3

Theme: LOVE

READING CIRCLEREADING CIRCLE

—Social StudiesExamine the fascinating facets of the Inuit culture with

this idea. Refer to the book’s glossary to select somethings particular to this culture. Then write a simple de-scription for each of your choices on chart paper. Label aseparate notecard with the name of each described item;then place the notecards in a bag. To use, a child picks acard from the bag. After you read the card aloud, she findsthe illustration in the book that she believes to be theword’s match. The class discusses her choice and decideswhether or not it is correct. Then you read the definition in the glossary.If the child’s choice is incorrect, she locates the correct picture andshares it with the class. Then she attaches the word card to the corre-sponding description on the chart. After all the cards are displayed, askeach child to illustrate one item from the chart. Later, invite youngstersto share their drawings with the class.

Sing this song to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?” to affectionately callyour little ones to the reading circle.

My dear children, my dear children,Gather round, gather round.Let’s read a tender story,A mother-and-child story.Come sit down. Come sit down.

(Repeat the song until students are all seated.)

After all your youngsters have joined the circle, read Mama, Do You Love Me?

Written by Barbara M. JoosseIllustrated by Barbara Lavallee

Explore the Arctic culture with this Inuit mother as she reassures her littleone of her unconditional, endless love.

MAMA, DO YOU LOVE ME?

A bright and colorful bird

Its blubber is used for food and fuel

A house made of snow

A hooded jacket

A boat made of whalebone

Furry boots

A short-tailed weaselwh

aleermine

parka

3

4

Theme: LOVE

ART SMARTSART SMARTS

PURPOSEFUL PLAYPURPOSEFUL PLAY

STORYBOOK CAFÉSTORYBOOK CAFÉ

These delicious ice-cream pies will put a glimmer in

youngsters’ eyes.Arctic Cream Pie

Supplies:

ice-cream scoop

waxed paper

To make one Arctic cream pie:

1. Scoop the ice cream onto one cookie; then top it with the other cookie.

2. Gently press the two cookies together to squeeze the ice cream to the edge.

3. Roll the edge of the cookie sandwich in a layer of chocolate sprinkles.

4. Freeze the Arctic cream pie for about 15 minutes before serving.

Create these adorable parka pals to fill your classroom withlove. Provide each child with a white paper plate, a 3" x 12" whiteconstruction paper strip, and a sheet of construction paper in hiscolor choice. To make a parka pal, the child draws a face with aheart-shaped mouth on the paper plate; then he fringes and“fluffs” the plate rim so that it resembles a furry coat hood. Next,he glues the white paper strip to the back of the plate to representthe pal’s arms. To create mittens, the child traces each of hishands—thumb out and fingers together—onto the constructionpaper. Then he cuts out the mittens and glues one to each end ofthe arm strip. After the glue dries, he folds the arms to overlap themittens over the mouth. To reveal his kiss-blowing pal, the childsimply unfolds its arms. Smack!

Introduce youngsters to a traditionalmeans of Arctic travel—dogsleds.Show them the picture of the dogsledin the book. Explain that the Inuits oncedepended on dogs for transportation inthe wintry Arctic weather. Then chal-lenge your little ones’ gross-motor skillswith some mushy, slushy fun! Dividestudents into pairs. Line the pairs up atone end of an open space outdoors orin the gym. To begin, the first studentpair forms a dogsled, wheelbarrowstyle—one child walks forward on hishands while his partner holds his feetup from behind. (If a child is unable towalk wheelbarrow style, have bothpartners crawl instead.) On a signal,the lead sled moves forward and theother sleds follow. As the sleds mean-der around the open space, have thedrivers chant “mush” while the dogs re-spond “slush!” If time allows, switch theroles of dogs and drivers, choose anew lead sled, and begin again.

Ingredients for each child:

2 chocolate chip cookies

vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

chocolate sprinkles

5

Theme: LOVE

READING CIRCLEREADING CIRCLE

—Language ArtsWatch each youngster’s love for a special per-

son blossom with this pretty magnet. For eachchild, copy six flower petal patterns (page 7) ontoone construction paper color and the flower cen-ter pattern onto a different color. Then explainthat each child will make a special flower forsomeone that she loves. Have her cut out all ofher flower patterns. Then label each petal cutoutwith the child’s dictated response about herloved one. To create a flower, instruct the child toglue the petals around the flower center; thenhelp her attach magnetic tape to the back of herflower. Invite each child to present her flower toher special love. It’s flower power!

Gather your class to the reading circle with this verse sung tothe tune of “Jingle Bells.”

I am loved.I am loved.This is how I know—I have a special kissing handThat goes wherever I go!

(Repeat the song several times as children get seated for storytime.)

After all of your youngsters have joined the circle, ask themto listen for Mrs. Raccoon’s wonderful secret as you read aloudThe Kissing Hand.

Written by Audrey PennIllustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak

Facing a new situation can be difficult, even for the strongest of heart. Here’s areassuring story to help ease those pangs of anxiety.

THE KISSING HAND

I love for you to… I love

for y

ou to

…

I love for you to…

I love for you to…

I love for you to…

I love

for y

ou to

…

I love you for the things you do,

And just because you are you!

sing w

ith me.

bake cookies

with me.

read to me.

take

me to th

epark

.

dance with me.

cuddle with me.

6

Theme: LOVE

ART SMARTSART SMARTS

PURPOSEFUL PLAYPURPOSEFUL PLAY

STORYBOOK CAFÉSTORYBOOK CAFÉ

If your youngsters like sweets, they’ll love these kissing hand treats.

Kissing Hand Treat

Supplies:

aluminum foil

oven

To make one kissing hand treat:

1. Roll the dough into a ball; then form it into a mitten-shaped hand on a

piece of foil.

2. Bake the cookie according to the package directions.

3. While the cookie is still hot, place the unwrapped candy in the center of it.

4. After the cookie cools, draw finger lines on it with decorating gel as shown.

Ingredients for each child:

3/4" slice of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 Hershey’s® Kisses® candy

cake decorating gel

Acts of love come in many differentforms. Play this game of charades toprompt youngsters’ thoughts about thenumerous loving acts that they can dofor others. In advance, create a cardset in which a different act of love iswritten on each notecard. To play,spread the cards facedown on a table.Invite a child to select a card; thenwhisper the card’s message into thechild’s ear. Have her creatively act outthe message while her classmatesguess the loving act being performed.Then invite the next child to take a turn.Loving acts can be such fun!

The signs of love are all around with these handy necklaces. Toprepare, cut out a small sponge heart; then place it with a tray ofred paint in your art center. Show students the hand sign for “Ilove you” on the last page of The Kissing Hand. Tell them that this

is how some people communicate that very special message totheir loved ones. Then invite each child to make a hand sign

necklace from the construction paper color of his choice.(You might provide skin-tone colors for this ac-tivity.) To begin, the child traces his hand ontohis paper. He cuts out his hand outline andthen stamps a red heart onto the palm. Afterthe paint dries, he punches a hole just be-low the middle and ring fingers. Next hefolds those two fingers down to make thehand sign for “I love you.” Finally, helaces yarn through the hole and ties theends together to make a necklace. In-vite each youngster to wear his sign oflove to show his feelings to the specialpeople in his life.

clean myroom

washdishes

sing ahappysong

share ahug

give awaya flower

throw akiss

help washthe car

share abook

foldclothes

7

Theme: LOVE

©2000 The Education Center, Inc. • Booktime! • Feelings • TEC1705

centerFlower Patterns

Use with “Learning Links” on page 5.

I love you for the things you do,And just because you are you!

I lo

ve fo

r yo

u t

o...

petals

I lo

ve fo

r yo

u t

o...

I lo

ve fo

r yo

u t

o...

I lo

ve fo

r yo

u t

o...

I love for you to... I love for you to...

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Theme: LOVE

READING CIRCLEREADING CIRCLE

—MathGuess how much “love” is in the bunny jar. Youngsters will

be hopping to know after they make their own estimations inthis activity. To prepare, fill a clear jar with up to 100 heart-shaped candies. Then copy, color, and cut out the bunny pat-tern on page 10. Tape the cutout and a label printed with“Guess how much love is in my jar” onto the jar as shown.Invite each child to write her name and estimate on a stickynote. After all the guesses are recorded, empty the jar andchorally count the hearts with your class. Ask each child tocompare her guess to the actual number; then invite thechild with the correct (or closest) guess to evenly distributethe candies to the class. To extend this activity, you mightgroup and count the candy by twos, fives, and tens beforedividing it up between your students.

Written by Sam McBratneyIllustrated by Anita Jeram

Discover the endless love that Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare have foreach other in this endearing tale.

Youngsters will hop straight to the reading circle with this musicalinvitation sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

Oh, how Little Nutbrown Hare loves his dad!Oh, how Little Nutbrown Hare loves his dad!Guess how much he loves his dad,And how much he’s loved by dad.Hear how Little Nutbrown Hare loves his dad.

(Repeat the song until all your students have joined the reading circle.)

After your class has gathered for storytime, ask your little bunnies toperk up their ears for a tender reading of Guess How Much I Love You.

GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU

Guess howmuch love isin my jar.

9

Theme: LOVE

ART SMARTSART SMARTS

PURPOSEFUL PLAYPURPOSEFUL PLAY

STORYBOOK CAFÉSTORYBOOK CAFÉ

Who doesn’t like to give and gethugs? Here’s a fun musical game inwhich youngsters can do both! In ad-vance, gather some musical selectionswith a really hoppin’ beat, such as “TheBunny Hop.” Then have your classspread out in an open area of yourclassroom. Invite students to hop andbop as you play the music. Then stopthe music and signal each child to givea classmate a gentle hug. Repeat thisactivity for as long as “every-bunny’s”energy and interest last. But beware—your youngsters just might be hoppingand hugging the whole day long!

Each child will make “some-bunny” feel really special with thisunique card. To prepare, enlarge the bunny and text patterns(page 10); then copy a class quantity of the patterns onto con-struction paper. Next provide a tray of brownpaint and a supply of cotton balls. To makethe card, each child cuts out all the pat-terns; then he uses the cotton to paint thefront and back of his bunny cutout. After thepaint dries, he glues the text cutout labeled“this much!” onto the bunny’s chest. Then thechild folds the bunny arms across its chestand glues the remaining text patterns onto thearms. Finally, he glues a cotton ball tail ontothe back of the bunny. Encourage each child

to present his love bunny to someone heloves.

These fancy pancakes are sure to tickle your little ones’ “bunny bones.”

Hoppin’ Hotcakes(makes about 8 pancakes)

Supplies:quart-sized zippered plastic bagselectric griddlespatulanonstick cooking sprayStyrofoam® platesforksscissors

Preparation:1. Pour the biscuit mix, milk, and egg into a zippered bag.2. Seal the bag; then gently knead the ingredients through the bag to mix the

pancake batter. (If desired, add more milk to thin the batter.)

To make one hoppin’ hotcake:1. Coat the griddle with cooking spray; then warm it to medium heat.2. Snip off a bottom corner of the bag.3. Squeeze the batter onto the griddle in the shape of a bunny head.4. Cook the bunny pancake to the desired darkness.5. After the pancake cools, add raisin eyes, a strawberry nose, and whipped

topping whiskers.

Ingredients:1 cup of biscuit mix1/2 cup of milk1 egg8 strawberry halves16 raisinscanned whipped topping

this much!

I love