Spiders

Most adults would rather not encounter a spider, but the kids at this week’s Toddler Tales were fascinated by them.  Inside the touch box was a large rubber spider. 

To get warmed up we sang a favorite, “The itsy bitsy spider” including a variation I learned from BBC’s “Words and Pictures” on YouTube. 

            The itsy bitsy spider went up the great big tree
            Down fell the snow and made the spider freeze
            Out came the sun and melted all the snow
            And the itsy bitsy spider had another go.

We read two non-fiction books this week.  The first, “GuessWho Spins” by Sharon Gordon gave the kids some clues as to what makes spiders special.  “Spin, Spider, Spin” by Dana Meachen Rau gave taught them how spiders live. 

Using and flannel board I recited this rhyme for the kids to help them remember how many legs spiders and other animals have.

Under a web beside a gate, a spider hangs her legs are EIGHT
Above her flies a busy bee SIX black and fuzzy legs has he           
A ginger cat goes leaping past her FOUR legs carry her so fast
A bird has TWO that isn’t many
As for a worm, it hasn’t ANY

Next we each got our own spiders (a plastic spider ring) to help us sing the song “There’s a Spider on the Floor,” by Raffi. 

For our last story I again used to flannel board to tell the Eric Carle’s “The Very Busy Spider.”  It was a lot of fun. 

Our craft this week was made with the pod of a sweet gum tree and pipe cleaners.  It couldn’t be easier and it couldn’t be cuter! 

Sources:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26lo52V7pNA