Pumpkin Party

 

It is that time of year, pumpkin party time!  I usually hold this party annually and this year we were fortunate enough to hold this at an outdoor barn of a mansion.  We did not have the attendance I wanted, but we still had fun!  Including a pic of me below dressed up as Cleopatra.

Food:

Crafts:

*I do not lay claim to this amazing template, I was able to download it and print out what I needed.  I did change it up by adding the hat and broom as extras.

Games and Activities:

*Pattern blocks that I was able to download for free.  

Not my creation, but I love them!

*Bones sensory bin and pumpkin Jenga.

*These are my knockdown boxes.  The kids adore stacking and knocking down any kind of box.  I normally have it more educational where you have to stack the numbers in order or something similar.

*Monster Bowling

*Poke a pumpkin.  The two pictures above took a very long time to make, but I feel like they were completely worth it!

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!! I am including the books I've read this week at various storytime, plus some extra books I just didn't have time to read.  What are your favorites that I've missed?

Book: I am Bat

*For this book I have some cherries printed out and placed on my flannelboard.  My volunteer will reach up and pull the cherries off the flannelboard.  It took the kids a few moments to notice but then they loved it and started to let me know to check my cherries, because they were gone!

Book: Are You a Monster?

Book: We're Going on a Pumpkin Hunt

Book: Monsters Love Colors

Book: Spooky Wheels on the Bus

Book: Little Blue Truck's Halloween

Book: Go Away, Big Green Monster!

Book: Happy Halloween, From the Very Busy Spider

Extra Books:

Book: There's a Monster In Your Book!

Book: My Tail's Not Tired

Book: Bats on the Bus

Book: Just Say Boo!

Fingerplay:

If you're a skeleton and you know it, shake your bones!

If you're a bat and you know it, flap your wings.

If you're a wolf and you know it, give a howl.

Preschool Craft:

Two's Craft:

Woods Storytime

 

This week our letter is "W" for woods.

Book: Bear's Lost Glasses

Book: A Bear, A Bee and a Honey Tree

Scarf Dancing:

Five sleepy bears moving really slow.

One yawns and starts to roll.

He rolls to a stop and begins to snore…

How many bears are left on the floor?

Preschool Craft:

Two's Craft:

Colors: Orange

This week our theme is orange and cats.  Below are the books I read along with fingerplays and our crafts.  Do you have a favorite orange book?  I'd love to know about it, leave a comment please!

Book: It's a Tiger!

*I don't know why, but I am very grateful for this repsonse.  The kids went crazy over this book!  We had to "run" every time we saw the tiger, which might have made this more popular.  I even had two patrons wanting to check out this book, a great read aloud.

Book: This Book Just Stole My Cat!

Book: Old MacPumpkin Had a Farm

Book: Pumpkin Trouble

Board Book: Not a Pumpkin

Book: Cat's Colors

Fingerplays:

Ten little kittens stand in a row,

They bow their heads to the kids just so.

They run up high, they run down low.

They run real fast, they run real slow.

Along comes a puppy dog, 

looking for some fun.

Woof, woof, woof!  

Away those kittens run!

If you’re a cat and you know it, say meow!

If you’re a cat and you know it, say meow!

If you’re a cat and you know it, 

And your face will surely show it,

If you’re a cat and you know it, say meow!

Continue:

Spin around

Scratch your claws

Jump up and down

Scarf Dancing:

Kitty cat, kitty cat sneaks out of the house.
Kitty cat, kitty cat creeps up to a mouse,
And… POUNCE!
Kitty cat, kitty cat, creeps up to a bird.
Kitty cat, kitty cat, is not even heard,
And… POUNCE!
But the mouse ran, and the bird flew away,
So kitty cat found a ball of yarn to play
And… POUNCE!

Preschool Craft:

Two's Craft:

Rain Storytime

   

This week our letter is "U" for umbrellas.

Book: Stuck in the Mud

Book: Boom! Boom! Boom!

*I love this book because you can make it interactive.  Every time I read "Flash! Crash!" we clap our hands.  When I read "Boom! Boom! Boom!" we stomp our feet.  The kids love it!

Book: The Big Storm

Book: Mud Puddle

*For this story, my volunteer is the "mud puddle".  I take a small piece o brown fabric or a plastic tablecloth.  When the mud puddle jumps on the little girl in the story my volunteer throws the fabric on my head.  The kids think this is hilarious and makes this book more interactive.

Fingerplays:

Five spiders up the spout,

Five spiders up the spout,

It rained and rained and washed one out,

Four spiders up the spout.

Continue until zero.

We’re stomping in the rain,
Stomping in the rain,
We can’t go yet, we must get wet,
We’re stomping in the rain.
Continue:
Spinning
Jumping

* I like to cut out paper raindrops to "rain" down on the kids when we read the line "we must get wet". I've also gotten a mist spray bottle and lightly sprayed water in the air.

Four umbrellas, pretty as can be.
One went outside and then there were three.
Three umbrellas with nothing to do,
One went outside and then there were two.
Two umbrellas not having much fun,
One went outside and then there was one.
One umbrella alone in the hall,
One went outside and that was all.

* I love to use puppets for this one. I put up my umbrellas on the flannelboard and as I read each line I will give the umbrella to my puppets. My volunteer is behind the flannelboard and will pop up the puppets for everyone to see.

Preschool Craft:

Two's Craft:

Farm Storytime

 

 This week our letter is "T" for tractor and farms.

Book:  Do Cows Meow?

Book: Pete the Cat Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Book: Barnyard Banter

Book : Tractors on the Go!

Book: I Spy on the Farm

Fingerplays:

All the pigs are rolling around,
Rolling around, rolling around.
All the pigs are rolling around,
All through the farm.
Continue:
Spinning around.
Jumping around.

Preschool Craft:

Two's Craft: