My Lovey Friend!

We just did a sweet program about having a 'Lovey'.  I made up a rhyme with an activity for our program. Since not every child has a teddy bear as their lovey I made it a little more inclusive, LOL! Here's a link for the rhyme 'Where's Teddy?'  I saved the Google images that I used on that link also. I printed them, rough cut so that I could laminate 2 images at a time in our little laminator, cut them out and put a dot of Velcro on the back of the big pieces. I used a piece of double-sided tape on the backs of the 'lovies' so that there is no bump under the big pieces. I set up the board with the teddy bear last. I set up the activity before the kiddos came. This way the kiddos didn't see that there was something behind every item. I let the kiddos come up and check under each item for teddy. I used the different lovies so that each kiddo finds something! So much fun! After that game we played 'Which One is Missing?' with the lovies. Talking and Playing are those ECRR components covered with this activity.  

This turned out to be a really fun theme that seemed to 
resonate with the littles in my storytimes this week! I used this precious book at both my toddler and preschool sessions and it was a big hit! I also used Knuffle Bunny with the older set. When I introduced it I heard a child say, "I love that book!". Yay!!

We offered a Home Extension based on the illustrations from Sam and Jump. Those kiddos love something with a handle!! We had a picture of our mascot puppet, Harvey cut out so that he would tuck into the bucket shape.  I suggested that they use Harvey to play a hide and seek game at home later. I heard caregivers affirming that idea! Love when that happens! We love our 'Lovies'! and have Fun with Friends at Storytime!! *update: I had a caregiver tell me the next week that they had played with Harvey all week! Love it!!

There are other ideas this week @ 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! 

Traffic Light - Stop and Go!

Beep Beep, STOP! now, GO! Cars and Transportation is always a fun and easy theme with the kiddos in storytime. They spend so much time in the car it's a theme that really resonates with them, LOL! I have posted my file folder rhyme HERE and there are many fun flannel sets on the Flannel Friday Pinterest boards. I found this one at Libraryland and wanted to make a set for our kiddos...of course, I added lots of glitter to mine. I made my own glitter felt with white glue, a layer of glitter, and then another layer of glue. I let each piece dry before I added the second layer of glue. Now, the glitter doesn't continually shed as I handle the pieces!  Here is a link for the printable rhyme, 'The Crazy Traffic Light' We also did a fun active rhyme with just the regular three colors...'Green Says Go' from Leah @Toddler Storytime: Stories, Songs and Rhymes.

We offered an easy Home Extension too. We cut 4 in. by 9 in. strips of black construction paper and put a point at one end. We had sheets of large circle stickers that we cut into strips with 3 circles for each child. The kiddos color the circles and stick them on the black strip to make their own traffic light.  Transportation and traffic lights are a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime! There are other ideas this week @ 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! 

Fireworks!!

Fireworks are fun anytime, not just for the Fourth of July!! Here's a rhyme that you can use for any celebration theme. Fireworks!

It's a little hard to tell but the bottom left 'firework' is the pink one.  Fireworks are super Fun with Friends at Storytime!! Check out the other ideas in today's Flannel Friday Roundup!

Happy Gorilla and Rainbow Bananas!

I just shared 2 story times at my favorite preschool's end of the year picnic and wanted to share with you the Gorilla rhyme/activity that I used. I shared a fun gorilla blog post before HERE but didn't have this activity finished then. Here is 'Rainbow Bananas for Happy Gorilla'.  I programmed a paper with 6 banana images and printed it on 7 different colors of paper. I used a deconstructed Google image for my Gorilla face and construction paper for him. I just free-hand cut green fun foam that I had to make the leaves to hot glue to my shoe box. I painted the inside of the shoe box black before I glued the leaves to the box. I laminated my banana papers and Gorilla face and cut them out. I taped the Gorilla face to my box and we were ready for FUN!

I had the banana shapes on a small table by the door as the kiddos entered the storytelling room. I invited them to pick a colored banana and find a spot on the rug. They held onto the banana until later in the program when we played our game. Since this was a family event I had all ages of preschoolers for the program and everyone was able to play and everyone enjoyed feeding the Gorilla! Something about stuffing a colored banana into the mouth of a Gorilla was exciting and Fun with Friends at Storytime!! Check out the other ideas on the Flannel Friday Roundup HERE!

Building with Blocks

We are getting ready for our Summer Reading Programs and since our theme is a building theme we needed a set of blocks! I'm not totally happy with these so they might get redone before June but for now they will do.
Let's Build with Blocks
by Kathryn Roach
We have some colorful building blocks ready for some fun!
We can work together and add each and every one!

I made 3 of each color shape so that we can play some interactive building games with these. The short rhyme I have made up is still a work in progress. Actually, you don't really need a rhyme to direct an activity with these. They will also lend themselves to our favorite game, 'Which one is Missing?'. Building with colorful blocks is so much Fun with Friends at Storytime! There are more ideas on this week's 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 

A Basket Full of Easter Eggs



I know I have posted other Easter Egg posts...here and here... but here's one more just-for-fun set. I made this set with my Sizzix small double egg diecut. I made another basket and egg set that is a lot bigger in this post HERE. This one is a lot smaller so it would work with a smaller group or as a center for one or two children. The larger eggs are glued to the basket shape and the smaller eggs are meant to match them. I could see this used several different ways. I could 'hide' the small egg shape in the room for the children to hunt and then bring to match the one in the basket. I could hand out the small eggs and either point to an egg or call a child's name to bring their egg up and match the egg on the basket.
I could put all the small eggs in a cute container and let the children take turns pulling one out and matching it to the one on the basket. This could be a quiet activity for one child that needs some alone time. I plan on using this little Easter Basket in several different settings and several different ways! To use this set in storytime I did make up a rhyme to go with it:

Basket Full of Easter Eggs
A basket of Easter Eggs is so much fun!
Let's match the pretty eggs one by one!

Yes sirree! Matching colored eggs is a lot of Fun with Friends at Storytime! There are other ideas this week @ 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 

Shy Ladybug!

I've got my version of the ladybug, Little Mouse rhyme and game to share today. There are many ladybug posts on the Bugs - Flannel Friday Pinterest board but I'm adding one more. I can't remember where I found it but I thought it was really cute!  Here's the rhyme;
'Ladybug, Come Out and Play'
Ladybug, ladybug, come out and play.
Where are you hiding from us today?

I just free hand cut out the big pieces and the ladybug is an Ellison diecut so that was easy! I added a small piece of velcro on the backs to make sure the flowers and leaf stay on the board as we look for the shy ladybug. I have a filefolder ladybug post HERE too. Ladybugs are so much buggy Fun with Friends at Storytime!  There are other ideas this week @ 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!