'TIS THE SEASON!...
Don't forget to pull your winter stories out of the deep freeze and thaw them out in time to celebrate the winter holidays. Your programming might include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan stories and traditions, as well as seasonal themes, from wintertime and snow days to colds and flu shots. Below I have listed some resources you might find useful, and a few stretches to add to your seasonal repertoire.
SNOWY DAY: Stories and Poems, edited by Caroline Feller Bauer, is a good source of material, if you are telling winter stories. "Here are poems and stories to match every mood...there's a Russian folktale about the beautiful snow maiden who comes to life, Isaac Bashevis Singer's story about a snowy evening in the village of Chelm when the village elders decide a valuable treasure has fallen from the sky, and a story from Japan about a man who is rewarded for his kindness to six statues. This diverse collection of stories and poems is sure to captivate...So, put on your parka, pull on your boots, and read about snow!"
The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVickar Edwards, is a retelling of traditional stories about light from all over the world, from the Inuit story about how Raven steals the light to the Italian folktale about La Befana and the Royal Child of Light. At the end of the book is a selection of rites, games, and songs to sing.
DID YOU KNOW...
What goes "Ho, ho, ho, plop?"
(Santa laughing his head off!)
What does a near-sighted gingerbread man use for eyes?
(Contact raisins!)
"The Snow Queen With the Cold, Cold Heart," is a story that is packed with winter fun, and it includes plenty of opportunity for participation for kindergarten to fifth grade audiences. You can find it in my book, Crazy Gibberish and Other Story Hour Stretches, as well as on the award-winning CD of the same name. (See my website bookstore to purchase a copy).
"Snow Bunting's Lullabye" is a Siberian folktale retold by Margaret Read MacDonald, in her book, Tuck-Me-In Tales . It is sassy and sweet, and will appeal to young and old listeners. Best of all, there is plenty of opportunity for audience participation in this story.
THE MITTEN by Alvin Tresselt is an ALA Noteable picture book that is also a wonderful winter story. There are many versions of this tale in print, including one by Margaret Read MacDonald in her book DON'T LOOK BACK: Twenty Lively Tales for Gentle Tellers, that includes plenty of audience participation.
FIVE LITTLE SNOWMEN Adapted by Naomi Baltuck
Five little snowmen all in a row. (hold up five fingers)
Five little snowmen all made of snow. (shiver)
Out came the sun and shone all day, (draw circle of sun with finger held high, fingers become rays of sun)
And one little snowman melted away. (use both hands to show snowman drooping)
Four little snowmen all in a row.
Four little snowmen all made of snow.
Out came the sun and shone all day.
And one little snowman melted away.
Three little snowmen all in a row.
Three little snowmen all made of snow.
Out came the sun and shone all day,
And one little snowman melted away.
Two little snowmen thought up a good plan. (point to head and nod)
Into my kitchen they both ran, (run in place)
Into my freezer, where the temperature's just right. (shiver)
And they come out to play on very cold nights! (jump up, holding arms out)
MY FAVORITE WINTER CRAFT IDEA
When I was teaching in the classroom, we made marshmallow snowmen. It requires some prep time to cut out felt bow ties, circles of felt for buttons, hats, eyes and noses, and to sew a loop of thread through the cap of each snowman so that it may be hung from a tree. But the result is well worth it.
1. Glue two big marshmallows together, one on top of the other, to form the body and head of the snowman.
2. Glue four mini marshmallows to the bottom marshmallow for arms and legs.
3. Glue a felt circle just large enough to cover the snowman's head, with the loop on top for hanging.
4. Glue four smaller round felt circles (I use red) to cap the ends of the mini marshmallow arms and legs.
5. Glue two small dark blue circles onto the top marshmallow for eyes, and one just underneath it for a
mouth.
6. Glue a little red felt bow tie where the marshmallows come together, with a little green felt button in the
middle of the tie for decoration.
7. Glue two little green buttons on its tummy, in a line just under the tie.
These ornaments are not supposed to be eaten, but they look so good that one pupil's younger sister couldn't resist nibbling the back side of a snowman while it was hanging on the tree. My student had made several snowman ornaments. After discovering that the first one had been taste-tested, she checked the others; they had all been sampled. Fortunately, the guilty party lived to tell the tale. If you use non-toxic glue, such as Elmer's, then no harm is done.
However you celebrate the season, stay warm, have a very happy holiday, and a Happy New Year.
Happy tales,
Naomi
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Posted by: christian louboutin | January 20, 2010 at 12:51 AM
woooo!! winter what a season it was!! and the stories about the winter its too exciting. I want to skate in the roads by singing the
poem five little snowmen. It was really enjoyable...:)
Posted by: bible player | July 07, 2011 at 09:13 AM
Thanks a lot "Naomi", your article is so impressive, the tales explained in the article are very funny and interesting.
Please keep posting such a beautiful articles....
Posted by: BibleDove | September 14, 2011 at 12:01 AM
It is wonderful for visitors at the Hubbard museum to be directed to the Copper Shop to see and hear of the work being done.
What a super post! I love your scarecrows! The scrapbook pages are SO precious - I love the one in the pumpkin patch especially.
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