The Empty Pot by Demi

Gathering Activity: Planting Seeds in Pots

The children scooped potting soil into pots and planted flower seeds inside.  While we planted, we talked about what plants need to help them grow.

Helpful Hint: We did not water them immediately, as the children would be taking the home in a short time. We didn't really want black water in our cars.  The moms just made sure to help them water them as soon as they arrived home.    

Circle Time: The Empty Pot by Demi

The Empty Pot is one of my all time favorite books.  I can never read it without tears coming to my eyes.  The first time I ever heard it was in a Sunday School lesson for teenagers, and they were enamored .  It's message about integrity is powerful, but simple enough to be understood by young children.  Our preschoolers sat and listened quietly to the story and it seemed to hold their interest. 

The story is about a land of people who love and respect the beauty of nature.  They love to garden, to plant beautiful flowers and trees.  Even the Emperor tends to his own garden each day.  The Emperor holds a flower growing contest to see who will be the next Emperor.  He gives each child a seed and asks the children to tend to the seeds for an entire year.  The hero of the story, Ping, carefully nurtures his seed, but nothing grows.  On the day appointed to present their efforts to the Emperor, all of the children come before him with beautiful flowers they have grown.  Only one, Ping, comes forward with an empty pot.  The Emperor looks upon this child and pronounces that Ping will be king. All of the seeds the Emperor had given to the children had been cooked, and therefore could not grow.  Only one child had lived with integrity and come forward with nothing but the truth.  

I love the lessons in this story.  Gardening is for everyone, boys can like flowers, and of course, honesty takes courage, but is always the best choice.

After we read the story, we reviewed again what flowers need to grow.  Then we sang three favorite songs about flowers and blooming trees.  If you click on any of the titles below, they will take you to the words and accompanying music for each.

Popcorn Popping,  In the Leafy Treetops, and Little Purple Pansies.

Art: Popcorn Trees

The story is illustrated with pictures of beautiful blossoming trees.  We made our own "popcorn trees."

Materials Needed: Popped corn, paper, brown paint, paint brushes, glue

Directions: 

1-We had drawn a simple outline of a tree to allow the children to paint the tree branches and trunk.
2-Allow the children to squeeze glue onto the tops of the tree branches.
3-Glue the popcorn down onto the paper.

Snack: Fruit Flower Pancakes

 Materials Needed:
Small whole wheat pancakes, cream cheese mixed with agave nectar and vanilla, fresh fruit cut into pieces, child friendly knives to spread the cream cheese 

Directions: 

Allow the children to spread the cream cheese onto the pancake and then create a flower using the fruit provided.  The children came up with a fun variety of flowers.

Activity: Planting Strawberries

We went outside to the square foot garden and allowed each child to plant a strawberry plant.  After watering our plants, we spent the rest of the morning digging in an empty square foot garden that is waiting patiently for me to plant something!  None of the children seemed pleased when it was time to stop digging.  It was just too much fun!

"There Is a Bird on Your Head!"

Gathering Activity:   Bird Seed Sensory Table

We filled the sand and water table with bird seed, feathers, scoops, and plastic birds.  The children had a great time scooping, pouring, and pretending.  And the birds in our yard happily helped clean up any that accidentally found its way out of the table.

Circle Time: There Is A Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems 

I discovered Mo Willems' Piggie and Elephant series about a year ago.   My son was learning to read and these were perfect.  They were the perfect length, the perfect reading level, well written and illustrated, and each one had a simple lesson.  But most importantly, they are HILARIOUS!   I have been waiting all year for spring to arrive so that I could share There Is a Bird on Your Head! with my mommy and me friends.  In the book, two birds build a nest on Elephant's head and lays three little eggs.  Then chicks are born on his head.  In the end, Elephant simply asks the birds to move, and they do (onto Piggie's head).   It is a cute lesson on using our words to express our desires.  

After we read the book we sang two songs/fingerplays.

Two Little Blackbirds  
 Two Little Blackbirds, sitting on a wall,
One named Peter, the other named Paul.
Fly away Peter, Fly away Paul.
Come back Peter, Come back Paul.

and

Birds in the Tree
We will find a little nest (cup hands together)
In the branches of a tree (hold arms up rounded over head).
Let us count the eggs inside;
There are one, two, three (hold up one, two, and three fingers).
Mother bird sits on the nest (cup left hand, place right hand on top)
To hatch the eggs, all three (hold up three fingers).
Father bird flies round and round (move arms in a flying motion)
To guard his family.

We also enjoyed a fun Eggs in Nest counting game we adapted from Preschool Express.  We created 5 little nests from paper bags and filled them with shredded paper bags.  They were numbered 1-5.  The children took turns filling the nests with the corresponding number of eggs.

Art: Bird Nests and Eggs

This project was adapted from ideas found on Teach Preschool and Busy Bee Crafts.

Materials Needed: Shredded grocery bags, cardboard circle, glue, one plastic egg, two orange construction paper beaks, and 4 paper wings.

Directions:
1-Spread glue on the cardboard circle.

2-Press shredded paper into the glue to create a nest.

3-Glue beak in between the two holes in the bottom of each egg half.  The holes are the eyes.  Add the wings.  (This part was pretty tricky and needed lots of Mommy help).

4-Glue the birdies into the nest.

Snack: Welcome Spring Bird's Nest

We loved these adorable nests featured on Sun Scholars and just had to make them for Mommy and Me. Click the link for full directions.

Games:  Nest Building and "There's A Bird on Your Head" Relay

1-Nest Building
Using found materials in the backyard, the children worked together to create a large nest.  They loved playing birds and flew about the yard gathering sticks and twigs.  And of course it was a lot of fun to climb inside our nest.

2-"There's A Bird on Your Head" Relay

We used a coonskin hat with the tail tucked in as a nest.  Plastic bird toys were placed inside.  The children took turns wearing the nest and walking across the yard.  It was great balancing practice and a fun way to retell the story!

We will be participating in The Come Outside to Play Challenge in April.  I'd love for you to join us!

Can You Come Out To Play?

I am hosting a 30 Day Come Out and Play Challenge in the month of April for parents. Basically, we as parents or care providers promise to play outside at least 30 minutes with our little ones EVERY DAY.  Rain Or Shine!  I would love to have you join us!  I have set up a separate blog, so that this one about preschool books can remain about our book club.  But I would LOVE to have my followers check out the challenge and join us.  And invite your friends.  Details on how to join are found below.  But please click through and comment on the other blog to join the challenge.

*If you would like to accept the challenge to play outside EVERY DAY in the month of April, please comment on the Can You Come Outside to Play?  blog post and become a follower of that blog.   Also share your FAVORITE place to play outside as a child. At the end of April I will ask you to post again if you met the challenge.  There will be a drawing for an Amazon Gift Card. 

*We will share ideas throughout the month of April on how to reach this goal.  We will include books and blogs about the benefits of outdoor play. If you have a book or blog you think we should highlight, please message me at daniellescribner at juno.com. 

*Each week I will also host a "Weekly Virtual Play Date."   Something that we all do in our separate locations.  On Sundays, I will add a link-up where you can share pictures and blog posts about your outdoor play that previous week, if you wish.  This isn't required.   

*For it to count, I think the playtime should be at least 30 minutes total that day.  (Although much more would be ideal). At the end of the month your child(ren) will have been outdoors at least 900 minutes! 
*We will be reading books about outside for our Book Clubs in April!  Hope you enjoy!