Flannel Friday: Sights to See in Washington D.C.

A few weeks ago I mentioned to a story time mom that I was working on a special story time for the inauguration but it was hard to find good books (I cheated and went with books about Bo the dog instead), songs to sing and flannels to make. She immediately said "Why don't you do one on things you see in DC. You could make the Washington monument out of felt! And the Lincoln... maybe not the Lincoln memorial." Lincoln out of felt? Challenge accepted.

Ms. E, my coworker in the children's room, and I collaborated on a song and rhyming couplets and 5 sights of DC later we had a brand new flannel.

I introduced it by talking a little bit about the inaugural parade and asked the kids what were some things the president might see on his walk from the capitol building to the white house. And then we did this flannel in the basic order that they would come in.

Let's take a walk around the city

We'll look high and we'll look low

Tell me, how many places do you know?

The senate and congress met here ever day;
They work hard to make laws and give the people a say.

It's the Capitol Building!

In 1912 they planted these trees;

The blossoms are pretty but they make Miss Lucy sneeze. ACHOO!

They're the Cherry Blossoms

The steps to the memorial are tall, wide and grand;

They lead to the statue of a really great man.

It's the Lincoln Memorial

This monument reaches way up to the sky;

It honors our first president, a pretty swell guy

It's the Washington Monument

  The President lives here, his family does too;

It's painted all white, no red, orange or blue

It's the White House!

I realize that this is a super place specific set. We're lucky to live near enough to DC that almost all of my story time kids have seen these monuments at least once, and that made it easier to do. The song is easily adaptable to any kind of touring story time though. You could use places that are well known in your own town and I'll probably make a similar set for Sochi, Russia during the winter olympics and Brazil during the World Cup next year.

Flannel Friday is hosted this week by Katie at Storytime Secrets. For more information on Flannel Friday, including how to get involved and to see past round-ups, visit the official website.