Flannel Friday: Elephant Finger Puppets

 

Meet Elmer and Esmarelda, my elephant finger puppets. I used a free crochet pattern that is no longer available online to make them. The dress and sweater are of my own devising. One of these days, I'm going to make up a story for these two.

If you want to crochet some finger puppets, check out this page for free patterns.

Brooke has the roundup this week.

Important Links:

Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
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Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #FlannelFriday.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Sharon (@readingchick).

Flannel Friday: Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone?

I borrowed this idea from Katie Fitzgerald over at Storytime Secrets. I was looking for an idea that would fit on my small flannel board. I used this idea for a dogs outreach storytime. The only piece I had to make for this set was the bone. I borrowed the others as follows:

• Duck from Duck games (Fall, Winter, & Fairy Tale)
• Rabbit, Tiger, & Lion from Conejito
• Turtle from I Made My Dog a Valentine
• Dog from Hey Diddle Diddle

Very fun game to play with the flannel board especially with preschoolers.



Katie has the round up this week.

Important Links:

Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #FlannelFriday.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Sharon (@readingchick).

Happy Birthday, Flannel Friday!

It's hard to believe that Flannel Friday is 3 years old and that I started participating not quite 3 years ago (May 6, 2011). Making felt sets is one of my new favorite hobbies. I also love interacting with all the great children's librarians who are involved with Flannel Friday.

Anne at So Tomorrow is our host for the special birthday roundup and she's asked us to reflect on the past three years of Flannel Friday wonderfulness and share favorite posts. I really liked how Lisa laid out her birthday post so I'm taking my cue from her.

Favorite Stuff I've Made 
Memory Game for 10 Hungry Rabbits by Anita Lobel 
"Goodnight Mummy" by Roger Stevens 
Fairy Tale Guessing Game

My Most Viewed Flannel Friday Posts
Pete the Cat 
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss 
"I Made My Dog a Valentine" by Jack Prelutsky
Let's Make a Snowman
5 Little Dragons
Pumpkins
The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle 
Blue Ted Said
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
5 Little Bats
5 Little Owls  
5 Little Teeth
5 Little Strawberries
5 Little Frogs
Clean/Dirty Pigs
5 Little Pandas
5 Little Airplanes
Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Hot Air Balloons

Favorite Posts that Have Inspired Me
Gold Fish by Library Quine and Lisa
Bird Houses by Erin
"I Made Myself a Snowball" by Alison
Shark & Fish by Jane
Traffic Light Prop by Andrea
Cats by Kathryn
I Know a Wee Piggy by Lisa
Mix & Match Cinderella by Mel (This wasn't actually a Flannel Friday post, but I used it to make a felt set.)
Conejito by Mary

My Flannel Friday To Make List
Who Took the Cookies? by Thrive After Three
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Miss Meg's Storytime
There Was an Old Man with a Beard by Library Village
Mouse Count by Miss Mary Liberry
Chameleons by Fun with Friends at Storytime

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #FlannelFriday.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Sharon  (@readingchick).

Flannel Friday: Mice Finger Puppets

Another set of crocheted finger puppets from my graduate school days. Like the rabbits, this pattern is no longer available online, but you might find something here to make.

Anne has the round up this week.

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #FlannelFriday.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Sharon  (@readingchick).

Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman

For a small panda, Chu has an enormous sneeze. Throughout the day, his parents worry that he might sneeze.

What I thought: A sweet story with such cute illustrations. Chu stole the show. I love the mixture of full two page spreads with small illustrations on white pages. I can't wait to use Chu's Day for storytime. Pair with Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems.

Storytime Themes: Pandas, Sneezing, Baby animals 


(Illus. Adam Rex. Harper, 2013)

Flannel Friday: Chester

Meet Chester, my Boston Terrier and my new felt board. I talk about Chester quite a bit with my storytime kids and thought it would be fun to make a felt version of my pet. The picture I used as a pattern is also above. I enlarged it making the body two pieces and the head a separate piece. I used animal eyes and just a little puff paint on his ears and nose.

I have a few ideas for how I'll use Chester in storytime. First, I thought I would give him a story similar to Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd. Second, I thought I'd make use of the hats from my Let's Make a Snowman felt set and have a "Hat for Chester" game/story. Thirdly, I'll pull Chester out if I ever do a black and white animals storytime again.

Any other ideas on how I might use Chester in storytime?

Amy has the round up this week.

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog
Flannel Friday on Pinterest
Flannel Friday on Facebook
Follow Flannel Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #FlannelFriday.
Our Flannel Friday Fairy Godmother is Sharon  (@readingchick).

My First Day by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

You probably don't remember anything about the day you were born, but you were probably helpless. Some animals are born helpless like human babies while others are quite self-sufficient from the moment they're born. You'll learn about 22 animal babies in My First Day. 

What I thought: I'm a big fan of Steve Jenkins & Robin Page. Their newest book is great--perfect for sharing with preschoolers. I love the mix of animals--those kids will be familiar with as well as the more exotic. As always the illustrations are wonderful. Cut paper collage is one of my favorite mediums. The extra information at the end of the book will extend the learning experience.

Storytime Themes: Animals, Baby Animals, Nonfiction

(Houghton Mifflin, 2012)