Mouse Eats all the Things!

 

This is one of my favorite  mouse, food, colors  books ever! The double page illustrations are wonderful and perfect for storytime. This mouse is adorable too!  I used an activity sheet that is available on Denise Fleming's website for my mouse pattern. You can't tell but he's about 7 inches tall to the tip of his tail. I made all my food pieces large too! I have a circle diecut for the blueberries and grapes and peas.  I just freehand cut out the other pieces and then used plenty of glitter glue to jazz them up! I end my flannelboard with a recap of all the colors by adding little 'crumbs' of each color onto the mouse. A ravenous mouse and colorful food is so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

 

Mouse Loves Cheese Shapes!

 Here's a new game/rhyme for a Mouse that loves cheese shapes!  I had an old pattern sheet that I deconstructed for my mouse and the shapes were easy peasy. They're all about 3 1/2  to 4 inches tall.  I did make up a quick little repeating rhyme:  'Here's a little mouse looking for his lunch. He found a circle cheese to munch, munch, munch!'  Just change the name of the shape as you add another one to the flannelboard. Be sure to make munching noises as you have the mouse eat the shapes.  The kiddos always think that's hilarious! I can use this with a couple of fun mouse books...

We're having so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! 

There was a Crooked Man Nursery Rhyme

Here's my set for the nursery rhyme There was a Crooked Man. This was a combination of several Google images and lots of simplifying and rearranging but I'm pleased with the results.  I bent a copper colored sequin for the sixpence. I used glitter glue on the windows and lantern of the crooked house and some fabric paint for faces and buttons.  This was tedious but rewarding as it came together! We will be doing a house and then mouse theme to go with this rhyme. I have other posts for those themes.  HOUSE and MOUSE.   Be sure to check out my other nursery rhyme posts too.  We are featuring a nursery rhyme for 2 weeks at our storytimes so that the children can enjoy these fun, silly rhymes! We are having so much Fun With Friends at Storytime!

Little Mouse has a New House!

Little Mouse is in the market for a new house.  I recently remade my Little Mouse set and I'm super happy with the little houses! I used a Google image and deconstructed it for my houses. My little mouse is Pellon painted with acrylic paint and a black fabric dot eye. He's flatter and less likely to make a bump under the house and give away his hiding place. This classic hiding game is always a hit and so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! 

Mouse and the Apple

Recently we started organizing and weeding our flannelboard sets at my library. We came across an adorable set of pieces that illustrated this book. Then as I was looking through some Flannel Friday Pinterest boards I came across a pin from Mel's desk that inspired me to make my own set of pieces to go with this book. I used both sets to make my patterns and I can't wait to use this story about patience and the reward that comes to those who wait!

We used to tell my grandson, J, 'patience is waiting without whining!'  I need to remember that lesson myself!
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.

Hide Little Mice!!

Happy 4th Anniversary to Flannel Friday this week! This week I have books about mice! There are so many cute books to use! I've mentioned some in a couple of posts, here and here. I have several mice flannel rhyme sets that I used. But you know me...I wanted something new! LOL!  I really wanted something interactive too. I made up a little rhyme. Then, I found a cute mouse image from Google images and ran it off on colored paper, laminated and cut them out. I handed them out and said the rhyme and fun happened! There was lots of squeaking and giggling! Here's the link for the document ready for printing and using. Hide, Mice, Hide!

Hide, Mice, Hide!

by Kathryn Roach

"Meow!" says the cat. Mice better hide!

All the ________ mice, quick, run inside!

  green, yellow, blue, orange, purple, pink, red, brown, grey, hite

For our Home Extension we offered a cute little finger puppet mouse that was inspired by this post at Paper Crafts for Children. We tweaked it a little and it was a big hit!.

We prepped the pieces into the cone shape with the pipe cleaner nose and tail already done. We had Sharpies and a glue stick available to add the eyes and attach the ears. Easy Peasy!! It's a shame real mice are not so appealing!! But these little mice are a lot of Fun With Friends at Storytime!!
Be sure to check out the rest of the 'Guest Post / 4th Anniversary' roundup @ What Happens In Storytime...

Mice!

Last week's book, Run Home, Little Mouse reminded me that I have not posted any mice posts. What's up with that???  There are a lot of really cute books that feature mice; not to mention the many posts about the 'Little Mouse, Little Mouse' guessing game that we all have. I do have a Five Little Mice rhyme that I've used for 10 years below to share. Here's my easy-to-make set of mice and the rhyme. Here's a link for a second 5 Little Mice rhyme/song that's fun to sing with LOTS of expression when Mama mouse does her squeaking! She gets quite agitated by the end of the song..the way I do it. LOL!  

Five Little Mice

Five little mice scampered through the door.

This little mouse said, “It’s time to sweep the floor.”

This little mouse said, “Look, I baked a cake.”

This little mouse not a sound did make.

This little mouse said, “Why don’t we have some cheese?”

This little mouse heard a kitten sneeze.

“ah-choo!” sneezed the kitten.

“Squeeeeek!” the mice cried.

And they all scampered back to their hole to hide.

Lauren Thompson has an adorable series about a little Mouse. They are seasonal or for special occasions and perfect for toddlers.  Whose Mouse Are You is one of my favorite mouse/family/being brave/funny books ever!! 
I did offer a Home Extension with this theme. It is lots of fun and easy to prep and assemble. The child can either, tear bits of the large triangle to make it Swiss cheese, or use a hole puncher. Either way they are exercising those small muscles needed for holding a pencil!

You could adapt the craft to a Christmas mouse by adding slits in the body to hold a candy cane 'tail'. You could always color on some holly leaves and berries, or cut out and glue on a Santa hat shape. Then, by adding a piece of tape to the back to hold the candy cane on, it becomes an ornament like this one I saw  @ Little Giraffes Teaching Ideas.

Here's another cute Mice theme idea @ Mel's Desk. Mice are an abundance of cuteness and Fun with Friends at Storytime! The rest of the Flannel Friday Roundup is HERE.  Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog. Be sure to check out the Flannel Friday Facebook page too!

Dragons!!

I just had to share this great book that my grandson J. and I have really enjoyed for several weeks now! He tends to fixate on a favorite that we read over and over and over... Thank goodness this is one that I like too!  It is George and the Dragon by Chris Wormell.

This is a delightful book, with 2 page spread illustrations that are clear and fairly uncluttered, with minimal, clever text! Everytime we read it he understands the humor more and he notices more details in the illustrations. It's so much fun to be a part of his process!  This book reminded me of the 10 Dizzy Dragon felt set I made after I saw it mentioned at Sunflower Storytime. The rhyme is from Super Storytelling by Carol Elaine Catron & Barbara Catron Park. I tweaked the rhyme a little too. That eighth dragon line bothered me a little. My coworker suggested we change the line to be; 'the eighth dragon was best friends with a squire." (thanks Margaret!)  I made a set of dragons from felt and a deconstructed Google image. I used google eyes and fabric paint for the features. I'm still thinking about adding some glitter to their bellies! I can't leave well enough alone LOL!   Dragons are so much Fun With Friends at Storytime!

The Flannel Friday Roundup is hosted by Christine at Felt Board Ideas!  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!