Fall Colors Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber, illustrated by Leslie Evans

• Stand-up Activity – "Shakin' Like a Leafy Tree" action song from Racing to the Rainbow by The Wiggles

• 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 Little Leaves (counting down color rhyme I found in a Preschool Mailbox magazine, October/November 2005, page 33)

• Letter of the Day - "L" is for leaf

• Book #2 – Apples, Apples! by Salina Yoon (lift-the-flap board book)

• Activity – Great Big Apple Tree (action song to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?" written by Carol Hopkins)

Great big apple tree
Great big apple tree
Standing tall
Standing tall
Moving your branches
When the wind blows
Then the apples fall
Down to the ground

• Closing - Tambourines to the song Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner  

  

 

• Art Experience – Glue fall colored craft foam leaves and silk leaves to a paper headband

Fruit Salad Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

• Book #1 – The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

• Stand-up Activity – Alligator Pie (fingerplay I found somewhere, I have seen it on numerous websites)

Alligator, alligator, alligator pie
If I don't get some
I think I'm gonna cry
You can take away the grass
Take away the sky
But don't take away
My alligator pie!

• 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 Red Apples (counting down chant written by Carol Garnett Hopkins as found in the book Artsy Toddler Storytimes) 

5 red apples hanging on the tree

5 red apples, big and round and shiny

Along came a child with a hungry, grumbly tummy

And picked an apple right out of the tree

(continue counting down to zero apples)

• Letter of the Day - "F" is for fruit

• Book #2 – Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett

• Activity – On the Tree, On the Ground (action rhyme I found in a Preschool Mailbox magazine, August/September 2011, page 7)

• Closing - Tambourines to the song "Fruit Salad Salsa" from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner 

 

• Art Experience – Fruit salad coloring sheet with crayons

Halloween Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

• Book #1 – Snappy Little Halloween by Dugald Steer, illustrated by Derek Matthews (pop-up)

• Stand-up Activity – Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern (action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)

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 - Three Little Pumpkins (Not sure where I picked up this rhyme a long time ago.  I love using it.)

Three little pumpkins, sitting very still
In a pumpkin patch on a great big hill
The first one said, "I'm very green,"
(show green side)
"But I'll be orange on Halloween."
(show orange side)
The second one said, "Oh me, oh my,"
(show orange pumpkin side)
"Today I'll be a pumpkin pie."
(show pumpkin pie side)
The third one said, "I'm on my way,"
(show pumpkin side)
To be a Jack-O-Lantern today."
(show face side)

• Letter of the Day - "P" is for pumpkin

• Book #2 – Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino (board book)

• Activity – The Pumpkins Are Here (action rhyme to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell" adapted from one I found in a Mailbox Magazine)

The pumpkins are here; the pumpkins are there.

The pumpkins, the pumpkins are everywhere.

The pumpkins are up; the pumpkins are down.

The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all around.

The pumpkins are right; the pumpkins are left.

The pumpkins, the pumpkins are jumping up.

The pumpkins roll, they roll up high.

The pumpkins, the pumpkins all say, "Good-bye."

• Closing - Shaker eggs using the song "I Know a Chicken" from Whaddaya Think of That? by Laurie Berkner

     

 

• Art Experience – Chalk coloring on orange pumpkin drawings

Roominate kits at the Library

Thanks to a state library grant, I was able to offer a special program at my library using a number of Roominate Village kits.  The Roominate Village kits are a building toy with motors and lights.  These kits made for a fun engineering based program.  

The Roominate kits come in bright colors with lots of pink and purple pieces.  The company who makes this toy is clearly marketing it toward girls.  There is nothing wrong with this idea.  But it did give me some trouble with a few boys who almost left my program before it started.  After showing a short video of what the Librarian at neighboring library did with the kits at one of his libraries, the boys and girls in attendance at my program were inspired and ready to go.   

The children made some great constructs.  They ranged from simple houses, to a catapult, to carousels.  Many of the parents also got involved building creations with and without their children. 

Overall, I enjoyed watching the children use their imaginations to build with this toy.   

Houses Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

• Stand-up Activity – "Clap Your Hands" action song from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids

• 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 - A Squirrel Lives In a Tree (to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" that I found at the Program Palooza blog by Carol Simon Levin)

• Letter of the Day - "H" is for house

• Book #2 – Maisy Cleans Up by Lucy Cousins

• Activity – "I'm a Little Teapot" from This Little Piggy by Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, et al.

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

 

 

• Art Experience – Chalk coloring on a house drawing