SENSEational Story Time: Earth Day

On Saturday, we explored nature and recycling to celebrate Earth Day coming up. Here is the plan:

Welcome song: "The Story Time Ball"

Crossing-the-Midline exercise: "Windy Tree" 
Cross arms over the body's center in a "flowing" motion, back & forth, like branches blowing in the wind.

Flannel rhyme: "Five Pretty Flowers"

Out in the garden,
growing in the sun,
were five pretty flowers,
and I picked one!
(Count down until none are left.)

Story: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
We used our new board book set of this title so everyone could interact with their caregiver, touching the tree to see what happens, as we read the story together.

Stretch band rhyme: "Earth Day Song"
(Tune: "Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we pick up trash,
pick up trash, pick up trash.
This is the way we pick up trash
to help our Mother Earth.
(source: Preschool Education)

Story: I Stink! by Kate and Jim McMullan
We love making all of the fun garbage truck sounds in this story!

Story-related sensory activity: "Feed Stinky the Garbage Truck"

I photocopied/laminated illustrations of Stinky's ingredients for "Alphabet Soup," and hid them in a discovery bin filled with "up-cycled garbage" (old bulletin board paper scrunched up, cardboard tubes and containers, old eReader cords, water bottles, plastic lids, and burlap). The kids searched for the ingredients and then fed them to Stinky. I took our wood touch/feel box and attached my construction paper garbage truck face to the front. (Okay, he kind of looks like an alien garbage truck, but they loved it!)

Tactile beam activity: "Tactile beam song"

(Move slowly and adapt for those with mobile disabilities -- can do movements while seated or with the aid of their caregiver on the beam.)

We can move

Forward and backward,

Forward and backward.

Side to side,

Side to side.

Forward and backward,

Forward and backward.

Goodbye song and stretch: "Tickle the Clouds"

Tickle the clouds.

Tickle your toes.

Turn around and tickle your nose.

Reach down low.

Reach up high.

Story time's over--

Wave goodbye!

Play time & activity: Planting "flowers"

Gardening is a wonderful way to practice fine motor skills! We added potting soil to our pots and planted some grass seeds. Then we took a green pipe cleaner, folded it in half, and inserted two foam flower shapes with hole-punched centers at the ends for our blossoms. They "planted" these flowers in their pots and added a little water.  Soon they will see a little patch of grass growing around their "flowers!"