Sing-a-Song Storytime: Small Animals

 Despite the library reopening, the world-wide pandemic is still closing down all large gatherings at my library.  Therefore, I continue with my summer offering of virtual storytimes.  I created this video storytime series along with a coworker, who is a talented musician, to get young children moving around and singing.  It is filled with lots of favorite storytime songs and rhymes.  For the summer series, we changed things up a bit!  Instead of a book we are bringing in puppets and a flannelboard story or rhyme.  I really wanted the grown-ups watching along with the kiddos to learn the songs, so I used a split screen technique on the videos to display the words to the songs/rhymes while I am singing and acting them out.  

Opening song – When Animals Get Up in the Morning (adaptation of a traditional song)

When skunks get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
When skunks get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
They say, "Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff,"
that is what they say.
They say, "Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff,"
that is what they say.

When skunks get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
When skunks get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
They say, "Pew, pew, pew, pew,"
that is what they say.
They say, "Pew, pew, pew, pew,"
that is what they say.

  

 

Flannelboard activity – Playing Drums On the Mat (clapping rhyme found in the book Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year's Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins)

Stand-up Activity – Smelly Skunk, Smelly Skunk (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins and Debi Rinehart similar to "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around")

Smelly skunk, smelly skunk turn around
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk touch the ground
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk walk on your toes
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk paw your nose
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk stretch up high
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk jump to the sky
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk start to eat
Smelly skunk, smelly skunk find your seat

Action song - Skunk Makes a Silly Sound (action song written by Carol Hopkins and Debi Rinehart to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel")

The skunk waddles all over the town 
(waddle walk)
The skunk walk all around
The skunk stops to make a sound
Now make a silly sound!
(blow a raspberry)

The skunk runs all around
(runny motions)
The skunk stops in place
The skunk stops to take a look
(pretend to look around)
Now stamp, stamp your feet!
(stomping feet) 

Action rhyme – Slithering, Sliding Snake (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

Here comes a slithering, sliding, slinking snake

Her mouth goes "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"

Here eyes go blink, blink, blink

Her tongue goes "Thrp, thrp, thrp."

First she slinks to the right

Then she slides to the left

And finally she slithers out of sight

 

Closing song - Skinnamarink (https://youtu.be/95JkQfANW9M) 

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

I love you in the morning,
And in the afternoon
I love you in the evening,
Underneath the moon…

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky do,
I love you!

 

***The video for this storytime can be found on my library's YouTube channel.