Tuesday, December 27, 2016

6 Weeks of Animals - Reindeer

For our last week of animals, we flew to new heights with reindeer!

Interesting facts about reindeer:
- Reindeer are also known as caribou
- they can live up to 15 years in the wild
- they can weigh anywhere between 240-700 pounds
- they are the only deer in which males and females grow antlers
- a male reindeer is called a buck, a female reindeer is called a doe, and a baby reindeer is called a fawn
- they can run up to 50 miles per hour
- a reindeer's milk has more fat than a cow's milk

We read:

Little Reindeer: Finger Puppet Book


Peek-a-Boo Reindeer, by Charles Reasoner


Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, illustrated by David Wenzel


Santa's Reindeer Games, by Samantha Berger


Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: Oh Nose! by Dennis Shealy


There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell, by Lucille Colandro


Santa and the Littlest Reindeer 


Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, by Kisten L. Depken


Rusty to the Rescue, by Stella Gurney


Merry Christmas Samantha Reindeer, by Eugene Bradley Coco


We sang:

The Reindeer Song

One little two little three little reindeer,
Four little five little six little reindeer,
Seven little eight little nine little reindeer,
Ten little reindeer fly the sleigh!

Ten little nine little eight little reindeer,
Seven little six little five little reindeer,
Four little three little two little reindeer,
One little reindeer leads the way!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer



Then we made our reindeer craft:







For snack, we had some sweet grapes!

That's all for 2016! We'll see you in the new year!

Merry Christmas! Have a safe and happy new year!

6 Weeks of Animals - Dragons!

Our fifth story time was a blast of hot air! We learned all about dragons!

Fun "facts" about dragons:
- There are many different kinds of dragons
- Some dragons are said to blow fire, others to blow ice
- A dragon's tooth was believed to be good luck
- In Japanese and Chinese culture, dragons are a sign of good fortune. Dragons are an important symbol in Chinese New Year celebrations
- Komodo dragons consume 80 percent of their body weight in one sitting
- Komodo dragons are excellent swimmers

We read:

Who Wants a Dragon? by James Mayhew


Puff the Magic Dragon, by Peter Yarrow


There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight, by Penny Parker Klostermann


Hush Little Dragon, by Boni Ashburn


Waking Dragons, by Jane Yolen


How to Dress a Dragon, by Thelma Lynne Godin


Oh So Brave Dragon, by David Kirk


OH NO, Little Dragon!, by Jim Averbeck


Lovabye Dragon, by Barbara M. Joosse


Dragon Dancing, by Carole Lexa Schaefer


Then we made our craft:




For snack, we had some scrumptious apples. Next up: reindeer!

6 Weeks of Animals - Pigs!

We had a snortin' good time for our 4th week of story time with pigs!

Interesting facts about pigs:
- pigs are very intelligent
- there are around 2 billion pigs in the world
- pigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and meat
- pigs use their snouts for finding food in the ground (such as truffles), and sensing the world around them

We read:

Don't Lose Pigley, Wibbly Pig! by Mick Inkpen


Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems


Pig Pig Meets the Lion, by David McPhail


If You Give a Pig a Party, by Laura Numeroff


Pig Kahuna, by Jennifer Sattler


Pig Kahuna Pirates! by Jennifer Sattler


What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig, by Emma J. Virján


If you Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff


Chicken, Pig, Cow, by Ruth Ohi


Ten Pigs: an Epic Bath Adventure, by Derek Anderson


Oink-a-Doodle-Moo, by Jef Czekaj


We sang:

Pigs in the Mud (Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Roll, roll, roll around,
In the mud all day.
That is what the pigs all do,
What a way to play!

Roll, roll, roll around,
That is how they stay.
Oh, so very nice and cool,
On a sunny day!

Old MacDonald Had a Farm


Next, we made our craft!






For craft, we had some delectable grapes! Next up: dragons!

6 Weeks of Animals - Foxes!

Our third week of story time was quite foxy!

Fun facts about foxes:
- the red fox is the most common fox
- Arctic Foxes don't shiver until it's -70 degrees Celsius
- foxes have whiskers on their faces and legs to help them navigate
- A male is called a "dog fox", while a female is called a "vixen"
- they catch small rodents with a high pounce, once of the first things cubs learn as they begin to hunt
- they can climb trees and settle on low branches
- a group of foxes is called a "skulk" or a "leash" 

We read:

Red Fox Dances, by Alan Baron


Hello, Red Fox, by Eric Carle


The Rooster and the Fox, by Helen Ward


Fox, by Kate Banks


Fox Forgets, by Suzanne Bloom


Fox and Squirrel, by Ruth Ohi


Fox and Squirrel Make a Friend, by Ruth Ohi


Oh No! A Fox! by Janet Morgan Stoeke


Around the House the Fox Chased the Mouse: a Prepositional Tale, by Rick Walton


Fox Makes Friends, by Adam Relf


We watched:


Then we listened to some sounds foxes actually make:



Then we made our fox craft!






For snack, we had some yummy grapes! Next up: pigs!