Mouse Paint (Time for Two's)

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Press Here

*The kids loved this book! What really made it so much fun was the parents really got into this book. I love when the parents get enthusiastic about it book, it makes it that much more rewarding. Love it!

Fingerplay: Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Fingerplay/Flannel: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Storytelling: Mouse Paint

*With this, I used the flannel board and paint cans.  I used clipart for my flannel pieces and made them big enough for the kids to see. I like to hide my mice that are the different colors inside my paint cans, inside a pocket that I've made. Then I will turn my paint cans upside down to show the kids that there is nothing inside before I start telling my story. I found the fabulous idea for using paint cans here.

Action:  We can hop like a rabbit
*You can find this fingerplay here.

Action: Mice Dancing

*We ran out of time today for dancing.

Extra Books:

I Know a Wee Piggy

Colors Pop-Up Peekaboo

For our craft today the kids made their own version of mouse paint! We took a white paper bag, and the kids glued on the ears, hands, paintbrush and paint splotches. The paint can was hanging by a pipe cleaner.

Do Re Mi Read Me a Story! (Preschool)

What a fun storytime we had today!  We had the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra visit us today!  They entertained us with wonderful music and great stories!  It was so much fun, and the kids got a chance to be musicians themselves after storytime.  Everyone got a chance to try playing an instrument, which was adorable.

I came up with a cat and his fiddle for the craft today, and the kids really enjoyed the paper bag aspect of it.  Lots of fun!

Spring Fling (Preschool and Two's)

Preschool Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Storytelling: Very Hungry Caterpillar

*Who doesn't love this book? Not me! This is my favorite book to read this time of year, and I like to add a little twist to it. We have a tiny butterfly finger puppet that I have on my finger, that is underneath a green sock. I tell this story, and have the sock puppet eat through all the food. When I get to the end of the book, I have my volunteer wrap fabric around me and tell the kids I am going to turn into a giant butterfly myself! I remove the green sock from my hand, so that the tiny butterfly is visible, but I also put on my giant butterfly wings! This picture has some wings that my mom made for me, but you can also buy a pair of wings at the costume store at Halloween, which is what I did for this storytime. I have my wings on already, so that when I tell this story, the kids can't see the wings and hopefully won't know what I am going to do. Below is a picture of me in my wings!

Fingerplay: “Little Flower, Little Flower”

Little flower, little flower, twist around.

Little flower, little flower, planted in the ground.

Little flower, little flower, spread your petals wide.

Little flower, little flower, now you hide.

Little flower, little flower, stretch towards the sun.

Little flower, little flower, in the wind have fun!

Little flower, little flower, jump up and down.

Little flower, little flower, turn around.

Little flower, little flower, no more light.

Little flower, little flower, say goodnight.

*I apologize, I have no idea where I found this fingerplay.

Book: There’s a Bird on Your Head!

*Oh my gosh, this book was awesome! My volunteer and I read this book together, and I read the part of elephant. I had paper birds and a nest that I had on my head, and it was hilarious! What got me so tickled was a lot of the parents really got into the book and laughed along with their kids! That's what I want to happen, everyone having a good time together. To see what my nest and birds looked like, I have included a picture of it at the end of this post. (I taped my nest to a headband to keep it on my head, but I have to say that the birds kept falling out of it!)

Fingerplay: Five Little Caterpillars (From Storytime Magic)

Five little caterpillars and not one more, one spun a cocoon and then there were four.

Four little caterpillars on a leafy tree, one spun a cocoon and then there were three.

Three little caterpillars looking for something to do, one spun a cocoon and then there were two.

Two little caterpillars sitting in the sun, one spun a cocoon and then there was one.

One little caterpillar sitting all alone, that one spun a cocoon and then there were none.

One cocoon opened underneath the sun, now there’s a butterfly and that makes one.

Another cocoon opened and we know what to do.  We say “Hello, butterfly!” You are number two!”

Another cocoon opened, we’re happy as can be.  Another butterfly comes out and that makes three.

Could it be, another cocoon?  Yes, here’s one more.  Hello, Mr. Butterfly!   You are number four.

Another cocoon opens as the butterflies dip and dive.  Another butterfly comes out and now we have five!

*I had hoped the kids would have enjoyed this more, but it's still a really fun fingerplay.  To make this more interactive, I found this really great idea to use.  You make small boxes, and hide the butterflies inside the box.  Then, you pull up the butterfly with fishing line out of the box!  Check it out here!

Book: Bear Wants More

*This book is so much fun to read, and I use my big bear puppet when I read it. I have all the food cut out of paper, so that I can feed my bear puppet as I read. The kids really enjoyed this book, especially when the bear would eat the food.

Flannel: Hide and Seek Bumble Bee

I’m looking for a bumblebee

We’re playing hide and seek!

Is he hiding under the yellow flower?

Let’s take a peek!

*Finding things is always a blast, and this was a great one to use! I found it here.

Extra Read Alouds:

Achoo! by Morgand

Bear Wants More

Caterpillar Dreams

Don’t Worry Bear

Our craft for today was baby birds inside their nest. The kids got to glue brown paper for the nest, the baby birds and the wings on the baby birds. We found the idea for our craft here.

Today was game day! The preschool kids got to play five games today, and they did so good with all of the games! Check out what we did here!

Time for Two’s Storytime

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Bear Wants More

*This book is so much fun to read, and I use my big bear puppet when I read it. I have all the food cut out of paper, so that I can feed my bear puppet as I read. The kids really enjoyed this book, especially when the bear would eat the food.

Fingerplay: “Little Flower, Little Flower”

Little flower, little flower, twist around.

Little flower, little flower, planted in the ground.

Little flower, little flower, spread your petals wide.

Little flower, little flower, now you hide.

Little flower, little flower, stretch towards the sun.

Little flower, little flower, in the wind have fun!

Little flower, little flower, jump up and down.

Little flower, little flower, turn around.

Little flower, little flower, no more light.

Little flower, little flower, say goodnight.

*I apologize, I have no idea where I found this fingerplay.

Flannel: Hide and Seek Bumble Bee

I’m looking for a bumblebee.  We’re playing hide and seek!

Is he hiding under the yellow flower?  Let’s take a peek!

*Finding things is always a blast, and this was a great one to use! I found it here.

Storytelling: Very Hungry Caterpillar

*Who doesn't love this book? Not me! This is my favorite book to read this time of year, and I like to add a little twist to it. We have a tiny butterfly finger puppet that I have on my finger, that is underneath a green sock. I tell this story, and have the sock puppet eat through all the food. When I get to the end of the book, I have my volunteer wrap fabric around me and tell the kids I am going to turn into a giant butterfly myself! I remove the green sock from my hand, so that the tiny butterfly is visible, but I also put on my giant butterfly wings! This picture has some wings that my mom made for me, but you can also buy a pair of wings at the costume store at Halloween, which is what I did for this storytime. I have my wings on already, so that when I tell this story, the kids can't see the wings and hopefully won't know what I am going to do. Below is a picture of me in my wings!

*Loved

Fingerplay: Five Little Caterpillars (Make into boxes like link shows.)

Five little caterpillars and not one more, one spun a cocoon and then there were four.

Four little caterpillars on a leafy tree, one spun a cocoon and then there were three.

Three little caterpillars looking for something to do, one spun a cocoon and then there were two.

Two little caterpillars sitting in the sun, one spun a cocoon and then there was one.

One little caterpillar sitting all alone, that one spun a cocoon and then there were none.

One cocoon opened underneath the sun, now there’s a butterfly and that makes one.

Another cocoon opened and we know what to do.  We say “Hello, butterfly!” You are number two!”

Another cocoon opened, we’re happy as can be.  Another butterfly comes out and that makes three.

Could it be, another cocoon?  Yes, here’s one more.  Hello, Mr. Butterfly!   You are number four.

Another cocoon opens as the butterflies dip and dive.  Another butterfly comes out and now we have five!

*The two's loved seeing the butterflies appear!  To make this more interactive, I found this really great idea to use.  You make small boxes, and hide the butterflies inside the box.  Then, you pull up the butterfly with fishing line out of the box!  Check it out here!

Fingerplay: “Five Beautiful Flowers”

    Five beautiful flowers just outside my door,

    {Monkey} came and picked a flower and now there are four.

    Four beautiful flowers, two and two you see.

    {Alligator} came and picked a flower and now there are three.

    Three beautiful flowers, but before I knew,

    {Frog} came and picked a flower and now there are two.

    Two beautiful flowers in the noonday sun.

    {Elephant} came and picked a flower and now there’s just one.

    One beautiful flower standing all alone,

    {Alligator} came and picked the last one and now there are none.

Extra Read Alouds:

Baby Loves Spring

Caterpillar Spring Butterfly Summer

Our craft for today was baby birds inside their nest. The kids got to glue brown paper for the nest, the baby birds and the wings on the baby birds. We found the idea for our craft here.

Today was game day! The two's got to play four games today, and they did so good with all of the games! Check out what we did here!

Spring Games and Sensory Bins

Happy Spring! Our games this month were centered around all things spring! I included a picture of what all of our games looked like this month.

1.) Butterfly Hunt

For the first game, the kids got to dig foam butterflies out of petals. I was so proud of all the kids, especially the two's! Everyone did a great job with keeping the petals inside the bowls, and it was so much fun watching the kids discover the butterflies hiding inside. I found this wonderful idea here.

2.) Pom-Pom Caterpillar Drop

The second game was a cute little caterpillar, made out of scrapbook paper and toilet paper rolls.  I taped the caterpillar onto my bulletin board and then placed the pom-poms out below.  Now the kids could have fun dropping the pom-poms down through the caterpillar!  I forgot to take a picture of this, but you can visit this website to see it!

3.)  Rabbit Putt-Putt

I saw this adorable idea online, and decided to turn it into a putt-putt game.  I took an empty box and made a rabbit face and taped that to the front.  After that, all I did was place this against a wall and set out my putt-putt set.  The kids loved it!  

4.) Butterfly Pom-Pom Matching

I found this free template that you can download, and I just cut it out and taped it to the table.  I placed my pom-poms in a tray and the kids matched up each pom-pom to the corresponding butterfly.

5.) Bird and Nest Matching

I found this adorable set online that you can buy, but unfortunately we don't have a way to purchase this.  So I decided to come up with one on my own.  I hid my birds in yellow shredded paper.

Go Green! (Preschool and Two's)

Preschool Storytime

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay/Flannel: Green Guessing Game

*I don't have the words with me for this, but I describe green items, such as a frog, or a traffic light. The kids can guess what I am talking about, then I hold up the item. They had a lot of fun with this, and I'll be glad to send you the rhymes, just leave a comment if you'd like this.

Book: Green Eggs and Ham

*This was so much fun to read! My volunteer read the part of Sam I am, and I read the other. I had real scrambled eggs dyed green, and all through the book I had them out on a paper plate. When it came time for me to eat the eggs, everyone in the room, including the adults got super quiet! You could even hear a pin drop. It was priceless! I love doing this book at green storytime, and its even better when you eat real green eggs.

Fingerplay: If You’re Wearing Green

If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig,

If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig,

If you’re wearing green today,

Dance a jig, then smile and say,

“Have a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day”

“If you’re wearing green today, clap your hands”….

“If you’re wearing green today, spin around”….

“If you’re wearing green today, shout “Hurray!””….

“If you’re wearing green today, stamp your feet”….

*I was really looking forward to doing this with the kids, but they didn't enjoy this like I had hoped. Still, it's a great fingerplay to do this time of year. I found this wonderful movement here.

Book: Can You Make a Scary Face?

*This book is such a great one to read aloud, and the kids really got into it. Especially when we had to make a scary face and make the frog disappear, that was the best part!

Fingerplay: “Color Hop Song” (Tune: Old MacDonald)

      I see something that is green.

      Do you see it too?

      I see something that is green.

      HOP there if you do.

      With a hop, hop here.

      And a hop, hop, there.

      Here a hop, there a hop.

      Everywhere a hop, hop.

      I see something that is green.

      Do you see it too?

      (Have puppets pop up: snake and alligator.)

*This was a huge hit with the kids, but I have to say anytime we jump up and down they love it. I apologize, I can't find where I found this wonderful idea.

Book/Music: Five Speckled Frogs by Steven Anderson

*I was super excited to use this book along with the CD, and at the last minute decided not to play the music, which was a big mistake. I wrongly assumed everybody knew this beloved song, but nobody did! We propped up five frogs on my puppet stage, and I started singing the song as I showed the pictures in the book. I thought by the time we got down to two frogs the adults would start singing with me, but nobody did! I guess nobody knows this song like they used to. I still recommend this book, the music that is included with this book is the best that I've ever heard.

Fingerplay/Flannel: “Five Green Shamrocks” (use puppets)

           Five green shamrocks growing outdoors

      [Alligator] picked one, and that left four.

               Four green shamrocks, green as they can be.

               [Snake] picked one and that left three.

      Three green shamrocks playing peek-a-boo

      [Lion] picked one and that left two.

               Two green shamrocks nodding in the sun,

               [Monkey] picked one, and that left one.

      One green shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day fun.

      [Dinosaur] picked it, and that left none.

*This fingerplay went over great! The kids loved seeing the puppets take my shamrocks. You can find this along with other great St. Patrick's Day fingerplays here.

Book: Go Away, Big Green Monster!

*My favorite green book of all time! I love having the monster disappear right before the kids eyes, and this book never fails to enchant the kids.

Action Rhyme: “Monster, Monster”

Monster, monster, turn around

Monster, monster, touch the ground

Monster, monster, reach up high

Monster, monster, touch the sky

Monster, monster, touch your nose

Monster, monster, grab your toes

Monster, monster, touch your knees

Monster, monster, sit down please

*We ran out of time to do this fingerplay today, but it's a great one! I found this here.

Storytelling: “I’m Being Eaten By a Boa Constrictor” (With giant prop snake)

*This is one of my favorite things to act out, and this was done before I started doing storytime. I can't take credit for it. What you do is make a giant snake out of a hula hoop. I ended up taking green tablecloths and taping them to the top of the hula hoop. Then you add eyes and a tongue. You step inside the snake so that it pools around your feet. As you recite the poem by Shel Silverstein, you slowly pull the snake up around your body. As you get to the last line, you flip the snake up and over your head, so that you have disappeared and the snake's eyes and tongue are now facing the kids. They go crazy over this! Sadly, I forgot to do this today but have it down in my plans for April. I will include a picture of this in my future plans so that my explanation makes more sense.

Four our craft today, the kids made a turtle! The kids glued down the turtle head, arms, legs, and shell. We used green scrapbook paper for the shell. Below is what our turtle looked like. I found this adorable idea here.

Extra Read-Alouds:

Big Frog Can’t Fit In!

Nighty Night, Little Green Monster!

Snip Snap! What’s That?

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!

Where is the Green Sheep?

Time for Two’s Storytime

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Go Away, Big Green Monster!

*My favorite green book of all time! I love having the monster disappear right before the kids eyes, and this book never fails to enchant the kids.

Fingerplay: “Color Hop Song” (Tune: Old MacDonald)

      I see something that is green.

      Do you see it too?

      I see something that is green.

      HOP there if you do.

      With a hop, hop here.

      And a hop, hop, there.

      Here a hop, there a hop.

      Everywhere a hop, hop.

      I see something that is green.

      Do you see it too?

      (Have puppets pop up: snake and alligator.)

*This was a huge hit with the kids, but I have to say anytime we jump up and down they love it. I apologize, I can't find where I found this wonderful idea.

Book: I Spy With My Little Eye

*The kids enjoyed this book. Next time I will use the puppets, which I normally do. I think they would have enjoyed this book more that way.

Fingerplay/Flannel: Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree

Book: Nighty Night Little Green Monster

*Another great book to read with this age. I think at this point they were done with listening, but they all did quiet down and seem to enjoy this book.

Fingerplay/Flannel: “Five Green Shamrocks” (use puppets)

           Five green shamrocks growing outdoors

      [Alligator] picked one, and that left four.

               Four green shamrocks, green as they can be.

               [Snake] picked one and that left three.

      Three green shamrocks playing peek-a-boo

      [Lion] picked one and that left two.

               Two green shamrocks nodding in the sun,

               [Monkey] picked one, and that left one.

      One green shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day fun.

      [Dinosaur] picked it, and that left none.

*This fingerplay went over great! The kids loved seeing the puppets take my shamrocks. You can find this along with other great St. Patrick's Day fingerplays here.

Dancing: Green Egg Dancing

*We didn't have time to dance with anything today.

Four our craft today, the kids made a turtle! The kids glued down the turtle head, arms, legs, and shell. We used green scrapbook paper for the shell. Below is what our turtle looked like. I found this adorable idea here.

Extra Read-Alouds:

Big Frog Can’t Fit In!

Nighty Night, Little Green Monster!

Where is the Green Sheep?

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!