Chipmunk Circle Happenings

October 6 - October 10


Our circle time activities for October focus on farm/fall and harvest and on continuing to help a child feel a part of a smaller community. The children are now beginning to come expectantly to our circle group. Here are the highlights for this week's circle:

Monday - After our weather person (one of the children is given that job) decides what the sky is doing today, we'll sing a new song, "It's Going To Be A Long Fall, and What Will The Little Birds Do?" This song presents the problem of the birds needing a place to get warm because of the change in seasons. We'll read "The Big Hungry Bear, The Little Mouse and The Red Ripe Strawberry" and then replay "Shoe Fly," learned last Monday. We'll share strawberries too.

Tuesday - Children will revisit the book, "The Gingerbread Man," and review the chant "The Gingerbread Boy" and sing "The Gingerbread Man Song." Then we'll go on a Gingerbread Man treasure hunt; when found, we'll pretend we're the fox and have a tasty treat.

Wednesday - We'll chant "One potato, two potato, three potato, four.." as we count potatoes with our fingers, on a language chart, and then for real. We'll read, "Mary Had A Little Lamb," and then draw something we remember from the story.

Thursday - After singing, "Old MacDonald Had A Farm," the children will hear the book, "The Grumpy Morning," and make animal noises to help tell the story. We'll follow that with "The Farmer in the Dell." We'll make animal tracks w/ paint and small plastic farm animals used in the story.

Friday - We'll make a bus with our chairs, pass out tickets and sing, "The Animals on the Bus." Children take great pleasure in reenacting an experience that is real, like sitting on a bus, even if they have never sat on a bus. Then we'll read the big book, "The Wheels on the Bus," followed by wheel painting. Cars are dipped in paint and zoom around the paper; it is a way to strengthen fine motor skills and mix colors. (This had been scheduled for last Friday, but Mrs. French was out.)