We had a wonderful time exploring stories & activities about bugs, caterpillars & butterflies!
For a printable list of all of the songs, bounces & rhymes we shared (including lyrics), click here:
OPENING SONGS:
Welcome Everyone!
Clap Everybody and Say Hello!
BOUNCES:
Dickery, Dickery Dare!
Grand Old Duke of York
OUR BOOK:
A great book for teaching counting, colors & bugs. The pictures are vivid, bright and bold with lots of interest for toddler eyes!
Of course the bugs were all vying for that delicious blueberry rolling past them. They were all to late though because a bird swooped down & grabbed it!
Movement Song: Clap, Tap & Bend
STORY ACTIVITY:
SURPRISE BUTTERFLY IN A BOX
The fuzzy little caterpillar
Crawled up to look at me.
He wiggled and I giggled,
Friends we soon would be.
So I put him in a box, I did!
“Don’t you crawl a way”, I said.
But, the next time I opened up the lid,
Out flew a butterfly instead!
FLANNEL ACTIVITIES:
Shall we make more butterflies come out?
YES!
Five little caterpillars spinning their cocoons (roll your hands)
Hoping spring would be here soon (fingers crossed)
With a little big of magic (wiggle your fingers)
And some warm sunshine (arms overhead for round sun)
Clap, clap, clap, butterfly come!
(pull out a butterfly from a basket)
Clap, clap, clap, butterfly come! (Credit: Miss Sarah’s Storytime Blogspot)
(Repeat until five butterflies are on the flannel board)
Our Butterfly Flannel Rhyme:
Five little butterflies in flowers galore!
One flew away and then there were four.
Four little butterflies among the sweet peas,
One flew away and then there were three.
Three little butterflies with nothing to do,
One flew away and then there were two.
Two little butterflies resting in the sun,
One flew away and then there was one.
One little butterfly, so sad and all alone,
She flew away and then there were none!
(Credit: Jean Warren)
Shall we bring them all back (+5)???
YES!
Counting Song:
One little, two little, three little butterflies…
Four little, five little, six little butterflies…
Seven little, eight little, nine little butterflies..
Ten little butterflies here (+ another). 🙂
MORE BOUNCES:
This is the Way the Ladies Ride
Trot to Boston
Trot Trot Trot
OUR NURSERY RHYME:
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again!
TICKLE:
Round and round the garden (circle baby’s belly with fingers)
Goes the teddy bear (walk fingers around belly button)
A one-step, a two-step (walk fingers to chin)
A tickle under there!!! (tickle under chin)
CLOSING SONGS:
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Goodbye Babies (in sign) (to the tune of Hello Ladies…)
Goodbye babies, goodbye babies, goodbye babies…it’s time to say goodbye