Ocean Storytime

Craft:
Paper plate fish with dot stickers and pens. A couple parents said this was their favorite craft.  I should have asked why, as it is so simple, and I don't think it is very creative.
Supplies:
scissors
white cheap paper plate- large
circle stickers in various sizes
markers
masking tape for tail




I read a variation of the same books at my Toddler Time and Preschool Storytime.

Rub-a-Dub-Sub by Ashaman 

Is a story about a boy in the tub playing with toys, but the reader does not know that until the very end.  There are rhyming sentences on every page that include the sea creatures in the verse. Bright fun colorful pages.  Great read-a- aloud book!

Poor Little Guy by Allen

This is a book with a cute fish that looks harmless, but isn't.  I had to do some explaining and deeper discussion with the toddlers.  It was over their heads, but the parents loved it.  The older preschool kids however did get it and thought the book was funny.

Hooray for Fish by Cousins

This a a staple fish book, I think, for toddler story. The covers colors, shapes, and more.  I think it is too low for preschool.

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Sherry

I love this book!  I wish it came in BIG BOOK size.  It is about a egomaniacal giant squid 

Farm!

My story time theme was "Farm" today! We read:

Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee
A classic favorite of mine that works well for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Old MacDonald Had a Truck by Steve Goetz
A fun twist on the traditional song. Instead of cows and sheep, Old MacDonald has an excavator and a steam roller!


Farm Songs:

Down on Grandpa's Farm (I used puppets)


Farm Rhyme:

Five Little Eggs

Five little eggs and
Five little eggs
That you see makes ten
Sitting on top is the Mother Hen
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
What do you see?
Ten fluffy chickens!
Yellow as can be



A few weeks ago, we were bombarded by teens needing volunteer work. In desperation to keep them busy I said, "Come up with a cute farm craft that preschoolers could do." They came up with this cow hat, which turned out great.

Kate's Cats!

I see there is another cat themed storytime post already.  However, I chose different books to read and a different art activity.

"Mama Cat has Three Kittens" by Denise Flemming
A great book full of adjectives and repetitive words.  Large beautiful pictures which are easy to see at the back of a large group.

"Ginger" by Charlotte Voake
Ginger is an adult cat who has difficulty adjusting to a new kitten.  If you have ever owned cats, you will recognized the new kitten problem Ginger endures.

My last book is "I Am Cat" by Jackie Morris. Gorgeous watercolor pictures of cats of all sizes from all over the world. A must have for cat lovers, but all of her books are lovely.

The art project of the week was a cat mask.  The kids needed to cut it out. They could color it if they wanted to or they could choose to leave it white or grey.  Then they just needed to tape a stick to it.

If you want a PDF of the original cat art, email me. ~Kate :-) 

Preschool storytime: The Letter W

Books:

The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Merino

The kids enjoyed this one. They were able to guess why the crocodile didn't like water before the end.

The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan

This one was okay. I love the pictures, but I don't remember getting much response from the kids.







Songs and Chants:

• Welcome, Welcome, Everyone
• Alphabet song
• Buenos Dias/Frere Jacques
• The Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Dance Your Fingers
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• If You're Happy and You Know It
• Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Turn Around
• Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
• Rocketship Run
• The More We Get Together

Flannel:

 The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

The kids enjoyed this, but I messed it up a few times. There are a lot of pieces to this one! (It is a purchased one, not a homemade flannel.)








Craft:
Watermelons and whales with paper plates