November 6: Toddler Storytime: Introduction to Nocturnal Animals: Spiders

(Reminder note: When it is time to read a story, I read the titles of three books and then display them. The children pick which one we read. The ones listed below are the ones they picked.)

Opening song:                                (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell")

             We tap hola like this

             We tap ho la like this

                 Hi-ho cherry

             We tap hola like this

               Continue with other verses:

                  We drop hola like this...

                   We circle hola like this...

                 We spin hola like this...

                We toss hola like this..

                 We roll hola like this....

                     We stomp hola like this...

Introduced theme by explaining that there are animals that sleep during the day while we are awake. When we are sleeping, they are awake. We are going to start learning about some of these animals. Today we going to learn about spiders.

I had the children guess how many eyes and legs spiders have. I then explained that spiders have 8 legs, and most have 8 eyes. If a bug only has 6 legs, it is not a spider.


Story: "The Smart Itsy Bitsy Spider" by Charise Mericle Harper

Action song using shakers:

“I Wish I were a Spider”
(Tune” “If You’re Happy, and You Know It”

Oh, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider.
(clap, clap)
Yes, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider.
(clap, clap)
I’d go “creepy-creepy-crawly” across your floor and up your “wall-y!” (use fingers to make movement)
Oh, I wish I were an eensy-weensy spider.
(clap, clap)

Movement song:

“Spider Dance” Tune: “Farmer In the Dell”)


Spiders crawl around, (children crawl around) Spiders up and down, (stand up, bend down) Spiders, spiders make a web, (join right hands to form a spoke) Spiders circle ‘round. (walk around in a circle together)

Spiders in and out, (crawl fingers on left hand, down and back on right arm) Spiders all about, (repeat crawl action) Spiders, spiders make a web, (join right hands to form a spoke) Spiders now sit down. (children sit down)





Action song using clipart and toy bugs: 
       (I downloaded clipart of a spider web and then enlarged it in Microsoft Word. I bought plastic flies, plastic spiders, and other bugs at Dollar Tree around Halloween. As we sang the song, we added a bug to the web with each verse. During the last verse, we put a plastic spider on the web.)
“Five Little Bugs”

One little bug went out to play, On a spider’s web one day. He had ever so much fun, He called for another bug to come. (Children call out:"Oh, bug")

Two little bugs went out to play, On a spider’s web one day. They had ever so much fun, They called for another bug to come. (Children call out:"Oh, bug")

Three little bugs went out to play, On a spider’s web one day. They had ever so much fun, They called for another bug to come. (Children call out:"Oh, bug")


Four little bugs went out to play, On a spider’s web one day. They had ever so much fun, They called for another bug to come. (Children call out:"Oh, bug")


Five little bugs went out to play, On a spider’s web one day. They got stuck, all in a bunch. And along came spider, in time for lunch!

Story: "Urgency Emergency" by Dosh Archer

Dance with me around the room (The children and parents stand up and line up behind me. I use an oatmeal container as a drum.):
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, kick, kick
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, spin, spin
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, hop, hop
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, fly, fly
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, walk sideways, walk sideways
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, walk backwards, walk backwards
Repeat first 2 all the way back to your spot

Spanish song with shakers: "Diez en La Cama" ("Ten in the Bed")        
          We sang the song first in English. Then I gave all the parents copies of the words to  the song in Spanish.
         Here is a link to the YouTube video that we sing along with.

Goodbye Song:

 (Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

We tap adios like this

 We tap adios like this

Hi-ho cherry

  We tap adios like this

Continue with other verses:

We drop adios like this...

   We circle adios like this...

  We spin adios like this...

   We toss adios like this...

  We roll adios like this...

           We stomp adios like this...

                 

Model the craft and then parents help their children complete it.

Craft: Spider 
          Materials:
          4 craft sticks
          Foam or felt in various colors
          Paint
          Brushes
          Googly eyes

 I modified a craft found here.