April
Arts and Crafts
Chick In Egg
large plastic egg
2 yellow cotton balls
orange and black construction paper
hole punch
glue
Cut out small "feet" for the chick and tiny triangle beak (on fold) out of orange paper. Punch out two black holes for eyes. Glue one cotton ball on feet for body, and other ball on top for head. Dot glue on face for beak and eyes. Place in egg. You can use permanent colored markers and decorate the outside of the egg.
My Easter Egg
large sheet white construction paper
various colors tissue paper, cut into 2" squares
diluted glue
Paint white paper with diluted glue. Student places tissue squares on paper until all white is covered. Brush over tissues with diluted glue. When dry, trace large egg on back of white paper and cut.
Pussy Willow (or Forsythia) Pictures
1 sheet white construction paper
brown marker
gray paint ~ for pussy willows
yellow tissue paper cut into 2" squares ~ for forsythia
glue
Using the marker, student draws branches on paper. For pussy willows, students dip their pointer finger into gray paint and presses on the brown branches. For forsythia, students dot glue on branches, scrunch tissue paper squares and glue onto branches.
Science
Water and Rain
Be sure you use identical glass containers. (Glass is often easier to see through than plastic). Try dissolving salt, sugar, and sand. Stir thoroughly and let settle. Salt and sugar will dissolve. The sand will not.
Try some other things: bread ~ it disintegrates, sponge ~ it absorbs water, dye ~ it colors the water...
Growing Beans
Give each child a baby food jar or plastic see- through glass. Put cotton in the bottom of each jar (about 1/4 full). Put 2 beans between the cotton and the glass in each jar and 2 beans on top of the cotton. Dampen the cotton and keep damp. Place jars on a window ledge so they will receive light and watch what happens.
Books
Rain Song
~ Lezlie Evans
We Play on a Rainy Day ~ Angela Medearis
Splish, Splash, Spring ~ Jan Carr
I'm a Seed ~ Jean Marzollo
Clifford's Spring Clean-up ~ Norman Bridwell
Peter Cottontail ~ Amanda Stephens
The Night Before Easter ~ Natasha Wing
Little Bunny's Easter Surprise ~ Lucinda McQueen
Where's Peter Rabbit? ~ Beatrix Potter
The Easter Ribbit ~ Bernice Chardiet
Listen Buddy ~ Lynn Munsinger
Booker Meets the Easter Bunny ~ Jim Davis
Little Bunny's Easter Surprise ~ Jeanne Modesitt
Clifford's Happy Easter ~ Norman Bridwell
The Runaway Rabbit ~ Teddy Margulies
The Big Egg Hunt ~ Suzanne Weyn
Little Chick's Happy Easter ~ Wendy Lewison
Daisy and the Egg ~ Jane Simmons
One Duck Stuck ~ Phyllis Root
The Chocolate Rabbit ~ Maria Claret
Bunny My Honey ~ Anita Jeram
Read to Your Bunny ~ Rosemary Wells
If You Were My Bunny ~ Kate McMullan
The Velveteen Rabbit ~ Margery Williams
The Whispering Rabbit ~ Margaret Brown
Just One! ~ Sam McBratney
The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings ~ Carolyn Bailey
Recipes
Bunny's Fried Egg Rounds
1 slice bread
1 egg
pat margarine
skillet
Cut a hole in the middle of the bread with a biscuit cutter. Melt margarine in skillet and place bread in skillet. Crack egg and pour into the hole in the bread. Fry until the white is slightly set. Turn and fry the other side of the egg. With a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk, this makes an excellent and healthy breakfast.
Bunny Salad
lettuce
pear half
2 raisins
Maraschino cherries
marshmallows
cottage cheese
Place lettuce leaf on a plate. Place on pear half upside down on the lettuce leaf. Use the raisins for the eyes, cherry for the nose, and a ball of cottage cheese for the tail. Shape the marshmallows for ears.
Bunny Egg Salad Sandwich
Boil desired number of eggs. Let your child help mash the eggs using a fork and add a little salt and mayonnaise. Spread on bread that has been cut with a bunny cookie cutter.
Songs and Finger Plays
Pitter, Patter (Frere Jacques)
Rain is falling, rain is falling,
On the ground, what a sound.
Pitter, pitter, patter, Pitter, pitter, patter,
Rain is falling, rain is falling.
Zim-Bam, Zim-Bam (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-bee
Rain is falling on the tree.
Zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-by,
Rain is falling from the sky.
Zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-boo
Rain is falling on us too.
I’ll Plant a Little Seed (I’m a Little Teapot)
I’ll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!
Farmer Plants
the Seeds (The Farmer In The Dell)
The farmer plants the seeds
The farmer plants the seeds
Hi, Ho and Cherry O
The farmer plants the seeds
The rain begins to fall....
The sun begins to shine....
The plants begin to grow....
The buds all open up....
The flowers smile at me....
I'm a Little Sunflower (I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little sunflower; I'm so small.
Soil, sun and water make me tall
When I get all grown-up
You will see
That I'm as big as I can be!
The Insects Outside (The Wheels on the Bus)
The fireflies at night go blink, blink, blink
Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink
The fireflies at night go blink, blink, blink
Out in the garden.
bees/in the flowers/buzz
cricket/fields/chirp
ants/grass/march
caterpillars/on the leaves/munch
spiders/in the bush/ spin their webs
butterflies/in the sky/go flit
ladybug/on the wall/ have lots of spots
worms/in the ground/ wiggle and squirm
mosquitoes outside/ they get smacked
How Bugs Move (Bingo)
There was a little bumblebee,
Who buzzed around the garden.
Buzz, buzz, bumblebee.
Buzz, buzz, bumblebee.
Buzz around the garden.
There was a little ladybug,
Who crawled around the garden...
There was a little butterfly,
Who floated 'round the garden...
There was a little pesky fly,
Who zipped around the garden...
The Bug Song
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Bumblebees buzz.
Buzz over here.
Buzz over there.
They buzz up high and they buzz down low.
Around and around and around they go.
They buzz-buzz fast, and they buzz-buzz slow.
Oh, bumblebees buzz!
grasshopper/hop
butterflies/flutter
little ants/run
ladybugs/fly
crickets/jump
The Little Caterpillar (Itsy, Bitsy Spider)
The little caterpillar crawled up into a tree
Spun his cocoon and slept so quietly,
All through the winter, he didn’t make a sound,
He dreamt of his new life, when he’d be flying around.
Little Butterfly (I'm A Little Teapot)
I’m a little butterfly, I have wings
I fly around and see all things.
When I see a flower
That looks great
I call out to all my mates.
Butterfly, Butterfly (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Butterfly, butterfly, fly away,
You were a caterpillar yesterday.
Butterfly, butterfly you never stay
Ever flying to a new day.
Butterfly, butterfly fly away,
You were a caterpillar yesterday.
Ladybugs Fly (Three Blind Mice)
Fly, fly, fly. Ladybugs fly.
Fly over here. Fly over there.
They fly up high and they fly down low.
Around and around and around they go
They fly fast and they fly slow
Oh, ladybugs fly. Fly, fly, fly.
Ladybug Fun
Five little ladybugs went out to play,
The first one said, "What a beautiful day."
The second one said, "Let’s look for a flower."
The third one said, "Here comes a shower."
The fourth one said. ""We’d better run."
The fifth one said, "Now the day is done."
Buzzing Little Bee (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Buzzing, buzzing little bee,
Buzzing, buzzing right past me;
Stopping at each flower you meet,
Spreading pollen with your feet;
Buzzing, buzzing little bee,
Buzzing, buzzing right past me.
Baby Bumblebee
Oh, I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
‘Cause I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Buzz, buzz, buzz - Ouch! It stung me!
Oh, I’m bringing home a baby rattlesnake.
Won’t my mommy shiver and shake?
‘Cause I’m bringing home a baby rattlesnake.
Rattle. rattle, rattle - Ouch! It bit me!
I’m bringing home a baby kitty cat.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of that?
‘Cause I’m bringing home a baby kitty cat.
Kitty, kitty, kitty - Ouch! It scratched me!
Oh, I’m bringing home a baby turtle.
Won’t my mommy really pop her girdle?
'Cause I’m bringing home a baby turtle.
Snap, snap, snap - Ouch! It bit me!
Oh, I’m bringing home a baby elephant.
Wait ‘til mommy sees it’s big trunk.
‘Cause I’m bringing home a baby elephant.
Rumble, rumble, rumble - It stepped on me!
Two Little Birds
Two little birdies, sitting on a hill;
One named Jack, the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack; Fly away Jill;
Come back Jack; Come back Jill.
Five Green Speckled Frogs
Five green speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs (yum yum)
One jumped in the pool where it was nice and cool.
Now there are 4 green speckled frogs (glub, glub)
Four, three, two, one, ...
Now there are no green speckled frogs (glub, glub)
Easter Bunnies
Five little Easter bunnies with bonnets from the store;
One hopped away and then there were four.
Four little Easter bunnies feeling so free;
One hopped away and then there were three.
Three Little Easter bunnies with coats like new;
One hopped away and then there were two.
Two little Easter bunnies playing in the sun;
One hopped away and then there was one.
One little Easter bunny ready for some fun;
She hopped away and then there were none!
Easter Bunny (May Had a Little Lamb)
Easter bunny by the tree,
By the tree, by the tree.
Easter bunny by the tree,
Won’t you come and play with me?
Easter bunny hop around,
Hop around, hop around;
Easter bunny hop around,
Place your eggs upon the ground.
Colored Eggs For Easter
Red eggs for Easter, yellow ones too,
Green, pink and purple, and one dark blue.
Out them in a basket, snug as can be.
Colored eggs for Easter, just for you and me!
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks that I one knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, they were few.
But the one little duck with the feathers on his back,
He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack.
Down to the river they would go,
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, to and fro.
But the one little duck with the feathers on his back,
He ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
Easter Bunny Hippity Hop (Pop! Goes the Weasel)
Easter bunny, hippity hop,
Hide ‘til Easter morning.
Easter bunny, hippity hop,
Up! Pops the bunny!
See the Easter Bunny (Round the Mulberry Bush)
See how the bunny hops along,
Hops along, hops along.
See how the bunny hops along.
On an Easter morning.
This is the way he wiggles his nose....
This is the way he flops his ears....
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out to play,
Over the hills and far away.
When the Momma duck said
"quack, quack, quack"
Four little ducks came waddling back.
Four, three, two, one....
No little ducks came waddling back.
Then the Daddy duck said,
"QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!"
Five little ducks came waddling back.
Parent-Child Time
~ Discuss why we have Easter with your child
~ Make dying eggs a family affair
~ Discuss the colors of eggs with your child
~ Have an Easter egg hunt
~ Taste different types of lettuce. Compare the leaves. Ask if they taste the same or different.
Calendars
CLASSROOM CALENDARS
Monday-Wednesday-Friday AM
Tuesday-Thursday AM
Tuesday-Thursday PM
Many of the monthly suggestions have been collected over the years I have been
teaching. It is not my intention to take credit for someone else's original idea.
Please see Resource Materials for a listing of books and publications I have and
the Links page.
