Itsy Bitsy Spider Felt Board

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Such a classic song for young children to enjoy, and it's very easy to make the felts to accompany the song and story. Toddlers, in particular, love this action song.

Adding some glittery felt paint will add to the final product.

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

Five Green and Speckled Frogs for the Felt Board

 
After working years in the childcare field  I would have to hazard a guess that Five Green and Speckled Frogs is the most common felt board song that I have observed from my colleagues. I certainly use my felt board pieces a great deal, either with preschool ages or toddlers. In addition, I also have felt puppets in my collection, with one being made within my days as an ECE student. I like how my frogs turned out, and I think what makes them so adorable, is those googly eyes and smiles!

Wow, how long has this been in my circle time "toolbox"?

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

Old Macdonald Had a Farm--Felt Board and Finger Puppet

Old Macdonald Had a Farm---Ei, Ei, O....such a classic song, and perfect for young children, particularly toddlers as they begin learning the sounds of animals with the beginning stages of language development.

An alternative way of sharing the song aside from making felt pieces for the felt board, is to make puppets for children to enjoy.

Another idea for making puppets for Old Macdonald Had a Farm is to make stick puppets. For further information, visit my other blog by clicking on the photo below.

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

The Wheels on the Bus for the Felt Board

The Wheels on the Bus is such a classic song, that young children, particularly toddlers, always enjoy. For caregivers, the song is a great one for it can change in its length, by adding or subtracting the verses. In daycare situations, sometimes every verse is sung and maybe sung again to keep the children seated and entertained! And, the felt pieces for the felt board is an additional bonus:)

When I am using these felts and singing the song, I start with the outside of the bus, and then go to the inside of the bus, and place the bus over the seats to finish the song. The children love it!

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

Train Felt Board Activity

This felt board activity is a great one for toddlers who can learn their numbers while placing the train cars in order from engine to caboose.

See the trains chugging chugging down the track

Engine in the front, caboose in the back

All the colors streaming past

This train’s going very fast

Further Reading Suggestion: Train Preschool Theme

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

Toddlers and Felt Board Activities

Presently, I work in an Infant/Toddler Daycare Room where the children are predominantly between the ages of one and two. After so many years working with preschool ages (3-5), I am pleasantly surprised at how much they LOVE the felt stories. I watch their faces light up as I pull out the box. As I repeat many of the same stories, songs or poems with felts, the words and melodies become familiar to the children. It truly makes me smile as they jump up to dance, clap their hands, and sit down to listen. The felt pieces allow the children to visually make a connection to the words being spoken which fosters language development. If permitted, they love to participate in the process by placing the felt pieces on the board or removing them. A story like The Very Hungry Caterpillar involves a number of concepts and with each telling of the story, the lessons are repeated.

When I am selling my felt stories at our local Farmer's Market in the summer, I have many shoppers asking me if their toddler is old of enough to enjoy. This year, I am going to say that I think it is the perfect age for felt board activities!

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas