Colorful Pets - Family Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-6 years old.  

Opening #1: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling body part chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast!
Roly poly, roly poly, oh so slowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, hands on your head.
Roly poly, roly poly, hand on your feet.

(Repeat with other body parts)

Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Dog’s Colorful Day (a flannelboard adaptation of the picture book by Emma Dodd)

 

   

Book #1: One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasemeen Ismail

Stand-up activity: “The Goldfish” an action song from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner

Sit-down activity: Can You? (action chant adapted by Carol Hopkins from one I found at Roving Fiddlehead KidLit)

Can you stretch your neck like a giraffe? 
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?

 

***Parent literacy tip:  Reading books about animals is a great way to build vocabulary around texture, shape, color, and sound.          

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: Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell (lift-flap)

Book #3: Cookie’s Week by Cindy Ward, illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Book #4: Cat by Matthew Van Fleet, photography by Brian Stanton (moveable pieces, pop-up)

Closing music with stretchy-band: “Walk Along the River” from Rocketship Run by Laurie Berkner Band

Art activity: Use die cut ovals to make stuffed animal tags.  Color them with metallic pens, add stickers.  Use a hole punch on one end, then thread a pipe cleaner through hole.  The pipe cleaner can be wrapped around the neck of a stuffed animal.   

Optional other books:
How Do Dinosaurs Choose Their Pets? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague