Builders and Diggers Preschool Story Time, 5/3/13
Book: Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
This is a lengthy book for preschoolers, but the kids were really into it, especially one boy of about three, who sat in his mom's lap and just stared into the pictures the whole time. The story, which is based on the author's real experiences, shows the step by step process of building a house in a very straightforward and easy-to-understand tone. It would be an even better read-aloud for early elementary schoolers, or for a beginning reader story time.
Song: Shake My Sillies Out
The older kids in this group often complain about this song, but we had been sitting for so long, and a couple of the kids were really little, so we danced around a little bit. Even the oldest girl, a kindergartener, begrudgingly sang along.
Book: Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman
I had this book and If I Built a House both on hand, with the idea that I would choose between them based on the ages of the kids. Since we had an infant and a toddler as well as a younger preschooler, I went with the sing-along book. It was a pretty big success, and the ending, where Old MacDonald is revealed to be building a farm hit the right note with just about everybody.
Song with Toolbox Prop: Here's My Toolbox
I made a toolbox! The kids were thrilled with this prop, and they seemed to like the song as well. This will be the focus of my Flannel Friday post on May 10. Check back then for photos and instructions on making your own.
Book: This is The House That Jack Built by Simms Taback
I always loved this poem as a kid, mostly because of the word "forlorn." I was careful to change "killed the rat" to "chased the rat" as I read, even though the rat is obviously dead in the illustrations. I just couldn't bring myself to say "killed" to a room full of preschoolers.
Activity: Playing with Duplo Blocks
I have a set of Duplo blocks from a program we did a while back, and this seemed like the perfect day to use them. We had an awesome time - the kids built everything from towers to abstract sculpture, and they were very willing to help clean up, too!
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.
