Balls, Spheres, & Circles Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Brown Rabbit's Shape Book by Alan Baker

• Stand-up Activity – Circles, Triangles, and 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

• 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 - Four Fun Sport Balls (adapted counting down chant written by Carol Hopkins)

(need: basketball, tennis ball, baseball, soccer ball)

Four fun sport balls trying hard to score.

One gets dunked into the net, and now the crowd cheers!

Three fun sport balls trying hard to score.

One gets smashed out of the court, and now the crowd cheers!

Two fun sport balls trying hard to score.

One makes a home-run, and now the crowd cheers!

One fun sport ball trying hard to score.

It gets kicked into the goal, and now the crowd cheers!

• Letter of the Day - "S" is for sphere

• Book #2 – Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews

• 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

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using the song "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

 

 

• Art Experience – Dot stickers on a drawing of a circle

Mud Play Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – I'm Dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan

• Stand-up Activity – "Shiny Clean Dance" action song from Tony Chestnut & Fun Time Action Songs by The Learning Station

• 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 - Five Clean and Dirty Pigs (counting down rhyme I found at the Sunflower Storytime blog)

• Letter of the Day - "D" is for Dirty

• Book #2 – Puddles!!! by Kevan Atteberry

• Activity – Stomping Through the Mud Today (action song to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" written by Carol Hopkins)

Stomping through the mud today, mud today, mud today.

Stomping through the mud today,

Let's have some fun!

Grabbing handfuls of mud today, mud today, mud today.

Grabbing handfuls of mud mud today,

Let's have some fun!

(repeat with more action words such as sliding, spinning, sitting, etc.)

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using the song "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

 

• Art Experience – Painting on a watercolor sheets

Favorite Books to Share with Field Trips and Outreach

With a new school year starting up, there will soon be a rush of field trips coming to the library and outreach adventures out to area daycare providers.  I am always looking for good books to share with the kiddos, especially ones that are not necessarily books I would use at my weekly toddler storytimes.  Here are some recent gems I found:

  

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won
Don't Touch This Book! by Bill Cotter

Fun with Boxes Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds:

• Opening - "A Tooty Ta" from Dance Like This by Mr. Al

• Literacy activity flannelboard - Alphabet Boxes

I passed out one Toddler Alphabet Discovery Box to each child. We then slowly sang the ABC song. When a child heard his or her box letter, then he or she brought it up to the table at the front of the room. 

 

  

• Book #1 - Thank You Bear by Greg Foley

• Stand-up activity - The Great Big Bear (action chant from Artsy Toddler Storytimes 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)

• Activity - "Where Is Thumbkin?" fingerplay song from Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays

 

• Book #2 - A Box Can Be Many Things by Dana Meachen Rau, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye

• Book #3 - Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

• Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song "Red Red Robin Stick Dance" from Stinky Cake by Carole Peterson

  

 

• Art experience - Color, cut out, and glue stick together a popcorn box I found at www.TheImaginationBox.com

Box Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – What to Do with a Box by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Chris Sheban

• Stand-up Activity – "If You're Happy and You Know It" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

• 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 - How Many Boxes High?

I took this set of alphabet boxes my library got from Lakeshore Learning and stacked the boxes one on top of the other. I had the children count with me as I stacked the boxes until the tower fell.  We did this twice. 

• Letter of the Day - "B" is for Box

• Book #2 – Flora's Box by Tina Athaide, illustrated by Priscilla Burris

• Activity – Jumping In My Box (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

I'm jumping in my box,

I'm jumping in my box.

Jumping, jumping... up and down,

I'm jumping in my box.

I'm marching around my box,

I'm marching around my box.

Marching, marching... stomp, stomp, stomp,

I'm marching around my box.

(repeat with more action words such as lifting, sitting, etc.)

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

 

 

• Art Experience – Color pens on take-out dining boxes

Dancing Feet Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Down by the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

• Stand-up Activity – "Jumping and Counting" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense by Jim Gill 

• 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 - Five Little Dancers (counting down rhyme I found at the Jen In the Library blog)

• Letter of the Day - "j" is for jumping

• Book #2 – Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown

• Activity – I Can Dance My Hands (action song to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" written by Carol Hopkins)

I can dance my hands, I can dance my hands, 

Dance them high, dance them low,

I can dance 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.)

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

 

• Art Experience – Finger-paint with shaving cream on tables