FUNNY BUNNY FINGER TALES

Here Is a Bunny

Here is abunny         (Hold up index and middle fingers.)

With ears sofunny.   (Wiggle fingers.)

And here is his

Hole in theground.     (Make hole with fist of the other hand.)

At the slightestnoise he hears,

He pricks up hisears,  (Wiggle fingers.)

Then hops to his

Hole in theground!      (Pretend to hop bunny ears into the hole.)

Where Is MyBunny?

Where is mybunny?   (Put hands behind your back.)

No one can see.         (Shake head.)

I think that mybunny

Is hiding fromme.      (Lookover shoulder.)

Here is my bunny.       (Hold up 1 thumb.)

He’s found afriend.    (Hold up otherthumb.)

Look at all theothers.  (Slowly stick up fingers.)

Now there are ten!      (Wigglefingers.)

BunnyBasket - Foldthe sack in half lengthwise as shown.  Draw ears on the sack.  Cut onthe lines and then cut off the sides.  Open the sack.  Staple the toppoints to make ears.  Put a face and cotton tail on your bunny basket.

HandBunny - Tracearound each child’s hand and cut out. Cut off the middle finger. Fold down thepinky and thumb. Glue on a sheet of paper and add a mouth, whiskers, eyes, andnose.

IT'S BUNNY TIME!

Flip, Flop, Hop

(Tune:  “Wheels on the Bus”)

The ears on thebunny go flip, flop, flop  (Puthead over head

Flip, flop, flop,                                            andwiggle.)

Flip, flop, flop.

The ears on thebunny go flip, flop, flop,

Flip, flop, flop.

The nose on thebunny goes twitch, twitch, twitch…(Wiggle nose.)

The eyes on thebunny go blink, blink, blink…       (Blink eyes.)

The tail on thebunny goes wiggle, wobble, wobble… (Wiggle bottom.)

The feet on the bunnygo hop, hop, hop…   (Hop upand down.)

BunnyEars - Makeheadbands to wear as you sing the song. First cut a strip of paper to fitaround each child’s head. (Sentence strips work well for this.) Next, letchildren trace, color, and cut rabbit ears similar to the ones shown. Staple tothe headbands and hop, hop, hop!

DrawingRabbits -Teach children how to draw a bunny from two circles. Add detail to the bunny asyou sing the song. Hint! You can also make rabbits out of play dough.

POPCORN TREE

Popcorn Tree

(Tune:  “Turkey in the Straw”)

I looked out my window   (Hand over eyes.)

And what did I see?      

Popcorn popping on my cherry tree.  (Hands on hips.)

What a surprise spring left for me.

Popcorn popping in my cherry tree.

Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.  (Wiggle hips to the beat.)

Pop! Pop!   (Jump up twice.)

Sing faster…faster…super fast!

PopcornTree - Tracearound the child’s hand and arm on a sheet of paper to resemble a tree trunk.Color or paint the tree. Glue popcorn or cotton balls on the branches to looklike blossoms.

Hint! If you shake popcorn in asack with a little dry tempera it will look like pink blossoms.

FlowerBookmark -Grow into a book with this idea! Each child will need to collect small flowers,petals, and leaves outside. (Remind them to only take things off the ground andnever pull live flowers from a plant!) Give each child 2 pieces of selflaminating paper cut in 8” x 2” strips. Children take the back off one sheetand place it sticky side up on the table. After they arrange their naturalobjects, they place the second sheet on top and seal. 

Hint! You can also use widepackaging tape to make these book marks.

WRITING STANDARDS

“Use acombination of drawing, dictating, and writing to composeinformative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing aboutand supply some information about the topic.”

What better way tonurture the above goal than with this nature book!  Children will have fun making it, drawing in it, labelingpictures, writing in it, reading it, and then taking it home to share withtheir families.

First, you willhave to go on a stick hunt.  Eachchild will need a stick approximately 7” long.  (If you ask them to find a stick that’s as long as theirelbow to their wrist that should work.) Next, fold three sheets of paper in half.  Punch 2” from each end as shown.  Push one end of a rubber band through the top hole andinsert one end of the stick through the loop.  Insert the other end of the rubber band through the bottomhole and slide it in the stick. 

*You can use thebook to follow up a nature walk, to record plant growth, as a journal forscience experiments, for nature vocabulary words, for taking notes as anon-fiction book is read, or for creative writing.

READ A BAG

Save your fast food andshopping bags and turn them into a learning center.  *Younger children can take magnetic letters and match themup to letters on the bag. 

*Children can use magneticletters to write words on the bag.

*Children can write wordsthey find on the bag and use them in a story.

*How many words can thechildren make using the logo on the bag?

*Hole punch bags and putthem together with a book ring to make a book.

LET IT BE! LET IT BE!

There’s somethingon my mind that’s been troubling me. Sometimes we take a book and chew it up, hack it, and TEACH it todeath.  Children can’t enjoy thestory for all of the questions about beginning, middle, and end.  Not to mention how that book is likeone we read last week….And all the direct vocabulary instruction…Oh, andpunctuation…Don’t forget the main idea, yada yada!

Wouldn’t you hateto answer questions about every book you read or every movie you watched?

Don’t take mewrong.  I agree that literature isone of the most effective and powerful ways to develop reading skills.  However, I think we need to balance itwith pleasure.  Squeeze in at leastone story a day that you and your students can ENJOY together.  Read it, savor it, feel it, and then letit be!

THE ALPHABET IN MY HAND

This song is similar to the one I sharedyesterday, but it introduces sign language.

THE ALPHABET IN MY HAND

(Tune:  “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my hand,

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my hand.

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my hand

and I can sign!

I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ in my hand  (Sign the letter A.)

I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ in my hand…Z

I’vegot all the letters in my hand and I’m ready to sign.

Makea book to go along with the song by taking a digital picture of your

studentssigning the letters.  Put themtogether in alphabetical order to

makea class book.  

THE ALPHABET IN MY MOUTH

THE ALPHABET IN MY MOUTH

(Tune:  “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth,

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.

I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth

and I can read!

I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ in my mouth

I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ in my mouth

I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ in my mouth

AndI can read!

I’vegot D….

I’vegot all the sounds in my mouth and I’m ready to read!

The children will LOVE making this book togo with the song.  First, take aclose up digital photo of each child with their mouth wide open.  Enlarge the picture and glue it to asheet of paper.  Next, cut lettersout of construction paper and glue to the tongue on their picture.  Write words for each page to go withthe picture, such as “I’ve got D /d//d/ in my mouth.”

Hint! If you don’t have 26 students, then use the principal, secretary,custodian, etc. to complete the letters in the alphabet. 

CA RAINBOWS

“In life it’s not about waiting for the clouds topass over –

it’s about dancing in the rain.”

Sure, there are economic troubles in California,but the teachers there proved that they are going to keep on dancing, andsinging, and making this a better world for children!

Last week I was invited to present at the RainbowsConference in Ontario, CA. WOW!  It was like going to arock concert with Greg and Steve. I’ve been following that dynamic duo for 30 years, and they are just asenthusiastic, entertaining, and fun loving as ever!!! 

I met so many wonderful teachers including MigueleMontagnetti.  He wanted a pictureof us with “an attitude.”  He alsotaught me a new dance version to go with “Bubble Gum.”  First, you draw an imaginary line onthe floor:

Bubble (Jump forwards over the imaginary line.)

Gum (Jump backwards over the line.)

Chewy chewy chewy (Boogey down.)

Chewy bubble gum.  (Boogey up.)

Bubble (Jump over the imaginary line.)

Gum (Jump back over the line.)

Chewy chewy chewy (Boogey down.)

Chewy bubble gum.  (Boogey up.)

I love it! (Throw arms up in the air.)

I love it! (Throw arms up in the air.)…

Angler Snipes shared a song to the tune of “TwinkleLittle Star” to sing when you’re potty training:

Tinkle, tinkle in the potty.

Let’s go in the potty now.

No pull ups or diapers any more.

When you go potty, pull your undies to the floor.

Tinkle, tinkle in the potty.

I’m not a baby any more!

On Monday I shared with some more fantasticteachers on Oxnard.

Jennifer Klein gave us a great idea for helpingchildren speak in a complete sentence. She wrote a capital “I” on an index card and taped it to a cylinderblock to make an “I Phone.”  Thechildren pass this around and say sentences beginning with “I…”  Only the person with the “I” phone cantalk.

Veronica Binkley told me about a game she playscalled “Clean the Table.”  You canadapt this game for any skill you want to repeat.  Take paper plates and write letters, numerals, words, etc.on them. Spread these out on a table. One child at a time tries to “clean the table” by picking up plates andidentifying the information.  Givethem 30 seconds and record their score. Keep practicing and watch their scores improve.

And, here’s one more idea from Kathy Wadley.  It’s called “I Spy.”  Kathy has the children close their eyesas she hides flash cards around the room. (Letters, math facts, words, etc.) The children hunt for the flash cards and bring them to her one at atime.  They must identify theinformation on their cards before they continue on their hunt.  Talk about easy and fun!!!!

On the road again to Troy, New York, today!  Who knows what treasures I’ll findthere!  That’s what keeps my job soexciting.  I keep learning newthings from YOU!   Thanks!

SPRING SCAVENGER HUNT

Make up ascavenger hunt similar to the one below. Divide children into small groups and let them hunt for the objects onthe playground.  Give them paperand pencils to record their findings. 

Hint!  For younger children do this as a largegroup activity.

         SpringScavenger Hunt

         Canyou find a sign of spring?        

         Canyou find something older than you?

         Canyou find something younger than you?

         Canyou find something rough?

         Canyou find something that feels soft?

         Canyou find something living?

         Canyou find something dead?        

         Canyou find something smaller than your fingernail?

          Canyou find something bigger than you?

         Canyou find something green?

         Canyou find something yellow?

         Canyou find something that smells good?

         Canyou find some trash?  Pick it upand throw it away!

CATERPILLAR ADVENTURES

Caterpillar’s Story

A caterpillar crawled to the top of a tree.  (Hold up right arm and wiggle left index finger up like a caterpillar.)

I think I’ll take a nap said he.  (Wiggle left index finger.)

Under a leaf he began to creep,  (Wiggle left index finger under right palm.) 

He spun a chrysalis and went to sleep.  (Make fist with right hand around left index finger.)

Spring came along, shook him and said,

“Wake up, wake up, you sleepy head.”  (Shake right fist.)

Out of the leaf he spread his wings to fly,  (Hook right and left thumbs together.  Spread out fingers like wings.)

“Look at me!  Look at me!  I’m a butterfly!”  (Fly fingers around.)

Make a butterfly by tearing up little pieces of colored tissue paper and putting them in a zip lunch bag.  Gather up in the middle and twist on a pipe cleaner to make the body and antennae.  Attach a string for flying.

Cut butterfly shapes out of newsprint.  Fold in half.  Children drop paint with a spoon or eye dropper on one half.  Fold and rub.  Open to view a beautiful butterfly.

Make a butterfly snack from celery, cream cheese, and pretzel twists.  Children spread cream cheese in the celery and then insert pretzels for the wings.  You can make a caterpillar snack by inserting berries and grapes on a toothpick.

Tell the lifecycle of the butterfly with a stick, a bean, and pasta.  First, take children on a nature walk and ask them to find a stick that is as long as their arm from their wrist to their elbow.  Glue the bean to the left of the stick for the egg.  Next comes a spiral pasta for the caterpillar.  Then a shell pasta for the chrysalis.  Finally, a bow shaped pasta for the butterfly.

Make a flip book for the children to illustrate the life cycle of the butterfly.

THE BUTTERFLY

The Butterfly

(Tune:  “Up on the Housetop”)

First comes thebutterfly who lays an egg.  (Claspthumbs and wiggle fingers.)

Out comes acaterpillar with many legs.      (Wiggle index finger.)

Oh, see thecaterpillar spin and spin,             (Roll hands.)

A little chrysalisto sleep in.    (Insert right index finger in left fist.)

Oh, oh, oh, lookand see.      (Hands over eyes.)

Oh, oh, oh, lookand see.

Out of thechrysalis, my, oh, my,

Out comes abeautiful butterfly.  (Clasp thumbsand make butterfly.)

Activities: Letchildren dramatize this song.  Curlup like an egg, wiggle like a caterpillar, twirl around to be a chrysalis andflap arms and fly like a butterfly.

Make a butterflypuppet from an old sock.  Glue pompoms to the toe of the sock for the eyes and mouth. 

Turn the sockinside out and glue a butterfly made out of felt. 

Begin the songwith your hand in the sock.  Whenthe caterpillar spins a chrysalis pull the top of the sock down over thetoe.  Turn the sock inside out toreveal the butterfly at the end.

ONE TO ONE BOOK

This is a simpleidea that can be used in many ways to reinforce one to one correspondence,sets, and addition. 

Materials:    heavypaper, black construction paper cut in ¾” squares, glue,

book rings, manipulatives (bears, beans,buttons, pennies, etc.)

Directions:   Gluea specific number of squares on each page as shown. 

Write the numeral at the top and the wordat the bottom.

Children take manipulatives and match themup one-to-one

with the squares on each page.

Hint!           Adaptthis book for older students by having them discover

                  howmany different ways they can make the set.  For example:

                  Sixcould be 3+3, 2 +4, 5 + 1, etc.

Varythis activity by using seasonal objects, such as pumpkinseeds,  holiday erasers, and other smalltoys.

FRIENDS OF NUMBERS

If you’ve ever been to my workshops, thenyou have seen me demonstrate the highway letters that you can download freefrom makinglearningfun.com.  Didyou know that you could also download numerals?  You could put these in clear sheet protectors and letchildren roll play dough and put it on the numeral.  They could also drive cars over the numerals or use dryerase markers to trace (and then erase) the numerals. 

If you punch holes at the top and tie onstring you can let the children wear the number vests to demonstrate countingrhymes, numerical order, inequalities, number sentences, tens and ones, etc.

A good way to help children rememberdifferent facts that equal a certain number would be to call them “friends of number.”  For example, friends of five would be 5+ 0, 4 + 1,

3 + 2, etc.  Children could wear the number vests and then hunt aroundthe room for the number that would make them a friend of a number the teachercalled out.

*Hint!  Ask a parent volunteer to copy the highway letters, numbers,and shapes and you’ll save yourself an ink cartridge.

TOP O' THE MORNING!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I hope you're wearing green so you don't get pinched today!  Make sure you have green stickers, shamrocks, or something green for your students to wear today.  

When K.J. was in preschool the children took off their shoes at naptime and put them in the hall.  When they woke up there was a Rice Krispie treat in their shoes for snack.  It's amazing how a memory like that can stick in a child's mind because three years later K.J. is still talking about it.

While the children are at lunch today ask a friend to sneak in your classroom and overturn chairs, mess up bookshelves, sprinkle a little gold glitter on the floor, etc.  When you return to the classroom act as surprised as the children.  What happened?  Who is responsible?  Let them write stories or draw pictures to explain the mystery.

Here's a book from an earlier blog this month in case you're new blog friend and missed it.

St Patrick’s Day! 

(Tune:  “Sweet Molly Malone” – Happy Everything CD)

On the 17^th of March                  (Point heels on opposite feet as if

About when spring starts                  doing a jig.)

The lassies and leprechauns

Come out to play.

We’ll find four-leafed clovers         (Hold up 4 fingers.)

And wear green all over,                  (Move hands over clothing.)

And that’s how we’ll celebrate         (Put hand in the air as if cheering.)

St. Patrick’s Day!

The legends of old

Say there’re pots of gold                  (Extend arms in a circle.)

A’ sparkling and shining                  (Open and close fingers to make sparkles.)

At each rainbow’s end.

The leprechauns know                  (Point to brain.)

Right where to go,

So if you see a leprechaun         (Hand over eyes as if searching for

Make him your friend!                  a leprechaun.)

On the 17^th of March                          

About when spring starts

The lassies and leprechauns

Come out to play.

We’ll find four-leafed clovers

And wear green all over,

And that’s how we’ll celebrate

St. Patrick’s Day!

 *Download this book at drjean.org/March, 2007.

BABY BIRD STORY

Beginthis story with a sheet of paper, scissors, and marker in your lap.  Follow the directions as you tell thestory. 

Itwas springtime and mother and father bird decided to

builda nest.  Who can tell me some ofthe things they

mighthave used to make their nest?

(Foldthe paper in half and cut a semi circle.)

Motherbird sat on the nest and laid a beautiful egg.

(Openthe nest to reveal the egg shape.)

Now,mother bird could not leave the egg. She had

tosit on it and keep it warm and safe. Even when it

rainedand the wind blew hard, mother bird had to sit there

andprotect her egg.  Fortunately, twolittle bugs who

livedin the tree made friends with mother bird and

kepther company.  This is one littlebug.  His name was _____.

(Usea child’s name in the class.)

(Drawa little dot for the bug.)

Thisis the other little bug.  Her namewas _____,

(Useanother child’s name in the class.)

(Drawanother little dot on the opposite side.)

Oneday as mother bird was sitting on the egg, she heard

alittle cracking sound.  She lookeddown and saw a little

crackin her egg.

(Cuta little slit on the fold slanted toward the eyes.)

Thenshe heard a great, big cracking sound. 

(Cutaround the eye and slit as shown stopping before

youget to the end of the egg.)

Andguess what mother bird saw coming out of the big

crackin her egg?  She saw her baby bird!

(Openthe egg and bend up the beak as shown.)

Hint!  You can also cut this story out of apaper plate.

BIRDIES!

Birdies

(Happy EverythingCD)

Way up in the sky                       (Puthands in arm pits and flap arms

The big birdiesfly.                      likea bird.)

Way down in thenest                  (Makea nest by cupping hands.)

The little birdsrest.

With a wing on theleft,              (Wiggleleft arm like a wing.)

And a wing on theright,              (Wiggleright arm like a wing.)

The little birdssleep                  (Puthead down on palms as if sleeping.)

All through thenight.

SHHHHHH!                               (Putfinger over lips.)

DON’T WAKE UP THEBIRDIES!

Then up comes thesun.              (Putarms over your head.)

The dew fallsaway.                    (Bringdown palms.)

Good morning!  Good morning!      (Put open palmsaround your head.)

The little birdssay.

Sing and Act - Let children dramatize this song. Choose one child to be the mother or father bird.  Let the other children be the babybirds.

Lunch Sack Nest – Open a paper lunch sack and roll out anddown until you reach the bottom and it looks like a nest.  Children can roll play dough eggs forthe nest, or they can make a paper bird for the nest.

*Make the shape ofa tree on a bulletin board.  Staplethe nests in the tree and then let children make birds out of constructionpaper to go in the nests.

Tomeiko Wright from Lancaster, SC, turnedher nest into a flower!!!

Paper PlateBirds and Nests - Letchildren make birds or nests out of paper plates similar to the ones in the picture.

Bird Nest Snack- Give each child a RiceCrispie treat to mold into a nest. Put a few jelly beans in the nest and place a marshmallow “peep” ontop.  (Yeah, I know this is totaljunk and you probably can’t do it at school, but I’m going to do it with mygrandchildren at Easter.)

Flip Book – Make a flip book of “What’s in theEgg?”  Fold a sheet of paper inhalf lengthwise, then fourths and eighths.  Open and cut the crease to the middle fold.  Fold in half to make 4 littleflaps.  Children draw 4 eggs on thefront of each flap.  Open the flapsand challenge children to draw 4 different things that might come from anegg.  When they hold this book upto the light, they will see their little critters inside the egg.

LITTLE PIGGIES

I have been waiting two years to paintKalina’s toes and I finally got to do it last week when she visited.  She loved her toes so much that wecouldn’t get her to put on her shoes!

All children love their little piggies, sohere is an extension of the traditional rhyme where you can reinforce ordinalsat the same time.

         Thefirst little pig went to the market.

         Thesecond little pig stayed home.

         Thethird little pig had roast beef.

         Thefourth little pig had none.

         Thefifth little pig cried, “Wee wee wee” all the way home.

         Thesixth little pig ate some pizza.

         Theseventh little pig ate a pear.

         Theeighth little pig had spaghetti.

         Theninth little pig’s plate was bare.

         Thetenth little pig cried, “Wee wee wee, I will share!”

Glue pig faces to jumbo craft sticks.  Write the ordinals at the bottom and use as you say the rhyme.

Ten LittlePiggies Counting Book

Give each child an8” x 8” square of paper.  Let themtake off their shoes and socks and trace around their feet.  Next, let them decorate theirfootprints with markers or crayons. Tape their pictures together to make an accordion book.  Write the numerals 10, 20, 30, 40….onthe pages.

YOU KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF!

You’ll need a stick, a string, and an oldpair of socks to make this prop. Poke a hole in the top of each sock and tie a 3’ piece of string to thesock.  Tie the strings to the endof a stick.  When your children doa good job swing the stick and say, “You knock my socks off!”