The Ants Go Marching

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME

OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album

BOOK 1 – Time for Kids: Ants!
Choose a few pages from this non-fiction book to read. It has some interesting facts and lots of great photographs.

ACTION SONG – Ants Go Marching
MP3 download: The Ants Go Marching by the Cedarmont Kids
from 100 Singalong Songs For Kids

I handed out rhythm sticks to all of the children for this song. We first practiced tapping them, and then tapping them in rhythm. Then everyone stood up and we marched around the room tapping our sticks to the beat of this song.

ACTION RHYME – Handy Spandy

Handy spandy, sugar candy
We all jump in.
Handy spandy, sugar candy
We all jump out.
Handy spandy, sugar candy
We all jump up.
Handy spandy, sugar candy
We all jump down. (Everyone sits back down in their seats)

BOOK 2 – Hey Little Antby Phillip M. Hoose
A thought-provoking book. An ant pleads with a little boy not to step on him because they are very much alike. This book teaches ethics and morals, while also being a fun read.

ACTION SONG/FLANNELBOARD – Jumping and Counting
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense

See words to this song on my “Wigglers” page.

I printed out 10 of these cute ants and made them into a flannelboard. I placed the ants one-by-one onto the flannelboard as we jumped and counted along to the song.

Ant clipart for flannelboard

BOOK 3 – One Hundred Hungry Ants by Eleanor Pinczes
A book with interesting pictures and rhyming text that also teaches math concepts.

CLOSING SONG – If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…
If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet…
If you’re happy and you know it wave goodbye…

CRAFT/SNACK – Ants on a Log

To make this classic snack, let kids spread peanut butter (or cream cheese or cheese whiz if anyone has a peanut allergy!) on celery sticks. Then place “ants” i.e. raisins or dried cranberries on top.

Ingredients: