Snow Storytime
Scott Bahlmann
Opening: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi
Book: The Greatest Snowman in the World – Peter Hannan
(The kids loved seeing the snowman these friends built, though the ice cream snowman at the end took a little explaining, but the kids liked that idea too!)
Activity: Snowflakes Fell all Around
(variation of 'Green Grass Grew All Around')
(This was fun, I asked the kids what the snowman needed next and then I'd introduce what we'd use for it. We also added snowflake 'toes', which I hadn't thought a snowman needed! Silly me.)
There was a man, the snowiest man that you ever did see! And the snowflakes fell all around, all around, and the snowflakes fell all around.
And for his buttons he had some stones, the shinest stones that you ever did see! ...
‘...carrot for a nose, and buttons for it’s eyes, and berries for it's mouth, and stones for it’s buttons, and branches for it’s arms, and a top hat for it’s head, and a scarf for it’s neck, and snowflakes fell all around all around...’
Book: The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats
(A lovely classic, the kids were quite engaged, and knew just what was going to happen to the snowball Peter decided to keep for later!)
Activity: Boot Prints
(I guess the crowd was a bit young, most of them ended stomping around the room with normal feet positions, except for when we made train tracks. They still had fun thought!)
How can we walk to make these prints in the snow? We did toes turned out, toes turned in, hopping, train tracks, and tightrope.
Book: Bedtime for Bear – Brett Helquist
(This was quite engaging. Cute pictures, nice characters, and a fun little adventure.).
Activity: Funny Little Snowman
(The snowman went back on the flannel board after our boot prints, and the rabbit came out to sneak bits of him away! He also ate the berry mouth, the branch arms, the scarf, and tried the button eyes, but decided that buttons are Not for eating!!)
A funny little snowman had a carrot nose.
Along came a rabbit, and what do you suppose?
That hungry little rabbit looking for his lunch,
Ate that snowman's nose with a crunch, crunch, crunch!
Book: Snowmen at Night – Caralyn Buehner
(Perhaps a bit long for the last book, but it still worked well enough.)
Activity: Parachute with Cotton Balls
(Out came the parachute, which the kids always love! The cotton ball snow didn't stay on it very well, but no one really minded.)