Preschool Interactive: Thanksgiving

• 11-20-13: Run Turkey Run didn't come in time, so we got very wiggly. This is why I don't like holiday-themed storytimes - most of the books tend to be too long (plus the whole read about turkeys and make turkey crafts and then eat them thing is weird).
• 11-7-12: What with the very gloomy weather (personally I like fog, but I'm in a minority) and the time change, everyone was late! However, I had a lot of older kids because there was no 4k today. Some of the younger kids got very wiggly and had to take leave early, so this storytime really works best for older kids. We didn't read Gobble Gobble.

Dancing time and name tags: "List of Dances" from Jim Gill makes it noisy in Boise, Idaho

Introduction, welcome, and announcements: No programs Thanksgiving, holiday programs.

Early Literacy Theme: Print motivation is a child's interest in and enjoyment of books and reading.

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: One is a feast for a mouse by Judy Cox

Movement: Mr. Turkey

Nonfiction: I'm a turkey by Jim Arnosky

Early Literacy Aside: If your child has trouble sitting still for a whole story, try ways to keep their attention, like singing the story, which is what we're going to do in our next story!

Music: I know an old lady who swallowed a pie by Alison Jackson

Short story: Gobble Gobble Crash by Julie Stiegemeyer

Short story: Run turkey run by Diane Mayr

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Feather art

Prep: Feathers, paper plates, glue, crayons

Kids use the feathers and crayons to create a picture on the plates

Take Home Insert

Preschool Interactive: Hibernating Bears

• 11-13-13: Very Hairy Bear was checked out and I did this at the last minute, so I had to skip it. I also grabbed my bear puppet at the last minute and when we did the bear hunt pulled him out and then used him for the Hibernating Bear rhyme. The kids all loved it when he "ate" berries out of their hands. I don't use puppets much, so it's a novelty for everyone!
• 12-12-12: I didn't finish putting this together until the night before and came up short on movement. I had a horribly stiff neck the day of and this is our last week of programming and it's really chaotic and...meh, I don't know that parents noticed and everyone had a good time, but it was pretty low-key (except for R and the wolves vs. squirrels, which was hilarious).

Dancing time and name tags: "List of Dances" from Jim Gill makes it noisy in Boise, Idaho

Introduction, welcome, and announcements: We Explore Science on Friday, Messy Art on Thursday

Early Literacy Theme: Print Awareness is knowing that print has meaning, how to handle a book, and noticing print all around

Opening name song: The more we get together

Early Literacy Aside: Our first story has several repeated words. Looking for refrains in books as you read aloud is a great way to increase print awareness.

Long story: A bedtime for bear by Bonny Becker

Movement: We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen

Nonfiction: Under the snow by Melissa Stewart
Alternate: Over and under the snow by Kate Messner

Movement: Hibernating Bear

Short story: Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle

Short story: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Hibernation collage

Prep: animal magazines, scissors, paper, glue, crayons, markers

Kids cut out pictures of animals and draw what they do in the winter

Take Home Insert

Preschool Interactive: First came the egg

• 11-6-13: We were feeling a bit wiggly and some kids didn't stay the whole time. I mixed up the order a bit but we did everything except Hatch (this was a younger group).
• 3-7-12: This is a recycled storytime from last year, and then I made some last-minute changes. Red Hen was a huge hit, then we added in Tom's Tweet by Jill Esbaum which didn't work well with this large group. Hatch, in the abridged form I use, went much better than the last time. I skipped Animals on the farm and read Foxy and Egg by Alex Smith instead of No sleep for the sheep. One boy informed me "you read that before!" which is entirely possible as it's a deliciously wicked book.
• 2-6-13: I don't know if it's the weather, or if five days a week 4K is making it's presence felt, but I feel that our attendance is dropping off. Only 14 people today, only about 8 last week (granted that was a big snow storm that day). It was a very peaceful group and they did enjoy the stories though. I switched to Boots by Laurie Berkner for the opening song. I just wasn't feeling the butterflies.

Dancing time and name tags: "List of Dances" from Jim Gill makes it noisy in Boise, Idaho
Introduction, welcome, and announcements: Kohls Wild Theater

Early Literacy Theme: Print Awareness is knowing that print has meaning, how to handle a book, and noticing print all around

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: Foxy and Egg by Alex T. Smith

Movement: Here's a little egg

Early Literacy Aside: Our early literacy theme today is print awareness. We will be noticing the text in this story by matching some of the words to the pictures when we look for hidden animals.

Nonfiction: Hatch by Roxie Munro
What will hatch by Jennifer Ward

Movement: Animals on the farm

Short story: The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend

Short story/Flannelboard: The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberley

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Hatch an egg

Prep: Die cut white circles, ducks, and birds. Scissors, tape, markers, crayons

Kids cut one circle in half. Tape the half to the intact circle to make a pocket. What's hatching from your egg?

Take Home Insert