Let's Go to the Grocery Store! July 23rd Snickerdoodles Toddler and July 24th and 25th Cutie Pies Preschool Storyimes Grocery Bag Craft

Let's rush to the store and buy an armful of groceries! The following is the craft for the July 23rd Snickerdoodles Toddler Storytime and July 24th and 25th Cutie Pies Preschool Storytimes.

Please see my July 16th post on the July 23rd Snickerdoodles Toddler Storytime and July 24th and 25th Cutie Pies Preschool Storytimes for complete details on all the exciting activities we will be conducting during these grocery-themed storytimes!

We took a "trip" to the Little Sprouts' Grocery Store for the freshest foods around! (Label created through clipart from Microsoft Publisher)

Open up the flap on the other side to see the groceries we bought!

What a grocery bonanza!

Miss Jennifer's Bakery Storytime Template

 Introduction
Showed children a picture of a baker with his tasty treats including bread, cakes, cookies and more! I explained to the children that people who make us these sweet treats are called bakers and that where these items are made is called a bakery.

Action Rhyme

Cookie Jar and 10 Cookies

Recite the rhyme as you have the children give you a quarter for their cookies. I created a "quarter jar" for their money which they placed in the slot I slit into a plastic container lid.

Down around the corner at the bakery shop...there were 10 little cookies with frosting on top (I changed the rhyme to "waiting to be bought" since I had created gingerbread cookie paper cut-outs instead of "frosted" cookies). Along came ____________ (insert child's name) with a quarter to pay. He (she) bought himself (or herself) a cookie and he/she took it away.

Source: http://storytimefun.wordpress.com/ (See under Storyime: Cookies)

Books Read
Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake by Thomas Taylor

Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington

Flannelboard
I used the poem The Runaway Cookies for this flannelboard. This poem can be found at http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/The_Runaway_Cookies

Craft

Cupcake Craft

We're Famous: The English that Shaped America and the World

England is a country who has given much to the world in science, literature, exploration, and even some swashbuckling infamy in the form of the ferocious Blackbeard the Pirate. The following display chronicles the many splendid peoples who have added dimension and depth throughout English history.

Astronomy
Edmond Halley: The Man and His Comet by Barbara Hooper Heckart

Authors/Playwrights
Biography: Jane Austen by Amy Ruth (J Austen Rut)
Beatrix Potter: The Story of the Creator of Peter Rabbit by Elizabeth Buchan (J 921 Potter)
Beard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema (J 921 Sha)

Explorers/Pirates
Great Explorations: Henry Hudson: In Search of the Northwest Passage by Steven Otfinoski (J 921 Hudson Oft)
Blackbeard: The Pirate King told in verse by J. Patrick Lewis (J 921 Teac Lew)

Founders
William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania by Barbara A. Somervill (J 921 Penn Som)

Medicine (Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England, but became the first woman to become a doctor in the U.S.)
Elizabeth Blackwell: First Woman Physician by Tristan Boyer Binns (J 921 Blackwell Bin)

Royalty
People in the News: Prince William by Terri Dougherty (J 921 William Dou)
Princess Diana: A Photographic Story of a Life by Joanne Mattern (J 921 Diana Mat)
Queen Victoria and the British Empire by Nancy Whitelaw (J 921 Victoria Whi)


The countdown to the 2012 London Olympics continues!

Time to Pick Up the Groceries: Snickerdoodles July 23rd and Cutie Pies July 24th and 25th Storytime Topic: The Grocery Store

We'll grab our grocery lists and head on down to the supermarket during our Snickerdoodles Toddlers and Cutie Pies Preschool Storytimes next week (July 23, 24, and 25)! Little ones will pick up all the items they need in our Let's Go Shopping Grocery List Game, read an assortment of food shopping tales, sort shopping carts by size in our What a Cartload of Groceries Shopping Cart Sizing Flannelboard, and make a bagful of groceries craft.

*I will be putting the photo of the grocery bag craft up tomorrow.*

Going for the Gold: Kid-Friendly Olympic Websites, Crafts, and Information

Get your children ready for the upcoming London Olympics by visiting the following sites which offer simple crafts, information, and activities that are perfect for busy teachers and parents alike. 

Information for Kids about the Olympics 

http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/2012-london-olympics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/the_olympic_games/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/olympics/

Olympics Coloring Pages

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/olympics_colouring_pages.htm

http://www.hellokids.com/r_483/coloring-page/sport-coloring-pages/olympic-games-coloring-pages

Preschool Olympic Lesson Plans and Activities

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/firststeps/olympics.htm 

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/olympics/index.htm

http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?3094-Summer-Olympics-preschool-lesson-plans

http://www.kidsparkz.com/olympicgames.html

Olympic Crafts and More!

http://holidays.kaboose.com/Olympics.html/

http://www.craftjr.com/olympics-crafts/

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/medal-worthy-summer-olympics-crafts-38-printables-200000769.html

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/olympic_crafts_for_kids.htm

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/olympicscraftsideasactivitieskids.html

http://www.kidactivities.net/post/Olympics-Theme-for-Kids.aspx

Children's Books About the Olympic Games 

http://www.amazon.com/Olympics-Sports-Activities-Childrens-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=3419

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/booklist/kids-books-on-the-olympics/

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/book-club/childrens-corner-good-books-to-help-kids-set-stage-for-summer-olympics-404849/

In a Land Far, Far Away: Fables and Folklore of England

English fairy tales and folklore offer a splash of whimsy, a dash of  magic, and an impressive array of characters ranging from dashing knights, fearsome giants to beautiful princesses. These stories have woven themselves into the American culture as English immigrants came to America in search of work, fame, fortune, or a new life. These energetic men's and women's oral traditions continue to fascinate, amaze and fulfill our need for fantasy and escape into a land of make-believe.

As we count our way down to the beginning of the London Olympic Games let us peruse some of the many volumes of exceptional folklore, fables, and yarns England has to offer.

Jack and the Beanstalk Retold by Ann Keay Beneduce (J 398.2 England Ben)
English Folktale: Edited by Dan Keding and Amy Douglas (J 398.2 England English)
The Old Woman and Her Pig: An Old English Tale by Rosanne Litzinger (J 398.2 England Lit)
Robin of Sherwood by Micheal Morpurgo (J 398.2 England Mor)
Lancelot by Hudson Talbott (J 398.2 England Tal)
The Little People's Pageant of Cornish Legends by Eric Quayle (J 398.2 England Qua)
The Maiden on the Moor by Marilyn Singer (J 398.2 England Sin)
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Marcia Williams (J 398.2 England Wil)

July 16th Snickerdoodles and July 17th and 18th Cutie Pies Preschool Storyime Topic: Bakery

We'll be a bunch of smart cookies during our July 16th Snickerdoodles and July 17th and 18th Cutie Pies Storytimes because our theme is all about the yummy and sweet treats that can be bought at a bakery!

During this storytime we'll learn why some very crumbly cookies run away from the cookie jar in our The Runaway Cookie Flannelboard, buy some cookies at the bakery shop when we play the game Cookie Jar and 10 Cookies, read bakery-themed tales, and make a perfectly frosted cupcake. Sweet!

Getting Ready for the London 2012 Olympics Window Display

We're getting ready for the Olympics which will be in merry ole England this year with a very British window display. I used clipart from Microsoft Publisher for my "postcard" images, coloring pages from http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/london_bus_colouring_page.htm,
http://www.coloring.ws/england.htm (bobby and English map), and various other sources. The book covers featuring Olympic sporting events were reduced to 53 percent their size and the gold, silver, and bronze medals were created using shimmery card stock. I attached a white and yellow striped ribbon to each medal to complete the award-winning look. May the countdown continue!

Olympic Flag 

This is the flag of England (the red cross in the middle is called St. George's Cross). The red, white and blue Union Jack (found in my previous book display) is the flag of Great Britian (England, Scotland, and Wales). 

Double Decker Bus 

July 10th and 11th Cutie Pies Preschool Storytime Topic: Lunch

Who doesn't like to munch on lunch? With so many choices to choose from including sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza, the possibilities are endless! That's why the storytime theme for the July 10th and 11th Cutie Pies Preschool Storytimes is everything lunch.

We'll gather items for our picnic lunch in our We're Going on a Picnic Picnic Basket Game, find out from some very hungry ants the difference between sweet and salty foods in our Ant you hungry? Sweet and Salty Foods Challenge, read tales good enough to eat, and make a quick, munch-worthy lunch box craft.

Let's Eat!

Countdown to the London Olympic Games!

Our friends across the pond are holding quite an illustrious celebration this year: The Olympics! In order to commemorate this age-old special event, I created a London/England display which shows the world the marvel that is England! Pip pip cheerio!