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…..