Green for St. Patrick's Day

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 – St. Patrick's Day Countdown by Salina Yoon (board book)
• Stand-up Activity - Leprechaun, Leprechaun (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins from the "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around" rhyme)

Leprechaun, leprechaun turn around
Leprechaun, leprechaun find gold on the ground
Leprechaun, leprechaun jump on your toes
Leprechaun, leprechaun scratch your nose
Leprechaun, leprechaun reach up high
Leprechaun, leprechaun see a rainbow in the sky
Leprechaun, leprechaun point to your feet
Leprechaun, leprechaun have a 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 

• Hi Ho for St. Patrick's Day (adapted by Carol Hopkins, to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell")

This shamrock is green, this shamrock is green,
Hi, ho for St. Patrick's Day,
This shamrock is green.

This leprechaun wears green, this leprechaun wears green,
Hi, ho for St. Patrick's Day,
This shamrock is green.

(repeat with more green objects)

• Book #2 - Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
• Activity – Little Clover (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

Hey little clover with four leaves not three
I want to pick you to take home with me
One leaf for wisdom
One leaf for love
One leaf for happiness
And one leaf for luck

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
• Craft – Chalk coloring on green construction paper shamrocks

Pets 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 – Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
• Stand-up Activity - Some Dogs... (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Some dogs run
Some dogs bark
Some dogs jump
Some dogs growl
Some dogs roll in the grass
Some dogs yip
Some dogs sniff
Some dogs howl
And some dogs just wag their tails all day.

• 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 

• Book #2 - Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward, illustrated by Tomie dePaola
• Activity – Can you Walk on Tiptoe? (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins from a rhyme I found in I'm a Little Teapot! by Jane Cobb)

Can you walk on tiptoe as softly as a cat?

And can you stamp along the road, stamp, stamp, just like that?

Can you take a really fast pace?

As if you are running a race.

Or, can you walk so slowly?

As if you are a cat ready to curl up for a nap.

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
• Craft – Triangle paper dog face decorated with crayons and dot stickers

Lego My Library - Pets

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

Book:  Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Lego challenge: Create a pet (real or imagined) or something a pet might use

Sleepy 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 – The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood
• Stand-up Activity - During the Night (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

During the night I know that...

Stars twinkle in the sky

Bats fly and swoop through the air

Owls flap their wings before saying, "Who-Who"

Cats jump from place to place

Opossums climb up trees

Raccoons run across the grass

Wolves howl at the moon

And I lie in my bed to sleep

• 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 

• Book #2 - Sweet Dreams, Maisy by Lucy Cousins
• Activity – Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (fingerplay song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo)

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
• Craft – Glue together a moon bed (a cut out moon crescent, a square of cloth, and a square of card stock)

Lego My Library - Circus

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

Book:  Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

Lego challenge: Create something you might see at the circus

Wild 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 – Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
• Stand-up Activity - Can You Growl Like a Tiger (action rhymed I learned many, many years ago)

Can you growl like a tiger?

Can you hop like a frog?

Can you climb like a monkey?

Can you bark like a dog?

Can you slither like a snake?

Can you fly like a bat?

Can you howl like a wolf?

Can you stretch like a cat?

Can you sit like a kid at storytime?

• 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 - One Little Elephant Went Out to Play (counting rhyme)

One little elephant went out to play 

Upon a spider web one day

He had such enormous fun

He called for another elephant to come

(repeat rhyme as you add more elephants)

• Book #2 - Jazzy in the Jungle by Lucy Cousins
• Activity – I'm a Tiger (action rhyme to the tune of "Three Blind Mice" adapted from a rhyme I found online about lions)

I'm a tiger, I'm a tiger

Hear me roar, hear me roar

I love to sleep up high in a tree

And jump at other animals for fun

In all the jungle I'm number one

I'm a tiger, hear me roar

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
• Craft – Color elephant finger puppet with crayons