Flowers Growing Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

• Stand-up Activity – "Baby Bumblebee" traditional 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 - The Flower Song (a song to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" about the parts of a flower that I found at Everything Preschool)

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

• Book #2 – One Little Seed by Elaine Greenstein

• Activity – Five Spring Flowers (fingerplay adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Flowers tall, flowers small

Flowers planted by the wall

Blowing in the springtime breezes

Not for little children sneezes

Let us count the flowers alive

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Five little flowers thrive in the springtime sun

• Closing - Dance with scarves to the song "Shake Your Scarves" from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing

  

 

• Art Experience – Glue paper strips around a brightly colored circle to make paper daisy flowers

Shapes Around Us Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds:

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

• Shape and color literacy activity - Three-dimensional shapes with building blocks

I handed each child one building block from a set of blocks the library got many years ago. The shapes came in four different colors and I used three of the shapes. The colors were red, yellow, blue, and green.  The 3-d shapes were cube, prism, and cylinder. One at a time, I briefly described the attributes of each shape and had the children holding the shape to come up and show me. Then I had the children put the blocks away in the basket when I called their color. 

• Book #1 - Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra

• Stand-up 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

• Sit down activity - This Is (fingerplay adapted by Carol Hopkins)

This is big, big, big

This is small, small, small

This is tall, tall, tall

This is short, short, short

This is fast, fast, fast

This is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes

This is no, no, no

This is right, right, right

This is left, left, left

This is hide

(cover eyes with hands)

This is... Peekaboo!

 

 

• Book #2 - Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

• Book #3 - Shape By Shape by Suse Macdonald

• Closing - Dance with scarves to the song "Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill

   

 

• Art experience - A cut, glue, and color worksheet about shapes found in a Mailbox magazine (June/July 2008)

Little Bunny Rabbits Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

     

 

• Book #1 – Bunny and Me by Adele Anne Greenspun and Joannie Schwarz

• Stand-up Activity – Jumping Bunny (action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)

Jumping bunny, jumping bunny jump so fast

Jumping bunny, jumping bunny jump so slow

Jumping bunny, jumping bunny start to run...

Running bunny, running bunny run so fast

Running bunny, running bunny run so slow

Running bunny, running bunny start to spin...

Spinning bunny, spinning bunny spin so fast

Spinning bunny, spinning bunny spin so slow

Spinning bunny, spinning bunny start to slide...

(continue with other action words)

• 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 - This Little Bunny (counting rhyme I got from some website a long time ago)

• Letter of the Day - "R" is for rabbit

• Book #2 – What Can Rabbit Hear? by Lucy Cousins (lift-flap)

• Activity – I Saw a Little Rabbit (action rhyme)

I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop
(jump)
I saw his ears go flop, flop, flop
(flop hands on head)
I saw his eyes go blink, blink, blink
(point to eyes and blink)
I saw his nose go twink, twink, twink
(wiggle nose)
I said, "Little rabbit, won't you stay?"
(beckon with hand)
He looked at me and hopped away
(jump)

• Closing - Dance with scarves using the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

  

 

• Art Experience – Crayon coloring on rabbit ear headband

Shape of Things 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 - Shape Match Up (adapted by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Muffin Man")

Directions: Hand out a red circle, blue rectangle, or yellow triangle to the children (only one shape per child). Review the different aspects of each shape (sides, corners, etc.). Then sing the song for each shape and allow the children to place their shapes on the flannelboard.

Can you find a red circle, a red circle, a red circle?
Can you find a red circle, then bring it up right now.

• Letter of the Day - "R" is for rectangle

• Book #2 – It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw

• Activity – Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional action song)

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes.
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes.

• Closing - Dance with scarves to the song "Shake Your Scarves" from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing

  

 

• Art Experience – Colored marker pens coloring on shape tracing worksheet I found at Mess for Less

Springtime Animals Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

    

• Book #1 – My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Harlow Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell

• Stand-up Activity – "Eensy Weensy Spider" from Toddler Tunes 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 - Bluebird Bluebird Through My Window (traditional color song)

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

• Book #2 – Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer by Susan Hood, illustrated by Caludine Gévry (novelty board book)

• Activity – Five Spring Flowers (fingerplay adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Flowers tall, flowers small

Flowers planted by the wall

Blowing in the springtime breezes

Not for little children sneezes

Let us count the flowers alive

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Five little flowers thrive in the springtime sun

• Closing - Dance with scarves using the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

  

 

• Art Experience – Use a glue stick to glue crepe paper streamers to a shortened power towel tube to create a windsock

More Green Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

   

• Book #1 – Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek

• Stand-up Activity – Green Are the Hills (action rhyme I found in Storytime Crafts by Kathryn Totten)

• 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 - 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: snake, bird, Popsicle, etc.)

• Letter of the Day - "g" for green

• Book #2 – The Green Tractor from Cottage Farm/Hothouse Books (board book)

• Activity – "There's a Little Wheel a-Turnin' In My Heart" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner (action song)

• Closing - Dance with scarves using the song "Milkshake" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

  

 

• Art Experience – Crayon coloring on shamrock drawing