Wiggle Worms April 3, 2012

To celebrate spring, we did some chick activities in toddler storytime.

Animal Puppet Song:  Raffi's version of Grandpa's Farm.  We practiced our farm animals signs with this song.

Letter of the Day:  Ee for egg

Book:  Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting. All the animals on the farm hurry to meet the newest baby; a chick who hatches from an egg.  Instead of "hatching" a chick puppet from a prop egg like I usually do, I tried something new.

All the parents were handed an egg to hold with their child while we read the story.  They were instructed not to OPEN the egg (I spelled "OPEN" so the kids wouldn't fixate on the word) and to hold the egg and keep it warm while we read the story.  I also forewarned the kids they would have to give the eggs back (which they're good at because we use shakers, scarves, bells, balls, sock puppets, etc. each week that they hand back).  I also showed them a bucket of colorful eggs filled with surprises so they knew they would leave with an egg when storytime was over.

Once we got to the part where the chick hatches, they all opened their eggs to find chicks inside!

Two or three kids had a hard time returning their chicks on Monday, so for Tuesday's group I gave them a little more time to bond with their chicks and pet them.  Then we played Bibbity Boppity Boo (A chick sat on my shoe) and moved the chicks around our bodies.  They were much more willing to part with their chicks since they got to hang out for a few minutes.

Music:  We danced to my favorite version of "Shake Your Sillies Out" again.  We also get to kick our kickers out, jump our jumpers out, hug our huggers out, etc.

Flannel:  10 Fluffy Chicks
http://sunflowerstorytime.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/10-fluffy-chicks2.pdf

5 eggs and 5 eggs (hold up five fingers and five fingers)
That makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen (sign for hen like we do in "Grandpa's Farm"
Crack Crack Crack (clap, clap, clap for cracking eggs)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be

(The chicks are on the other sides of the eggs, so we flip the eggs around when they hatch)

 

Finger Play:  "Mama Duck" with puppet props

Here comes the Mama Duck - Quack
Here comes the Mama Duck - Quack
Here comes the Mama Duck with one little duckling - Quack

Here comes the Mama Duck - Quack, Quack
Here comes the Mama Duck - Quack, Quack
Here comes the Mama Duck with two little ducklings - Quack, Quack

etc...

Movement: "Chicken Dance"