PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
THEME- Boxes
“Today’s theme is boxes, so we are going to be using our imaginations today to think of lots of ways to use boxes!”
BOOK 1 – Harry’s Box by Angela McAllister
Harry and his dog use a plain cardboard box to take them on exciting adventures to new places. They sail on a pirate ship, live in a castle, and travel to a sea cave.
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.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
BOOK 1 – Do Fish Drink? First Questions and Answers about Water by Jacqueline Ball
I read only the first few pages of this book (specifically pages 5-7) that relate to baths and bubbles.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
BOOK 1 - How to Make an Apple Pie and See the Worldby Marjorie Priceman
“Making an apple pie is really very easy. First, get all of the ingredients at the market. . . “ But what happens if the market is closed? A shopping trip around the world of course! The little girl in this story travels to England, Sri Lanka, Jamaica and more to find the perfect ingredients to make the perfect apple pie.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
OPENING SONG - Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
FLANNEL STORY - Uwungelema: A South African Tale
If you do an internet search for Uwungelema, you’ll find many different variations on this folktale. I’ve posted the version that I used below.
Uwungemela: A South African Tale
Uwungemela Flannel Board Clip Art
ACTION RHYME – Five Little Monkeys
Ask your group to jump up and down and then fall to the ground, along with the rhyme. Call the doctor with telephone action and then shake your finger back and forth for the “no more monkeys…”
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Continue with four little monkeys, three, two, one.
BOOK 1 - Snappy Little Jungle (Pop-up Book) by Dugald Steer
SHAKER EGG SONG- I Know A Chicken by Laurie Berkner
from The Best Of The Laurie Berkner Band album
Get out your shaker eggs (or any other instruments you have that shake.) This is a funny, funky song that incorporates instructions on shaking the eggs into the lyrics (e.g. “shake them fast, shake them slow, etc.)
BOOK 2 - Sea Creatures Pop-up by Sally Hewitt
You absolutely cannot go wrong with this book as a read-aloud for storytime! It is my go-to book when I need to add some excitement to storytime or I need to really grab everyone’s attention. Before reading this, I tell the class that this book has some reeeaaally scary creatures in it. Sometimes I don’t even read the text, I’ll peek at the picture, act very scared, maybe peek at it again, and tell the class that this one “has really big, sharp teeth. He is really scary! Are you sure you want to see him? Ok then – It’s a (turn book around and show picture) TIGER SHARK!”
SONG- The Animals on the Bus
Tune: The Wheels on the Bus
The tigers on the bus go Roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar
The tigers on the bus go roar, roar, roar
All around the town.
The monkeys on the bus go Oo-oo Aah-ah…
The kangaroos on the bus go Up and Down…
The rhinoceroses on the bus play their Horn, horn, horn…
The elephants on the bus go Stomp, stomp, stomp…
TAKE HOME – Animal Crackers with “Animals on the Bus” song
After singing the above song, I handed out baggies filled with animal crackers to which I had attached the words to the “Animals on the Bus.” You can print out the words here: Animals on the Bus.
This was very inexpensive! 1 bag of Animal Crackers at the dollar store: $1.00. + 1 box of plastic baggies at the dollar store: $1 = Take Home bags for 40 children: $2.00 total
GOODBYE SONG - If You’re Happy
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…..
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Today’s theme was all about dragons, princesses and knights….but heavy on the dragons.
OPENING SONG - Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
POEM – The Dragon’s Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky
I replaced the difficult vocab words in this poem for my preschool class. I put the words I used in parentheses.
Tonight is the night all the dragons
Awake in their lairs (homes) underground,
To sing in a cacophonous (very loud) chorus
And fill the whole world with their sound
They sing of the days of their glory,
They sing of their exploits (adventures) of old,
Of maidens (princesses) and knights, and of fiery fights,
And guarding vast caches (great treasures) of gold.
Some of their voices are treble (high),
And some of their voices are deep,
But all of their voices are thunderous,
And no one can get any sleep.
I lie in my bed and I listen,
Enchanted and filled with delight,
To songs I can hear only one night a year-
The dragons are singing tonight.
ACTIVITY/WIGGLER - Magic Wand
I told my class that I brought my magic wand with me to storytime today. “And when I wave my magic wand, everyone must do what it says! My magic wand says Jump!” I have my magic wand say things like: touch your toes, wiggle your nose, clap your hands, stomp your feet, touch your elbow, touch your elbow to your nose, spin around in a circle….sit down!
I made my magic wand by cutting a star out of cardboard and covering it with felt and craft foam. I glued the star to a paint stirrer, and decorated with ribbon, beads and glitter.
BOOK 1 – Princess Justina Albertina by Ellen Dee Davidson
Princess Justina Albertina is a very spoiled princess who is used to getting her own way….and when she doesn’t get her way she throws horrible tantrums that give her nanny headaches. When the princess asks for a new pet, her nanny searches to the ends of the earth – literally – to find her her perfect pet. The princess is not easily pleased (Note: if you are low on time or attention span, you can skip a few pages of pets – she goes through a long list!), but when her nanny returns with a giant gryphon the princess declares him “just perfect.” However, we find out that this is not a happy ending for Princess Justina Albertina – this story is a cautionary tale, warning about the dangers of acting like a spoiled princess.
FLANNEL RHYME - Ten Dizzy Dragons
“Ten dizzy dragons lived long, long ago. In a land filled with magic where few people can go….” Complete words and templates are from Super Storytelling by Carol Elaine Catron & Barbara Catron Parks.
I ended up changing the verses for the ninth and tenth dragons. The tenth dragon is supposed to be a “liar,” but I didn’t want to end the rhyme that way. So I switched the dragons, and made my ninth dragon “very sad – he was a bit of a crier.” This elicited many giggles from the audience. And the tenth dragon “breathed smokey red fire.”
After reading through the rhyme, point to different dragons and ask your audience if they can remember what each dragon did (…wore a crown of gold, blew bubbles, rescued people etc.) It’s a fun memory game and it’s a good test of their listening skills.
Notes about this flannel board:
BOOK 2 - A Dragon on the Doorstep by Stella Blackstone
This book comes with an audio CD, so I used the CD to sing this book instead of reading it. The tune is catchy and the pictures are bright and colorful. The CD also has a version of the song without words, so if you have great timing and a good singing voice you can use the CD simply as accompaniment. I am not this talented and had to use the version with words.
RHYME - Dragon, Dragon Turn Around
I think I saw a rhyme like this somewhere, but I couldn’t find it when putting together this storytime. Here are the words I came up with:
Dragon, dragon, turn around
Dragon, dragon, touch the ground
Dragon, dragon, fly up high
Dragon, dragon, touch the sky
Dragon, dragon, swing your tail
Dragon, dragon, shake your scales
Dragon, dragon, give a ROAR
Dragon, dragon, sit on the floor
SONG - Dragon Hunt
MP3 Download: from the Imagination Workshop Band’s album Subway Train
This is the dragon version of “Going on a Bear Hunt.”
BOOK 3 – When a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore
A new book released summer 2011.
GOODBYE SONG - If You’re Happy
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 - Dragon Mask
Printable dragon masks, in color and black & white, are available here on Animal Jr. A simple craft – all you need is the coloring sheet, scissors, and yarn to tie on the mask.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Wow! 70 children and adults came to storytime again this week!
OPENING SONG - Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
BOOK 1 - Dinosaur Train by John Guerney
FLANNEL GUESSING GAME– Vehicle Guessing Game
Credit: Storytime Magic by Kathy Macmillan
Print my Vehicle Guessing Game CLIPART here.
I have headlights and a steering wheel,
I take you near and far.
My horn says honk! And my engine says VRROOOM!
Hop in! I am a (car) ……
Find the rest of the words in Kathy Macmillan’s book Storytime Magic.
RHYME – Helicopter; Sign Language
Sign “Helicopter” as you say this rhyme: Right thumb in palm of Left hand. Left hand fingers spread and shake. Watch a video clip of the sign here.
Helicopter goes up
Helicopter goes down
Helicopter turns, turns all around
Helicopter goes left
Helicopter goes right
Helicopter goes up, up, and out of sight (hands behind back)
Learning the sign for "Helicopter"
BOOK 2 - What Do Wheels Do All Day? By April Jones Prince
SONG - Row, Row, Row Your Boat
MP3 download: Old Town School of Folk’s album Songs for Wiggleworms.
This song has everyone rowing, bouncing, wiggling, and swaying your way down the stream!
BOOK 3 - Flying by Donald Crews
Have your audience be active participants while reading this book. Have everyone start out by standing and walking in place to board the plane. Then crouch down to get ready for take-off. Everyone stands up with arms out (like a plane’s wings) when the plane takes off. Everyone keeps their arms out while flying over mountains, through clouds, over cities, etc. Then slowly drop down, down, down to the ground for the landing.
CRAFT- Paper Plate Steering Wheels
Credit: Collaborative Summer Library Program Manual
Print INSTRUCTIONS HERE.
Have children make the steering wheels and then sing the following rhyme:
Drive, Drive, Drive
(Tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Credit: Collaborative Summer Library Program Manual
Drive, drive, drive your car,
All around the town.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Up the hills and down.
Turn, turn, turn the key,
Make the engine roar. VROOOOM!
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Let’s go to the store.
Press, press, press the pedal,
Give the engine gas.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Now we’re going fast.
Turn, turn, turn the wheel,
That is how we steer.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Make a turn right here.
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…
ADDITIONAL BOOK
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
OPENING SONG – Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
INTRODUCE THEME – Colors!
STORYTELLING/BOOK 1 - White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker
Instead of reading this book, tell the story using red, yellow and blue pails, and bunnies cut out of colored felt. When little white rabbit hops in the sunshine yellow bucket, he comes out yellow! The children won’t know that you switched the bunnies in the pail – to them it will be magic!
STORY AND INSTRUCTIONS for telling White Rabbit’s Color Book
RABBIT PATTERN to use with White Rabbit’s Color Book
The supplies you'll need for telling White Rabbit's Color Book
FLANNEL RHYME - Green Square, Green Square
Based on the book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin.
Have children identify each color and shape, post on flannelboard, then say:
Green square, green square, what do you see?
I see a red circle looking at me.
Red circle, red circle, what do you see?
I see a blue rectangle looking at me…. Etc.
PRINT COLORED SHAPES HERE or make your own out of colored paper. These are the shapes you will need:
MOVEMENT RHYME – Put Your Hands in the Air
A silly little rhyme/chant I wrote to get the wiggles out.
Put your hands in the air like trees.
Move them like they’re swaying in the breeze.
Put your hands on your thighs.
Put your hands out wide.
Now swing them from side to side.
Make your hands go ’round (roll hands)
Put your hands on the ground.
Now, everybody sit back down!
BOOK 3 - Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong
SONG ON CD - De Colores from Dora the Explorer’s World Adventure
Dance with colored scarves to the song. I usually find that my groups do better with some direction than simply “dance!” I typically ask them to copy my movements (and this is great for building listening, movement and rhythmn skills.) If your group is not shy and has lots of energy, have fun being creative and free-dancing!
Movement ideas:
BOOK 3/FLANNEL - Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story about Colors and Counting by Emma Dodd
“Splurt! Splosh! Squish!” Dog picks up many different colored spots during his messy day – red jam, blue paint, brown chocolate, green grass stain, etc. – and each makes a unique sound as it lands on him. Children will laugh at the funny sounds and will help you keep count of Dog’s colorful spots. This works especially well using a flannelboard as a visual aid, while reading the book.
Pattern from Kathy MacMillan’s book Storytime Magic. You can download the pattern (#45) here from ALA’s website. I used white velcro to attach the pom poms. (I had to use a little hot glue to get the velcro to stick to the pom poms.)
CRAFT IDEAS - Dog’s Colorful Day Crafts
Making Learning Fun has several craft ideas to use with Dog’s Colorful Day.
ANOTHER GREAT BOOK- I Ain’t Gonna Paint No Moreby Karen Beaumont
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
It’s the first week of summer reading classes at the library! It sure has been a whirlwind of fun! We had a great turnout for our first preschool storytime class, which was “I Like ME.” Going along with the summer theme – One World, Many Stories – we celebrated differences and individuality in today’s storytime, from freckles to feelings to skin color. We also learned some words in Spanish and sang and danced to a Hispanic Folk Song.
OPENING SONG - Can’t Wait to Celebrate
from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem album
In this song, children have to pay attention to the words and freeze during certain parts.
RHYME - Feelings by Karen Folk
Sometimes on my face you’ll see (Point to face)
How I feel inside of me. (Point to chest)
A smile means happy, a frown means sad, (Smile, then frown)
And when I grit my teeth, I’m mad. (Grit teeth and frown)
When I’m shy, my head hangs low, (Bow head)
But when I’m proud I beam and glow. (Smile)
SONG - If You’re Happy and You Know It (Emotion Version)
BOOK 1 - Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore (yes, the actress!)
A little girl desperately wants to get rid of her freckles. She tries scrubbing them, using lemon juice, covering them up with markers, and wearing a ski-mask to school every day. She eventually learns to love her freckles and lives happily ever after.
SONG ON CD - Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
MP3 download: The Hit Crew from 50 Bestest Kids Songs
A classic favorite that everyone will know.
BOOK 2 - The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Honey, butterscotch, cinnamon, chocolate, peaches…..these are just some of the delicious descriptions of our shades of skin color. In this book, Lena learns that her friends are all beautiful shades of brown. I have this one in a big book – it has big, colorful pictures!
SONG ON CD – Mi Cuerpo Hace Música /My Body Makes Music (Hispanic Folk Song)
MP3 download: Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael from Bouncy Blue
This song will need a bit of an introduction. I start by telling the group that this song is in Spanish, so “we are going to learn a few words in Spanish before we start.” I cover these words:
Working through them one at a time, point to each body part as you say it and then have children repeat each word in Spanish. Then, sing the song without the CD slowly one or two times. Then try it full tempo with the CD!
My body, my body, makes music
My hands say, clap clap clap
My feet say, ta, ta, ta
My mouth says, la la la
My waist says, cha cha cha
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hace, clap clap clap
Mis pies hace, ta, ta, ta
Mi boca hace la la la
Mi cintura hace cha cha cha
BOOK 3 - I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
A humorous read, written in rhyming verse. This little girl likes herself just the way she is. She would like herself even with “beaver breath” or “horns protruding from her nose.” This one is sure to get some laughs.
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 - Self-Portraits
I am not actually doing crafts with my group for the summer due to time constraints (we have another program starting the minute mine is over!), but I gave each child a self-portrait handout to take home with them to color. Get the handout here.
For a true craft, here are instructions to make more complicated self-portraits.
You will need: Shredded paper for hair, paper plates for faces, crayons or markers to draw facial features, glue, white construction paper to draw arms and trace their hands, scissors and paint.
ADDITIONAL BOOK:
Sometimes I’m Bombaloo by Rachel Vail
It’s that time of year again – time to get ready for the Summer Reading Program! I am busy planning fun preschool storytime programs and I thought I would share some of my plans with you.
I am posting them on the “One World Many Stories” page. I’ll continue posting new plans as I create them.
May 20th update: All six of my initial agendas are posted. SEE THE STORYTIME PLANS HERE. I will be posting clipart files, music links, and flannelboard ideas as I go!
As we have been planning for summer reading, we’ve found that there is not much out there on gnomes and fairies to use for storytime. So here are some ideas to get you started. (The first three are short rhymes that I wrote.) FINGERPLAY: Two Little Garden Gnomes This is a variation on “Two […]
TODDLER PROGRAM This week we had a special storytime! Everyone was invited to a Teddy Bear’s Picnic – including favorite bears and stuffed animals :) I was so excited to do this theme thinking it would be a beautiful Spring day, but I was very wrong! Flurries are blowing here in Kansas! Regardless of the […]
TODDLER PROGRAM It’s so sad to say that this was my last storytime for our Spring session :( so of course we decided to throw a little party! This party themed storytime actually ended up being very fun despite my sadness! Parents and children brought in treats and snacks, we made party streamers, and did some dancing! […]
TODDLER PROGRAM OPENING SONG: The More We Get Together OPENING RHYMES: Two Little Blackbirds (Soft and Loud) Open, Shut Them SUPERHERO OUTFIT: In order to prepare for this awesome superhero storytime, one must only dress the part! I had my cape, mask, and boots ready! Start out by asking the group what a superhero wears to […]
TODDLER PROGRAM Miss Mollie is on vacation this week, so I got to fill in for her storytime this morning. It made me miss doing regular storytimes so much! We had lots of fun celebrating Easter. OPENING SONG: The More We Get Together OPENING RHYMES: Two Little Blackbirds (Soft and Loud) Open, Shut Them BOOK 1: […]
