Wonderful Mothers Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds:

• Opening - "A Tooty Ta" from Dance Like This by Mr. Al

• Literacy activity flannelboard - Matching mother and baby animals

I found some "Animal and their young" matching card print outs on the Twinkl education resource website. I made multiple copies of the baby animals and handed them out to the children. When I put a mother animal on the board, the children with the corresponding baby animal would then place their card on the board. 

• Book #1 - Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen Fletcher

• Stand-up activity - "If You're Happy and You Know It" action song from Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays

• Activity - Come A' Look A' See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

 

 

• Book #2 - Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

• Book #3 - Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

• Closing - Dance with scarves to the song "Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill

  

 

• Art experience - Glue or tape an inspirational Harriet Tubman quote to a craft foam star and then decorate star with glitter glue. This can then be used as a Mother's Day gift or any other type of gift. 

Mothers Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

• Book #1 – Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

• Stand-up Activity – "If You're Happy and You Know It" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

• Bridge - 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 Ducks (traditional song)

• Book #2 – My Mom Is Fantastic! by Nick Butterworth

• Activity – "Come A' Look A' See" (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Popcorn Calling Me" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner

 

• Art Experience – Create a Mother's Day card that says, "The earth laughs in flowers." a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The card was decorated with muffin cup flowers glued to the card.  For a personal touch, the children were to use an ink stamp pad to stamp their fingerprints into the center of each muffin cup (or really, anywhere on the card).  I used card stock for the card which I pre-printed the quote on by running it through the library's copy machine.  

• How It Went - The art activity did not go as I intended.  I meant to make the Mother's Day card a type of special momento of the children by including their tiny little fingerprints.  But most of the parents would not let their children touch the stamp pads.  Very unfortunate.  I did have baby wipes on hand so I am not sure why the parents were hesitant to do this messy art project.  

Mother and father themed toddler art experiences

On March 7 I did a presentation at the Pierce County AEYC As a Teacher Grows Conference about creating art experiences for toddlers ages 1-3 years old.  (I mostly talked about what I wrote in my book, Artsy Toddler Storytimes.)  My presentation ended with an activity to get the educators thinking.  

Here are their ideas on doing toddler art around a "mothers" theme:

• Are you my mother animal chart
• Pop bottle flower stamping
• Handprints with poem
• Planted flowers
• Flower pots
• Cards - glue, stickers, stamps
• Pottery plates
• Picture frame with picture
• Scrapbook pages - "my year" book for mom
• Painting portraits of their mothers
• Handprint flowers 
• Pop up cards
• Flower colage
• Paint sponge flowers

Here are their ideas on doing toddler art around a "fathers" theme:

• Portrait with yarn
• Art books filled with child's art
• Foot print/hand print
• Handkerchief art
• Collage on letters for DAD
• Send recipe home for dad and child to make
• Paper weight
• Mosaic art - concrete with items in it
• Picture frame - kids in hat and tie
• Illustrate book about dad
• Coupon book
• Car painting
• Bug collection
• Golf ball painting
• Create a card with photos of dad or uncle or brothers and share a favorite thing to do with the guys

Mom Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds: 

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steve Kellogg
• Stand-up Activity - Do It for Your Mother (action song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

Clap, clap, clap your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

(use other body motions such as stomp your feet, jump your legs, etc.)

• Bridge - 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 

• Book #2 - That's My Mommy! by Ann Hodgman, illustrated by Laura Logan (board book)
• Activity – Come A'Look A' See (fingerplay found on The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue together a paper daisy with a pink circle center and white paper strips for petals

Mother Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds.

• Opening - "Alabama, Mississippi" from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill
• Alphabet Activity - Put alphabet cards in order
• Book #1 - What Can You Do With a Rebozo? by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Amy Cordova
• Activity - Gifts for Mommy (action song from Toddler's On Parade by Kimbo)
• Book #2 - Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
• Book #3 - Mommy, Carry Me Please! by Jane Cabrera

• Activity - Come A' Look A' See (fingerplay found on The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Super Mom" from Improvise With Eric Nagler by Eric Nagler
• Art activity - Glue craft foam bugs onto a flower coloring sheet

Mother Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
• Stand-up Activity - Do It for Your Mother (action song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

Clap, clap, clap your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

(use other body motions such as stomp your feet, jump your legs, etc.)

• Bridge - 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/Math Activity - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (traditional counting down song)
• Sit-down Activity - Come A'Look A' See (fingerplay found on The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)
• Book #2 - My Mom Is Fantastic! by Nick Butterworth
• Activity – If You're Happy and You Know It (action song from Sing Along with Bob #1 by Bob McGrath)
• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Make a paper hug: Cut out two hands and glue one to each end of a long strip of paper.  Let the children color and decorate it. 

Mothers Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steven Kellogg (big book)
• Stand-up Activity - If You're Happy and You Know It (action song from Songs for Wiggleworms)
• Bridge - 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/Math Activity - 5 Little Ducks (counting backwards song)
• Sit-down Activity - Come A' Look A' See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the cd The Baby Redord by Bob McGrath)
• Book #2 - My Mom Is Fantastic by Nick Butterworth
• Activity – Do It For Your Mother (action song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.

Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
As hard as hard can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Jump, jump, jump your feet
As high as high can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.

• Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
• Craft – Make paper strip daisy flowers

Mothers Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
• Activity – Do It for Your Mother (action rhyme to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" - I'm not sure where I found this rhyme)

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
As hard as hard can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Jump, jump, jump your feet
As high as high can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.

• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Five Little Ducks Went Out One Day (counting backward song)
• Book #2 - My Mom is Fantastic! by Nick Butterworth
• Activity - Come a' Look a' See (fingerplay song I picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Make a daisy by gluing a foamie circle for the center of the flower, green yarn for the stem, and white paper strips for the petals

Mothers Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
• Activity – Do It For Your Mother (action rhyme to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," I'm not sure where I picked this one up)

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
As hard as hard can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Jump, jump, jump your feet
As high as high can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your mother.

• Flannelboard – Old Woman by Beatrix Potter
• Book #2 – My Mom Is Fantastic by Nick Butterworth
• Activity – Round of Applaluse (action rhyme adapted from one told by Rob Reid)
• Closing - Eggshakers using "I Know A Chicken" from Whaddaya Think of That by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Glue together a paper daisy (yarn stem, yellow circle for center, short strips of white paper)