Posts Tagged ‘Spring’

Discover a diverse selection of Children’s Picture Books About Ramadan

Posted on May 18th, 2020 by Carolyn Hart

Picture Books About Ramadan recommended by Storytime Standouts

These children’s books offer an opportunity for children and adults to learn about the rituals and traditions associated with the observance of Ramadan.

For someone not familiar with Ramadan, it is interesting to read all of the stories and notice how they are alike and different (eating dates is mentioned in two of the picture books, for example. Likewise, looking at the illustrations we can find some colors are more prominent than others.)

Night of the Moon A Musline Holiday Story is a picture book about Ramadan

Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story written by Hena Khan and illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Picture book about Ramadan published by Chronicle Kids

Yasmeen is a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl who learns that the crescent moon outside her bedroom window symbolizes a new month in the Islamic calendar. Yasmeen falls asleep, eagerly anticipating the special foods, the new clothes, the celebrations and the gifts that are part of the observance of Ramadan.

Yasmeen is happy when her teacher leads a discussion about Ramadan and she is able to explain fasting to her classmates. She learns more at home when her family eats dates and drinks milk after sunset and before enjoying a delicious dinner together.

Later in the month, Yasmeen attends a special dinner with extended family and helps to prepare food for sharing at the family’s Mosque.

Throughout Night of the Moon, Yasmeen watches the night sky and how our view of the moon changes over the course of a month. Gorgeous, rich illustrations beautifully match the tone of the story. We experience the young girl’s joy in learning about and experiencing Ramadan with her family and friends.

Author’s notes and a glossary provide additional information for readers including definitions and a pronunciation guide for some of the vocabulary introduced by the author.

Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story at Amazon.com

Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story at Amazon.ca

A Party in Ramadan is a picture book about Ramadan written by Asma Mogin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen

A Party in Ramadan written by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen

Picture book about Ramadan published by Boyds Mills Press

Leena is excited to be invited to her friend’s birthday party. There is going to be a pony to ride and cake to eat. Unfortunately, the party is on the same day that her aunt will be visiting her family and sharing in their iftar dinner.

Leena is confident that she can attend the party with her friends but not eat cake or have anything to drink. She reassures her mother that she can manage but feels embarrassed when her mom explains fasting to the party host.

Leena’s friends are supportive of her and one of them even offers to skip eating cake. Leena assures her that is not necessary While the others eat, Leena starts to feel tired and headachey. She looks forward to going home and eventually falls asleep at the party.

Leena wakes up at home and is happy to help prepare the dates and is excited to enjoy dinner with her family and her aunt. She is proud that she was able to manage the party and resist eating or drinking with her friends.

An extensive Author’s Note provides additional information about Ramadan and why and how women and girls wear a Hijab.

A Party in Ramadan at Amazon.com

A Party in Ramadan at Amazon.ca

Ramadhan and Eid-Ul-Fitr written and illustrated by Azra Jessa is a picture book about Ramadhan

Ramadhan* and Eid-Ul-Fitr written and illustrated by Azra Jessa

Picture book about Ramadan and Eid-Ul-Fitr published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc

An Inspiration for young authors and illustrators, Azra Jessa was just eight years old when she wrote this story. She used “Paint” to create the illustrations. She writes in first-person and explains that Muslims follow the lunar calendar and that during the month of Ramadhan*, Muslims fast and do not eat or drink during the day. She writes that during Ramadhan* Muslims help others, and focus on kind words.

Azra also describes how her family celebrates the day of Eid with new clothing, prayers, a charitable donation, visits with friends and family and delicious food.

An afternote provides information about Child Aid International

*Ms. Jessa uses a different spelling for “Ramadhan” than what is used in the other picture books.

Ramadhan and Eid-ul-Fitr at Amazon.com

Ramadhan and Eid-ul-Fitr at Amazon.ca

Ramadan Moon written by Na’ima B Robert and illustrated by Shirin Adl

Picture book about Ramadan published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Intriguing, rich collage illustrations are a highlight of this picture book about Ramadan and the rituals and celebrations associated with it. A five-person family watches for a sliver of moon to appear, knowing that Muslims around the globe share their excitement for “The Month of Mercy.”

During the day we keep busy with all sorts of good deeds: Our voices flow with the words of God In unplanned harmonies.

Ramadan Moon At Amazon.com

Ramadan Moon at Amazon.ca

Easter Fun in Picture Books

Posted on April 7th, 2020 by Carolyn Hart


Storytime Standouts shares Easter-theme picture books for children.

Easter is the perfect to time add new picture books to a child’s library. Matching stories to seasons and holidays creates opportunities for children to make connections with family celebrations — and maybe even some festive baking! Today we are sharing three fun picture books for children who celebrate Easter to enjoy.

Storytime Standouts shares Easter-theme picture books including Eggs, Eggs!

Eggs, Eggs! A Lift-the-Flap Boardbook created by Salina Yoon

Easter Lift-the-Flap Board Book published by Price Stern Sloan an imprint of Penguin Random House

A twelve-page board book that includes four sturdy flaps and concludes with a fold-out. This is a story for very young children. We follow Molly, Pete and Kate as they search for Easter eggs.

Young readers will enjoy the bright, colorful illustrations, feeling textures on the cover and on some of the pages while peeking behind the flaps to discover baskets, rabbits, eggs and more.

When one child is unsuccessful in her hunt, the others pool their sweet treats and demonstrate a positive message about sharing.

Best for very young children, the board book is larger than some so it is suitable for small group settings.

Eggs, Eggs! at Amazon.com

Eggs, Eggs! at Amazon.ca
Storytime Standouts shares Easter-theme picture books for children including The Gingerbread Bunny

The Gingerbread Bunny written and illustrated by Jonathan Allen

Easter Lift-the Flap Picture Book published by Picture Corgi an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

When a Little Old Woman and a Little Old Man bake a yummy gingerbread bunny and decorate it with chocolate, they can’t wait to taste it. They put it near a window to cool but, before they get a chance to taste it, the gingerbread bunny escapes out an open window and triggers a merry chase.

Catch me? Ha ha! That’s really funny! You can’t catch me, I’m the GINGERBREAD BUNNY!

Soon the Little Old Woman, the Little Old Man, Farmer Smith’s cats, Mrs. McBride’s dogs, Lady Fanshawe’s chickens, and Reverend Pugh’s pigs chase the Gingerbread Bunny through the village, to a river and an apparently helpful Fox.

A good choice for 4-6-year-olds, The Gingerbread Bunny is quite true to the traditional Gingerbread Man tale so children will be able to make comparisons with other stories. Charming illustrations include 8 flaps that conceal what is happening behind a door, inside farm gates and in the tall grass near the river. We especially noticed and appreciated the (drawn and watercolored) facial expressions of the gingerbread bunny and his pursuers. Look for shock, determination, teasing, charm and, ultimately, denial.

The Gingerbread Bunny at Amazon.com

The Gingerbread Bunny at Amazon.ca

Bake some gingerbread bunny cookies to enjoy with this story
Storytime Standouts shares Easter-theme picture books including It's the Easter Beagles, Charlie Brown

It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown created by Charles M. Schulz

Easter Picture Book published by Simon Spotlight an imprint of Simon and Schuster

The always popular Peanuts gang celebrates Easter. Peppermint Patty and Marcie do their best to decorate Easter eggs, without much success. Sally needs new shoes for the special day and Linus is happily confident that the Easter Beagle will deliver special treats on Easter Day. Meanwhile, Lucy is focussing on her plan for a can’t-fail Easter egg hunt and Charlie Brown predicts disappointment.

True-to-character, this is a story that will be best enjoyed by children who are familiar with, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and/or A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown at Amazon.com

It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown at Amazon.ca

Click Here to Explore All Easter Theme Printables and Picture Books

Itty Bitty Wouldn’t Budge created by Victoria Martin and Caitlyn Knepka

Posted on November 22nd, 2015 by Carolyn Hart

Itty Bitty Wouldn't Budge a picture book written by Victoria Martin and illustrated by Caitlyn KnepkaItty Bitty Wouldn’t Budge written by Victoria Martin and illustrated by Caitlyn Knepka
Picture book published by Mascot Books



At the front of my suburban house, I have a Little Free Library. With an emphasis on children’s books, at any given time, the library has three or four board books, a dozen or so easy readers, twenty chapter books for middle grade readers and twenty five picture books. This is our second year in existence and the library has been a wonderful way to meet neighbors and celebrate community. Many people speak to my husband and me about the library and we have received many generous donations. Throughout the week, I rotate books in and out of the library as I try to keep the selection fresh.

This week, while my husband was working in our garden, someone stopped by to donate a new picture book to the library. She explained that her friend, who is an author, had sent it along and asked her to drop it off. This is a “first” for the library – an author-autographed picture book!

Itty Bitty Wouldn’t Budge

is a perfect match to the community spirit of a Little Free Library. Nana is a well-known and very popular elementary school teacher. She and her Newfoundland dog often walk through Maplewood Village. They pass local landmarks including a church, a park and the railroad station. Along the route, they see familiar faces and speak to friends.

One day, Itty Bitty decides stop partway along the route. She simply does not want to move. Nana does her best to persuade Itty Bitty to finish their walk but she’s a very large dog and quite stubborn. Passersby and community helpers ask Nana if she needs help but Nana knows her best and eventually solves the challenge.

I want to thank Victoria Martin and her friend (who lives not far from me) for this donation to our neighborhood library. I know it will be appreciated and enjoyed by many children.

Read about the author and the inspiration for this picture book here.

Itty Bitty Wouldn’t Budge at Amazon.com

Itty Bitty Wouldn’t Budge at Amazon.ca

Spring Themed Picture Books Will Help Young Readers ‘Blossom’

Posted on March 26th, 2014 by Carolyn Hart

Spring Theme Picture Books Recommended for Preschool, Kindergarten and Homeschool

Engaging and fun, these three Spring themed picture books feature gorgeous illustrations and delightful wordplay. It is no wonder that each is part of a popular series of children’s books.





Bear Wants More - Spring Themed Picture Books For Preschool and KindergartenBear Wants More written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman
Spring Themed Picture Book published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster

Fans of Bear and his forest animal friends will enjoy reading about his springtime awakening. He is hungry and thin – eager for fresh berries, clover and fish but nothing seems to satisfy his enormous appetite. Bear Wants More is a read-aloud delight and features alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyming and repetition.

They nibble on their lunch,
with a crunch, crunch, crunch!
But the bear wants more!

Rich, vibrant illustrations make this an ideal read aloud for groups. The story will be enjoyed by children aged three years and up.

Winner, 2003 National Parenting Publications Honors Award (NAPPA)
An ABC Best Book for Children and a New York Times Bestseller

Available via Audible 

Bear Wants More (Classic Board Books) at Amazon.com

Bear Wants More at Amazon.ca


Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms Spring Themed Picture BooksFletcher and the Springtime Blossoms written by Julia Rawlinson and illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Spring Themed Picture Book published by Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins

Fletcher is relishing the sights and sounds of spring until he arrives in the orchard. When he sees the flakes falling amongst the fruit trees, he worries for his friends. He knows that the birds, Porcupine, Squirrel and the rabbits are ill-prepared for cold weather. He rushes to warn them. It is only when all of the friends are assembled that they realize that the ‘snowflakes’ are actually blossoms.

So the rabbits hoppity-roly-poly-plopped down the hill, through the woods.
They were chased by Squirrel, Porcupine,
the birds, and a bouncy, full-of-importance fox, all the way to the orchard,
where the ground was white with…

A sunny celebration of friendship and the seasons,Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms features onomatopoeia, alliteration and repetition. Delightful illustrations will engage readers, including in group situations. Great for children aged four years and up.

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms at Amazon.com

Fletcher And The Springtime Blossoms at Amazon.ca


Mouse's First Spring - Spring Themed Picture BooksMouse’s first Spring written by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Buket Erdogan
Spring Themed Picture Book published by Simon and Schuster

Rich with rhyming, onomatopoeia, alliteration and predictable text, Mouse’s First Spring is a happy look at the sights and sounds of springtime. Young Mouse and Momma venture outdoors on a windy spring day. Together they discover a butterfly, a snail, a bird, a frog, a flower and their love for each other.

There under a leaf,
Mouse found something
slithery and slimy.
What can it be?
wondered Mouse.

Luminous illustrations highlight the wonders waiting to be discovered in the out-of-doors. An excellent choice for babies and toddlers.

Available via Kindle

Mouse’s First Spring (Classic Board Books) at Amazon.com

Mouse’s First Spring at Amazon.ca


Follow this link to our Spring and Easter theme printables for preschool and kindergarten

Free Spring and Easter Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten




Match Upper and Lower Case Letters with this easy-to-make game

Posted on February 8th, 2012 by Carolyn Hart


Match Upper and Lower Case Letters with this easy-to-make game

Children enjoy matching upper and lower case letters with this fun activity


This is a great time of year to pick up the makings of an inexpensive, colourful learning aid – at your neighbourhood dollar store. Easter merchandise is starting to appear and we want the multi-coloured two-part Easter eggs. Normally these are filled with candies but we are going to do something altogether different. We are going to use a permanent ink pen to print an upper case letter on one half of an egg and and the corresponding lower case letter on the other half. Children really enjoy searching through the ‘broken’ eggs. matching upper and lower case letters, ultimately assembling twenty-six whole eggs. I like the activity because using five or six colors makes finding a match fairly easy and also makes the activity somewhat self-checking.

For older children, compound words, rhyming words or antonyms could be used.

For more ways to help children learn the alphabet, check out our fee alphabet printables and our page about alphabet recognition.

A word of caution: This activity is not intended for children younger than age 3. Also, to ensure the activity is safe, please use eggs that are large enough to eliminate a risk of choking. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined: ‘Any ball with a diameter of 1.75 inches (44.4mm) or less that is intended for use by children younger than 3 years of age is banned.’ This is an excellent guideline – please check the size of the eggs before purchasing them.

Hover over the photo for a description of the activity. Click on the photo to read the full post

Storytime Standouts Free Printable Alphabets and Games for Learning LettersAlphabet Learning Game for Small Groups










We invite you to follow Storytime Standouts’ Alphabet Craft Board on Pinterest

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Alphabet Crafts on Pinterest.

Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten

Posted on January 28th, 2012 by Carolyn Hart

Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables for Preschool, Homeschool and Kindergarten from Storytime Standouts

Sharing some fun Prek and Kindergarten St. Patrick’s Day Learning Resources
 
Picture Book Suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day
Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Fingerplays for Preschool
Free printable Pot of Gold Writing Paper for Beginning Writers
Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Picture Dictionary for Kindergarten
Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Wordsearch for Early Primary




May Your Blessings...Irish quote from StorytimeStandouts.com

Picture Book Suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day

Storytime Standouts looks at The Leprechauns GoldThe Leprechaun’s Gold written by Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrated by Henry Cole
Picture book featuring leprechauns published by Katherine Tegen Books An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers



Old Pat and Young Tom decide to compete for the title of ‘Finest Harpist in Ireland.’ They know each other well, Tom learned to play the harp from Old Pat and he is certain that his musical ability has surpassed that of his teacher.

He was much given to boasting and bragging and charging the villagers great amounts of silver for his skills. Old Pat was humble and willing to play his music for free for those who he knew had not the means to pay.’

As the teacher and protege journey from their small town toward the Royal Palace, it occurs to Tom that Old Pat could indeed win the contest so Tom decides to sabotage Old Pat’s harp. Not long after, while camped for the night, the two musicians hear a cry for help. Young Tom is not willing to investigate the problem but Old Pat cannot ignore the plea. Cautiously, he walks through the dark forest to see how he can be of assistance.

In a clearing, he saw a tiny many with his foot down a rabbit hole. Old Pat’s nighttime encounter with a leprechaun leads to all sorts of wonderful magic and an opportunity for Young Tom to learn.

Luminous illustrations enhance this engaging look at two characters and how, when challenged, their decisions impact outcomes. Highly recommended for youngsters aged four years and up, boys and girls will enjoy looking for the sixteen four-leaf clovers hidden throughout the book.

The Leprechaun’s Gold at Amazon.com

The Leprechaun’s Gold at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts Looks at Too Many LeprechaunsToo Many Leprechauns Or How the Pot o’ Gold Got to the End of the Rainbow Written by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Dan Andreasen
Picture book featuring leprechauns published by Simon and Schuster Kids

Finn O’Finnegan looked like a rogue and walked like a rascal, so it was widely thought that he was at least one of the other. And his shadow, which followed him closely and knew all of his secrets, might have said he was both.

Finn returns to his hometown only to discover that leprechauns have taken over! They are making shoes day and night in order to earn gold and the tap, tap, tapping is keeping everyone in the town awake. Finn comes up with a clever plan. He angers the leprechauns by finding fault with their creations until they feel they must show him their enormouse pile of gold. Once he knows where they keep their gold, Finn finds the perfect place to hide a pot o‘ gold and eventually restores peace to Dingle.

Delightful illustrations are done with oils and compliment a very enjoyable folklore tale.

Primary School resource – using Too Many Leprechauns to teach making predictions

Too Many Leprechauns at Amazon.com

Too Many Leprechauns st Amazon.ca

Our Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables for Kids

Our free early learning printables, including our free St. Patrick’s Day printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already have Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the free printables.



Free printable Five Little Leprechauns fingerplay for St. Patrick's Day Preschool Kindegarten from Storytime Standouts

Our St. Patrick’s Day Fingerplays for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Five Little Leprechauns




Free Happy St Patricks Day printable from Storytime Standouts

image of PDF icon  Happy St. Patrick's Day

Free printable St. Patrick's Day fingerplay for circle time or storytime.




Free Printable St Patrick's Day Interlined Paper from Storytime Standouts

Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Writing Paper for Kids

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold

St. Patrick's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.


image of PDF icon  St. Patrick's Day Fun Writing Paper

Free printable St. Patrick's Day theme writing paper.


Storytime Standouts offers writing paper for (almost) every occasion, check out the entire collection by visiting our Writing Paper For Kids page.

Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Wordsearch for Kids

image of PDF icon  St. Patrick's Day Word Search

Free printable St. Patrick's Day Word Search for children.

Free printable St. Patrick's Day Picture Dictionary from Storytime Standouts

Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Picture Dictionary

image of PDF icon  St. Patrick's Day Picture Dictionary

Free printable St. Patrick's Day picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.



Some related themes to explore

Spring Theme Printables and Picture BooksAll Easter Theme Printables and Picture BooksGardening Theme Printables and Picture BooksGreen Theme Printables and Picture Books




Follow Storytime Standouts’Board: St. Patrick’s Day Fun for Kids on Pinterest. 7 Stories for St Patrick's Day

ST Patrick's Day printables for kids from StorytimeStandouts.com

Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Kites – it must be May

Posted on May 2nd, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Free printable kite theme writing paper for kidsWe’ve just added three new downloads to the site to help youngsters celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and kite flying.

image of PDF icon  Things You Can Learn From Mom

Wordsearch

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Mother's Day

Mother's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Kite

Kite theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Storytime Standouts offers writing paper for (almost) every occasion, check out the entire collection by visiting our writing paper for kids page.

Free printable planing a flower garden sequencing activityYou will also be interested in our new page about gardening with children. It highlights our Planting a Flower Garden sequencing activity and many other great resources for enjoying Spring with young children.

image of PDF icon  Planting a Flower Garden Sequencing Activity

Our early learning printables, including our spring theme printables for kids are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.


Some of our early learning printables are available to Storytime Standouts members only. To become a member of the website, please click on the “Members” tab and register as a user.


You will find our selection of free printable alphabets here and all of our early learning printables here.

If you appreciate our early learning printables, please support this site by visiting and purchasing from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.

Spring Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten

Posted on April 3rd, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Storytime Standouts shares free printables for preschool and kindergarten

Easter and Spring theme free printables for children that you can download and use at home or in a classroom right away.



Step 1 – Make sure you have Adobe Reader. If you don’t have it, please click on the ‘Get Adobe Reader’ button to install it for free.image for Adobe Reader


Step 2 – Pin this page, bookmark this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook.


Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free printable Easter and Spring theme printables for kids.
Be Sure to Read About Spring Too!



Elsewhere on this page

It is Spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.- Rainer Maria Rilke

Free Printable Spring and Easter Theme Writing Paper
Some of our Most Popular Spring and Easter Theme Posts
Free Printable Spring and Easter Theme Rhymes, Chants and Fingerplays
Free Printable Spring Picture Dictionary




Spring and Easter Theme Interlined Writing Paper for Preschool and Kindergarten

These are just a few of many free printable writing paper downloads available on this site. Please be sure to check out our Writing Paper for Kids page for many more.

Free printable kindergarten Spring Writing Paper for homeschool and classroom

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids- Spring

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.


image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Spring Flowers

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Seedling in Flowerpot

Plant theme interlined paper for beginning writers.


Free printable Pussy Willow Writing Paper for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Pussy Willow

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Smiling Flowers

Garden theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Free printable Easter interlined paper for homeschool and classroom

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Easter

Easter theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Easter Basket

Easter theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Some related themes to explore

Explore all St. Patrick's Day Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click Here to Explore All Easter Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click to explore all Gardening Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click to Explore Green Theme Printables and Picture Books



Some of our Most Popular Spring and Easter Theme Posts

Hover over the photo for a description. Click on the photo to link to the post.

Five Little Ducks illustrated by Ivan BatesSplish Splash SpringEaster egg letter matchAlphabet Go Go Go Stop Learning GameSpring theme picture books Highlight Alliteration, Rhyming, Onomatopoeia and Repetition




Free printable Five Little Easter Eggs for preschool

Spring and Easter Poems, Songs, Chants for Preschool and Kindergarten

Adapt these Spring and Easter theme chants and poems as felt board activities and/or use them at preschool or kindergarten circle time.





Spring Poems for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Pussy Willow Poem

image of PDF icon  Springtime Fingerplay and Song

image of PDF icon  Little Rabbit

image of PDF icon  The Rain

image of PDF icon  I Love the Flowers

image of PDF icon  Tulips

image of PDF icon  A Little Seed

Free printable chant about planting a seed. Great for preschool, kindergarten and homeschool.

image of PDF icon  Little Peter Rabbit

image of PDF icon  Five Little Ducks

image of PDF icon  Little Robin Red Breast

Easter Poems for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Five Little Easter Eggs

image of PDF icon  Easter Bunny

image of PDF icon  Five Brown Eggs

image of PDF icon  Easter Everywhere

For the Five Little Easter Eggs chant, ask your child, “What color is left over after Mommy, Daddy, Brother and Sister eat their eggs?”

Easter Crossword Puzzle for Children –

image of PDF icon  Easter Crossword


Free printable Spring Picture Dictionary printable for children

Picture Dictionaries for Easter and Spring

– Easter and Spring pictures together with words

Our free vocabulary printables are great and so versatile. Print onto cardstock. Laminate if you wish. Then, cut apart and create a matching activity or encourage your child to “read” the words (using picture clues). As well, beginning writers love to practice printing the words.

You can create your own categorized picture dictionary if you print more than one. We have many available. Check out our Picture Dictionaries page.

image of PDF icon  Spring Picture Dictionary

Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

image of PDF icon  Easter Picture Dictionary

Helpful for children who want to read and write about Easter, this picture dictionary is also suitable for English Language Learners.

Free printable planting a flower garden sequencing activity for preschool

Gardening Sequencing activity –

Sequencing activities are great for building comprehension skills

image of PDF icon  Planting a Flower Garden Sequencing Activity

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Spring and Easter for Preschool and Kindergarten on Pinterest.

We would love to hear about great Easter and Spring resources, please let us know what you have discovered!

Enjoy our Free Spring Theme Printables for Kids

Go, Go, Go, STOP! Learning to Read Letters and Words!

Posted on March 20th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

An Easy to Make Alphabet Learning Game for Preschool and KindergartenGo, Go, Go, STOP! Learning to Read Letters and Words for preschool and homeschool Here is a fun, easy-to-make activity for learning letters. Check out your neighbourhood dollar store for seasonal banners. The two I found are each nearly three feet long. They each have a series of Easter bunnies on them. The first one I prepared, was for children who are learning letters. I added alphabet stickers and laminated it.


Have a child gently grip one end of the banner, close their eyes and say, “Go, go, go, STOP!” As the child says, “Go, go, go,” slide the banner through their fingers. When they say, “STOP,” ask them to open their eyes and read the letter on the nearest bunny. For older children, make it more difficult by asking them to read the letter and say a word that starts with it.

For children who can read, print words on the bunnies. I used the “ot” family for my bunnies and carrots banner.

Borders and trims will also work well. Here are some examples that could be cut and laminated.

For all sorts of printable alphabets, The Alphabet Song and activities to help your child learn letters, be sure to check out our Alphabet Recognition page.

Follow this link to our Spring and Easter theme printables for preschool and kindergarten

Free Spring and Easter Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten

Our early literacy printables, including our learning letters printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.


Hover over the photo for a description of the activity. Click on the photo to read the full post

Alphabet Learning Game for Small GroupsMatching Game for Learning Uppercase and Lowercase LettersA tactile activity for learning lettersFree printable activity for learning the alphabet


Ways to Help New Readers with b d ConfusionWays to Teach with Magnetic LettersStorytime Standouts Free Printable Alphabets and Games for Learning LettersLetter Learning Activity for Preschool and Homeschool








We invite you to follow Storytime Standouts’ Alphabet Craft Board on Pinterest

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Alphabet Crafts on Pinterest.


Cheerful illustrations and fun wordplay: Splish Splash Spring

Posted on March 19th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Storytime Standouts writes about picture book Splish, Splash Spring
Splish, Splash Spring written by Jan Carr and illustrated by Dorothy Donohue
Spring theme picture book published by Holiday House



Bright, cheerful illustrations made from felt highlight this happy tribute to a blowy and showery spring. Splish, Splash, Spring includes all sorts of great details for young children to discover and explore: mother robin feeding her peeping babies, frogs swimming in a stream, spiders and ladybugs near the bright yellow crocuses. Would be a great tie-in to making and flying kites.

Best for preschool children

Kites are swooping
Loop-de-looping
Snapping, flapping
Look at me!

Be sure to visit the illustrator’s website (link above) for details on how she creates the eye-catching illustrations from felt.

Kite Making For Child Flyers from My Best Kite

Scholastic’s lesson plan for Splish Splash Spring

Splish, Splash, Spring at Amazon.com

Splish, Splash, Spring at Amazon.ca

Follow this link to our Spring and Easter theme printables for preschool and kindergarten

Free Spring and Easter Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten



Spring-Theme Writing and Wordplay for Kindergarten & Early Primary

Posted on March 17th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Celebrate warmer days with our spring-theme writing and language arts activities for kindergarten and early primary grades.

Spring Theme teaching ideas for kindergarten, early primary and homeschool including story starters, wordplay

 

Here are some ideas to help you celebrate the first warm days of spring with children…

Spring-Theme Wordplay

Choose a “spring” word and see how many words you can spell with the letters –

daffodils – ad, Dad, did, do, fad, fads, foil, lid, lids, off, oil, slid, soil

rainbow – an, bin, bow, brain, brow, in, now, rain, ran, rib, row, win

flowers – few, flow, foe, lose, low, lower, lowers, owl, owls, rose, row, rows  

See how many Spring-theme compound words you can discover

Here are some examples to get you started – buttercup, butterfly, ladybug, rainbow, raindrop, raincoat, sunshine

Make a list of words you can substitute for rain

Cloudburst, downpour, drizzle, shower, sprinkle

Make a list of words that rhyme 
with kite

bright, bite, delight, fight, flight, height, knight, light, might, night, quite, right, sight, site, sprite, tight, white, write

with rain

brain, cane, drain, gain, grain, Jane, lane, main, pain, plane, sane, Spain, strain, train, weathervane

with Spring

bring, cling, ding, fling, ping, ring, sing, sting, string, swing, thing, wing, wring

Try one of these Spring-theme writing prompts

The first sign of spring….
I planted a magic seed….
My friend’s amazing umbrella…
Five new baby chicks…
When I looked up at the clouds…
Jumping in puddles on my way home…
Yesterday we saw a rainbow…

Make a colorful poster to advertise Spring. Use words and pictures to explain what is special about spring.

Storytime Standouts offers a free printable Spring Picture Dictionary for homeschool and classroom

Don’t forget to download some of our free Spring-theme printables

image of PDF icon  Spring Picture Dictionary

Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

image of PDF icon  Springtime Fingerplay and Song

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids- Spring

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Our free printables, including our kindergarten springtime-theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.


You will find our selection of free printable alphabets here and all of our early literacy printables here.

Pussy Willows: Our Free Spring Printables for Kindergarten

Posted on March 16th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Free Spring Printables for Kindergarten

I am starting to look forward to warm, spring days so thought I would post some new spring printables for kindergarten today.

Why not make some pussy willow pictures? Begin by drawing or painting stems using brown paint, markers or crayons. Allow to dry. Dip a fingertip into light grey or white paint and add “fingerprints’ along the stems. Alternatively, cotton balls or pieces of puffed rice can be glued to the stems.

Enjoy our downloads: some pussy willow writing paper for kids and a traditional poem, “Pussy Willow”.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Pussy Willow

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Pussy Willow Poem

Our early learning printables, including our spring printables for kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access our early literacy resources.


You will find all of our early learning printables here.


A Springtime Treat for Toddlers, Picture Book, Five Little Ducks

Posted on March 15th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Five Little Ducks - a delightful picture book for toddlers reviewed by Storytime StandoutsFive Little Ducks – illustrated by Ivan Bates
Published by Orchard Books an imprint of Scholastic





Perfect for celebrating Spring, Bates’ lovely, gentle illustrations capture this traditional children’s counting song beautifully. In addition to watching the young ducklings venture into the hills, young children will enjoy spotting a friendly beaver, a curious gull, a hungry rabbit and a grazing cow.

Mother Duck is filled with affection for her youngsters as they go forth, she is anxious when the ducklings are missing and overjoyed when they return.

Observant children will notice that each of the ducklings returns with a special gift for Mother Duck.

Endnotes include the music and additional verses for Five Little Ducks.

Best suited for toddlers or younger preschool-aged children

Five Little Ducks at Amazon.com

Five Little Ducks at Amazon.ca

Follow this link to our Spring and Easter theme printables for preschool and kindergarten

Free Spring and Easter Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten



Lucy’s Secret by Mireille Levert – Planting Beautiful Ideas

Posted on February 5th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Lucy's Secret by Mireille Levert is a lovely picture book about gardeningLucy’s Secret – written and illustrated by Mireille Levert
Picture Book published by Groundwood Books


When Lucy visits Anna Zinnia’s garden, she is enchanted by all she sees; beautiful flowers and busy insects. When Anna Zinnia reveals a box of seeds, she tells Lucy, ‘In each seed lies a hidden, baby flower.’ Lucy plants the seeds and then waits and waits for the young plants to appear.

Lucy’s Secret is richly illustrated and simply told. It will be a lovely accompaniment for your springtime seed planting and gardening activities.

32 pages, ages 3 to 5

Lucy’s Secret at Amazon.com

Lucy’s Secret at Amazon.ca

You may also be interested in our free, printable, Planting a Flower Garden sequencing activity.

image of PDF icon  Planting a Flower Garden Sequencing Activity



Be sure to visit our page highlighting
picture books about caring for our environment,
ecosystems, recycling,
reducing our environmental footprint and more
.
Terrific resources for Earth Day and Arbor Day.

Small Creatures Can Solve Big Problems – Good to Be Small

Posted on January 31st, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Storytime Standouts writes about picture book, Good to Be Small
Good to Be Small – Written and illustrated by Sean Cassidy
Picture book published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside Limited





Storytime Standouts writes about picture book, Good to Be SmallThis delightfully illustrated picture book reminds us that even very small creatures can help to solve big problems. A young lamb is missing from the barnyard and her mama is frantic. A small and very determined mouse offers to help find Lamb. She travels far and wide while using her ingenuity and size to reunite a very grateful Mama Sheep with her lamb.

This is a favourite read aloud in my Getting Ready to Read program. Young children enjoy carefully examining the illustrations to help find Lamb. They cheer for Mouse as she enlists the help of other creatures in her quest. Very well suited to a farm theme or an examination of social responsibility.

Suitable for children aged three and up.

Good to be Small at Amazon.com

Good to Be Small at Amazon.ca

Note, visit Sean Cassidy’s website for “One Point Perspective” drawing lessons.

Did you know Storytime Standouts offers more than two hundred early childhood literacy downloads? You may be interested in our farm downloads to go along with Good to Be Small.

image of PDF icon  Five Little Farmers

Use Five Little Farmers as a fingerplay or a felt board story in preschool, homeschool or kindergarten.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Farm

Farm theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Farm Picture Dictionary

Free printable farm picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.



The Imaginary Garden – Poppa and Theo Create a Beautiful Garden

Posted on June 8th, 2009 by Carolyn Hart


Storytime Standouts looks at The Imaginary GardenThe Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Picture book published by Kids Can Press





Theo is blessed to have a very special relationship with her grandfather, Poppa. When Poppa moves into an apartment, they decide to create an imaginary garden on his balcony. The first Saturday of spring is marked by the arrival of a giant, blank canvas. Before long, Poppa and Theo have created a long stone wall and beautiful blue sky. Soon they have added beautiful spring flowers to their masterpiece. When Poppa leaves for a holiday, Theo worries about tending their special garden by herself. With gentleness and love, Poppa assures her that she will know how to nurture their imaginary garden. This lovely picture book would be a great gift for a special Grandpa.

The Imaginary Garden at Amazon.com

The Imaginary Garden at Amazon.ca

Free Easter Printables for Children – Great for Home and Classroom

Posted on April 2nd, 2007 by Carolyn Hart

I’ve been hunting for free Easter printables today. I am currently working with several early primary students and Easter is not far away so I hopped from website to website, in search of goodies for my basket.

I began at author/illustrator Jan Brett’s amazing website She offers thousands of printables including free Easter printables. Also, she has recently added How to Draw videos for Spring: How to Draw a Chick and How to Draw a Bunny. The biggest challenge with Jan Brett’s website is to choose just a few items to print.

DLTK always has some great ideas for seasonal learning and crafts for young children – they have free printable colouring pages and Easter Dauber Coloring Pages (Children use bingo daubers to add brilliant colour).

Teacher’s Corner features several Easter printables for journalling or story writing.


Finally, don’t forget that Storytime Standouts offers more than two hundred free early childhood literacy printables including free Easter printables for young readers and writers and their caregivers. We have Easter poems and interlined paper as well as free Spring printables.

Easter Picture Books at Amazon.com

Easter Picture Books at Amazon.ca

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