How Does Your Pumpkin Grow?

As I was going through my fall theme tub, I found a cute pumpkin prop that I got a few years ago from a guest presenter from the Farm Bureau. I tweaked it a little and added the Jack-o-lantern to mine. Since then I found a cute set HERE.  

Here's mine: 

                 'Life Cycle of a Pumpkin'

A seed is planted in the ground. 
(pull out seed shape)

A leaf appears. (keep pulling until leaf shows)

Next comes a blossom...   

Then a small, green pumpkin...               

Which grows and grows and turns orange.  

Here's an orange pumpkin that we can pick and carve into ... 

(After you show the orange pumpkin, flip the brown paper plate over and show the Jack-o-lantern) 

A funny Jack-o-lantern!

I painted one paper plate brown for the 'ground' and taped a long piece of green curling ribbon in the center of it. I stapled another paper plate to the back of the brown plate with the ribbon sandwiched between the two. I taped the shapes at intervals on the ribbon and then stacked them on top of each other and tucked them into the paper plates with a small piece of ribbon showing to pull the pieces out. I used Google images for a Jack-o-lantern for the back side. There was a lot of 'oooing' and 'ahhhhing' as the pieces magically appeared from the paper plates. Way fun!!

The Pumpkins Are Here                                                      

The pumpkins are here. The pumpkins are there.

The pumpkins, the pumpkins are everywhere.

The pumpkins are up. The pumpkins are down.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all around.

The pumpkins are in. The pumpkins are out.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all about.

The pumpkins are low. The pumpkins are high.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins all say,  "Goodbye!"

This classic rhyme sung to the tune of the 'Farmer In the Dell' is fun. Give each child a pumpkin cutout on a popsicle stick to move as you sing the song.  I usually sing the song very slowly when I do it with toddlers.  If you make enough props, you could let the kiddos take one home as their home extension. I have offered a craft with my pumpkin/ Jack-o-lantern storytimes also. Here is a fun easy one that was very popular.  I printed the Jack-o-lantern pattern  on construction paper. Then I cut it out, including the facial features and covered the front with a piece of contact paper cut to fit. I put the paper piece on the back until we were ready for the craft time. Then the caregiver or older preschooler peeled the paper off and added glitter to the features. I do it 2 different ways. I usually use a pie pan or paper plate with glitter in it that the kiddos can either, pat their Jack-o-lantern on; or 'pinch' the glitter and sprinkle it over the features. The pinching of the glitter is a good fine motor exercise. I have wet wipes or wet paper towels for the glittery fingers. The kiddos really like this craft!

Pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! Check out the rest of the roundup @ Mel's Desk .  Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog.  Be sure to  join us on the Flannel Friday Facebook page.

Pie!..."it's pretty tasty!"

My first ever Flannel Friday contribution was 2 years ago when I was a guest of Amanda @ Trails & Tales. I shared a couple of my pie sets and since then I have made another pie set inspired by Sarah @ Read Rabbit Read. I'm already thinking about the holidays coming and all the good food we cook around Thanksgiving and Christmas time. But you could use these pie rhymes anytime of the year! I thought I'd put my pie sets all together on my blog and share them again! Here's the picture of my "Five Pumpkin Pies in the Bakery Shop". I couldn't resist adding some shiny glitter 'sugar' to the tops of my pies. LOL!

ONE WHOLE PIE

One whole pie set by the door,

Cut into pieces, I count four.

Four pieces of pie all for me,

I ate one piece, now there are three.

Three pieces of pie for me too, 

I ate another piece, now there are two.

Two pieces of pie; oh what fun!

I ate another piece, now there is one.

One piece of pie; I can’t wait! 

I ate that last piece, empty plate! 

Yummy Pies

Tune: "Three Blind Mice"

By Jean Warren - 

(adapted by Kathryn Roach)

Pies, pies, pies,

Pies, pies, pies.

Yummy pies,

Yummy pies.

Strawberry, blueberry, and cherry, too.

Apple and Key lime to name a few.

Chocolate, lemon, how about you?

I love pie!

That's no lie!

After I sing ‘Yummy Pies’ and put up the flannel pieces, we talk about the different colors of the pies. Then we play “Which Pie  Did Miss Kathy Eat?”  The children close their eyes, I remove one piece and they guess.  When they guess correctly, I show them the piece and pretend to gobble it up! They always think this is hilarious! Of course, they have to talk about their favorite flavor! 
Pie is delicious and Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Check out the rest of the roundup @ Storytime Katie's blog.  Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog.  Be sure to  join us on the Flannel Friday Facebook page and enjoy the great Flannel Friday Pinterest boards too!

All God's Critters...

I just love this song and book! The illustrations are absolutely adorable. I have a CD with the song on it that I can play while I sing/read along and show the kids the pages. If you've never heard the song here's a Youtube link for All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir. I have used my extensive collection of Beanie Babies with this theme. I hand out the beanies after an explanation that I'm sharing with the children so that we can play with them today and when we are finished they will give them back so that we can use them again another time...no problems getting them back! Anyway, the kiddos hold onto the Beanie Baby animal while I sing/read the book and then they use them like a beanbag as we sing Beanbag Boogie by Greg and Steve. They get to hold them as we sing our goodbye song, Skinnamarink by Sharon, Lois and Bram. This theme is a good excuse to use the classic and ever popular, 'Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree'. My sets are made from pellon.

and 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed'.

I offered a craft with this theme too. I programmed an 8 1/2 x 14 paper with a 'stage' at the bottom of the paper and the title of the book.  I used crepe paper to cut 'curtains' for the sides and half of a piece of crepe paper for the top curtain valance.  I had my teen volunteers cut out pics of animals from the back issues of the kid's animal magazines. The kiddos used a glue stick and chose 3 or 4 animal pics to glue on their paper 'stage'.  

All God's Critters are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Check out the rest of the roundup @ What's Bridget Reading?.  Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog.  Be sure to  join us on the Flannel Friday Facebook page and enjoy the great Flannel Friday Pinterest boards too!