Another set of Finger Puppets - Bears!

 

Here's my latest, 2 Little Bears!  I deconstructed and simplified a Google image and used some acrylic paint and slick fabric paint and 2 little googley eyes and I've got a cute set that can be either, Teddy Bears or  just bear cubs. 

 

Two Teddy Bears waiting for me in bed

One is Thelma and the other is Ted.

Go to sleep Thelma, Go to sleep, Ted!

Wake up Thelma and wake up Ted.

Two Teddy Bears sleep with me in my bed,

Teddy bear, Thelma and teddy bear Ted!

Teddy Bears are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Mushrooms in the Rain

 

I have a new set of fingerpuppets to go with this adorable theme of mushrooms.  I already have a fun set HERE, but I can't leave anything alone lol. 

                   Two Little Mushrooms growing in the rain

                   One named Luther and one named Lorraine.

                   They stand in the rain and never complain!

                   Two little Mushrooms, Luther and Lorraine.

We have 2 adorable books to use and we'll sing When I'm Feeling Up and play with the parachute! Mushrooms are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

                           

  

My Colorful, Cozy Quilt

 

We are launching a Family Storytime in the evenings and so a bedtime/pajama time theme is the perfect opportunity to make a 'quilt'.  I had sample upholstery fabric swatches that I sorted and cut with pinking shears to make the fabric part of my color felt squares. I hot glued the fabric swatches to the squares of colored felt.  I used a large piece of white felt with hotglued rainbow ribbon to make a grid for my quilt.  I added hook side velcro dots to the top and bottom to keep the backing stable as the kiddos add a color square to make a comfy cozy quilt.  This type of activity works with multiple ages for a Family Storytime. I made up a rhyme to cue the color that the kids bring up.  You can hand out 1 per child if the group is large. Two per child of different colors if your group is small.  After storytime the kiddos can make a quilt on their own. Check out the other bedtime posts in the labels box!   Quilts at bedtime are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

My Cozy, Colorful Quilt 

  

Let's make a comfy quilt to keep us cozy in our bed!

It takes a lot of colorful squares, so let's begin with red!

 

by Kathryn Roach 12/20/22 

 

Hand out the squares to the kiddos and as you say the color they can bring up the matching square to add to the ‘quilt’.

Go to sleep baby!

I made this set of colored babies and beds for my church VBS preschool class but I intend to also use it for a Baby theme for storytime. I made up a little rhyme and will say it as I add the right color baby to the colored bed.  I do have 2 more baby posts HERE.

'Go to Sleep, Baby!'
Sleepy little baby, such a sleepyhead
Sweet dreams, go to sleep in your turquoise bed. 
(Hand out the babies to the kiddos and as you repeat the rhyme change the color bed for the kiddos to match on the flannelboard) I made 10 colors but you can always make more ...white, tan, grey, orange...























Karen Katz has some of the cutest books for babies and about babies that I've seen! My grandson loved her book, Counting Kisses as a bedtime book when he was a toddler. The illustrations are great and these are just right for the younger kiddos! Babies are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!! There are other great flannelboard ideas on the Flannel Friday Roundup.   Check out the wonderful resources on the Flannel Friday Pinterest Boards. Here's the link for the official Flannel Friday blog for more info! 

I See the Moon!

      

I love variations of the Little Mouse, Little Mouse hiding game.  I found this rhyme on so tomorrow blogpost .  I tweaked my rhyme and pattern a little and since I have a circle diecut I just used it for my moon. I added some shiny glitter glue and we are all set for some fun! This will be a great time to use Laurie Berkner's wonderful song, 'Moon, Moon, Moon'. I sing this song as a lullaby when my grandsons sleepover!  Here's my take on the rhyme:    

                            Little moon, little moon, playing hide and seek

                            Are you behind the purple*  cloud? Let's take a peek!

Just change the color at * each time.  I also hide a small star shape behind the other clouds til we 'find' the sleepy moon! LOL!  They love this game. 

Singing and playing are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! There are more great ideas on the Flannel Friday Roundup! Check out the wonderful resources on the Flannel Friday Pinterest Boards. Here's the link for the official Flannel Friday blog for more info!

Catching Fireflies

Fireflies are so magical! I've done this theme for years! Several years ago I made up a rhyme that I used with a pellon set of a jar and 5 pellon fireflies. Then I made a smaller set of 10 fireflies and a smaller pellon jar. Then, recently I was inspired to remake my set in flannel when I saw this post @catch the possibilities. Check out the Flannel Friday 'bugs' Pinterest board for other posts about fireflies. I decided to add my set and rhyme to the mix!  Here's a printable link for my rhyme,  'Catching Fireflies'


Here's the progression of my fireflies...

I also offered a craft with this theme. I cut out a jar shape from black construction paper. I put out pans of glue with glitter stirred in it and the kiddos stamped with little porcupine rings to make fireflies in their jar. Easy Peasy!  We recently got in this new firefly book. It's beautiful!! I want to use it next time I do this firefly theme! Fireflies are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime. There are more great ideas on the Flannel Friday Roundup. Check out the wonderful resources on the Flannel Friday Pinterest Boards. Here's the link for the official Flannel Friday blog for more info! 

Beary Sleepy Bedtime

Bears and Bedtime are a winning combination for storytime! I've posted some other bedtime posts HERE and HERE. I made my own new set of Five in the Bed inspired by Miss Mary Liberry and Sarah at Read Rabbit Read. I actually made 6 little bears (can't remember why??) We offered a really easy prep, Home Extension that uses the adorable bear and bunny from this cute picture book! We put the cut squares in an envelope and paper-clipped it to the precut, programmed paper so that they could color Bear and bunny and make the blanket with the squares and a glue stick. I'm showing the example that I made. They loved it!! 

We also sang a fun silly song I saw at 1234 More Storytimes about colored pajamas that had everyone laughing! I laminated and cut out Google images of kids in 5 different colored pajamas; red, orange,green, pink and blue. I used those colors because they were one syllable and fit the song. Anyway, I was VERY expressive with my singing! After 2 colors the caregivers and the kiddos began singing with me. They thought it was hilarious! LOL! We're having so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! There are more great posts on the Flannel Friday Roundup. Check out the wonderful resources on the Flannel Friday Pinterest Boards. If you want more info about Flannel Friday here's the link for the official Flannel Friday blog.

Rub a Dub in the Tub!

A favorite storytime theme of mine is Bathtime! There are so many great 'bath' books.  I have an interactive rhyme about rubber duckies to use with this theme.  I diecut colored felt ducks that I hand out and we pretend the flannelboard is the tub. When the children hear the color that they are holding they can bring their 'rubber ducky' and put it on the board. Even toddlers like to do this! Here's a youtube link for some Rubber Ducky fun with Ernie and friends on Sesame Street. Bathtime with rubber ducks is so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

  Rubber Ducky

By Kathryn Roach

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

This funny one jumped on my head!

My rubber ducky red!

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

Here’s a cute wet little fellow

My rubber ducky yellow!

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

This duck’s the best swimmer that I’ve seen

My rubber ducky green!

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

First, upside down, and then upright

My rubber ducky white!

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

This duck can swim and dive down too!

My rubber ducky blue

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

This ducky floats and doesn’t sink

My rubber ducky pink!

Splish, splash in the tub

With my rubber duckies

I’ve played and washed, but now I’m done

With rubber ducky fun!

 *Update: We offered a fun Home Extension for bathtime. We programmed a picture of a child in a bathtub and printed it on card stock. I diecut paper ducks that we glued to a popsicle stick to make a 'puppet'. We cut a slit along the top edge of the bathtub in the picture so that the duck puppet could play in the tub.  It was a big hit! Here's a pic of my sample.

Check with Lisa at Libraryland for the rest of this week's Roundup!  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!

Sweet Dreams

Bedtime storytimes are so much fun.  They can be quiet and relaxing too!  There are so many cute bedtime books.  I like to use Nancy Stewart's cute songs; Dancing Pajamas and Fuzzy Slippers with this theme.  I used Google images to print out 4 different pairs of slippers that I mounted on colored paper and then laminated. I like to make my prints as big as I can!  I start with all the slippers on the board (velcro on the back) and remove a pair of slippers as we sing the song.  We're counting by 2's!   I used the same technique for this bedtime rhyme that I made up, except I put each pic up as I say the rhyme. (the color words are linked to a Google search page for the item in the verse)  I don't have a picture for the last rhyme but I pretend to go to sleep and then ...pause...snore!  Always big laughs.

Time to Go to Sleep!

By Kathryn Roach

In the evening after dark

It’s time to go to bed.

Before I sleep I’ll brush my teeth

With my toothbrush that’s red.

My teeth are brushed and shiny clean.

I’ve put my toothbrush up.

I want a drink before I sleep

In my small blue cup.

I’ve splashed around in the tub

With my favorite funny fellow;

I’ve scrubbed-a-dub and had such fun with

My rubber duck that’s yellow.

I’ve had my soapy, bubblebath

And now I’m squeaky clean.

I’ll put my soft pajamas on;

They’re my favorite jammies, green.

My bed is calling to me,

I’ll jump in quick as a wink!

I’m oh so comfy cozy with my

Blankets warm and pink.

I have my fuzzy lovey pal.

His tummy is soft and round.

I’ll snuggle on my pillow

With my teddy bear that’s brown.

Time for kisses all around.

Please turn off the light.

I’ll close my eyes to start to dream;

Good night, sleep tight,

Good night!......snore!

I like to do 5 In The Bed as a song/flannel rhyme. My version always ends with the 'little one' saying at the end, "Alone at last, goodnight!"   I have 5 cute colored pellon bears and a piece of fabric that looks like a quilt to use as I sing the song. This set is so old, I can't remember where I found the bear pattern.  Probably a Google clipart image??   The bears are about 8 or 9 inches tall.  As I said, I like my pieces BIG!    

Bedtime is Fun at Storytime!