Baby/Toddler Lap Time, 10/7

Opening Song: Hello, how are you? 

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big (twice)

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers (twice)

Book: This is NOT a Pumpkin by Bob Staake (2007)
I really had no idea how this was going to go over, but it was a surprise hit. I think they liked the simplicity of the illustrations, and the punch line. My only criticism of the book itself is that it beats the punch line over the head, resulting in a somewhat anti-climactic ending. But it would make an awesome flannel board adaptation. I might make that happen, since all I'd need to do is make a jack-o-lantern and memorize the story. We'll see.

Song: Brown Squirrel 
This was great! Babies love to watch puppets move around, and my makeshift popsicle stick puppet works really well for this one. I am going to start doing more of those.

Song: You Are My Sunshine (a cappella, sung twice)

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head and Shoulders


Flannel Board Song: Five Little Pumpkins
I sometimes find silence unnerving during story time, but I realized about halfway through this song that they were silent because they were engaged and interested in the song. That is such a great feeling!


Song: One Little Finger 

Song: Tommy Thumb

Book: Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin, Jr. (1989)
I have apparently never done this book at story time in our new location, which means it's going on a year since the last time I did it! That is appalling. This is a great story time book, and it's going right back into my repertoire!  

Book: Old MacDonald by Rosemary Wells (1998)
I thought doing this with a book would be a neat change of pace, but it actually kind of bombed. I think the book was too small. And I also don't think my audiences actually like this song. Oops.

Song: The Wheels on the Bus (Raffi)

Song: Chickadee
I keep saying I'm retiring this song, but there are two nannies who come on Fridays who love it, so I keep playing it when they're here. Also, I was running short today, and needed one more song to make it 20 minutes.

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
No more story time for me until Wednesday. That sounds relaxing, but I also know I will kind of miss it.  Still, it will be nice to have a two-day weekend instead of one day. Happy Friday!

Tales for Twos & Threes, 10/7

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Song: If You'd Like to Read a Book

Book: The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern (2009)
This story follows a tree through its life cycle, showing all of the animals and insects that make their homes around and inside it.  There are some great animal illustrations in this book, especially of the owl and the squirrels.

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Book: Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington (1990)
This is a quick little story about the growth and carving of a pumpkin. It was the perfect short book to follow the longer first book I read.

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Hands Are For Clapping

Flannel Board Song: Five Little Pumpkins
They loved this one! I was a little uncertain at first, but they clapped so hard at the end. I've discovered that it helps to say The End at the end of a flannel rhyme or song so they know it's over. That seems to make a big difference.

Song: One Little Finger 

Song: Tommy Thumb

Flannel Board Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm (a cappella)
I normally don't do two flannels in one story time, but I couldn't find all my farm puppets, so this was a backup plan. It worked fine - but I have to maybe cut out the dog and cat next time, because it started getting a little lengthy.

Song: ABCD Medley
One of the nannies (jokingly, I hope) asked me to learn Frere Jacques in Arabic. I do know it in Spanish, I could throw that out there, but I think Arabic is a reach for me!

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Now I'm off to do Baby/Toddler Lap Time!

Flannel Friday: Fall Post #4: Pumpkins

At long last, we come to the pumpkin post! This is my last official Fall flannel set, and it's going to be used quite a bit these next three weeks.

I came up with a little song, which is sung to the tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs. It's probably the primary way I'll use my pumpkins.

Five little pumpkins round

sat on the cold, cold ground

Out there in my big pumpkin patch.

A mommy came walking by

picked one to bake a pie,

now there are four little pumpkins round.

 

Four little pumpkins round

sat on the cold, cold ground

Out there in my big pumpkin patch.

A mommy came walking by,

picked one to bake a pie,

now there are three little pumpkins round. 

Three little pumpkins round

sat on the cold, cold ground

Out there in my big pumpkin patch.

A daddy came walking by,

picked one to bake a pie,

now there are two little pumpkins round.

Two little pumpkins round

sat on the cold, cold ground

Out there in my big pumpkin patch.

A grandpa came walking by,

picked one to bake a pie,

now there is one little pumpkin round.

One little pumpkin round

sat on the cold, cold ground

Out there in my big pumpkin patch.

A little boy came walking by,

picked it to bake a pie,

now there are no little pumpkins round.

The family clipart I used is from kizclub.com, and here are my pumpkins: pumpkins.pdf

Other pumpkin possibilities are below:

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting On a Gate

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, Oh, my it's getting late.

The second one said, There are bats in the air.

The third one said, "But we don't care.
The fourth one said, "Let's run, let's run!

The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun?
Then Woooooo went the wind
And out went the lights

And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

I learned to change witches to bats when I worked in a nursery school during college and have never gone back. I plan to do this as a fingerplay, rather than a song. It will probably work best with my preschool groups.


Mr. Pumpkin

Mr. Pumpkin,
Mr. Pumpkin,
Round and fat.
Round and fat.
Harvest time is coming.
Harvest time is coming.
Yum, yum, yum.
That is that!

[Source]

The tune is Where is Thumbkin. I plan to use this with my Lap Time groups as a simple song with a puppet. I have some popsicle sticks with Velcro on the end, so I can attach a pumpkin and hold it up as we sing. For my Halloween story time, I will change harvest time to Halloween.

Need more Fall ideas? Don't miss my posts about apples, squirrels, and leaves.

This week's Flannel Friday host is Anna at Future Librarian Superhero. Previous posts are gathered by Anne at So Tomorrow, as well as on Pinterest. Enjoy!