This Week at Toddler Storytime

We did colors and shapes this week in storytime--always a great opportunity to pull out a few favorites. I read Pete the Cat (of course!), we played a round of Little Bear- "Little Bear, Little Bear, are you under the red square?", and we mixed up a batch of Magical Rainbow Stew ala Storytime ABC's.

I was later reminded by a co-worker that I had written this shoe rhyme (even before I ever read Pete the Cat). She had a whole cat/shoes/color thing going on that was fabulous. Thank you, Donna Holmen.

I had to read through a few verses before I got the rhythm right again, but it is a fun one.

Shoes

By Shawn Wolf ©2008

*When you step in “something”, look at your feet and make a face like you stepped in something really disgusting. Start with orange shoe on the board. Tell the children this is a story about your favorite, fastest shoes.

I was walking along the street one day. (march)

With my knees up high, Can you walk this way?

But I stepped in something. Now what should I do?

My favorite, fastest shoes have turned the color blue!

I was hopping along the street one day. (hop)

On just one foot, Can you hop this way?

But I hopped in something. Now I’m filled with dread.

My favorite, fastest shoes have turned the color red!

I was twirling along the street one day. (turn in a circle)

Around and around, Can you twirl this way?

But I twirled into something, and I’m not a happy fellow.

My favorite, fastest shoes have turned the color yellow!

I tiptoed along the street one day. (tiptoe)

Way up on my toes, Can you tiptoe this way?

But I tiptoed in something. Now I’m about to make a scene!

For my favorite, fastest shoes have turned the color green!

I stood perfectly still on the street one day. (stand in place)
With my feet like this, Can you stand this way?
I stepped into nothing. But this isn’t very fun.
My favorite, fastest shoes are meant to run, run, run! (run in place)

Wondering what the kangaroo is for? "Kangaroo, Kangaroo, are you in the red shoe?"-- of course!

This Week at Mommy and Me: Cookie Monster

At circle time, I showed the connection between the flannel board, the book, the craft, and my shirt--all Cookie Monster. I knew most of them wouldn't know Cookie yet, but they loved him by the end of class. I only read part of the book to introduce some concepts. Everyone got one "cookie" to feed the monster. After each child placed their cookie on the flannel board, we all said, "Yummy, yummy in my tummy! "

Everyone painted a paper plate for our hungry Cookie Monster craft. They put brown dots ( and other assorted marks) on beige circles. These will be the cookies they feed their monsters after everything is assembled. I cut a semicircle mouth in the painted plate, and another half plate gets attached to the back to catch the cookies.

We threw cookie bean bags at the bean bag board and in buckets. We made play dough cookies and sorted cookie shapes. One little girl had egg shakers in her hand from the time she walked in the door, so we wrapped things up with a shaker mix :

Shake! by We Kids Rock

Shakeable You by Imagination Movers

I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner