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.

MOVEMENT SONG – Row, Row, Row Your Boat
“I have a big box here and I’m going to pretend that it’s a boat.  We are going to sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat.  Everyone knows that one right?  So everyone hop into your pretend boat, grab your paddles, and start paddling down the river with me!  Let’s sing…..”

Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream.

Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
If you see a crocodile,
Don’t forget to scream! AHHH!

Row row row your boat,
Gently to the shore.
If you see a lion,
Don’t forget to ROAR!

ACTIVITY – Guess the Animals in the Box
Fill a cardboard box with a variety of stuffed animals.  Give children clues and let them guess what animal you are going to pull out of the box.  You can describe the animal (“He has long ears and hops”  rabbit)  or make the sound the animal makes (“Oink oink” pig.)  Once someone guesses correctly, pull the animal out of the box.

BOOK 2 – A Special Kind of Love by Stephen Michael King
A father shows his love for his son through boxes – he turns boxes into castles and kites and all sorts of wonderful things.

RHYME – I Had a Little Turtle

I had a little turtle (make fist with thumb sticking out)
Who lived in a box (cup hands together)
He swam in a puddle (wiggle hand back and forth)
And climbed on the rocks (finger climb up other fist)

He snapped at the mosquito (snap)
He snapped at the flea (snap)
He snapped at the minnow (snap)
And he snapped at me! (snap)

He caught the mosquito (clap)
He caught the flea (clap)
He caught the minnow (clap)
But he didn’t catch me! (wag finger back and forth)

SONG – Jump #10
from Milkshake’s album Bottle of Sunshine

Give each child a set of rhythm sticks and a cardboard box.  Practice tapping on the boxes in rhythm and then play the song and let children drum along.  Remind children to be very careful with their sticks!

BOOK 3 – Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

CRAFT – Jimbo the Clown, Jack-in-the-box

Instructions:

1. Cut out JACK-IN-THE-BOX TEMPLATE from cardstock & punch hole in bottom of box
2. Cut out Jimbo the Clown from cardstock
3. Fold box along dotted lines and tape or glue together
4. Let children decorate box and clown with shapes, stickers, crayons etc.
5. Tape Jimbo the clown to a straw and insert straw into hole in the bottom of the box
6. Jack-in-the-box is complete!
7. Teach children this song:

Jimbo the clown goes up and down, up and down, up and down.
Jimbo the clown goes up and down, then he turns around.
Jimbo the clown goes side to side, side to side, side to side.
Jimbo the clown goes side to side, then he waves bye bye.