Bugs Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
• Stand-up Activity - Little Wiggle Worm (action rhyme, not sure where I found this one)

I'm a little wiggle worm, wiggling all around.
First I wiggle down to the ground.
Then I wiggle upright.
Now I wiggle to the right
Now I wiggle to the left.
Now I stop and jump up and down!
Finally I wiggle spinning round and around.

• Bridge - 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
Open shut them
Put them in your lap

• Flannelboard/Math Activity - 5 Little Dragonflies (not sure where I picked up this counting rhyme)
• Sit-down Activity - Two Moths (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

I see two moths flying toward the light
They fly around in circles
Sometimes they fly fast
Sometimes they fly slow
But never do they touch that light as they fly out of sight

• Book #2 - In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
• Activity – Baby Bumblebee (action song from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids)
• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Thumb print spots on a ladybug shape

Royatly - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
  
• Book #2 -One Monday Morning by Uri Shulevitz
  
• Stand up activity - The Noble Duck of York (traditional action song)

The noble duke of York, he had 10,000 men
He marched them up the hill and then he marched them down again
When you're up, you're up
When you're down, you're down
And when you're only halfway up
Your neither up or down

• Flannelboard - Sing a song of Six Pence (nursery rhyme)

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
All baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlor
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes;
When down came a blackbird,
And snapped at her nose!

• Book #3 -Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks
  
• Activity - Fairies In the Town (action song to the tune of "Wheels On the Bus," I adapted this song from one I found at http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/fairytales/songs.htm)
  
• Closing - "The Ponies Are Walking" with scarves as horse reins (action song from Say Hello to the Morning by Kathy Reid-Naiman)
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Build castles with the wood building blocks
  

Winter Snow - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - The Mitten by Jan Brett
  
• Book #2 - Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by S.D. Schindler
• Book #3 - Millions of Snowflakes by Mary McKenna Siddals
• Stand up activity - Snowflakes (action chant, not sure where I picked up this one)
  
• Flannelboard - Winter Snowflakes (counting down rhyme I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, August/September 2008, page 28)
  
• Book #4 - Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
• Book #5 - The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Activity - The Snowman (action chant, not sure where I picked up this one as well)
• Closing - Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (action song)
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Decorate a felt mitten cut-out with felt tipped color pens
  

Winter Snow Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
• Stand-up Activity - This Is the Way We Play In the Snow (action song written by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Here We go Round the Mulberry Bush")

This is the way we stomp through the snow, stomp through the snow, stomp through the snow.
This is the way we stomp through the snow,
When we go out to play.
This is the way we hop through the snow, hop through the snow, hop through the snow.
This is the way we hop through the snow,
When we go out to play.
(Repeat with other action words)

• Bridge - 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
Open shut them
Put them in your lap

• Flannelboard/Math Activity - 5 Little Snowmen (counting down rhyme I found on some website)
• Sit-down Activity - Itsy Bitsy Snowflake (fingerplay to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" that I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, Dec./Jan. 2007-8, page 26)
• Book #2 - Cleo In the Snow by Caroline Mockford
• Activity – Make Some Snowballs (action song written by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")

Snow is falling, snow is falling
All around, all around
Come let's make some snowballs, come let's make some snowballs
Throw them here, throw them there

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – White paint on dark blue construction paper, use a Q-tip as the painting instrument.

Shapes Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by Grace Lin
• Stand-up Activity - Big and Round (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Watermelon, watermelon sitting on the ground
I see you big, green, and round
Bright sun, bright sun shining all around
I see you big, yellow, and round
Car tire, car tire rolling with a sound
I see you big, black, and round
Shining moon, shining moon giving light unbound
I see you big, white, and round

• Bridge - 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
Open shut them
Put them in your lap

• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Shape Match Up (adapted by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Muffin Man")

Directions: Hand out a red circle, blue rectangle, or yellow triangle to the children (only one shape per child). Review the different aspects of each shape (sides, corners, etc.). Then sing the song for each shape and allow the children to place their shapes on the flannelboard.

Can you find a red circle, a red circle, a red circle?
Can you find a red circle, then bring it up right now.

• Sit-down Activity - Circles, Triangles, Rectangles (fingerplay to the tune of "Jingle Bells" written by Carol Hopkins)

Circles round, circles round, circle in the air
Circles can be small or big
We see them everywhere
Triangles, triangles, triangle in the air
Triangles can be slim or huge
We see them everywhere
Rectangles, rectangles, rectangle in the air
Rectangle can be as big as a door
We see them everywhere

• Book #2 - Maisy Big, Maisy Small: A Book of Maisy Opposites by Lucy Cousins
• Activity – Rolling Hands (fingerplay to the tune "Farmer in the Dell" written by Carol Hopkins

We're rolling our hands, we're rolling our hands
Roll them high
Roll them low
We're rolling our hands
We're rolling them slow, we're rolling them slow
Roll them high
Roll them low
We're rolling them slow
We're rolling them fast, we're rolling them fast
Roll them high
Roll them low
We're rolling them fast

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue a mosaic with different cut out shapes

Valentine's Day - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
  
• Book #2 - Where Is Baby's Valentine? by Karen Katz (lift-flap board book)
  
• Stand up activity - Hi Ho a Valentine (action song to the tune of "Farmer In the Dell")

A walking we will go,
A walking we will go,
Hi ho a Valentine,
A walking we will go.

A jumping we will go...

A running we will go...

A stomping we will go...

A sitting we will go...

• Flannelboard - The Wind and the Red Paper Square (a cut and tell story that I found in a book many years ago, it has been so long that I don't remember which book it came from)
  
• Book #3 - The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
  
• Activity - I Have a Little Heart (action chant I picked up someplace, I have seen different adaptations of it in many places)

I have a little heart
(hand over heart)
And it goes thump, thump, thump
(pat chest with fingers)
It keeps right on beating when I jump, jump, jump
(jump)
I get a special felling when I look at you
(point to children)
It makes me want to blow a kiss or two
(blow kisses)

• Closing - Egg shakers with the song "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Create special Valentines by decorating heart shaped paper with heart craft foam and color pens
  

Backyard Critters - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
• Book #2 -Big Frog Can't Fit In by Mo Willems (pop-up)
  
• Stand up activity - Little Squirrel (action song from Movin' and Grovin' Home 2 by Kindermusik)
• Flannelboard - Bluebird, Bluebird Through My Window (song)
  
• Book #3 -Splash! by Ann Jonas
  
• Activity - Here Goes Turtle (action chant, not sure where I picked up this one)

Here goes turtle down the hill,
Creeping, creeping, creeping.
Here goes rabbit up the hill,
Boing, boing, boing.
Here goes elephant down the hill,
Thud, thud, thud.
Here goes snake up the hill,
Slither, slither, slither.
Here comes a rock down the hill,
Rolling, rolling, rolling, crash!

• Closing - Egg shakers with the song "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Create animal traps with straw connectors