Toddler Storytime: Diggers 'n' Dozers

Books:

One Big Building by Michael Dahl

Construction Countdown by K. C. Olson

Giant Pop-out Vehicles Meagan Bennett

Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler

I didn't get to use Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney, but it is so cute! Nicely paced and rhythmic text.

Rhymes:

I loved this action rhyme from Preschool Powol Packets:

Construction Trucks Action Rhyme 

The tall, tall CRANE reaches up so high
(stretch up tall toward the sky) It looks like it will touch the sky!
(keep stretching up, stand on tippy toes) 

EXCAVATOR digs a hole so low
(use one hand to scoop a "hole" that touches the ground) While LOADER scoops up dirt to go.
(use two hands to scoop an imaginary load) 

The BULLDOZER scrapes a nice flat ground
(place hands at waist height and "smooth" the "ground" in front of you)And CEMENT MIXER spins around and round.
(spin in circles) 

Now very last, and very strong,
(make "strong muscles") DUMP TRUCK lifts things all day long!
(use two hands to lift a "load" like a dump truck) 

This is a classic building rhyme:

Johnnie / Joanie Works With One Hammer 

Johnny works with one hammer,  (Hammer one fist lightly on leg) one hammer, one hammer,Johnny works with one hammer,Then he works with two. 

Johnny works with two hammers...(Hammer both fists on legs) 

Johnny works with three hammers...(Hammer both fists on legs and one foot on the floor)

Johnny works with four hammers...(Hammer both fists on legs and both feet on the floor) 

Johnny works with five hammers...(Hammer both fists on legs, both feet on floor, and nod head down and up) Then he goes to sleep.(Pretend to go to sleep) 

Special Activity:

We played "Hide and Go Seek" with cardstock construction vehicles "hidden" around the room. My class is very young, so I just set them on the floor in easily visible spots. I told them that the trucks had been out working hard fixing up the library all morning, and now we needed to bring them back to rest in the parking lot.

The kids went out searching and brought all the trucks back to this parking lot I made out of masking tape on the carpet. (It's amazing what you can do with tape on carpet!)

We had a special building and construction themed playtime afterwards with plenty of Duplos, cardboard blocks, and transportation themed toys.  

Toddler Homework:

• Stop by a construction site and talk about what the machines are doing.
• Read a book about construction and/or big machines.
• Look at tools with grownups and talk about what they do.