Inspired by Flannel Friday

Make a Pig! Inspired by a previous Flannel Friday post by Sharon at Rain Makes Applesauce here's my version of that delightful story. I won't reinvent the wheel though--check her post to see how to present the story.  Go on, I'll wait.  Ok, ready? Here's my version:



My pig was inspired by a cute pig found using Google image search. Everything else I just cut free-hand.




Here are all the pieces that I made for my version. I made a hat instead of a wig/toupee to make the kids laugh at the end.



Legs. I'm sure people in the library were wondering what I was cackling about in my office while I was making this.  I am particularly delighted by the human legs.  First I put up the blue pig feet, which prompts them to request pink feet and, BAM! Out come these suckers. It looks awesomely ridiculous and the kids were rolling with laughter.



Ears!



Close up of the mouse/nose options.



My tails.  I love sticking the 'pigtail' on the pigs head.

This flannel was a delight to make (seriously: cackling) and just the kind of thing I like to share in ST.  It's endlessly adaptable and I won't feel like I need a reason/theme to use it.  All in all, this sort of thing is exactly why Flannel Friday is so great!

posted from Bloggeroid

Five Apples in a Basket

I'm not sure what the original source for this is, but it seems to appear all over the place on the Internet, and none of the sites I looked at credited it to anyone.  If I'm wrong and you know where credit goes, I'll gladly update. 

This is one of the first flannels I made, before I was even a librarian.  I did a few weeks of storytime subbing and I made this for a fall theme.  It is always appreciated.  I use Sharpies to add detail to my flannel stories, but I dab or tap the ink on rather than writing normally.  Writing normally pulls of up the fibers in the felt. 

Empty Basket

The first apple in the basket was a bright and shiny red.

The second apple in the basket said, "My, what a cozy bed."

The third apple in the basket said, "Now we two are a pair."

The fourth apple in the basket said, "Please move over there."

The fifth apple in the basket said, "Oh dear, oh me oh my. This basket looks like pastry--I think we're in a pie!"

Why I like it:

• Talk about feelings
• Sorting
• Talk about colors
• Opens up a conversation about real apples

posted from Bloggeroid

Blanket Guessing Game

Hi! It's me. I haven't abandoned Flannel Friday, or my blog for that matter. This summer is, well, I'll save that for another post.

Earlier this year I did a blanket-themed storytime and whipped up these little blankets using the tried and true paper-weaving technique, but with felt.  I had to glue the ends of the pieces so it didn't come apart, but all in all it didn't take more than 15 minutes to make these.  I have a bunch of little felt animals that I was given--and there are ten of each kind so they're really useful!

They are great for all manner of guessing games.  For the blanket themed storytime, first we 'discovered' who was hiding behind each blanket and named the colors of the blankets, the animals, and the colors of the animals.  Then I put the blankets back on with little clues sticking out, and asked different types of questions:




"What color blanket is the black and white animal hiding under?"
"What color is the animal hiding under the purple blanket?"
"What is the black and white animal called?"




I plan on making some more of the blankets in different colors to expand the game a bit more!

posted from Bloggeroid