Winter

This program was for children ages 0-2.

Books

Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson
Peek-a-Boo in the Snow by Cocoretto
Frozen Noses by Jan Carr

Songs and Fingerplays

Boots, Park, Scarf, and Hat
(Courtesy of Mel's Desk)

Hey, Mr. Snowman!
(Courtesy of Storytiming)

I made a flannel board to accompany the rhyme. I asked caregivers to point to their child's body part as we dressed the snowman. The older kids were able to act out the movements on their own.

Additional Songs and Rhymes

Mr. Sun by Raffi

Toast in the Toaster
(Courtesy of Jbrary)



Head and Shoulders Baby 1,2,3
(Courtesy of Jbrary)

This is a great song for young children and caregivers. It's so much fun!

Elevator Song

Bubble, Bubble, Pop!
(Courtesy of Jbrary)

We sang:

One little red fish
Two little blue fish
Three little yellow fish

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
(Courtesy of Jbrary)

I was inspired byJbrary's version! We sang about a crocodile, polar bear, mouse, and lion. It worked really well with the 0-2 age group.

Open, Shut Them

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Frosty Tales!

This program was for children ages 3 to 6.

Books

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
Snow Happy! by Patricia Hubbell

Snow Happy has great rhyming and repetition. Every time I read "snow happy", I asked the group to join in.

Songs

Warm Mittens
Courtesy of Can Teach

View the posting titled Winter Wonderland for more details.

There's Something in the Snow
Courtesy of Storytime Katie

Animals & Noise:

Wolf-Howl, Howl
Polar Bear-Grrr, Grr
Penguin-Waddle
Snow Owl-Hoot, Hoot
Snow Bunny-Thump, thump, thump

The kids loved this rhyme! I created a prop using our plot printer and clip art. I made a little snow mound and printed images of the animals. After we made the sound, I asked the group "Which animal do you think makes that noise?". They would shout the answer and I would show them the picture. Then the animal would "hide" in the snow. This is a great way to incorporate stick puppets and flannel boards.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear
By Jean Warren, courtesy of Preschool Express

Activity

Bubbles!

I used the song Icky Sticky Bubble Gum from the CD Action! Fun! Dance! 


Craft

Ice Skates

• Ice skate clip art
• Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
• Glue
• Stickers
• Crayons
• Sequins

Winter Wonderland!

Although it is rather warm in New Jersey today, I had a Winter Wonderland Storytime! This program was for children ages 3 to 6.

Books

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

These are two of my favorite winter books. The kids always love the silly activities of the snowmen in Snowmen at Night. The Snowy Day is a true classic. It's a sweet story about a boy named Peter and his snow day adventures. I like to engage the kids during this book. I'll ask questions like "Do you make snow angels like Peter?" or "How many of you have built a snowman?". When Peter puts the snowball in his pocket, it disappears. I'll ask, "What do you think happened to the snowball?". The kids love to tell you about their own snow day activities!

Songs

Warm Mittens
Courtesy of CanTeach

In our version, we repeat the first verse at the end. We also have actions for each movement.

I wiggle my left hand,
(shake left hand)
I wiggle my right,
(shake right hand)
Inside of my mittens,
(give yourself a hug)
So warm and so tight.
I wiggle my pinkie.
(wiggle pinkie)
I wiggle my thumb,
(wiggle thumb)
so when I make snowballs,
(pretend to make snowball)
my hands don't get numb.
(rub hands together)
I wiggle my left hand,
(wiggle left hand)
I wiggle my right,
(wiggle right hand)
Inside of my mittens,
So warm and so tight.
(give yourself a hug)

Polar Bear, Polar Bear
By Jean Warren, courtesy of Preschool Express.

Hey! Mr. Snowman
Courtesy of the blog Storytiming

I made the prop using our large plot printer and clip art.

Activity

If You Have Some Rhythm Sticks
Courtesy of Jbrary

The Wheels on the Bus
Courtesy of Jbrary

Bread & Butter
Courtesy of Jbrary

Craft

Polar Bear and Snow Globe

We made two crafts with this program!

Supplies:

• Paper plate
• White card stock or construction paper
• Black pom poms
• Google eyes
• School Glue
• Cotton balls

 Supplies:

•  Two shades of blue card stock 
• Cotton balls
• Sequins
• Snowflake stickers
• White card stock or construction paper
• Black and orange markers for the snowman

Winter Wonderland

This program was for children ages 3 to 6.

Books

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper
Winter is the Warmest Season  by Lauren Stringer 

Songs and Fingerplays
Below is a list of a few of the songs and fingerplays I used in the program.

Dance Like Snowflakes
Courtesy of Storytime Katie

Polar Bear, Polar Bear
Courtesy of Preschool Express

Mittens
Courtesy of Can Teach

My Dog Rags
Courtesy of Jbrary

Elevator Song
Courtesy of Jbrary

Go Bananas!
Courtesy of Jbrary
Instead of chopping bananas we pick bananas. 

The kids really enjoyed My Dog Rags and Go Bananas! I've used the songs in many of my programs and they are always a hit!

Craft

Build a Snowman

Supplies:

• Small popsicle sticks
• Buttons
• Cotton balls
• Cardstock for the background, hat and scarf
• Doilies 

Scarf Clipart
Courtesy of Clipart Panda

Top Hat Clipart
Courtesy of Clipart Panda

Activity

I've used this snowman game toss in programs before. The kids love it. It would have fit perfectly with the winter theme.

Winter

This program was for toddlers. Throughout the month of December, we read wintery tales and sang frosty songs!

Books

No Two Alike by Keith Baker
Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson
Frozen Noses by Jan Carr
One Mitten by Kristine O'Connell George 

Songs and Fingerplays 

Five Little Snowmen
Courtesy of Preschool Education

Warm Mittens
Courtesy of CanTeach. We repeat the first verse. This song is to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Dance Like Snowflakes
Courtesy of Perpetual Preschool

I'm a Little Snowflake
Courtesy of Rhythm Express. We only sing the snowflake portion of the song. 

Craft

Snowflake Wreath

Supplies:

• Paper plates
• Construction paper
• Yarn
• Snowflake Ellison stamp or template
• Glue stick