The sun has not come out for days...it has been cold here in Wisconsin and indoor recess is killing them! (and the teachers...) Time to pull out the fairy tale STEM packs to save the day! Here are some quick and easy ways to add fairy tale STEM to your lessons! Get a variety of fairy tale books that cover the theme you are trying to cover. For example, Jack and the Beanstalk. I use Epic Books for mine. It's a free site for teachers when you sign up. Tie it into what you are already doing. Using Jack and the Beanstalk can be used during a sound unit if you choose to make a harp. We make a harp/stringed instrument using cardboard and rubber bands. We cover pitch and vibrations and volume. I also love to use Jack and the Beanstalk with my plant unit in spring. We grow beans in our school garden and add the STEM activity of how tall of a beanstalk can you build using just masking tape and green bulletin board paper. We add leaves and jack to the vine. You can also add activities such as building a parachute to get Jack safely to the ground. We use different types of materials to test to see which one has better air resistance. We set up a bull's eye for the parachutes to land on to see if Jack gets safely down. Add a twist...discuss how Jack did not do the right thing by taking something that didn't belong to him. Have them build a safe way for the giant to get down to get his harp and goose back. You can have them create the biggest giant out of a certain amount of paper and measure each of the giants and compare. This adds a little math to the equation. If you want to save yourself time...get these activities all in one place. Find the whole pack HERE. Bean there....done that and the kids loved it! Add a great version of Jack and the Beanstalk...a fractured fairy tale...a fun comparison and contrasting connection along with measuring how high each beanstalk is and you are set to go!
This was probably the first week this summer that went really well in terms of storytime. We cut our storytime schedule down during summer and I’ve had over 30 kids on average for toddler storytime. I know that for some libraries this is all in a day’s work, but I was frazzled, so most of my storytimes this summer have been reading aloud one book and adding a lot of movement, motor activity, music to the program. And when you’re using manipulatives – like shaker eggs and rhythm sticks, it takes a lot of time handing these out and cleaning them up! But this week, I had a small crowd and was able to read two out of my three books, but by and large the kids absolutely love the Fruit Salad song and our Butterfly Flannel Board rhyme the best. You should see the little ones rock out when we get to “Fruit Salad” – it’s adorable! Balloon Storytime Opening: “Put Your Hands Up In the Air” Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Woolly (monkey puppet) Early Literacy Tip: “Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.” – Mem Fox Resource Share: Launchpads are great choices for those patrons who want to expose their children to technology, but not break the expensive technology at home! Book 1: Balloons Balloons Balloons by Dee Lillegard Transition: “Butterfly Flannel Board”The first to come to the garden bedis a lovely butterfly of brilliant REDThen in comes another and that makes twoFly right in, my friend of BLUEThis garden is fine, the best I’ve seensays the butterfly of the softest GREENOur garden needs a sunny fellowFly in butterfly, with wings of yellowLittle friend of PURPLE, fly in toothe garden is waiting for a color like youHello ORANGE, we’ve waited so longfly in, right where you belongButterflies, Butterflies, you’re such a sightFlying together with such delight! Flannelboard Rhyme: “Find the Caterpillar”Knock, Knock, KnockLittle caterpillar, little caterpillarAre you behind the ______ Butterfly? Book 2: Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid Transition: “Where Do They Make Balloons?” They Might Be Giants, No! (with shaker eggs) Wiggle Song: “Fruit Salad”Watermelon, Watermelon, (big circle with hands)Pa-pay-a, pap-ay-a, (chop air in front of body on each syllable)Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down like rocking a baby)Fruuuuit Salad, fruuuuit salad! (dance it out!)Pomegranate, Pomegranate, PomegranateCle-men-tine, Cle-men-tine, Cle-men-tinePineapple, pineappleFruit salad, fruit salad Book 3: Brown Rabbit’s Shape Book by Alan Baker Closing: “Shake My Sillies Out” Puppet Show Additional Choices: Pop! Went Another Balloon Can You See the Red Balloon? A Balloon for Isabel Emily’s Balloon Sebastian and the Balloon Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon
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Cozy yet elegant, comfy and warm, this is the perfect cardigan to snuggle up in at storytime. Just enough ribbing to be distinguished… and just enough garter stitch to be adorable! With subtle worked-in garter stitch elbow “patches”… A double-breasted front and cozy shawl collar…. And optional inset pockets hidden behind a wide ribbed hem to stash away treasures… A very fast and easy knit, this cardigan is knit from the top down seamlessly. The body is worked flat; the sleeves are worked in the round. Stitches are picked up along side edges and neckline to work buttonbands and collar. Optional pockets can be worked. Their lining requires some seaming. Skills Required: casting-on, knitting, purling, knitting in the round, increasing, decreasing, knitting on dpns, picking up stitches, yarn over, seaming (only if working pockets). Finished garment has chest circumferences of 20 (22.5, 23.5, 25, 27, 28) inches or 51 (57, 60, 63, 68.5, 71.5) cm. Yarn Requirements: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) skein of Cascade Ecological Wool or Eco+ or approximately 250 (275, 300, 350, 400, 450) yds or 230 (250, 275, 320, 370, 415) meters of similar chunky or heavy worsted weight yarn such as Berroco Vintage Chunky (which is superwash, unlike Cascade Ecological Wool / Eco+) Needles / Notions US 10 / 6mm circular needles or size needed to get stockinette gauge. US 10 / 6mm double-pointed needles (for sleeves), or size needed to get stockinette stitch gauge. US 9 / 5.5mm circular needles or 1 size smaller than needles that get you stockinette gauge. Optional for pocket linings: US9 / 5.5mm double-pointed needles, or 1 size smaller than needles that get you stockinette gauge (you can also use circulars but it’s easier to work on the lining with dpns.) 4 stitch markers tapestry needle 2 stitch holders or scrap yarn four or six 5/8-inch (1.5 cm) diameter buttons
Shakespeare’s ability to craft tongue-in-cheek quips full of double meaning and literary merit is one of many reasons his works have such staying power. The next time you’re looking for a witty put-down, consider using a Shakespearean insult to get your message across. His plays offer a wide array of inspiration that you can use…
Print This CraftThe kids will really enjoy making these frogs leap up and down. They can either check out the ... Read More
Anxiety affects 20 percent of all kids and for many children, anxiety can interfere with normal daily living. Here are 73 powerful tips to calm an anxious child so your child can get back to being well — a kid again.
I don’t care who you are or how great your voice is, children definitely respond to singing. Anytime I do a sing-a-long book, it works like a charm, kids who normally can’t stop moving, stop and pay attention, some start tapping their feet or clapping their hands mimicking the rhythm of the song, it’s a pretty amazing sight. The kids I see at the Intermediate Unit have a wide array of disabilities – from Autism Spectrum Disorder to language development, visual, or other disabilities affecting gross and fine motor skills which means I have to be ready for just about everything when I visit these classrooms. Each time I visit, I come out of these storytimes loving what I’m doing and so excited that I get a chance to visit the kids in these classrooms! The kids really took to The Wheels on the Bus with many staying very focused or answering my questions about the modes of transportation when they weren’t very interested in other parts of my storytime. Try those sing-a-long books – they really work! Storytime Plan Opening: “Open Shut Them” Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Tortuga (turtle puppet) Book 1: Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli Transition: “I’ll Take You Riding in My Car”I’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car.The doors on the car go open and shut…The windshield wipers go swish, swish…The horn on the car goes beep, beep… Book 2: Sputter, Sputter, Sput! by Babs Bell / Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car by Eileen Christelow Wiggles: “Bananas Unite”“Bananas UnitePeel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Chop bananas, chop chop bananas,Chop bananas, chop chop bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Eat bananas, eat, eat bananasEat bananas, eat, eat bananasGo, BANANAS!!!!!” Book 3: Down by the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter Closing: “The Wheels on the Bus” with hand motions
I'm so excited to share with you another week of writing tips for Writer's Workshop. Your little writers are even closer to writing their own story. Some of them will be their very first time, others will get to add another story to their portfolio. This week is all about story progression. The story finally
Our Now and Next routine charts are perfect for using with your child in learning and following a daily routine. They break down a daily routine to “Now”, “Next” and “Later”. Now and Next routine charts are a fantastic visual and communication aid, particularly for children who are have SEND or children who may struggle with verbal instructions or delayed speech. *WHAT’S INCLUDED* This Now and Next routine chart is available in 3 different designs and personalised with your child’s name and 30 routine cards to use. The three different designs available are: • Rainbow • Flowers • Stars The 30 routine cards included are: Home, Bedtime, Drink, Park, Dinner, Snack, Pyjamas, Bathtime, Family Time, Lunch, Brush Teeth, Get Dressed, Breakfast, Tablet, Watch TV, Shops, Storytime, Doctors, Tidy up time, Playtime, Make Bed, Crafts, Pack Bag, School, Car, Swimming, Dentist, Brush Hair, Toilet and Nappy *IMPORTANT INFORMATION* • Personalised with your child’s name on the chart and 30 different routine cards included • 3 different designs available • All sheets are A4 in size • Printed on high quality on 300gsm white cardstock and gloss laminated • If you would like personalised routine cards, please message before purchasing and we can discuss to make it perfect for your child (additional costs will apply) *PLEASE NOTE* • All Chloe Leigh Learning products are designed to be used with adult supervision at all times due to small parts • All of our products are made to order and have a 2-3 week turnaround time
Why not enjoy a delicious Gruffalo Crumble this world book day? No baking is required and it’s super simple. Just refrigerate and enjoy.
If you're a parent, you could probably use some help. Our experts share ideas, advice, and tips—from fun holiday crafts to handling college expenses.
STEM: Based on Fairy Tales STEM: Jack and the Beanstalk Students will love this hands on engineering task. Jack is up on the beanstalk and he is being chased by the giant. He needs to get down quickly. Build Jack a parachute. Rubric included. There are two extension activities as well.
☃️☃️This sweet Five Little Snowmen set, made of high quality wool-blend felt, will last for years of fun, engaging story times. Teachers, librarians and speech therapists, you're going to love the nice chunky pieces. And the kids are going to love the FIVE activities that go along with these cuties! ❄️If you've got a winter, color, counting, or weather themed storytime coming up, this felt board set has got you covered! And the included QR code takes you directly to video demonstrations of fun winter felt board songs! You get a sweet little laminated penguin. It's the star of two of the included activities! This multi-use set includes not only a list of fun snow and winter-themed books, but it comes with the printed lyrics for FIVE fun snow friend songs and rhymes. Titles of included song lyrics are: *5 Snow Friends on a Cold Winter Day (Five Little Ducks tune) *Five Snow Friends on a Sled (Five Speckled Frogs tune) *Five Little Snow Friends Going for a Ride (a counting UP song!) *Little Penguin Hide & Seek *Building 5 Snow Friends (Itsy Bitsy Spider tune) The pieces in this set are nice and large (snowmen are over 5.5" tall, so everyone can see. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snowmen are each about 5 inches tall. It's handmade. Colors may vary from what is shown, but the overall look and feel of the set will remain the same. ❤️Oh, Look! You Might Like This, Too ---------------------------- ~Find more sets for teachers and librarians here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlannelBoardFun/items?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=19353623 📦Shipping and Packaging----------------------------------- Each item you order is carefully prepared and packaged to arrive safely and quickly, so you and/or the kids can dig right in as soon as possible! Current processing time (i.e. the time it takes to make your felt goodies) is 1-5 business days. Once created, items are shipped with USPS First Class (or choose a Priority upgrade from the dropdown box.) Your felt set will arrive carefully packaged in a sturdy, zip top bag which can be used for storage. 🎁Freebie-------------------------------------------- Get 17 FREE Song Strips and Lyric Cards to keep your little ones moving. Copy and paste this little link: bit.ly/SongStripsFBF 🌈Other Stuff---------------------------------------- ❓Any questions? Please feel free to contact me: https://www.etsy.com/messages/new?with_id=92732721 🛒Return to my main shop page here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlannelBoardFun ~Desktop users: Scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of this page for my SHOP POLICIES and FAQs -->> https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlannelBoardFun ~App users, visit the Policies tab on this page for FAQs and policies: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlannelBoardFun
You've seen bits and pieces of this quilt already. I really like how it turned out. There's no question that this quilt will go to a little girl. My own daughter has begged me not to let it go, I promised her I'd make another one. Inspiration for this quilt came from several places, I guess I did a mashup of these two quilts. I LOVED the quilting on this quilt, and had to try it. I did concentric circles, but soon realized a spiral would've had the same effect without the stopping and starting. the heart backing reminds me of those rainbow heart bracelets we used to have as kids. and the binding, it reminds me of fruit stripe gum. both the backing and binding fabric are from Robert Kaufman's Remix line.
Try this easy peasy tutorial to make a calm down bottle the kids will love. Customize it with what you have available or make a themed one for hours of fun.
I love the silliness and language-play in this song. The rhymes and imagery are great for all ages, but older preschoolers and school-aged kids can really get into it, throwing out suggestions and …
Easy pop or water bottle bowling for kids
[Edited to add: I cannot upload these puzzles, as I do not have the right to distribute Microsoft Office clipart. They are fairly easy to make; give it a try! My apologies for not being able to hel…
Farm animals with their quirky characteristics and fun noises are always a favorite with infants and toddlers. This story time brings together three playful farm animal books and some hands on learning activities that are perfect for infants and toddlers. Get ready to cluck, quack, and moo through your next story time. affiliate links are […]
I don’t care who you are or how great your voice is, children definitely respond to singing. Anytime I do a sing-a-long book, it works like a charm, kids who normally can’t stop moving, stop and pay attention, some start tapping their feet or clapping their hands mimicking the rhythm of the song, it’s a pretty amazing sight. The kids I see at the Intermediate Unit have a wide array of disabilities – from Autism Spectrum Disorder to language development, visual, or other disabilities affecting gross and fine motor skills which means I have to be ready for just about everything when I visit these classrooms. Each time I visit, I come out of these storytimes loving what I’m doing and so excited that I get a chance to visit the kids in these classrooms! The kids really took to The Wheels on the Bus with many staying very focused or answering my questions about the modes of transportation when they weren’t very interested in other parts of my storytime. Try those sing-a-long books – they really work! Storytime Plan Opening: “Open Shut Them” Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Tortuga (turtle puppet) Book 1: Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli Transition: “I’ll Take You Riding in My Car”I’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car, carI’ll take you riding in my car.The doors on the car go open and shut…The windshield wipers go swish, swish…The horn on the car goes beep, beep… Book 2: Sputter, Sputter, Sput! by Babs Bell / Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car by Eileen Christelow Wiggles: “Bananas Unite”“Bananas UnitePeel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Chop bananas, chop chop bananas,Chop bananas, chop chop bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Eat bananas, eat, eat bananasEat bananas, eat, eat bananasGo, BANANAS!!!!!” Book 3: Down by the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter Closing: “The Wheels on the Bus” with hand motions
We’re going long form today, folks. At our Winter 2019 Library Services for Children Journal Club meeting we read an article by my friend and former colleague Tess Prendergast where she cites a 2011 article by Stooke and McKenzie called “Under Our Own Umbrella: Mobilizing Research Evidence for Early Literacy Programs in Public Libraries.” I... Continue reading Early Literacy Research is Not Neutral: A Critique of Every Child Ready to Read
We are gearing up for summer this week with our ocean theme. Just 2 more full weeks of Tot School then we will be switching things up for summer, and we are so ready for some fun in the sun! Here were our plans for Ocean week: And here are the details […]
5 Ways to Calm Down Upset Students! Simple ways to help students chill, take deep breaths and be less frustrated in the classroom.
How to make a mindfulness glitter calm down jar for kids! Step-by-step directions for making a calming glitter jar, with a printable recipe.
This hands-on activity shows how leaves change color. (Hint: the yellow is there all along, but only gets revealed when the green chlorophyll breaks down.)
Letter A Alligator … what a fun letter craft using the letter A! Cut a large letter A from green paper. Cut out 2 rounded green eye pieces from the same paper. Cut out several white triangle teeth. This is great cutting practice. Just draw the lines and have your preschooler cut the teeth out. Also need 2 googly eyes and a glue stick. Assemble as shown above. Teasing Mr. Alligator Paint a clothespin green and add 2 googly eyes for Mr. Alligator. My 3-year-old actually popped the eyes off of Mr. Alligator in about 5 seconds, so I just used a sharpie to draw 2 eyes on top and some zig-zag teeth along the sides instead Print 5 monkey clipart images and cut them out. Feel free to use the ones below if you like those! Laminate your monkeys. Place a small ball of playdoh or sticky tack on the back of each monkey and “hang” them from a tree (a fireplace mantel, edge of a chair or table). Say the rhyme below and each time, have your preschooler snap or clip that monkey right out of that tree with the clothespin Mr. Alligator! Five little monkey swinging in a tree Teasing Mr. Alligator, “Can’t catch me!” Along comes Mr. Alligator, as quiet as can be And SNAPS that monkey right out of that tree. (Repeat with 4 monkeys, then 3 monkeys, and on and on) Read “There's an Alligator under My Bed” by Mercer Mayer. Before you read … In advance, hide an alligator cutout somewhere in the house. Help the kids find the alligator and ask what they would do if it was a real alligator. After you read … Write the following words on a piece of paper. Have the kids draw any animal they want on the paper. Glue the top edge of a rectangle of felt (bed's blanket) over their animal to create a flap. Write the name of their animal in the blank. There used to be a ______ under my bed. When it was time to go to sleep, I had to be very careful! Alligator, Alligator Rhyme … say the rhyme and act it out! Repeat “Alligator, Alligator” between each line. Alligator, Alligator turn around touch the ground chomp your jaws (arms out straight in front and chomp them) show your claws get down low move real slow reach up high wave goodbye!
