Wonderful Ones: We Love Animals!

Do you have a wonderful one-year old who loves animals and animal sounds and games?  Then you and your baby both will love the animal themed songs, rhymes and stories we enjoyed at this week's class.  Singing and rhyming not only allows baby to hear and learn new words, it also assists in developing listening skills. By listening to the different sounds animals make, babies will be able to decipher syllables in spoken language.

I Went to the Zoo Rhyme (Sung to the tune of London Bridge)
I went to the zoo one day, zoo one day, zoo one day,
I saw a lion in a cage and this is what he said – ROAR!

I went to the zoo one day, zoo one day, zoo one day,
I saw a Snake in a cage and this is what he said – HISS!

I went to the zoo one day, zoo one day, zoo one day,
I saw a Monkey in a cage and this is what he said – OOH OOH AHH!

I went to the zoo one day, zoo one day, zoo one day,
I saw a Tiger in a cage and this is what he said – GRRRRR!


Repeat the rhyme using other zoo animals!

Ten Wild Horses Rhyme
(Bounce baby on lap)
10 wild horses came galloping through town,
5 were white and 5 were brown.
They galloped up,
And they galloped down.
They galloped away,
And out of town.

10 wild horses came galloping through town,
5 were white and 5 were brown.
They galloped up,
And they galloped down.
They galloped away,
And out of town.


Little Mouse Rhyme
(Creep fingers up baby’s back)
See the little mouse
Creeping up the stair,
Looking for a warm place,
There oh there.  (Tickle baby’s neck)

(Creep fingers up baby’s back)
See the little mouse
Creeping up the stair,
Looking for a warm place,
There oh there.  (Tickle baby’s neck)

Enjoy these stories we read at Wonderful Ones this week: 

Peekaboo, Puppy! By Beth Harwood
Join puppy and his farmyard friends for a game of peekaboo. 
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Shhh… By Guido Van Genechten
Various animals gesture the need to be quiet because a baby is sleeping. 
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Terrific Twos: Galloping Horses

Kids love to play, especially Terrific Two Year Olds!  This week, our theme is horses.  Our selection of rhymes, songs and stories encourages active play and thoughtful fun for your little pony.  Children will also learn through repetition and consonance different sounds, syllables and words.   Repetition of letters helps children understand word construction and meaning based on sound.

To become skilled readers, children need rich language and broad vocabulary to understand messages conveyed in print.  Word knowledge can be developed through exposure to new words, such as 'gallop' or 'meadow', and also new experiences, such as pretending to ride a horse when playing. 
 
Giddy-Yup Horsie Rhyme
Horsie, horsie, please don’t stop
Let your feet go clippity clop.
Your tail goes swish and you say neigh,
Giddy-yup, giddy-yup, you gallop away.

Horsie, horsie, please don’t stop
Let your feet go clippity clop.
Your tail goes swish and you say neigh,
Giddy-yup, giddy-yup, you gallop away.


Five Little Ponies
Five little ponies all dapple gray,
Down in the meadow not far away.
The first one said, “come on, let’s run”
The second one said, “oh, that’s not fun”
The third one said, “I’m going to neigh”
The fourth one said, “I’d like some hay”
The fifth on said, “I want a treat”
So the five little ponies trotted off to eat.

Ride 'em Cowboy by Stefan Czernicki
There's more to life on the range than just ridin' and ropin', find out for yourselves.
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Clip Clop by Smee
When Mr. Horse gives a ride to his friends, Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck, they urge him to go faster and faster.
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For more clippity-clop fun, try these stories available from the library:

Appaloosa Zebra by Jessie Haas
Moving through the alphabet, a girl ponders the many different kinds of horses she will have when she gets older, from Appaloosa to zebra.
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Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
When Roy gets a saddle for his birthday, he goes in search of a horse.
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Giddy-Up! Let's Ride by Flora McDonnell
Describes ways people ride horses and other animals, such as the show jumper on her trrrit-trrrotting horse, the raja on his rumpetta-trumpping elephant, and the nomad on his lolloppy-plodding camel. 
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