Numbers in Nature

This is a beautiful picture book that we used with all ages in Storytime. It has large beautiful pictures with minimal text. It features on two separate pages pictures of sea stars. It was the perfect chance to use my 10 Starfish flannel pieces and the matching game I mentioned in another post, HERE.









We played a matching game with a lot of talking about the colors and shapes of the different starfish. I printed Google images of real starfish and glued them to a piece of colored paper or construction paper and then laminated them.   I showed the large picture and added it to the flannelboard (velcro on back) and the kiddos would bring their matching picture and I tucked it behind the large picture on the flannelboard. This turned out to be a LOT of fun and very interesting to see that there are so many different starfish in the sea! LOL! Nature is 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. Here's the link for the official Flannel Friday blog for more info!

10 Swimming Seahorses

Here's another post about getting ready for summer.  I found this rhyme that I made up a couple of years ago when our summer theme was a beach theme.  I made the rhyme work with seahorses and starfish. I really love the seahorses!  I used an organza ribbon to make the ruffled fin down the back of the starfish.  The eyes are flower and circle sequins.
Here you go:
Ten Swimming Seahorses (*Starfish)
by Kathryn Roach

Let's count 10 seahorses* swimming by
All different colors, my, oh my!
The first is red
the next light blue
Here is orange
And purple too.
I see one that's green
We're not done
I see a white one;
This is fun!
Now, yellow, then blue
pink is last
10 Seahorses* swimming fast!
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10


*Update*  This could also be done with a laminated file folder cutout and colored paper.**

Here's the craft we did. I used a strip of yellow crepe paper sandwiched between 2 seahorse shapes. The children spongepainted the seahorse shapes with a small sponge and blue paint and added a stick-on eye.  They were pretty pleased with these!  I had some teen volunteers help cut out the shapes.







Of course, I couldn't leave the starfish shapes alone! Notice the shiny glitter? LOL!










Happy swimmy summertime to come!!