Shoes!!

Every child loves new shoes. I love new shoes!! Everyone loves new shoes!  So, of course, I have shoe flannel sets.  There's the beloved nursery rhyme, The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe. That set is made from pellon that I painted with acrylic paints and outlined with black Sharpie. I always love the ending where she 'kisses them sweetly and puts them to bed'. Every chance I get to blow kisses at my storytime kiddos makes me happy! 

I also have a cute little color/counting to 10 shoe rhyme.  I got the original rhyme from Nursery Rhyme Theme-a-Saurus by Jean Warren. I wanted to have 10 shoes so I added some more verses and colors. It's called 'Busy Little Cobbler'.

I used clip art from several sources including shoe ads for the patterns. I traced and outlined each shoe on pellon with a Sharpie. I painted them with acrylic and fabric paints. The purple and orange shoes are partially colored with color pencil. Then I embellished them with sequins, jewels, gold glitter glue and ribbons.  I had a lot of fun making these!

I like to use New Shoes, Red Shoes by Susan Rollings and Whose Shoes? by Anna Grossnickle Hines with this theme. I have used Red Dancing Shoes by Denise Lewis Patrick with older preschoolers. Another fun book is Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar. It goes without saying that Pete the Cat : I Love My White Shoes or Pete the Cat : Rocking In My School Shoes by Eric Litwin need to be included too!!

I found several posts on the Flannel Friday Pinterest boards too.  Try this one at Read it Again, or at Read Sarah Read,...one more at Ram Sam Storytime.
Shoes are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Putting Away My Tools

I just love Flannel Fridays!! I had seen several posts about tools and toolboxes recently and felt inspired to make my own version.  I have a little red toolbox/fishing tackle box that I used with laminated Ellison diecut tool shapes.  I enlarged the tool shapes to make nice big pieces for the flannelboard.  We first identified each tool shape and what it does. Then I handed out 2 shapes per child and we got ready to 'put away the tools'. As I said the rhyme, then gave the clue, and put the large tool shape on the flannelboard,  the children would bring their tool that matched and put it in my toolbox.  The older children were able to keep track of 2 different tool shapes and only put away the appropriate one.  The younger children not so much ;). It's so much fun to watch them begin to learn a new developmental skill! Especially when an older child is trying to help the younger one understand how to play the game.    Still everyone had a great time!

                      The Tools In My Workshop                       

by Kathryn Roach

In my workshop there is a special wall

There's a place for my tools, one and all.

Look at each shape and then you'll know

Where each and every tool needs to go!

This tool helps me pound a nail.

This tool helps me twist a screw.

This tool helps me tighten a bolt.

This tool helps me cut (saw) the wood.

This tool helps me bend a wire.

When my work is done

At the end of the day.

I always put away my tools

Then I can go and play!

Here's one more Flannel Friday tool post that's a game too! Who knew cleaning up could be so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Hedgehog Love!

As I was browsing through the Flannel Friday Pinterest boards, I came across Miss Angie's adorable hedgehog post at Miss Andre's Library blog.  What a happy coincidence that she's hosting the roundup this week!!    I loved the sweet little rhyme she had composed to go with her cute little hedgehogs. Here is my version of the hedgehogs from a Google clipart that I found and deconstructed for the pattern. I cut the spikey part(?!) separately and the head, feet and body as one piece. The ear and nose are separate pieces too. The eyes are black slick fabric paint.  I'm in love with them!! 

Hedgehogs are such Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Hot Dog Fun!

No, this post is not about a dog that got too warm! LOL!  I found this set of 5 Hotdogs in my July 4th tub and thought I'd share with ya'll.  I've used this with a picnic theme and hopefully, the next time I do a camping theme, then too.  Anyway, I can't remember where I found the rhyme (so long ago). I'm sure it's floating around the internet somewhere! I made my own pattern...lost it :(  But you can see that it's very easy and I used yellow slick fabric paint to make the mustard.  My plastic hotdog is really a doggie toy.  What can I say?! I'm easily amused!

5 Little Hotdogs

5 little hotdogs in the frying pan,                   (hold up all your fingers on one hand and wiggle them)

The grease got hot and one went BAM!      (clap loudly)

**repeat verse as you count down -  4 ...    3...      2...       1...      
No little hotdogs in the frying pan,               (hold up fist and shake it)
The pan got hot and it went BAM!              (clap loudly!!)

         The kids really enjoyed this and started to anticipate the BAM!   You could use this if you read/told The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog by Mo Willems.   I also made up a song to the tune of "Bakery Shop".  My intention is to make one of those activities with the clothespins like Mel's at Mel's Desk except with pics of the items from my song on a big hotdog shape...or...a magic envelope activity. I can put in a pic of a hotdog, ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, chili, grated cheese, slaw, hotdog buns and  say the magic words... Deeee-Lish-Us! ♫ Ta Da ♫  I'll pull out a pic of a giant yummy hotdog! Cheers all around!! The more I think about it, the better I like the magic envelope idea  at Rain Makes Applesauce.

Hot Dog Song

by Kathryn Roach                                                                           

Oh, I put my hot dog in a bun.

Now it's time to start my fun.

I added some mustard,

Just a little bit.

Man, this hotdog will be a hit!

Next some ketchup

And if you please,

A spoon of chili and grated cheese.

A little bit of onion

Now don't you see?

Here's a great hot dog that's so yummy!!

Hotdogs are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!