Snowflakes Falling - Family Storytime

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

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

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling body part 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 body parts)

Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Snowing Letters (I found this wonderful snowing rhyme flannelboard on the Once Upon a (Story) Time blog that I adapted for my flannelboard)
Directions: I gave each child a snowflake (clip art cut out on paper). Each snowflake had one letter written on the backside corresponding to the letters above in the rhyme. As I said the rhyme, I would then say the first letter of each underlined word. I would also write the letter on the board. The children were to place their snowflakes on the white board (with tape) when I said their letter. This turned out to be a great exercise in letter recognition. 

Snow on my forehead, (F)

Snow on my knee, (K)

Snow on my eyes, (E) 

Getting hard to see.

Snow on my boots, (B)

Snow on my hair, (H)

Snow on my mittens, (M)

Snow everywhere!

 

  

Book #1: Maisy’s Snowy Day by Lucy Cousins

Stand-up activity: Snowflakes Falling (action rhyme I picked up many years ago)

Snowflakes falling down, down, down 
Gently covering all the town 
Swirling, twirling, down they come 
One landed on my tongue!

 

Activity: Itsy-Bitsy Snowflake (fingerplay I found in a Mailbox Preschool magazine, December/January 2007-8, page 26)

The itsy-bitsy snowflake fell down from the sky.
(flutter hands down)
It landed on my nose
(point to nose)
And it bounced upon my eye
(point to eye)
It slid down to my chin
(point to chin)
And it landed on my tongue.
(point to tongue)
Then it melted all away

 

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.

  

***Parent literacy tip:  When you read picture books to children, you expose them to words they would not hear in daily conversations with adults.  This is important vocabulary building!           

Book #2: In the Snow by Sharon Phillips Denslow, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri

Book #3: Bear & Hare: Snow! by Emily Gravett (I actually thought this book did not work well at storytime)   

Closing music with bean bags: “Rocketship Run” action song from Rocketship Run by The Laurie Berkner Band     

  

Art activity: Paper plate snowflake collage with white glue, cotton balls, Q-tips, and cut up straws

Optional other books:
I’m Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan
One Mitten by Kristine O’Connell George, illustrated by Maggie Smith