December Ideas

Most of the ideas are about winter....then I add a little Christmas at the end.

Winter
Read: The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth
Story extender/ Story board: Using felt mitten add each animal as the story progresses
Craft: Mittens

• Need card stock, yarn, crayons
• Child will make two mittens -- one to take home and one to leave behind.
• Use second mitten for winter bulletin board.

Snowmen
Read: There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Colandro and Snowmen at Night boardbook by Buehner.
Storyboard: Using There Was a Cold Lady as prompt....hand out character cards to children, have each child place card on cold lady's felt-stomach, when prompted.
Craft: Recycled Snowman (from Preschool Daze)

Preschool Daze

Christmas
Read: Christmas Magic by Thompson and Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star by Petr Horacek
Craft: Christmas Tree

• Need sticky-back paper, green craft paper cut into tree shape and middle cut-out, different colored glitter and star sticker.
• Beforehand, stick tree shape onto sticky paper and tape whole thing to craft table.
• Give each child plate with a limited amount of each colored glitter. Have child sprinkle onto shape and adhere star sticker on top of tree.
• Send them for free-play and finish by placing second piece of sticky paper on top and trimming into tree shape.

November ideas

Cookies
Read: Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar by Lass
Story board: Book as prompt. Child participation with character cards.
Craft: Puffy Paint Cookie (No Time for Flash Cards)

• Need white glue, shaving cream (unscented is best), paper plate, brown paint, paper "chips." and PLENTY of wet paper towels for wiping hands.
• Before storytime, mix 3/4 cup shaving cream, 1/4 cup glue....then add a little bit of paint until you get desired result.
• Place bowl in the center of each table. Have children apply "cookie dough" have them wipe hands, then apply "chips"

No Time for Flash Cards

Thanksgiving
Read: Thank you, Thanksgiving by Milgrim and Gooble, Gooble, Crash by Stiegemeyer
Feast: We had a small feast. Turkey lunch-meat roll-ups, and various snacks brought in by parents.
Craft: Turkey Hand with poem (Preschool Daze)

• Used Microsoft Publisher to recreate the sheet below.
• Preschool Daze used water color paint, we used poster paint.
• Set up a paint table. Had parents/caregivers paint child's hands at table and place onto paper.
• I drew eyes, beak and "gobble"

Preschool Daze

 The children loved getting their hand's painted -- I think it was the parent participation they liked the most.

October Ideas

Owls
Read: The Owl Became the Moon and Up all Night Counting
Felt Board: Using book as prompt, Animals and counting
Craft: Paperbag Owls Puppets

• Paper lunch bags
• Cupcake liners for eye sockets
• Cut-outs: eyes, beak, ears and fringies for chest
• Have child glue all the bits on to create an owl.

Of course, there was lots and lots of Whooooooooo-ing...

Pumpkins
Read: Pumply Dumply Pumpkin by Serfoza and It's Pumpkin Time by Hall
Craft: Paperbag Pumpkins

• Use those paper lunch bags again - stuff with newspaper and bind them with elastic
• Orange paint and sponge brushes
• Green pipe cleaners for vine

Preschool Daze

Squirrels
Read: The Very Busy Squirrel by Tafuri and Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Hills
Song: Gray Squirrel -- have children clap a beat and sing
Craft: Acorn Collage (from my favoritest of favs blog No Time for Flash Cards)

• In advance, cut and paint a bunch of grocery-size paperbag in various shades of brown and cut-out large acorn shapes from cardstock or copypaper.
• Give each child a large piece of bag and have them rip it up into smaller pieces
• Glue pieces onto a acorn shape.



No Time for Flash Cards

September Ideas

Welcome Back
Read: Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn and Maisy Goes to the Library by Lucy Cousins
Song: Welcome, Welcome Everyone (our storytime theme song)
Discuss libraries and library cards. (Let parents in on the "secret" that these are pretend library cards)
Craft: Make your own "library card"

• Print out template
• Provide crayons and stickers for child to design card
• Cut and laminate for child.

Our library does not give library cards to children patrons -- I completely disagree, but this policy is old and we are a small library, so.... We make "dummy" cards for the students in the nearby Burnham School, who frequent our library twice a month. These cards are kept at the library and when the child "graduates" fifth grade they are given a real library card. Otherwise, children patrons use their parents cards. Oh, well.....