Sunday, February 27, 2011

Hats Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – Magic Hat by Mem Fox, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
  • Stand-up Activity - Suzy Had a Little Hat (action song I wrote to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")
Suzy had a little hat, little hat, little hat
(hold hands together in the shape of a hat)
Suzy had a little hat, she wore right up here!
(put hat on top of head)

Suzy went jump, jump, jump,
Jump, jump, jump
Jump, jump, jump,
Suzy went jump, jump, jump,
With her hat right up here!

Suzy went running...
Suzy went spinning...
Suzy went bend her knees...
Suzy went sitting...
  • Bridge - Open Shut Them (fingerplay)
Open, shut them
(open and close hands)

Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - Graph favorite color hats
  • Sit-down Activity -I Have 2 Shoes (fingerplay I found in the book Storytime Crafts by Kathryn Totten)
  • Book #2 -Hats, Hats, Hats by Ann Morris, photographs by Ken Hegman (BIG BOOK)
  • Activity – Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (action song)
  • Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
  • Craft – Decorate a newspaper sailor hat

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Valentine's Day Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – Snappy Little Hugs by Dugold Steer, illustrated by Derek Matthews (pop-up)
  • Stand-up Activity - I Have a Little Heart (action rhyme, I do not know where I found this one)
I have a little heart
(hand over heart)
And it goes thump, thump, thump
(pat chest with fingers)
It keeps right on beating when I jump, jump, jump
(jump in place)
I get a special feeling
(hug shoulders)
When I look at you
(point to children)
It makes me want to give you a kiss or two!
(blow kisses)
  • Bridge - Open Shut Them (fingerplay)
Open, shut them
(open and close hands)

Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - The Wind and the Red Paper Square (cut and tell story for which I have since lost the name of the book from where it came from)
  • Sit-down Activity - Come A' Look A' See (fingerplay song I first found at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb)
(Show all fingers of one hand)
Come a'look a'see,
Here's my mama
(point to thumb)
Come a'look a'see
Here's my papa
(point to index finger)
Come a'look a'see
My brother tall
(point to middle finger)
Sister
(point to ring finger)
Baby
(point to pinkie)
(kiss all the fingers)
I love them all.

  • Book #2 - Where Is Baby's Valentine? by Karen Katz
  • Activity – Valentine, Valentine (action rhyme I adapted from Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around)
Valentine, Valentine turn around.
Valentine, Valentine touch the ground.
Valentine, Valentine blow a kiss.
Valentine, Valentine swim like a fish.
Valentine, Valentine give a hug.
Valentine, Valentine jump like a bug.
Valentine, Valentine find your feet.
Valentine, Valentine find your seat.
  • Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
  • Craft – Write the words "Thumb-body loves you" on a piece of card stock. Now decorate this with thumbprints for a special Valentine.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Lunar New Year Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:
A marching we will go
A marching we will go
Hi ho the derry oh
A Marching will will go

A jumping...
A spinning...
A running...
A sitting...
  • Bridge - Open Shut Them (fingerplay)Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap
Five green dragons making such a roar.
One danced away and then there were four.
Four green dragons dancing around a tree.
One danced away and then there were three.
Three green dragons dancing around you.
One danced away and then there were two.
Two green dragons dancing in the sun.
One danced away and then there was one.
One green dragon having lots of fun
She danced away and then there were none.
  • Sit-down Activity - Roly Poly (fingerplay I adapted from a similar one I first found at King County Library System)
(roll hands together as indicated)
Roly poly, roly poly, ever so slooowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, faster and faster.
Roly poly, roly poly, ever so slooowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, faster and faster.
Roly poly, roly poly, comes to a stop.
(repeat)
  • Book #2 - Ten Mice for Tet by Pegi Deito Shea and Cynthia Weill, illustrated by Tō Ngọe Trang, embroidery by Phạm Viết Ðinh
  • Activity – Hickory Dickory Dock (traditional fingerplay)
Hickory dickory dock
(clapping)
A mouse ran up the clock
(one hand run up the other arm)
The clock struck 1
(clap once)
The mouse ran down
(one hand run down the other arm)
Hickory dickory dock
(clapping)

Hickory dickory dock
A mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck 2
(clap twice)
The mouse said "BOO!"
(try to tickle child)
Hickory dickory dock

Hickory dickory dock
A mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck 3
(clap three times)
The mouse said "Wheee!"
(one hand slide down the other arm and the down to the floor as if on a slide)
Hickory dickory dock

Hickory dickory dock
A mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck 4
(clap 4 times)
There is no more
(shake head, show empty hands)
Hickory dickory dock.
  • Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
  • Craft – Decorate a Chinese dragon

Monday, February 7, 2011

Pirate Day

The following is a program I did for a large multi-age group of children. There were about 60 kids ranging in age from first through fifth grade.

Read: Dirty Joe the Pirate: A True Story by Bill Harley, illustrated by Jack E. Davis

Act Out: Three Pirates Gruff (an adaptation of the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff, I actually used a version of this book to help me tell the story as we acted it out)

Craft: Create a pirate treasure map by wrinkling brown paper bag paper and then drawing with colored chalk (supplies needed: brown paper bags, colored chalk, scissors, cleaning wipes, but I wrote it out below for easy use)

The 3 Pirates Gruff
(props needed: large pirate hat, medium pirate hat, small pirate hat, fishing net, shark puppet)

Once upon a time there were three pirates wanting some treasure. One was very small (put on the small hat), one was middle-sized (put on the middle-size hat), and one was very large (put on the large hat). They were all named Gruff, so people simply called them, “The Three Pirates Gruff.”

On a certain morning, the Three Pirates Gruff were on their way to a distant island for some treasure. But to get to the island, they had to row their boats across some deep water. An in that water lived a great, big, ugly shark!

The smallest Pirate Gruff went first. He started to row across the water (sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”). When all of a sudden he heard the shark roar from below, “WHO’S THAT ROWING ACROSS MY WATER?”

“It’s only me, the smallest Pirate Gruff,” the little pirate answered in his tiny voice. “I’m going over to yonder island where I will find treasure.”

“NO, YOU’RE NOT,” roared the shark, “BECAUSE I’M GOING TO EAT YOU UP!”

“Oh, no!” cried the little pirate, “Please don’t eat me up! I’m much too small to make a meal for you. Wait for the second Pirate Gruff, he’s MUCH bigger than I am!”

“Well, maybe you’re right,” growled the shark. “So be off with you!” And the smallest Pirate Gruff finished rowing over to the island.

Then the second Pirate Gruff started rowing across the water (sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”). When all of a sudden he heard the shark roar from below, “WHO’S THAT ROWING ACROSS MY WATER?”

“It’s me, the second Pirate Gruff. But please don’t eat me. Surely I am much too small a snack for you. The biggest Pirate Gruff is right behind me, and he is MUCH bigger!”

“Oh really?” growled the shark, “Get on with you then. I’ll wait right here for the big one.” So the second Pirate Gruff rowed safely across the water to the island.

Then the biggest pirate rowed across the water (sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”). When all of a sudden he heard the shark roar from below, “WHO’S THAT ROWING ACROSS MY WATER?”

“It’s me, the BIGGEST Pirate Gruff!” hollered the pirate in a voice as loud as thunder.

“WHOEVER YOU ARE, I’M GOING TO CHEW, CHEW YOU UP RIGHT NOW!” roared the shark jumping at the boat.

Right then the biggest Pirate Gruff pulled out a humongous fishing net. As the shark leapt through the air, the pirate caught that shark in the net. The shark pulled with all of his strength to get out of the net. The pirate pulled with all of his strength to keep that shark from getting away. The pirate and the shark kept on pulling each other back and forth, this way and that until along about sunset when all of a sudden the shark when flying through the air. The biggest Pirate Gruff pulled so hard that the shark flew over 10 islands and was never seen again.

Now, the biggest Pirate Gruff finished rowing to the island. To this day, that island is the favorite place for the Three Pirates Gruff to look for treasure.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Space Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:
Let's take a rocket to the moon
First we climb into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder into rocket)
Next we buckle ourselves in
(crouch down and pretend to but a seat belt across your shoulder)
Now for the countdown... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We go flying around the earth and over to the moon
(airplane arms)
Now stop on the moon and look around
(look around with hand over eyes)
Now it's time to go back home so we climb back into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder)
Buckle ourselves in
(pretend seat belt)
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We fly around the moon and fly around the earth
(airplane arms)
And finally come back home
(land on the ground)
  • Bridge - Open Shut Them (fingerplay)
Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - 4 Little Stars (counting backwards rhyme, not sure where I found this one)
4 little stars winking at me.
One shot off, then there were three!
3 little stars with nothing to do.
One shot off, then there were two!
2 little stars afraid of the sun.
One shot off, then there was one!
1 little star alone is no fun.
It shot off, then there was none!
  • Fingerplay - A Tiny Little Star (not sure where I found this fingerplay)
There's a tiny little star way up in the sky.
(put one hand in the air)
A tiny little star, up so very high.
(raise hand even higher)
It twinkles brightly throughout the night,
(open and close fist for blinking)
But during the day it's out of sight.
(hide hand behind back)
  • Book #2 - Astronaut Piggywiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox
  • Activity – Ring Around the Rocket Ship (action song I adapted to the tune of "Ring Around the Rosie")
Ring around the rocket ship
(spin around)
Dancing little stars
(dance and jump around)
Stardust, Stardust,
(flash hands out)
The stars fall down!
(fall to the floor)
  • Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
  • Craft – Glue some cutout stars and yellow yarn pieces to a piece of black paper for some shooting stars

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Space - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:I'm a little rocket and I am glad.
(hands together pointed over the head for a rocket cone)
Soon I'll blast off from my launch pad.
(crouch down)
When I get all revved up, hear me count.
...5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!...
(jump up)
Up I go, now watch me soar!
(pretend to fly with airplane arms)
  • Flannelboard - Starship Wayward (I found this story on an anonymous PUBYAC posting)
  • Book #3 - Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon by Dan Yaccarino (alternative book: Astronaut Piggywiggy by Chrystan and Diane Fox)
  • Activity - The Falling Star (fingerplay, I'm not sure where I found it)
I looked up at the dark night sky.
(shade eyes and look up)
And saw a falling star pass by.
(arm draws an arch over head)
It died before it hit the ground,
And to the this day it can't be found.
(shake head no)
  • Closing - Tambourines to the song "Catch a Falling Star" from On My Way to Dreamland by Kathy Reid-Newman
  • Family Math Activity - Build a rocket with straw connectors