Burnham Bunch: Bunnies

Easter time

Read: Ten Hungry Rabbits Anita Lobel and Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

Flannel board: Ten Hungry Rabbits

Craft: Blow Egg Art found via Pinterest from Discovery Kidzone Montessori Adventures

Need: Pastel colored craft paper (pink, blue, yellow), poster paint, straws.

• Prior to storytime, Susan cut the craft paper into large eggs. 
• At storytime, we equipped each craft seat with an egg, with dollops of paint, a paint tray and straw.
• We showed the kids how to blow into the straw to make a design .... BUT, if they rather, then can use their straws as a painting tool. I folded mine in half and smushed it. So many beautiful color combinations.
• Beautiful eggs!

Burnham Bunch: Chicks

Here a chick. There a chick ...

Read: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick by Patricia Colandro and This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Flannel board: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick

Craft: Chick in a nest

Need: Yellow and orange craft paper, sticker eyes, paper plate, brown paper (I used brown packing paper from an order I just received). Glue sticks.

• Prior to storytime, Susan cut out circles from the yellow paper (this is our chick) and orange triangles (beaks and feet). She also cut/shredded the brown packing paper (this will be our nest).
• At storytime, each craft seat was equipped with a paper plate, yellow circle, orange triangles, sticker eyes and glue stick.
• First I asked them to glue down their circle, then add their beak and feet, and lastly the eyes.
• We then got to making our "nest" by adding glue all around the edge of the paper plate and pressing in the paper shreds ( I laid these out last, when it was time to create the nest)
• And that is that. Easy breezy.

Burnham Bunch: Mud

Mud's the word

Read: Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion and I'm Dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan

Flannel boards:

Harry the Dirty Dog:
Laminate a photo of Harry. As I was reading the book, I colored him "dirty." I made sure to leave some white spots ... As he takes a bath, use a paper towel to wipe off the crayon to make him clean again.

I'm Dirty:
I found images via Google and placed them in a Microsoft Publisher and numbered the images 10-1. As our Backhoe loader cleans the yard ... I had the kiddos place their story pieces on the board.


Craft: Mud painting

Image of Backhoe Loader -- found via Google, traced and copied. Brown paint, Matchbox or any other small car/truck, plates for paint.

• I placed brown paint on a plate -- one for each kiddo. Gave them each a car, and let them go for it. 
• The kiddos LOVED using the car for painting.

Burnham Bunch: Springtime

Spring! Oh, sweet Spring!

Read: Rabbit's Good News  by Ruth Lercher Bornstein and Wake Up, Spring! by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Flannel board:

Five Little Flowers

One little flower had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one, then there were two.

Tow little flowers were smiling at the bee,
Out popped another one, then there were three.

Three little flowers were growing but the door,
Out popped another one, then there were four.

Four little flowers were glad to be alive,
Out popped another one, then there were five.

Craft: Flower

Need craft paper for the flower (I used some colorful scrapbook paper), green craft paper -- cut into a leaf and a stem, ketchup cups, white glue, pony beads, and craft paper for the base (I have a nice sturdy manila).

• Prior to storytime, cut out flower shapes, cut green paper into leaves and stems, and squirt white glue into the ketchup cups.
• Have child glue onto the base paper: flowers, stem and leaves. I asked them to find the stem first ... "this grows from the ground." What else do we need: "Leaves .... glue those to your stem. "And what grows from the stem? Our beautiful flower!"
• We had the kiddos count out 10 pony beads and place inside the ketchup cup.
• Put there name on each ...
• After storytime, we hot-glued the cup to the center of the flower (carpel?)

Burnham Bunch: St. Patty's Day

We all need a little LUCK

Read: Lucky Tucker and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Clover by Patricia Colandro

Flannel board: There was and Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Clover 

Craft: GREEN painting
Need: Yellow and green paint, glitter, paint brushes and finger-painting paper.

Burnham Bunch: Miss Susan is in the HOUSE

Well, I will be away in sunny (I hope) and warm (pleeeeassse) Florida for the week visiting my favorite Mouse, Belle and, of course, Tink! So, Miss Susan will take over the reigns for storytime on March 2nd and 3rd. In honor of my trip to Disney World, she has decided to have a Mickey Mouse storytime.

M-I-C-(see you real soon) K-E-Y   M-O-U-S-E!