HAVE YOU SEEN A LITTLE GRAY SQUIRREL?

It's almost fall and that means the squirrels are busy gathering nuts and the scarecrows are dancing in the fields. (Squirrels and scarecrows are also good alternatives to Halloween symbols in the fall.)

Squirrel Handshake
Children hold out their right hand and the teacher pretends to be a squirrel and wiggles the index and tall finger up the arm like a squirrel. Then the children get to be the squirrel and gently run up the teacher's arm.

Gray Squirrel
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, (Hold hands close to chest like paws.)
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
Wrinkle up your little nose, (Wrinkle nose.)
Hide a nut between your toes. (Pretend to hold a nut in your paws.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, (Hold hands close to chest like paws.)
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
Climb up in the tallest tree. (Arms climb up above head.)
Let your tail blow in the breeze. (Wiggle bottom.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, (Hold hands close like paws.)
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail. (Wiggle your bottom.)
If you’ll be a friend of mine, (Point to self and then a friend.)
I will be a friend of yours.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel,
Swish your bushy tail.

 

Click to view video


Here's a link so you can download a book to go with the song.

 

 

Click for download

Gray Squirrel 

Have children draw the body of a squirrel on a gray sheet of paper and cut out it out. Staple the squirrel to a straw to make a puppet. Staple a piece of felt or fake fur to the squirrel for a bushy tail.

*Trace around children's feet and attach with a brad to make a squirrel.

 

 

 

 

JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY

September 26 is Johnny Appleseed Day in honor of his birthday. However, here's a finger play and story you can tell any day. Johnny (John Chapman) is remembered for planting apple trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He was well known and liked for his kindness and generosity. Say “cheers” to him every time you eat an apple.

Apple Tree (You can say it or sing it to the tune of “This Old Man.”)
Way up high in the tree, (Point up.)
One red apple smiled down at me. (Hold up 1 finger and then smile.)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake a tree.)
Down came an apple, (Bring down one hand.)
Mmm! Mmm! Good! (Pat tummy.)

Variations:
Adapt the number of apples, or use other fruits:
Two yellow pears… (Hold up 2 fingers.)
Three purple plums… (Hold up 3 fingers.)
4 orange peaches… (Hold up 4 fingers.)
5 green limes… (Hold up 5 fingers.)

Make a flannel board from a file folder to use as a follow up for this rhyme.    

And, here’s a story that I bet Johnny would have loved.

The Star
Materials: shopping bag or grocery sack
Apple (red delicious works best), knife

Directions: Put the apple and knife in the bag and have it on your lap as you begin to tell the story below. Insert children’s names in your classroom to capture their interest.

One day first child’s name went to visit grandmother. Grandmother said, “How would you like to go on a secret mission?” “Oh, I’d love that,” replied first child. So grandmother said, “I want you to find a little red house with no doors and no windows. There should be a chimney on top and a star in the middle.”

First child was so excited as he set off on his mission. As first child was thinking about what it could be, he ran into second child. “Do you know where I can find a little red house with no doors and no windows. There should be a chimney on top and a star in the middle.” Second child said, “I’ve never heard of anything like that, but would you like me to help you?” “Sure,” replied first child and off they went.

They walked on a little further until they saw third child. “Have you seen a little red house with no doors and no windows? There’s a chimney on top and a star in the middle.” “Gosh. I don’t know what that could be, but would you like me to help you?” replied third child. So off they went on their mission.

The story continues as more children join in the search.

Finally, the children had about given up when they ran into grandpa. He was on his way home from the store with something he had bought. “Grandpa,” the children said. “Grandma sent us on a mission. She told us to find a little red house with no doors and no windows. There’s a chimney on top and a star in the middle. What could it be?”

Grandpa laughed, “Well, I have the answer to your riddle right here in my sack.” And he pulled out an apple. (Pull the apple from your sack.) The children said, “How does that solve our riddle?” Grandpa said, “This apple is like a little red house. See, it’s round and the stem is like a chimney.” “But where’s the star?” wondered the children. Grandpa took a knife and sliced the apple in half. (Take the knife and slice the apple in half diagonally.) “And here’s the star!” The children were amazed to see that sure enough, there was a star in the middle.

Grandpa said, “You know people are like this star. We’re different sizes, colors, and shapes on the outside. But if you look inside, you’ll find a special star inside each person you meet!”

 

*Encourage each child to tell what makes him or her special.

*Bring apples for snack. Cut them in half so the children can all see their stars.

*Pick out seeds from the apples. How many seeds do they have? What would happen if you planted the seeds? Plant some and see what happens.

*Talk about where apples come from. How many parts of an apple can the children name.

*Make a list of words that describe apples.

*Purchase several different varieties of apples. Cut them into bite size pieces so everyone gets a taste. Make a graph of which apple the children liked best.

*Make apple prints. After cutting the apple in half let the halves dry on a paper towel. Dip into paint and press on newsprint or newspaper. Can you find the star?

 

 

 

 

 

TEACHERS UNITED IN CHRIST

Last summer Meghan sent me a photo of the children in El Salvador singing the "Tooty Ta."  It's a beautiful story and I asked them to share it with you.  We can't do everything, but we can all do something.  I'll bet you'll get goosebumps just like me when you read about their mission trip. You'll find more information about this mission and how to contact Meghan and Madison at the end of the blog.  

Note!!  Wouldn't helping the children at La Magdalena be a great project for your class this year?  Instead of thinking about "stuff" they want they could think about someone else.  

There is a very small Christian school named Escuela Cristiana Canton La Magdalena located in La Magdalena, El Salvador. Madison's husband is the chair of a non-profit organization called One Child El Salvador that supports this school. After both Meghan and Madison's husbands had traveled there and saw how special the community is, they knew they must go! Unlike previous mission trips, they felt a different calling. In the past, most mission trips were construction related. That didn't seem to fit how they were being called to serve...

Meghan is in her 15th year teaching early childhood and Madison is in her 11th. Both ladies teach at Blackburn Elementary School in Dawsonville, GA. Dr. Jean has always played a vital role in both our teaching careers. We sing and dance with our students daily. We utilize the songs to approach different academic areas. After beginning to plan for this trip we knew we wanted to incorporate some of Dr. Jean's magic as a means to connect with the students in a different country and language!

                          

The mission laid on our hearts was not only United in Christ but specifically TEACHERS United in Christ. Our goal was to partner with the ladies and men teaching in remote El Salvador and give them tools and materials they might not otherwise have access to. Thankfully Dr. Jean's Ole! Ole! would lead the way and bridge the gap between us and the students. The teachers let us do a classroom takeover, even though we spoke very little spanish. We got the opportunity to introduce some of our favorite songs to these children in spanish. As the kids were enjoying the songs, the teachers got a glimpse of the ideology of Singing to Learn. We drew the animals of the Color Farm, wrote color words in English and Spanish, and constructed silly sentences about the animals on the farm. Every lesson was wrapped up with everyone's favorite........TOOTY TA! Another wonderful concept we got to share was KISS YOUR BRAIN. The first time we told them to kiss their brain when they did something wonderful it blew them away! The idea was so well loved. The school principal/pastor thought the idea of thanking your brain was remarkable. Kiss Your Brain will forever be remembered in La Magdalena we are sure!

 

As Dr. Jean said the sweetest part of this trip was seeing that children are the same all over the world. They wanted to sing, dance and learn! The students in La Magdalena are receiving a high quality education with minimal resources. That can only be attributed to God and the dedication of the teachers working there. This mission trip was not so much of a manual labor trip, but a labor of love. Sharing a calling to teach is a special bond that reaches across all borders and oceans. We are all truly united in Christ. 

Here's a video of our trip:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TLKh0rrtgHCXgUQ-0tVxw0KjH4MhFMvO/view?usp=drivesdk


There are many opportunities to get involved with this extraordinary non-profit, as well as the students and teachers in La Magdalena. Monthly sponsorships for the students are available. You may also be feeling the same call to serve. The website below can provide you with more information on how to get involved.

https://onechildelsalvador.org/

OR email at: onechildelsalvador@gmail.com

CHEERS FOR YOUR TEAM

THESE POMPOMS ARE PERFECT FOR CHEERING FOR YOUR 

TEAM OR TURNING LEARNING SKILLS INTO A GAME!

Materials: lunch bags (2 for each child), scissors, markers, tape

Directions: Draw lines 1” apart halfway down from the top of the bag to the bottom flap as shown. Have the children use scissors to cut down on these strips. Turn the flap over and then roll it up tightly to make a handle. Secure the handle with tape. (For a good small motor activity let the children wrap rubber bands around the handle.) Wrinkle and fluff up the strips to make pompoms.

Note! Let children color their bags favorite team colors before cutting them.

Letter Aerobics
Put pompoms in the air for letters that start at the top dotted line, out in front of you for letters that start at the middle dotted line, and down low for letters with a tail that go below the line.

*Spell sight words using Letter Aerobics.

Cheer Words
Move and shake pompoms as you spell out names or high frequency words. “Give me a G. ‘G’ I’ve got a G, you’ve got a Give me an O. ‘O’ I’ve got an O, you’ve got an O. Give me a T. ‘T’ I’ve got a T, you’ve got a T. What’s it spell? GOT!”

Songs
Use for “Who Let the Letters Out?”, “Phonercise,” “The Vowel Cheer” and other letter chants and songs.

Invisible Writing
Write letters, numbers, and words in the air with pompoms. (Children call this “air brush” writing!)

Syllables
Clap out syllables in words using pompoms.

Compound Words
Extend pompoms and say each word; then bring together and say the compound word.

Rhymes
Sing this song to the tune of "Skip to My Lou" as you shake pompoms.

Sun (shake right)
Fun (shake left)
Those words rhyme. Sun (shake right)
Fun (shake left)
Those words rhyme.
Sun (shake right)
Fun (shake left)
Those words rhyme.
They all end with "un."

*Continue using other words that rhyme.

Punctuation
Use pompoms for choral reading as children make these motions for punctuation marks.
Period – Pompom held up like “stop.”
Question Mark – Touch head with pompom and shrug shoulders.
Exclamation Point – Pompom up high and shake.

Patterns
Clap out math patterns and have children repeat or extend.

Karate Counting
Pretend to chop from left to right as you count.

Math Facts
Hands in the air and say a number. Touch heads and say "plus" or "minus." Touch waist and say another number. Touch knees and say "equals." Touch floor and say the answer.

Positional Words
Have children follow directions with their pompoms. Can you put them on your head? Can you put them behind you? Can you put them between your knees?

Partner Patty Cake
Have children choose a partner. Let them say rhymes, the alphabet, or count as they patty cake.

Simon Says
Can children play this game and follow directions with their pompoms?

Hint! Take up pompoms and save them in a tub or bag in between activities.

HOCUS POCUS FINGER FOCUS

Finger exercises are a great way to calm children, focus their attention, and develop hand strength, coordination, and their brains!

Twiddle Your Thumbs
Demonstrate how to fold your hands and twiddle (rotate thumbs around each other) your thumbs.

*Unfold your hands and put the opposite thumb on top and twiddle.

Tap Them
Put palms together and tap one finger at a time starting with thumbs.



Spider
Open hands and touch fingertips. Bend in and out. Tap thumbs. Then tap index fingers, middle fingers, ring, and pinky fingers. Reverse.

*Roll each leg/finger forward and then backwards.

 

Click to view video

Balancing Act
Directions: Have children stand and follow along as they balance and increase mindfulness.

Feet together, close your eyes, (Close eyes breath in and out.)
And breath slowly in and out.
Open your eyes, (Balance on left foot.)
Lift your right foot and balance on the left.
Put your arms out straight. (Arms out wide as you balance.)
Now reach for the stars. (Arms up in the air as you balance.)
Place your right foot on the floor
And raise your left foot. (Balance on right foot.)...

Now close your eyes and slowly breath in and out.
Let your mind take you to a happy place.

 

Click to view video

Tony Chestnut
Directions: Point to the body parts as you sing. Sing each verse softer until you are doing the silent version.

Toe (Point to toes.)
Knee (Point to knee.)
Chest (Point to chest.)
Nut (Point to head.)
Nose (Point to nose.)
Eye (Point to eyes.)
Love (Cross arms over chest.)
You (Point to a friend.
Toe Knee Nose (Continue to point to body parts.)
Toe Knee Nose
Toe Knee Chest Nut
Nose Eye Love You
That’s what Toe Knee Nose.

 

 Click to view video

HAVE YOU GOT SOME "ISSUES" THIS YEAR?

Oh, my! You know we've always had behavior problems in our classrooms, but they seem to be escalating. Many teachers are spending so much time with a few children with "issues" that they don't have the energy to just "teach" and enjoy the other children. Sound familiar?

Is there something going on at home or maybe there might be too much screen time??? Whatever the problem is, you face it every day. I certainly am no expert and I don't have any magic potion, but over the next few days I'll share a few tips that might help.

Fidget Toys
A fidget toy can be a quiet outlet and satisfy children’s “need to move.” Some children just need something to “fiddle with” so that they can focus on the learning task. Keep fidget toys simple so they meet the need as an outlet, but don’t distract the child completely.

Brain Toys
Materials: shoebox, old socks

Directions: Get a shoebox and write “brain toys” on it. Take old socks, tie them in knots, and place them in the box. As needed, invite children to get a brain toy. They can hold it, unknot it, knot it, squeeze it, and so forth.

Hint! I think referring to these socks as a “brain toy” takes away from the negative implication.

Stress Button
Materials: poker chip, Velcro (hook side), strong glue (E6000 is my favorite)


Directions: Glue a 1” piece of Velcro to the poker chip. Children can keep it in their pocket and rub it when they feel stressed or their hands are wiggly.

Twisty and Bendy
Materials: pipe cleaners or bendy straws

Directions: Give children a pipe cleaner to twist and manipulate.


Mindful Morning
See what happens when you start your day by having children breath, relax, and move.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIq9TbaCokc

MAKE A HAT DAY

September 15th is “Make a Hat Day,” but kids love to make hats and wear hats any day of the year. Here are some ways that you can tie in hats with themes or skills you are working on.

Sentence Strip Hat
Materials: sentence strips or heavy paper cut in 2 ½” x 24”, markers, crayons, stickers
Directions: Let children decorate the sentence strip and then fit to their head and staple or tape in place.

Children can write letters, numerals, or vocabulary words on the headband. Sure beats doing a worksheet and accomplishes the same thing!



Children can add ears or other details to create an animal from a story. Let them wear their hats to retell the story.

*Wouldn’t this be more fun than a written book report?

How about an “all about me” headband?

Children can make an autograph hat with friends’ names.

If you cut a zigzag line on one side every child can be king or queen for the day!



Hint! Two brad fasteners and a rubber band will make the hat easier to adjust to the head, but it’s a lot more trouble. 

HATS OFF TO YOU TODAY!