Preschool Story Time, 12/5 (Hibernation Theme)

Today's story time was performed out in the open carpeted area by our picture books. The story time room had to be painted (yes, again), and the paint fumes were still strong when we came in today. So this group was a mix of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary schoolers. The theme was hibernation, and it was actually a pretty terrible theme. All the books were more or less the same, and all my songs were difficult to sing and even harder to teach. I think these activities would work well on their own in a classroom setting, but it was too much to pull together for one story time session. I feel like I bombarded the kids with too much information and bored them.


Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Rhyme: Brown Bears Do It
I asked the kids to participate in this rhyme by calling out, "They hibernate!" This was mainly to keep the rhyme from sounding suggestive to me, as it did before I presented it with the title, "Who Hibernates?" I lost my flannel board ladybug, so there was a false start at the beginning as I realized I needed to replace it with a different creature.

Book: Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling (2001)
This book explores questions about where animals go in the winter. Since today's group included school-age kids, they actually gave guesses as to how the questions would be answered, which was a great addition.

Rhyme: Here is a Cave
This is a terrible action rhyme. The actions are hard to model and hard to duplicate, and it goes on forever with the same motion before switching to another one. Also, the words were impossible for  the kids to learn - and for me to memorize!

Book: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming (1997)
This story begins with bear reminding snail that winter has come and comes full circle when ladybug comes back to warn bear.

Song: Time for Hibernation
Another surprisingly bad idea. There is no refrain to the song, so no one knew what to sing, and  the flannel board wasn't big enough to accommodate everything.

Book: Bear Dreams by Elisha Cooper (2006)
Bear is determined to run and play and never rest, but instinct takes over and soon he is sound asleep anyway!

Rhyme: Two Little Black Bears

Song: Where is Bear?

Book: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (2008)
I decided to read a fourth book instead of trying to do any more clunky or otherwise ridiculous songs. It made a nice ending, because it looks forward to spring when hibernating animals will wake up once again. 

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

One more Monday story time ever! Then it switches to Thursday, and the themes are much broader and more interesting. Can't wait! 

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.