W is for Wiggle Waggle (Preschool and Two's)

Preschool Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Book: Down by the Cool of the Pool

*This is a great book to use, but I was a little worried it might be too long for the kids. But they did great! A lot of them caught on to all the repetitive actions early on and did all the animal movements right along with me. As usual, my animal puppets joined in too!

Fingerplay/Flannel: Animal Home Matching Game
*For this I printed out a bunch of different animals along with their matching home. I showed my flannelboard to the kids, but with all the animals in the wrong place. The kids told me where to place my animals, but of course it took a few tries before I got this correct, much to the kids delight.

Book: Elephants Cannot Dance

*I was so excited to use this book, and it certainly didn't disappoint!  For this storytime I had on my purple tutu, to help with the story.  My volunteer was piggie and I was elephant.  We acted out the story as I showed the pictures to the kids.  I also had all the kids stand up and help us dance!  The best part was when the kids chimed in and told me "No!"  You're not doing that right at all.  Priceless!

Fingerplay/Flannel: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Book: A Hop is Up

*This is such a wonderful book to get everyone up and moving! At this point thought, some of the kids were a little tired and really just wanted to sit for once and listen. But most of them got right back up and jumped, hopped and marched right along with me!

*Normally I have way too much planned, but not today! For some reason, we got through everything down in my plan, but that's okay. At least I didn't have an overabundance of time, which has happened. I hate the feeling of struggling to find something to do when all the kids and parents are looking at you!

Our craft today was a wiggling snake! The kids were so adorable bringing their snakes to me, hissing all the way!

Credit: Activities for Kids

Extra Books:

Time for Two’s Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Dancing Feet

*The two's loved seeing the puppets pop up behind me and stomping their feet.

Fingerplay/Flannel: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Book: If You're Happy and You Know It (with music)

*I love playing the CD to this book as the kids come into storytime, so I thought why not use it today?  It didn't work out as well.  Simply because I played the music while showing the pictures inside the book to the two's and I think the two combined was confusing.  Plus we were doing all the actions to the song, so that was a lot to comprehend at once for them.

Fingerplay/Flannel: Lion Hiding Game

Action: Animal Dancing

*I actually ran out of things to do, which isn't normal for me!  But we did have games today, so it worked out.  One thing to do, next time I have games, is to set out the flannelboard to let two's play with.  They adore the flannelboard!  Click here to check out the games we did.

Our craft today was a wiggly snake!

Credit: Activities for Kids

February 2018 Sensory Bins and Games (Two's and Preschool)

*This month I tried to center all my games around winter or Valentine's Day.  I hope you enjoy them like we did!

(I apologize, I forgot to take pictures at either of the games.)

1.) Valentine Alphabet Match
For this game I placed all the hearts inside blue shredded confetti.  Then I taped the dogs down on chairs for the two's.  (This makes it easier for them to reach.)  They really impressed me matching all the letters so well!


2.) Penguin Bowling
I ordered this bowling set online and it's been fantastic!  Leave a comment and I'll gladly give you the link to it.

3.) Penguin Sponge Ball Push
For this, I took my trusty box that I use for every sponge ball game we do.  I placed penguins on it with different colored scarves.  Beside that I had the corresponding sponge balls.  The two's never cease to amaze me, because they just love pushing those sponge balls into my box!

4.) Valentine Box Shape (Preschool Only)
For this, I covered two empty boxes with paper.  Then I'll tape my mailbox to the front, with a slit cut in the front.  I put the letters out in front, so the kids can match up each letter to the correct mailbox and slide it in.  They went crazy over this!  I will definitely have to come up with more ways to use this in the future.
Credit: In My World

5.) Cupcake Counting (Preschool Only)
This is a really fun counting game, and I think the kids will have fun placing the correct number of hearts on each cupcake.  The kids enjoyed this cute game.
Credit: In My World

V is for Valentine's Day (Preschool and Two's)

Preschool Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay/Flannel: Heart Matching
*The kids love when I try to match items on my flannelboard. Why? Because I always get my items wrong! I really like when I can teach them things, without them realizing it.

Book: Love Monster and the Last Chocolate

*The kids were super quiet during this book but really liked it!

Fingerplay/Flannel: Lovebug Hiding Game
Credit: Deb's Design

Fingerplay/Flannel: Color Valentine’s

      Valentine, valentine, heart so yellow, wiggle around like a happy fellow!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so red, stomp your feet, then pat your head!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so green, clap your hands so you’ll be seen!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so blue, put your hands on your shoes.

    Valentine, valentine, time to hop, keep on going until I say STOP!
*During this, I would hold up each heart and ask the kids what color it was. The we would act out each action. They loved it!

Book: Here Comes Valentine Cat (With props and dog puppet)

*The kids enjoyed this book, but not near as much as I had hoped. I probably won't try this book again in storytime, it just doesn't seem to go over like I want it to. But I adore it!

   

Fingerplay: Bee Mine (Puppets)
*The kids loved telling me what food to feed my puppets. Always fun!

Credit: Librarian vs. Storytime

Cut-and-Tell Story: Valentine’s Day on the Farm

*This is a really fun story to tell the kids, but I had too much planned for today.

Fingerplay/Flannel: Heart Valentine Tree
*This is such a great interactive flannel, but we didn't have time for it today.
Credit: I Never Grew Up

Our craft today was a Valentine tree!

Extra Books:

Time for Two’s

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Where is Baby’s Valentine?

Fingerplay/Flannel: Lovebug Hiding Game

Credit: Deb's Design

Fingerplay/Flannel: Color Valentine’s

      Valentine, valentine, heart so yellow, wiggle around like a happy fellow!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so red, stomp your feet, then pat your head!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so green, clap your hands so you’ll be seen!

       Valentine, valentine, heart so blue, put your hands on your shoes.

    Valentine, valentine, time to hop, keep on going until I say STOP!
*During this, I would hold up each heart and ask the kids what color it was. The we would act out each action. They loved it!

Book: How About a Kiss For Me? (Give kisses to puppets)

*The kids loved when I gave out kisses to each of the puppets.

Fingerplay: Bee Mine (Puppets)

*The kids loved telling me what food to feed my puppets. Always fun!

Credit: Librarian vs. Storytime

Our craft today was a Valentine tree!

Extra Books:

T and U are for Things That Go Up! (Preschool and Two's)

This is a brand new theme for me, and I was a little worried about it. Thankfully, it turned out to be so much fun and the kids enjoyed it so much! This is one I definitely will do again.

Preschool Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: Transportation Matching Game

*The kids love telling me what I have wrong on my flannelboard, and today was no exception.

Credit: Mel's Desk

Book: Little Plane Learns to Write

*This books is really cute, and I wanted to incorporate the clouds onto my flannelboard. I cut out all the letters, and had my volunteer place them on the flannelboard as the little plane spelled them out. But when little plane had trouble make the letter "o" we would all roll our hands to help him. The kids loved rolling their hands as little plane did “loops”.

“Five Little Airplanes”

Five little airplanes flying around

Zoom…zoom…zomm

One decided to touch down …zoom (Here we all touched the floor.)

Leaving 4 little airplanes flying around.

Continue song with 4…3…2…1…

There were not little airplanes flying around

Then all 5 airplanes left the ground

Zooooooom!

All five airplanes flying around.

Credit: Jen in the Library

*We stood up and acted like planes and touched the ground.  Went crazy screaming and shouting when a plane disappeared behind me.

Book: Not a Box

* I drew out the pictures from the book, and placed them on a box, along with my rabbit puppet. They kids enjoyed this, but not as much as I had hoped.

Credit: Thrive After Three

Fingerplay: Ten Little Froggies (Only do five and use five green and speckled frogs prop)

One little froggie goes hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop so...

Two little froggies go hop, hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop

Three little froggies go hop, hop, hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop. soo

Continue in this manner and end as follows

Ten little froggies go hop, hop, hop, hop hop

Drop! time to stop

Hop each time you count the froggies...and when you get to ten hop ten

times and count on fingers...fall gently down to floor

Credit: Preschool Education

*Went crazy shouting and screaming when my frogs “hopped” away!

Fingerplay/Flannel: Rocket Ship Hiding Game

*Instead of hunting for our little mouse behind a house we hunted for a fox behind a rocket ship!

Book: Bottoms Up!

*I had time to read but didn’t want to push the kids. Looking back I wish I had read it, it's a simple but really cute board book and I think they would have really enjoyed the silly animals.

Fingerplay: Four Little Stars

Three little stars

With nothing to do.

One shot off,

Then there were two!

Two little stars

Afraid of the sun.

One shot off,

Then there was one!

One little star

Alone is no fun.

It shot off,

then there was none!

Credit: Preschool Education

*For this I make big stars to go on my flannelboard. When I take one off, I have a bunch of little stars that I throw out onto the kids. They absolutely love this!

Our craft today was an airplane!  The preschoolers had crayons laid out so they could write their name in place of the windows.  A few of them got very creative and drew their family inside the airplane.  So precious!

Extra Books:

Time for Two’s Storytime:

Opening: Big Books

Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story

Book: Bottoms Up!

*The two's went crazy over this book!  They love lift-the-flap-books and this one is just so cute and silly.  Plus this is a great guessing book too.

“Five Little Airplanes” (Stand up and zoom around, then touch ground.)

Five little airplanes flying around

Zoom…zoom…zoom

One decided to touch down …zoom

Leaving 4 little airplanes flying around.

Continue song with 4…3…2…1…

There were not little airplanes flying around

Then all 5 airplanes left the ground

Zooooooom!

All five airplanes flying around.

Credit: Jen in the Library

*We stood up and acted like planes and touched the ground.

Fingerplay: Animal Cards

Book: Flip, Flap, Fly!

*The two's love puppets, and we used lots of them during this book.

Fingerplay: Ten Little Froggies (Only do five and use five green and speckled frogs prop)

One little froggie goes hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop so...

Two little froggies go hop, hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop

Three little froggies go hop, hop, hop

Along comes another and they just can't stop. soo

Continue in this manner and end as follows

Ten little froggies go hop, hop, hop, hop hop

Drop! time to stop

Hop each time you count the froggies...and when you get to ten hop ten

times and count on fingers...fall gently down to floor

Credit: Preschool Education

Fingerplay/Flannel: Rocket Ship Hiding Game

*Instead of hunting for our little mouse behind a house we hunted for a fox behind a rocket ship!

Fingerplay: Four Little Stars

Three little stars

With nothing to do.

One shot off,

Then there were two!

Two little stars

Afraid of the sun.

One shot off,

Then there was one!

One little star

Alone is no fun.

It shot off,

then there was none!

Credit: Preschool Education

*For this I make big stars to go on my flannelboard. When I take one off, I have a bunch of little stars that I throw out onto the kids. They absolutely love this!

Our craft today was an airplane!  The two's glued everything down except the windows, which we already had glued on for them.

Extra Book: