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! 

A Camping Song

I've got another camping item to add to your storytime agenda! I found this song to the tune of Farmer in the Dell and I used Google images to find patterns to illustrate it as we sing. Here's the link for some of my other Camping posts.

A-Camping We Will Go

*a-camping we will go, (add boy)
*a-camping we will go, (add girl)
Hi-ho and off we go,
a-camping we will go.


More verses:
*First we pitch our tent...  (add tent)
*Next we get some wood...(add wood to look like campfire)
*We light the campfire now... (add fire)
*We cook our dinner now...(add frying pan)
*We sing some campfire songs...(add guitar)
*It's time to go to sleep...(close eyes and pretend to sleep)
Good Night!

There is an adorable 5 Little S'mores flannelset posted by Lauren @ The Dilley Dally blog that would be a great addition to a camping theme!!  Even better if there was some tasting at the end of Storytime! Campfires and Campfire songs are a lot of 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.

Sleeping Bag Chant

For some reason I think of camping this time of year?!! I don't even like to go camping. LOL! I like the idea of camping out but the reality of it...not so much! But, I don't have to tell my little kiddos that I don't like it...we can all enjoy camping fun at Storytime. I have posted before about some of my camping activities and books Here.  Here's my set for 'The Sleeping Bag Chant' that I originally saw @ Welcome to Storytime. I did tweak mine as she suggested (I took out the ghost and cricket). I made a little kiddo in a sleeping bag under a glittery star to begin the chant. I just chanted it and did not use the CD, H.U.M.:Highly Usable Music by Carole Peterson that she cited as the source of these lyrics:

Sleeping Bag Chant

I was lying in my sleeping bag—I couldn’t get to sleep

When the wind began to howl and the bugs began to creep.

So I rolled to the left and I rolled to the right

And I heard every sound that you hear at night—

Then I would make the sound of one of the animals/birds and the kiddos would identify it as I added it to the board. This is a cumulative rhyme so I would say the sounds and name of the previous creatures as I added another one.  This was a lot of fun and led to a lot of discussion!

Camping out is a lot of Fun with Friend 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.

Little Forest Animals

This post originally went with my camping theme but you could use it with MANY themes. I use my Beanie Baby animals but I also have clipart pictures of the animals.  This is a riddle/rhyme I made up a couple of years ago when our summer theme was Dig Into Reading. It turned out to be a lot of fun and there is a lot of learning/thinking going on too! Here's the link for the rhyme: Little Forest Animals. You could easily add more forest animals to guess; an owl, or beaver, or deer...This theme would be a great time to use my Hedgehog flannel set too! Forest Animals are so much Fun with Friends at Storytime!

You'll want to see the rest of this week's Flannel Friday Roundup HERE. Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog. Be sure to check out the Flannel Friday Facebook page too!

Camping Out!

Going camping is a really fun theme and really resonates with children. The idea of sleeping in a tent and being outside all the time is very appealing! I've got a not-a-flannel rhyme/activity that I used with my preschoolers and they really enjoyed it.  I saw this technique originally @ Mel's desk with farm animals and tweaked it to a tent shape with items you'd see out camping.  I set it up by showing and talking about the matching big pictures first.  Talking is one of our ECRR components! It's easier to manage these big pictures with a dot of velcro on the back and add them to the flannelboard as you talk and then as you say the rhyme. We did this twice so that the kiddos could get a sense of mastery and for the fine motor practice. Here's the link for the rhyme; Camping Song.   My pictures below make the tent shape look yellow, but it's really orange. I found some Google images that I scaled small for the tent and large for me. Making multiples is easy if you program a sheet with four rows of the small pictures. I used my little laminator, cut them out and we were ready for FUN!!  This also gave the caregivers an idea for some fun at home/preschool that would strengthen those fine motor muscles. I suggested paper plates programmed with shapes or colors or numbers...the possibilities are almost endless.         
Camping is a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime! 

You'll want to see the rest of this week's Flannel Friday Roundup HERE. Have questions about Flannel Friday? Check out the Flannel Friday official blog. Be sure to check out the Flannel Friday Facebook page too!

Hot Dog Fun!

No, this post is not about a dog that got too warm! LOL!  I found this set of 5 Hotdogs in my July 4th tub and thought I'd share with ya'll.  I've used this with a picnic theme and hopefully, the next time I do a camping theme, then too.  Anyway, I can't remember where I found the rhyme (so long ago). I'm sure it's floating around the internet somewhere! I made my own pattern...lost it :(  But you can see that it's very easy and I used yellow slick fabric paint to make the mustard.  My plastic hotdog is really a doggie toy.  What can I say?! I'm easily amused!

5 Little Hotdogs

5 little hotdogs in the frying pan,                   (hold up all your fingers on one hand and wiggle them)

The grease got hot and one went BAM!      (clap loudly)

**repeat verse as you count down -  4 ...    3...      2...       1...      
No little hotdogs in the frying pan,               (hold up fist and shake it)
The pan got hot and it went BAM!              (clap loudly!!)

         The kids really enjoyed this and started to anticipate the BAM!   You could use this if you read/told The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog by Mo Willems.   I also made up a song to the tune of "Bakery Shop".  My intention is to make one of those activities with the clothespins like Mel's at Mel's Desk except with pics of the items from my song on a big hotdog shape...or...a magic envelope activity. I can put in a pic of a hotdog, ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, chili, grated cheese, slaw, hotdog buns and  say the magic words... Deeee-Lish-Us! ♫ Ta Da ♫  I'll pull out a pic of a giant yummy hotdog! Cheers all around!! The more I think about it, the better I like the magic envelope idea  at Rain Makes Applesauce.

Hot Dog Song

by Kathryn Roach                                                                           

Oh, I put my hot dog in a bun.

Now it's time to start my fun.

I added some mustard,

Just a little bit.

Man, this hotdog will be a hit!

Next some ketchup

And if you please,

A spoon of chili and grated cheese.

A little bit of onion

Now don't you see?

Here's a great hot dog that's so yummy!!

Hotdogs are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime!