Music in Motion 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 – The Little Band by James Sage, illustrated by Keiko Narahashi
• Stand-up Activity - The Grand Old Duke of York (action song from Toddler's On Parade by Kimbo)
• 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 - A-Hunting We Will Go (traditional rhyming song)

A-hunting we will go
A-hunting we will go
We'll catch a mouse
And put her in a house
And then we'll let her go

A-hunting we will go
A-hunting we will go
We'll catch a frog
And put him on a log
And then we'll let him go

...goat/put him in a boat
...bear/sit her in a chair

• Sit-down Activity - I Can Bounce My Hands (action song to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" written by Carol Hopkins)

I can bounce my hands, I can bounce my hands,
Bounce them high, bounce them low,
I can bounce my hands.

I can wiggle my hands, I can wiggle my hands,
Wiggle them out, wiggle them in,
I can wiggle my hands.

(Continue with more action words like clap, roll, etc.)

• Book #2 - Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton (board book)
• Activity – Clap Your Hands (action song from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids)
• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Decorate paper plate maracas by gluing on brightly colored crepe paper. 

Bear 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 – Bears by Ruth Krauss, pictures by Phyllis Rowand
• Stand-up Activity - Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around (traditional action 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

• 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 - All Types of Bears (to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" written by Carol Hopkins)

Grizzly bears are big and brown.
Big and brown, big and brown.
Grizzly bears are big and brown.
And live in the woods.

Polar bears are soft and white.
Soft and white, soft and white.
Polar bears are soft and white.
And live where it is cold.

Panda bears are black and white,
Black and white, black and white
Panda bears are black and white.
And live with bamboo.

Koala bears have great big ears,
Great big ears, great big ears,
Koala bears have great big ears,
And live high in a tree.

Teddy bears are just my size.
Just my size, just my size.
Teddy bears are just my size.
To cuddle with at night.

• Sit-down Activity - Bears Eat Honey (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

A bear,
(sign language for "bear")
Eats honey.
(pretend to eat)
He thinks it's yummy in his tummy.
(rub tummy)
But the bees don't think it's funny!
(put fingers of hands to together for the bee)
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

• Book #2 - Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., pictures by Eric Carle
• Activity – 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)

• Closing - rhythm sticks to the song "Going On a Bear Hunt" by Gret & Steve from Kids In Action
• Craft – Color a bear stick puppet

Fancy Nancy Pajamarama

This was designed as a summer reading program for children 3 to 9 years old.  About 40 children and their parents attended the program.

Opening:

-  Read the book Fancy Nancy Sees Stars aloud to the whole group.  (Since this book is rather small, we used our Elmo machine to project it onto a screen.)

-  Ask the children for the meaning of fancy words found in the Fancy Nancy books.

-  Hand out bean bags.  Practice propor posture walking with a bean bag on the head. 

-  Do "The Bean Bag" song from Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet? by Hap Palmer. 

Stations:

-  Craft:  Create a shooting star toilet paper roll windsock.

-  Craft:  Make your own star constellation with black construction paper and star stickers.

-  Math:  Sort fancy buttons into different categories.

-  Game:  Pin the ribbon on the posh puppy.

Notes:  This was a fun, inexpensive program to put together.  The children had a lot of fun.  Our only problem came from the button sorting table.  We put out colored shoe laces for the children to make circles to put their sorted piles into (there was a sign explaining this on the table).  But the children wanted to use the laces to string the buttons onto.  And then the children wanted to take these strings home, which we could not allow because we use these particular decorative buttons for other programs and sorting exercises.  We eneded up removing the laces from the table about halfway through the program. 

Colors In Art - Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds.

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It (action song from Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays) as well as Come a' Look and See (fingerplay song from The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)
• Book #1 - Bear's Picture by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by D.B. Johnson
• Stand up activity - I'm a Little Crayon (action song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, August/September 2003 page 6)
• Book #2 - Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
• Book #3 -  Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Activity - Color Rhyme (action rhyme I picked up somewhere a long time ago)

If your clothes have any red
Put your finger on your head
If your clothes have any blue
Put your finger on your shoe
If your clothes have any green
Wave your hand so you'll be seen
If your clothes have any yellow
Smile like a happy fellow
If your clothes have any brown
Turn your smile into a frown
If you clothes have any black
Put your hands behind your back
If your cothes have any white
Clap your hands with all your might

• Closing - crepe paper and paper plate paintbrushes to the song "Dippin' In the Paintbox" from Dippin' In the Paintbox with Gail and Trisha
• Art activity - Watercolor sheets