Preschool Storytime: Crocodiles and/or Alligators

We read…

Egg by Kevin Henkes
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
I’d Really Like to Eat a Child by Slyviane Donnio

We sang…

Hello/Goodbye, Friends
Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree
If You’re Happy and You Know It

We wiggled…

Alligator, Alligator
Open, Shut Them
These Are My Glasses

We played…

We played an egg game very similar to Little Mouse. This is a great opportunity to talk about all the different kinds of animals that come out of eggs!

We made…

Source: Easy Peasy and Fun

This is a great craft to work all those muscles in little hands and fingers. We skipped the teeth and just focused on coloring the craft stick (we used crayons) and wrapping the pipe cleaners.

Our literacy tip…

Using our fingers and hands in rhymes and songs helps strengthen the muscles that will help us learn to write.

Preschool Storytime: PARTY!

This year my department has decided to take May off so we can focus all our attention on school visits and summer learning prep before the chaos starts. We’ll have quite a few kids graduating out of our preschool storytime this years, so it seemed only natural to celebrate!

I decorated the room with streamers and balloons that we already had and got out our awesome new bubble fish. What’s a party without a bubble machine?

We read…

Where’s the Party? by Ruth Chan
Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff

We sang…

Hello/Goodbye, Friends
If You’re Happy and You Know It
There Are Bubbles In the Air
Shake Your Sillies Out

We wiggled…

Open, Shut Them
Dance Your Fingers Up
This is Big, Big, Big

We played…

What’s a party without presents? We played Little Fox, of course.

We made…

Everyone knows all the best parties end with cake! I pre-cut the bottom and top shapes and put them in piles on the tables. I didn’t make a sample (only for you guys!) and let them glue and decorate however it felt right to them. We had a lot of fun coming up with crazy flavor combinations.

Our literacy tip…

Asking questions as you read will strengthen your child’s reading comprehension.

Preschool Storytime: Painting

We read…

Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont (I sing this one!)
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

We sang…

Hello/Goodbye, Friends
If You’re Happy and You Know It
I Can Sing a Rainbow

We wiggled…

Red, Red is the Color I See
Open, Shut Them
These Are My Glasses
This is Big Big Big

We played…

We played a color guessing game with the paintbrushes I made for Flannel Friday! It was a HUGE hit. I will definitely be bringing this one back.

We made…

What else do you do with a paint theme? You paint! I put sets of primary colors at three tables so we could experiment with color mixing like the mice in Mouse Paint. I used liquid watercolors and I really recommend them for this- unlike gloopy tempera paint, it’s really easy for the peanuts to see the colors mixing together and forming a brand new color. I mixed them in little condiment cups so if they did spill, it was only a few tablespoons.

Our literacy tip…

Color awareness can be a tricky skill to master. The more you and your child talk about the colors around you, the easier it will be for them to learn! Point out colors when you’re reading, driving, or shopping for groceries.

Preschool Storytime: Getting Noisy

Every now and then I like to include lots of really interactive picture books- ones that encourage the peanuts to move, ask questions, and think. This is a whole story time all about doing!

We read…

Hooray for Birds! by Lucy Cousins
Noisy Night by Mac Barnett
Mix It Up by Herve Tullet

We sang…

Hello/Goodbye, Friends
If You’re Happy and You Know It
Head ,Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

We wiggled…

Open, Shut Them
These Are My Glasses
This is Big Big Big
Two Little Blackbirds

We made…

Noisy Night apartments! Noisy Night is about an apartment full of noisy people. Each one hears a different, mysterious noise above their heads, all the one to the very top. I made this simple template in Word and asked the kids to imagine who might make a very noisy neighbor and draw what it might look like. My two favorites? A big, stinky pig and “daddy.”

Our literacy tip…

Young children have a hard time sitting still and listening. Try reading books that encourage movement to capture their attention and indulge their wiggles at the same time.