SENSEational Story Time: "Winter is Here!"

 

As I write this, I am staring at the snow out my window and wondering how much snow we are getting from the next snow storm on its way tomorrow... It may not have been snowing on the Saturday of this story time a couple weeks ago, but we still had some snowy fun inside!

Here's the plan:

1. Hello!

2. Welcome song: "The Story Time Ball"
tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each child)
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
Let's see who it found. Hi ______!
Now roll it back to me.
(Keep rolling back and forth until each child has said their name.)




3. Yoga poses: "Winter" yoga flow
(source: Kids Yoga Stories)
We got ready for some winter fun outside with the "snowboarder" and "downhill skier" poses.


4. Flannel rhyme: "Where's the Snowball?"

Snowball, snowball, cold and round!
Behind which mitten can you be found?
Put colored mittens on the board (hiding snowball behind one) and tell kids one of the mittens is holding a snowball. Repeat by having kids close their eyes while you move it or turn around flannel board and move it.
(source:AnnesLibraryLife)



5. Story with sensory experiences: No Two Alike by Keith Baker
We talked about how some things may look the same, but when you look closer, they are different (i.e. snowflakes). A great lesson in perception and spatial awareness! As I read the story, I showed the kids two large paper snowflakes, like the snow flakes falling in the story (thank you to our intern Lauren for making these because I still cannot make paper snowflakes after all these years!). We talked about their differences and how they may look similar if smaller and with many other snowflakes collecting on the ground and tree branches. I also brought in two different leaves, as seen dangling on the branches in the story. Both of the leaves were brown. We looked at each one, holding and touching the leaves. We all agreed one had a softer, smooth texture than the other. I also showed the kids two of our cardinal puppets, like the red birds in the story, but different sizes.

6. Sensory song: "Snowball Song"

We used these neat fabric snowballs to roll,"crunch," and toss as we sang.

tune: "Frère Jacques"

(holding fabric snowball)

Make a snowball, make a snowball

Feel it crunch, feel it crunch

Cold and round and crunchy...

Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy

Toss it up.

Toss it up.

7. Story with sensory experiences: Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes

We listened and discovered how quiet snow is while falling and settling on things like trees, houses... or our hands! I pre-made up a batch of my favorite Insta-Snow and dropped a few "snowflakes" into everyone's hands. I also brought in a bowl of melting ice and used a dropper to "drip" cool water in each child's hands so they could feel the ice dripping "from the roofs." 

I found some leaves on the ground outside and froze them in a bowl full of water the day before so we could see and feel the ice-covered "pond" found by the dog in the story.

8. Parachute activity: "Winter Song"

(Raise, shake, and lower parachute "tree." You can also add cotton ball "snowflakes" to the parachute to fall out of the tree)

Way up high in the snowy tree,

lots of little snowflakes smiled at me.

I shook that tree as hard as I could,

and down came the snowflakes...

were they cold! Brrrrr!

9. 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!

10. Play time and activity:

We played with "snow" at the table and made snowflakes on the light panels with Magna-Tiles.

SENSEational Story Time: "Up, Down & All Around"

 


Often times the book chooses the theme for my story times. I was so excited to use Buster and the Baby in story time with its active repetitive sounds and fun exploration of spatial concepts. This led to a very interactive "Up, Down, & All Around" experience. Here's the plan:

1. Hello!


2. Welcome  Song: "The Story Time Ball"
tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each child)
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
Let's see who it found. Hi ______!
Now roll it back to me.
(Keep rolling back and forth until each child has said their name.)


3. Crossing-the-Midline (CTM) exercise: "Picking apples"
Reach up and over to one side to pick your apple from the imaginary tree branch.
Place that "apple" down and over into your imaginary basket.
(repeat on the other side)

Crossing our arms or legs over the center line of our body is an important skill that contributes to our body's bilateral coordination. Children who have difficulty with this skill may have difficulty completing tasks such as dressing, walking, catching/throwing, and other tasks that require coordinating both sides of the body.


4. Flannel rhyme: "Hickory Dickory Dock"

Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory hickory dock.


5. Story (with flannels): Buster and the Baby by Amy Hest
Our wonderful clerical assistant, Jennifer, created flannels for this story. I had kids take turns coming up to the flannel board to place Buster under the table, behind the chair and bear, and under the covers while reading this fun story.

6. Bean bag rhyme: "Bean Bag Song"

I loved using our new (and fun textured) bean bags we just got in!

Put your bean bag in your hair, in your hair.

Put your bean bag in your hair, in your hair.

Put your bean bag in your hair,

and leave it right there.

Put your bean bag in your hair, in your hair.

Put your bean bag on your toes, on your toes...

Raise it high and raise it low...

Put your bean bag in your hand, in your hand...

Toss it up and watch it land...

(source unknown)

7. Sensory story: Where is Jumper? by Ellen Stoll Walsh
I used our mouse flannels from Mouse Count and our flannel log from the "5 Green & Speckled Frogs" set to place on our flannel board while reading. I also placed our mole puppet inside our touch/feel box for kids to touch (and then lift the flap to see him "underground"). A larger puppet version of "Jumper" and smaller flannel mice were placed in a sensory bin filled with textured paper leaves, straw, corn, and sticks for the kids to find at the end.

 

8. Parachute activity: "Noble Duke of York"
Oh the noble Duke of York,
He had 10 thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
then marched them down again.
And when you're up, you're up.
And when you're down, you're down.
But when you're only halfway up,
you're neither up nor down!

Raise and lower parachute as directed.


9. 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!

10. Play time: We put together a tactile path to walk on and played with balls and toy cars up and down the cushion "hills" and through our tunnel.