Halloween Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo) and Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond (board book)
• Stand-up Activity - Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins similar to "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around")

Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern turn around.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern roll on the ground.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern dance on your toes.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern light up your nose.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern reach up high.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern jump to the sky.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern smile with heat.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern 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 - Three Little Pumpkins (not sure where I picked up this rhyme)
• Book #2 - Maisy's Halloween by Lucy Cousins (board book)
• Activity – Pumpkins Over There (action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)

Pumpkins small
And pumpkins tall
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere
Pumpkins fat
And pumpkins thin
Pumpkins, pumpkins over there!

• Closing - Use tamborines to the song "Fruit Salad Salsa" from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Glue small yellow triangles to an orange pumpkin drawing

Farm Animals storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo) and Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming
• Stand-up Activity - Little Chick, Little Chick (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins from "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around")

Little chick, little chick turn around
Little chick, little chick scratch the ground
Little chick, little chick strut on your toes
Little chick, little chick touch your nose
Little chick, little chick reach up high
Little chick, little chick flap to the sky
Little chick, little chick wiggle your feet
Little chick, little chick find your nest 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 - Five Little Sheep (not sure where I found this rhyme)

This little sheep eats grass
This little sheep eats clovers
This littel sheep drinks water
This litle sheep jumps away
This little sheep does nothin' at all, but lies around all day

• Book #2 - I Heard a Little Baa by Elizabeth MacLeod, illustrated by Louise Phillips
• Activity – Ten Sheep (fingerplay adapted by Carol Hopkins)

10 little sheep munching on grass
(show ten fingers)
Happy little sheep to follow the lass
They wander to the right
They wander to the left
They come to a stop in a new field of green
10 little sheep soft and well fed
Curl up to sleep in the grass for a bed

• Closing - Use tamborines to the song "Fruit Salad Salsa" from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Glue cotton onto a sheep drawing

Lego My Library - Food

A fun Lego building block storytime intended for children 4 to 9 years old.

Book:  Ugly Pie by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Heather Solomon

Lego challenge: Make something that is food related

Food Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo) and Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (BIGBOOK)
• Stand-up Activity - I'm a Little Teapot (action song from This Little Piggy: And Other Rhymes to Sing and Play by Jane Yolen, Will Hillenbrande, and Adam Stemple)
• 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 - Ten Little Cupcakes (counting song to the tune of "10 Little Indians")

1 little, 2 little, 3 little cupcakes
4 little, 5 little, 6 little cupcakes
7 little, 8 little, 9 little cupcakes
10 little cupcakes for us to eat!

• Book #2 - Maisy Bakes a Cake by Lucy Cousins (pop-up)
• Activity – A Delicious Cake (action rhyme I found in the book I'm a Little Teapot: Presenting Preschool Storytime by Jane Cobb)
• Closing - Use tamborines to the song "Fruit Salad Salsa" from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner
• Craft – Crayon coloring on a cupcake drawing

Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad

A library program for children ages 3 through 8 years old.

As part of the Jumpstart "Read for the Record" campaign, we started off reading the book Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by David Soman and and Jacky Davis.  We then followed this with an activity for each member of the bug squad.  The children could complete the activities in any order they wished.

LADYBUG GIRL - Make and decorate red ladybug wings.

BUMBLEBEE BOY - Make a bumblebee bookmark from a craft stick. 

1. Color a craft stick with stripes of any color using color marker pens.
2. Cut a pipe-cleaner in half.  Bend it into a desirable shape for antennaes. 
3. Glue the antennaes and one large pom-pom onto one end of the craft stick. 
4. Glue two beads onto the pom-pom for eyes. 
5. The trickiest part of this craft was letting the glue dry so that everything would stay in place.

BUTTERFLY GIRL - Use colorful foam shapes to design pretty flowers and other shapes that would attract butterflies.

DRAGONFLY GIRL - Use a scarf (dragonfly fire) to knock plastic blocks off a board suspended between two chairs.  The children were encouraged to stand back two feet from the board to give them somewhat of a challenge.