Five Fat Turkeys--A Simpler Version :)

I love my old version of Five Fat Turkeys.  But I wanted to sell a set in my shop, and the turkeys in that set were blatantly copied from another Flannel Friday fan!  Plus, they were so layered and detailed that they would be a million dollars to buy.  Maybe a million and one.

After a few requests, I finally got my rear in gear and created a new, simpler set.  Similar cook, similar tree, new gobblers :)





The video of this set uses my old turkey friends:


                                   

Don't forget to check out Flannel Friday's Pinterest boards for all sorts of amazing ideas!



And of course, feel free to visit my shop:





Like what you see?  




5 Little Snowmen on a Sled--The Video!

Winter is coming!  Let's get out the sleds, build some snowmen, and do a little counting while we're at it...  You can see my post on this cute set right here, buy those cuties right here, and click below to watch the video!


Want more fun preschooly ideas and shop updates?  Click below!



Space Set Tweaks :)

Well, it seems that kids know a lot more than I do.

Actually, I've known that for ages ;)  But I recently had a request for a custom space set, with the actual planets rather than my cute but quite unrealistic ones.  I was happy to oblige, and I'm so excited about the results! (In fact, you can buy this set!)

Of course I had to make up some lyrics to include a few of those new planets in my favorite space song, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We're Going to the Moon!

We're leaving soon,
We're going to Neptune!
We're leaving soon,
We're going to Neptune!
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
We're leaving soon,
We're going to Neptune, in 5..4...3...2...1...blast off!

Okay, now let's go to Venus!  Can we take a train there?  NO!  Can we take a bus there?  NOOOO!  We have to take a rocket ship!  Let's go...

No train, no bus,
Let's rocket to Venus!
No train, no bus,
Let's rocket to Venus!
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
No train, no bus,
Let's rocket to Venus, in 5...4...3...2...1...blast off!

I'll come up with some more lyrics to go with some of the other planets, and I'll post a video soon!   In the meantime, in case you missed it, here's a video with my other (less planet focused!) space set:



Space Song Video!

I had fun using my Space Quiet Set along with the song Zoom, Zoom, Zoom We're Going to the Moon!  (Thanks to JBrary for bringing this super fun song to my attention several years ago.  I've used it about a zillion times since then.)


Here's the set I used in this video:

And here's another post with more ideas on using this set!




Glue Sticks!

New post over on the FlannelBoardFun.com blog!  Click below to read all about glue in your art area...




Octopus Video!

Ah, the beloved Charlotte Diamond song!  I like to use my Ocean Creatures felt set with this one.  Here's a video example:



More Simple Art Tools for Fine Motor Fun!

In the continuing saga of fine motor art fun...  Click that cutie to read more!




Custom Felt Kids

I love these cuties!  A custom set for a great cause...

felt children on a gray circle background

I make custom sets!  Click the kids to visit my website :)



Ducks, ducks, ducks!

In my experience, preschool kids dig ducks.  And anytime a preschooler likes something, they’re bound to learn a lot as they play with that thing.  So let’s give them lots of duck stuff to do!  Preschool duck activities galore, right here for your viewing pleasure…

Click below to keep reading:



Piggy Pancake Video!

 Why yes indeedy! Pigs and pancakes on film :)  Not much else to say about this pig version of the fabulous Little Mouse game—the video sums it all up pretty nicely, I think.










Recognizing Numbers


Preschool number recognition is more of an early reading skill (symbols have meaning, and this symbol is a 5, and this one is an A… ) than a true math skill.  It’s when kids get the idea that a specific number symbol refers to a specific quantity of things that it becomes a math skill.  But it doesn’t really matter what you call it.  

Click below to read more!



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Simple Art Tools for Fine Motor Development


Need a refresher on why simple is best?  
Here's a quick post on simple tools for your 
preschool art area (at school or at home!)




Penguins on Video!

Well, looky here!  Three cute penguins sliding around on the ice!  Enjoy :)

Hey Diddle Diddle Video!

Finally got around to making a video of this Hey Diddle Diddle set!  


You can check out my original post about this set right here.













Jungle Friends Felt Board Video

Editing:  Wait a minute, these cute critters are actually wild animals, not jungle!  Their habitats are the savannah, plains, rainforest and more--so I'm going to stop calling them jungle animals :)  AND, I've made some changes and updated these cuties!  So though the set below has changed, and the links will take you to a new Wild Animal set, the early math and early literacy aspects remain the same!

Got jungle creature fans on your hands?  Here's a simple way to use my Jungle Critters Set at home, at circle time, at story time...  Build those math skills!  Build those early literacy skills!  Have fun!


Love that jungle felt set?  You can get it in my shop, and it comes with the lyrics to more rhymes and songs, plus a list of animal/jungle books to go along with it!  (I do the work for you ;) )  Click the cuties below to shop:


Like what you see here?  


Making Binoculars!

This activity was a regular each year on my list of small group activities.  It could also be a great activity to do in a library story time!  We kept several sets of 'real' binoculars in the Dramatic Play area of our classroom, but having these homemade sets on hand was a fun change of pace :)  Click below to read all about this simple, fun activity!


Get these sorts of ideas sent right to your inbox every couple of weeks--plus a free Shake Your Booty song and dance cube (plus lyrics to go with it) to use with wiggly kids!



T-R-A-I-N Video!

Looking for a way to build some early literacy skills through a fun and interactive song?  Especially for the little train lovers?  It's your lucky day ;) 

Not only are you introducing or reinforcing letter names in this song, but you're building musical skills as the kids keep the beat by rubbing their hands together.  You're reinforcing color concepts as you name (or have the kids name) the colors of the train cars.  There are motor and coordination skills being built as they attempt to make the 'choo' movement (and try NOT to sing the letter name!).  Plus--it's fun!


I have a bunch of other train related preschooly stuff over on my FlannelBoardFun.com blog, too.  You can check those goodies out right here:


Like what you see?  Sign up for more preschooly goodness:



Down by the Station

I made a cute little Down by the Station video using my Train Set and characters from my Goldilocks, Five Little Monkeys, and Ocean Set.  You could make so many variations of this using whatever characters you want. (Edit: I've discontinued my Five Monkeys set due to racist roots.)

Talking about where Goldi drops off the animals at the end is a nice little way to build vocabulary.  The hand motions to go along with the song build musical skills (which in turn build early literacy skills.)  You can extend this to be more interactive by having the kids choose which animal goes in which color car...  As always, there are so many possibilities!  Have fun!






Muddy Pigs Revsited

So, one of my earliest flannel board sets after discovering Flannel Friday was a muddy pig set, 
inspired by multiple fabulous librarians.  

But I wanted to update my set to make it more of my own design, and I couldn't bear to rub brown fabric paint on these new cuties.  So I switched my mud spots to be made of felt, and I love them so much more.
I also decided those muddy pigs might like to get clean, too!  So I made my mud puddle reversible to a water puddle (or a lake, as I call it in my new little song...)

 Here are a couple of songs you could use with this set when you want to clean off the pigs:


Five Muddy Hog and Sows
Five muddy hogs and sows
(They’re pigs they are not cows)
Wanted to take a little swim.
One jumped into a lake
Got clean for goodness sake
That leaves four muddy hogs and sows
Continue, counting down to zero :)

Five Muddy Pigs
Down at the farm by the big blue lake
Were five muddy pigs for goodness sake
One jumped in and the mud washed away,
Now that pig is ready to play!
Keep counting down...

Go check out all the Flannel Friday goodness at the 








Dress the Baby!

Okay, I have to say I just love this cute Dress the Baby felt set.  I had a custom request to make a set for toddlers to play with during a baby shower, and this is the result.  Gah--SO adorable!

Kids young and old love babies, so this actually works well for such a large age range.  I picture this Dress the Baby set being used independently in homes, classrooms and at library felt tables.  But of course it would also work well at a circle time or story time.  Hand out the pieces and let the children come put them on that poor cold baby, lol.  Great to encourage color recognition/naming, clothing and baby vocabulary, etc.

Here's an adorable little song from the adorable duo at JBrary that would work so well with this set!  Baby Put Your Pants On

Here's a link to my other Clothing sets for more/similar ideas on how to use this guy.











Fine Motor Fun for Gross Motor Kids

Here's a post about a simple activity that just might lure those gross motor loving kids over to the scissors for a little fine motor fun :)




Bear Sleeps All Winter Long

Here's a set that goes along with this story (or at least a version of this story.) I made this one for a wonderful librarian (aren't they all?!)







Get all kinds of fabulous flannel board ideas at the Flannel Friday Pinterest page.

Check out my YouTube channel to see lots of felt sets in action!