Music and More for Preschool Programs

Fall into Flannel!

An abundance of felt, music, dancing and pumpkins!

I am all over the place today.  A snappy chill is in the air and I still want to be at the beach.  Fall is gorgeous yet I am forever dragging my flip-flops - unwilling to accept the season. This morning while waiting for the furnace repair man I was outside cutting late blooming roses for arrangements.  See what I mean? It's possible that Mother Nature and I are both confused!  Just sayin'

The library is not confused at all.  "Fall into a good book" greets you at the door.  Pumpkin Eyes watch over your family in the children's room...

...and we had two flannel board stories kick off Tunes for Tots yesterday.  The first one was an oldie but goody where each child brings a leaf to the flannel board as we sing, (to the tune of London Bridge is falling down)

Autumn leaves are falling down

falling down

falling down

Autumn leaves are falling down

Yellow, Green and Brown.

And you know I have to set that song up with a big ol' Piper goes out for a walk story! Because she does...and she loves to play in the leaves.  She snuffles them, eats them, chases them and runs around in circles until she finds a pumpkin! That's my Piper girl!  

Next I turned the flannel board around to the white board and look what we found! You know this story.  We all know this story.  

 Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Are you in the Pirate House?

(she's supposed to be hiding!)

This little game is so popular and I have way too much fun doing it with the families.  

Piper got us up and dancing next.  Here's our fancy playlist written in magenta sharpie because...well, we can!   Do you see that 2011 CD that says Jane in the photo below...it's a gift from Kari Ann.  I don't know the history of a number of the songs on that CD...but we started with...

1. Put your Finger on Your Nose (located this song, it's by Parachute Express)

2. Shake and Freeze (I'm sorry but I can't find this one anywhere...there are many versions)

3. The Crazy Dance (Go Fish Party Like a Preschooler)

Then we all sat down for a quiet song...  

4. It's Rainy Rainy Day (this one came from Kari Ann's CD and I can't locate it either)

5. Drivin' in my Car (Ralph's World)

Everybody up for:

6. I Know a Chicken (Laurie Berkner)

7. We are the Dinosaurs, (Laurie Berkner)

8. If You're Happy and You Know It (Go Fish Party Like a Preschooler)

9. Wave Goodbye Like a Windmill (The Fun Music Man)

Okay, that was our program.  Piper and I give hugs or we bring the flying monkeys in for monkey kisses.  They are absolutely not flying monkeys, not even at Halloween.  No flying monkeys - ever.  We have really cute monkeys.  We'll get their photo soon!

P.S. (Piper Script): We made pumpkins on Monday night.  Next week we're making spiders!  Be careful "there's a spider on the floor on the floor"...said Raffi!

We did another post about Tunes for Tots here, just click!  We love comments, cookies, smiley faces..but please no flying monkeys!  Thanks.  P&J

Flannel Friday in Fall!

Autumn Leaves are falling down...

                                                                                    ...all through the town!

                                                                 (okay those are dinosaurs)

I walked out of the library with Piper in tow this afternoon and autumn leaves were falling down, falling down, falling down.......yellow, green and brown.  It was just like the song!  The same song we've been singing for three weeks in story time.  I actually wanted to walk back in and ask my Halloween-costumed colleagues to come outside and watch all the leaves falling...but I didn't. They haven't been singing the song...over and over and over, they haven't placed all those leaves on and off the flannel board again and again and again - it just wouldn't mean as much to them.  And they'd probably think I'd finally lost it.  Well, that's just silly - they know I've lost it!  Heck, I'm Batman today...and it is seriously exhausting to be a superhero all day!  Fighting crime - in story time!!  Ridiculous, right?!  But there's a part of you that loves it, right?  (Just agree, please!)

Here's Tanika waiting for Prime Time to begin.  We're reading orange books tonight!  We have our ladybug on the flannel board for our welcoming song...Hello Everybody Hello.  

We use scarves and lots of fancy dance moves when we sing hello!!  There are leaves for everyone to place on the flannel board for our Autumn leaves are falling down song and man, oh man...do they ever love placing their leaves on the flannel board.  

Okay, here's Tanika again, she's patiently waiting for our families. It's mouse night at Prime Time with Piper and Mrs Breen!!   Tanika loves the little mouse puppet and we are ready to do our chant "Little mouse, little mouse are you in the gingerbread house?"  Later we'll let the autumn leaves fall all over the houses...or all through the town!!!

We followed Tanika's lead on cute little mice and the kids made an adorable craft with the help of their parents.   (I love having parents at story time)        

with their own little folded houses

and a traveling bag!

And now everyone can play Little Mouse, Little Mouse at their own house!

This past Monday at Prime Time we did one of our most favorites books/flannel board stories - The Little Old Lady Who is Not Afraid of Anything.   We could not place our leaves on the flannel board because we were full to capacity in our room and I did not have enough felt leaves!  Yikes! First time that happened.  So we sang the song a couple times with just the three leaves on the board.  Here's our link to The Little Old Lady Who is Not Afraid of Anything

Happy Halloween from Piper and Jane!

P.S. (Piper Script) We're off to the Bat Cave - even Superheroes need their sleep!

If you would like to see more on the Autumn Leaves song and the flannel board just click  

And if you would like tips on playing Little Mouse, or little Cat - click here!

Almost forgot - the falling Dinosaurs at the top of the page can be found in the Westport Library in CT.