Baby Lap Time, 5/10/12 & 5/11/12

In the past 9 months or so since it first began, Baby Lap Time has become my favorite program. This series, in particular, was great because many of our little ones learned to crawl or walk over the course of the six weeks, and I got to see their progress week-to-week. The 6 weeks went by way too fast - even though I am in no way ready for the next session yet, I am excited for it!

Here is what we did during our last sessions this week:

Opening Song: Say Hello

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon 

Flannel Board: Let's Make a Noise

Book: What Does Baby Say? by Begin Smart Books (2008)This is my all-time favorite baby lap time book. I hope the families who have come to all three series so far aren't sick of it! (It doesn't seem like they are. The parents actually seem to really love it.)

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky Chin
A dad who doesn't usually come to lap time commented, "This is too advanced for me."  It is tricky, but I think that is part of the fun for the grown-ups!

Book: All of Baby, Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler (2009)

I really expected parents to pick up on the "Me! I do!" refrain, but none of them did. And this book really is too long for babies. 

Rhyme:  I'm a Little Bumblebee
This has been my favorite rhyme of the entire series. I am thinking about rewriting it to suit animals like bats and owls for this summer.

Song: Mr. Sun 

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

Songs with Shaker Eggs: 

• Can You Shake Your Egg With Me?
• ABC Song

I'm not yet decided whether I will use shaker eggs this summer. They seemed to become more of an annoyance to the adults than anything, and the process of handing them out and collecting them becomes more burdensome the bigger our groups get. I'm still thinking it over. 

Goodbye Song: Open, Shut Them Goodbye Song

After School Read-Aloud and Craft: Henry and Mudge, 5/3/12

I read through all the Henry and Mudge books in a couple of days at the end of April, and learned that Henry's birthday is May 1st. When it came time to choose a theme for the Thursday after school program, I decided to read some Henry and Mudge books and give the kids the supplies for making mastiff puppets.

The Read-Alouds: Two Henry and Mudge Tales

Book One: Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson (1994)

I chose this book because it was checked in, for one thing, but also because it introduces Annie of the Annie and Snowball series. I think this book gets ignored by our Annie fans because they don't realize she's in it! As it turned out, my group was all boys, and none of them had ever read Henry and Mudge before, so it might have been lost on them, but they still seemed to like the differences between rough-and-tumble Henry and prissy Annie.

Book Two: Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson (2005)

I chose this book because it was an award-winner, and I needed some way to narrow down my choices. The kids seemed to like it, though they didn't have much to say when prompted.

The Craft: Mastiff Puppets

I. Supplies 

• Mastiff coloring page
• Crayons
• Tape
• Popsicle Sticks

II. Prep
I created one puppet just to show how it was to be put together. This was a last-minute craft, so I didn't get too fancy. I did, however, post the puppet on my sign promoting the story time so that Henry and Mudge fans might be drawn in. (None were, as it turned out.)

III. Process
The particular group I had was mostly regulars who are familiar with my "take your supplies and do whatever you want" approach to crafts. Only one girl, a kindergartener, felt that she absolutely must make her dog look exactly like Mudge. The others all had rainbow dogs, or red dogs, or whatever.

The Display: The Henry and Mudge Series, plus Annie and Snowball

I put out an array of books from both series, but the kids didn't pick them up and read them as they usually do with displayed books. This might have been because they all look kind of the same, or because they were so engrossed in their craft projects.

I want to do something for Henry's birthday again next year, but this time, I'll give myself more time to come up with more activities!

6 Sailing Books for Kids

	Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne Lindsay goes on a caribbean cruise  with just one thing in mind - having a fling with a new guy.
	Mallory on Board by Laurie Friedman Mallory boards a ship to celebrate the marriage of her two best friends' parents,  but is soon overcome with jealousy
	Jeremy Bender vs. The Cupcake Cadets by Eric Luper Jeremy and his best friend pose as Cupcake Cadets in order to enter a sailboat competition with a cash prize.
	Man Trip by Graham Salisbury Ledward, Calvin's mother's boyfriend, takes Calvin on a "man trip," during which Calvin learns to fish and develops respect for nature.
	Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome The four Walker children - John, Susan, Titty, and Roger -spend a summer sailing a boat around the Lake District and camping out on an island.
	Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker Dumped by her best friend, Clementine spends her family's summer voyage going over her mistakes and trying to forgive herself, while also flirting with James, whose family is traveling the same route.

Off-site Preschool Class Visit, 5/9/12

This preschool program finishes at the end of May, so today was my last visit. I was presented with a card with all the kids' handprints on it, and an inside message saying they will miss me saying to "beep your nose!" Adorable. I told the teacher to please get in touch in the Fall - I definitely want to keep this relationship going! 

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Song: If You'd Like To Read a Book

Book: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow (2005)
As I read this one, I pointed to the parts of my body that rhymed with each color. I thought this would be enough of a hint for the kids to identify the parts themselves, but they weren't quite with me. I think the approach was a good one, though, and I'll use it next time - especially if my audience isn't yet able to understand rhyme. 

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Book: Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown (2011)
This is such a fun read-aloud. I got really into the various "beats" that the animals say, and the kids thought that was pretty funny. They also thought Farmer Sue was a little boy, but I guess that was understandable since I think most of the time the farmer is a man. (But kudos to Lindsey Craig for the female farmer character!)

Song: Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands 

Book: Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1956)
I loved this book when I was little, and got really into reading it. I love the rhythm of these lines: "A home for a bunny, / A home of his own, / Under a rock, / Under a stone, / Under a log, / Or under the ground. /
Where would a bunny find a home?" It's so simple and yet so well-crafted. At the end of the story, the little girl closest to me said, "Oh, I like that story!"

Song: Rum Sum Sum 

Song: Tommy Thumb

Book: Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack (1968)
I found this book totally by accident and fell instantly in love. Then I realized some other bloggers have made the story into flannel boards and discovered that I have been missing out! It's a sweet story with nice repetition and a cute twist at the end. And though I didn't plan it this way, it is pretty much perfect for Mother's Day!

Song: These Are My Glasses by the Laurie Berkner Band

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This