I Love You, Bunny Rabbit Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

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

From Head to Toe, by Eric Carle

This book with big bold pictures makes it fun for children to get a little exercise while you read. When you finish you can’t help but feel good by all things that you can do!

Materials

Camera

Vocabulary

Arch (curved over)
Wiggle( making movements from side to side)
Stomp (walk with heavy feet)
Drinking cupps and several small pitchers

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children why they think exercise is important (to make my muscles strong, so I never get fat, so my brother can’t beat me up). Tell the children that even animals do exercise. Show the children the back of the book where the boy and the flamingo are kicking their legs. Ask them if they know what animal this is, what is it doing, can you do it? Tell the children that if they can do it they need to loudly say, “I can do it!”

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Reading the Story

Have everyone stand up and spread out. As you read allow the children to do the actions. Make sure that they leave room between themselves so as not to bump into one another.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise that enhance physical development.

After Reading the Story

Ask the children if they can think of animals that do certain types of actions; Who swims? Who flies? Who slithers? Who gallops? Etc. Ask the children if they can do it and let them do the actions.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more that one solution to a question, task, or problem.

Discovery

Put the book and a mirror into the center. Encourage the children to look in the mirror and do the actions.

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

Show the children how to use a piece f equipment in your science center (a spin top, a magnet and paper clips, texture match cards, etc.. When you are finished, ask if they can do it? (Spin a top on the table, pick up 5 paper clips with a magnet, find a texture card that matches an article of clothing you are wearing).

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in ability to persist in and complete a variety of tasks and activities.

Music and Movement

Sing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSdeIhmv6v0

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise that enhance physical development.

Teach the children some simple yoga. Many yoga poses have animal names (the cat, the dog, the frog) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHoErQuFw_4

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise that enhance physical development.

Blocks

The teacher goes into blocks and builds a simple block structure (10 blocks big). Ask the children, “Can you do it”? And encourage them to build one just like yours.

Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in ability to persist in and complete a variety of tasks and activities.

Art

Eric Carle does his pictures using finger paints. Put finger paints on the paper and give the children sticks, combs, and any other things you can find that will make the lines through the paint. (finger nails work good too).

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Sand and Water

Put out the small pitchers and drinking cups. Show the children how to pour the cup without overflowing. Let the children practice pouring. Can they do it? For children who have had practice pouring, make marks on the cups for the children to use as filing lines.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth , and toileting.

Library and Writing

Tell the children that you are going to make a class book called Can You Do It? Ask each child to use a body part and tell you what they are doing. Take a picture of them doing their action. Put the pictures together to make a classroom book (Kerry can wiggle her fingers, can you do it? Roger can twist his waist, can you do it?). Do not be surprised if children show you ninja moves, somersaults, and squats.

Literacy/Early Writing; develops an understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes. AND Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Dramatic Play

Put out any exercise equipment that you may have and let the children experiment using .

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. AND Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Math and Manipulatives

Trace around the children’s hand. Let the children cut out their hand. Ask the children if there is something special they can do with their hands and write it on the hand cutout (I can pet my cat, I can zip my zipper, I can tie a knot).

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Literacy/Early Writing; begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Outdoor Play

Find a stick and write your names in the dirt. Can you do it? I can do it! Show the children how to form their letters if they do not already know.

Literacy/Early Writing; progresses from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their own name.

Transitions

Play 1-2-3 How Many Do You See? Make two fists and bump them together as you say 1-2-3. Then hold up 1-10 fingers as you finish the sentence. Let the children take turns naming how many fingers you are holding up.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

Resources

When I’m Sleepy, by J.R. Howard

This story has lovely illustrations of a little girl asleep with a variety of animals. It is a fun book to re-read before nap time and to talk about how wonderful a nice bed is for sleep.

Materials

Animal BINGO game

Bear flannel pieces

4-5 stuffed animals or rubber animals

Vocabulary

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children if they know why a good nights sleep is important (When we sleep our bodies grow. Our bodies need the night sleep to rest up and get ready for a busy day. We think better when we are not sleepy). Tell the children everybody needs to sleep, children, parents, and even animals.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; builds awareness and ability to follow basic health and safety rules such as fire safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and responding appropriately to potentially harmful objects, substances, and activities.

Ask the children if anyone has a pet dog at home. Have you ever watched it sleep? How can you tell it is asleep? Tell the children that you are going to pretend that you are sleeping dogs. Have the children lie on their sides and relax their bodies. Ask them to pretend that they are dreaming about running in the back yard and begin to move their arms and legs like they are running. Tell them to lay very still now and think about how a mother bird might sleep. Let the children respond and then say birds often sleep standing on a branch. Ask the children to stand and pretend to curl their toes around a branch. Have them bend their knees slightly and tilt their head forward until their chin is touching their chest. Do you think sleeping like a bird would be easy? Have the children sit down. Ask them if they have ever seen a fish in the fish tank that looks like it is just sitting there and not moving? That’s when the fish is asleep. Have the children put their hands on their waist and push their elbows backwards then move them slightly in and out.

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

Tell the children that all living creatures need to sleep in order to grow big and strong. Say that people are lucky because we get to sleep on nice comfortable beds. Ask them if they sleep with anything that makes their bed especially comfortable (blanket, pillow, stuffed animal, sister, soft pajamas).

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Reading the Story;

As you read the story, have the children name the animals on each page.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and poetry.

After Reading the Story

Ask the children to recall the animals of the story. Do you remember how or where they were sleeping? Do a quick review of why we need a good night’s sleep. Tell them that babies need the most sleep and adults need the least. But children need lots of sleep because your bodies are growing bigger and getting stronger every single day. Let the children talk about their bedtime rituals and sleeping habits.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Discovery

Make a height chart of your children. If you already have a height chart, revisit it and up-date children’s heights. Note how big they have grown. On the bottom of the height chart mark 20 inches. Tell the children this is about how tall they were when they were born. As you mark each child, help them see where their measurement stands in relation to the rest of the children. (Look Anna, you are the same height as Lisa, Look Anna, this is where you were when we measured you last and you have grown all the way to here!).

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures of length and area.

Music and Movement

Teach the children the poem, You Have to Eat Good Food by F Koch.

You have to eat good food to grow, grow, grow

You have to exercise to grow, grow, grow

You have to sleep at night to grow, grow, grow

Take good care of yourself.

Give yourself a giant hug, because you deserve it!

Sing 5 Bears In the Bed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv4Utm-OJK8 Or teach it is Spanish! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB0JlJB-DYE Use fingers to designate the bears, or make flannel bears that you can use. Write a number 1-5 on each bear.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and written numerals in meaningful ways.

Blocks

Ask the children if they can make beds for the stuffed animals.

Mathematics/Patterns & Measurement; shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures of length and area. AND Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop[ and follow through on plans.

Art

Make laced up pillows. Punch holes around pieces of 5×7 construction paper. The holes should be one inch apart. Let each child take two pieces of construction paper and hold them together. Give each child a piece of yarn with masking tape wrapped around one end and show them how to lace it in and out of the holes. After they have laced three sides, let them stuff it with pieces of squished paper towel and finish lacing.

Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills; grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes, and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Put plastic fish in to the water table. The children can pretend to make them swim around and then let them sleep. Add a net for catching and counting fish. If you do not have plastic fish, ask the children if they can think of a manipulative that you have that they could use as pretend fish. (Children have suggested crayons, legos, counting bears, and popsicle sticks).

Creative Arts/Dramatic play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Library and Writing

Put out black construction paper and white chalk for night time writing and drawing.

Literacy/Early Writing; experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils, crayons, and computers.

Dramatic Play

Add stuffed animals and oversized pajamas for a different twist on night time play.

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

Math and Manipulatives

Make bingo boards using different animals from the animal page. 6-8 per board is a good amount for young children. Make a copy of the animal page to use for the call cards. Play until everyone gets bingo. Can the children name the different kinds of animals?

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive. AND Approaches to Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks, activities, projects, and experiences.

Outdoor Pay

Play sleepy tag. The teacher tries to catch the children. The children can drop to the ground and pretend to be asleep. If the teacher catches a child before they fall asleep, they must go to the bed (a designated tree or bench on the playground). If another child who is not in the bed touches the bed, all the children in it may run free. The game continues until the teacher is exhausted.

Physical Health & Development/Health Status & Practices; participates actively in games, outdoor play, and other forms of exercise that enhance physical fitness.

Transitions

Hold up one of the BINGO cards and ask the children to name and then act out how that animal sleeps.

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