February
Arts and Crafts
Heart Butterfly
two large red hearts
on smaller pink heart
1 /2 red pipe cleaner
black marker
Glue two large hearts together at points to form wings. Glue pink heart on top of red in the center; this becomes the butterfly body. Fashion the pipe cleaner into antenna and staple at top of pink heart. Draw face on pink heart.
Fun With Hearts
Write numbers on one heart and corresponding dots on another heart. Student have to match the correct number with the dots. OR Write upper case letters on one heart and lower case on the other for students to match.
Cut hearts from red, pink, and purple paper. Using any heart pattern, make patterning strips from sentence strips. Students will duplicate and then extend the pattern.
Trace and cut out several hearts on red tag board, laminate, and punch holes around edges. Let students lace with yarn.
Valentine Collage Card
1 sheet red, white or pink construction paper
hearts cut from red, pink, and purple tissue paper in various sizes
diluted white glue
Fold paper in half to make a card. Paint cover of card with glue. Lay the tissue paper hearts on the glue, arranging as you wish. Then, brush over the hearts again with the glue. The colors will run, giving a watery effect. A Valentine message can be printed inside.
Science
Tadpole to Frog
Not all babies look like their parents. You will need: a water tank (one gallon), some frog eggs, pond water and plants, green, leafy vegetables.
Put the frog eggs, pond water and plants into your container. Watch daily for eggs to hatch. After the eggs begin to hatch, supply green vegetables for food for tadpoles. Let the children observe that tadpoles do not look like frogs. Let children continue to watch as the hind legs and front legs begin to grow and tail grows smaller.
Crystal Garden
Place piece of charcoal in a shallow bowl or 9" X 9" aluminum pan. Mix together 1/4 C ammonia, 1/4 C non-iodized salt, and 1/4 C liquid bluing. Pour this solution slowly over pieces of charcoal. Almost immediately, the crystals will start forming. Do not move container or shake it because the crystals are very fragile and will crumble. If some spots seem bare, drop a little ammonia. Look at crystals with magnifying glass. Compare to snowflakes.
Books
Valentine Cats ~ Jean Marzollo
My Love For You ~ Susan L. Roth
Little Mouse's Valentine ~ Thacher Hurd
Clifford's Pals ~ Norman Bridwell
Clifford, We Love You ~ Norman Bridwell
Clifford Makes a Friend ~ Norman Bridwell
Clifford's First Valentine's Day ~ Norman Bridwell
The Night Before Valentine's Day ~ Natasha Wing
Valentine's Day Grump ~ Rose Greydanus
Froggy's First Kiss ~ Jonathan London
Dinosaur Valentine ~ Liza Donnelly
Will You Be My Valentine? ~ Steven Kroll
Valentine's Day ~ Anne Rockwell
"Bee My Valentine" ~ Miriam Cohen
Guess How Much I Love You ~ Sam McBratney
I Love You, Little One ~ Nancy Tafuri
A Picture Book of George Washington ~ David A. Adler
Recipes
Love Juice
1 package frozen strawberries, with juice
2 C pineapple or orange juice
2/3 C nonfat dry milk powder
8 ice cubes
2 teaspoons sugar
Put all ingredients into blender and mix until all ice cubes are crushed.
Groundhog Stew
4 lbs. beef for stew, cut in 1 1/2" cubes
1 lb. carrots, sliced
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb. celery, chunks
1 onion, diced
In large pan, cook the beef in water until it is almost done. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Two envelopes of brown gravy mix can be added for extra flavor.
Clay Dough
3 C flour
1 C salt
1 C water
1/2 C vegetable oil
red food coloring
Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add water, oil and food coloring slowly. Knead the dough thoroughly. Make into balls. Flatten balls and use small heart cookie cutters to cut out a heart. Punch a hole in the top with a straw. Bake at 225 degrees for two hours. Be sure to turn them several times while baking. This prevents them from curling, They should also be put in a warm place to dry. When dry, attach yarn and they are ready to wear.
Songs and Fingerplays
Happy Valentines
Five happy Valentines from the ten cent store.
I sent one to Mother, now there are four.
Four happy Valentines, pretty ones to see
I give one to Brother, now there are three.
Three happy Valentines, yellow, red and blue
I give one to Sister, now there are two.
Two happy Valentines, my, we have fun
I give one to Daddy, now there is one
One happy Valentine, the story is almost done.
I give it to Baby, now there are none.
Be My Valentine (Mary Had A Little Lamb)
You're a special friend of mine
Friend of mine, friend of mine
You're a special friend of mine
Won’t you be my valentine!
Love, Love, Love (Three Blind Mice)
Love, love, love,
love, love, love
See how it grows,
See how it grows.
I love my friends and they love me.
We love each other that's plain to see.
There's plenty for a big family.
Love, love, love, love, love, love.
Valentine Song (Love Me Tender)
You're my rainbow, you're my star, you're my bright red cookie jar.
You're my goldfish, you're my pie, you're the apple of my eye.
You're my daisy, you're my vine, you're my own true Valentine!
Yes, This is a Special Day (Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?)
Yes, yes, this is a special day,
Yes, yes, this is a special day,
Yes, yes, this is a special day,
I can give hearts to my friends.
Be My Valentine (London Bridge)
Will you be my Valentine, Valentine, Valentine?
Will you be my Valentine, Be a friend of Mine?
I'll Make a Valentine (London Bridge)
I'll make a bright red valentine,
Valentine, valentine.
I'll make a bright red valentine,
And give it right to you.
I'll trim it with lace and bows,
Lace and bows, lace and bows.
I'll trim it with lace and bows,
And give it right to you.
Three Valentines (Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Three valentines I have for you,
Have for you, have for you.
Three valentines I have for you,
Pink and red and blue.
I'll put them in the mail for you,
Mail for you, mail for you.
I'll put them in the mail for you,
Pink and red and blue.
Five Little Valentines
Five little Valentines were having a race.
The first little Valentine was frilly with lace.
The second little Valentine had a funny face.
The third little Valentine said, " I love you!"
The fourth little Valentine said, "I do too!"
The fifth little Valentine was as sly as a fox.
He ran the fastest to your Valentines box!
My Valentine (Farmer in the Dell)
My Valentine is red
My Valentine is blue
I drop it in the letter box
And mail it to you
I'm A Little Valentine (I’m a Little Teapot)
I'm a little valentine
Red and White
With ribbons and lace
I'm a beautiful sight
I can say, "I Love You"
On Valentine's Day
Just put me in an envelope
And give me away.
Funny Valentine (Did you Ever see a Lassie)
Here’s a little valentine, valentine, valentine,
A happy little heart with a message to you.
It says something special; I bet you can guess it.
My funny little valentine says, "I love you!"
Roses Are Red
Roses are red, violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet, and so are you!
Roses are red, violets are blue.
Are you for me? I am for you!
Three Red Valentines (Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Three red valentines,
Each one with a bow.
Pretty and shiny and lacey, too
Standing in a row.
I Love You (This Old Man)
I love you, you love me;
We’re as happy as can be!
Here’s a great big kiss
And a hug from me to you.
Won’t you sat you love me, too?
A Mailbox Valentine
When you look in your mailbox,
What do you think you'll see?
It might be a valentine,
And it might be from me!
Valentine Song (Oh, Christmas Tree)
Oh, Valentine, Oh, Valentine, will you be my Valentine?
Oh, Valentine, Oh, Valentine, will you be my Valentine?
The Postman Brings a Valentine (Mulberry Bush)
The postman brings a Valentine, a Valentine, a Valentine.
The postman brings a Valentine, it says that I love you!
Here’s a Little Groundhog (I’m a Little Teapot)
Here’s a little groundhog furry and brown
He’s popping up to look around.
If he see his shadow, down he’ll go
Then six more weeks of winter, Oh NO!!
Wake Up Song (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Wake up, Groundhog, time to see
What the weather's going to be.
Time to stretch, time to think,
Time to eat, and time to drink.
Wake up Groundhog, time to see
What the weather's going to be!
Mr. Groundhog (The Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Mr. Groundhog, wake up - you have a job to do.
Peek out your hole and check a thing or two.
Is the sun a shinning, shining all around?
And does it cast a shadow, a shadow on the ground?
Now if you see your shadow, that will be a fright.
You’ll crawl into your hole and scamper out of sight.
Bundle up real tight if you do go back to bed -
‘Cause six more weeks of winter weather lie ahead!
But if the sky is cloudy, no need to go away.
If you have no shadow, just stay outside and play.
If Groundhog Day is cloudy, we will dance and cheer -
Cloudy weather means that spring will soon be here!
I’m a Little Groundhog (I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little groundhog, fat and brown.
Popping up above the ground.
I sure hope my shadow doesn't show,
For if it does, we’ll have more snow.
Where is Mr. Groundhog (Ten Little Indians)
Where, oh, where is Mr. Groundhog?
Where, oh, where is Mr. Groundhog?
Where, oh, where is Mr. Groundhog?
Sleeping in his burrow.
Shh, he’s peeking out his hole,
Shh, he’s peeking out his hole,
Shh, he’s peeking out his hole,
Now what will he do?
OH, NO! (spoken)
Mr. Groundhog see his shadow,
Mr. Groundhog see his shadow,
Mr. Groundhog see his shadow,
Six more weeks of winter.
George Washington
Many, many years ago when our country was still young,
There lived a man so strong and brave, his name was Washington.
On his birthday let's sing in celebration;
We remember Washington, the father of our nation.
He became a general, our armies to command,
Then he was made the President, the first in the land.
Whose Fine Face (London Bridge)
Whose fine face is on the penny,
On the penny, on the penny?
Whose fine face is on the penny,
Abraham Lincoln’s.
Whose fine face is on the quarter,
On the quarter, on the quarter?
Whose fine face is on the quarter?
George Washington’s.
Parent-Child Time
~ Play shadow tag with your child
~ Talk about groundhogs
~ Investigate to find out if the groundhog saw his shadow on February 2nd.
~ Discuss the meaning of Valentine's Day
~ Talk about who you love
~ Help your child make valentines
~ Bake a valentine cake with your child (layer cake recipe; one layer baked in a square pan, other layer
baked in a circle pan; cut circle in half and place halves on each side of square to forma heart)
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.
