Down on the Farm Preschool Story Time, 3/22/13

Down on the Farm Preschool Story Time, 3/22/13

This story time has been great the past few weeks, but this particular session was a bit more subdued and it was hard to tell whether the kids were having any fun. I also should have chosen different books - I was trying to get some new ones into my repertoire, but the old favorites would have worked  a lot better.

Book: I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman
A couple of kindergarteners came with younger siblings and they were able to anticipate each rhyming color in this cumulative story. I worried that the ending, which relies heavily on the illustration to make its point, would be too subtle for a read-aloud, and I was pretty much right. It ends on an odd and unsatisfying note and the kids picked up on that.

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake
They got surprisingly into this rhyme - I so wish I knew ten more like it! 

Book: Pip's Trip by Janet Stoeke
This is basically an easy reader in picture book format, and as such, it wasn't as good a read-aloud as I imagined.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out

Nursery Rhyme Flannel Board: To Market, To Market 
I used the farm animal flannel board  pieces I use for Old MacDonald and had the kids help me make silly rhymes with each animal's name to match the pattern and rhythm of "To Market, To Market". While I thought "jiggety jenguin" and "jiggety jelephant" were hilarious, the kids did not.
Book: Dance by the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder
This book was a dud, which shocked me. I think the older siblings thought it was babyish, and the little ones took their cues from them. I have had great luck with this one with three-year-olds in the past!

Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Shoes
A little girl whose class I regularly visit requested this song - it wound up being the highlight of the session!

Craft: Farmer Finger Puppets
I printed out clip art farmers, had the kids  color and cut them out. Then we taped them to old marker caps and turned them into finger puppets. Sounds easy, but attaching the puppets to marker caps stumped even the parents!

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.