Old MacDonald had a farm...

E-I-E-I-O!

Today we are talking about farm animals!

We started off with our bigger book Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. This is wonderful story about the animals on the farm when the children are away.

Next up was our flannel board story, Old MacDonald Had a Farm. I've seen alot of incarnations of the cardboard barn to hide the animals in before you bust them out but this is my version!
We ended our storytime with the short, Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming. This involves lots of animal noises and a missing duck!


Create A Farm Story Time Craft


Our craft today is Create a Farm. I printed out clipart barns, cows, ducks, pigs, etc and cut them out. I glued a half a sheet of blue paper to green cardstock to give the effect of the sky and a hilly farm scene. The kids can glue them on. This allows the parents the chance to discusss each animal, what sound they make, and why they put them where they did.

My favorite part of the whole story time was when the mom asked the little girl "What do pigs give us?" and she replied, "BACON!" I gigglesnorted for a good while on that one!

Going Buggy!

Well my second story time ( and my last until September) centered around BUGS!

Our first book for this session was Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming. The reception was luke warm on this one and I was disappointed since i'd heard such good things.

For my story board, I did the rhyme Colorful Butterflies.  I put some magnet tape on the back after finding a butterfly clipart I liked afterI colored and  laminated them. I was sitting on the floor close to the chalkboard which made it easy for me to flick my wrist and have butterflies look like they were flying out of my hand onto the board! Sounds nerdy but I enjoyed it and so did the kids. 

Colorful Butterflies

The first to come to the garden bed

Is a lovely butterfly of brilliant RED

Then in comes another and that makes two

Fly right in my friend of BLUE

“The garden is fine, the best I’ve seen”

Says the butterfly of softest GREEN

Our garden needs a sunny fellow

Fly in butterfly with wings of YELLOW

Little friend of PURPLE, fly in too

The garden is waiting for a color like you

ORANGE, orange you’ve waited so long

Fly right in where you belong

Butterflies, butterflies, you’re such a sight

Flying together – what a delight!

Next we read I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd. The kids (mostly thew little girls) screamed when we saw the spider page so we scared him away by turning the page.  

The last book was Jump! By Scott Fischer. It was an absolute HIT! The giggled and rolled and got into by helping shout out "jumped" at the appropriate parts. 

For our craft we did Ants on a Hill. I had the kids draw the legs and antennas as well as a treat to carry into the queen. Some things the kids drew include a chocolate cookie, a strawberry and of course a slice of watermelon.

I loved this activity because when some of the kids weren't focusing and getting kind of fussy, I got down on the ground and colored along side them!