Cool Frogs - 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: Did You Ever See a Frog?  (flannelboard pattern and shape song to the tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie?” created by Carol Hopkins)

Did you ever see a frog, a frog, a frog?
Did you ever see a frog, with {_spots_} on its back?

(continue with other shapes and patterns on the back of the frog: Stripes, stars, arrows, etc.)

  

Book #1: The Wide-Mouthed Frog: A Pop-Up Book by Keith Faulkner, illustrated by Jonathan Lambert (pop-up)  

Stand-up activity: “Jumping and Counting” action song from Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem And More Salutes to Nonsense by Jim Gill

Sit-down activity: Frog Jump Over the Great Big Stick (action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)

Frog be nimble, frog be quick, 
Frog jump over the great big stick
Frog be nimble, frog be slick
Frog swim under the great big stick
Frog be nimble, frog go click
Frog run around the great big stick
Frog be nimble, frog be fine
Frog sit down for storytime

 

***Parent literacy tip:  Singing to your child is very important.  It helps to trigger speech development and children love being sung to by their parents/caregivers.                

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: Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Book #3: Down By the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

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

Art activity: Cut and color a frog headband  

Optional other books:
Toad On the Road: A Cautionary Tale by Stephen Shaskan
Not a Monster by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, illustrated by Laura González

 

 

 

 

Mini-Camper Summer Camp Storytime Week 3

 This summer I was invited to give a special weekly storytime at a local summer camp for 5- and 6-year-olds.    

     

Book:

Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng, illustrated by Dan Santat 

 

Craft activity: 

We made a flapping dragon to go with the book.  My inspiration for this craft came from a flapping butterfly we made last year.  Using a similar design as the butterfly, I drew a dragon for the children to cut and fold.  Unfortunately, due to some craziness happening this day, we ran out of time to color the dragons.  But we had just enough time to cut it out and tape it to a straw so they can flap around the room.  

Water - A Family STEAM & Stories Event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.    

Intro song:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, science, fun, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.   

 

Demonstration and Storytime:

·         Show the word cards for water.  Talk about what the definition of this word. 

·         Talk about the places you can find water in our lives.  Write the list on the white board. 

·         Talk about the water cycle using word cards for evaporation, condensation, and precipitation:

 The Kindergarten Unit “What Is Water?” from https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14021/Kindergarten-Unit?bidId= contains a good explanation where water comes from. 

 There is a good explanation of the water cycle as well as a good graphic at https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/water-cycle-for-kids-process-and-fun-facts/ . 

 

·         Sing the “Water Cycle Song” found at https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/sites/www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/files/media/All%20the%20Water%20in%20the%20World_0.pdf

The Water Cycle Song
(to the tune of “London Bridge” by Rebecca Millerjohn)

All the rain comes pouring down,
(wiggle fingers down)
Pouring down, pouring down.
All the rain comes pouring down,
Down from the sky.

The sun comes out and dries and it up,
(put arms up like sun)
Dries it up, dries it up.
The sun comes out and dries and it up,
Back to the sky.

The water vapor makes a cloud,
(roll hands around)
Makes a cloud, makes a cloud.
The water vapor makes a cloud,
Up in the sky.

The wind comes out and blows it round,
(blow a wind and wave arms back and forth)
Blows it round, blows it round.
The wind comes out and blows it round,
All through the sky.

Lightning flashes and thunder claps,
(clap hands together)
Thunder claps, thunder claps.
Lightning flashes and thunder claps,
Up in the sky!

(repeat the cycle starting with rain)

 

 

·         Read: All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
(Optional other book: Water Can Be... by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Violeta Dabija)

·         Instruct on how to use the stations. 

 

Stations: 

 

Station #1- Water bead play  

The children explore and play with the container of water beads using funnels, spoons, and measuring cups.  Warning: The water beads can be a potential choking hazard!

 

Station #2 – Absorbent vs. Non-absorbent (as seen at https://intentionalstorytime.wordpress.com/storytime/water-science-storytime/ )

I followed the directions found on this website to provide a variety of materials that the children can hypothesize and then verify if they are absorbent or not. 

  

Station #3 – Gravity painting with watercolor paints 

I directed children to follow the directions to use pipettes to paint with liquid watercolor paints and gravity. 

  

 

Station #4 – Temporary lava lamps (as seen at https://www.teachstarter.com/us/blog/science-experiments-for-kids-water-density-temperature-us/ )

The children were given directions on how to measure the oil and water and then add an Alka-Seltzer tablet to create a temporary lava lamp that involves gases and water density. 

 

 

 

Mini-Camper Summer Camp Storytime Week 2

This summer I was invited to give a special weekly storytime at a local summer camp for 5- and 6-year-olds.    

    

 

Books:

Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield 

The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage 

 

 

Craft activity: 

We made cake straw launchers.  I created the template using cake themed clipart I found online.  The children cut, colored, folded, and then taped up their cakes.  They could then launch them into the air with a straw.  I got the idea for this craft from the rocket straw launchers I made with the campers last summer.   These cake launchers were very popular!  

 

Froggies High and Low - Baby Toddler Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years old.  

Opening #1: Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum; 
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

 

 

Book: Frogs by Ruth A. Musgrave (National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Board Book) 

Stand-up activity: Froggies High and Low (lap bounce I slightly adapted that I found at https://pasadena-library.net/kids/2017/frogs-infant-storytime/ ) 

Five little froggies sitting on a wall (bounce baby)
One looked up and down he fell (tip baby over)
Froggies jumped high (lift baby up)
Froggies jumped low (bring baby down)
Froggies dancing to and fro (wiggle)

 

Sit-down activity: I’m a Little Bullfrog (lap bounce rhyme I found in “Wiggles, Tickles and Rhymes” booklet from PCLS as “Here’s Mr. Bullfrog”)

I’m a little bullfrog (gribbit)
Sitting on a rock
Into the water I jump
Ker-plop!

I swim to the right
I swim to the left
I jump back onto my rock
Ker-plump!

 

Lap rhyme #1: Tick Tock (lap bounce)

(bounce baby from leg to leg)

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick, tock, tick tock, now it is one o’clock… Cuckoo!
(raise baby up for each cuckoo)

(repeat for other times of day)
Now it is two o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Now it is three o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

 

Lap rhyme #2: Counting Bubbles (counting rhyme I learned during a BrainDance workshop)

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, top.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then place hands on top of head)

Three bubbles, four bubbles, five bubbles, drop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then drop hands to lap)

Six bubbles, seven bubbles, nine bubbles, pop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then clap hands loudly in front of body)

Ten little bubbles floating down!
(twinkle hands down to floor)

Now let’s blow _____ bubbles.
(This is a breath exercise.  Pick a number and pretend to blow that number of bubbles through hand.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles with a loud clap after blowing it up.  I count the bubble while I do the clap.) 

 

Lap rhyme #3: Choo Choo (fingerplay that crosses the midline that I found at https://youtu.be/gr4gtVYSAEg?si=ceNiLrI-2BuUbGMC)

Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo,
Up the railroad track.
Choo, choo, choo, chook, choo, choo, choo, choo,
Then we come right back. 

First, we go to grandma’s house,
Up the railroad track.
Then, we go to monkey’s house,
Then we come right back. 

Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo,
Up the railroad track.
Choo, choo, choo, chook, choo, choo, choo, choo,
Then we come right back. 

 

Lap rhyme #4: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional body parts 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.

 

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.

 

Letter of the day: "J” is for jump like a frog

 

 

Flannelboard: Animal Sounds (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)

I’m a {_duck_}; I’m a {_duck_}.
Watch me {_walk_}; Watch me {_walk_}.
Hear me when I talk; Hear me when I talk.
{_Quack, quack, quack!_}
{_Quack, quack, quack!_}

(replace with other animals and their sounds)

 

***Literacy tip: Singing to your child is very important.  It helps to trigger speech development and children love being sung to by their parents/caregivers. 

Closing song with scarves: “Milkshake” from Songs for Wiggleworms