Toys Go Out: Being the Adventure of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Toys Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots Stingray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
These are chapter book ideas for your older yogis or your younger, advanced readers! These are age appropriate in content (and it can be a challenge to find age appropriate content for an advanced young reader)! Reminiscent of The Velveteen Rabbit and Corduroy,
the toys talk and share adventures. What ARE your toys doing when you aren’t playing with them?
Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Here is a book you can PLAY! This interactive book is enjoyable for all ages. You can involve the whole class! Take turns following the directions and “making” fun things happen on each page! I often make a connection to the benefits of listening and paying attention and how sometimes we miss out on a good time when we don’t.
Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
Another interactive book choice! For me, Hand Rhymes and Finger Rhymes connect with mudras. Finger Rhymes by Marc Brown was not available at Amazon but may be at your public library. It is available at my local branch! Marc Tolon Brown is the author of the Arthur the Aardvark series. He shares step-by-step directions for movement with hands/fingers for a variety of poems and songs. These fingerplays are fun to establish routines in your class. Try one to pull everybody’s attention back, so together you can do what’s next in your practice.
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
WOW! This is my go to book for when we try to do more, more, more to improve! “Less is more.” Play is so necessary for “improvement” and healthy growth. Extending the school day or the school week, doing more, is not the answer. It’s on the playground that kiddos solve problems and practice how to be safe, responsible and respectful to others. A lot of learning happens during recess and unstructured play, if children are afforded the opportunity. This one is a fine, fine choice for the folks who make decisions on school scheduling!
Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton
This book illustrates how even “BIG people" need play to help solve problems and get along better with friends. Play invites balance. I love when Mr. President applies some kindergarten tactics with the quarreling dignitaries. Robert Fulghum had it right when he wrote the poem, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”
(1) Not a Box and (2) Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
Imagination is key in unstructured play! When my children were little, we bought toys and they played with the boxes for the toys . . . Not a Box and Not a Stick capture how much fun you can have playing and using your imagination. The simple illustrations capture the box/stick as it is in the book character’s creative mind.
The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart
Another great “box” story! Set in the 1950’s, this story describes a little girl’s move from Mexico to the US. This book is formatted uniquely. The letters Isabel writes to her Auntie Lupita, describing her new life and how she is learning to speak English, relate the story. She creates a “quiet place” with several boxes to write her letters. Creating a quiet place is a great connection to slowing down, experiencing mindfulness, settling all the events of a good or not so good day. This book describes quiet play and how healthful and helpful it is during transitions, growing up times, and always.
Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
Snake wants to play with Elephant and Piggie, but there’s some problem solving to do to involve Snake in their game. Unlike red-nosed Rudolph’s Reindeer Games, Elephant and Piggie figure how to adapt the fun so everyone can play. I love me some Elephant and Piggie! If you don’t know these books and you work with young yogis, check ‘em out at the public library ASAP. Simple, great fun and kids absolutely LOVE them.
How do YOU play? Play with a good book everyday! Storytime builds relationships, strengthens your thinking and is just plain fun. :-)
Happy Reading in May!
Amazon Links:
Toys Go Out: Being the Adventure of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Toys Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots Stingray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton
(1) Not a Box and (2) Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart
Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
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