Cute as a Bug

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Bugs and insects are totally cool, so I read a few stories about those fabulous creatures!

Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley
A caterpillar reassures a worried bear that they will see each other again when the caterpillar emerges from its cocoon.




"The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" Action Song:
The itsy-bitsy spider went 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 went up the spout again!

Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming
Illustrations and rhyming text reveal the great variety of beetles and their swirling, humming, crashing activities.




"Busy Bees" Fingerplay:
Here is the beehive
Where are all the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees
Now they come creeping
Out of the hive
One, two, three, four, five
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

"My Friendly Caterpillar" Action Rhyme:
My friendly caterpillar
Made its cocoon one day
It turned into a butterfly
And quickly flew away!

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
A lonely firefly goes out into the night searching for other fireflies.

We were busy bees during craft time...
Making busy bees with word wings!

Head to Toe

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Today we practiced identifying parts of the body with some AMAZING books!

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Readers participate by trying out the movements of several different animals!



"Where is Thumbkin?" Action Song:
Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am!
Here I am!
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away.
Run away.

Additional verses:  pointer, tall man, ring man, pinkie

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
In the rhythm of a familiar folk song, a child cannot resist adding one more dab of paint in surprising places!


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

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and James Dean
Pete loves the buttons on his shirt so much, he makes up a song about them.  And even as the buttons pop off, he still finds reason to sing!

"Buttons come and buttons go..." 
This Pete the Cat craft helps us remember, "It's all good."

Monster Madness

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Thank you, Miss Tiffany, for sharing alphabet and animal books with us this morning.  We love our visits from the Children's Museum!

This afternoon, we practiced our best monster growl as we read...

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Leonardo is a terrible monster -- he can't seem to frighten anyone. When he discovers the perfect nervous little boy, will he scare the lunch out of him? Or will he think of something better?

My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
A young monster describes all the things its mother does to show she loves it.

If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca and Ed Emberly
Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement.

SuperMom!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Today we celebrate Mother's Day at Story Time!

Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
A young llama asks his friends if their mamas are llamas and finds out, in rhyme, that their mothers are other types of animals.




"Mommy, Mommy" Action Rhyme:

Mommy, Mommy, let's sweep the floor
Mommy, Mommy, let's go to the store
Mommy, Mommy, let's bake a cake
Mommy, Mommy, let's take a break!

Mommy, Mommy, I love you so
Mommy, Mommy, watch me grow
Mommy, Mommy, turn out the light
Mommy, Mommy, say, "Goodnight!"

Thanks, Mom! by Ed Emberly
Kiko the mouse finds some delicious cheese and gets help from his mother when a group of various animals tries to take it.



"I Love Mommy" Song:
(to the tune of "Frere Jacque")

I love Mommy
I love Mommy
Yes I do
Yes I do
And my mommy loves me
And my mommy loves me
Loves me too!
Loves me too!

Hello Baby! by Mem Fox
A baby encounters a variety of young animals, including a clever monkey, a hairy warthog, and a dusty lion cub, before discovering the most precious creature of all.

We made these awesome Mother's Day cards during craft time!
It was really fun to rip the construction paper into little pieces...



April Showers Bring...

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

April showers bring...  MAY FLOWERS!

Split!  Splat! by Amy Gibson
When a little girl ventures out into a spring rain with her dog, singing a simple, plain, pitter-patter rain song, her neighbors soon join her for some muddy-day fun.



"Itsy-Bitsy Spider" Action Song:

The itsy-bitsy spider went 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 went up the spout again

Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein
Though everyone eagerly awaits the rain, it is slow in coming.





"Rain is Falling" Action Rhyme:

The rain is falling down, splat
The rain is falling down, splat
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter
Rain is falling down, splat

The sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo
The sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo
Peeking here, peeking there
The sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden.

Cupcake liners, check.
Buttons and craft sticks, check.
Blue and green construction paper, check.
Drumroll, please...
FLOWERS BLOOM!