Preschool Story Time - In the Deep Blue Sea

I love shark story times - I really do!  There are so many books for shark story times, it is crazy!  I expanded my shark story time to include other ocean creatures though because, well, I have two felt sets I wanted to use ONE MORE TIME!

How could a minnow and a shark be best friends?  A wonderful book about friendship in the face of peer pressure.  I just love this book. Fang and Minnow are as different as they could be.  It doesn't matter if everyone thinks they shouldn't be friends, because they know they absolutely should.

I totally forgot I made this for my ocean story time last year.  GAH how CUTE!!!  The finger play is JUST as cute.  I found this on a blog of Story Time Songs, Finger plays and Activities.

Chomp, Chomp, OH NO!!
A Slippery fish, a slippery fish, swimming in the water (make 2 fingers 'swim' like a fish tail)
A slippery fish, a slippery fish CHOMP!!  (make your two hands come together like teeth)

OH NO!!  He's been eaten by 
a jellyfish, a jellyfish, swimming in the water! (hold your hand fingers down and wiggle the fingers)
A jellyfish, a jellyfish...CHOMP!!!   (make your two hands come together like teeth)

OH NO!!  He's been eaten by 
a tuna fish, a tuna fish, swimming in the water! (make one whole hand swim like a fish)
A tuna fish, a tuna fish...CHOMP!!!    (make your two hands come together like teeth)

OH NO!!  He's been eaten by 
a great white shark, a great white shark, swimming in the water! (make a fin on your head and move it side to side)
A great white shark, a great white shark...CHOMP!!!   (make your two hands come together like teeth)

OH NO!!  He's been eaten by 
a big blue whale, a big blue whale, swimming in the water! (put your arms together to make big fish tail motions)
A big blue whale, a big blue whale...CHOMP!!!   (make your two hands come together like teeth)
BURP!!!

This felt set was part of FLANNEL FRIDAY just a few weeks ago.  Check it out HERE.  I love all of the "Old Lady who Swallowed" books.  This one is extra special to me.  I love how they stay true to the pattern and rhythm of the original.  It is very singable.  And the artwork gives a nod to our Native Americans of the North West.  Lovely!

You guessed it!!  This one is based on the Three Little Pigs.  You HAVE to go BIG on this one.  I have great voices I use when reading this book.  Spoiler!  No one dies in the end.  But there is definitely the scary factor with the shark.

Now we come to our special song!  I know perhaps five songs on the ukulele.  With three chords, you can do almost anything though!  I love to change the words to my standards.  I probably found this one online somewhere, but it is SO something I would do, so I did it.  This is to the tune of Wheels on the Bus.  Come on everyone, sing along!!

The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim.  (make your hand like a fin and swim along!)
Swim, swim, swim,
Swim, swim, swim.
The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim
All day long  

Continue with:
Sharks....chomp (with two hands, make teeth that bite)
Lobsters....pinch (with two hands, make pincers)
Octopus....wiggle (wiggle your body and arms)
Clam....open and shut (two hands to make a clam)

Do you see it?  There's a shark in the park!!   Silly Timothy Pope.  There's no shark in the park.  Or is there?  The kids really enjoyed seeing the telescope effect of the holes cut through the center of the book.

For my craft, I asked my village friends to borrow these great daubers.  I love them for safe, clean(ish) painting.  The kids love working with them, and the mom's appreciate them.  It is an up front investment, but they last a long time.

We made a fish!  The kids could cut the mouth (which becomes the tail) and decorate any way they wanted.  I just did a few spring colored dots for demonstration, but they could paint stripes or whatever they wanted.  We also attached a string so they could hang their craft later.

I never tire of this theme.  I hope it gives you a good preview for some summer story times.  Thanks for stopping by!!