The flannel board cabinet at work can be a treasure trove of flannels from years gone by. “Five Little Sailboats” is one we use at least once a year. We’ve had it so long no one know where it came from. All we have written down is the name Denise Fromm. The pieces we had were getting rather shabby so I made some new boats to go with the rhyme. Chenille stems work well as mast and to give the boat structure so it doesn’t flop around when putting it up on the flannel board. Having flags in different colors gives it a bit of visual interest. You could also the the boats in a game of which one got taken away.
Five little sailboats went out on the sea.
The first one said, “It looks like rain to me!”
The second one said, “I can feel the waves are fast.”
The third on said, “The wind’s shaking my mast.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s head back into the bay.”
The fifth one said, “Follow me!” as he swayed.
So the five little sailboats quick as can be,
Sailed back to the shore and to safety.
Storytime Shenanigans 