Squirrels

Squirrels!  What is NOT to love about squirrels?  I had so much fun this week putting together a great Toddler Tales about these playful creatures. 

Our touch box this week was an actual squirrel tail.  We learned that tree-living squirrels use their tails for shade, rain protection, a blanket and balance while running through tree limbs. 

We met the nature center’s resident flying squirrel named Cedar.  The kids loved his soft fur, big eyes and habit of trying to find a nice little burrow to hide. 

Next we read “Busy, Busy Squirrels” by Colleen Stanley Bare to learn about the real lives of all the different types a squirrels. 

Then we met Squirrely our squirrel puppet.  She told our nature friends that she hid all her acorns around our classroom but now she forgot where she hid them and she needed their help to find them.  The kids searched for the acorns and brought them back to her tree trunk home (two canisters taped together with a hole cut out and covered in felt) while Squirrely sang this song: 

The Lost Acorns
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

My acorns are over in the meadow,

My acorns are behind the tree,

I’ve forgotten where I put my acorns-

Oh bring back my acorns to me!!

Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my acorns to me, to me-e-e

Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my acorns to me.

Once all the acorns were found we took them out of the hole and counted them while putting them on the trunk. 

Next we read a very cute story similar to Eric Carle’s “The Very Busy Spider” called “The Busy Little Squirrel” by Nancy Tafuri. 

Now it was our turn to be squirrels!  Each person got a dance scarf to act as a tail while we danced along to “Peep Squirrel.”  I have the Kindermusik version on the Wiggles and Giggles CD which is a lot of fun. 

We closed our story time with Lois Ehlert’s “Nuts to You!” 

Sources:  Lost Acorn Game (with printables)

Visit Mrs. D. at Putting Smiles on Faces for more Flannel Friday fun this week.