THE GREEN TEAM

The Green Team (Tune: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”)
We are on the Green Team. (March in place as you swing your arms.)
Hoorah! Hoorah! (Fist in air as if cheering.)
We can recycle every day. (March in place as you roll your arms around.)
Hoorah! Hoorah! (Fist in air as if cheering.)
Aluminum, glass, tin, (March in place.)
Put paper and cans in recycle bins. (March in place.)
Join the Green Team, (March in place.)
Defend the earth and keep it clean. (Put both fists in the air like a hero.)

We are on the Green Team. Hoorah! Hoorah!
We can reduce what we use. Hoorah! Hoorah!
Turn off water and the lights.
Walk, take a bus, or ride your bike.
Join the Green Team.
Defend the earth and keep it clean.

We are on the Green Team. Hoorah! Hoorah!
We can reuse many things. Hoorah! Hoorah!
Share old toys and old clothes, too.
Give away what you don't use.
Join the Green Team,
Defend the earth and keep it clean.

We are on the Green Team. Hoorah! Hoorah!
We can keep our planet clean. Hoorah! Hoorah!
Pick up all the trash you see.
Protect wildlife and plant new trees.
Join the Green Team.
Defend the earth and keep it clean.

*Make a language experience chart of children’s suggestions for what it means to be on the “Green Team.” Have children dip their thumb in green paint and “sign” it on the list to signify that they are going to join the “Green Team.”

                                            

*Walk around the school and encourage the children to draw pictures or write suggestions for conserving energy and making the learning environment “green.” Compile results and ask the principal to visit your class and discuss improvements that can be made.

*Make a naturalist kit by recycling a detergent box or similar container with a handle. Make binoculars by cutting a cardboard paper towel roll in half. Tape the halves together and hole punch at the top. Tie on a piece of string so children can easily take the binoculars on and off their heads. Add a magnifying glass, field guide, tweezers, film canister (for collecting specimens), paper, pencil, etc. Talk about what naturalists do. Can you be a naturalist? Divide children up into groups of two and let them take turns playing “naturalist” on the playground.

                             

*Put out scrap materials in the art center and encourage children to make “Green Team” badges. You can also let them decorate sheets of newspaper and staple them around their necks to make “Super Green Hero” capes. Let children dramatize what they would do if they were a “Super Green Hero.”

THE AMAZING RACE!

Bad weather and a cancelled flight didn’t stop me from getting to Williamsport, PA, last Friday – thank goodness! It was a fantastic trip because I met so many wonderful teachers and adorable children. I always offer to do a free family concert when I’m invited to speak, and Cochran Primary took me up on it. The children got up on stage with me and sang and danced and I think I had more fun than they did! Actually, I think the parents had the best time watching their kiddles perform! 

Jodi Binkley at Penn Tech invited me to their conference and gave me a tour of their Child Development Center. WOW! It’s got to be one of the most amazing centers I’ve ever visited! The space, classrooms, materials, teachers…it knocked my socks off! Every little child in America deserves that kind of environment to grow up in. 

I’m frustrated with what we are doing to little children, but also to what we are doing to early childhood majors in colleges. There was a time when we taught finger plays, art activities, games, stories, and songs. Many times when I meet young teachers they tell me they are not leaving college with any of those tools. Somebody is dropping the ball and I’d like to give them a “piece of my mind”! Fortunately, the students at Penn Tech are still making dramatic play materials, books, puppets, and getting “hands-on” experiences with children.

Anything that brings nature inside is a good thing, and Jodi came up with this mobile. She tied several branches together with pipe cleaners and then attached them to the ceiling with fishing line. Throughout the year they add autumn leaves, snowflakes, flowers, birds, and other seasonal crafts. 

Hailey Liberti, one of the students created this small motor activity where children insert the bees into the beehive with tweezers. I couldn’t resist trying it myself!

YOU ARE THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF...

I truly felt like the grand prize winner when I met all the awesome teachers in Manchester, Knoxville, and Lexington last week!

Grand Prize Winner (Rachel and Wendy from Magic Years Preschool)
Every time you are playing a game use this phrase:
"You are the grand prize winner of ...NOTHING!"
You can say this dramatically whether they are the first one out of the game or the first to win the game. Say it to every child at the end of the game.

Word Work Idea (Lisa Felch)
Use clear gala "gems" or flat rocks for this activity. Children place these over words in books to magnify them.

What Does the Fox Say? (Lisa Weisl)
Use the chant from this popular YouTube video to reinforce sounds. For example, "What does the A say?” /a//a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/

Memory Game for Sight Words ((Karen Garcia)
1. Start with two sight words that the child picks. Take 4 cards and write each word twice. Place them face down on the table.
2. Let the child pick 2 cards at a time and turn them over. They can keep the matches.
3. Keep adding two words at a time to make the game increasingly difficult.
*The repetition in this game will help the children learn them easier.

Cookie Cheer (Faye baker)
Let's make a cookie!
First, the kids draw a circle in the air. Then ask the kids what they want to put on their cookie.
(They'll start shouting out toppings.) Last, grab the cookie (wide air grasp) and gobble it like Cookie Monster .

Purple Pickle (Regina Webster)
(Tune: “Yankee Doodle”)
If I had a purple pickle
Or a purple nickle
I'd go to the purple store
And buy a purple pickle.
Purple pickle, purple peas,
Purple macaroni.
Purple pudding,
Purple pie and purple pepperoni.

Pencil Grip (Melissa Connelly)
Teach children to hold their crayon or pencil correctly with this trick.

                                                

Draw a smiley face on their hand as shown. When they use their pincer fingers their hand will always be smiling at them.

CARTOON TIME

K.J. is coming to visit soon and he and his friends like to make cartoons. I remembered this technique for making cartoons and I can’t wait to show him. Would you like to learn how? It’s easy peasy, but you’ll surely impress your students or your own children. In addition, you could connect this activity to stories, science themes, or social studies. 

Materials: white copy paper, stapler, black pen

Directions: 1. Fold the paper into fourths and cut on the creased line.
2. Take two sheets and staple them at the top.
3. Lift the top layer and draw a simple shape on the bottom. Keep your drawing to the bottom half of the page.
4. Now, place the top sheet over the bottom and trace over the lines. Vary one or two features, such as arms, ears, mouth, etc.
5. Take a pencil and roll the top sheet up around the pencil.
6. Quickly move the pencil up and down to bring life to your cartoon. Taa daa!

THE TREASURE BOX STORY

I'm not very good at these "selfies" and I sure don't like the way I look, but I promised some teachers that I'd do videos of me doing the "Baby Bird Story" and "The Treasure Box Story."  Enjoy!

Once there was a man named Mr. Tall (Hold up paper.)
And a lady named Mrs. Tall.

There was also a man named Mr. Short (Turn paper horizontally.)
And a lady named Mrs. Short.

Mr. and Mrs. Tall got an invitation (Fold paper in half lengthwise.)
To a party and it looked like this.
It said, “Meet at the center.”
So Mr. Tall got all dressed up (Open and fold right side to the fold.)
And he went to the center.
And Mrs. Tall got all dressed up (Fold left side to the fold.)
And she went to the center.
When they got there they opened the door (Open folds like a door.)
And went inside.

Mr. and Mrs. Short also got an (Fold paper in half widthwise.)
Invitation to the party. It said,
“Meet at the center.”
So Mr. Short (Open and fold right side to the fold.)
got all dressed up and he went to
the center. And Mrs. Short got (Fold left side to the fold.)
all dressed up and she went to the center.

But when they got there the door was
Shut tight and they couldn’t get inside.
So the banged on the top corner of the door and
(Pretend to pound the door.)
Said, “Let us in! Let us in!”
They banged it in, but they couldn’t get inside.
(Bend in top right corner.)
They banged on the other corner of the door and
Said, “Let us in! Let us in!”
(Bend in top left corner.)
They banged it in, but they still couldn’t get inside.
They kicked on the bottom of the door and
(Bend in bottom corners.)
Shouted, “Let us in! Let us in!” They kicked in
The bottom of the door, but they still couldn’t
Get inside.

They noticed there was a little crack in the door.
If they bent it back a little like this on one side
(Fold back from the center on either side.)
And a little like this on the other side, there
Was just enough room to get inside.
And what do you think they found? 

(Open and pinch the corners together to create a box.)
A treasure box! Just like the treasure box
I have given YOU!!!!

Baby Bird Cut and Tell Story  (Words on my March 27 blog.)

                                                      Treasure Box Story Part I

                                                  

Treasure Box Story Part II

BUNNY TALE AND FINGER PLAYS

1.  One day a man went walking with his arms behind his back. 

2.  It started to snow.

3.  He got a sled so he could play in the snow.

4.  But after awhile he got cold and decided to build himself a house with two stories. 

5.  He put two windows in the top floor and divided them in half. 

6.  Then he built two chimneys. 

7.  He threw some sticks on the fire. 

8.  And soon he was snug as a bunny.
  

Here Is a Bunny
Here is a bunny (Hold up fist.)
With ears so funny. (Stick up index and middle fingers like ears.)
And here’s his hole in the ground. (Make a hole with opposite fist.)
At the slightest noise he hears (Wiggle ears.)
He pricks up his ears (Stick up ears.)
The hops to his hole in the ground. (Put ears in hole of opposite fist.)

Where Is My Bunny?
Where is my bunny? (Put hands behind your back.)
No one can see. (Shake head.)
I think that my bunny
Is hiding from me. (Look over shoulder.)
Here is my bunny. (Hold up 1 thumb.)
He’s found a friend. (Hold up other thumb.)
Look at all the others. (Slowly stick up fingers.)
Now there are ten! (Wiggle fingers.)

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