Theme: Ants

Purpose: Insect identification, body parts, etc.

Suggested Stories:
The Ants Go Marching by Nicholas Ian
I Say OOH, You Say AHH by John Kane
Effie by Beverly Allinson (big book)

Flannel board:
The Elephant and the Ants (folklore)

Poem:

Craft:
Supplies needed - photos of picnic foods, small paper plates, glue, markers,crayons, paint or ink pads

Theme: Scarecrows

Purpose: To introduce fall sights and sounds

New words introduced:

Suggested Books:

Crow Made a Friend by Margaret Peot
The Mystery of the Haunted Scarecrow by Fran Manushkin
Harold Loves His Wolly Hat by Vern Kousky
The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro
The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown
Scaredycrow by Christopher Hernandez
The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen
Barn Dance! Bill Martin Jr.

Rhymes and finger plays:
 

Theme: Teeth

Purpose: To showcase body parts and demonstrate good habits/hygiene

PR:  "Brush up with stories and activities that are all about teeth in celebration of

National Children’s Dental Health Month."

New words: bristly

Suggested stories: 
People Don't Bite People by Molly Idle
The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss
Molly at the Dentist by Angie Sage
I Just Ate My Friend by McKinnon, Heidi
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Higgins, Ryan
My Toothbrush is Missing by Thomas, Jan
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Higgins, Ryan
My Toothbrush is Missing by Thomas, Jan

Flannel Board:

Happy Tooth, Sad Tooth - I wanted to give credit for these, but I can not remember the source.

Songs and Rhymes:
Brush Your Teeth  by Raffi

When you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to one
And you want to have a little fun
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

When you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to two
And you want to find something to do
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

And when you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to three
And your mind starts hummin', tweedle dee dee
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

When you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to four
And you think you hear a knock on your door
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

When you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to five
And you just can't wait to come alive
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch
You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

You brush your teeth, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch

THEME: Feet

Purpose: To showcase body parts, left & right

Reason theme was chosen: Rhyming, movement and rhythm

Suggested stories:

I Like Shoes by Candice Ransom
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Who Has These Feet? by Laura Hulbert

Flannel board:
Pete the Cat and His White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Rhymes:

Wiggle Your Fingers, Stomp Your Feet
Wiggle your fingers in the air.
Wiggle them, wiggle them everywhere!
Stomp your feet upon the ground.
Stomp them, stomp them all around.

2nd time, sing faster.  Third time, faster still.

Songs:
"Hokey Pokey"
"Put One Foot in Front of the Other" 

Craft:
Supplies needed - crayons/markers, colored paper, scissors, glue

Trace foot with shoe on or off.

Theme: Frogs

Purpose: To show frog life cycle

Reason theme was chosen: To focus on gross motor and fine motor skills

New words introduced: Hatched, gills, tadpole

Suggested books:
Am I a Frog? by Lizzy Rockwell (This is non-fiction.)
I'm a Frog by Mo Willems
Frog and Ball by Kathy Caple
I'm On It! by Andrea Tsurumi (a bit longer and focus is more on directions - up, down, in, etc.)
The Wide-mouthed Frog pop up book by Keith Faulkner - This one is a MUST. Make sure to get the pop-up version.

Songs and fingerplays:

______________________________

 

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Activity:
Roll the 2 dice and add them. Hop that many times.

Ask:
How many days in the week? Say and count them. Hop that many times.
How many months...
How many weeks...(Yes - you must hop 52 times.)
How many chairs at the tables?

Etc.

Craft
We pre-cut the pieces.

Theme: School & School Buses

Purpose: To show little ones school busses and what they do.

Reason theme was chosen:  It's back-to-school season and they will be seeing busses on the roads.  Also, siblings may be riding the bus.

Suggested books
The School Book by Todd Parr
One Golden Rule at School: A Counting Book by Selina Alko
How to Get Your Octopus to School by Becky Scharnhorst
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen
Time for School, Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff

Songs and rhymes
Wheels on the Bus

Flannel board - Pete the Cat : I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Craft

Create your own crayon color

Theme: Ice Cream

Purpose: To use math (measuring) and gross motor skills to make our own portion of ice cream

PR: I Scream, You Scream for Stories About Ice Cream!
Share stories, songs activities and maybe even some ice cream.

Reason theme was chosen: End of SLP celebration - It's July!  It's Hot!

Suggested books
Groovy Joe Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin
Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
Pete the Cat Screams for Ice Cream by Kimberly and James Dean
Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes
Should I Share My Ice Cream? Written and illustrated by Mo Willems
The Thing About Yetis Written and illustrated by Vin Vogel
Ice Cream Summer Written and illustrated by Peter Sis
Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise by H. A. Rey
Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger and Julie Downing
Flora and the Penguin Illustrated by Molly Idle
Ice Cream Soup by Gail Herman
Just One More by Jennifer Hansen
I’m Your Ice Cream Truck by Hannah Eliot

New words introduced
Rock salt, groovy, frustrated, "just chillin'" brain freeze

Songs and Fingerplays

If all the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops,
Oh, what a rain it would be!
I’d stand outside with my mouth open wide
Going Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

If all the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops,
Oh, what a rain it would be!

If all the snowflakes
Were candy bars and milkshakes…

If all the sunbeams
Were bubblegum and ice cream…

___________________

Do you like Ice Cream?
To the tune of “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”

Do you like ice cream? (Hold hands out, palms up)
Do you like it in a bowl? (Use hands to make bowl shape)
Do you like to eat it fast? (Pretend to hold a spoon and eat fast)
Do you like to eat it slow? (Pretend to hold a spoon and eat slow)
Do you like it with some syrup (Pretend to squeeze a bottle)
With some sprinkles, or some nuts? (Pretend to shake a jar)
Do you like ice cream? (Hold hands out, palms up)

___________________

5 Little Ice Cream Cones

5 little ice cream cones so good to eat.
The first one said, “I’m a summer time treat,”
The second one said, “It’s such a hot day,”
The third one said, “I’m melting away.”
The fourth one said, “Don’t lose your top!”
The fifth one said, “Oh dear,”
KERPLOP!
__________________

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We All Want An Ice Cream Cone
Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

We all want an ice cream cone,
Ice cream cone, ice cream cone.
We all want an ice cream cone,
We’ll eat it every day.

(Flavor) is our favorite kind,
Favorite kind, favorite kind.
(Flavor) is our favorite kind,
We’ll eat it every day.
(Credit: Storytime Source Page)
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Ice Cream Cones 

Sung to: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

We all want an ice cream cone, ice cream cone, ice cream cone
We all want an ice cream cone, we'll eat it right away.
Chocolate is our favorite kind, favorite kind, favorite kind
Chocolate is our favorite kind, we'd eat it every day.
(add as many flavor verses as you like)
Thank you for the ice cream cone, ice cream cone, ice cream cone
Thank you for the ice cream cone, it really hit the spot.

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Take Me Out For Some Ice Cream
Sung to: Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Take me out for some ice cream,
Take me out to the store.
Buy me a triple scoop jumbo cone.
I won't share, I'll eat it alone!
For its scoop, scoop ,scoop up the ice cream--
Give me three kinds I adore!
For it's one, two, three, scoops to go
At the ice cream store!

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Ice Cream Poem

I like ice cream. Yes I do!
One scoop for me?
No! Make it two!
Hmmm two scoops of ice cream,
I want more
How about three?
No, make that four!
1, 2, 3, 4,
Splat! "oh no! It's on the floor!"

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On Top Of My Sundae
Sung to: "On Top of Spaghetti"

On top of my sundae
All covered with sauce
I lost my poor cherry
It really got lost.

It rolled off the table
And onto the floor
And then my poor cherry
It rolled out the door.

It rolled to the garden
And under a bush
And then my poor cherry
It turned into mush.

If you like your sundae
All covered with sauce
Hold onto your cherry
Or it will be lost.

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Activity

Shaving Cream Ice Cream Art
Mix equal parts of shaving cream and glue (you can also add a few drops of tempera paint: brown for chocolate ice cream; pink for strawberry ice cream). Give the children a piece of construction paper and let them 'scoop' some paint onto their paper. Using a brush, spoon, or their fingers, have the children spread the paint around. When they are done, add a brown triangle construction paper 'cone.' It will resemble a dropped ice cream cone. Kids can have a lot of fun adding sprinkles or being creative with the project.    Credit: Childcare Lounge.com

Make Pretend Ice Cream Sundaes
Buy disposable plastic bowls and glue cotton or fiber fill in the bowl to look like ice cream. Put brown and red paints in squeeze bottles. Let children drizzle paint over the cotton to look like chocolate or strawberry sauce. Kids can also add sprinkles and glue a red pom pom ball on top for a cherry. Add a plastic spoon on the side.

 

Theme: Baseball

 Purpose/reason theme was chosen: It's baseball season!

Suggested books:
Are You Ready to Play Outside? Mo Willems
Watch Me Throw the Ball Mo Willems
A Big Guy Took My Ball Mo Willems
Can I Play, Too?  Mo Willems
Baseball Baby Diane Adams
Curious George Plays Baseball by H. A Ray

New words introduced:
Root! (for the home team)

Songs and rhymes:
Take Me Out to the Ball Game - BOOK illustrated by Amy Huntington

 

Activity/craft: Baseball mitts

Supplies needed: Black markers, brown felt, white or colored felt for ball, scissors

Theme: Snakes

Purpose: Discuss snakes and their habitats, using fine motor skills

Reason theme was chosen: SLP adventure theme

Suggested books:
Snake - His Story by James Marshall
Snake's Big Mistake by Sarah Kurpiel (This one is a little longer.)
Snakes on the Job or Snakes in Space by Kathryn Dennis 
Save the Cake by Molly Coxe
Snakes Smell with their Tongues! by Thea Feldman
Snakes! by David Greenberg
Hair Scare! by John Sazaklis (This one is longer and best used with older kiddos.)

New words introduced:
Slither

Songs and rhymes:

Counting Snakes Flannel Board
ONE little snake looking for something to do
He finds another and that makes TWO.
Two little snakes wrapped around a tree,
Another slithers up and that makes THREE.
Three little snakes by the garden door,
They see another and that makes FOUR.
Four little snakes notice one more arrive,
Basking in the sun, the snakes make FIVE.

By the Pond Flannel Board
Tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
The snake in the grass went ssss, ssss, ssss, the snake in the grass went ssss, all day long.
The turtle on the rock goes snap, snap, snap . . . all day long.
The frog in the pond goes ribbit, ribbit, ribbit . . . all day long.
The bee in the tree goes buzz, buzz, buzz . . . all day long.
The rabbit in the hole goes hop, hop, hop. . . all day long.

 Craft:
Snakes with markers, pipe cleaners and beads

Theme: Bears

 Purpose - discuss bear habits and habitat

PR: Bears! Oh, My!
Family story time about bears and their forest friends with some great books, songs, and a craft.  Bring your favorite bear!

Reason this theme was chosen: Outdoor animals fit in to 2024 SLP theme, and to discover the many kinds of animals that live around us

Suggested books:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin
Bears Don't Eat Egg Sandwiches by Julie Fulton
A Dark, Dark Cave  by Eric Hoffman 
There's a Bear in My Chair by Ross Collins
The Bear went over the Mountain by Jane Cabrera (song/book combo) *Note:  This book gets kind of long, but the kids were quiet and listened to every word.

New words introduced:
Pretending/imagination, glare/unaware, flair, lure, lair, utmost, declare/despair

Songs and Fingerplays

Activities
Feed the Bear ball toss (we actually used fake peanuts)

Craft - bear claws
Supplies needed:  2 small paper plates, crayons/markers, glue sticks, claws
We stapled the plates front to front and cut off the bottom. Kids colored and added parts.  They ran around with their paws on their hands growling like a bear.  It would have been even more fun if they each made two.

Theme: Forest Animals

Purpose - To introduce and learn new words about common neighborhood and forest animals

PR: N/A

Reason theme was chosen: Outdoor adventures fits in to 2024 SLP theme

Suggested books
Exploring the Great Outdoors by Mercer Mayer
I'm a Frog by Mo Millems
Five Speckled Frogs (movable board book) illustrated by Yu-hsuan Huang
Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi
Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert
What about Worms!? by Ryan Higgins

New words introduced
Pretend/pretending

Songs and Fingerplays

Two Little Bluebirds

Two little bluebirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack and one named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill

Two little bluebirds sitting on a stick
One named slow and one named quick
Fly away slow, fly away quick
Come back slow, come back quick

Two little bluebirds sitting on a cup
One named down and one named up
Fly away down, fly away up
Come back down, come back up

Two little bluebirds sitting on a cloud
One named quiet and one named loud
Fly away quiet, fly away loud
Come back quiet, come back loud

Two little bluebirds sitting on a lily
One named serious and one named silly
Fly away serious, fly away silly
Come back serious, come back silly

The Green Grass Grew All Around

… Oh in the woods there was a tree
The prettiest tree
You ever did see
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around

… And on that tree
There was a branch
The prettiest branch
That you ever did see
And the branch was on the tree
And the tree in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around

… And on that branch
There was a nest
The prettiest nest
That you ever did see
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the branch
And the branch was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around

… And in that nest
There was an egg
The prettiest egg
That you ever did see
And the egg was in the nest
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around

… And in that egg
There was a bird
The prettiest bird
That you ever did see
And the bird was in the egg
And the egg was in the nest
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the branch
And the branch was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around

Activities

Art - Make animal masks
Supplies: Markers, crayons, scissors, tape, craft sticks, animal mask patterns

  

Theme: Cowboys

Purpose: To describe cowboys and what they might do.

PR: N/A

Reason theme was chosen: Introduction to our 2024 Reading Program theme

Suggested Books

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Ruckus on the Ranch by Harriet Ziefert

Activity

Going on a Bear Hunt (with shaky eggs) by Helen Oxenbury
     (This is part of the Adventure theme with SLP.)

Go on a pretend horse ride. 
Ask children where they want to go.
-- Pack backpack/supplies
-- Get horse ready
-- Gallop
-- See a snake
-- Wait out a thunderstorm
-- Turn a sharp corner
-- Horse sees the barn on the way back and runs to it.
-- Horse aftercare:  Hose, brush, fly spray, hugs!

Craft

Paper sandwich bag backpacks

Supplies needed: Pre-cut construction paper flaps and pockets, buttons (or button stickers, cutouts), small strap for front, larger strip for back handle, crayons, scissors, glue, markers, extra stickers, etc.

Theme: Water Play

 Purpose: gross motor, fine motor skills, water animals

PR: N/A

Reason theme was chosen: Summer!

Suggested books:
Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes
Clumsy Crab by Ruth Galloway
Mabel: A Mermaid Fable Roboat Watkins

Songs and Rhymes:
A Sailor Went to Sea

The Waves in the Sea

New Words Introduced:
Dart (swim)
Grind (on rocks)
Raze (on Coral)
Skitter and flutter (swim)
Perturbed
Despicable

Activity:
Water in large bowls with dish soap
Bubbles/bubble wands

Theme: Insects

 Purpose: To introduce parts of insects, gross motor practice, puppet play/imagination

Reason theme was chosen: Summer season, insect identification

PR: N/A

Suggested books
Caterpillar's Wish by Mary Murphy
Can YOU Make a Scary Face?  by Jan Thomas
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek (pop-up book)
One Little Blueberry by Tammi Salzano
Inch by Inch  by Leo Lionni
Flutterby Butterfly by Emma Parrish

Songs and Rhymes

Baby Bumblebee
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
‘Cause I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Ouch! It stung me!

There's a Spider on the Floor

The Ants Go Marching

All Around My Yard
The ants in the grass go 
march, march, march,
march, march, march,
march, march, march,
The ants in the grass go 
march, march, march,
all around my yard.

The fireflies at night go
blink, blink, blink...
all around my yard.

The little caterpillar goes
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...
all around my yard.

The grasshoppers like to go 
jump, jump, jump...
all around my yard.

Five Little Ladybugs

Activity

Bumblebee parts 

Supplies needed:

Copy and cut out this sheet:

Craft

Enlarge, cut out, decorate, fold wings up, and glue body on a craft stick 
Additional supplies: glue sticks and scissors if not pre cut

 Wave it and it will flutter!

Theme: Dr. Seuss books

Purpose: introduce the concept of rhyming
Reason theme was chosen:  Even though Dr. Seuss has passed, books are still published under his name.
It was good for caregivers to hear old favorites and to know that they are still being published.

PR: N/A

Suggested books
Great Day for Up
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Green Eggs and Ham
Cooking with Sam-I-Am

Songs and Rhymes

Activity

to practice fine motor skills and glue bottle skills

Supplies needed
Cut red and blue paper, fish printout, glue

Or crayons for any of these for the younger littles.