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