After School Read-Aloud and Craft (Bugs Theme), 4/26/12

There has been no attendance at all at this program the past few weeks, probably because of Spring Break. Most of the regulars were back today, so I had about 9 kids. This time, I read the books first, then invited the kids to do the craft and talked with them while they worked. I have to work on how best to set up the room to facilitate that kind of interaction more often.

The Read-Alouds: Bug Books

Book 1: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969)

Book 2: Ride, Fly Guy, Ride! by Tedd Arnold (2012)

Book 3: Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk (2007)

The Craft: Band-aid Butterflies 

(This idea was inspired by Storytime Katie's Sick & Get Well Soon story time.)

I. Supplies 

• Colorful Band-aids
• Tissues
• Blue construction paper 
• Markers 

II. Prep

There was no real preparation for me to do, other than creating an example and providing the materials.

III. Process 
I didn't realize until I started writing this post that I actually did this craft backwards from the way I've seen it on Katie's blog and on Pinterest. I used tissue for the butterfly's body and a band-aid for the wings. The kids really enjoyed it. One boy who was around 4 or 5 told me he made a butterfly family "and a brother and a sister!" Another little girl, who usually needs a lot of help, did this one almost entirely on her own, and announced halfway through, "This butterfly is the baby." All of  them used slightly different approaches to the antenna and some even colored on the tissues to give the bodies some color. It was a great success, and I will definitely file it away to try again.

The Display: More Buggy Books

• The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle (1950)
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (1970)
• Miss Spider's New Car by David Kirk (1997)
• Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel (1978)
• Bug Safari by Bob Barner (2004)
• Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids by David Kirk (2004)
• Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian (1998)

Baby Lap Time, 4/26/12

I will be doing outreach during the Friday Lap Time session, so someone else is covering it for me. Therefore, I am just posting about today's, which was one of the best ones we've had.

Opening Song: Say Hello

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Fingerplay: Two Little Bunnies (based on Two Little Blackbirds)

Song: All the Little Babies
Some of the babies right around 12 months old giggle hysterically during this song.

Book: Leap Back Home To Me by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (2011)
I like to read these sweet parent/child bonding stories to the baby groups because the parents always say "awww" and the kids are young enough that almost everything is interesting to them. Older kids are easily bored by this book, but the babies were into it. 

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Eyes Nose Cheeky Cheeky Chin

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Book: Hoot, Howl, Hiss by Michelle Koch (1991)
I love all the opportunities for making sounds in this book - today's parents and caregivers did an exceptional job, especially when it came to sounding like monkeys!
 
Rhyme with Puppets: I'm a Little Bumblebee
I ask the parents to lift the babies up when we say "fly away." It's awesome to look around the room and see all these laughing little ones being lifted into the air.  

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

Flannel Board: Five Little Birdies (based on Five Little Fairies)

Songs with Shaker Eggs: 

• Can You Shake Your Egg with Me?
• ABC Song

Goodbye Song: Open, Shut Them (Goodbye Version)

6 Kids' Books About Brothers

	Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman Gabe tries to hide the fact that he is attending a gifted enrichment camp in order to convince his new stepbrother Zack that he is cool.
	Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume Fudge's antics drive his older brother, Peter, even crazier than usual at the family's summer house.
	Troublemaker  by Andrew Clements Clay gets in trouble just to impress his brother Mitch, but when Mitch mends his ways, Clay must learn how to leave his troublemaker past behind.
	Odd Girl In  by Jo Whittemore Alex Evins and her prankster twin brothers are forced to attend character-building classes after their father learns of a botched prank involving fire.
	Elisa in the Middle  by Johanna Hurwitz Elisa Michaels gets used to being the middle child between big brother Russell and new baby brother Marshall.
	Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney "Wimpy kid" Greg Heffley finds ways to cope with the cruelty of his older brother Rodrick.