Valentine's Day Fun for the Children in Your Life

Vintage Post Card for Valentine's Day

Last year I offered a lapsit program to celebrate the Valentine’s Day. Listed below are the fingerplays, songs and story stretchers I used in the program. They are found throughout the internet without attribution so they are free for you to use as well.  

I also used a flannel board with heart shapes for the counting rhymes. I hope you will find something fun to use with your little ones. 

COUNTING AND FINGERPLAYS

Five Pretty Valentines

Five pretty valentines waiting at the store.

(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were four.
Four pretty valentines shaped like a "V"
(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were three.
Three pretty valentines said "I love you"
(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were two.
Two pretty valentines, this was so much fun.
(Insert child's name) bought one and then there was one.
One pretty valentine sitting on the shelf.
I felt sorry for it, so I bought it for myself!

Making a Heart

"I part my hands together, this is how I start; (heels of hands together)

I curve my fingers right around and I can make a Heart!

Valentine Poem

Five little valentines just for you
The first one says, "My love is true."
The second one says, "You have my heart."
The third one says, "Let us never part."
The fourth one says, "Won't you please be mine?"
The fifth one says, "'Till the end of time."

My Valentine Heart

When I say I love you (Point to lips)

It comes from my heart (Hand on heart)
You hear it in your ear (Point to ear)
And it sounds very smart (Point to head)
I love it when you're proud of me (Stand very tall)
You say it all day long (Stretch arms wide)
And when I hear you say it (Point to ear)
My heart sings a merry song (Hand on heart)

SONGS

Skinnamarinky

Skinnamarinky dinky dink

Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

I love you in the morning,
And in the afternoon
I love you in the evening,
Underneath the moon…

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

H-E-A-R-T  (To the tune of  Bingo)

There is a shape and it means love

And heart is it's nameo.

H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T, (spell the word out)

And Heart is it's nameo!

Continue leaving out a letter on each repeat and use a clap in place of the missing letter.

STORY STRETCH

Tony Chestnut

Tony Chestnut knows I love you,
Tony knows, Tony knows,
Tony Chestnut
Knows I love you,
That's what Tony knows.

While singing, point to
different parts of your body, like this:

Toe knee chest nut (head)
Nose eye
Love (heart)
You (point to others)
Toe knee nose
Toe knee nose
Toe knee chest nut (head)
Nose eye
Love (heart)
You (point to others)
That's what toe knee nose.

Songs for Teaching: Another version of Tony Chestnut: http://www.songsforteaching.com/folk/tonychestnut.php

This is an adorable video of children doing  the longer version of Tony Chestnut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPwGZN4Kbc

Another Tony Chestnut video using a different technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLLMm8fbhqk

CRAFTS

30 Fun and Easy Valentine’s Day Crafts

http://www.woohome.com/diy-2/30-fun-and-easy-diy-valentines-day-crafts-kids-can-make 

Crafty Morning - Heart shaped animal masks.

http://www.craftymorning.com/valentines-day-heart-shaped-animal/

DLTK-Holidays.com - Adorable elephant valentine for animal lovers. Too cute!

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/melephant.htm

CURRICULUM

Education World – Have a Heart: Valentine’s Day Across the Curriculum. Lessons plans and activities for K-12.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson222.shtml

RECIPES

40+ Cutest Valentine’s Day Recipes for Kids

https://www.inthekidskitchen.com/valentines-day-treats-kids/

 

Crafty Morning – Heart shaped cinnamon rolls
https://www.craftymorning.com/heart-shaped-cinnamon-rolls/

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2014 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

The Gingerbread Man: Stories, Songs and Fingerplays

We will begin celebrating the holidays and December at the New Bedford Whaling Historical Park with gingerbread men. Here are some fingerplays and songs I will be using during the program. They are not my original pieces but found on many websites over the Internet without attribution. Please feel free to use them in your work. 

I have also researched some stories, curriculum, and crafts, and of course a recipe should you wish to try your hand at making your very own Gingerbread Man!

FINGERPLAYS

Five Little Gingerbread Men

Five little gingerbread men lying on a tray,
One jumped up and ran away.
Shouting "Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can ...
I run really fast, I'm a gingerbread man!"

Four little gingerbread men lying on a tray...

Count down using the same lines above to one

No more gingerbread men lying on a tray,
They all jumped up and ran away.
Oh, how I wish they had stayed with me to play.
Next time I'll eat them before they run away.

ACTION RHYMES

Gingerbread Men

Stir a bowl of gingerbread, smooth and spicy brown.
(Pretend to stir.)

Roll it with the rolling pin up and down.
(Making rolling motions.)

Take a cookie cutter and make some little men.
(Use imaginary cutter to cut imaginary shape.)

Put them in the oven 'til half past ten. *
(Pretend to slide cookie tray into oven.)

MMMM!|
*You can count down from ten to one or start at five and down to one.

SONGS

Where is My Gingerbread Man? (to the tune of "Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?")

Oh where, oh where is my Gingerbread Man?
Oh where, oh where can he be?

He popped out of the oven and ran out the door.

Oh where, oh where can he be?

Gingerbread Song (to the tune of "The Muffin Man")

Oh, do you know the Gingerbread Man,
The Gingerbread Man, the Gingerbread Man?
Oh, do you know the Gingerbread Man,

Who ran and ran and ran?

He said, "Catch me if you can,

If you can, if you can."

He said, "Catch me if you can,
Then ran and ran and ran.

I can run like the Gingerbread Man.
The Gingerbread Man, the Gingerbread Man.
I can run like the Gingerbread Man.
Now catch me if you can.

12 Gingerbread Songs for Preschoolers  
https://preschooleducation.com/songs/gingerbread-songs-for-preschoolers/

STORIES

The Johnny Cake Boy - USA

https://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-31.html

The Runaway Pancake – Many versions may be found here.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2025.html

Tales Similar to the Gingerbread Man
https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/oldsite/gingerbread/other.html

BOOKS

Gingerbread Baby
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gingerbread-baby-jan-brett/1101967600

The Gingerbread Man – I have this one in my personal collection. It has a recipe for cookies in the back.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gingerbread-man-jim-aylesworth/1103781792?ean=9780590972192&gQT=2

Gingerbread Stories from Around the World   
https://boymamateachermama.com/2013/12/02/book-mama-gingerbread-men-stories-from-around-the-world/

University of Northern Iowa - Lots of variations on the story here.
https://guides.lib.uni.edu/c.php?g=668416&p=4701295

CURRICULUM

15 Gingerbread Week Literacy Activities 
https://aroundthekampfire.com/15-gingerbread-week-literacy-activities/

Enchanted Learning – Worksheets and crafts to complement the folktale, The Gingerbread Man.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/

Gingerbread Man Activities for Preschool
https://thecorecoaches.com/archives/55491

Gingerbread Man – Color by Numbers
https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/color-by-number/gingerbread-man-color-by-numbers

Kidzone -Gingerbread Man five-day theme Unit for grades K-2.
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm

Teaching Strategies = The Gingerbread Man 
https://teachingstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Read-Aloud-Gingerbread-Man_English.pdf

CRAFTS

DLTK-Kids – Pager chain craft.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mgingerbread.html

DLTK-Teach.com – The Gingerbread Man Puppets or Felt Board Characters; templates included.
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/felt.htm

JanBrett.com – Gingerbread Baby Masks to use with the book by Jan Brett, The Gingerbread Baby.
http://www.janbrett.com/gingerbread_baby_masks_main.htm

Gingerbread Men Ornaments

It is as follows:
1/2 c. cinnamon
1/2 c. applesauce
2 Tablespoons glue
Mix together and roll out onto wax paper. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out the shape. Poke a hole on the top with a straw. Let air dry for a couple of days. Then you can paint them if you like. But the smell is wonderful! This makes approximately six ornaments.
Thanks to Kristia Wildflower for sharing this craft.

RECIPE

Have fun making your own Gingerbread Man!
http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipes/gingerbread_cookies.htm

SOMETHING EXTRA

The Gingerbread Man Story: Here’s the History Behind the Fairy Tale
https://www.allrecipes.com/gingerbread-man-story-8410724

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2012 © This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Swimming Towards the End of Summer: Oceans and Whales

The Sea Fairy
by Warwick Goble

Are you looking for some fun additions to finish off your summer programs with the little ones? Here are some songs, fingerplays and story stretches about whales and the ocean to help cool them off during the last hot days of summer!

There are also additional links for two separate blog posts with more fun and some lesson plans, games and activities for the older children.

SONG

A Sea Song (Sung to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)

The waves at the beach go up and down, up and down, up and down.
The waves at the beach go up and down all day long.

The lobsters on the beach go snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap.
The lobsters on the beach go snap, snap,snap all day long.

The crabs on the beach go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
The crabs on the beach go back and forth all day long.

The clams on the beach will open and shut, open and shut, open and shut.
The clams on the beach will open and shut all day long.

The jellyfish they go wibble, wobble, wibble,wibble, wobble, wibble, wibble, wobble, wibble.
The jellyfish they go wibble, wobble, wibble all day long.

FINGERPLAYS

A Whale Is Not as Small as Us

A whale is not as small as us (shake head and finger)
Most whales are bigger than a bus! (stretch arms out wide)
A whale is not like a fish in the sea (shake head and finger)
A whale breathes air like you and me.(take deep breath)
A whale can't walk upon the ground (shake head and finger)
A whale must swim to get around (make swimming motions)
A whale is a mammal just like you and me, (nod head and point to self and children)
But his home is in the deep blue sea! (make wave motions with hand)

I Walked to the Beach

I walked to the beach, (Swing arms and walk in place)
And what did I see? (Put hands over eyes, looking)
A lot of little fish, (Place hands together, wiggle)
Looking at me! (Point to self)
I jumped into the water, (Jump)
And splashed all around. (Put palms down; make splashing motions.)
The fish swam away, (Place hands together; wiggle)
And didn't make a sound! (Put fingers to lips)  

STORY STRETCH

Ocean Motion  (To the tune of Hokey Pokey)

You put your crab claws in,
You take your crab claws out,
You put your crab claws in,
And you snap them all about....
You do the ocean motion and you turn yourself around,
That's what it's all about! (Make wave motions with the hands as you turn around)

Swish your eel's tail in..out....sting it all about
Show your shark's teeth...bite them all about
Put your star fish up......down......flop it all around (spread hand wide to be the star fish)
Reach your octopus arms out..in....hug them all around (hug self)
Put your clown fish stripes on...off...swim all around.

The Whales (To the tune of I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a humpback whale,
I'm very strong.
I leap about
and sing a song.
I like to eat my fill
In the Northern Sea.
But in the winter,
South I flee.

I am a beluga,
I'm all white.
From head to tail
I'm quite a sight.
You can hear me singing
Way up north,
Playing and swimming
Back and forth.

I'm a mighty orca
Black and white.
In the sea I'm a beautiful sight.
I'm not very big, but I am sleek.
I hunt for my food
Cause I have teeth.

Another blog post connected to my lapsit program with songs and fingerplays.

Let’s Swim with the Fishes!

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/05/lets-swim-with-fishes.html

And another to celebrate World Water Day.

Water, Water Everywhere

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/03/water-water-everywhere.html

 

GAMES, ACTIVITIES AND LESSON PLANS

Mr. Donn.org – Ocean information and lots of links here to keep you and your students swimming along for the year.

http://geography.mrdonn.org/oceans.html

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.