Flannel Board Fun

Spring has sprung!

And with spring comes...chicks!

Ten of them. (A clutch!)

And a mama hen, too. So sweet.

I used to have a laminated cardstock set for this rhyme. I wrote about it here, many moons ago.

I like this set much better, because with each chick/egg loose, there are so many more rhymes and songs you can use the set for.

I've got those written, and all the videos will be out soon! In the meantime, here's the first one, for the original Ten Fluffy Chicks rhyme and finger play. Which I love and hope you do too :)

Lots more videos are right here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✂️You can find felt board patterns right here.

🛒🍎📚Shop all the Storytime felt board songs, rhymes, and story sets:

🛒🎁👦🏽👧🏿👧🏻 Felt board stories and activities for kids are here.

👋 Instagram: http://instagram.com/flannel_board_fun/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/FlannelBoardFun/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/FlannelBoardFun/

Ramadan is here!

A year or two ago I had the pleasure of learning all about Ramadan, and I created a felt board set for story time and for independent play. I wrote about it here. Click there for my thoughts, feelings, and some of the lyrics :)

And after having a ton of people ask me if I could pretty please make a pattern for them...

I finally did!

I'm so pleased that the pattern will make the Ramadan set more accessible to more people. I know as a teacher our classroom was sorely lacking in materials that represented children of color and a variety of holidays and cultures. I hope this pattern fills that hole a bit if you're experiencing the same thing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✂️You can find felt board patterns right here.

Lots of fun videos are right here!

🛒🍎📚Shop all the Storytime felt board songs, rhymes, and story sets:

🛒🎁👦🏽👧🏿👧🏻 Find felt board stories and activities for kids are here.

👋 Instagram: http://instagram.com/flannel_board_fun/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/FlannelBoardFun/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/FlannelBoardFun/

Three Penguin Count Down

Sometimes you just need a quick counting song that fits a familiar tune and includes wingless birds!

I've got you covered:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🎵If you like singing with kids, you’ll love these 17 FREE song strips: http://bit.ly/SongStripsFBF 🛒Buy this cute multi-use Penguin felt board song and game set: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/produ... 🍎📚FlannelBoardFun felt board story sets are multi-use circle time fun! With each felt set, you get the lyrics for three or more rhymes, songs and/or stories to use with it! Hello, storytime FUN! ✂️You can find felt board patterns right here: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/patte... 🛒🍎📚Shop all the Storytime felt board songs, rhymes, and story sets: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/story...

Down in the Farmyard: A Circle Time Farm Song

Calling all farm enthusiasts and little animal lovers ;) In case you can't make the trip to a real farm, I think you'll love this wee little farmyard experience on the felt board!

In this video, I sing one of my favorites--"Down by the Station"--with a farm twist.

I love this one because the kids really love to join in, which increases their farm and animal knowledge and vocabulary. Along with all the other early learning skills like counting and color naming, of course. And most importantly, they have fun and want to come back for more :)

🛒Buy this adorable Farm Animal felt board song and game set: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/product/old-macdonald-felt-song/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🎵If you like singing with kids, you’ll love these 17 FREE song strips: http://bit.ly/SongStripsFBF

🍎📚FlannelBoardFun felt board story sets are multi-use circle time fun! With each felt set, you get the lyrics for three or more rhymes, songs and/or stories to use with it! Hello, storytime FUN! ✂️You can find felt board patterns right here: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/patterns/ 🛒🍎📚Shop all the Storytime felt board songs, rhymes, and story sets: https://www.flannelboardfun.com/storytime-felt-board-sets-shop/

Three Little Penguins Counting Rhyme

Count up from 0-3 with toddlers & preschoolers in this fun penguin counting rhyme for story time!

Ah, penguins. Such lovely wingless birds!

I love them so much I made a quick little counting rhyme for them:

Lots of penguin vocabulary sprinkled into this simple counting rhyme--

such an easy way to sneak in learning in a fun and natural way :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🎵If you like singing with kids, you’ll love these 17 FREE song strips: https://bit.ly/SongStripsFBF

🛒Buy this cute multi-use Penguin felt board song and game set.

🍎📚FlannelBoardFun felt board story sets are multi-use circle time fun! With each felt set, you get the lyrics for three or more rhymes, songs and/or stories to use with it!

Hello, storytime FUN!

Pie Count Up: A Circle Time Counting Song!

It's Pi Day! (Well, for me, any day is pie day ;) )

And I have a video just right for this mini celebration:

I love this one, because it gets the kids' imaginations working, along with their arms and fingers! When the kids are engaged and having fun like this, they're much more likely to retain all the information they're being fed (hee hee).

Circle Time Weather Bear: Dress for Winter!

As a teacher, I had a requirement to talk with the kids about the weather each day. (I know--seems like a strange requirement to me, too!) But anyway...Weather conversations occurred naturally, since weather is something that typically affects all of us in some way or another. Raining? The kids had rain gear on and likely got wet on the way to school. Snowing? Maybe we'll go outside and we'll have to put on some snow gear! Hot and sunny? We'll be sure we've all got sunscreen on for playground time...

But just in case it didn't come up in natural conversation, Weather Bear is a great workaround :)

Here's a video I made to go along with this set

(which, by the way, is also perfect for kids to play with independently!)

Christmas Play Felt Board Set

I've had a lot of fun creating some holiday sets for holidays that I don't personally celebrate (like Diwali, and Kwanzaa, and Ramadan, and Hanukkah!) (I was right--it WAS fun, and wow, I learned a lot while doing research for those sets.) I'm really happy to be able to share those, as I think it's pretty important to expose kids to various cultures. And to share in celebrations with the kids who DO celebrate holidays outside of my own experience :)

For the most part, I focus holiday sets on the parts of holidays that kids understand most easily. So the concepts are generally about simple traditions vs. religious themes.

I also want my sets to be usable both as storytime sets-- where the adult is using the set pieces as props to support a rhyme, song or story--and as play sets for the kids--where the kids are re-enacting traditions, songs, and stories that they've learned about.

And today I'm sharing my Christmas set! This one was primarily created for kids to play with independently at home (or in a classroom or library setting). I've got a couple of other Christmas storytime sets already, and I was thinking more about independent play when I built this cutie But as you see from the songs below, it can certainly be used at story time as well!

The Lights on the Tree

As you sing each verse, place the pieces on the board.

The lights on the tree go sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, (twinkle fingers)

sparkle, sparkle, sparkle; sparkle, sparkle, sparkle

The lights on the tree go sparkle, sparkle, sparkle…

On Christmas day!

The cookies left for Santa are yummy, yummy, yummy (rub tummy)

The stockings hung with care are red and green (point at each as you sing the color)

The Christmas pajamas we wear are cozy and warm (put the jammies on the kids and hug yourself)

The presents under the tree have bows and ribbon (place the ribbons on the gifts)

The candy canes in the stockings are sticky and sweet (put the candy canes in the stockings)

Ornament Hide and Seek

Arrange your pieces on the board as you’d like them, naming them with the children. Have the children cover their eyes, or turn the board around, or take the pieces off and sneakily put one of the felt tree ornaments under one of them as you replace them on the board. Then, perform your chant:

Ornament, ornament, you fell off the tree!

Are you behind the ___________? Let’s look and see!

Hanukkah Play and Storytime Set

I thought it would be fun to create some holiday sets for holidays that I don't personally celebrate (like Diwali, and Kwanzaa, and Ramadan!) (I was right--it WAS fun, and wow, I learned a lot while doing research for these sets.) I'm so happy to be able to share these, as I think it's so important to expose kids to various cultures, and to share in celebrations with the kids who DO celebrate holidays outside of my own experience :)

I focus holiday sets on the parts of holidays that kids understand most easily, so the concepts are generally about simple traditions vs. religious themes.

I also want them to be usable both as storytime sets-- where the adult is using the set pieces as props to support a rhyme, song or story--and as play sets for the kids--where the kids are re-enacting traditions, songs, and stories that they've learned about.

So up today is Hanukkah. This particular set was originally created for kids to play with independently--but then I realized it's completely usable at story time, too! I made up some super simple songs to go with the set--Hanukkah vocabulary and concepts are sprinkled within, and the tunes are familiar so everyone will have an easy time joining in.

It is Hanukkah © Wendy Gerbi

To the tune of Frere Jacques. Explain the concept of call and response if the kids aren’t familiar with it. You can set up your pieces on the board ahead of time or place them on as you sing about them. Do what works for you—having the kids help place the pieces on the board is the most fun 😊

It is Hanukkah, it is Hanukkah

The festival of lights, the festival of lights!

The shamash lights the candles, the shamash lights the candles.

Shining bright, shining bright!

It is Hanukkah, it is Hanukkah

The festival of lights, the festival of lights!

Fry potato latkes, fry potato latkes,

Eat them up, eat them up!

It is Hanukkah, it is Hanukkah

The festival of lights, the festival of lights!

Spin the little dreidels, spin the little dreidels,

Watch them fall, watch them fall!

It is Hanukkah, it is Hanukkah

The festival of lights, the festival of lights!

Fry the sufganiyot, fry the sufganiyot,

Cherries on top, cherries on top!

Hanukkah is Here

to the tune of Farmer in the Dell

As you sing about each felt piece, place it on the board.