Leprechaun videos!

 I've got a St. Patrick's Day set that I've posted about before, but wanted to link to two videos you can use with it.   Have fun!

Here's the set:

And here are two fun ways to use it:

Have fun!  Oh, and check out these other St. Patrick's Day posts for more fun ideas :)

Flannel Board Sets in Action!

It's in the very early stages, so nice details like backgrounds and all that good stuff are not looking great, but I started a YouTube channel to share my sets, songs, games, etc.  Come on over and visit me!

Pot of Gold (a Little Mouse Variation)

Yep, it's that time of year again.  Leprechauns will be coming around to classrooms, clues will be left for scavenger hunts, maps will be used, songs will be sung, rainbows and good luck and clovers and shamrocks will be discussed, green beer will be...oh wait--that's not preschool!  

Okay, on with today's flannel board!

This set was made as a custom request, and of course as with most of those, I thought--why didn't I think of that?  Well actually, I sort of almost did--here's my Leprechaun Hide and Seek set from last year!  In case you don't click, I'll repeat the adorable Mr. Leprechaun song below, because it's worth repeating :)

(Here's a link to my recent Mr. Leprechaun set.)

So, this set is pretty self-explanatory if you're familiar with the Little Mouse game, but I like to assume you're a newcomer, so here's the deal:

You place your pots on the board one at a time, commenting on or asking the children to help you name the color of each pot as it's placed.  Sneakily hide the gold coins behind one of the pots as you're putting it on the board, and then begin...

The chant is as follows, subbing the bold words as appropriate:

Gold coins, gold coins,
Playing hide and seek...
Are you behind the red pot?
Let's take a peek!

And then you use all kinds of dramatic techniques to check behind the pot, act confused/disappointed/stumped/etc. as you seek out those sneaky gold coins! We like to pat our legs as we do the chant, just to get the kids even more involved and aware of the rhythm...  And of course invite them to tell you which color to check under (sometimes just lightly touching the one YOU want to do next will send a subliminal message and they'll 'choose' it for you!)

As with all the Little Mouse variations, this is a great set for increasing color knowledge, exposing the kids to rhymes, building interactive social skills, and just plain having fun!  Do it again and again--you're bored, but the kids aren't ;)

And the Mr. Leprechaun song I mentioned above:

Mr. Leprechaun 
(credit goes to a past co-worker, Angela Lenz)

Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun--Hello!
Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun--I Know...
...you're a cute little elf,
If I say so myself!
In your suit all of green,
You come on March seventeen!

Discover Flannel Friday--and join in if you like to make flannel boards, too!

Here's the Tumbler Page if you'd like to check it out, and here are the many amazing Pinterest Boards!

Leprechaun, Leprechaun, What Do You See?

I made this set as a custom order, and I didn't actually ask what she was going to use it for-- but after a quick google search, it looks like she may have been inspired by Jen in the Library or The Lion is a Bookworm.  In any case, this set can certainly be used in various ways, but will work really well as a St. Patrick's Day version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

I've recently started making my sets even bigger than I used to.  This is my second upgrade in size, and I'm so pleased with the results.  Better for engaging larger crowds of kids--not to mention easier to cut, glue and paint!

Flannel Friday is being hosted this week by one of my favorites!   Check it out! 

Leprechaun Hide and Seek

Here's a variation on Little Mouse--I've got lots more here.  I'm particularly happy with this set because I made it BIG (I think the hat is around 6 inches tall, for reference), and because I don't have much else in the way of flannels for St. Patrick's day.  With the threes, we do go on a treasure hunt, and we have a leprechaun puppet in the classroom about which we sing a cute song (see below).  But this is an easy way to appropriately share a little bit about St. Patrick's Day with my twos, without going overboard on holiday-related stuff.

(Ack!!  I just realized I made a four-leaf clover instead of a shamrock--two very different things!  I apologize to any offended Irish folks, and will be changing the offending piece before using it in the classroom again!!)

(This set isn't available in my shop, but lots of other goodies are.  Come take a look!)

So, the rhyme to go along with the set is:

Leprechaun, leprechaun, 

Playing Hide and Seek...

Are you behind the _________??

Let's take a peek!

Please be dramatic as you hunt that guy down--the kids like it so much more with a bit of flair :)

And the Mr. Leprechaun song I mentioned above:

Mr. Leprechaun 

(credit goes to a past co-worker, Angela Lenz)

Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun--Hello!

Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun, Mr. Leprechaun--I Know...

...you're a cute little elf,

If I say so myself!

In your suit all of green, 

You come on March seventeen!

(The tune is a waltz I believe, but I have not idea the title of the original, so you might have to make up your own melody :) )

I'm hosting Flannel Friday this week!  You can find the Roundup here.  For more FF fun and information, please visit the blog, Facebook page, or Pinerest page!  And share these links with your co-librarians or co-teachers. The more we share, the better!

Rainbow Stew

I've had this pinned on my Flannels to Make Pinterest board for a while now, but yippee--I've finally made it!  I was inspired by this post at Roving Fiddlehead. Below the picture you'll find the words to the chant and a video that goes along with the pieces.  

        

Take an apple

Put it in the pot

Stir it, stir it, stir it a lot.

Take it out. What will it be?

The prettiest red you ever did see.

And I have a video of this set in action right here: 

(I've updated the tune and sing it to Over in the Meadow, as I've discovered that the original tune (Jimmy Crack Corn) has questionable roots.)

Have your rainbow strips already set up in a bowl or cooking pot, and have a spoon at the ready.  Don't let the kids see those strips hiding in the pot--after you add each piece of fruit and stir it up, you can magically pull out the rainbow strip the fruit has turned into!  (You can buy this set right here.)

With the success I've had with my veggies and The Soup is Boiling up, I'm sure this Rainbow Stew is going to be a hit!

Oh, and good news!  You can find a pattern for this set right here:

                                      

The original set looked like this, but I've simplified the blueberries and grapes to save on creation time:

Flannel Friday is being hosted this week by Laura at Literacious!