Flannel Friday: Holiday Extravaganza: One Menorah Candle & Five Little Presents

Today is Flannel Friday's Holiday Extravaganza! 

I am doing two holiday story times in two weeks - one for babies and toddlers, and one for preschool through age 8. I'm dividing the programs equally between Christmas and Hanukkah, so my extravaganza post includes two flannel boards, both of which I wrote myself for this year's story times.

Hanukkah

My Hanukkah rhyme is called One Menorah Candle, and it goes like this:

One menorah candle
burning oh so bright.
Now we'll add another one -
it's Hanukkah's second night!

(Repeat, counting up to eight candles.)

Eight menorah candles
burning oh so bright.
We're celebrating Hanukkah -
the festival of lights!

My flannel pieces are mostly ready - they just need Contact paper and Velcro - and when the rhyme is complete, they will look more or less like this:

(This rhyme could also be done using all your fingers, minus the thumbs.)

Christmas

My Christmas idea has to do with the spirit of giving, and it's called Five Little Presents.

Five little presents underneath the tree
Five little presents  - could these all be for me?
I unwrap the red one to find out what's in there
I open up the box and it's a... TEDDY BEAR!

Four little presents underneath the tree
Four little presents - could these all be for me?
I unwrap the blue one  so I can take a look
I open up the box and it's a ... BRAND-NEW BOOK!

Three little presents underneath the tree
Three little presents  - could these all be for me?
I unwrap the green one. I can hardly wait!
I open up the box and  it's a... PAIR OF SKATES!

 
Two little presents underneath the tree

Two little presents - could these both be for me?
I unwrap the purple one. I wonder who it's from!
I open up the box and it's a... LITTLE DRUM!

 
 
One little present underneath the tree

One little present - but this one's not for me!
Let's unwrap the gold one - it's a note for all of you.
To wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year too!

The note doesn't show up in the photo very well, but it looks like this close up:

I'm really looking forward to my first holiday flannel boards. I was so new last year, I planned my holiday story times for Saturday at my boss's suggestion and learned the hard way that people don't come to Saturday programs here. (Attendance was literally zero.) So this will be my first time doing a holiday story time - can't wait! And I also can't wait to see what everyone else has come up with for today! I'll be at staff development day all day, but I'll so be checking the round-up when I get home!

The host of this week's Flannel Friday Extravaganza is Library Quine. Also check out Flannel Friday's boards on Pinterest, and the list of previous Flannel Friday round-ups at So Tomorrow.

Gettin' Crafty Post #8: Stencils

For an introduction to this new series of Gettin' Crafty posts, visit Post #1.

I. Supplies 

Super Mega Stencil Kit (from Oriental Trading)

Colored Pencils

Crayons 

 Plain Paper

II. Prep

I keep a stash of manila paper on hand, all the sheets of which are cut in half to make the supply last longer. Aside from that far-in-advance preparation, there is nothing else needed.

III. Instructions

This set of stencils includes a variety of themes. For our first time using them, I just put out the fantasy set, and advertised it as an opportunity to draw a fantasy scene. The stencils are somewhat difficult to use, but the older kids had no problems at all, and the younger ones just colored without regard for  the stencils. Some of the kids also used them as rubbings instead of stencils.

Next time: Cat Magic Color Scratch

6 Kids' Books About Shopping

	Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney Llama Llama throws a tantrum in the grocery store.
	At the Supermarket by Anne Rockwell A toddler-friendly narrative of a trip to the store.
	The Mystery in the Mall by Gertrude Chandler Warner The Boxcar Children volunteer to work in a mall and uncover a mystery!
	Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw The sheep go shopping for a present.
	Something About Hensley's by Patricia Polacco Patricia Polacco's portrait of a general store that has everything any family could need - big or small.
	Don't Forget the Oatmeal by B.G. Ford Bert and Ernie go grocery shopping, and manage to forget the oatmeal despite repeated reminders.

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 11/29

Opening Song: Hello, how are you? 

Book: Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh (1991)
I had never read this at story time before, but I wanted something new for today, so I gave it a shot. It's on the long side, and the counting is broken up by text which threw off the nannies who like to shout the numbers from 1 to 10 on cue, but it was still probably the best of the Mouse books, in terms of this age group.

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big  

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Book: One Naked Baby by Maggie Smith (2007)
I didn't realize how Spring-themed this book really is until about the second reading. I want to remember it for  my Spring baby lap time, though, because the moms with babies all thought it was funny, even when no one else really seemed to like it much.

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Hands Are For Clapping 

Flannel Board Song: Who is  Knocking at My Door?

Rhyme: Little Mousie Brown (Session 1 only)
Well... this needs work. I need to practice it more.

Song: Rum Sum Sum (Sessions 1 and 2 only)
I'm trying to reintroduce some of the songs and rhymes I want to use this Winter, and I was amazed at how many remembered this one from the summer! 

Song:  Monkeys on the Bed (Session 2 only, by request)
One of my regulars specifically asked for this song, so I said I would do it. Unfortunately, if you allow one request, you open the floodgates for more, which is how session 3 ended up with The Wheels on the Bus.

Song: Wheels on the Bus (Session 3 only, by request)

Song: One Little Finger (Sessions 1 and 2 only)

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This