Celebrations

Our theme this week is Celebrations. I wanted to broaden celebrations to more than just birthdays, but also other types of celebrations like holidays and parties, to be more inclusive. In the case that birthdays are not celebrated by everyone, my early literacy tip was reminding parents that background knowledge is an important skill to have in being able to interpret what they read. If they've never experienced a birthday or a certain holiday themselves, at least they know what it means if they encounter it in the future.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Monster Party - Annie Bach

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Jane Cabrera

Hooray for Fish! - Lucy Cousins

Preschool Books:

Mousequerade Ball: A Counting Tale - Lori Mortensen

If You Give a Pig a Party - Laura Numeroff

A Birthday for Cow! - Jan Thomas

Hooray for Hat - Brian Won

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Pat-a-Cake:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man,

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it (roll hands)

Pat it (pat knees)

And mark it with a "B" (trace the letter "B" on palm)

And put it in the oven for baby and me!

Source: Traditional

Five Cupcakes:

Down around the corner in the bakery shop,

Were five yummy cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

Along comes Ms. Kitten with a dollar to pay,

She buys a cupcake and takes it away.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Storytime Katie

* To do this flannel, I used five laminated cupcake flannels and had puppets come and take the cupcakes away. I alternated which puppet bought the cupcake (kitten, puppy, bee, mouse, ladybug) using the puppets that had the smallest fingers to grab onto the cupcake through the gloves best. The toddlers and preschoolers LOVED it.