February 19, 2020: Toddler Storytime: Polar Bears

(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. Additional recommended titles about polar bears for two to three year olds are at the bottom of this post.)

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...

Introduction: I brought out a stuffed polar bear, and I asked what kind of bear it is. I explained that polar bears live way up north where it is always cold. They have black skin to help them absorb hear from the sun and white fur to blend in because snow and ice are white.

Book: "Polar Bear Morning" by Lauren Thompson

I gave each parent a copy of the words to the song that went with the theme. 

MOVEMENT SONG:

“Polar Bear”

Polar Bear, Polar Bear turn around
Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch the ground.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear bend down low. 
Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch your toe.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear slide on the ice.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear spin around, twice. 
Polar Bear, Polar Bear reach up high. 
Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch the sky.

MOVEMENT SONG:

“Did You Ever See a Polar Bear” (Tune: “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”)


Did you ever see a polar bear, A polar bear, a polar bear? Did you ever see a polar bear Sliding on ice?

He slips and slides,
He twirls and glides.
Did you ever see a polar bear,
Sliding on ice?



Spanish song: "Vengan a Ver Mi Granja" by Whistlefritz
  

Book: "No Place Like Home" by Ronojoy Ghosh

Movement song:  

“Polar Bear”

(Tune: I’m A Little Teapot)


I’m a little polar bear, soft and white. 
Catching a fish, they’re a tasty bite.
When it gets cold on an Arctic night,
My thick warm fur keeps me just right!

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...

Craft Time: Cotton Ball Polar Bear

Modified from https://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/polar-bear-craft-for-kids/

 Materials:
1. Polar bear template
2. White cardstock
3. Black crayons
4. Cotton balls
5. Googly eyes
6. Black cardstock
7. Hole punch 
8. Scissors 
9. Glue

My example

Instructions:

1. Print template on white cardstock.

2. Color template with black crayon, and cut it out.

3. Pull cotton balls apart into small pieces, and glue them on top of the polar bear

4. Glue on a googly eye.

5. Hole punch a nose out of the black cardstock, and glue it on.

*All photos are with parental permission.

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

1. "One Very Big Bear" by Alice Briere-Haquet
2. "Virgil and Owen" by Paulette Bogan
3. "Polar Bear's Underwear" by Tupera Tupera 
4. "Little Polar Bear" by Hans de Beer
5. "Polar Bear Night" by Lauren Thompson
6. "Love Matters Most" by Mij Kelly and Gerry Turley

February 5: Toddler Storytime: Penguins

(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. Additional recommended titles about penguins for two to three year olds are at the bottom of this post.)

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...

Introduction:
We live where it is warm most of the time and only cold in the winter. Some animals live where it is cold all year round. These animals include penguins. Penguins are a type of bird, but they can't fly. Their fins are for swimming.

Book: "Penguin on Vacation" by Salina Yoon

I gave each parent a copy of the words to the song that went with the theme. 

Action chant:  

“Penguins Having Fun”
(Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)

Penguins, penguins having fun
Waddling in the winter sun.
Waddling fast and waddling slow,
Waddling to and waddling fro.
Penguins, penguins having fun
Waddling in the winter sun.

Action Song using Scarves: "Five Green and Speckled Frogs"

Movement song: "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" followed by "Cabeza, Hombros, Rodilla, y Pies"

Book: "Baby Penguins Everywhere" by Melissa Guion

Movement song:   Stand up and wattle throughout the song to act out the words.

“Ten Little Penguins”

Ten little penguins
Their suits are black and their vests are white.
They waddle to the left and they waddle to the right.
They stand on the ice and they look very neat,
As they waddle along on their little flat feet.

Movement:  

“I'm a Little Penguin Two Feet High”
(Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little penguin,
Two feet high.
I am a bird,
But I can't fly.
Look at how I swim
Out in the sea:
I'm as fast
As fast can be! 

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...

Craft Time: Paper Plate Penguins

     Source: https://thepinterestedparent.com

My example

Materials:

1. 9 inch paper plates

2. Penguin template from source listed above

3. Black paint

4. Brushes

5. Orange construction paper

6. Googly eyes

7. Glue stick for beak and feet

8. Glue gun for googly eyes

9. Scissors

See complete instructions on website.

*All photos are with parental permission.

                     

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

1. "Virgil and Owen" by Paulette Bogan
2. "A Penguin Story" by Antoinette Portis
3."Virgil and Owen Stick Together" by Paulette Bogan
4. "Flora and the Penguin" by Molly Schaar Idle
5. "I Am Small" by Emma Dodd

Preschool Storytime: January 2: Stars

(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. Additional picture book ideas 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...

Today we are going to read stories and sing songs about stars.

Hold up S and s
Talk about sound of Ss
Talk about things that start with s
Make a lowercase Ss in the air
Put the alphabet chart on the floor. Let each child take the pointer and point to the letter Ss.


BOOK #1: "Star in the Jar" by Sam Hay 

After reading the book, pass out copies of the page with the typed songs. Tell the children to find a letter Ss on the page and show it to his/her parent.


SONG: “Five Little Stars” 

Before singing, give each child and parent one of the pre-cut sets of five stickers. Tell them to put one on the fingers of one hand. Model doing this. Tell them they need to keep them on for the rest of storytime because we will use them in all of the songs.


“Five Little Stars”

Five little stars (Hold up five fingers)
Feeling so bored,
One shot off, (Put down one)
Then there were four!

Four little stars (Put up four fingers) 
Winking at me. 
One shot off, (Put down one) 
Then there were three!

Three little stars (Hold up three fingers) 
With nothing to do. 
One shot off, (Put down one) 
Then there were two!

Two little stars (Hold up two fingers) 
Afraid of the sun. 
One shot off, (Put down one) 
Then there was one!

One little star (Hold up one finger) 
Alone is no fun. 
It shot off, (Hide your hand behind your back) 
Then there was none!

BOOK: "The Night the Stars Went Out" by Suz Hughes

Action song with star on finger:

“There's a Little Tiny Star”
(Tune: “If You’re Happy, and You Know It”

There's a little tiny star 
Way up in the sky. (Put finger in the air) 
A little tiny star, 
Up so very high (Put it up higher) 
She twinkles brightly 
Through the night: 
The stars are shining oh so bright.

There's a little tiny star 
Way up in the sky. (Put finger in the air) 
A little tiny star, 
Up so very high (Put it up higher) 
She twinkles brightly 
Through the night,
But during the day, she’s out of sight. (Put hand behind your back)

BOOK: "Pete the Cat; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" by James Dean

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 Ss, the Ss 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 the free rainbow writing letters here. Since they are free, they lack a dot for where to start. I 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: Pipe Cleaner and Straw Beaded Star Ornaments
          Source of craft idea: Craftoart.com

         Materials:

1. Thin straws (various colors)
2. Beads (variety of colors)
3. Pipe cleaners (variety of colors)
4. Cord/yarn/string
5. Scissors

My examples

Instructions:

1. Fold over the first inch of the pipe cleaner to prevent beads from falling off.

2. Choose a straw, and cut it into .5 inch pieces.

3. Place one bead on the pipe cleaner, then one piece of straw, then one bead, and then one piece of straw.

4. Continue this pattern until you have 9 beads and 10 pieces of straw on the pipe cleaner.

5. Fold the remaining inch of the pipe cleaner over to prevent beads from falling off.

6. Fold the pipe cleaner in half, and start at the middle to begin shaping it into a star.

7. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together. Trim the ends down to .25 inch. Tuck these ends inside the bead and straws that will be in the middle of the bottom.

*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 some additional suggested books that the children didn't pick:

1. "How to Catch a Star" by Oliver Jeffers
2. "Blackout" by John Rocco
3. "Shine!" by Patrick McDonnell
4."Touch the Brightest Star" by Christie Matheson
5. "Henry's Stars" by David Elliot
6. "Hopper and Wilson Fetch a Star" by Maria van Lieshout
7."Stars" by Mary Lyn Ray

Book about space in general:
1. "Mae Among the Stars" by Roda Ahmed