Green Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – *** Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
• Activity – A Walking We Will Go (action song)
• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Graph favorite shade of green, light or dark (using squares of paper on the wall)
• Book #2 - Green Means Go by Susan Ring
• Activity - Leprechaun, Leprechaun (an adaptation of the action rhyme Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Chalk coloring on a construction paper shamrock

***Parent Literacy Enhancement - When you ask children a question, give them extra time to think and to answer you. Talking back and forth uses four different parts of the brain, so it takes them some time to form their responses.

Farm Animals Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – ***Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel
• Activity – Clippity Clippity Clop (action rhyme I adjusted from another rhyme)

Clippity, clippity clop,
The horses go clip clop.
They gallop to the right.
They gallop to the left.
They gallop all around...
And they come to a stop.
Clippity, clippity clop.

• Flannelboard - Old Macdonald Had a Farm (song)
• Book #2 - Maisy At the Farm by Lucy Cousins (pop-up)
• Activity - Two Little Chickens (a take on the Two Little Blackbirds fingerplay)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Fingerprint spots on a cow drawing

***Parent Literacy Enhancement - Researchers have noted 6 areas of early literacy learning that kids need to experience to be ready to learn to read. One of these areas is Print Motivation. Print Motivation is an interest in and the enjoyment of books and reading. Reading books aloud to your kids at home, coming to storytime; these are all activities that increase Print Motivation.

Chicken Dance

Library Program for ages 2 through 8 years old.

1. Gather the children at the center of the room and tell a chicken story. We told the story of the chicken and the library books.
2. Using poster board pieces, we used volunteers to show the pattern of "The Mack Chicken Dance" song from Big Fun by Greg & Steve (chicken dance slow, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head-Shoulders-Knees-Toes, chicken dance fast). Then, of course, we actually did the chicken dance to the music.
3. Stations:

Math station: Use foam pattern blocks to create your own shapes and patterns.

Art station #1: Create a picture pie chicken/bird (found at EdEmberley.com). Papers were provided with and without the starting circle.

Art station #2: Decorate a silly mask with the materials provided.

Movement station: Go through the "egg-stacle" course. Grab a plastic "Easter" egg. Using only a special egg pusher (a.k.a. cardboard tube, gift wrap or paper towel size), try to move your egg all the way through the obstacle course mapped out by masking tape. The obstacle course went over and under different things around the room. No touching with your hands or feet permitted.

Notes: The egg-stacle course and the pattern blocks were the most popular. We actually needed more pattern blocks. The kids were very creative on using the obstacle course. I did not have a designated start and end spot for the obstacle course so it was good to see the problem solving that went on with this station. None of the picture pie chickens looked like they did on the web site, but that is okay! Must personally hand out the jingle bells, since some kids took more than their fare share of bells. Even though the instructions said no more than 3 bells, there were a few kids who took 10. We just barely had enough bells for everyone.

Cat Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Cleo's Counting Book by Caroline Mockford
• Activity – Sleepy Kitten (I do not remember where I found this action rhyme)

The kitten stretches, until she is long.
(stretch arms high)
She sings a soft little purring song.
(purr)
She yawns a big yawn,
(yawn)
And stretches some more,
(stretch arms to side)
And then falls asleep on the floor.
(close eyes with head on hands)

• Flannelboard - In the House by Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis
• Book #2 - Cat by Matthew Van Fleet, photography by Brian Stanton
• Activity - *** Five Little Kittens (my notes do not say which book I found this fingerplay in)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue spaghetti noodle (or yarn) whiskers to a cat picture

***Parent Literacy Enhancement - In addition to developing listening, fine motor, and recall skills, fingerplays teach children how to follow directions as well as concepts like spatial positioning (front, back, up, down, right, left, etc.)

Elephant Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Snappy Little Jungle by Derek Matthews (pop-up)
• Activity – An Elephant (my notes do not say where I found this action rhyme)

An elephant goes like this and that.
(pat knees)
He's terribly big,
(hands up high)
And he's terribly fat.
(hands out wide)
He has no fingers,
(wiggle fingers)
And he has no toes,
(wiggle toes)
But goodness gracious, what a nose!
(make curling motion away from nose)

• Flannelboard - One Little Elephant Went Out To Play Upon a spider Web One Day
• Book #2 - Jazzy In the Jungle by Lucy Cousins
• Activity - Oliver the Elephant (action rhyme I found in Move Over Mother Goose by Ruth I. Dowell)
• Closing - Scarves using "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Color a paper elephant fingerpuppet