Balancing Birds - Family Storytime

A Wednesday 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.

 

Opening #3: Fee Fi Fo Fum

Fee fi fo fum,
(clap for each syllable)

See my fingers,
(wiggle fingers)

See my thumbs.
(wiggle thumbs)

Fee fi fo fum,
(clap for each syllable)

Good bye fingers,
(hide one hand behind back)

Good bye thumbs.
(hide the other hand behind back)

(Repeat several times moving and saying the words faster and faster)

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Goosey Goose Colors 

A flannelboard color rhyme written by Carol Hopkins.

Directions: Make a set of geese in different colors. Hand these geese out to the children, one per child. Say the rhyme, naming one color each time. The children come up and place their goose on the board when you say the color of their goose.

Goosey, goosey gander

Please come play with me.

Goosey, goosey "red" goose

Join the flock and me.

  

  

 

Book #1: Balance the Birds by Susie Ghahremani 

Theme activity #1: "I Was a Bird" action song from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Fok Music 

  

Theme activity #2: Little Bird (action rhyme I have seen in many places, I got this one from Toddle On Over by Robin Works Davis)

I saw a little bird go hop, hop, hop.
I told the little bird to stop, stop, stop.
I went to the window to wave, “How do you do?”
He wagged his little tail and away he flew. 

Transition: 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 

  

Book #2: A Beautiful House for Birds by Grace Lin (board book) 

Book #3: Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert 

Closing music with bean bags: “Popcorn Calling Me” from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner

  

 

Art activity:  Watercolor paint on a bird nest coloring sheet plus gluing feathers

Optional other books:
One Dark Bird by Liz Gatton Scanlon, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon 
Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Dylan Metrano