This is one of those lesson plans that I was super excited about! Most small children LOVE making a mess! Then, I had 33 toddlers in my program… and after taking a look at the amount of energy in the room, I realized that my lesson plan wasn’t going to fly. If I wanted this program to be successful, I’d have to be willing to adapt. So, after our opening song and high-fives to our monkey puppet, I tried for one book – Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd. After this book, we focused the rest of our time on music – “To Dirty To Love” with our scarves (which the kids really enjoyed), our Butterfly flannel board, our Fruit Salad fingerplay, and then just to get out some energy , I put on Happy by Pharrell to get the kids moving and finished everything off with our standard “Shake Your Sillies Out” puppet show. With 60+ people in the room, it was pretty much chaos, but we made it through and the kids enjoyed what we ended up doing. Making a Mess Storytime Opening: “Put Your Hands Up In the Air” Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Woolly (monkey puppet) Early Literacy Tip: “Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.” – Mem Fox Resource Share: Art exploration is so important for young children, don’t focus so much on product, but more about the process. Look for our art and sensory exploration classes offered during the school year for young children. Book 1: Not Me by Nicola Killen Transition: “Butterfly Flannel Board”The first to come to the garden bedis a lovely butterfly of brilliant REDThen in comes another and that makes twoFly right in, my friend of BLUEThis garden is fine, the best I’ve seensays the butterfly of the softest GREENOur garden needs a sunny fellowFly in butterfly, with wings of yellowLittle friend of PURPLE, fly in toothe garden is waiting for a color like youHello ORANGE, we’ve waited so longfly in, right where you belongButterflies, Butterflies, you’re such a sightFlying together with such delight! Flannelboard Rhyme: “Find the Caterpillar”Knock, Knock, KnockLittle caterpillar, little caterpillarAre you behind the ______ Butterfly? Book 2: Warthogs Paint by Pamela Duncan Edwards Transition: “To Dirty To Love” Caspar Babypants, I Found You! (with scarves) Wiggle Song: “Fruit Salad”Watermelon, Watermelon, (big circle with hands)Pa-pay-a, pap-ay-a, (chop air in front of body on each syllable)Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down like rocking a baby)Fruuuuit Salad, fruuuuit salad! (dance it out!)Pomegranate, Pomegranate, PomegranateCle-men-tine, Cle-men-tine, Cle-men-tinePineapple, pineapple,Fruit salad, fruit salad. Book 3: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd (flannelboard) Closing: “Shake My Sillies Out” Puppet Show