Next Week's Theme

Since we just finished with teddy bears and September is National Honey month, we are going to do Honey and bees! I'm excited!

Teddy Bear Week-Wednesday

We are all feeling better today. So here is what we did this morning:

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1. We sang our days of the week song and put up the new day of the week on the sign

2. We talked about the weather and put the weather up on the weather sign

3. We read several book today:

Corduroy's Valentine's Day-The kids liked this book

Corduroy's Lost and Found- Kids loved this book too.

First Snow-They really liked this book and the pictures are really neat!

Teddy Bear's Picnic-We used this for song time- it is a story and has 9 favorite songs in to. Kids loved it too!

4. We talked about our color of the week-Brown (Kids seem to still be having a hard time with colors, but they are only 2 so this is just an introduction!

5. Counting-We are still working on counting to 5. They were doing so well, but with a couple of sick days they had a little bit of a hard time. We practice counting Teddy Bears

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After learning time, they are watching Little Bear Plays a Game. They love Little Bear and I am going to have to find my son's old Little Bear Videos!

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We will be reading some more today, I'll update later!

This is the link to the Book post.

I also think that maybe tomorrow we will have a picnic out side with our Teddy Bears!

Teddy Bear Week-Tuesday

We are all really sick, so we might not be doing much today, maybe read a few books?

Teddy Bear Week-Monday

We do most of our learning right after breakfast. Here is what we did today:
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1.We do the days of the week song and put up the new day of the week on the sign(I got the sign for a buck at the dollar tree)
2. We also look outside and fill in the weather for the day on the weather sign.
3. We learned about the color brown.
4. We do a counting activity-Today we counted teddy bears, if they get the number right they get to keep that bear. My kids love this, we are working on counting to 5.
5. We read these books: Corduroy, When the Teddy Bears Came, Little Brown Bear Learns to Share
6. We sang songs- Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, and the one they like the most right now, The Wheels on The Bus.
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I am planning on reading these book after lunch before nap time:
Corduroy's Lost and Found
Teddy Bear's Picnic
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I am planning on bedtime books as the following:
Night,Night Emily
Night,Night Cuddly Bear
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We are also watching some Little Bear Videos today
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Snack time we are having Teddy Grahams
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For books-See Book post, they are linked so you can see the book.

Teddy Bear Week Books

To find books in my theme, I go to my library's website and then do a search on the online catalog for whatever the theme is and then I look trough them and pick out what I want. My library know I do themes and they told me to bring in my list and they would have them ready for me. This has made things really simple for me. They even through in some that they find that are not on my list. We never read all of them that I check out, but I leave some of them out that they can look at themselves. We do read a lot in my house so we do usually get through most of them! Also, check out our book of the day on my side bar!
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Here is my list for the Teddy Bear Week
Corduroy-Don Freeman
Corduroy Goes to the Fire Station-Don Freeman
I'll Protect You from the Jungle Beast-Martha Alexander
Bear in Mind-A Book of Bear Poems- Selected by Bobbye S. Goldstein
First Snow-Kim Lewis
Ten Little Teddies-Lucy Su
Curduroy Lost and Found-Don Freeman
First Flight-David McPhail
Teddy Bears Picnic-Mark Burgess
I'll Tell You What They Say-Anna Grossnickle Hines
A Letter For Maria- Elizabeth Lindsay
Little Brown Bear Learns to Share-Claude Lebran
When the Teddy Bears Came- Martin Waddell
Spring Cleaning-Else Minsrik
My Friend Bear- Jez Alborough
Teddy's Christmas Gift- Jan Mogensen
Night,Night Cuddly Bear- Martin Waddell
Ira Sleeps Over-Bernard Waber
Night-Night, Emily- Claire Freedman
Corduroy Lost and Found- Don Freeman
Elmer and the Lost Teddy- David McKee
Corduroy's Snow Day-Don Freeman
Small Bear Lost- Martin Waddell
You and Me, Little Bear-Martin Waddell
Little Bean's Friend- John Wallace
Can't You Sleep, Little Bear- Martin Waddell
The Bear Came Over My House-Rick Walton
Corduroy's Christmas-B.G. Hennessy
Corduroy's Halloween-B.G. Hennessy
Corduroy at the Zoo-B.G. Hennessy
Corduroy's Valentine's Day-B.G. Hennessy
Sister Bear Learns to Share-Stan and Jan Berenstain
Care Bears How Does Your Garden Grow?- Frances Ann Ladd
Corduroy's Hike-Allison Inches
Corduroy's Garden-Allison Inches

Teddy Bear Week Ideas

We will be doing many of these things for this week, I welcome comments of other ideas! I will make a separate post for books!
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Songs:
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
The Bear Went Over The Mountain
The Bear Song
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Bears, Bears Everywhere
Bears Everywhere Bears, bears, bears, everywhere! Point in all directions.
Bears climbing stairs, Pretend to climb.
Bears sitting on chairs, Pretend to sit.
Bears collecting fares, Reach out for fares. Place hands in pockets.
Bears giving stares, Stare at group.
Bears, bears, bears, everywhere!
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Bear Song-Sung to: "Row, row, row your boat"
Hug, hug, hug your bear
Squeeze him very tight
Hold him high
Help him fly
Then hug with all your might.
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Five Little Bears: Counting Down
Five little bears
Heard a loud roar
One ran away
Then there were four!

Four little bears
Climbing up a tree
One slid down
Then there were three!

Three little bears
Deciding what to do
One fell asleep
Then there were two!

Two little bears
Having lots of fun
One went home
Then there was one!
One little bear
Feeling all alone
Ran to his mother
Then there were none!
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Teddy was his name o-Sung to: "B-I-N-G-O"
There was a boy who had a bear and Teddy was his name-O
T E D D Y, T E D D Y, T E D D Y
and Teddy was his name-O.
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Going on a Bear Hunt
Going on a bear hunt Gonna catch a big one I'm not afraid (shake head no)
What's that up ahead (shade eyes with hand, look around)
A field:Can't go around it,Can't go under it, Can't go over it
Gotta go through it (rub hands together)
A lake (swimming motion)
A mud puddle (cup hands together, suction sound)
A tree (climbing motion)
A cave (reaching out in the dark)
What's this? I feel something...It has a noseeyesearsfur It's a bear!RUN!!!
Run away, through actions backward
Out of the cave (you can see)
A tree ( climbing motion)
A mud puddle ( suction hands, move fast)
A lake (swimming motion)
A field (rub hands together)
Whew!We're home
I'm not afraid!
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Little Bear-you have to scroll down
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Teddy Bear Song- you have to scroll down
Activities:
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Coloring pages
Six Little Bears online story
Make a Teddy Bear Craft, learn about circles
Cave Bears- Make a tent and have bears(my kids are going to play bears and hide in the cave
Dance with Teddy and Play Freeze Dance
Paper Teddy Bear
What Will Bella Wear Online Story-Talk about weather
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Snacks and Cooking:
Teddy Grahams
Mini Teddy Bear Pancakes- Make your favorite pancake batter. Pour a small amount of batter to form a 2" pancake in the pan. Add two small drops of mixture to form ears. Remove cooked pancake to a plate and add features using chocolate chips, banana slices, raisins, etc!
Bear Biscuits-
refrigerated biscuits raisins or chocolate chips
maraschino cherries
honey
cinnamon sugar (optional)
Separate biscuits. Each child needs 2 biscuits. For each bear place one whole biscuit on baking sheet. Cut the other biscuit in half. Now cut one of the halves into 2 pieces and make round balls with the dough and firmly press to top of head to make ears. With the other half, form round or oval shape for the nose. Press in raisins or chips for eyes and nose. Add 1/4 maraschino cherry to each ear. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on to give him the brown look and a cinnamon roll taste. Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown. Enjoy with honey - a bears favorite treat!!!
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Gummy Bears
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Honeycomb Cereal
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Bear Claws
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Videos
Little Bear Snacktime Tales
Baby Bears
Little Bear Plays a Game
Three Bears
Corduroy

Teddy Bear Theme Augst 27-31

This week we are doing a Teddy Bear Theme, I'll be back later to post my ideas. We made a trip to the librar and found lots of good books in this theme.

Zoo Theme Monday August 20th

Books for the Day:
1. Put me in the zoo Robert Lopshire
2. Beautiful Zoo Animals
3. The Berenstain Bears Pick Up and Put Away-Stan and Jan Berenstain
4.Good Night Gorilla-Peggy Rauthmann
5. Zebras
6. How Do You Raise a Raise a Rhino?-Judy Ziegler
7.
8.
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Songs:
1. Sally the Camel
Sally The Camel (Sung to:Dem Bones)Sally the Camel has two humps, Sally the Camel has two humps, Sally the Camel has two humps, so Ride Sally, Ride! Boom, Boom, boom.Sally the Camel has one hump, Sally the Camel has one hump, Sally the Camel has one hump, so Ride Sally, Ride! Boom, Boom, Boom.Sally the Camel has no hump,Sally the Camel has no humps, Sally the Camel has no humps, Now Sally is a Horse!!
2.5 Little Monkeys
Five Little MonkeysFive little monkeys swinging in a tree,Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!Four little monkeys swinging in a tree,Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!Three little monkeys swinging in a tree,Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!Two little monkeys swinging in a tree,Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!One little monkey swinging in a tree,Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!No little monkeys swinging in a tree.
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Activities:
1. Counting zoo animals from Little People's Playsets
2. Movie-Curious George Zoo Night and other Animal Stories

Future Themes

1. Pumpkins
2. Pets
3. Farm
4. Apples
5. Dragons
6. Dianasaurs
7. Teddy Bears
8. Turtles
9. Shoes (my little girl loves shoes)
10. Trains
11. Baby
12. Manners
13. Firefighters
14. The Potty
15. Fall

Got any good ideas for a theme? Leave me a comment

Zoo Animals

The theme I am working on for Aug 20-24 is Zoo Animals. Here are some ideas I have so far.

These are just my ideas. I will post what we do everyday.

Books to use:
Good Night Gorilla-Peggy Rathmann
Detective Bob and the Great Ape Escape-David Harrison
Curious George Visits the Zoo-
If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo-Mary Jean Hendrick
If I Ran the Zoo-Dr. Suess
123 to the Zoo- Eric Carle
What Do You See? by Eric Carle

Crafts and activities:
Zoo Pal Plates- Cut in half and have kids match the animals

Make a Zoo-Use a Styrofoam meat trays and glue pictures of zoo animals on it. String yarn across it for the bars.

Paper Plate Lion

Tiger Ball
Need: Large ball
Children sit in a circle (a small circle of five to eight children provides more learning opportunity). If the group is large, divide into two or three circles. Children chant the following verse as they pass the ball around the circle:
Tiger ball, tiger ball,Where it stops, no one knows.If you're caught holding it,You become a tiger.
On the word, "Tiger," whoever is holding the ball at that moment must lose a turn, and sit in the center of the circle. Children do not mind this penalty in the slightest because they are the center of attention and because their time out is very brief.
This game, while very, very simple, is a great delight for little children. It teaches them, in the gentlest way, something about cooperation through simple give and take.

Color Pages

Food:
Animal Crackers- the small boxes with all the zoo animals on them(We will sort them)

Zoo Cakes- Make a batch of cupcakes and ice with white frosting. Place an animal cracker on top of each cupcake and you have a fun afternoon snack.

Elephant Snack- With help peanuts, my kids like these and already eat them.

Videos:
Barney Let's Go to the Zoo
Curious George Zoo Night and other Animal Stories
Madagascar

Songs and rhymes:
Zoo
by Meish Goldish
Sung to: "Skip to My Lou"
Chorus
Zoo, zoo, who's in the zoo?Zoo, zoo, who's in the zoo?Zoo, zoo, who's in the zoo?Who's in the zoo to visit?
Monkeys swinging on a tree,Sheep and lions grazing free,Tall giraffes, a sight to see!All in the zoo to visit.
Chorus
Deer with antlers on their head,Hippos waiting to be fed,Peacocks with their feathers spread,All in the zoo to visit.
Chorus
Polar bears all getting wet,Baby goats that I can pet,Elephants I won't forget,All in the zoo to visit.
Chorus

Jumping Monkeys
Author Unknown

Five little monkeys
Jumping on the bed,
One fell off
And bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor,
And the doctor said,
"That's what you get for
Jumping on the bed!"

The Monkeys At The Zoo Sung to: Farmer In The Dell
The monkeys at the zoo,The monkeys at the zoo.
Hi-ho, they laugh and play.
The monkeys at the zoo.
The monkeys run and hide.
The monkeys run and hide.
They like to play, then run away.
The monkeys at the zoo.

Underneath the Monkey Tree
Come and play a while with me, Underneath the monkey tree. Monkey See and Monkey Do, Just like monkeys in the zoo.
Swing your tail, one, two, three, Underneath the monkey tree. Monkey See and Monkey Do, Just like monkeys in the zoo.
Jump around and smile like me, Underneath the monkey tree. Monkey See and Monkey Do, Just like monkeys in the zoo.


An elephant goes like this and that
An elephant goes like this and that,(pat knees)He's terrible big,(put hands up high)And he's terrible fat,(wiggle fingers)And he has no toes,(touch toes)But goodness gracious, what a nose!(make curling movement away from nose)

The Monkey
The monkey claps, claps, claps his hands. (clap hands)The monkey claps, claps, claps his hands. (clap hands)Monkey see, monkey do.The monkey does the same as you.(use pointer finger-change actions)

Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Four little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Three little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Two little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

One little monkey swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

No little monkeys swinging in a tree.

Koala Bear
Koala bear, koala bear, Turn around, (Turn around)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch the ground (Touch the ground)
Koala bear, koala bear, Dance on your toes, (Dance on tip toes)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch your nose (Touch your nose)
Koala bear, koala bear, Give a little clap, (clap)
Koala bear, koala bear, Take a nap (Put head on hands like sleeping)

Sally The Camel (Sung to:Dem Bones)
Sally the Camel has two humps, Sally the Camel has two humps, Sally the Camel has two humps, so Ride Sally, Ride! Boom, Boom, boom.

Sally the Camel has one hump, Sally the Camel has one hump, Sally the Camel has one hump, so Ride Sally, Ride! Boom, Boom, Boom.

Sally the Camel has no hump,Sally the Camel has no humps, Sally the Camel has no humps, Now Sally is a Horse!!

I will be adding new ideas as I get them.

Weekly books

Some of the books we have used this week so far are the following:

1. Five little Monkeys bake a cake- The twins loved this book! They loved the shh, Don't wake mommy phrase and I liked that they got to count. We are working on counting to 5.

I will add to this as the week goes on.

Week One-August 13-17

This week we are going to work on letters and numbers in general until I get some ideas for next week. I am really excited about working with my kids at home. So many other two year olds already know their ABC's and Color so I will definately be working on those. I will also write update post on how my kids are doing. I will list the theme and some plans. If you have ideas for the themes I have selected, please let me know. I do have a teaching degree, but it is in middle/high school home economics so any ideas would be great!