Green Leprechauns Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds:

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

• Literacy activity - Leprechaun Gold

Create a set of paper gold coins that spell out the word "gold," with one letter on each coin.  Hand one coin to each child.  Every child brings up his or her coin to tape to the board as you say and write the letters on the board.  **Add a math element to this activity by counting the coins.  

  

      

• Book #1 - Ten Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook, illustrated by Jay Johnson

• 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

• Sit down activity - "Five Green Apples" action song from Sing It! Say It! Stamp It! Sway It! volume 1 by Peter and Ellen Allard

• Book #2 - Way Up High In a Tall Green Tree by Jan Peck, illustrated by Valeria Petrone

• Book #3 - Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

• 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 - Green shamrock stamping and painting with corks and Q-tips.  

Moving Around Toddler 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" action song 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 Monkeys Jumping On the Bed (traditional counting down chant)

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

(continue counting down)

One little monkey jumping on the bed,
She fell down and bumped her head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"Put those monkeys back to bed!"

• Letter of the Day - "M" is for monkeys and moving

• Transition - Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up,

Tommy Thumb down,

Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,

Tammy Thumb in,

Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,

Dance them on your knees,

Dance them on your head,

Dance them on your shoulders,

Then tuck them into bed.

• Book #2 –  I Went Walking by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas

• Closing - Tambourines to the song "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin? by Kimbo 

 

• Art Experience – Painting frogs with a paintbrush

February Library Lady

I visited two ECEAP classes this month.  It is fun to see their excited faces when I walk into the room.  These books worked well with these preschool classes.  

  

Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming
The Great Valentine's Day Surprise by Suzy-Jane Tanner (lift-flaps)
How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

  

Kite Flying by Grace Lin
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
Snappy Little Hugs by Dugald Steer, illustrated by Derek Matthews (pop-up) 

Winter Books to Share with Library Field Trips

I did a few preschool tours and field trips these last few weeks.  I am always looking for good books to share as a group readaloud.  Here the ones I used in this winter season:

 

A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin
Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka (moving pieces)

Unicorns, Dragons, and Gryphons Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki Vansickle, illustrated by Cale Atkinson 

• Stand-up Activity – Can You Do What These Pets Do?  (action chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Can you stretch your neck like a gryphon with wings flapping on your back?

Can you hop like a frog?

Can you bark like a dog?

Can you slither like a snake?

Can you fly like a parrot?

Can you wiggle your nose like a rabbit?

Can you swim like a fish?

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 - Five Green Dragons (counting down rhyme I found at EverythingPreschool.com)

• Letter of the Day - "g" is for green and gryphon

• Transition - Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up,

Tommy Thumb down,

Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,

Tammy Thumb in,

Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,

Dance them on your knees,

Dance them on your head,

Dance them on your shoulders,

Then tuck them into bed.

• Book #2 –  Today I'll Be a Unicorn by Dana Simpson (board book) 

• Closing - Tambourines to the song "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin? by Kimbo 

 

• Art Experience – Bingo dabbers on a gryphon coloring sheet 

Paint a Loving Valentine

The idea for this art event came from my ALSC mentee (now former mentee, but we still keep in touch!).  I made some off hand remark that I need to come up with a library program for the month of February.  She sent me several pictures of this art style.  I knew it was a great use of paints my library already had on hand.  Thank you Sandy for the inspiration to a wonderful program!

To create these masterpieces you need to lay down some masking tape on a canvas.  I recommend canvas because this material was the easiest for removing the tape later on.  We also had foam core out to use, but the tape was much harder to remove on this material.

The children can spell the word "love" with the tape, or do anything they felt like doing.  Once the tape was down, instruct the children to cover the canvas with paint.  Any color in any way that feels good.  The tape can be removed while the paint is wet or dry.  We used acrylic paint, which does not dry very fast if there is a lot of paint on the canvas.  Some families chose to remove the tape at home later just in case they smudged the paint while transporting it home.

I recommend doing this event with children ages 6 and up.  They need to have the dexterity to use the masking tape.

Supplies:

• Paints (I used acrylic but I think tempera would work just as well)
• Canvases (at least one per participant)
• Paint brushes
• Water cups
• Paper plates (paint palettes) 
• Masking tape
• Paper towels (lots and lots!)