The Read Abouts: April

Earth Day!

Read: Earth Day by Margaret McNamara and Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candance Fleming

Craft: Paper Mache Bowls

• Need: Recycle your old yogurt containers, plastic wrap, elastics, white glue, sponge brushes and several colors of tissue.
• Prior to the craft, I covered the bottom of the yogurt containers with plastic wrap secured with an elastic. AND, to avoid a huge clean-up, I placed a plastic table cloth on the craft table.
• On another craft table, I placed sheets of tissue paper for the children to select and tear up -- on their own.  
• Then the children moved back to their craft seat and began the messy-fun of paper mache!

Sorry, no picture of the completed project. For some reason, (maybe because it is somewhat transparent), it did not photograph well? I will keep trying.....

Burnham Bunch: Frogs

Hop-a-long Little Froggy

Read: Jump! by Fisher and A Frog in a Bog by Karma Wilson

Flannelboard: A Frog in a Bog by Karma Wilson
Using clip-art and Microsoft Publisher I printed and laminated story elements: ticks, slugs, fleas, and etc.  Placed a large frog on a log (in a bog)  on flannel board. As the story progress, I placed story pieces on the board. Then, as "his mouth open(s) wide," I begin to remove the pieces.

Craft: Lily pad and frog. Inspired by PreschoolTeacherTalk

• Need: Green construction paper, white cupcake liners, and clip-art frogs, glue sticks.
• Prior to storytime, cut green paper into lily pads. Find, print and cut-out various clip-art frogs.
• Show kiddos a picture of a lily pad and instruct them to construct their own.
• The END!

Spring Break

Took the week to recharge and attempt to finish planning summer reading 2011. We have been hard at work since January, scheduling, brainstorming, booking performers, collecting and shopping for supplies and incentive prizes -- you name it, we are doing it. We have a bunch of great activities for for preschoolers to Grade 8! And some super-cool reading raffle prizes for those who join our Summer Reading Club! Almost, too tired to proceed to the summer. *sigh*

Summer Reading 2011 Theme:

Hope you all enjoyed your Spring break and Happy Easter!

Burnham Bunch: Easter

Swallowed a Chick?!

Read: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick by Lucille Colandro and Bunny's Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown

Flannelboard: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick
I copied, colored and laminated illustrations from the book: chick, straw, jelly beans, basket etc. Place your "Old Lady" on flannel board ("Easter Old Lady" is wearing a jaunty Easter hat). I passed out the various story-pieces to the children, (because there were not many elements to the story, I made multiple jelly beans) As the story progress, the children place their story piece on the board.

 Craft: Chick Craft

• Need: Yellow and orange construction paper, yellow feathers, sticker eyes.
• Prior to storytime, cut out a yellow egg shape for chick's body, orange triangle for the beak and orange feet shape for, well the feet!
• At each craft seat, place one yellow egg-shape, one beak and two feet, two sticker eyes, and two feathers.
• Announce each shape and have the children construct their chick, step-by-step.

Burnham Bunch: Sheep

Sheep

Read: Where is Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Sneaky Sheep by Chris Monroe

Flannelboard: Where is green sheep hiding?
I laminated clip art images of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple shrubs and gray, pink, brown and green sheep. I placed the shrubs on the board, and I hid a one of each sheep behind a different shrub. Then I asked "Where is green sheep? Where is green sheep? Is it behind the _____ shrub (point to the shrub and have the children say the color). Repeat until we find the green sheep.


Where is Green Sheep?



There is Green Sheep!

Craft: Cotton ball Sheep

• Need: Sheep drawing/clip art, sticky-back paper, cotton balls, gray crayon and sticker eye.
• Prior to storytime, find and enlarge a clip art sheep. Copy onto sheets of 8.5 x 11 copy paper. Trim around shape and cut out a hole in the middle. Trim sticky-paper a bit larger than hole. Adhere the paper onto the back of the sheep. And replace the backing (to protect from rogue lint and hair)
• Place one sheep, gray crayon and sticker-eye at each seat.
• Instruct the children, to color the face and legs of the sheep gray and adhere the eye.
• Then when that is completed, have the children remove the sticky-back backing and have the children place cotton balls on the sheep's belly.
• Umm, have I mentioned how much I LOVE sticky-back paper???