Chickens Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Big Fat Hen illustrated by Keith Baker
• Activity – Here's A Little Egg (action rhyme adapted from http://www.geocities.com/mystorytime/chickens.htm#Fingerplays)

Here's a little egg, so smooth and white
(sit criss-cross, head down, arms in lap)
Peck, peck,peck, there's something inside!
Peck, peck, peck here comes a little beak,
(move head up and make beak with fingers in front of mouth)
Peck, peck peck, here come two little feet.
(extend feet)
Peck, peck, peck here come the wings.
(shake wing arms)
Peck, peck, peck and a pick, pick, pick, and crack, crack, CRACK!
(move to a squatting position)
Out pops the baby chick!
(stand up, arms above head)

• Flannelboard – Hens Of A Different Color (I lost my notes as to which website I found this fun color flannelboard)
• Book #2 – Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker (pop-up)
• Activity – Two Little Chickens Sitting On A Fence (fingerplay adapted from the classic "Two Little Blackbirds")

Two little chickens sitting on a fence,
One named Jack, the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack.
Fly away Jill.
Come back Jack.
Come back Jill.
Two little chickens sitting on a fence.

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Coloring sheet

Colors & Patterns Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes: Patterns In Nature by Stephen R. Swinburne
• Activity – Colorful World (action rhyme adapted from Let's Read! Storytime Crafts by Kathryn Totten)

Blue sky up above
(arms up over head)
White snow on the ground
(touch the ground)
Yellow sun overhead
(arms circle over head)
Pink and brown and beige toes on our feet
(touch toes)
Green plants all around
(turn in a circle)
Many colored butterflies
(flap arms for butterfly wings)
All sit down
(flap arms as you slowly sit down on floor)

• Flannelboard/Activity – Place colored squares into a pattern on the magnetic side of the flannelboard, be sure to have the children help you make the pattern as it repeats
• Book #2 – Snappy Little Colors by Kate Lee, et al. (pop-up)
• Activity – Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum See My Fingers, See My Thumbs (fingerplay from Mother Goose Time by Jane Marino)
• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft –Glue color squares into a pattern line (the same squares and colors used in the flannelboard activity)

Reader's Advisory - Women's Western

• Women -- The West (United States)
• Western stories
• Men/women relations
• History -- Women's history
• Frontier and pioneer life -- The West (United States)

READALIKES:
Heart of the West: A Novel by Penelope Williamson
An Ordinary Woman: A Dramatized Biography of Nancy Kelsey by Cecelia Holland
The Jump-off Creek by Molly Gloss
The Living by Annie Dillard
When Hope Springs New by Janette Oke

Fathers Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
• Activity – Do It For Your Father (action rhyme 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.

• Flannelboard/Activity – Fish and shapes matching: Introduced the circle, triangle, and square shapes on the board, talking about how many lines/sides each shape has. Then I handed out fish cut-outs with these shapes on them. I called out a shape and the children with this shape brought it back to the bucket.
• Book #2 – My Dad Is Brilliant by Nick Butterworth
• Activity – If You're Happy And You Know It (action song from Songs For Wiggleworms)
• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Glue tissue paper fish scales onto fish cut-outs (the same cut-outs used earlier)

Fathers Storytime - Preschool

Preschool Storytime for 3-1/2 to 5 year olds:

• Opening – "We Dove In the Ocean" from Dippin' In the Paintbox by Gail & Trisha; Children pull letters of the alphabet out of the Dr. Seuss hat and then go through the alphabet on the board to put the letters back in the hat
  
• Book #1 – Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
• Activity – Do It For Your Father (action rhyme 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.

• Book #2 –Snappy Little Families (pop-up)
• Book #3 - Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes, illustrated by Jane Chapman
  
• Activity – If You're Happy And You Know It (action song from Baby's First Happy Songs by Music For the Developing Mind)
  
• Closing – Round of Applause (action rhyme adapted from one told by Rob Reid)
• Craft - Glue tissue paper fish scales onto fish cut-outs
  

Music Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – The Little Band by James Sage, illustrated by Keiko Narahashi
• Activity – Wiggles (an action song to the tune of "Shoo Fly" found in Mailbox Preschool August/September 2006, page 34)
• Flannelboard – A-Hunting We Will Go

A-hunting we will go,
A-hunting we will go,
We'll catch a fox
And put him in a box,
And then we'll let him go.

Other verses:
Mouse...house
Frog...log
Goat...boat
Bear...chair

• Book #2 – Pots and Pans by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Diane deGroat
• Activity – Ten Fingers (fingerplay, I'm not sure where I got this one)

I have ten little fingers
And they all belong to me.
I can make them do things.
Would you like to see?
I can shut them up tight
Or open them wide.
I can put them together
Or make them all hide.
I can make them jump high.
I can make them jump low.
I can fold them quietly
And hold them just so.

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Decorate paper plate maracas with stickers and crepe-paper streamers