Bird crafts being posted including chicks and ducks

I have already posted four ideas. I am working on 3 more. Look for these under the list of crafts by theme.

 

Virtual Storytime #1

Please let others know about it that may not be following me on Facebook or checking back on the blog.

Before watching the storytime, print off the lyrics for the songs.

Activity for after viewing


Refer to the toddler and preschool schedule pages to see what themes are coming and to access a list of books that go with the theme of spring.

Selected picture books about eggs, new life, and Easter for 4-6 year olds

Selected picture books for this planned storytime:

Nonfiction to introduce topic:"Chick Life Cycle" by Elizabeth Bennett" or "From Egg to Chicken" by Robin Nelson
    (For preschool storytime, it is appropriate to use a short informational text to introduce a topic. I rarely read every word to the children.)

or 

1. "There is a Bird on Your Head" by Mo Willems

2. "Hank Finds an Egg" by Rebecca Dudley

3. "Flap Your Wings" by P. D. Eastman

4. "The Easter Egg" by Jan Brett

5. "Easter Bunny's Assistant" by Jan Thomas

6. "Otter Loves Easter!" by Sam Garton

7. "Turkey's Eggcellent Easter" by Wendi Silvano

8. "The Story of the Easter Bunny" by Katherine Tegen

9. "The Easter Bunny That Overslept" by Priscilla and Otto Friedrich 

10. "Betty Bunny Loves Easter" by Michael B. Kaplan

11. "The Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever" by Dawn Casey 

12. "Milo the Really Big Bunny" by Stephen Krensky

Extra one that I have used in the past:"Roly Poly Egg" by Kali Stileman  (No longer available in my library system)
            

Selected picture books about eggs, new life, and Easter for two to three year olds:

Picture books selected for planned toddler storytime about eggs, new life and Easter:

1. Happy Easter, Curious George!" by Margaret and H. A. Rey
                 

2.  "Happy Easter, Little Hoo! by Brenda Ponnay

3. "Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs" by Janet Stoeke

4. "Don't Push the Button! An Easter Surprise" by Bill Cutter

5. "Hurry, Hurry" by Eve Bunting

                        

6. "Peppa Pig and the Easter Rainbow" by Candlewick Press

7. "Shake  a Leg, Egg!" by Kurt Cyrus

8. "Egg" by Kevin Henkes

More craft ideas added!

Garden, flower, and seed crafts have been added to the list. Easter/rabbit ideas have been added to the list. I have a few more to add to this one. After this, I will be added baby bird/bird crafts.

       

Best books about spring for 4 to 6 year olds

Selected books for this theme for preschool storytime:

1. "In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb" by Marion Dane Bauer

2. "And Then It's Spring" by Julie Fogliano

3. "Finding Spring" by Carin Berger

4. "In Blossom" by Yooju Cheon

5. "Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms" by Julia Rawlingson

6. "Skunk's Spring Surprise" by Leslea Newman

7. "When Will It Be Spring" by Catherine Walters

8. "Signs of Spring" by Justin Korman Fontes

9. "Horray For Hoppy!" by Tim Hopgood

10. "Hurray For Spring" by Patricia Hubbell

11. "Spring for Sophie" by Yael Werber

12. "Do the Fairies Bring the Spring" by Liza Gardner Walsh

13. "Bear Wants More" by Karma Wilson

14. "The Thing About Spring" by Daniel Kirk

Best books about spring for toddlers

Selected books on this theme for toddler storytime:

1. "Mouse's First Spring" by Lauren Thompson














2. "Abracadabra, It's Spring!" by Anne Sibley O' Brien















3. "The Song of Spring" by Hendrik Jonas

4. "Bears and Blossoms" by Shirley Parenteau

5. "Little Blue Truck's Springtime" by Alice Schertle
6. "Spring Is Here" by Will Hillenbrand
7. "Spring is Coming!" by Chris Helene Bridge
8. "A Little Book about Spring" by Leo Lionni

Best books about whales, walruses, and seals for preschoolers

Selected books for planned storytime on this theme:

1. "Animal Babies in Polar Lands" by Jennifer Schofield
2. "Cimru the Seal" by Theresa Radcliffe
3. "The Snail and the Whale" by Julia Donaldson
4. "A Whale in the Bathtub" by Kylie Westaway
5. "Daddy Honk Honk!" by Rosalinde Bonnet
6. "Hello, Baby Beluga" by Darrin Lunde
7. "Whales Passing" by Eve Bunting
8. "Davy's Dream; A Young Boy's Adventure with Wild Orca Whales" by Paul Own Lewis
9. Trapped, A Whale's Rescue" by Robert Burleigh
10. "Arctic Dreams" by Carole Gerber
11. "If You Want to See a Whale" by Julie Fogliano
12. "Dream Flights on Arctic Nights" by Brooke Hartman
13. "Iced Out" by CK Smouha

Best books about whales, walruses, and seals for two to three year olds

Selected books for toddler storytime on this theme:

1. "Breathe" by Scott Magoon
2. "Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal" by Jane Simmons
3. "Storm Wale" by Benji Davies
4. "Lottie and Walter" by Anna Walker
5. "Finn the Little Seal" by Sandra Klassen
6. "There's a Walrus in My Bed" by Ciara Flood
7. "She"ll Be Coming Up the Mountain" by Kim Norman

Library Closed Until Further Notice

In response to the declaration of a Local State of Disaster and to reduce the spread of COVID-19, my library system will be closed to public access until further notice. 

I didn't know the closure was coming either. I wish I had had a chance to say goodbye to the children that come to my storytimes. I hope you all are safe and well. 

Material return bins are closed at all branches. Keep your items until we reopen.

I have decided to post the selected books for the storytimes I already have prepared. These will include books about arctic ocean animals and spring. Please watch for additional posts. When the library reopens, I plan to resume where we left off with planned storytimes as much as possible. I have been posting ideas and resources on my Facebook page. Please check there regularly. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or for any assistance with needed ideas, resources, etc.

Free Homeschooling Resouces, More Sensory Ideas

Head over to my Facebook page for ideas to do with children indoors as well as free homeschooling resources. I have also been posting sources for free e-books for children or free downloadable readers. I will continue to post more baby sensory activity ideas on there as well.

Have you heard of the "Gameschooling with My Little Poppies?" website?
https://my-little-poppies.com/gameschooling-101/

Feel free to email or comment if you need help finding materials or have questions about how to teach a certain concept. I would love to help any of you as much as I can.

March 12, 2020: Preschool Storytime: St. Patrick'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 St. Patrick's Day books for four to six year olds 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: I explained that there is a holiday coming up next week. I showed a shamrock and a four-leafed clover, and I explained what they are called. I mentioned that little men called leprechauns are also part of this holiday. I asked if anyone knew what holiday was coming. I explained that the holiday is called St. Patrick's Day.

Today we are doing the letter Cc for clover.

Held up C and c
Talked about sound of Cc
Talked about things that start with Cc
Make a lowercase c in the air
Put the alphabet chart on the floor. Let each child take the pointer and point to the letter Cc. Mentioned that Cc is between Bb and Dd



BOOK: "The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose in the School" by Laura Murray

I gave each parent a copy of the words to the songs that have to do with the theme. I told the children to find a letter Dd in the words and point to out to their parent. 

ACTION AND SHAKER SONG: (We first sing all the words in English and then change a few words to Spanish.)

“Five Green Clovers”

Five green clovers growing outdoors;
(Child's name) picked one, and that left four.

Four little clovers green as they can be.
(Child's name) picked one and that left three.

Thee little clovers playing peek-a-boo
(Child's name) picked one and that left two.

Two little clovers nodding in the sun
(Child's name) picked one, and that left one.

One little clover for St. Patrick's Day fun.
(Child's name) picked it, and that left none.


Cinco green tréboles growing outdoors;
(Child's name) picked one, and that left four.

Cuatro little tréboles green as they can be.
(Child's name) picked one and that left three.

Tres little tréboles playing peek-a-boo
(Child's name) picked one and that left two.

Dos little tréboles nodding in the sun,
(Child's name) picked one, and that left one.

Un little trébol for St. Patrick's Day fun.
(Child's name) picked it, and that left none. 

BOOK #2: "How to Trap a Leprechaun" by Sue Fliess

MOVEMENT SONG: 


“Green”

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
G-R-E-E-N G-R-E-E-N G-R-E-E-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-R-E-E-N, Clap-R-E-E-N, Clap-R-E-E-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-Clap-E-E-N, Clap-Clap-E-E-N, Clap-Clap-E-E-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-E-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-N, Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-N
And Green is that color

There is a color
That I know
Represents St. Patrick's Day
Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap, Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap, Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap
And Green is that color

BOOK #3: "Clever Tom and the Leprechaun" by Linda Shute

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 Cc, the Cc 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: Crayon Resist Shamrock Art
 Source of idea: http://playeatgrow.com/2014/03/crayon-resist-shamrock.html/

My Examples

                           

Materials:

1. Watercolor paint sets
2. White crayons
3. White cardstock
4. Paint brushes
5. Shamrock template
6. Four leaf clover template
7. Scissors


Instructions: 
1. Cut out desired template. 
2. Trace around it on the white cardstock. 
3. Use the white crayon to decorate the inside of the shamrock/clover with curly q's, dots, zigzag lines, etc. 
4. If desired, draw rays around the shamrock/clover.
5. Cover the entire page with watercolor paint.

*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 leprechaun Under the Bed" by Teresa Bateman
2."The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever!" by Teddy Slater
3. "How to Catch a Leprechaun" by Adam Wallace
4. "Happy St. Patrick's Day, Hello Kitty" by Sanrio
5. "Traveling Tom and the Leprechaun" by Teresa Bateman
6. "Jack and the Leprechaun" by Ivan Robertson
7. "Fiona's Luck" by Teresa Bateman
8. "A Fine St. Patrick's Day" by Susan Wojciechowski
9. "The Leprechaun's Gold" by Pamela Duncan Edwards
10. "St. Patrick's Day" by Anne Rockwell
11. "The Leprechaun in the Basement" by Kathy Tucker
12. "Lucky O'Leprechaun" by Jana Dillon