I Lost My Hammer

For this flannel board I made the tool boxes out of a front and back piece so that the hammer can be hidden inside. I thought it would be more fun to peek inside to see if the hammer is there rather than just looking behind it. This flannel board has been done by many people and I borrowed my wording from Roving Fiddle Head.

I Lost My Hammer

Place all toolboxes on the flannelboard. Hide the hammer under one of them.

“I built so many toolboxes that I cannot remember in which one I put my favorite hammer. Can you help me find my missing hammer? In what toolbox should we look first?”

After a color is chosen, say the following phrase before removing that color toolbox.

I need my hammer lots and lots. Is it hiding in the (say colour) toolbox?

Repeat until the hammer is found.

Construction-Babies

There are a lot of cute construction stories but not so much in the way of rhymes and songs. It is easy to fill in with generic bounces and rhymes.

Books

Construction by Cocoretto
The Construction Crew by Finn Coyle
Machines At Work by Byron Barton


Bounces, Rhymes & Fingerplays

Bumping Up and Down
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon,
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon,
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon,
Won’t you be my darling.

One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken, lean to one side
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken,
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken,
Won’t you be my darling.

I’m going to fix it with my little hammer,
I’m going to fix it with my little hammer,
I’m going to fix it with my little hammer,
Won’t you be my darling.

Construction-Toddlers

Books

Bigger! Bigger! by Leslie Patricelli
Construction by Sally Sutton
Construction Cat by Barbara Odanaka
Construction Kitties by Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges
Construction Zoo by Jennifer Thorne
Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper
I Love Tools by Philemon Sturges
Push! Dig! Scoop! by Phonda Gowler Greene
Roadwork by Sally Sutton
Snakes On the Job by Kathryn Dennis
Stanley the Builder by William Bee

Flannel Boards


Rhymes & Fingerplays

Johnny Taps with 1 Hammer
Johnny taps with 1 hammer, 1 hammer, 1 hammer (tap 1 hand up & down)
Johnny taps with 1 hammer, then he taps with 2.

Johnny taps with 2 hammers, 2 hammers, 2 hammers, (tap 2 hands up & down)
Johnny taps with 2 hammers, then he taps with 3.

Johnny taps with 3 hammers, 3 hammers, 3 hammers, (tap 2 hands & 1 foot up & down)
Johnny taps with 3 hammers, then he taps with 4.

Johnny taps with 4 hammers, 4 hammers, 4 hammers, (tap 2 hands & 2 feet up & down)
Johnny taps with 4 hammers and then he taps with 5!

Johnny taps with 5 hammers, 5 hammers, 5 hammer, (tap 2 hands, 2 feet, and shake head up and down)
Johnny taps with 5 hammers, then he stops!

“This Is the Way” Construction Song
Tune: This Is the Way
This is the way we pound our nails,
Pound our nails, pound our nails.
This is the way we pound our nails,
So early in the morning.

Additional Verses:
Saw the wood…
Turn the screw…
Stack the bricks…
Stir the paint…
Paint the walls…

Music

Little Red Wagon by Old Town School of Folk Music
Wagons are fun to ride and fun to fix with your hammers.