Puddle Stompers: Wiggly, Wiggly Worms

Openers:Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Props:  Worm Sensory Bin

Books: Diary of a Worm (Doreen Cronlin)
Wiggler:  Hokey Pokey
Craft: Worm Paintings
Book:  Underground (Denise Fleming)
Outing:  Exploring Soil/Building Worm Apartment
Closer: Wave Goodbye

Coloring Page:-
I love to read bookworm coloring page
http://twistynoodle.com/i-love-to-read-9-coloring-page/
Take Home Extension:
Worm Farm Instructions
http://www.spelloutloud.com/observing-worms-with-preschoolers.html

Puddle Stompers: Flowers and Seeds

Opener: Clap High, Clap Low
Prop: Crazy Seeds!

BooksThe Tiny Seed (Eric Carle)
Planting a Rainbow (Lois Ehlert)
Tops and Bottoms (Janet Stevens)
Flower Garden (Eve Bunting)
How a Seed Grows (Helene Jordan)
Wiggler:  Now Tall, Now Small

Game: Squirrel/Acorn Hunt
Outing:  Flower Petal and Seed Hunt
Sensory Science: Seed Sorting Box/Roots and Shoots
Craft:  flower petal sun catchers/petal paper
Closer: Wave Goodbye

Coloring Page:
http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/flowers/16.gif
Take Home Extension:  Roots and Shoots Instructions/Materials
Seed Graph Paper

Puddle Stompers: Spiders, Oh My!

Openers: One, Two, We Clap for You!

Prop: Large spider/puppet/spout

Sensory Play: Sensory Bin w/ spiders
Finger Play:  Five Little Spiders (w/rings)

Books:
The Very Busy Spider (Carle)
The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Trapani)

Song/Activity: 

There's a Spider on the Floor (w/ rings tied to string)

Game (outside, if possible): 
Web Game

Nature Walk:

Magnifying glass

Find out how many body parts

Find spider webs

Science Table:

Contact paper web

Craft:
paper plate spider/crepe paper

Coloring Page:
http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/animals/spider5.gif

Take Home:
Roll a Dice Spider Worksheet
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.makinglearningfun.com/Activities/Spiders/RollaSpider.gif
Spider Coloring Page
http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/animals/spider13.gif

Other Books:

The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Be Nice to Spiders by Margaret Graham
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott
Spider, Spider by Kate Banks
Spiders by Gail Gibbons
How Spider Saved Halloween by Robert Kraus
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel

Miss Spider’s Tea Party

School! (and a nod to Father's Day)

Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!

Papa, Do You Love Me (Barbara Joosse) 3-5
In the beautiful style of Mama Do You Love Me by the same author, Ms. Joosse portrays the strong, sure, and protective love of a father.  Set to the spectacular backdrop of Africa and the Maasai culture, this story reminds us that a father's love is universal.
Song: Love Grows
Chant: Deep Down in Africa

Owen (Kevin Henkes) 3-5
A fun book about tackling the sometimes frightening challenge of growing up by taking bits of your childhood with you--no matter what Mrs. Tweezers says...
Song: The Sneezing Song

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Bill Martin) 2-4
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has joined that revered list of children's classics.  Few little ones will face learning the alphabet without the drumming and jaunty cadence of Martin's coconut tree characters.
Song:  ABC's, of course!










Mouse Views (Bruce McMillan) 2-4
Take a peek at a classroom from the eyes of a mouse.  Close-up views followed by reveal pages challenge children to guess what the mouse is seeing.  This is always a fun story to help demystify a school classroom for pre-k's just entering their kindergarten year.

FB: Monkey in the Coconut Tree
Closer:  Wave Goodbye


Other School-Themed Books:
School Bus (Donal Crews)
Wow! School!  (Robert Neubecker)
Minerva Louise at School (Morgan Stoeke)

Garden

Openers
Oh Hey, Oh HI!
I Am a Tree!

In the Garden:  Who's Been There? (Lindsay Barrett George) 4-6
This absolutely gorgeous book with child's point-of-view illustrations is as beautiful as it is factual. Children and their dog examine the evidence of garden visitors and wonder, "Who's Been Here?"  A flip of the page reveals startlingly life-sized answers.  Have fun with this memorable natural history lesson gleaned from the garden.
FP:  Where are All the Bees?


My Garden (Kevin Henkes) 2-5
In a fun departure from her mother's run-of-the-mill garden, a young green thumb imagines some fantastic variations (like a jellybean bush).  After reading this story, have fun planting your own imaginary gardens!  What will you grow in yours?
Song: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum






Up Down and Around  (Katherine Ayres) 2-4
Rhyming text and colorful, jubilant illustrations help children explore the idea that somethings grow up, some grow down, and others grow....all around, of course!


Glove Finger Play:  Six Bumble Bees
Glove Finger Play:  Five Sunflowers

Felt Board: Five Seed Packets

Other Books:

A Hand Full of Sunshine (Melanie Eclare)

Tops and Bottoms

Lenny in the Garden (Ken Wilson-Max)

Planting a Rainbow (Lois Ehlert)

Turtles

Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Up to the Ceiling

Franklin is Messy (Paulette Bourgeois) 4-6
"Why all the fuss about a little mess?" Franklin wonders.  Our green friend learns a hard lesson about not putting things away, and comes away with some pleasant surprises, too!
Finger Play:  Here's a Little Turtle
Felt Board Game: Garbage Truck






Hurry Up and Slow Down (Layn Marlow) 3-5
Just when you think you know all there is to know about speedy hare and pokey turtle, this tale turns things on end when friends share a favorite story...Enjoy soft and detailed watercolor illustrations throughout this book full of natural beauty.
Song:  Dandelion
Finger Play:  Here's a Cup
Song: Walking, Walking





Turtle Splash (Cathryn Falwell) 2-4
Rhyming text and vibrant colors help young children enjoy their numbers while also introducing them to familiar pond life.  One, two, three, four...You'll want to read a little more!
Felt Board Guessing Game:  Who's in the Woods?

Other Books:

Scoot (Cathryn Falwell)
Franklin Books (Bourgeois)
Let's Explore Sea Turtles (O'Neil)
Turtle Moon (Hoffman)
Old Turtle (Douglas Wood)
The Hare and the Tortoise (Aesop)

Earth Day

Opener:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
I am a Tree!

An Egg Is Quiet (Dianna Aston) 
The talents of Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long combine to create a book as visually delightful as it is factual.  A simply beautiful book about the surprising natural variety expressed in the world of eggs...
Finger Play:  Great Big Ball
Song:  Five Little Ducks








Under Ground (Denise Fleming)
Have you ever wondered what is going on UNDER the ground?  Denise Fleming, with warmly colorful pulp paintings takes us on a journey where few ever get to go! Inviting language leads young readers down and down where they can find out just who lives underground and what they're up to.
Song:  The Ants Go Marching
Song:  Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum








Camouflaged Creatures (Marie Racanelli)
Earth's critters have a marvelous way of blending in.  Vivid photographs introduce children to unique creatures that can be cleverly hidden right under their noses!


Felt Board: Earth Family
Closer:  Wave Goodbye Poem (Rob Reid)



More Books:
Leo Lionni
Little Green (Keith Baker)
The Quiet Way Home (Bonnie Becker)

Blue

Opener:  Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Jump!

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (Amy Schertle) 3-5
Sometimes  being small or slow can make us feel, well, blue--if we let it.  Little blue truck sticks it out in the tangle of big city bustle and finds himself coming to the rescue in true Blue style.  Illustrator Jill McElmurry does a great job of capturing city style from the perspective of Little Blue.
Song:  Bumpin' Up and Down
FingerPlay:  Where is Blue Truck? (tune of Where is Thumbkin...include four more different colors of trucks and conclude each with "drive away."  I copied small photos of trucks and glued them to popsicle sticks to bring out from behind my back instead of my fingers.)



It Looked Like Spilt Milk (Charles Shaw)2-4
It looked like Spilt Milk.  Then again, it looked like a mitten and then an ice cream cone.  After a bit it looked like an owl, but wasn't ANY of these things.  The simple question, "What was it?" will keep small children engaged and delightedly guessing throughout this simple book until the answer if finally revealed.
Science Experiment:  Shaving cream rain cloud
http://www.hookedonscience.org/files/2013_Experiment_Archive_Shaving_Cream_Rain.pdf

The Deep Blue Sea (Audrey Wood) 2-4
Repetitive (and colorful!) verse allows children to practice their memory and visual skills while they 'read along' with this story that unfolds one color at a time.  All colors finally come together in a surprising little twist...to a colorful little story...in the middle of The Deep Blue Sea.
Finger Play:  One Little, Two Little, Three Little Fishes (tune of 10 Little Indians)
Felt Board: Blue Car



Closer: Wave Goodbye (Rob Reid)

April Fools!

 Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!


Fox Tails (Amy Lowry) 4-6
Amy Lowry recreates classic tales from Aesop about the famous trickster, Fox.  Four separate fables flow together to culminate in the final trick being on fox....fun!
Finger Play:  Quiet Little Mouse











April Foolishness (Teresa Bateman) 3-5
Grandpa cooly makes breakfast while the grandkids try their very best to fool him about the farm animals.  He's just too tough to trick, though, until Grandma gets involved.
Trick:  Baby in the Envelope






Who ate All the Cookie Dough? (Karen Beaumont) 2-4
Momma kangaroo just can't figure out where all of the cookie dough went.  Rhyme your way through this search for the trickster.  Just where could he be hiding?
Magnet Board: 10 Cookies

Closer:  Wave Goodbye (Rob Reid)

Cows: a story time that mooos...well,sometimes.

 Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Flower Stretch

Prop: 
Milk and Cheese
Highlander photo

Kiss the Cow (Phyllis Root) 4-6
Annalisa WILL NOT kiss the cow.  YUCK!  What happens to her many siblings and mother when the stubborn girl breaks the milky magic of the family cow?  Discover the answer and learn what Annalisa concludes about cow kisses.  --A sweet and fun folk tale highlighting a strong-willed child.

Finger Play:  Pitter Pat Rain
Song:  We're Stomping the the Rain


CLICK, CLACK, MOO  Cows That Type (Doreen Cronin) 3-6
This Caldecott Honor book in the wacky Farmer Brown series is sure to tickle your funny bone.  Farmer Brown's barnyard is always throwing him for a loop, but this time, the cows have gone too far...or have they?  Repetition and a creative, silly story line with lovable characters make Cronin's books a hit.  Be sure find out what FB's animals are up to this time.

Song:  Old Mac Donald (or...for a twist...Farmer Brown--with a click, clack here and a click clack there)


Millie Wants to Play (Janet Pedersen) 2-4
Every child can relate to the difficulty of having to W...A...I...T. Millie greets waking friends as she patiently waits for that special rise-and-shine sound that tells her it's time to PLAY!  Naming who makes familiar barnyard sounds and guessing who will wake next keeps young readers engaged until the special sound appears.  Guess what it is!
Wiggler:  Hokey Pokey

Felt Board: Baa Baa Black Sheep
Closer: Wave Goodbye


 Other Marvelous MOOOOing Books:
The Cow Who Clucked (Denise Fleming)
Cows Going Past (Bruce Balan)
Cock-a-Doodle Quack Quack (Ivor Baddiel, Sophie Jubb, Allie Busby)

Stinky Smelly

Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
PBJ Stretch

Little Oink (Amy Crouse Rosenthal)3-5
Little Oink has a problem.  He HATES to mess up his room. Find out he solves his pungent problem in this oh-so-cute twist on a common household theme.
Song:  Clean Up, Clean Up!
Song:  This is the Way We Take a Bath

Big Smelly Bear (Britta Teckentrup) 2-5
BSB (big smelly bear) finds a friend who can help him out of his smelly trouble and discovers that being clean is a bit less lonely.  Large, cuddly illustrations underscore this tale of good advice.
Chant:  We're Going on a Bear Hunt







I Stink (Kate and Jim McMullan) 2-5
Get ready for the ride of your life as the McMullans take us through a gritty day in the life of a garbage truck.  From A to Z, find garbage bits and steely bolts with all the sights, sounds, and...smells...of a New York City trash truck.
Rhyme:  Garbage

Felt Board:  Garbage Trucks

GARBAGE!

Pick up garbage, and throw it in the bin!
Push it down, and stomp it in!
Carry the cans to the street
for the garbage trucks to eat.
When the truck comes roaring by,
workers lift the cans up high.
Garbage falls into the back.
Crush it, mash it, smash it flat!
Set the cans down with a thump.
Now drive that garbage to the dump!

Closer:  Wave Goodbye (Rob Reid)

Other Books:

Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash (Odanaka)

Trashy Town (Zimmerman/Clemesha)

Purple, please!

Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Snowflakes/Snowball Fun

Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson) 3-5
Okay, if you have a name like Crockett, you're bound to be pretty creatiave, and this crayon character, Harold, certainly is.  Hang on the the edge of your purple seat and find out how Harold draws his way into and out of scrapes while adventuring form his own room--and trying to get back.
Song:  Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum
Song:  Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Purple: Seeing Purple All Around Us (Sarah L Scheuette) 2-4
Vivid close-up photography bathes the readers in a purple display of items--some obvious, some not-so-obvious--that bear the color.  Rhyming text and bite-sized factual blurbs carry this theme along nicely.  Enjoy the purpleness!
Wiggler:  My Thumbs are Starting to Wiggle

Felt Board:  10 in a Bunch

Closer:
Wave Goodbye Poem

Snack/Project:  Yogurt color-mix (red and blue to make purple, of course!) and graham crackers.  (The kids loved this!)

Monster Mash

Openers:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
I'm a Snowflake/Snowball fun

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli (Barbara Jean Hicks) 3-5
FIE FUM FO FEE...MONSTERS DON'T EAT BROCCOLI!  Chant along with rhyming text as these particularly fussy monsters tell us just what they will and won't eat...and what they discover is pretty darn good.  

Song:  Children's Choice
FP:  Five Little Hot Dogs





If You're a Monster and You Know It (Rebecca and Ed Emberly--who know a lot about monsters--) 2-5
Wildly colorful monsters sing their way through the familiar 'If You're Happy and You Know It' tune, but change it...up...a...bit.  Get ready to wiggle and have fun with this book for ACTIVE readers.  FUN!

Song:  If You're a Monster and You Know It









Five Ugly Monsters (Tedd Arnold) 3-5
What would YOU do if there were monsters jumping on your bed?  What if the doctor just wanted to get some sleep?  Well, you'd have to take matters into your own hands, of course!  Sing along to 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed' and see what this brave boy does about all the monster trouble.

Song:  Sticky, sticky bubblegum

Felt Board: Winter Shape Story

Lovely!

Opener:
Oh Hey,Oh Hi!

Never to Little to Love (Jeanne Willis) 2-5
Oh, Mouse has a terrific bit of trouble...and that is that he just cannot reach the one he loves.  He tries, and tries, but, alas, he fails.  Enjoy the sweet solution in this endearing story of unlikely love.
Song:  Love Grows
Song:  One Little, Two Little Three Little Valentines








Guess How Much I Love You (Sam McBratney) 2-5
Just how big is love anyway?  This oh-so-sweet bed time tale helps us know that love is boundless.
Song: If You Love Me and You Know It

Felt Board:  How Many Hearts Do You See?
Craft:  marbleized heart bookmarks

Valentine Treat Bags...Yum!

elephants

Openers:  Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Ceiling Stretch

Seven Blind Mice (Young) 3-5
As seven blind mice each explore an elephant in turn, we learn that the whole is greater than the parts--by quite a lot!  Imaginative and colorful, this book is a perspective stretcher for young minds.
Finger Play:  Quiet Little Mouse
Game:  Blindfold/touch and guess






Miss Mary Mack (Hoberman) 3-5
The classic children's rhyme takes flight with illustrations that rollick through a loony July day.  In the end, Miss Mary's enormous friend have great fun together.
Wiggler: Big Grey Elephant
Wiggler:  5 Elephants Went Out to Play










Maisy Makes Lemonade (Cousins) 2-4
Maisy makes lemonade for friends, but what happens when one of them has their own 'straw?'

FB:  Mouse Count
Closer:  Wave Goodbye

RED!

Openers:
Oh Hey Oh Hi!
PBJ Stretch

The Little Red Hen  (Jerry Pinkney) 3-5
Retold and beautifully illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, the classic moral lesson of the Little Red Hen shines through as she labors to make her own bread...no thanks to the other barn yard loafers. Personally, I think the illustrations are so good, this is a version worth keeping in my personal collection.
Memory Game:  Little Red Hen retell with masks


Red is Best (Kathy Stimpson) 2-5
Sometimes a color can capture a young child's heart.  This simple story helps us all remember when nothing would do but our most favorite of colors--in this case red.
Song: Bumpin' Up and Down in my Little Red Wagon






Who Said Red? (Mary Serfozo) 2-4
This book of vibrant pictures is just a fun way to explore the primary colors--what on earth could the boy be looking for that's RED?
Song: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum












Big Fat Hen (Keith Baker)  2-4
Count through ten with with some colorful, chuckling hens and their clutch of chicks!


FB:  Fruit/Color Game
Closer:  Wave Goodbye (Rob Reid)

Tracks in the Snow

 Opener:
Oh Hey, Oh Hi!
Ceiling Stretch

The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats) 2-4
With simple, colorful illustrations, this classic story captures the delight of discovering the joys of making tracks in the snow!  It marches out a child-like pace, just like those tracks, and is sure to capture your wee one's heart...and rekindle your own!
Wiggler:  Snowball Fight!
Wiggler:  Walking Walking

Footprints in the Snow (Michael Dahl) 3-5
Cleverly, author Michael Dahl makes use of biped tracks to teach the concept of counting by twos.  Delightful winter creatures help him out with this task, while hidden numbers on each page challenge young readers.  There is a lot to explore in this introduction to more complex counting.
Song:  Love Grows
Wiggler:  The Hokey Pokey

Whose Footprints? (Molly Coxe) 2-4
Explore a rural farm as mother and child head out to sled and discover many different kinds of footprints in the fresh snow. -A unique way to  look at life on a farm!
Wiggler: Old MacDonald

Project:
Trace footprints of children and color