Theme: Bunnies

Theme: Bunnies

PR: Little Listeners - Reading with the Rabbits
Springtime is bunny time! Share songs, stories and rhymes during this bunny-approved preschool story time.

Suggested stories:
Hush, Little Bunny by David Ezra Stein
Wee Little Bunny by Lauren Thompson
Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall
Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky
In My Meadow by Sara Gillingham

New words introduced:
Waterproof, soaked, hedge, bravo

Rhymes, fingerplays and songs:

If You're Hoppy and You Know It...

If You're hoppy and you know it...
...hop around
...Wiggle your tail
...Stomp your feet
...Eat a carrot
...Wiggle your nose

 

Craft:
Supplies needed: Black construction paper, bunny pattern, chalk

Theme: Dogs

Theme: Dogs

PR: This preschool story time, co-hosted with Licking County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center, includes animal-themed stories, finger-plays, crafts and the opportunity to meet some adoptable animals. 

Story suggestions:
How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs by Yolen, Jane
This Little Pup by Bryant, Laura J.
Sniff! Sniff! by Sias, Ryan
We Want a Dog by Cole, Leo
10 Dogs by Gravett, Emily

Songs/Rhymes:

B-I-N-G-O

Craft:

Supplies needed: Pre-cut ears, nose, eyes, tongue, markers, glue and small paper bags

Theme: Pigs

Theme: Pigs 

PR
Little Listeners: It's Pig Day! "Here's a chance to learn about the importance of fine swine and learn pre-literacy skills at the same time."

Snoreytime Pig Party: "Set aside an evening of stories to celebrate an intelligent, charming and misunderstood pig."

Book ideas - There are SO MANY pig books, but most are cartoons.
This Little Piggy by Jarvis
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
Edward Gets Messy by Rita Meade
I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems
Pug Meets Pig by Sue Lowell Gallion
Pug & Pig and Friends by Sue Lowell Gallion
Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson
I'm a Frog by Mo Willems
Pigs and a Blanket by James Burks

Rhymes and Fingerplays

5 Pigs
Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest that you’ve ever seen
Wanted to outside and play (IN THE MUD)
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a great big thud
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs (Oink, oink!)

Two Mother Pigs
Two mother pigs lived in a pen (show thumbs)
Each had four babies, and that made ten (show fingers & thumbs)
These four babies were black as night (thumb in palm, wiggle fingers)
These four babies were black and white (switch hands, repeat)
But all eight babies loved to play
And they rolled and rolled in the mud all day (roll hands)
At night, with their mother, they curled up in a heap (clasp hands)
And squealed and squealed till they fell fast asleep.
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime

Activity
Painting pigs with pudding
Supplies - any pig outline on pink paper OR use white card stock so the kiddos can color it
One pudding cup for each child
Something to spread the "mud" - I just used plastic spoons.
LOTS of paper towels/baby whites

Theme: Pigs

PR:

Most Famous Pigs in History

"If you are jumping up and down in muddy puddles you must wear rain boots!" -Peppa Pig

Wilbur, from the children's book Charlotte's Web, is a classic example of a pig who was famous for being very smart. He was able to learn how to spell many words and even had a conversation with Charlotte.

Piglet from Winnie the Pooh is another beloved pig character. He is known for being very timid but also very loyal to his friends.

Babe is perhaps one of the most famous pigs of all time. He was the star of the movie Babe, which told the story of how he learned to become a sheepdog.

Miss Piggy is a well-known Muppet character who is known for being bossy and vain.

Peppa pig is a cartoon character who is loved by children all over the world. She is a regular pig who loves to play and have fun.

Three Little Pigs is a classic fairy tale that is famous for teaching children the importance of being careful with their money.

Porky Pig is a Looney Tunes character who is known for being very clumsy but also very lovable.

Pumbaa from The Lion King is a warthog who is best friends with Simba. He is known for being very funny and carefree.

Fun Facts About Pigs

Although they enjoy rolling in the mud, pigs are actually clean animals. Pigs are extremely clean. They even have a toilet located a long way from their living quarters.

Because it keeps them cool, pigs enjoy getting covered in mud! Pigs have little sweat glands, so they find another method of cooling down, which is why they bask in the mud and roll about in it so much.

The Eurasian wild boar is the common ancestor of all pigs.

Pigs, like their wild cousins, are omnivores. Pigs will root around and consume everything from leaves and fruit to small reptiles and rodents in the wild! Pigs are omnivores, which means they'll eat plants as well as meat. They aren't choosy in general and will eat just about anything! Hint, they don't hunt!

The average full-grown pig weighs between 300 and 700 pounds, and the world record for the heaviest pig has not been surpassed since 1933. Tennessee's Big Bill weighed in at 2,552 pounds. That is one heavyweight hog!

Pigs are one of the most intelligent domesticated animals, surpassing even dogs! 

Pigs are smart, adaptable, and loyal. The pig is a symbol of good fortune, honesty, pleasure, virility in the Chinese zodiac.

Theme: Stuffed Animal Clinic

Theme: Stuffed Animal Clinic

PR: Have a teddy bear with a tummy ache or a dinosaur with scraped knees? Never fear! This pretend and play story time includes everything kids need to know about doctor and hospital visits. Feel free to bring your favorite stuffy.

Stories Shared:
Veterinarians on the Job by Anne Forest
Digger and Daisy Go to the Doctor by Judy Young
Fish are Not Afraid of Doctors by J. E. Morris
At the Hospital (a Shine-A-Light book) by Carron Brown

Songs:
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
5 In the Bed (and the little one said...)

Activity:
We had 10 pictures of a dog and had the children add one spot, the next page was two spots, etc. They used craft balls of various sizes and larger tweezers.

We did pretend play with doctor kits, vet office sign-in sheets and the kids were the vets.

  

Theme: Cookies!

PR - Snoreytime: Cookies!  Put on your pjs, grab your blankie or favorite stuffie and get ready for "snorey time!" In this sweet treat family story time, we will share delicious stories, sweet songs and stir up some activities.

Book ideas
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
May I Please Have a Cookie? by Jennifer Morris
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchens
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies? by Jane Yolen
Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems

Rhymes/Songs

“C” is for Cookie

“C” is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.

“C” is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.

“C” is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.

Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with “C”.

____________________

_______________________

Making Cookies

We are making cookie dough;
Round and round the beaters go.
Add some flour, just two cups.
Stir and mix the batter up.

Roll them, cut them, nice and neat.
Put them on a cookie sheet.
Bake them, cool them on a rack.
Share them with my friends for snack!

________________________________________________

Five Little Cookies

Five little cookies, with frosting galore!

First, I ate the purple one, and then there were four.

Four little cookies, two plus two you see.

I at the green one, and then there were three.

Three little cookies, and before I knew,

I ate the M&M one, and then there were two.

Two little cookies; oh, what fun!

I ate the brown one, and then there was one.

One little cookie, yum-yum-yum!

I ate the last one, and then there were none.

______________

Activity
- Sequencing - How to make cookies

- Focused on the letter C. Had several images of items beginning with the letter.

- What else could we use to make cookies? Showed other cookie ingredients and tools. I also included images of non-cookie-related items; tree, shovel, dump truck, a red flower, etc.

Craft
Cookie decorating, of course! Use plain sugar cookies or gingerbread men.

Theme: Hearts

Reason for theme: Seasonal

New words and phrases introduced:
"find your wings", "Milky Way"

Books used:
My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
I Love You, Blankie by Sheryl Haft
I Love Your Face! by Karma Wilson
How Big is Love? by Emma Dodd
I Love My Baby by Sebastien Braun

Rhymes and Songs:

Colors, Colors

Colors, colors,
what colors do you see?

So many colors!
Take a look with me.

Red hearts, orange hearts,
yellow hearts, too.

So many colors!

Let’s start with _________.
(Children guess the rhyme.)

__________

10 Little Hearts

 1 little, 2 little 3 little hearts.

 4 little, 5 little, 6 little hearts.

 7 little, 8 little, 9 little hearts.

 10 little hearts right here.

Crafts/Activities:
Heart Necklaces 
Materials needed - Pre-cut hearts, hole punch, crayons, string/ribbon, crayons/markers/glitter, etc.

Theme: Penguins

PR: Little Listeners: Penguins are Cool!  Chill out at the library and enjoy stories, rhymes, fingerplays and a craft-all centered around penguins.

Book suggestions:

There are so many penguin books! I used these:
That's Not My Penguin
Penguin Says Please by Michael Dahl
Five Flying Penguins by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
10 Little Penguins by Kate Toms

New Words Introduced:
Waddle, glide

Discussion about penguin attributes and qualities.
I had many pictures of different penguins. Various colors, what they eat, teeth are on their tongue, etc.

Songs:

Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?
Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?

Silly and foolish the whole day through
Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?

Way up North where there's ice and snow
There lived a penguin and his name was Joe
He got so tired of black and white
He wore pink slacks to the dance last night!

Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?
Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?

Silly and foolish the whole day through
Boom, boom, ain't it great to be crazy?

The kids chose some of their favorites:
"Wheels on the Bus"
"Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes"

Craft:  Waddling penguins

Materials needed:  Pre-cut penguin pieces, glue, small paper plate

Theme: Hats

Story Ideas:

Hat On, Hat Off – by Theo Heras
Old Hat – by Emily Gravett
Book-O-Hats – by Donald Lemke
That’s My Hat! – by Anouck Boisrobert & Louis Rigaud
Hooray for Hat! – by Brian Won
Books For Preschoolers: The Red Hat – by David Teague
Brimsby’s Hats – by Andrew Prahin
The Pink Hat – by Andrew Joyner
I want my hat back – by Jon Klassen
This is not my hat – by Jon Klassen
We found a hat – by Jon Klassen

Words introduced:
"to and fro"

Fingerplays & Songs :
I Hop on my Horse
I hop on my horse and go to town. (Pretend to ride horse.)
I ride up high and I don’t fall down. (Place arms high and then low.)
I wear a hat so my hair won’t blow. (Put hand on head.)
and when I want to stop, I just say Ho! (Pull back on reins.)

Yankee Doodle Dandy (traditional)
Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni
Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle Dandy
Mind the Music and the step
And with the Girls be Handy.

I Like My Hat
I like my hat. I like my hat.
I like my hat so I'll put it on my.... Knee.
Elbow, Foot, Tummy…

Three Cornered Hat
My hat, it has three corners,
Three corners has my hat
And had it not three corners,
It would not be my hat.

Suggestions to spark a conversation with your group:
Why do we wear hats?
What kind of hats do we wear in the summer?
What kind of hats do we wear in the winter?
Which hats are worn to protect our head?
When you ride your bike, what do you wear?

Who would wear these hats?
· Sun hat
· Chef hat
· Cowboy hat
· Top hat
· Snow hat
· Fireman hat
· Sailor hat
· Baseball hat
· Hard hat

Theme: Hibernation/Sleep

PR: Where do animals like chipmunks and bears go in the winter? How can they live in the cold? Let's explore how they hibernate under the snow.

Stories used:

Bear Can't Sleep by Karma Wilson
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
The Napping House by Audrey Wood (Big Book)
A Nap in a Lap by Sarah Wilson 

Other book ideas:
Animals In Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
Baby Bear Counts One by Ashley Wolff
Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead
Bear is Awake: an alphabet story by Hannah E. Harrison
The Bear in the Book by Kate Banks
Bear Is Not Tired by Ciara Gavin
A Bed for Bear by Clive McFarland
A Bed for the Winter (DK)
Brownie Groundhog and the Wintery Surprise by Susan Blackaby
Don’t Wake up the Bear by
Do not Disturb by Margery Facklam
Do Polar Bears Snooze in Hollow Trees?: A Book About Animal Hibernation by Laura Purdie Salas
Goodnight, Grizzle Grump! by Aaron Blecha
Groundhog Stays up Late by Margery Cuyler
Hibernation by Margaret Hall
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows
Home at Last – A Song of Migration by April Sayre
Knock Knock by Tammi Sauer
Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson
Mika the Bear Who Didn’t Want to Sleep by Erik Kriek
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes
One Snowy Night by M. Christina Butler
Ouch! by Ragnhild Scammell
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Red Sled by Lita Judge
Sleep, Bear! by Shelby Alinsky
Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep by Maureen Wright
Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi
Sleepy Black Bear, Sleep by Jane Yolen
The Snowy Nap by Jan Brett
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
When it Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator
Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer
Why Do Bears Sleep All Winter? by Mary Englar

Song: “Hibernation”
(Tune: “Alouette”)
Hibernation, time for hibernation.
Hibernation, time to go to sleep.
In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where’s the bear? Log or lair. OH!
In the winter, where’s the frog?
Sleeping by a pond or log.
Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!
In the winter, where’s the snake?
In the mud beneath the lake.
Where’s the snake? Beneath the lake. OH!
In the winter, where’s the bat?
In a cave is where it’s at.
Where’s the bat? Cave it’s at! OH!

Song & Puppet: “Sleepy Bear”
Tune: Thumbkin
Where is Bear? Where is Bear?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep.

Song: "Are You Sleeping?"
Are you sleeping?
Are you sleeping?
Little bear, little bear?

I will sleep till springtime
I will sleep till springtime
Snug and warm
Snug and warm

Can you Stretch?
Tall as a tree?
Wide as a house?
Thin as a pin?
Small as a mouse?

Activity:
We used the parachute as a bear cave at first, then simply played with the chute.

Theme: Kindness

Theme: Kindness

New words and phrases introduced:
Drought, "your manners do appall", "happy to oblige", tangled, "come in handy"

Books used:
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems
Please Say Please by Kyle Webster
How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Be Kind? by Jane Yolen
Time to Say Please by Mo Willems
I Can Help in the Neighborhood by David Hyde Costillo
Babies Love Kindness by Ginger Swift (a lift-the-flap book)
Kindness: A Celebration of Mindfulness by Katie Wilson

Songs, Rhymes & Fingerplays:

Crafts/Activities:

 Bee magnets:  These patterns from SimpleMomProject.com were pre-cut and the kiddos assembled them with glue.  We attached a magnet on the back so that when they see the bee, they remember to "bee kind."