Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie

Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie Jacobs was the featured selection this week for our book-inspired fun!  I wanted to feature a book about Grandparents, in honor of Granparents' Day this weekend in the US.  And I ADORE this book.  It was a new find for me this summer.

Gathering Activity: Make Hand Print Pot Holders for Grandparents

 
I was inspired to make these potholders with our hand prints painted on them from an idea on saw at Second Grade Sparkle. 

Materials Needed:  Fabric solid colored pot holders, fabric paint, coordinating ribbon, copies of the poem to attach to the pot holders printed on cardstock, hole punch

 


We attached a great poem I discovered at Kindergarten Rocks! Make sure you go there to see all of the words!
 
We will mail these (or hand deliver these) to our grandparents since the next Sunday is Grandparents' Day in the US.

Circle Time
 
*We read Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie A. Jacobs. 
 

 This is a delightful book about a grandma who comes to babysit for the evening.  She brings a bag full of fun and for each activity, Grandma Tillie changes clothes and becomes a very fun and very silly character.    For playtime, she wears a pink wig and pretends to be Tillie Vanilly who can stand on one foot and say the alphabet backwards, tell jokes, juggle and dance the Conga.  For dinner she is Chef Silly Tillie who wears a lampshade hat and makes yummy food.  At bath time she transforms into Madame Frilly Tillie who gives them glamorous makeovers during a bubble bath.    But at bedtime, their REAL grandmother comes to tuck them in and read them stories.

My children love this book. It was actually in the top 5 of their favorites from this summer.  I love the portrayal of a Grandmother who is fun and playful.  I love the sweet relationship the girls share with their Grandmother.  I love the illustrations, too!  They are delightful.  And I LOVED sharing it with our little Mommy and Me friends today. 

*We sang a fun song about families.  “We are a happy family.”
*Then each of the children took turns sharing the special names they call their grandparents. 
*We did the Conga to the kitchen for our next activity!

Art Activity: Tissue Paper Hats

In the story, Grandma Tillie wears several large and colorful hats.  Of course we had to make our own.  While searching for a poem to go with the handprints, I also found this great idea for hats at Kindergarten Rocks!  What a fun site!  Please go there for a complete tutorial. 
 

 
Supplies needed: several sheets of colorful tissue paper, heavy brown package paper, tape, ribbons, glue, materials to decorate the hats 

This was such a perfect activity for our group!  They love squeezing glue.  They got to glue layer upon layer of large sheets of paper together!  How fun! 

We used brown packaging paper instead of newspaper print. 

More Gluing!

Creating a customized fit!

 

You DEFINITELY need two sets of hands for the taping part. 

After finding the perfect fit, the children decorated with stickers, markers, and tissue paper. 
 

We trimmed the edges of our boy hats to make them look more like Grandpa Fishing Hats.  I think they turned out so cute! 

Snack: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Pickles,  and Chocolate Milk with Straws

In the story, Chef Silly Tillie makes the children Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  She gives them pickles and chocolate milk.  Of course our little ones were inspired to blow bubbles in their milk, just like the children in the story.  So we made sure to give them extra tall cups with VERY little chocolate milk in the bottom.  They did an excellent job blowing bubbles until they reached the top, sipping some, and blowing again.  Believe it or not, we had ZERO chocolate milk spills! 

Activities: Lampshade Relay and Bubble Bins

Lampshade Relay- As Chef Silly Tillie, Grandma wore a lampshade on her head.  We used these two fabric baskets and pretended they were lampshades.  We allowed them to take turns running with the lamp shade on their head.  They returned and gave another friend a turn.   (Some of the children enjoyed this more than others).  

 



Bubble Bins- As Madame Frilly Tillie, Grandma gives the girls a bubble bath.  I created 3 bubble bins for the children.  I included measuring cups, sponges, and small animals they washed with the sponges.  The children played for 30 minutes past Mommy and Me time, just enjoying the sensory bubble play.

2012-2013 Virtual Book Club

Mommy and Me Book Club is hosting a Virtual Book Club each month this school year with Toddler Approved and The Educators' Spin On It and over 15 other bloggers.  

 

We have chosen a different author for each month.  We would love for you to choose your favorite book by that author to share with your children or class and create a fun activity that goes along with the book.  Then come back here to share it on the third Monday of each month.   I am so excited to share this list of some of my very favorite authors with you! 

September 17th-Lois Ehlert

October 15th-Amy Krouse Rosenthal

November 19th- Tomie de Paola

December 17th- Jan Brett

January 21st-David McPhail

February 18th-Dr. Seuss

March 18th-Julia Donaldson

April 15th-David Shannon

May 20th-Leo Lionni

June 17th-Gail Gibbons

July 15th- Jez Alborough

August 19th-Donald Crews

Don't worry, I will still be sharing our weekly adventures with you from my real life Mommy and Me Book Club.  However, once a month, I will feature a book by our selected author of the month.  I hope you will share with me all of your book inspired fun!  
 
If you want to participate and want to stay up to date, join our Virtual Book Club fan page on Facebook! 

Which of these authors on our list are you most excited about?  Are any of these new to you? Please comment below and let me know! 

We are a Family of Readers

Lilly's PPP Book Giveaway

As part of our August Virtual Book Club, Harper Collins is sponsoring a special BOOK GIVEAWAY WEEK!  Several of the participants in this month's Virtual Book Club will be hosting giveaway events on their blogs, featuring books by Kevin Henkes!

Yesterday, we featured Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes.  And guess what?  That is the book that Harper Collins has provided for Mommy and Me Book Club to giveaway to one of my fabulous readers! Isn't that so nice of them?

Would you like your own copy?  It is easy. There are four ways you can enter for a chance to win.

REQUIRED ENTRY
1- Leave a comment telling me which Kevin Henkes book is your very favorite.

OPTIONAL ENTRIES

2-Like Mommy and Me Book Club on Facebook.

3-In a separate entry, comment which Mommy and Me Book Club post is your favorite.

4-Share a Kevin Henkes book-inspired activity you did this month.  Please tell us what you did or leave link in a comment below.

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!! PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE ENTERING YOUR ENTRIES INTO THE RAFFLECOPTER.  SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE MADE COMMENTS BUT NOT UPDATED THERE.  THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH RAFFLECOPTER.  Thanks!-Danielle 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  


The winner will be selected using Rafflecopter.  Entries will be accepted until 12:01 am August 29, 2012.   The winners will be posted on my blog on the morning of the August 29, 2012.   The winner will have 72 hours to claim her prize and to send me her mailing address.  If the winner fails to claim her prize, another recipient will be selected.   US residents only. No purchase necessary.The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Any information gathered through the sweepstakes including email and postal addresses will not be used in anyway other than contacting winners and shipment of winnings. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to Mommy and Me Book Club and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for Mommy and Me Book Club.

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Harper Collins. I was not compensated for this post.  I did receive one book which is the one I am giving away.  


Here are the other blogs participating in this month's Harper Collins Book Giveaway Week!  Increase your chances of winning a Kevin Henkes book by entering them all!  :) 

Sheila Rae the Brave- Juggling with Kids

Chester's Way -Toddler Approved

Chrysanthemum- Teach Preschool

SHHHH- Pleasantest Thing

Old Bear- No Twiddle Twaddle

My Garden- Crafty Moms Share

Chrysanthemum- Ready.Set.Read!

A Good Day- Adventures in Reading

Old Bear- Reading Confetti

Circle Dogs- Inspiration Laboratories

Wemberly Worried - The Eductors' Spin On It

Penny and Her Song - Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Jessica - Crayon Freckles

Owen - Royal Baloo

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

We are so excited to be participating in the August Summer Virtual Book Club with some of my very favorite kid bloggers!  This month we each selected a book by Kevin Henkes to read with our children.  We created activities inspired by the chosen book.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/VirtualBookClubForKids"><img border="0"src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae323/toddlerapproved/svbc-august.jpg" /></a>

On the first day the boys went back to school, my daughter invited a friend over for a Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse play date.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes is the story of a little girl mouse who loves her new purple plastic purse.  It plays music when she opens it.  Inside she has placed her movie star glasses and three quarters.  She is very excited to share it at school with her beloved teacher and classmates.  So excited that she can't wait and ends up having her purse taken away until the end of the day.  She becomes so upset at her teacher for taking her purse, she draws an unkind picture of him and writes a mean story about him.  At the end of the day, he returns her purse with a sweet note and treats.  She is heartbroken about her unkind treatment of her favorite teacher.  Her parents help her figure out a way to say she is sorry.  She goes back to school with a note, treats, and her purse.  She shares her purse at an appropriate time and the class enjoys a dance party and her treats she brought to share. 

LILLY'S PURPLE PURSE

Materials Needed: Paper plate cut in half, purple paint, stapler, purple ribbon, glue, purple collage materials

1-We painted each half of the plate purple and stapled together when dry. 

2-We stapled on the purple ribbon to create a purse handle.

3-We glued on collage materials to decorate the outside of the purse.  

 The girls enjoyed carrying them everywhere we went the rest of the day. 

MOVIE STAR GLASSES

In the book, Lilly loves her teacher's glasses with a beaded chain.  She thought of them as Movie star glasses and brought her own from home in her purse. 

Materials Needed: Plastic Beads and Plastic String

1-Tie a knot at the end of one piece of string, creating a loop.  

2-String beads to fill the string, leaving enough room to create a second loop at the other end.

3-Loop each side of the beaded rope onto a pair of glasses to create MOVIE STAR glasses like Lilly's and her teacher's glasses. 

LILLY'S MATCHING COINS GAME

I used my Cricut to cut out several purple purses and silver coins.  I added a shape to each purse and created 3 coins with matching shapes for each of the purses.   I gave the little girls the coins to sort and place inside the purses. 

 

DANCE PARTY

After our crafts, the girls danced together like Lilly and her classmates. 

***On Tuesday, I will be posting a giveaway to win your very own copy of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes!  Please come back and enter!

Here are the other participants in this month's Virtual Book Club.  Many of them will also be hosting giveaways of their featured Kevin Henkes books this week, too!  

Toddler Approved, Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas, Rainy Day Mum, Reading Confetti, Inspiration Laboratories, Play Dr. Mom, Mommy and Me Book Club, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, Two Big Two Little, Creative Connections for Kids, The Golden Gleam, Juggling with Kids, Taming the Goblin, Crafty Moms Share, Ready Set Read 2 Me, Famiglia and Seoul, The Good Long Road, The Educator's Spin On It, Imagination Soup, 3 Dinosaurs, Royal Baloo, BeingAConsciousParent, and No Twiddle TwaddleCrayon Freckles, Pleasantest thing, Adventures in Reading with Kids

 I am so excited to see what fun book inspired activities you did with your children, based on Kevin Henkes' books!  Please link up your posts below! If you want to participate in September's Virtual Book Club, we will be featuring Lois Ehlert.

 There are a few rules for this blog hop that we ask you to follow, so make sure to read them:

1. Link up only posts inspired by Kevin Henkes that share children's book inspired crafts, activities, recipes, etc. Any other posts will be deleted.
2. Visit other blog posts on the linky and comment on or share the ones you love!
3. Add our Virtual Book Club button to your post if you'd like.

Kindergarten is FIN-tastic!

My 5 year old son and his friends are starting Kindergarten this month!!!  He is a little nervous, so I decided to throw him a Kindergarten is FIN-tastic party based on his current favorite book, Don't Eat the Teacher by Nick Ward.

One of the writers at Toddler Approved is my REAL LIFE friend, not just a virtual one.  Our children are going to be in the very same class this year and we are going to be the class reps together.  We put our brains together to plan a super-fun party for 7 cute soon-to-be kindergarteners!  

Gathering Activity: Name Bracelets

Kindergarten Skills:  Name recognition, patterning, Name spelling, Fine Motor Skills

As the children arrived, they located their names that I had written on these adorable name plates I found here. The children found a bag with letter beads and sea animal beads that they used to make bracelets.  

TEACHER SAYS

As they finished their bracelets, they joined in a game of TEACHER SAYS, played just like Simon Says.  We played a noncompetitive version, where no one got out.  

Kindergarten Skills: Listening and Following Directions

Circle Time: Don't Eat the Teacher by Nick Ward 

Kindergarten Skills: Active Listening, Participation in Circle Time, Singing in a Group 

I love the book Don't Eat the Teacher by Nick Ward.  It is the story of a little shark who is nervous about his first day of school.  He has the unfortunate habit of BITING things when he is excited and nervous.  At school, he keeps "accidentally" eating things.  He eats a paintbrush, a story book, and even a friend (who is safe).  At the end, he tries to eat the teacher!  All of his friends yell at him "Don't Eat the Teacher!"  Intermixed in the story are introductions to different parts of the school day.  This is a simple and fun book!  It is VERY SILLY!  Every year that I read this to my Kindergarteners they begged for it to be read over and over and over again.  So much so, that the cover of my book is torn off.  I borrowed a friend's copy for the party. 

After the story, we sang the traditional silly camp song, "Baby Jaws."  

JAWS
(repeat each line) 
Baby Jaws, doot doot doot do (thumb and index finger open and shut like a mouth)
Mama Jaws, doot doot doot do (Hand opens and shuts)
Papa jaws, doot doot doot do (two hands together open and shut)
Grandpa Jaws, doot doot doot do (fists together to look like toothless mouth)
Giant jaws, doot doot doot do (arms together to make mouth)
Lady swimming, doot doot doot do (swimming motion)
Shark is coming, doot doot doot do (hand on forehead like fin)
Lady Screaming "A-HA" doot do (arms in air)
Shark is leaving, doot doot doot do (hand on forehead)
And That's the story doot doot doot do...ABOUT JAWS! 

Craft:  Shark Teeth Phone Number

Kindergarten Skills: Following Directions, using a glue stick correctly, learning phone number

Materials Needed: Blue paper plate, 3 triangles cut from blue poster board, 2 large googly eyes, 7 white small triangles with one digit of  the child's phone number written on each tooth, stapler, glue stick

1-Staple one blue triangle on top as the shark dorsal fin.  Staple the other two triangles on the side to make pectoral fins.

2-Glue on the googly eyes.

3-Allow the child to arrange the digits to create his phone number.  Glue to the plate in the correct order.  

 Game: Don't Eat The Teacher!

Kindergarten Skills: Taking Turns, Following Directions, Color Identification, Comparing Sizes, Fine Motor Skills

I created a large poster board sized game inspired by the game "Don't Eat Pete."  Using my Cricut, I cut out 9 sea horses: 3 sizes and 3 colors.  

1-The children sat in a circle around the game board. 

2-A goldfish cracker was placed in each square of the grid.  
3-The children took turns leaving the room one at a time.  When out of the room, a seahorse was selected as the "teacher" for that turn.   
4-When the child returned to the room, he ate one goldfish cracker at a time.  If it was not the seahorse selected, the rest of the children all said together, "THAT'S NOT THE TEACHER."  

5-The child continued to the crackers, attempting to find the teacher.  Once they ate the cracker chosen as the teacher, the other children all yelled, "DON'T EAT THE TEACHER!" 

6-Crackers were replaced and another child took a turn. 

This is such a simple game, but the kindergarteners thought it was hilarious! 

Outside Learning Games by Toddler Approved

Kindergarten Skills: Taking Turns, Letter Recognition, Number Recognition, Gross Motor Play 

The children changed into swim suits and headed outside for shark themed learning games that included WATER!!!!  For all of the details of the fun games go to Toddler Approved's post on the party. 

SHARK SNACKS

The children enjoyed shark tooth shaped pizza slices, a watermelon shark, and shark cupcakes. 

PARTY FAVORS: CANDY KABOBS

We created these adorable party favors using Swedish fish and shark gummies, inspired by Celebrations At Home Blog. 

We are participating in the KBN Back to School Bonanza! 


 

 Check out these other great Back to School Ideas!