Sammy the Seal, Inspired post.

This week I have a post that was inspired by Dorothy @ The Wielded Pen - Children's Corner. I saw this and pinned it 2 years ago. At the time I saw it she had used it as an interactive activity with a song to the tune of Frere Jacques suggested by Mary Zenker (in the comments). So cute!!  I've been thinking about it off and on for these 2 years and last week I was suddenly inspired with a rhyme to go with Sammy. I chose to make 10 colored balls and program them with the number symbols 1-10. My rhyme uses two clues for the children, colors and numbers.  My coworker, Miss Margaret suggested a theme of animals that balance balls (she has a wonderful set of elephants that balance on different colored balls) or plays with balls. I'm also thinking of the book, The Seals on the Bus. So, I don't have to wait to do a circus theme to use my version of Sammy the Seal! Here's the rhyme: Sammy the Seal Counts to 10.

Sammy the Seal and his amazing counting color balls is a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Here's the rest of this week's roundup @singing in the stacks!  If you have any questions about Flannel Friday you can find answers at the official Flannel Friday blog.

Another Circus Post!

Yes, I have a new circus rhyme/guessing game/ file folder storytime prop to share.  I am doing a set of special storytimes at a preschool that I love and Circus is the theme I'm planning to share.  I have several books to use:  Little Monkey Says Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul, Circus Numbers; a Counting Book by Rodney Peppe, Circus by Lois Ehlert and The Circus by Heidi Goennel. Since I will be presenting several storytimes for ages 2 - 5, I'll be able to use different titles that will work with the different ages.  I shared a couple of other posts last year about circus here and here.  I just wanted something new (I have a short attention span myself LOL!).  Here's the link for the script for the Circus guessing game. You can tweak it for whatever pictures you want to use.  The file folder is in two parts and the pictures came from Google images.  I cut out several circus tents at the same time and then cut them apart and reassembled the pieces on a piece of file folder so that the tent would be striped. I also added 'curtains' to the inside of the cutout space of the file folder and then laminated the two parts. I added a couple of pieces of velcro to the two pieces to make it easier to store.  I stacked my pictures in order to match the script and we're ready for some guessing Circus fun! *update* I used this today and it was a big hit! 

The Circus is a LOT of Fun with Friends at Storytime! The Flannel Friday Roundup is hosted by Meg at Miss Meg's Storytime!  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!

Animals in the circus

Here's the next installment of flannel board rhymes about the circus. There are lots of animal acts at the circus that lend themselves to being great flannel board rhymes.  I have a Sizzix diecut machine and a diecut of a seal and ball that I used to make a flannelboard set.  I used a Google image to make my matching colored tubs for the seals to balance on.  I cut out 10 black seals and 10 different colored balls and matching tubs.  I added red glitter to their noses, a black sequin for their eyes and a piece of wired ribbon on the tubs.  I had the diecut and wanted to use it but didn't have a rhyme, so I made one up:

Ten Circus Seals
Ten circus seals ready for a trick
which color ball will each one pick?
Let's match them up one by one
Circus seals are so much fun!

I put up the colored tubs first and we say the colors as I do.  Then we put up the seals and count them as we put them on the board. Then I say the first part of the rhyme.  Then I hold up a colored ball and let the children name the color and I put the ball on the seal's back flippers or nose to match the tub. If the group is small enough I can allow the children to take turns doing this. Then I say the last part of the rhyme:

Ten circus seals ready to rest
They have the color ball that they like the best.
We matched them up one by one
Circus seals are so much fun!

I tweaked this rhyme a little:
Five Circus Elephants 
Five big elephants - oh, what a sight,
Swinging their trunks from left to right!
Four are followers, and one is the king.
They all walk around in the circus ring.
*(take the last elephant off the board)
Four...*
Three...*
Two...*
One circus elephant - oh, what a sight,
Swinging his trunk from left to right!
One circus elephant marching round the ring.
All the others left and so did the King!

I used a diecut and embellished them with puff paint, felt, glitter, sequins and the king's crowning plume; metallic pipe cleaner.  I can never leave well enough alone! Glitter makes everything more fun! Circus animals are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!

Clowning Around

The circus is in town where I live!  Even though I've pretty much outgrown the circus, I enjoy presenting a circus themed storytime every year.  The circus theme is an opportunity to do clown flannel board rhymes and monkey rhymes and seal rhymes and tiger rhymes and elephant rhymes... Whoa! I can get carried away in a hurry!  I have a couple of clown ideas to share today.  The first is the flannel board story, Clancy the Clown. The story I've been using was given to me by a coworker.  I have found several versions online but I can't find an original source. I found one version here, but the one closest to my version is here. I made Clancy's hair with variegated color yarn and a LOT of Aleen's Tacky glue.  I also couldn't resist adding some glitter to Clancy's big red nose!  He's always a big hit!

I also have a song/activity that I use with shapes. I hand out felt shapes and tell the children to listen for the shape that they are holding in their hand. Then they come up and add it to the board.  They love this activity. The younger children get help from their caregiver or sometimes from the preschooler sitting beside them!

♫Send in the Clowns

tune of "This Old Man"

The circus clown

Came to town,

Wearing (circles*) all around..

There were (circles) on his head

And (circles) on his toes...

He wears (circles) wherever he goes! 

Change the *shape each time you sing the song as the children bring up their shape and add it to the clown's funny costume.  I did find it here with some other really great ideas! I made my clown out of pellon and added felt hair and painted his nose with shiny fabric paint. Don't ya just love the multicolored pom pom on his hat!  I also added velcro to the back under the pom pom, and under the hands and shoes. He gets handled a lot by the children and I wanted him to stay on the board while we were playing.  We all celebrate his cuteness when he's covered in shapes!
*UPDATE* 1-8-2017 -  I was going through my felt sets and found this cute clown craft that is a Home Extension. He's made of shapes that are easily recognized by the kiddos. This is an opportunity for caregivers to talk (ECRR) with their kiddo about shapes and spatial concepts of middle, over, under, above, and below as they assemble Mr. Clown.

So much Storytime Fun!