FLOWERS and BEES

Birds and bees,
and these,
and these
sip NECTAR from the FLOWERS.
- from The Reason For A Flower by Ruth Heller

Tomorrow, is May 1st, May Day! Come join us at The Little Red Store at 10am as we celebrate the symbol of May Day, FLOWERS. And the animals that help make more flowers, BEES!

In Wisconsin Animals, an outreach program I teach at the Milwaukee Zoo, we talk about BEES. How they are social insects and live in big groups in a special home called a HIVE where "200-200,000 bees can be living and working together! Imagine living with that many people in your house?!" The boy bees are called DRONES and the girl bees are called WORKERS. Which ones sting? And who is the one special girl BEE in the hive??? That's right, the QUEEN BEE! And then the teacher stands up, and we say "Hello, Queen Bee," and discuss some other fun bee facts and why bees are so important, "They give us honey and help make more FLOWERS!"

Let's get back to FLOWERS and May Day...

Tomorrow we will ring, sing, rhyme, and count about flowers. We will talk about stems and petals and how flowers need water to grow. Speaking of water, we will have a vase filled with it. If you are able to, please spend a little time in the yard tomorrow morning with the little one(s) and clip a few flowers to bring along to storytime and contribute to the group bouquet! All flowers are welcome, even dandelions :)

We will pretend to be a seed that grows into a flower as we sing a song Nancy taught us (to tune of I'm a Little Teapot, but sung much, much slower)...

I'm a Little Seed in the deep, dark, ground - crouch down and be a seed.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round - make a big circle with your arms.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow - make raindrops with your fingers.
Up I come now, grow, grow, grow - sprout up from the ground.

We will have a simple (much simpler than last month - no scissors required!) flower craft in the craft corner.
Sarah is baking up some Beehive Bar Rice Krispie Treats for snacktime, and serving up some Spanish vocab and counting practice.

And of course let's not leave out one of my very favorite fingerplays, "This is a beehive, but where are the bees??? Hidden away where nobody sees..."

Looking forward to seeing those of you that are able to buzz on down to the Village on May Day!

B is for BIRD

"I hear birds singing through the open window."
-from Birds, By Kevin Henkes

Spring is the perfect time of year to break out this book!

Tomorrow, Tuesday April 3rd at 10am, please join us at the Little Red Store for a storytime about BIRDS.

Let's celebrate our feathered friends and fellow vertebrates. We will read, sing, rhyme, and count all things birds: eggs, nests, feathers, and beaks. B is for BEAK!

B is also for BUNNIES... a fun time to review the comparison that MAMMALS HAVE FUR while BIRDS HAVE FEATHERS. Also a great segue to let you know that Sarah is baking Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies!

Wiggle your noses if you love to eat carrots like a bunny? Can you balance like a bird? Have you noticed all the bunnies and birds outside lately? They are fun to watch. What else can you think of that starts with the letter B?

Also, if you are in the midst of spring cleaning and come across some unmatched mittens or gloves (child or adult), please bring them along to repurpose into an easy-to-make BIRD/BUNNY CRAFT to bring home!

Finally, as we transition from mammals to birds this month, let us also remember and pay tribute to beloved storytime regular, devoted grandmother, zoo class enthusiast, and bird lover, Grandma Jan, who recently made her own transition. I was blessed to have her as my friend and faithful fan.