Opening Song: Story Time is Starting
This book was long, but the audience was attentive. It probably helped that they seemed to know Eric Carle's style.
Song: One Seed
Book: The Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel, illustrated by Anita Lobel
I hesitated to use this book because it's long and the pictures are hard to see but I wanted to try it anyway. To keep the kids engaged, I had the whole room buzz every time I mentioned the bee. I would probably not use it again without turning it into a flannel board or something more easily seen from a distance, but I was pleased with how well it went over, all things considered.
Song: Head and Shoulders
Song: Put Your Hands Up High
Song: Mr. Sun
Book: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
I think this was the favorite of the session. The chocolate bunnies are always a hit!
Song with Ukulele: My May Garden
In addition to the verses shown in the link, I also added one of my own: Bees in the flowers, buzz buzz buzz... I played the ukulele and let the group make up their own motions, and they did better than if they had been following me!
Book: Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
This was a new-to-me book and I liked the way the story connected to the Mary Mary Quite Contrary nursery rhyme. I think it might have gone over better as the opening book to the session, but I would definitely use it again.
Songs with Shaker Eggs:
- Can You Shake Your Egg with Me?
- Shake Your Eggs and Stop (with ukulele, to the tune of Ella Jenkins's Stop and Go)
- ABCs/Twinkle/Baa (with ukulele)
Song: Chickadee