This week we took time to celebrate the St. Valentine's Day holiday. We read Louanne Pig: In the Mysterious Valentine by Nancy Carlson, Be Mine Be Mine Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Rose by Lucille Colandro, If you'll be my Valentine by Cynthia Rylant, Henry in Love by Peter McCarty and Love Monster by Rachel Bright. I also had planned to use Happy Valentines Day Curious George by H. A. Rey but I didn't have time for this title.We got our wiggles out with the CD Smart Moves II, using the track Balance it on my Head. I gave each child a beanbag to balance on their head and we marched, skipped, danced and spun around trying to keep the bean bag in place without touching it with our hands. Tricky to do when skipping! We also did an activity with some valentine hearts. I had written an activity on the back of each one and one at a time the children chose a valentine and we stretched, or blinked or jumped. The children enjoyed choosing. One three year old took her heart and since she, of course, couldn't read it she just made something up. "It says to jump up and down." she guessed. It didn't, but I thought that it was great that she tried to read it on her own and failing that predicted what it might say.
For our craft we created a Valentine Day hat with a simple paper plate and some heart stickers and plastic jewels. Our take home pages were Valentine related find the item that doesn't belong and a tracing page with hearts to practice writing control.
Next Week: Sharing
Michele Schumann, Children's Librarian
