Not Quite a Flannel Friday: Melting Snowman

HAPPY 
FLANNEL
FRIDAY!

We had our all day Summer Reading Workshop today ~ so I'm a little late.

My "Melting" Snowman

I know!  I know!
He looks just like an ordinary little guy.
But he is NOT!

He is actually a ton of fun to play with and simple enough to make with a large group of families. 

I can confidently say that because this is our Storytime Craft for last night's Family Storytime.

We made our "melting" snowmen to go along with several of our snowman songs and fingerplays ~ like this traditional one:

I'm a Little Snowman

(Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a little snowman

Short and fat.

Here is my tie 

And here is my hat.

When the sun comes out,

I'll melt away.

But I'll be back.

Another day!

Isn't he cool?!??!!

For the little ones ~ and even the adults ~ it is like magic! 

He rolls down and up with ease due to some well-placed brads.

I heard a whole wave of ooooh's and aaaah's as I did it the first time. Then we had to do it over and over and over again to satisfy everyone's curiosity. :o) 

When I announced that everyone would be creating his/her own to take home, the room erupted into screams of "YAY!" and there was lots of jumping up and down with excitement. It made my heart smile to see them so excited!

If you would like directions for making this cool craft, please contact me at storytimeabcs@gmail.com or check out below who and what inspired me to make my "melting" snowman. It was a post about "telescoping" cards ~ using circles ~ that I came across recently. The post I read was not about making a snowman but it does have a video tutorial that shows the steps to make a "telescoping" card. Barb's video was all I needed to get excited about "telescoping" crafts. It didn't take much for me to tweak her circle card into a snowman! And I have several more ideas for "telescoping"!

***Special Note: There have been some discussions on-line and in my personal life recently about giving credit to others for their ideas. As far as I am aware, none of the discussions involve the Flannel Friday group but I feel that the topic of the discussions does apply. One of the first things that impressed me about this group is how often credit is given back to other participants. I think we, as a whole, do a very good job of that. Kudos to us!

I totally agree with the concept of giving credit for ideas and even for giving credit for that mystical little thing called inspiration. It is a positive concept! And well worth the effort to do!

But! I also know that many people have the same idea around the same time without ever seeing the other person's idea or knowing that the other person is thinking about doing the same thing. That has happened to me several times over just the past year. I have read a Flannel Friday post that is EXACTLY like one that I have been working on for weeks! Neither of us knew what the other one was doing. 

I love that "great minds think alike" and that we have so many "great minds" in our Flannel Friday group!

Another "But!" here:  

But it can be a little frustrating when someone else beats you to the punch. When this happens to me, I try (and hope that I am successful) to have a positive attitude about it. I often write a "what a wonderful idea! note to the other person and try to be happy that other children and other families will benefit from the idea ~ whether or not I was the first person to get that idea out there. I try to make the importance of the idea be about the children, not the origin of the idea.

I also know that there are times when someone sees an idea, likes it, but can't use it at the time. Then weeks, months, even years, later that idea comes to them at a time when they can use it. They may remember that they saw it somewhere ~ or not! I know my mind isn't as good at remembering these things as it used to be! 

Anyway, they may remember that they did see it somewhere but not know where to give the credit. I personally don't fault someone for this. I want to believe that most people, given the opportunity, like to give others credit for their work. So I try really hard to give the benefit of the doubt and trust in Karma. If the person meant well ~ good! If the person had questionable intent then "Uh Oh!" for them.

I am not naive or inexperienced though! I work with someone right now who takes others' ideas and doesn't give credit where credit is due. What do you do about that? I have learned several ways to handle it but that is for another time. Email me if you need suggestions right now though. ;o) I might be able to help by sharing from my vast experiences and frustrations! LOL!

Okay, I didn't mean for that to get so long! Sorry! I just want to be clear that I am giving credit for my inspiration. There may be posts out there that are actual "telescoping snowmen" ~ I couldn't tell you ~ because this particular idea came to me when I saw Barb's tutorial and decided to tweak her circle card into a snowman. :o) 

If anyone has a "telescoping snowman" or any kind of "telescoping" craft, I would love to hear about them and share a link to them! I might just start a Telescoping Blog Hop! Whoo hoo! You know how I love a good Blog Hop!

One last thing before I go, I  just want to mention that my features on this particular snowman were done to go along with my very first storytime post from last year, It Is Snowing All Around! 

I used the snowman from the "Snowflake, Snowflake, What Do You See?" magnetic board set but I tweaked it this year. (See, I am even known to tweak my own ideas! Tweak! Tweak! Tweak! I see a new blog coming to life!)

I gave my melting snowman a green bowtie instead of a purple scarf so that I could use him for a different snowman fingerplay that includes bowties. (Watch for this in an upcoming post. It is fun, too!)

I hope you enjoyed this Flannel Friday contribution! And didn't mind too much that I shared a few of my thoughts about giving credit. They are just my opinion and as people often say, "It's a funny thing about opinions ~ everyone has one!" 

Please feel free to share your opinion below ~ if you are inclined to do so. It can be about this craft, something fun that you do with a winter/snowman theme, or even your own opinion on giving credit ~  whether you agree or disagree with mine. 

I love sharing ideas and hearing what others think, too!

As I tell my boys: "If I want to be heard then I need to be willing to listen!"

Thanks for stopping by and, as always,

HAPPY READING TOGETHER!

Craft: Snowball Snowglobe

Last week at our Family Storytime, we enjoyed books, songs, and activities about snow, snowflakes, and snowmen. We also enjoyed making a craft! 

It was a "Snowball Snowglobe"!

Here are the Supplies needed for the craft:

Two 8 or 9 inch blue paper plates 

(I searched until I found plates with blue on top and white on bottom)

5 inch circle template

Pencil

Scissors

6 inch circle of clear plastic

(I will give you suggestions for this in the directions below)

Tacky glue

White glitter paint

Paintbrush

Styrofoam bowl

Snowman shape

(Several suggestions shared below)

Snowflake stickers

Iridescent confetti

Black sharpie

(Not pictured)
White ribbon
(Not pictured)

Directions:

1. Paint the bottoms of both plates with the glitter glue and let dry. (This step can be skipped if you don't have glitter paint and/or your library does not allow painting during your programs.)

2. Draw a 5 inch circle on the bottom of one of the plates. Be sure to center it. (It is hard to see in the picture but I used black cardstock to make my circle template.)

Heads Up: 

The next few steps should be done by an ADULT.

3. Carefully poke a hole in the center of the plate with a pair of sharp scissors.

4. Then cut from the center hole to the drawn outline several times ~ forming an X.

5. Now cut closely to the inside of the circle until it is all removed. (At this point I cut very closely to the line but not on the line yet. This allows me the ability to cut a smoother edge in the next step.)

7. Finally, cut along the drawn line with smooth cuts.

Child-friendly steps again:

8. This next step involves gluing something clear into the cut-out opening to make a "window"  so that your child can peer into the inside of your Snowglobe. The clear plastic is a 6 inch circle. I used our Ellison diecut to cut my circles out of leftover laminate from our laminating machine. I love to recycle ~ reuse ~ repurpose (whatever you want  to call it) and these laminate scraps were headed toward the trash can before I thought of this use for them. 

***If you don't have leftover laminate, 

*How about that leftover clear plastic from toy packages 

after your child opens Christmas presents 

or birthday presents or just gets a new 

toy because it looked so cool at the 

store yesterday?

*How about those folders with the clear plastic covers 

that you used for last year's budget report?

*How about a piece of Saran Wrap or part of a 

gallon-sized Ziploc bag?

There are lots of options if you just take a look around. ;-) It is easier for the parent or caregiver who is sharing this craft with one or two children. If you are a preschool teacher or a children's librarian, you will have to think ahead and start collecting what you need for all the friends that you will be sharing this craft with. But don't despair! I am sure if you share your idea with a few of your parents then they will help you out. :-)

When gluing the clear circle to the inside of the top plate, be sure to spread the glue all around the edge. The opening needs to be completely sealed so that no confetti can escape when the project is finished.

9. It is now time for the snow! Using the Tacky glue, make a "snowdrift" at the bottom of the 2nd blue plate. Then, shake some iridescent glitter on top of the glue and gently press it down to help it stick. Shake off any excess onto a piece of scrap paper and save for later.

10. While the glue and glitter are drying, build a snowman with the sticker set and add snowflake stickers, too.

***Snowflake sticker set was purchased from Oriental Trading as one of the prizes for our Snow program last year. I had enough leftover for this craft. I like this sticker set because it allows the child to build his/her snowman one snowball at a time. It gives the adult a chance to observe whether or not the child has mastered the idea of small, medium, and large, as well as, several other pre-reading and pre-math skills.


***Don't have any snowman stickers lying around:

*How about cutting out three snowballs from 

construction paper and adding details with 

crayons or markers?

*how about printing a snowman picture from the 

internet, cutting it out, and gluing it on the plate?

*How about finding a small toy figure around the 

house to glue to your snow scene?

Here again, there are lots of options if you just take a look around. ;-)

11. Once the snow scene is created and the glue has had time to dry, it is time for a SNOW STORM! Just add more confetti! As much or as little as desired.

12. Final step is to add glue all around the edge of the plate. Don't be stingy with the glue! We want to make a complete seal all around the plate so that when we shake our Snowball Snowglobe to make it "snow", we don't want any snow to escape.

Ooops! Did I say final step? Well, it is ~ unless you want to be able to hang up your Snowball Snowglobe when you aren't using it. If you want to hang it up, then cut a piece of ribbon to about  4 inches in length. Fold it in half and glue to the bottom plate at the top of your snowglobe. Once it is dry, it can be hung anywhere.

Final Craft:

It's a blizzard!

Here are a few pictures of my storytime friends and their Snowball Snowglobes:

This craft was made by a 4 year old. 

She decided she wanted to add some bigger snowflakes to the outside of her snowball. 

I love her creativity!

  

Another friend enjoying her snowball cookie while sharing her craft with me.

Hey, dude! Like my snowman?

(This friend is also 4 years old. If you look closely, he chose to make his snowman differently. 

His choices can actually tell his teacher or parent a lot about his abilities in certain pre-reading/pre-math areas.)

I hope you will consider creating a Snowball Snowglobe with a young child in your life. If you do, please stop back by and share your thoughts and maybe even some pictures with me. I would love to see your child's version of a Snowball Snowglobe!

I have some thoughts on a ocean-themed version. Check back with me ~ I am thinking maybe an underwater bubble full of sand and ocean creatures...

HAPPY READING TOGETHER!

Storytime Fun: It is Snowing All Around!

Here is my very first STORYTIME post. I hope you enjoy it!

IT IS SNOWING!

IT IS SNOWING!

ALL AROUND!
ALL AROUND!

Snowing in Florida?!!??! 

Some of you might be asking why I would do a Snow Storytime at a library in Florida?!?!!

My answer is: WHY NOT?

We don't need real snow to enjoy a story or two about it ~ just like inland states don't need to have the ocean and the beach to enjoy an ocean-themed storytime. If ~ like me ~ you live in a place where it doesn't usually snow, then I suggest you use your imagination and be creative! 

Want to see what we do here in Florida?

I start my Storytimes in the same way each week with the same songs and activities. (In a future post, I will share what we do and why.) 

But once the introduction is over, it is time for something NEW!

For this storytime, we started with a fingerplay and a song (with hand motions).

Two Little Snowflakes

Way up high In the Winter sky,

(Point up)

Two little snowflakes caught my eye.

(Hold both hands above head)

Down to the ground they fell without a sound.

(Wiggle hands downward, then put finger to lips)

Before very long it was snowing all around.

(Swirl hands around everywhere)

It is Snowing!

(Sung to: "Frere Jacques")

It is snowing!

It is snowing!

(Swirl hands)

All around.

All around.

(Move hands in larger and larger swirls)

Soft and quiet snowflakes,

Soft and quiet snowflakes,

(Put finger to lips)

Fall to the ground. 

Fall to the ground.

(Wiggle hands downward)

Next, we read one of our snowman books: 

All You Need for a Snowman

After the story, I passed out snowflakes (diecut from white construction paper and glued to blue circles) for a couple of creative movement activities. 

Snowflakes, Snowflakes

Snowflakes, snowflakes,

Dance around.

Snowflakes, snowflakes,

Touch the ground.

Snowflakes, snowflakes,

In the air.

Snowflakes, snowflakes,

Everywhere!

The children were allowed to dance and twirl with their snowflakes as much or as little as they wanted. Then we moved on to a more detailed, creative movement activity that required the children to use their listening skills.

Snowflake, Snowflake, Dance with Me

Snowflake, Snowflake, fancy free.

Snowflake, Snowflake, dance with me.

Touch my head, then my toes,

Land on my nose where the cold wind blows.

Snowflake, Snowflake, turn around.

Snowflake, Snowflake, touch the ground.

Snowflake, Snowflake, fancy free.

Snowflake, Snowflake, dance with me.

Touch my elbow, then my shoulder.

Land on my chin where it's a little bit colder.

Snowflake, Snowflake, turn around.

Snowflake, Snowflake, touch the ground.

Snowflake, Snowflake, fancy free.

Snowflake, Snowflake, dance with me.

Touch my ear, then my knees.

Snowflake, I'm about to freeze!

Snowflake, Snowflake, turn around.

Snowflake, Snowflake, land the ground.

The children were now sitting and ready for another story. You could share another book here but I had a magnetic board adaptation of one of our favorite books that I shared at this time. The original book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin. My magnetic board version is:

 Snowflakes, Snowflakes, What Do You See?

Snowflakes, Snowflakes, what do you see?

We see three, white snowballs down below us.

Snowballs, snowballs, what do you see?

We see two blueberries right on us.

Blueberries, blueberries, what do you see?

We see an orange carrot right below us.

Orange carrot, orange carrot, what do you see?

I see five red cherries down below me.

Red cherries, red cherries, what do you see?

We see a purple scarf down below us.

Purple scarf, purple scarf, what do you see?

I see three, yellow stars down below me.

Yellow stars, yellow stars, what do you see?

We see two, brown branches up above us.

Brown branches, brown branches, what do you see?

We see two, green mittens right on top of us.

Green mittens, green mittens, what do you see?

We see a black hat up above us.

Black hat, black hat, what do you see?

I see lots of children right in front of me.

Children, children, what do you see?

(This is where I encourage the children to say everything with me 

in the order that we added them to the board.)

We see:

Two pretty snowflakes

Three white snowballs

Two blue berries

One orange carrot

Five red cherries

One purple scarf

Three yellow stars

Two brown branches

Two green mittens

and

One black hat.

We see a snowman right in front of us! 

Happy Snow Day!

With our snowman built, we went right into a fun fingerplay/magnetic story.

Chubby Little Snowman

A chubby little snowman

Had a carrot nose.

Along came a bunny,

And what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny

Was looking for some lunch.

He ate the snowman's nose!

Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!

I usually finish my storytimes the same way each time. This gives the children some consistency just like at the beginning of the storytime.

We form a circle and sing "The More We Get Together". Then we do our goodbyes with My Hands Say, "Thank You".

Most of the time, we share a snack and we either do a "sit-down craft" or I give the families a "take-home craft" to help extend the learning fun into their homes. (I will be sharing some of our crafts soon.)

Snack this week was a "Snowball Cookie". In the past I have given them "Snowman Cookies" or "Yummy Snow" (shaved ice with or without lemonade syrup). I will try to add a picture of the cookies soon.

Whew! Sharing Storytimes is a little more involved than I thought! 

I feel like my post is too long but I also feel like I left things out! 

What do you think? Too long? Should I break my Storytimes up into smaller parts and make multiple posts? Maybe a separate post for the songs and for the magnetic board story? 

I'm not sure...

Well. that's it until my next post. As always,

HAPPY READING TOGETHER!