Bears

Our last week of the fall session, we are learning about bears! Very appropriate since they're heading into their dens about to hibernate for the winter season.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Can You Growl Like a Bear? - John Butler

Make a Wish Bear - Greg Foley

Tiptoe Joe - Ginger Foglesong Gibson

Preschool Books:

Make a Wish Bear - Greg Foley

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats - Il Sung Na

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Wake Up Bear (Tune: "Where is Thumbkin?"):

Where is Bear? Where is Bear?

Here I am! Here I am!

How are you this Fall? Very tired, thank you.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep.

Source: Fellow librarian

*I used a puppet box with a cave cut-out taped to the front. We "woke" bear up several times to repeat the song. 

If You're a Bear and You Know It (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"):

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws,

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws,

If you're a black bear and you know it, and you really want to show it,

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws!

Repeat with:

Polar Bear - Show your teeth

Brown Bear - Growl real loud

*I used puppets of the different types of bears with this particular song. I sat them up on the flannel board while we did each verse so they could judge our bear performances.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - Eric Carle 

*We have a flannel of this story in our flannel drawer. It makes a wonderful cumulative story that is easy for both Toddlers and Preschoolers to chant along with.

Zentangling - For School-Ager's

This week I also planned the program for the School-Age crowd. Since Zentangling is a thing with adults, and I was a HUGE doodler throughout school (I admit, I even doodled in my graduate classes...), I knew the kids would have fun! 

1. Discussion!
We discussed what Zentangling was. The simplest definition that I came up with, from all the Zentangling books and websites, is drawing repetitive patterns. 

2. Reading!
We read several seek-and-find books. I scanned images from "Yoo-Hoo Ladybug" by Mem Fox, "The Odd One Out" by Britta Teckentrup, and "Hide and Seek" by Taro Gomi. I put them on slides, read the blurbs about what to search for, and had the kids find the objects in the images. Then I circled them on the Powerpoint presentation and enlarged the image where each object or animal was hiding. 

3. Discussion Time!

We talked about why it was more difficult to find certain objects than others.

a. Repeating patterns within the picture

b. Similar objects on the page

c. Mixing patterns on the page

Then we discussed how patterns and puzzles affect our brain. I talked about how patterns and shapes help us identify objects in the world around us. Our brain likes order so it automatically groups similar objects and shapes together.

AND, puzzles that require us to find objects stretch our memory and concentration. So, to all the caregivers that think the I-Spy books aren't good for their kids, we have debunked that thought!

4. Nonfiction Read:

We "read" a nonfiction book to bring the discussion full circle: "What in the World: Fun-Tastic Photo Puzzles for Curious Minds" by National Geographic Kids. 

I also scanned several of the camouflage animal puzzles onto the slides for more seek-and-find puzzle games.

5. Discussion!

We talked about patterns in nature and why they're important. We discussed how patterns help camouflage animals in their environment, to help them blend into the background and protect them from predators.

6. CRAFT TIME!

And we, of course, Zentangled! I made a document that had easy patterns for the kids to use as reference. Then I printed half-sheets of various shapes (hearts, diamonds, stars, triangles, circles) for the kids to use to Zentangle in and around as a starting point. 

The kids had a great time and Zentangled for quite some time. I had slight concerns that the littlest ones would not be able to do the craft but they did great. Many of the kids did doodles that I cannot rival so, all-in-all, it was a success!

Food

Since there is a serious lack of really decent books that are appropriate for Toddlers and Preschoolers about Thanksgiving (especially ones that are culturally sensitive), we are learning about FOOD instead this week. 

Books:

Toddler Books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Apple Pie ABC - Alison Murray

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR - Don and Audrey Wood

Preschool Books:

Peanut Butter & Cupcake - Terry Border

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake - Laura Numeroff

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR - Don and Audrey Wood

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Alligator Pie:

Alligator, alligator, alligator pie (open/close hands in chomping motion),

If I don't get some, I think I'm gonna cry (pretend to cry),

You can take away the grass (wiggle fingers near ground),

You can take away the sky (move hands over head),

But don't take away my alligator pie! (chomping motion with hands)

Source: I learned this from a mentor librarian years ago but here's a similar version that has additional verses.

Five Big Strawberries:

Five big strawberries in a bowl,

One fell out and started to roll (roll arms),

Where did it go?

It hit my toe! (hit toe with strawberry),

How many strawberries left in the bowl?

1-2-3-4.

Repeat until: No more strawberries left in the bowl!

Source: Sunflower Storytime

Stir the Soup (Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"):

Stir, stir, stir the soup,

Stir it all day long.

Add some ____,

Take a taste (slurrrp),

Soup will make us strong! (flex arm muscles).

Repeat with different veggies.

Source: Jen in the Library



Update:
I'm a member of a Facebook group specifically for librarians that deliver storytimes for young library members, called Storytime Underground. One of the librarians recently posted about how there are not enough good picture books (and books in general) about American Indians, especially Thanksgiving books at this time of year. Diversity in books, especially children books, is a huge issue but one of the librarians shared a blog,  American Indians in Children's Literature, run by educator Debbie Reese. It has lists of books appropriate for certain age groups that are diverse, accurate, and well written.

Also, I've had the same thoughts as the people in this BuzzFeed video when I have read some of the books in my library about American Indians:

You

Last week we learned all about our bodies. Toddlers and Preschoolers love talking about themselves when they finally have enough words in their vocabulary to do so! And what a fun topic to talk about our body parts, do the hokey pokey, and learn all about YOU! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Happy in Our Skin - Fran Manushkin

We've All Got Bellybuttons - David Martin

Funny Face, Sunny Face - Sally Symes

Preschool Books:

Whose Nose and Toes? - John Butler

The Handiest Things in the World - Andrew Clements

Happy in Our Skin - Fran Manushkin

We've All Got Bellybuttons - David Martin

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Wake Up Feet:

Wake up feet, wake up feet, 

wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

Wake up feet, wake up feet,

Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Repeat with: Hands, Ears, Knees, Nose, etc.

Source: Jbrary

Song: I Have 10 Little Fingers

Hokey Pokey (for little ones):

You put your arms UP!

You put your arms DOWN!

You put your arms UP and you shake them all around!

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, 

And that's what it's all about!

Repeat with: Elbows, Shoulders, etc.

Source: Traditional (with a few tweaks to make it easier on the toddlers)

The Letter "M"

There are so many wonderful words that begin with the letter "M" so, instead of just choosing one, we learned about several different "M" words!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Lunch - Denise Fleming
Little Mouse - Alison Murray
What Will the Fat Cat Sit On? - Jan Thomas

Preschool Books:

Z is for Moose - Kelly Bingham
Lunch - Denise Fleming
Little Mouse - Alison Murray
What Will the Fat Cat Sit On? - Jan Thomas

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Hickory Dickory Dock:

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one *CLAP* the mouse ran down,

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck two *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "BOO",

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck three *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "Weeeeee!"

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck four *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "No more!"

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Source: Jbrary

Mouse Pokey (Tune: "Hokey Pokey"):
You put your whiskers in, you put your whiskers out,
You put your whiskers in, and you shake them all about.
You do the Mouse Pokey and you turn yourself about,
That's what it's all about!
Repeat with: your paws

Moose Pokey (Tune: "Hokey Pokey"):
You put your antlers in, you put your antlers out,
You put your antlers in, and you shake them all about.
You do the Moose Pokey and you turn yourself about,
That's what it's all about!
Repeat with: your hooves
Source: Harris County Public Library (with some changes)
*I interchanged these, depending on which animal I talked about at each storytime.

Little Mouse Hiding Game:
Little Mouse, Little Mouse
Are you behind the red house.
Repeat with different colored houses...
Source: Traditional flannel (from my flannel drawer)