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)