February 13: Preschool Storytime: Valentine's Day

(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 three fictional ones listed below are the ones they picked. The other recommended picture books are listed at the bottom.)

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

                        

We tap hola like this

We tap hola 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...


INTRODUCTION: There is a special holiday on Friday that celebrates love. After the children guessed, I explained that a valentine is a word for someone that I love. I listed some of the many people that might be a valentine to us.

Held up V and v
Talked about sound of Vv
Talked about things that start with Vv
Make a lowercase v in the air
Put the alphabet chart on the floor. Let each child take the pointer and point to the letter Vv.



BOOK: "Pete the Cat, Valentine's Day is Cool" by Kimberly and James Dean

ACTION SONG: (I gave each child a small set of the letters h, e, a, r, and t. I made a big set with one letter printed on each of 5 red sheets of cardstock. We pointed to the letters as we sang the song. We turned one over when it was time to clap that letter.)

“H-E-A-R-T”
(Tune: "Bingo"

I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
H E A R T H E A R T H E A R T
The heart shape says I love you/te amo

I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
Clap, E A R T
Clap, E A R T
Clap, E A R T
The heart shape says I love you/te amo

I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
Clap, clap, A R T
Clap, clap, A R T
Clap, clap, A R T
The heart shape says I love you/te amo


I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
Clap, clap, clap, R T
Clap, clap, clap, R T
Clap, clap, clap, R T
The heart shape says I love you/te amo

I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
Clap, clap, clap, clap, T
Clap, clap, clap, clap, T
Clap, clap, clap, clap, T
The heart shape says I love you/te amo


I made a valentine for you
The heart shape says I love you/te amo
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap
The heart shape says I love you/te amo

BOOK #2: "Penguin in Love" by Salina Yoon

MOVEMENT AND SHAKER SONG: 


“Marinky Dink”


Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo I love you. 
Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo I love you. 
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening, and underneath the moon
Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo I love you.

Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo Te amo.
Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo Te amo. 
Te amo in the morning and in the afternoon,
Te amo in the evening, and underneath the moon
Skina Marinky dinky d-dink, skinna marinky doo Te amo.

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...

Craft Time:  

I modeled the rainbow writing page for letter Vv, the Vv dot page, and the craft before the children starting working on them. Before starting the craft, the children write the given letter using 3 different colors of crayons. I have attached a link to the free rainbow writing letters I used. Completing the dot page is optional.

You can find free rainbow writing letters here. Since they are free, they lack a dot for where to start. print one off, add the dots with a black marker, and then make copies of that one. You can find the dot pages here. 

Click here for a link for letter formation prompts for capital and lowercase letters. Children need to spend more time working on the lowercase letters than on the capital letters.


Craft: Love Caterpillar

Craft modified from: https://fromabcstoacts.com/love-bug-name-craft-for-preschoolers/

                  

   My example

Materials:

1. 11 by 17 sheets of white paper
2. Red, purple, pink, dark pink, and light pink paper
3. Scissors
4. Glue
5. Markers
6. Pencil

Instructions:
Fold a sheet of paper over enough to draw half of a heart. Keep the paper folded while cutting out the heart. Cut out enough for each letter in the child's name as well as a bigger one for the caterpillar's head. If the child is old enough to use scissors, have him or her cut out the hearts. 

*All photos are with parent permission.

I always let the children pick which three books I read from the ones I bring with me. These are the additional suggested books that the children didn't pick:

1. "The Fairy Princess, Valentines from the Heart" by Julie Andrews and Emma Watson Hamilton
2. "Love, Splat" by Rob Scotton
3. "Pinkalicious, Pink of Hearts" by Victoria Kann
4. "Snowy Valentine" by David Petersen
5. "Duck and Hippo, the Secret Valentine" by Jonathan London
6. "Hedgehug" by Benn Sutton
7. "If You'll Be My Valentine" by Cynthia Rylant
8. "Little Bear's Valentine" by Else Holmelund Minarik
9. "Mr. Goat's Valentine" by Eve Bunting
10. "Clifford's First Valentine's Day" by Norman Bridwell