Any child who has a favorite well-loved stuffed toy will relate to this story about Micah and his rabbit.  Will Micah turn his old worn toy in for a new one?

Materials

• Send a note home letting the parents know that the children are invited to bring a favorite stuffed animal or toy to school today.
• Several eye droppers and materials that have some absorbing properties (paper, paper towel, wash cloth, doll clothes, puppet, wood block, plastic toy)

Vocabulary

• Concern (to worry about someone or something)
• Stains (marks that won’t come out of cloth)
• Mend (to sew up holes and worn spots)
• Absorb (to soak up the water)
• Dissolve (fall apart and become part of the water)

Before Reading the Story

                  Let the children talk about any stuffed animal or toy that they have brought to school today.  Where did you get it, do you sleep with it, does it have a name?

Language Development/Speaking & Understanding; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Reading the Story

                  Show the children the cover of the book.  Can they identify the animal?  On the page where the rabbit comes out soaking and still has stains, ask the children if they can think of a way to get the stains off rabbits face? On the page with many rabbits, stop and ask the children what they think Micah will do? When you read Micah’s voice, read with gentleness.  Note the expressions on Micah’s face as you read.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; acts out stories in dramatic play; and predicts what will happen next in a story.

After Reading the Story

                  In the story Micah told Bunny Rabbit not to worry.  Why do you think he said that? What if you saw a friend with a dirty face or clothes, what could you do to help?

Social & Emotional Development/Social Relationships; progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, angry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others.

Discovery

                  Put out eye droppers and a cup of water.  Let the children experiment with absorption.  What materials absorb lots of water, some water, no water at all?

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Music and Movement

Put on the Washing Machine Song and have the children dance along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Moz_FSkRw

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical tempos and styles.

Teach your children the finger play, Here Is The Bunny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp5RI3UOwUU

Blocks

                  Remind the children that cars take a bath at the car wash.  Give the children cars to use and encourage them to make a carwash with the blocks.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, set of directions, despite distractions and interruptions.

Art

Give the children bunny templates for them to decorate with markers or crayons.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing, and art tools, including pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.

Library and Writing

                  Ask the children to draw and name their favorite stuffed animal or toy. Can they tell you why this animal is special? Write any dictation on a piece of paper and attach to the child’s picture.

Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

 Sand and Water

                  Soapy water and doll clothes or dolls to wash.

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex.

Dramatic Play

                  Add stuffed animals that can be dressed in the doll clothes. (Children need plenty of practice with buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles).

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

Math and Manipulatives

Outdoor Play

                  Make a puddle for the children to dig mud in and jump over.

Physical Health & Development/Gross Motor Skills; shows increasing levels of proficiency, control, and balance in walking, climbing, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, and galloping.

Transitions

                  Give the children the following bathing riddles and see if they can figure them out.  A bird takes a bath in a (bird bath).  A car takes a bath in a (car wash).  A flower gets a bath in (the rain).  A person takes a bath in (a shower/tub).  Clothes take a bath in (a washing machine).  Dishes take a bath in (the sink/dishwasher).  A dog takes a bath (in the hose).  Fruits and vegetables take a bath (in the sink).  Hands take a bath in (the sink).  Fish take a bath in (a lake). 

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events, and experiences.

Resources