Going Out to Space - Family Storytime

A Saturday morning storytime for ages 0-6 years old.  

Opening #1: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs forWiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling opposites chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast!
Roly poly, roly poly, oh so slowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, hands on your head.
Roly poly, roly poly, hand on your feet.

(Repeat with other opposites)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast again!
Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

Opening #3: Fee Fi Fo Fum (clapping chant)

Fee, fi, fo, fum,
(clapping)
See my fingers,
(wave fingers)
See my thumbs.
(wave thumbs)
Fee, fi, fo, fum,
(clapping)
Good bye fingers,
(one hand behind back)
Good by thumbs.
(other hand behind back)

(Repeat going faster)

 

Literacy activity: I’m Going Out to Space (vocabulary building flannelboard activity to the tune of “The Farmer In the Dell”)

(Hand out felt pieces for stars, planets, rocket ships, and moons to the children.  The children bring their pieces up to the board when it is said in the song.)

I’m going out to space;
I’m going out to space;
I think I’ll see a { planet } there;
I’m going out to space.

  

Book #1: A Big Mooncake forLittle Star by Grace Lin

Stand-up activity: Blast Off to the Moon (action rhyme I found in many places)

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)

 

Sit-down activity: Five Little Astronauts (fingerplay I adapted from one called "Five Little Aliens")

(Hold up fingers of one hand)

One, two, three, four, five
Five little astronauts standing in a row.
They nod their heads to the children just so
They run to the left.
They run to the right.
They stand and stretch in the bright starlight.

 

***Parent literacy tip: Singing and rhyming build children’s listening skills and help them hear that words are made up of smaller sounds.

Transition: Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up, 
Tommy Thumb down,
Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,
Tammy Thumb in,
Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,
Dance them on your knees,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your shoulders,
Then tuck them into bed.

 

Book #2: AstronautPiggyWiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox

Book #3: Twinkle TwinkleLittle Star by Jane Cabrera

Closing music with bean bags: “Bean Bag Rock” from Bean Bag Activities & Coordination Skills by Georgiana Stewart

 

Art activity #1: Stamping paint craters on paper plate moons

Art activity #2: Adding star stickers to the drawing of star constellations

Extra activity: Play exploration of a model solar system toy