Wild Animals with Zebras Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora

• Stand-up Activity – Great To Be Wild and Free (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

I'm running with the zebras

I'm running with the zebras

Isn't it great to be wild and free

I'm running with the zebras

(Do other action words with different wild animals)

• 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 - 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)

• Letter of the Day - "Z" is for zebra

• Book #2 – Count! by Denise Fleming

• Activity – "Jumping and Counting" action song from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense by Jim Gill

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Popcorn Calling Me" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner 

 

 

• Art Experience – Glue black paper stripes onto a drawing of a white zebra body

Cool Creations Lego Building Blocks Challenge

Thanks to a state library grant, my library offered a special program inspired by the book Cool Creations in 35 Pieces: Lego Models You Can Build with Just 35 Bricks by Sean Kenney.  

I wanted to keep this program simple and to concentrate on creative building with Lego bricks.  But due to the grant, I also needed to get photos and have the children complete an evaluation form.  To accomplish all of this I created a procedure list and posted it on the table where the 35 brick sets were located.  

The children could choose to build with a set of 35 bricks based on the pieces in the book or a set of 35 bricks in little Ziploc bags.  The bags contained 35 brick sets created by one of my teen volunteers using random pieces from the library's Lego supply.  The children had just as much fun using the library's sets as the book sets.  

March Library Lady

I visited 4 very wiggly preschool classes this month. 

  

Brown Rabbit's Shape Book by Alan Baker
The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage
Monster Trouble by Lane Fredrickson, illustrated by Michael Robertson

 

Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Truck Jam: A Pop-Up Book by Paul Stickland

Feelings Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

• Stand-up Activity – "If You're Happy And You Know It" action song from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School 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 - Sorting Happy and Sad

I got this wonderful idea from the Falling Flannelboards blog.  I put up the word "happy" and "sad" with a happy face and a sad face.  Then I held up a variety of pictures.  The children told me which word I should place the picture under.  I had pictures of a broken toy, a little boy with an boo-boo, a little girl crying, a playground, candy, duckllings, and an ice cream cone.  

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

• Book #2 – The I'm Not Scared Book by Todd Parr

• Activity – "Spin Again... Again" action song from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi On His Toe Leg Knee by Jim Gill

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Popcorn Calling Me" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner 

 

 

• Art Experience – Pen coloring on happy face cut-outs I found at a store.  I used the smelly Mr. Sketch pens for this art activity.  

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Leprechaun Glasses

Help the children who visit your library increase their chances to catch leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day with this make-and-take craft.  

On St. Patrick's Day, set out a table for this passive library program. Set out some card stock glasses (we used a combination of some we bought pre-made and some we printed off the internet). The children then glue green cellophane wear the lenses should be.  Decorate with craft foam pieces, green paper scraps, and color pens.  The glasses then become the perfect tool to aid in the search for these magical creatures!  

Leap Into Spring 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 – "Baby Bumblebee" 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 - Four Umbrellas (color rhyme I found at http://www.geocities/mystorytime/rain.htm many years ago)

Four umbrellas stood by the back door,
The RED one went outside, then there were three.
Three umbrellas pretty as can be,
The BLUE one went outside, then there were two.
Two umbrellas with nothing to do,
The GREEN one went outside, then there was one.
Just one umbrellas alone in the hall,
The PURPLE one went outside, and that was all!

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

• Book #2 – Hurray for Spring! by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Taia Morley

• Activity – "When the Music Stops, Everybody Hop" action song from Getting Strong - Wiggle & Learn by The Wiggles (the kiddos were having so much fun with this short song, we ended up doing it three times!)

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

  

 

 

• Art Experience – Use a gluestick to glue crepe paper streamers to shortened paper towel tubes to make paper towel tube windsocks