Stuffed Animals 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 – My Bear and Me by Barbara Maitland, pictures by Lisa Flather
• Stand-up Activity - Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around (traditional rhyme)

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear dance on your toes
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch your nose
Teddy bear, teddy bear reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear jump to the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your feet
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your seat

• 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 - Teddy Bear Patterns (use three different colored bear shapes to make simple patterns that the children help to finish)
• Sit-down Activity - Two Little Puppets (from Ring a Ring O'Roses by the Flint Public Library)
• Book #2 - Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont, pictures by Jennifer Plecas
• Activity – Stuffed Animals (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, stuffed animals in a row
1 is a bear
1 is a dog
1 is a pink bunny rabbit that likes to jump
1 is an owl
And 1 is a giraffe with a really long neck
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, all lined up on my bed
They keep me company as I go to sleep

• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Color a teddy bear picture

Dad 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 – Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
• Stand-up Activity - Do It for Your Father (action song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," I'm not sure where I picked this one up)

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
As hard as hard can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Jump, jump, jump your feet
As high as high can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.

• 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 - Daddy Mouse (rhyme by Carol Hopkins)

(On the flannelboard put out 5-8 houses of different colors.  Make sure the little baby mouse is under one house. Say the rhyme with the children and peek under the house color the children request until you find the baby mouse.)

Daddy mouse, daddy mouse where is your baby?
Daddy mouse, daddy mouse look for your baby under the _________ house.

• Sit-down Activity - Come a Look an' See (fingerplay song found on The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)
• Book #2 - Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes, illustrated by Jane Charman
• Activity – If you're Happy and You Know It (action song from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Music)
• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Decorate a fish shape with tissue paper scales

Color 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 – Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Stand-up Activity - I Look and Look (action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)

I look and look and what do I see?
A bright red apple hanging from a tree
I look and look and what do I see?
A yellow sun shining right on me
I look and look and what do I see?
A great orange fruit, shiny and round
I look and look and what do I see?
Some green grass growing on the ground
I look and look and what do I see?
The blue waves on the ocean and sea
I look and look and what do I see?
All the colors around you and me

• 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 - Five Little Crayons (number rhyme found in Mailbox Preschool Magazine August/September 2003, page 6)
• Sit-down Activity - Little Red Wagon (action song from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music)
• Book #2 - I Went Walking by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas
• Activity – Colored Shoes (action rhyme by Carol Hopkins)

Stomping in my red shoes, red shoes, red shoes
Stomping in my red shoes here at storytime

Running in my blue shoes, blue shoes, blue shoes
Running in my blue shoes here at storytime

(continue with more action words and shoe colors)

• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Paint with watercolor paints

Nocturnal Animals

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 – I Walk At Night by Lois Duncan, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
• Stand-up Activity - During the Night (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

During the night I know that...
Stars twinkle in the sky
Bats fly and swoop through the air
Owls flap their wings before saying, "Who-Who"
Cats jump from place to place
Opossums climb up trees
Raccoons run across the grass
Wolves howl at the moon
And I lie in my bed to sleep

• 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 - Five Little Bats On a Dark Night (counting rhyme I found at EstherStorytimes Wiki)
• Sit-down Activity - Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (traditional action song)

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the work so high
Like  a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

• Book #2 - Good-night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
• Activity – The Owl (action chant I found in many places)

There's a wide eyed owl
With a pointed nose
Two pointed ears
And claws for toes
When he sits up in the tree
And he looks at you
He flaps his wings
And he says, "Who-Who!"

• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On  a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Decorate black construction paper bat finger-puppets with colored chalk