Flannel Friday: Brown Squirrel, Brown Squirrel

When I first moved to Vancouver I was a little surprised that most people don’t have screens on their doors or windows.  I didn’t think too much of it until one day I was relaxing on the couch when a squirrel ran into my living room!  It jumped from a tree, onto my balcony, and straight into my apartment.  We stared at each other for about five seconds before it bolted back out the door.  It’s safe to say that since that day I’ve put up a hanging screen on my balcony door.

Despite the little rascal that ended up in my home, squirrels are curious and cute critters that most kids recognize.  Dana taught me this super fun chant to sing when your storytime kids need to get up and move around.  I love doing it with scarves – you can ask kids what colour scarf they are holding and then change the squirrel to that colour.  Dana also discovered the delight that comes from putting the scarf in your back pocket and shaking it like a tail.

Here’s some felt pieces my co-worker Karen helped me make to go along with the song.  I like to move the nut around to the different squirrels when we sing their colour.  Because squirrels are so common, I use this song as a way to encourage caregivers to talk to their kids about their surroundings.  I might say something like, “When you go outside today, ask them what they see in the trees, in the sky, on the sidewalk.  Asking questions about your neighbourhood is a great way for your child to practice talking  and to learn new words.”

Thank you Kate at Felt Board Magic for hosting this week’s Flannel Friday round-up.  Learn more about the Flannel Friday community and how to participate.