Flannel Friday: Which fish?

Here's a simple flannel to play during preschool storytimes or with early elementary school groups. Start with the entire school of fish displayed on a flannel board. Spend a moment talking about them. Then turn your flannel board around, secretly remove one fish, turn it back to the audience, and sing your rhyme:

So many fishies here today!

Which fish did I take away? 

OR to make it simpler, "Which color fish did I take away?"

If your crowd is very good at this game, trying taking away more than one fish. Repeat until no longer fun.

To make this flannel, I chose 7 fish from a huge set we already had and raided our supply closet to personalize each one using puff paint, googly eyes and sequins. Little prep, lots of fun.

Check These Books Out: Tours Edition

Tis the season of school visits and tours. I asked our staff to share their go-to titles, from books that will get preschoolers giggling on up to entertaining even the coolest 5th graders. If you haven't seen these titles, check them out! (And if you glean nothing else, almost ANY Jan Thomas is a hit with a crowd. If you haven't read much by her, go now and do it. I'll wait.) Any favorites to use in groups? Do share!

 

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? By Jan Thomas

I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs

Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda

What Color is Your Underwear? by Sam Lloyd works well for toddlers and preschool visits.

Shark in the Park! by Nick Sharratt

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet

Sipping Spiders Through A Straw: campfire songs for monsters by Kelly Dipucchio. Sing a few of the funniest songs to jaded school-agers.

Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya. This is a great book to pull out when waiting for classes to be seated and settle down.

Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley

Animal Soup by Todd H Doodler

 Whatever by William Bee. For middle to upper elementary students.

Parker Picks by Deb Levine. Great for 5 to 8 year olds.









 

The Bear on the Bed by Ruth Miller is another great one for early elementary students.

 My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman