Picnics

Welcome Song: Welcome, Everyone

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Welcome, welcome everyone

Now you’re here

We’ll have some fun.

First we’ll clap our hands just so.

Then we’ll bend

And touch our toes.

Welcome, welcome, everyone.

Now you’re here,

We’ll have some fun

Early Literacy Skill: Today’s early literacy skills is narrative skills, the ability to talk about events and retell stories.

Today we’re having stories about picnics.  Have any of you ever been on a picnic?  What kinds of things did you take on your picnic?  Let’s fill up our picnic basket with different things (plates, cups, food).

Flannel Story: Pig’s Picnic by Keiko Kasza

Mr. Pig, on his way to call on Miss Pig, allows his animal friends to persuade him to don various handsome portions of their own bodies, with an alarming result.

Early Literacy Aside: You can strengthen your child’s narrative skills by creating flannel boards like this one, and have your child use it to tell you the story.

Action Rhyme: Ten Fingers
I have ten fingers.

They all belong to me.

I can make them do things.

Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight.

I can open them wide.

I can put them on my head.

I can put them at my side.

I can raise them up high.

I can put them down low.

I can set them in my lap,

And fold them just so.

Book: Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode

Jack tries to have a perfect picnic with his mother, but things do not turn out as they expected.

Early Literacy Aside:  The illustrations in this story add a lot of additional information to the tale.  Ask your child to tell you the story just by looking at the illustrations.  This helps build her narrative skills.

Action Song: If You're Happy and You Know It
v.1 Clap your hands

v.2 Stomp your feet

v.3 Turn around

v.4 Jump up and down

v.5 Shout hooray

Prop Song: “Going on a Picnic” on Corner Grocery Store by Raffi

Craft: Picnic Baskets

Cut out and glue on a picnic basket pictures of foods to take on a picnic.  This works on children's fine motor skills, which they'll need when the learn to write.

Attendance: 0 at the first session, 27 at the second

Evaluation: This program went fairly well.  With the younger audience, I cut out one story and went right to the craft.  Some were too little to do the cutting, but they did get to use the glue.  Fairly fun program, but would work better with an older group.