Take & Make Craft Kit: Paper Gnome House

  I introduced this to-go craft kit as a way to use up some paper soup cups I had in storage.    

Supplies provided in the kit:
Square of patterned paper
Glue dots (5)
Paper cup
Colored pens (3)

 

What you need from home:
Scissors
Optional: Glitter glue, buttons, sequins, craft foam, etc. for decorating

 

Instructions: 
Every gnome house is unique!

Use scissors to cut off, or round off, all four corners of your paper square. Make it into a circle-like shape. Your circle, or squircle, does not need to be perfectly symmetrical. In fact, a non-perfect squircle will give your gnome house a special charm!

2.     Fold the squircle in half one way. Unfold. Fold the squircle in half another way. Unfold. Where the two folds meet is the approximate center of the squircle. Look at your paper squircle shape. Choose which pattern, or side, you want to show, and which will be hidden underneath (the backside). Use a pen to make a dot in the center of the squircle on the backside of the paper.

3.      On the backside of the squircle shape, draw two straight lines from the center dot to the edge. This should look somewhat triangular, like the shape of a piece of pie. Use scissors to cut out the pie wedge using the lines for guidance.

4.      Holding onto the squircle shape, overlap the two corners made by the pie wedge cut out. Overlap these two corners as little or as much as you want until you make the cone shape you desire. This cone will become the roof of your gnome house. When the cone shape is how you like it, use two glue dots to hold the paper cone in place.

 

5.      Place the paper cup in front of you, bottom side up. Place three glue dots around the bottom edge of the paper cup. Gently press the cone over these glue dots. Double check to make sure the paper cone is touching all three glue dots.

 

6.      Use the color pens to draw a door on the outside of the paper cup. Also, use the pens to decorate the outside of your gnome house. You can add windows, plants, animals, mushrooms, or whatever you think is needed. Be very careful when handling the gnome house as you decorate it. The color pen ink smudges easily!

 

 

 

Sweet Transportation Toddler Storytime

Opening #1 - Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2 - Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum;
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

    

 

Book #1 – The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage

Stand-up activity – “Wheels On the Bus” traditional action song from Six Little Ducks by Kimbo

Transition #1 - Open-Shut Them (fingerplay) 

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

 

Flannelboard – Wheels On a Hippopotamus (rhyme I was introduced to by a librarian at the King County Library System)

You see
Wheels on a car
And on a train.
Wheels on a truck,
And a jumbo plane. 
You see
Wheels on a van,
A bike,
A bus,
But you don’t see wheels on a hippopotamus - -
Unless she’s roller-skating!

Letter of the day - "W” is for wheels

Transition #2 – Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up, 
Tommy Thumb down,
Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,
Tammy Thumb in,
Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,
Dance them on your knees,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your shoulders,
Then tuck them into bed.

Book #2 – Max Drives Away by Rosemary Wells (board book)  

Closing – Scarves to the song “Flitter Flutter” from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing

 

Baby Parade Toddler Storytime

Opening #1 - Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2 - Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum;
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

   

 

Book #1 – Baby Party by Rebecca O’Connell, illustrated by Susie Poole

Stand-up activity – “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” traditional action song from Wee Sing Children’s Songs and Fingerplays

Transition #1 - Open-Shut Them (fingerplay) 

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

 

 

Flannelboard – Hi Ho the Derry-O the Animals Found Their Babies

I used some animal matching cards I had from a preschool storytime to talk about animal sounds and the names of these animal babies.

The horse found its foal.
The horse found its foal.
Hi-ho the derry-o,
The horse found its foal.

(Repeat with other animals such as dogs, cats, pigs, ducks, etc.)

Letter of the day - "P” is for puppies

Transition #2 – Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up, 
Tommy Thumb down,
Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,
Tammy Thumb in,
Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,
Dance them on your knees,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your shoulders,
Then tuck them into bed.

Book #2 – I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max (board book)

Closing – Scarves to the song “Flitter Flutter” from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing

 

Animals Move Toddler Storytime

Opening #1 - Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2 - Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum;
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

   

 

Book #1 – Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Stand-up activity – “Jumping and Counting” action song from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem by Jim Gill

Transition #1 - Open-Shut Them (fingerplay) 

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

 

 

Flannelboard – Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed (traditional counting down chant)

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head, 
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

(Continue counting down)

One little monkey jumping on the bed,
She fell down and bumped her head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"Put those monkeys back to bed!"

Letter of the day - "M” is for monkey and move

Transition #2 – Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up, 
Tommy Thumb down,
Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,
Tammy Thumb in,
Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,
Dance them on your knees,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your shoulders,
Then tuck them into bed.

Book #2 – We All Play by Julie Flett

Closing – Scarves to the song “Flitter Flutter” from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing