Each month when I open the box for renewing the themes in the classroom, I get super excited! The objects that I’ve collected over the years and the activities created to draw upon the interest of the child has energetic momentum for me.
November in our class is about food, turkeys, Native Americans, fall leaves, squirrels and nuts. It’s a lot of little fall bits, all sort of related. We have flour in the sensory bin with pots and pans. We also have cards with vegetables to match and post.
We sing songs about leaves, squirrels, turkeys, and food. Eric Carle’s book “Today is Monday” usually becomes a November favorite. The book suggests “Monday-Green Beans, Tuesday-Spaghetti, Wednesday-Soup, Thursday-Roast Beef, Friday-Fresh Fish, Saturday-Chicken, Sunday-Ice Cream, All you hungry children, come and eat it up” The pictures may keep a toddler’s attention suspended just long enough to view each page as we (mostly I) sing along.
On Monday, Nov. 19, we invite each child to bring some (organic) vegetables to school because we’ll make soup. All toddlers will be invited to help with the washing and cutting of the vegetables, which I’ll take home to cook into a soup that we’ll have for snack on Nov. 20. Instead of assigning each child a particular vegetable, I’d like for you to send something that you already have. For example, one beet, a handful of fresh green beans, an onion, a carrot or two, a stalk or two of celery, a can of organic beans, and one or two potatoes. Any vegetable will do, and with a cube of organic vegetable bouillon, the soup always works out.
Songs
The songs you may start to hear are:
(Tune: Frere Jaques)
Thanksgiving, thanksgiving,
Here it comes (2X)
_________ on the table, (mention a favorite food)
_________on the table, (mention another favorite food)
Yum, yum, yum (2X)
(Start by patting your legs rhythmically, then stop)
Alligator pie, Alligator pie,
There is nothing I like better then alligator pie
You can take away the green grass, take away the sky,
But don’t take away my alligator pie.
(substitute favorite foods for alligator)
Like a leaf or a feather, in windy, windy weather,
(twirl with a leaf)
Twirl around, twirl around, and all fall down together!
(all falling down to the ground)
My Lady Wind
My Lady wind…
Round and round the house she blows about
Trying to get in
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Through the keyhole in the door
Through the crack in the bedroom floor
In and out she blows about
And around the house she blows once more
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (repeat)
Earth, my body,
Water, my blood,
Air my breath and Fire (Clap hands to create a “spark”) my spirit!
The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her (2x)
Chorus: Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yanna Ho, Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yanna Ho
Brown squirrel, brown squirrel, swish your bushy tail,
(Sit on your knees and pretend to move your tail from side to side)
Brown squirrel, brown squirrel, swish your bushy tail,
Crinkle up your little nose, (crinkle up your little nose)
put a nut between your toes, (pretend to place a nut between your knees)
Brown squirrel, brown squirrel, swish your bushy tail,
A turkey is a funny bird,
His head goes wobble, wobble,
And he only says ONE word,
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.
Earth who gives to us this food,
Sun that makes it ripe and good,
Dear Earth, Dear Sun,
By you we live,
Our loving thanks to you we give.
I’m a little busy squirrel, looking all around,
looking for a nut that’s nowhere to be found,
Did I put it in my pocket? No. No.
Did I put it in the ground? No. No.
Did I put it in the my back pack? No. No.
Did I put it in the ground? Yes. Yes.
I’m a little busy squirrel, digging in the ground.
Digging, digging, digging, look what I found!
Hop old squirrel, eideldum, eideldum,
Hop old squirrel, eideldum, dee. (2x)
Dig old squirrel, eideldum, eideldum,
Dig old squirrel, eideldum, dee.(2x)
Climb old squirrel, eideldum, eideldum,
Climb old squirrel, eideldum, dee. (2x)
Fill in your own movements.
Down is the earth, up is the sky,
Here are my friends, and here am I.
Winter Jackets
When the weather turns cold, and coats become part of our daily wear, consider practicing this coat flip with your children. Lay the open jacket on the floor, the inside facing up. Have your child stand by the “hood,” “collar” or “tag.” Those are some clues that are easy to remember.
The child puts a hand in each arm hole, and then flips the coat on, over his head, moving the arms up, then spreading them wide.
Coat flips may take some time to teach, but, with a little practice, your child will soon be able to put on his/her coat all by him/herself. See the video demonstration below.
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