three Little Pumpkins" Action Rhyme:
Three little pumpkins, sitting very still
In a pumpkin patch high upon a hill
The first one said, "I'm very green,
But I'll be orange by Halloween."
The second one said, "I'm on my way
To beoming a jack-o-lantern one day."
The third one said, "Oh me, oh my!
Tomorrow I'll be a pumpkin pie!"



Pumpkin Heads! by Wendell Minor
Pumpkin heads and jack-o-lanterns of all varieties abound when Halloween comes around.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Pumpkin, Pumpkin" Action Song:
Sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round?
Once you were a seed so small
Now you are a great big ball
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round?
 


Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch by Mary Peterson and Jennifer Rofe
Pigs have a wonderful time playing in the pumpkin patch and other spots on the farm, encountering other animals along the way.


Pumpkin Hats created many a photo op for our kiddos at Craft Time!
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Ha-pea-ly Ever After

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini!








"Two Little Blackbirds" Action Rhyme:
Two little blackbirds, sitting on a hill
One named Jack, one named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill

Two little blackbirds, sitting on a cloud
One named Quiet, one named Loud
Fly away Quiet, fly away Loud
Come back Quiet, come back Loud

Two little blackbirds, sitting in the snow
One named Fast, one named Slow
Fly away Fast, fly away Slow
Come back Fast, come back Slow

Yoga Bear by Karen Behan Pierce
Learn fun yoga poses like Tree, Dog and Dead Bug!










"Hokey Pokey" Action Song:
You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out
You put your right foot in, and you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

Additional verses --
Left foot
Right hand
Left hand
Whole self

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him have his spinach dessert until he cleans his plate.









We made our own Pea Family!
Aren't they cute?

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Ahoy, Matey!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th, we read some scurvy pirate books!

"If You're a Pirate and You Know It" Action Song:
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)
If you're a pirate and you know it, then you'll hear the sea winds blowin'
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

Additional verses--
walk the plank (stomp, stomp)
shout, "Ahoy!"
do all three

*Thank you to Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai at the Born Librarian blog for the lyrics!

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Jeremy Jacob joins Braid Beard and his pirate crew and finds out about pirate language, pirate manners, and other aspects of their life.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"The Day I Went to Sea" Action Song:
When I was one, I sucked my thumb
The day I went to sea.
I jumped aboard a pirate ship,
And the captain said to me:
We're going this way
And that way
And forward
And backward
Across the deep blue sea!
 
Additional verses--
When I was two, I tied my shoe...
When I was three, I scraped my knee...
When I was four, I shut the door...
When I was five, I learned to dive...


A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas by Philip Yates
This rhyming book offers a witty re-imagining of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"--with a sly buccaneer twist.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Every little pirate needs a parrot as a pet...
Ca-caw!  It's craft time!
 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Whoo? Whoo!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
While other animals sleep at night, some quietly and others noisily, some alone and others huddled together, a wide-eyed owl watches.









"Wide-Eyed Owl" Action Rhyme:
A wide-eyed owl with a pointed nose,
Two pointed ears and claws for toes
He lives way up in the tree
And when he looks at you
He flaps his wings and says, "Whoo, whoo!"

 Whoo?  Whoo? by David A. Carter
Shapes transform into animals as the reader tries to guess "whoo" we'll meet next.  A frog?  A lamb?  An owl?









"The Hokey Pokey:  Owl Style" Action Song:
You put your right wing in, you take your right wing out
You put your right wing in, and you shake it all about
You do the Owl Hokey Pokey and you fly yourself around
That's what it's all about -- whoo whoo!

Additional verses:
left wing
right claw
left claw
beak
whole self

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Three owl babies wake up to find their mother has flown away!  Sarah and Percy try to stay calm, but Bill cries, "I want my mommy!"







Whoo has the most adorable craft in the whole wide world?
We do, with these awesome owl pillow boxes!


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Monkey Business

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Kiki's Blankie by Janie Bynum
Kiki the monkey has many daring adventures with her polka-dot "blankie," but when it sails away without her and lands above a sleeping crocodile, she may not be brave enough to come to the rescue.








"Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree" Action Rhyme:
Five little monkeys, sitting in a tree
Teasing Mr. Crocodile, "You can't catch me!"
Here comes Mr. Crocodile, jaws open wide
SNAP!  That monkey down inside!

Continue counting down to one!

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
A counting book in which one by one the little monkeys jump on the bed only to fall off and bump their heads.







"Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" Action Rhyme:
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Continue counting down to one!


Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
An unobservant zookeeper is followed home by all the animals he thinks he has left behind in the zoo.







We went bananas at Craft Time, making these monkeys!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Chicken or the Egg?

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
Chicken's cow visitors try to jump, dance and wiggle on his couch, which is much too tiny for such exuberant activities!








"I Know a Chicken" Action Song:
I know a chicken
And she laid an egg
Oh, I know a chicken
And she laid an egg
Oh, my goodness!
What a shaky egg!

Shake 'em fast
Shake 'em slow
Shake 'em in a circle

Thank you Laurie Berkner Band for the music.  Listen in at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IIB3rLiB-0!

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
This picture book about transformations poses the age old question, "Which came first?"









"All Around the Kitchen" Action Song:
All around the kitchen, cock-a-doodle, doodle, doo (repeat x4)
Now stop right there, put your hands in your hair
Wave your arms in the air, turn around in a circle
All around the kitchen, cock-a-doodle, doodle, doo (repeat x4)
Now stop right there, make your arms into trees
Wave your arms in the breeze, now wobble your knees!
All around the kitchen cock-a-doodle, doodle, doo (repeat x4)
Now stop right there, put your arms into wings
Now flap those things, fly around in a circle
All around the kitchen, cock-a-doodle, doodle, doo (repeat x4)
Now stop!

Thanks to Dan Zane for the music!  Check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKSnyS-vmkg

Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman
An enterprising chicken attempts to help an artist paint the barnyard and accidentally turns the whole picture blue.








We made our very own Funky Chickens at Craft Time!
Ba-gock!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The EYES Have It!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Rooster's Off to See the World by Eric Carle
A simple introduction to the meaning of numbers and sets as a rooster, on his way to see the world, is joined by fourteen animals along the way.









"My Windows" Action Rhyme:
In my house are windows two, shining clear and bright.
I can drop the curtains down, shutting out the light.
Open, shut them, open, shut them; now 'tis dark, no light.
I can see your windows too, letting in the light.

A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy
Detailed collage illustrations accompanied by simple text present expanding views of familiar objects in nature, such as a bug and a flower.








"My Eyes" Action Rhyme:
Here are my eyes, one and two
I give a wink, so can you.
When they are open, I see the light
When they are closed, it's dark like night!


Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Illustrations and rhyming text present ten different endangered animals.









All the better to SEE you with -- at craft time!



Friday, August 16, 2013

Sssssssilly Sssssssnakes

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Ten mice outsmart a hungry snake!
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
"Oh I Wish I Was a Silly, Slippery Snake!" Action Song:
Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"
 
Oh I wish I was a silly, slippery snake
Oh I wish I was a silly, slippery snake
I'd slither across the floor and underneath the door
Oh I wish I was a silly, slippery snake
 


Crictor by Tomi Ungerer
Crictor the boa constrictor lives with Madame Bardot. He is a very helpful pet--especially when there are burglars in the neighborhood...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"There's a Boa" Action Rhyme:
There's a boa constrictor and here he comes
Oh no, he's got my toe
Oh gee, he's got my knee
Oh my, he's got my thigh
Oh fiddle, he's got my middle
Oh darn, he's got my arm
Oh heck, he's got my neck
Oh dread, he's got my head
Gulp!
 


Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
A brightly colored snake challenges readers to a game of hide and seek as he hides among familiar objects.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sssssslither into craft time with this ssssssssuper
sssssssnake finger puppet!

 

Here'sssssss what he lookssssss like in action!