Theme Thursday: Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! We were perfectly on time in the real world, but on the blog we're celebrating just a little bit late. That's okay, mom's deserve as much praise as they can get!

Song: Good Morning Dear Earth

Flannel: Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone

Alphabet Soup: MOMMY

Song: M-O-M-M-Y

 To the tune of Bingo:

There was a lady, loved me so, and Mommy was her name-o

Book: Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Ann Dewdey

Rhyme: 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Song: Move Your Body Along

Clap, Clap, Clap

We're gonna clap, clap, clap

We're gonna clap our hands

And sing this song,

So move your body right along

Stomp... Feet

Stretch... Arms

Twist... Wasit

Jump... Up High

Sway... So Slow

Flannel: 5 Little Ducks

Book: Mommy Loves Her Baby/Daddy Loves His Baby by Tara Jaye Morrow

Song: Turn Around from Getting to know Myself

Make and Take Craft: Hand Print Bouquets (Inspiration Here)

Supplies:

-paint

-sponges

-construction paper

-crayons

Process: Whew, my first attempt at finger/hand painting with the babies and toddlers. It will be a while before I try it again. Or at least a much smaller group. For prep I drew stems with bows tied around them on several sheet of construction paper and left others blank. After story time I laid out long sheets of butcher paper in the hallway and spread out paper plates with paint and a sponge on each one. Crayons were also spread about. I had plenty of paper towels on hand, but this craft still required lots of parent/caregiver help.

The one big stroke of genius, and I forgot where I read about it, is to use the sponge to put just enough paint on the baby or toddler's hand. If they just stick their hand straight in a bunch of paint, it's too much and becomes way too messy too quickly. But with a sponge, you can control how much goes on in an even manner.

After the paint is applied to the hand, you just make hand prints near or around the stems and it comes out looking like a bouquet. An abstract bouquet, maybe. But a bouquet nonetheless.

Time: Prep took about 20 minutes, 10 to draw the stems/bows, 10 for set-up. The craft took about 30, since people had to wait their turn for the paint.

A few kids refused to get paint on their hands, in that case we just gave them crayons and let them go crazy. Tracing their hands is another option. The moms in the crowd seemed to really love the end results and the caregivers were pleased with having something to take home to the parents as well.