January 8, 2018 - Toddler Science-Animals & Their Habitats

This month we talked about animals and their habitats.

Camouflage Clues-A Photo Riddle Book 
by Megan Cooley Pererson

Welcome Home, Bear-A Book of Animal Habitats 
by Il Sung Na

If All the Animals Came Inside 
by Eric Pinder

Wings, Paws, Scales and Claws-Let's Investigate Animal Bodies 
by Ruth Owen

Animal Adaptations-Camouflage 
by Jack Zayarny

Hide-and-Seek Science-Animal Camouflage 
by Emma Stevenson

Animal Camouflage in the Snow 
by Martha E. H. Rustad









We talked about how some animals use a layer of fat (blubber) to keep themselves warm in the cold weather then did a test with ice water and tried different materials in plastic bags to see which one gave the most protection from the cold. We tried bags with shredded paper, yarn, feathers and a bag with Crisco.
I laid copies of animal footprints around the room so the children could measure their foot against each animal footprint to see if their foot was bigger or smaller than that animals
We looked at different footprints and tried to guess what animals the footprints belonged to
We looked at skulls and tried to guess what animals the skulls belonged to

December 4, 2017 Toddler Science - Birds and Their Nests

Birds
by Kevin Henkes

A Nest is Noisy
by Dianna Hutts Aston

About Birds
A Guide for Children
by Cathryn Sill

A Nest Full of Eggs
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins











For our program today we talked about birds and their nests. Birds can be different colors, sizes and can build different kinds of nests.

For our craft we went outside to collect items to use to build our nests. We found leaves, dried grass, and soft greenery. We used a Q-tip to make eggs, then glued all the items we found outside to our plate to make a nest. Each child was given some feathers and a paper bird to add to their nest.

Saturday Morning Story Time - Elephant & Piggie!

If you missed this story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read

Happy Pig Day!  by Mo Willems*
My Friend Is Sad  by Mo Willems*
Watch Me Throw the Ball!  by Mo Willems*

We started our story time talking about the noises animals make, like:
what sound does a cow make?, a dog?, a cat?, a pig?, an elephant?, etc

Then we played pig and elephant trivia.

When we read "Happy Pig Day" we talked about our favorite days to celebrate
When we read "My Friend Is Sad" we talked about different emotions
When we read "Watch Me Throw the Ball!" we had a challenge between children and their parents/grandparents to see who could toss a ball into a basket

Saturday Morning Story Time - Let's be Silly!

If you missed this story time here is what we did:

*marks the books we read

Silly Tilly  by Eileen Spinelli*
Animals in Underwear ABC  by Todd Parr
Bear in Underwear  by Todd H. Doodler*
If All the Animals Came Inside  by Eric Pinder
Such a Silly Baby!  by Steffanie & Richard Long*
Polar Bear's Underwear  by Tupera Tupera*
Vegetables in Underwear  by Jared Chapman

We glued silly mouth pictures to craft sticks

We listened and danced to "Shake My Sillies Out" from the album Car Ride Fun Kids Sing-Along by Nikki Loney

December 14, 2016 - Books for the Holidays

Some great books to share during the holidays!

It is Christmas Eve and Fly Guy realizes that he does not have a present to give to his best friend Buzz--but when he looks around the house searching for something suitable he discovers a stranger in a red suit, and decides to attack with some ninja moves.

Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends celebrate Christmas on the island of Sodor.

Little Blue Truck is spreading cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. Can you help count each green tree

When Santa's reindeer get sick, the Little Engine That Could saves Christmas.

Mr. Fish is having a hard time finding the right presents for his friends, until he learns that the best gifts come from the heart

Discover the truth behind Santa's most undercover operation, and join the North Pole Ninjas : protectors of holiday cheer!

The Octonauts are planning to spend Christmas with Professor Inkling at his childhood home, an undersea mountain. But when they arrive the Octonauts discover that a rockslide has endangered the lives of the local creatures - including a rare species of golden coral, and Inkling's little octopus nephew, Squirt! With the help of Tweak's latest invention, the amazing Gup X, the Octonauts must rescue all the creatures and save Christmas. Octonauts, let's do this!

Follows a little boy's construction of a snow dog in the hope of receiving a real puppy for Christmas, a wish that inspires a nighttime visit to the world of the Snow People.

Clementine's life is ordinary in every way except that she is very tiny--a fact that Santa Claus does not seem to understand.

From snow on the ground to making applesauce and latkes to lighting the menorah, this story shows the seasonal and traditional ways we know Hanukkah is on its way

Relates the history of Kwanzaa, discusses the rituals and customs associated with the holiday, and describes traditional decorations.

Simple text and illustrations describe how an American Muslim family observes the holy month of Ramadan.

It's Time For School Again....

Here are some new books to share about starting a new school year.

The Class
by Boni Ashburn

"Twenty young students, some eager, some nervous, some grumpy, prepare for their very first day of kindergarten"

Mission: Back to School
by Susan Hood

"Imagined in the form of a secret agent's set of instructions, Mason and other children negotiate the first day of school"

Sophie's Squash go to School
by Pat Zietlow Miller

"On her very first day of school, Sophie is reluctant to make friends with the other children, preferring to play with two squash she grew in her garden--but when a particularly persistent boy named Steven gives her a packet of seeds as an apology for accidentally ripping her picture, she realizes that it just takes time to grow a friend"

Time for Earth School, Dewey Dew
by Leslie Staub

"Dewey Dot's first day of school on planet Earth is not off to a good start, his clothes don't fit and he looks nothing like the other students, but things start to look up when he makes a friend"

Kindergarten is Cool!
by Linda Elovitz Marshall

"Rhyming text describes the activities a child
experiences on the first day of kindergarten"

A Tiger Tail
(or What Happened to Anya on Her
First Day of School)
by Mike Boldt

"Anya awakens to discover she has grown a tiger tail,
and it just happens to be her very first day of school"

School's First Day of School
by Adam Rex

"It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself"

















Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
Daniel Plays at School
by Daphne Pendergrass

"Daniel Tiger and Miss Elaina learn to compromise when they want to do different things while playing together and receive Teacher Harriet's gentle encouragement to try to fix the problem themselves"











Clark the Shark
Lost and Found
by Bruce Hale

"While on a field trip to the farmers' market, Clark becomes separated from his classmates and must use his rhyming skills to help him remember his teacher's instructions"

Current Missouri Building Block Award Nominees for 2016

For 2015 the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award went to the book:

Naked!
by Michael Ian Black


The current nominees for 2016 are:

Simon's New Bed
by  Christian Trimmer

Vincent Paints His House
by  Tedd Arnold

Bunnies!!!
by  Kevan Atteberry

Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups
by  Tadgh Bentley

Rex Wrecks It!
by  Ben Clanton

Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook
(Learn from the best!)
by  Anne Vittur Kennedy

I Don't Want To Be A Frog
by  Dev Petty

Get Out of My Bath!
by  Britta Teckentrup

The Whale in My Swimming Pool
by  Joyce Wan

Dad's First Day
by Mike Wohnoutka










Voting will take place from September 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016