Mother's Day Fun

Books

 Gift for Mama - by Esther Hautzig
Are You My Mother? - P.D. Eastman
Ask Mr. Bear - Marjorie Flack
Celebrating Mother's Day - by Shelly Nielsen
I love My Mother - Paul Zindel
I'll love You Forever - Robert Munsch
Just For You - Mercer Meyer
Koala Lou - Mem Fox
Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
Mama, Do You Love Me? - Barbara M. Joosse
Mama Zooms - Jane Cowne - Fletcher
Mom's Day Off - Eugene Bradley Coco
Mother's Can Do Anything - Joe Lasker
Mother's Mother's Day - by Lorna Balian
On Mother's Lap - Ann Herbert Scott
Something for Mother - by Laura Alden
Stellaluna - Janell Cannon
The Mother's Day Mice - Even Bunting
The Runaway Bunny - Margaret Wise Brown
The Way Mother's Are - Miriam Schlein

Songs & Fingerplays

I Love My Mommy

(Sung to: Ferece Jacques)
I love my mommy, I love my mommy, (hands on heart)
Yes, I do, yes, I do (shake finger)
Mommies are for hugging, (Hug self)
Mommies are for kissing (blow kiss)
I love you, yes I do (point)

Mother Dear

Mother Dear, can you guess (shrug)
Who it is, that loves you best? (point)
I'll give you, three guesses (hold up three fingers)
ONE, TWO, THREE (count on fingers)
There, I knew you'd Think of me (point to head)

I Love My Mommy

(Sung To: Up on the Housetop)
I love my mommy, Yes- sir-e! (give thumb up)
She is very good to me! (point to self)
She makes me cookies and yummy treats, (rub tummy)
That's my mom and she's real neat (Give thumbs up)
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't know, (shrug shoulders)
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't know, (shrug shoulders)
I love my mommy and she loves me, (hands on heart)
That's the way it's supposed to be (jump in excitement)

Activities

Give Mom a Hug

Make a hug? How do you do that? We’ll make hugs for mom today!

Picnic for Mom

Take mom on a picnic for Mother’s Day.

Ribbon Dance

Dancing ribbons and springtime music.

Large Group Activity

Lummi Sticks

Spring II Session....

Next week begins a whole new session of Circle Time fun! I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends an seeing some familiar faces!

Here's the schedule for the next 6 weeks:

May 4: Hurray for Mother's Day
May 11: May Flowers
May 18: Spring on the Farm
May 25: Beautiful Butterflies
June 1: Bug Bonanza!
June 8: Goin' on a Picnic

There were a few openings left in the session, so please spread the word and invite a friend to join us.
See you soon!

April Showers

Hello Circle Time friends!

I hope you had a nice week off and enjoyed some early Spring fun. My surgery went well and I am recuperating very nicely and eager to see you all again. This week it's all about rain!

Books

Red Rubber Boot Day by Mary Lyn Ray

Smudge by Julie Sykes

Kipper’s Rainy Day by Mick Inkpen

Songs & Fingerplays

Mud Mix

Mix the mud.                                     (make stirring motion)

Squish the mud.                               (make squishing motion with fingers)

Squash it with your feet.              (stand on balls of feet and twist)

Squishy, squashy, squooshy mud. (pretend to make a mud pie)

Mud is really neat!                          (hold up hands, palms out)

Mix the mud.                                     (make stirring motion)

Squish the mud.                               (make squishing motion with fingers)

Squash it with your feet.              (stand on balls of feet and twist)

Ucky, yucky, mucky mud.             (pretend to make a mud pie)

Mud is really neat!                          (hold up hands, palms out)

I’m a Little Rain Cloud

(sung to the tune of I’m a Little teapot)

I’m a little rain cloud fat and round

When it thunders I make this sound

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Rolling around.

Splash! The rain comes tumbling down!

(We’ll use musical instruments to make a raucous stormy noise!)

A Rainbow Surprise

I’m a little rain cloud in the sky.

I can help make rainbows if I try.

I make a little rain in the bright sunshine,             

Out pops a rainbow, it sure is fine!          

(rainbow puppet)

Not on Me!

Rain on the green grass,               (flutter fingers down to ground)

And rain in the trees,     (flutter fingers over head)

Rain in the housetops,   (make house peak over head with arms)

But not on me!                 (circle arms over head to make umbrella)

(Repeat poem replacing ‘green grass’ and ‘housetop’ with other ideas children suggest)

Movement:       

Ring Around the Puddle

Ring around the puddle.

Pockets full of mud.

Splish! Splash! Splish! Splash!

We all fall in!

Activities

Water Cycle Bracelets

 Start with a white bead, (the clouds), then a light blue bead (the rain), then a green bead (the grass where the rain lands), then a yellow bead (the sun is shining on the earth), then a clear bead (evaporation), then another white bead (the water is again in the clouds).

 Plip Plop, Raindrop

Cottonball clouds and fingertip raindrops.

Drop in the Bucket

Let’s see if you can make the raindrops fall in the buckets!

(raindrop sponges, beach buckets)

Large Group Movement

Puddle Jumping

Today the hoops will be rain puddles, we’ll play music, as children walk around/jump over the puddles. When the music stops they get to jump in the puddles!

Welcome Spring!

Books

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Wake Up! It’s Spring by Lisa Campbell Ernst

When Will it be Spring?

Spring’s Sprung by Lynn Plourde

Wake Me in Spring by James Preller

Hopper Hunts for Spring by Marcus Pfister

Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand

Songs/Poems/Fingerplays

Spring Poem

Some days seem like winter, 
Some are nice and warm. 
Rainy days and windy days, 
Maybe it will storm. 
Warm or cold or wet or dry,
What will the weather be? 
I think Spring is trying to play 
Peek-a-boo with me

Planting Seeds

First you take the seed and you plant it in the ground (pretend to plant seeds in hand) 
Next a rain cloud comes and waters all around (Use one hand to simulate rain) 
Next the sun shines brightly, without a sound (use fingers like sun) 
And in just a few days, a flower is found (open hand like flower)

Plant A Little Seed

I plant a little seed in the cold, cold ground (Squat down pretend to plant)
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round (Put arms above head like sun)
Down come the raindrops soft and slowly (dancing fingers)
Up comes the flower grow, grow, grow (jump as flower emerges)

Activites

Peat Pots

It’s the season for new growth, so today we’ll plant some seeds.

Forsythia Fun

Let’s see what’s inside those buds….we’ll explore forsythia branches today, and perhaps take some home to force into bloom.

Tree Buds

We’ll decorate our own bud-filled trees today.

Large Group Movement Activity

Dancing Ribbons

We WILL have time for these this week, for sure!

Ideas for Home

Growing Grass

Dampen a sponge and then put grass seed on the top of it. Next pour water over the sponge let your children watch as the grass grows over the next few weeks.

Baggie Garden

Wet a paper towel, and drop it along with six white beans into a Ziploc bag. Seal the baggie (leaving air in the bag) and put it in your window. Your children will love watching the beans grow. 

Big Bird's Birthday: March 20th

This week, in honor of Big Bird's Birthday, we'll have some birthday party fun!

Since so many asked...I have added the link to the Boomwhacker site...look in the menu in the right sidebar under Resources Used in Class. 

Books                   

The Surprise Party by Pat Hutchins

Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton

Make  A Wish Honey Bear

It’s My Birthday by Pat Hutchins

Platypus and the Birthday Party by Chris Riddell

Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack

Happy Birthday Moon by Frank Asche

Songs Fingerplays and Flannelboards

I Have 10 Cupcakes

I have 10 cupcakes on the kitchen shelf,

(Child) took one cupcake now there’s 9 left for myself.

Don’t touch them, don’t touch them,

Those are just for me.

With a middle full of jelly,

Oh I want them for my belly,

Yummy, yummy, yum, tee hee!

(repeat, counting down to no cupcakes.)

Four Pretty Presents

Four pretty presents and they are all for me.
(Hold up four fingers.)
I unwrapped the red one, and now there are three.
Three pretty presents and one is from you.
(Hold up three fingers)
I unwrapped the blue one, and now there are two.
Two pretty presents left until I’m done
(Hold up two fingers.)
I unwrapped the yellow one and now there is one.
One pretty present, I am having so much fun!
(Hold up one finger.)
I unwrapped it slowly and now there are none.
(Hold up both hands palms facing out)

The Birthday Cake 

Today is my birthday.
I think I'll make a cake.
Mix and stir, stir and mix,
Then into the oven to bake.

Here's the cake so nice and round,
I'll put icing on so white.
I'll put on all the candles
To make my birthday bright!

Happy birthday to me! 

Activities            

 Play-do Cakes

Let’s dish up some delicious play-do cakes, stick some candles in and sing Happy Birthday to Big Bird!

 Egg Toss

We’ll see how many eggs we can toss into Big Bird’s nest.

Dot Cakes

Let’s make some polka dot decorated cakes today!

Matching Birthday Hats

Can you match the bears’ hats with their shirts?

Large Group Movement              

Birthday Parade

In honor of the big yellow bird, we’ll play some Sesame Street Music and have a marching band with the

musical instruments.

Rainbows and Leprechauns

Books:

Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day

The Luckiest Leprechaun

Lucky Leprechaun

Leprechauns Never Lie

The Hungry Leprechaun

Songs, Fingerplays and Flannelboard:

Five Little Shamrocks

1 green shamrock, in the morning dew,

Another one sprouted, and then there were two.

2 green shamrocks, growing beneath a tree;

Another one sprouted and then there were three.

3 green shamrocks, by the cottage door;

Another one sprouted,

And then there were four.

4 green shamrocks, near a beehive

Another one sprouted,

And then there were five.

5 little shamrocks, bright and emerald green,

Think of all the luck these shamrocks will bring.

  

I’m a Little Leprechaun

to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot

I'm a little leprechaun dressed in green

the tiniest man that you've ever seen.

If you ever catch me so it's told

I'll give you my pot of Gold!

The Leprechaun (Fingerplay)

A leprechaun is small and green,

(Use hand to indicate a small person.)

He hides where he cannot be seen.

(Cover eyes with hands.)

But if you catch one on this day,

(Shake finger.)

He must give his gold away.

(Pretend to put gold in pocket.)

Activities:

Hidden Gold

Search for hidden gold in the field of green playdough! Mom's and kids can take turns hiding and searching for gold together.

Rainbow Paint & Pot of Gold
Let's paint a rainbow that leads to a pot of gold!

Rainbow Music

Have you ever heard of a Boomwhacker? Boomwhackers are rainbow colored plastic tubes in graduated sizes; when whacked on something they play a note in the music scale. They are loads of fun. Today we'll just have fun exploring them and making music.

Games:

Run Little Leprechaun

We’ll sit in a large circle. As the music plays we’ll pass around a shamrock. When the music stops the child holding the shamrock also stops. We’ll all yell "Run Little leprechaun, run!" The child gets up runs around the circle once than sits back down.

Rainbow Ribbons
A little Irish music and our rainbow ribbons for some dancing fun.

March Winds Do Blow!

Books:

The Wind’s Garden by Bethany Roberts

The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins

One Windy Wednesday by Phyllis Root

Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets

Millicent and the Wind by Robert Munsch

Feel the Wind by Arthur Dorros

Songs, Poems and Fingerplays:

Wind, Wind
Tune:  Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Wind, wind, blow the clouds
Fast across the sky.
Blow the branches back and forth
In the trees so high.

COLORS IN THE AIR

Once I hung some ribbons, high up in a tree.
I hung them on branches, for everyone to see.
They were so very pretty, with colors everywhere.
Now when it is windy, there are colors in the air.

Wind Tricks

The wind is full of tricks today,
It blew our newspaper far away.
It chased the trash can down the street.
It almost blew me off my feet.
It makes the trees and bushes dance,
Just listen to it howl and prance!

The Wind is Blowing

Tune: "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush’
Oh, the wind is blowing - all over town,
All over town, all over town.
Oh, the wind is blowing all over town,
Just like so. (Child blows)

Oh, the trees are bending - way down low,
Way down low, way down low.
Oh, the trees are bending - way down low,
Just like so. (Child bends low)

Oh, the kites are flying - watch them go,
Watch them go, high then low.
Oh, the kites are flying - watch them go
Just like so. (Child pretends to fly kite)

Continue with
"Oh, the clothes on the line - flop to and fro"
"Oh, the flag on the pole - waves fast and slow"

W-I-N-D-Y

Tune of BINGO

There was a day when we were blown
And windy was the weather-O,
W-I-N-D-Y, W-I-N-D-Y, W-I-N-D-Y,
And windy was the weather. Continue

Activities:

Wind Socks

Everyone needs a new wind sock in March! Streamers and construction paper and stickers.

Cotton Ball Race

It’s Moms vs. Kids in this race! Who can get their cotton ball across the table first…with a straw??

Feather Fans

Let’s use some of our very own fan power (aka hands and arms) to keep the feathers in the air.

Large Group Activity:

Ribbon Dancing!

At Home Fun:

The Wind Blew at Home

Use a household fan and test different items to see if the fan can move them, try a scarf, a piece of paper, a pencil, etc. Let kids choose items and predict what will happen, then test their predictions, try it again with a hair dryer. How about trying this on a windy day outside and comparing results.

Bubbles in the Wind!

March is a great month for bubbles….enjoy a windy day outside with bubbles.

Kite Toast

Cut a slice of bread into a kite shape and have the children butter it. Toast it and add a licorice string for a cute kite snack.

Make-Up Mix Up!

This week we're making up a class we missed due to snow, so let's have a little Make-up fun! 

Here's a sampling of what i've got in store for us....

Stories

...of course! I'll pick a few of my favs that don't necessarily fit into one of our planned themes but are fun to read.

Sing Along from the Song Jar

...everyone will get a turn to pick a song from the Song Jar!

Activities:

Playdough!

...playdough is an all time favorite at Circle Time!

Cut Collage 

 ...scissors and glue sticks and paper, oh my! 

Hula Hoopla

...have some fun with the hula hoops today!

Ribbon Dance fun!

****There are still some openings in the next session that begins on 3/9 (next week), so call Park & Rec if you want a spot, (860) 652-7679.

Mitten Montage

Books:

The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellog

A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Stoeke

One Mitten by Kristina George

The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Buying Mittens by Nankichi Niimi

                               

Game:                 

Mitten Hide & Seek

                 

Songs:                  

Thumbs in the Thumb Place

Thumb in the thumb place (Give Thumbs up with both hands)
Fingers all together (hold fingers together like in mittens with thumbs out).
These are the things we wear in mitten weather (move mittens back and forth).
When it's cold, it doesn't matter whether, (shrug shoulders)
Mittens are wool or made of finest leather. (rub hands)
Thumb in the thumb place, fingers all together, this is the song we sing in mitten weather.

Warm Mittens

I wiggle my left hand.

I wiggle my right,

Inside my mittens,

So warm and so tight.

I wiggle my pinkie,

I wiggle my thumb,

So when I make snowballs,

My hands don’t get numb.

10 Little Mittens Hanging on the Line

10 little mittens hanging on the line... 
one went away, and then there were nine

9 little mittens near the gate... 
one went away, and then there were eight.

8 little mittens blowing near heaven... 
one flew off, and then there were seven.

7 little mittens hanging near the sticks... 
one fell off, and there were six.

6 little mittens by the old beehive... 
one came off, and then there were five.

5 little mittens very near the door... 
one went away, and then there were four.

4 little mitten hanging froma tree... 
one went away, and then there were three.

3 didn't know what to do... 
one went away, and then there were two.

2 little mittens drying in the sun... 
one went away...and then there was one.

1 little mitten didn't want to be alone... 
He went a way, and then there were none.

Activities:          

Mittens Collage

We’ll create unique mitten designs with tissue paper and yarn scraps.

Mitten Puzzles

It takes a keen eye to put these mitten puzzles together!

Mitten Matching

The mittens on the clothesline are all mixed up…let’s match them up.

Idea for Home:

Mystery Mittens

Here's a fun mitten-related activity that will stimulate visual imagery and increase each child's awareness of his sense of touch. Gather several Large adult mittens. Place a small object - such as a toy car, plastic animals, lego block, or pinecone-inside each mitten. Ask the children to try to figure out what is inside each mitten by feeling the object from the outside of the mitten. Then have each child reach into each mitten and feel the object inside. Ask youngsters if they would like to change their guesses or stick with their original ones. Afterward, reveal the objects and discuss the children's guesses versus the actual objects.

Sleeping Bearzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Books:

Bear Snores On  by Karma Wilson

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep by Maureen Wright

Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep by Jane Yolen

Bearcub and Mama by Sharon Jennings

Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming

Songs & Fingerplays:

Cave Play

Did you know you carry a bear cave with you wherever you go?

Little Bear

(to the Tune of Are You Sleeping Brother John?)

Are you sleeping
Are you sleeping, little bear, little bear?
You will sleep all winter
Through the cold, cold winter, little bear, little bear.
Are you sleeping,

Are you sleeping, little bear, little bear?
You will wake in springtime,

In the warm, warm springtime, little bear, little bear.

Game:

Hibernating Bears

Let's play a rousing game of musical caves! While the music is playing the 'bears' will dance in the sunshine of spring and summer, foraging for berries and visiting friends, but when the music stops we'll fall fast asleep in a 'cave'  for the winter.

Activities:

Bear Den Craft:

We’ll make our own bear dens today, complete with a sleeping bear!

Sleeping Bear Cave:

Bring your teddy bears for some snuggling in the ‘cave’!

Bear Dominoes:

Make a bear domino train by matching bear pictures.

Large Group Activity
Pass the Bear…we’ll play Pass the Beanbag, but with our stuffed bear friends instead of beanbags.

Celebrate Snow!

Books:

A Hat For Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

Songs, Fingerplays and Flannelboards:

Cold Winter’s Day

Going outside on a cold winter’s day,

If it starts to snow I’ll play, play, play.

Did you bring your hat?

Yes, I brought my hat.

Going outside on a cold winter’s day,

If it starts to snow I’ll play, play, play.

Did you bring your scarf?

Yes, I brought my scarf.

Did you bring your hat?

Yes, I brought my hat.

(continue adding coat, gloves, boots)

Sign Language: cold, winter, hat, scarf, coat, gloves, boots)

Five Little Snowmen

(feltboard, snowmen)

5 little snowmen standing in a row.

Each had a hat and a big green bow.

Out came the sun and it shone all day.

1 little snowman melted away.

4 little snowmen standing in a row. (Continue…)

I’m A Little Snowman

(tune of I’m a little Teapot)

I'm a little snowman round and fat.

Here is my broom and here is my hat.

When the sun comes out it's time to say

'This is the end of me today!

A Chubby Little Snowman

A chubby little snowman

Had a carrot nose.

Along came a bunny,

And what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny,

Looking for his lunch,

Ate the snowman's carrot nose.

Nibble, nibble, crunch!

10 Little Snowballs

(pom poms, bucket)

(tune of One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians)

One little, two little, three little snowballs,

Four little, five little, six little snowballs,

Seven little, eight little, nine little snowballs,

10 little snowballs in a pile.

Dance Like Snowflakes

(tune of Frere Jacques)

Dance like snowflakes, dance like snowflakes

Through the air, through the air.

Whirly twirly snowflakes, whirly twirly snowflakes

Here and there, here and there.

Game:                 

Melting Snowman

Children lay on the floor, stretch out, and form a blanket of snow. They pretend that other children are rolling them up to make large snowballs. The children roll across the floor, finally becoming so large they have to stand up and become jolly snowmen. Snowmen are frozen and must stand rigid all day and night. One day the sun shines so long and so brightly that the snowmen begin to thaw. Call out body parts, starting at the head and working down to the toes. The children begin moving these body parts slowly. As the day continues to get warmer; the snowmen gradually melt away. Have the children slowly/gracefully melt to floor.

Activities:

Snowflake Scenes

(white paint, stamp pads, snowflake stamps, paper)

We’ll create snow scenes with paint and snow shaped stamps.

Snowmen feltboards

(individual feltboards, snowman pieces)

Designing snowmen is fun with felt pieces and pom poms.

Snowball Toss

(Snowmen, styro balls)

Who doesn’t love to throw snowballs? We’ll burn up some winter energy throwing snowballs at the snowmen.

Movement:       

Snowflake Dance

(bubbles, cd player/music: Vivaldi:Winter)