Mr. Troll May I Cross Your Bridge?

This game is based vaguely on "Three Billy Goat's Gruff". The kids always love it!
It uses listening & creative skills, as well as taking turns and following

directions.

The kids line up at one side of the room, and I put out a "Bridge" in the middle of the room.

In the past I have used a low bench and held their hands for safety. This year I am going to construct something lower to the ground.

I tell them that they will have to ask the troll if they may cross the bridge.

Then we all sing (in a sing-song voice)

ALL: "Oh Mr. Troll, ---  may I cross your bridge?"

And I pick a child and say:

TEACHER: "You may cross my bridge if you ask me in a ___________ voice!"

(soft, loud, high, low, growly, happy, sad, robot, squeaky, whispering etc...)

And to help them understand, sometimes I demonstrate that voice, saying:

TEACHER: "May I cross your bridge?" in that kind of voice.

The child then asks:

CHILD: "May I cross your bridge?"

TEACHER: "Yes, you may!" 

After we have played the game once or twice, I usually don't need to demonstrate the voice types. The kids can also start to come up with their own funny voices.

Once they have crossed the bridge, they sit at the other end of the room while other children have a turn.

THE BRIDGE
For safety this year, I'm probably just going to use a board on the floor -- maybe with low pavers underneath if it is stable and won't flip up when stepped on.
No one got hurt in the past - this is just cautionary. Children's footwear fashions are tending towards stiff & chunky soles - not good for games requiring agility.

Apple Starts with "A", GREAT Phonics Song!

Just before storytime, I teach the kids one new letter of the alphabet, and we practice making its sound. Then we practice saying the names of the letters we have learned so far, and finally we sing The Learning Station's ABC Phonics song - just up to our new letter.
So far this year we are up to the letter K.

They are always so eager to move on to the next letter. This week they were so disappointed they could not sing the letter L for Lion until after Christmas!

The pace is lively enough to make it fun, but not too fast. The melody is super simple. I'm always impressed how much the kids enjoy singing this; they take learning their letters very seriously.

ABC Phonics 

by The Learning Station

Apple Starts with A,
ah - ah - apple,

Bear Starts with B,
b - b - bear, 

... and so it goes. So simple and effective.

Christmas 2015 ~ A Funny Jingle Bells, The Mitten in the Snow Song

Hi Sunshine Parents!

Here is a list of all our Christmas songs this year. I don't like to teach Christmas music all through November, so if you want to help your kids learn these songs I welcome the help.

Jingle Bells

This year we are not using the "Dashing through the snow" verse,
but are singing our special Sunshine verse instead:

A day or two ago, 

I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon my Sunshine Pals 
were seated by my side. 
Our horse was running fast, 
as fast as he could go,
He tripped over a snowball and we all fell in the snow! OH!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, HEY! 
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, HEY! 

The Mitten in the Snow Song

This simple song is sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell",
and goes through all the animals in Jan Brett's telling of "The Mitten".
If you have a copy of this book, you can sing the song as you tell the story.

The mitten in the snow
The mitten in the snow
Help us please so we won’t freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A mole squeezes in
A mole squeezes in
Help us please so we won’t freeze!
A mole squeezes in


Then for then next SEVEN VERSES it goes through all the animals who join the mole in the mitten! (For the purpose of our program, we probably won't sing every verse!)

Rabbit
Hedgehog
Owl
Badger
Fox
Bear
Mouse

And finally:

The bear says, “A-choo!”
The bear says, “A-choo!”
All the animals fly out of
The mitten in the snow!

All the other songs...

These songs are described in last year's Christmas post (link)
Peppermint Stick
Up on the Housetop
Ring the Bells
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer 

And...
Away in a Manger (first verse)
Ring those Bells and Turn Around
We Wish You a Merry Christmas