Bears Who Share On Chairs - 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.

 

Opening #3: Fee Fi Fo Fum

Fee fi fo fum,
(clap for each syllable)

See my fingers,
(wiggle fingers)

See my thumbs.
(wiggle thumbs)

Fee fi fo fum,
(clap for each syllable)

Good bye fingers,
(hide one hand behind back)

Good bye thumbs.
(hide the other hand behind back)

(Repeat several times moving and saying the words faster and faster)

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Bear Is Playing (letter recognition flannelboard to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”)

Bear is playing. Bear is playing.
With a { B }, with a { B }.
Bring it up right now, bring it to the board.
Let’s play some more!  Let’s play some more!

  

  

 

Book #1: There's a Bear On My Chair by Ross Collins

Theme activity #1: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around (traditional jump rope 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 

  

Theme activity #2: The Great Big Bear (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

The great big bear,
(sing language for bear)
Gives a warning with a soft little growl.
(growl)
Waves its paws in the air.
(move hands like claws)
Shakes its great big head
(shake head)
Rubs its furry little ears
(rub ears)
Gives a great big roar
(loud roar)
Then goes to sleep in its lair.
(hands to side of face for sleep)

 

Transition: 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

  

Book #2: The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner 

Book #3: Bears On Chairs by Shirley Parenteau, illustrated by David Walker 

Closing music with rhythm sticks: “Goin’ On a Bear Hunt” from Kids In Action by Greg & Steve         

  

 

Art activity:  Glue a bear cut-out onto a paper plate and then paint stamp flowers with receipt role cores

Optional other books:
Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
Bear Counts by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

 

 

 

 

 

Paper Hoop Glider - Passive Craft Table

 

What do you do when you find tons of plastic straws in your craft supply storage?  You create a craft table to use them up!  I created this passive craft table last summer to help use up all the straws I found.  This was a supper cheap craft table since I already had the paper, tape and coloring pens already on hand.  I found super easy instructions for this activity on the Instructables site at https://www.instructables.com/Hoop-Gliders-Galore/.  On another page they even explained the science of lift for these fun to make gliders at https://www.instructables.com/Hoop-GliderAirplane-STEAM-Activity/.  

Flowers in the Wild - Baby Toddler Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years old.  

Opening #1: Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum; 
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more places to stick the gum)

 

 

Book: Wildflowers Grow by Amber Hendricks, illustrated by Gavin Scott (board book) 

Themed activity #1: “Baby Bumblebee” from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids

Themed activity #2: Ten Little Flowers (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

10 little flowers standing in the sun

10 thirsty flowers begin to droop
Along come the clouds
And the rain begins to fall
10 little flowers lift their heads to the sun again

 

Lap rhyme #1: Tick Tock (lap bounce)

(bounce baby from leg to leg)

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick, tock, tick tock, now it is one o’clock… Cuckoo!
(raise baby up for each cuckoo)

(repeat for other times of day)
Now it is two o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Now it is three o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

 

Lap rhyme #2: Counting Bubbles (counting rhyme I learned during a BrainDance workshop)

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, top.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then place hands on top of head)

Three bubbles, four bubbles, five bubbles, drop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then drop hands to lap)

Six bubbles, seven bubbles, nine bubbles, pop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then clap hands loudly in front of body)

Ten little bubbles floating down!
(twinkle hands down to floor)

Now let’s blow _____ bubbles.
(This is a breath exercise.  Pick a number and pretend to blow that number of bubbles through hand.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles with a loud clap after blowing it up.  I count the bubble while I do the clap.) 

 

Lap rhyme #3: We’re Making a Purple Stew (story time song I saw a in a video from New York Public Library)

We’re making a {_purple_} stew,
Whip-whip-, whip-whip.
(pretend to stir a big pot in front of your body)

We’re making a {_purple_} stew,
Scooby-dooby-doo.

With {_purple_} potatoes,
(use one hand to pretend to throw potatoes from your shoulder into the pretend pot)

And {_purple_} tomatoes,
(use your other hand to pretend to throw tomatoes from your shoulder into the pretend pot)

And even a {_purple_} you!
(tickle baby’s tummy)

**What other colors should we do?
(repeat the song with other colors)

 

Lap rhyme #4: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional song)

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes and, ears and, mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

            

Transition: Come 'A' Look And See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the music CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

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 tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

 

Letter of the day: "F” is for Flower

 

 

Flannelboard: The Flower Song (a song to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" about the parts of a flower that I found at Everything Preschool)

The flower has some petals, the flower has some petals.
The flower calls the birds and bees, the flower has some petals.

The flower has some leaves, the flower has some leaves.
The leaves will catch the rain and sun, the flower has some leaves.

The flower has a stem, the flower has a stem.
The stem will make it stand up tall, the flower has a stem.

The flower has some roots, the flower has some roots.
The roots will carry food and drink, the flower has some roots.

The flower is so pretty, the flower is so pretty.
This pretty thing in my garden, makes me sing a ditty. 

 

Closing song with egg shakers: “Bublebee Buzz Buzz” from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner   

 

 

 

 

Miss Carol's Favorite Picture Book Finds of 2025

    Every year I spend the last few weeks of the year compiling my favorite book finds of the year.  They are not always new books.  Just books I discovered for the first time and really, really liked.  

PICTURE BOOKS:

  

All the Rocks We Love by Lisa Varchol Perron and Taylor Perron, illustrated by David Scheirer 

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat 

Granny Rex by Kurtis Scaletta, illustrated by Nik Henderson 

 

No More Chairs by Dan Gill, illustrated by Susan Gal 

Not That Pet! by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw 

The Power of Snow by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Bryony Clarkson

Twenty Big Trucks In the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus

Miss Carol's Favorite Graphic Novel Finds of 2025

Miss Carol's Favorite Middle Grade Non-Fiction Book Finds of 2025

Miss Carol's Favorite Middle Grade Non-Fiction Book Finds of 2025

    Every year I spend the last few weeks of the year compiling my favorite book finds of the year.  They are not always new books.  Just books I discovered for the first time and really, really liked.  

MIDDLE GRADE NON-FICTION BOOKS:

 

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault by Megan Clendenan 

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World by by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Matt Tavares

Miss Carol's Favorite Graphic Novel Finds of 2025

Miss Carol's Favorite Picture Book Finds of 2025

Miss Carol's Favorite Graphic Novel Finds of 2025

   Every year I spend the last few weeks of the year compiling my favorite book finds of the year.  They are not always new books.  Just books I discovered for the first time and really, really liked.  

YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVELS:

  

The Condemned Villainess Goes Back In Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain (manga series) art by Rat Kitaguni, original story by Bakufu Narayama, character design by Ebisushi

If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell In Love (manga series) art by Chiru Ukai, original story by Harunandon, character design by Yomi Sarachi

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 (manga series) by Mashiro

  

Though I am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court (manga series) by Satsuki Nakamura, art by Ei Ohitsuji, character design by Kana Yuki

Tristan & Lancelot: A Tale of Two Knights (An Arthurian Love Story) by James Persichetti and L.S. Biehler

The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling In Love (manga series) original story by Touya and Yoimachi, art by Ren Sakuma, adaptation by Shiori Shiono

ADULT GRAPHIC NOVELS:

  

365 Days to the Wedding (manga series) by Tamiki Wakaki (adult)   Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada (adult)  Takahashi from the Bike Shop (manga series) by Arare Matsumushi (adult) 

Miss Carol's Favorite Middle Grade Non-Fiction Book Finds of 2025

Miss Carol's Favorite Picture Book Finds of 2025

Robots, BeeBots - A Family STEAM & Stories Event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.    

Intro song:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, math, fun, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.   

 

Demonstration and Storytime:

 

·         Read the book Remarkable Robots by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker  

·         Show the word card for robots.  Talk about what this word means.

·         Show pictures of various types of robots and talk about what these robots do.        

·         Instruct on how to use the stations. 

 

Stations: 

Station #1- BeeBots

The children entered movement commands into the BeeBots.    

Station #2 – Ozobots

Using a variety of small magnetic tiles, the children created paths for the tiny Ozobot robots to follow along with special color tiles with action codes. 

 

Station #3 – Animatronics

The children created an animatronic hand that really worked using cardstock, scissors, tape, yarn, and straws.      

 

 

Station #4 – Measuring robots

I found a cute free printable online that encouraged children to use Unifix cubes to measure the robots on the paper.