Preschool Programs Chapter

By Teresa Chiv

The Eighties: A Material World - Celebrate the Simple Things!

Books to Share

Argo, You Lucky Dog by Maggie Smith.
Clever Cat by Peter Collington.
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens.
Look What the Cat Dragged In! by Gary Hogg.
Max and Ruby’s Midas by Rosemary Wells.
The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte.
Power and Glory by Emily Rodda.

Books to Show or Booktalk

But I Waaannt it! by Laura Schlessinger, Ph.D.
Humble Pie by Jennifer Donnelly.
The King of Capri by Jeannette Winterson.
The Market Lady and the Mango Tree by Pete Watson.
The Quilt Maker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau.
The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South by Robert D. San Souci.

Costumes and Props

The program presenter can wear an Izod shirt, or a pink shirt with green pants or skirt, or a business suit.

Nametags

Funny Money

Copy the pattern of a dollar bill provided in this program. The circle in which George Washington’s face would appear is blank and children write their names in that circle.

Displays

Bored? Try Games

Under this heading in your display case or area put books about childhood games, such as The Great Big Book of Children’s Games by Debra Wise. Enhance the display with some old-fashioned board games.

The Simple Things

Display picture books about playing and toys. Enhance the display with old-fashioned or wooden toys.

Decorations

Hang dollar signs cut out of cardstock all around the room.

Refreshments

Rich Food

Serve chocolate coins. Make a mix of jewels and gold with yellow, red, green, and blue M&M’s®. Serve “Liquid Gold” (lemonade) and “Ruby Red Radiance” (fruit punch) for drinks.

Fingerplays

“Knives and Forks” in This Little Piggy and Other Rhymes to Sing and Play by Jane Yolen.

Here Is the Store

(By Teresa Chiv.)

Here is the toy store. (Hold your hands together, fingers clasped, palms down)

And here is the door. (Lift up your two pinkies and touch the tips together)

Open it up to see toys galore. (Turn your hands over with fingers still clasped and wiggle your fingers)

Here are the mommies standing in line. (Hold up your left hand straight up)

Here are the daddy’s checking the time. (Hold your right hand straight up)

Look, say the children. (Circle your eyes with your thumb and index finger)

Look and see.

Why we love to shop with our family! (Hug yourself and smile)

Flannel Boards

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Make a flannel board to tell the story Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Parrot Tico Tango

Make a flannel board to tell the story Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte. Use the patterns of the parrot, mango, lemon, papaya, fig, cherry, grapes, monkey, cheetah, frog, snake, and Komodo dragon provided at the end of this program.

Rhymes and Poetry

Sing a Song of Sixpence

(Traditional.)

Sing a song of sixpence,

A pocket full of rye.

Four and twenty blackbirds,

Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,

The birds began to sing.

Wasn’t that a dainty dish

To set before the king?

To Market To Market

(Traditional.)

To market to market

To buy a fat pig.

Home again,

Jiggedy jig.

To market, to market,

To buy a fat hog.

Home again, home again,

Jiggedy jog.

Songs

Sing “Jingle in My Pocket” by Sharon MacDonald. The lyrics and melody are available on the Songs for Teaching web site, www.songsforteaching.com/sharonmacdonald/jingleinmypocket.htm.

Audio Recordings

“Sammy” on Getting to Know Myself by Hap Palmer.

Riddles and Jokes

(By Teresa Chiv.)

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Everything.

Everything who?

Ever think you had enough stuff?

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Money.

Money who?

Money is my shopping day.

Q. What’s the richest animal?

A. A goldfish.

Q. What do you get when you cross some jewels with some twigs?

A. A treasure nest.

Puppet Shows

Cat and Dog Go to Market

(By J’Ann Peacock Alvarado. Used with permission.)

Characters:

Props:

Giant Penny
“Market” sign
“Apples one cent” sign
“Cookies one cent” sign
Basket or box with three apples
Basket or box with three cookies
Grass (made from green construction paper cut into small strips, or fake grass)

Scene 1: Meadow

Dog: Good morning cat.

Cat: Good morning dog.

Dog: Cat, can I borrow some money so I can go shopping?

Cat: I was just going to ask you the same thing. I haven’t a penny to my name.

Dog: I know, let’s sell something at the market.

Cat: Good idea. I can sell the apples I have left from yesterday.

Dog: I can sell my famous chocolate chip cookies.

Cat: Let’s run home and get our things.

Dog: All right. I’ll meet you at the market.

(Cat and Dog Exit. Market sign is placed on stage. Grass is removed.)

Scene 2: Market

Cat: (Enters carrying a basket with three apples, and a sign that says “apples one cent”) Here is a good place to set up. (Cat sets stuff down, with sign facing audience)

Dog: (Enters carrying a basket with three cookies, and a sign that says “cookies one cent”) Hi Cat. Can I set up next to you? (Dog puts things next to cat. They both turn toward the audience.)

Cat: Wow those cookies look great. I want to buy one from you right now.

Dog: That will be one cent please.

Cat: Here you are. (Cat hands a big penny to Dog, takes a cookie, and eats it)

Dog: Thank you. Now that I have a penny, I can buy one of your apples. Here’s a penny. (Takes an apple and eats it)

Cat: Thank you. Now that I have another penny. I can buy another one of your cookies. Here’s a penny. (Takes another cookie and eats it noisily)

Dog: Thank you. Now that I have another penny, I can buy another one of your apples. Here’s a penny. (Takes an apple and eats it noisily)

Cat: Thank you. Boy, those cookies sure look good! How much are they again?

Dog: One cent.

Cat: Here’s a penny, can I have another cookie?

Dog: Sure.

Cat: Thank you. (Eats the cookie noisily)

Dog: Well, I have a penny now. Can I buy another apple?

Cat: Here you go.

Dog: Thank you. (Takes the last apple and eats it noisily)

Cat: Would you look at that? I have sold all my apples. I am exhausted from all that selling!

Dog: Me too. We’ve both been very busy. I’ve sold all my cookies too! I bet we’ve made a lot of money!

Cat: I’m sure that we did.

Dog: Let’s count it.

Cat: How much do you have?

Dog: I have the penny you gave me.

Cat: I don’t have anything.

Dog: How can that be? We have no food left to sell and business was brisk all day.

Cat: I think we were our only customers.

Dog: Yes, but still, why aren’t we rich?

Cat: Oh well, at least we aren’t hungry anymore.

Dog: Goodbye, Cat.

Cat: Goodnight, Dog.

The End.

Stories

“Roly Poly Rice Ball” in Twenty Tellable Tales by Margaret Read MacDonald.

Crafts

Bag of Gold

Materials

One 10-inch circle cut from a light colored fabric or felt
Tape
Yarn or synthetic leader
Fabric or felt
Glue
Sequins
Scissors
Large buttons
1 plastic craft needle per child, or wrap a ¼ inch strip of cellophane tape tightly around the end of each child’s yarn for ease of threading
Gold coins (3 per child)

Directions

In advance, cut a 10-inch circle of light colored fabric or felt for each child. The fabric should have ¼-inch slits cut every ½-inch all around the edge of the fabric. The children glue sequins and glitter onto one side of the fabric. Cut a 12-inch piece of yarn for each child and tape one end of it so that it can be laced through the fabric. With an adult’s help, the children lace the yarn through a needle and, thread the yarn through a large button, and tie it off at the end. The children then thread the other end of the yarn through the holes in the fabric. After the thread is through all the holes, the children take the needle off, pull the end of the yarn tight, and wrap it around the button to make a drawstring bag. Make sure the decorated side of the bag is on the outside. Give each child three gold coins to put in the bag.

Games and Activities

Let’s Go Shopping

Prepare die-cuts of four different toys and have enough for each child to choose two. Die-cuts are available for trains, dolls, soldiers, teddy bears, and other toys. Display an example of each die cut on a table or desk. Pass out two giant pennies made of card stock to each child and tell them you are giving them their allowance. Then have the children line up and take turns choosing one or two die cuts to purchase for one cent each. Tell the children they can spend both of their pennies or choose to save one of them. Make sure you end each transaction with a friendly phrase such as “Thank you, and come again.” While the children are waiting in line have another adult lead them in the fingerplay “Here is the store.”

Going to The Store

Form a circle with the children, play the song “Sammy” on Getting to Know Myself by Hap Palmer. Instruct the children to follow along with you as you suit your actions to the words of the song.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte.

This Little Piggy and Other Rhymes to Sing and Play by Jane Yolen.

Twenty Tellable Tales by Margaret Read MacDonald.

Nursery Rhymes http://smart-central.com: This site provides lyrics and music files for children’s songs in the public domain.
Songs for Teaching www.songsforteaching.com: This site provides lyrics and music downloads for songs that are suitable for teaching preschool and grade school concepts, and language arts.