PRESCHOOL STORYTIME

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

INTRODUCE THEME – Colors!

• Ask “What is your favorite color – Can you name some colors? – What color is this chair, etc.?”
• Play a quick game of “I spy.”  I spy something blue, yellow, green, etc.

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

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:

• Green square
• Red circle
• Blue rectangle
• Orange triangle
• Pink diamond
• Yellow star
• Purple heart

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:

• Make figure eights with scarves
• Make circles to one side
• Draw  circles overhead
• Switch hands and make circles
• Reach up with scarf as high as you can (on tip toes) then bring it down to the ground
• Brush the ground from side to side
• Spin in circle, change directions

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.

• Styrofoam Cup Dog Craft
• Paper Cereal Bowl Dog Craft
• Dog’s Colorful Day coloring sheet

ANOTHER GREAT BOOK-  I Ain’t Gonna Paint No Moreby Karen Beaumont