Going Out to Space - Family Storytime

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

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

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling opposites 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 opposites)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast again!
Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

Opening #3: Fee Fi Fo Fum (clapping chant)

Fee, fi, fo, fum,
(clapping)
See my fingers,
(wave fingers)
See my thumbs.
(wave thumbs)
Fee, fi, fo, fum,
(clapping)
Good bye fingers,
(one hand behind back)
Good by thumbs.
(other hand behind back)

(Repeat going faster)

 

Literacy activity: I’m Going Out to Space (vocabulary building flannelboard activity to the tune of “The Farmer In the Dell”)

(Hand out felt pieces for stars, planets, rocket ships, and moons to the children.  The children bring their pieces up to the board when it is said in the song.)

I’m going out to space;
I’m going out to space;
I think I’ll see a { planet } there;
I’m going out to space.

  

Book #1: A Big Mooncake forLittle Star by Grace Lin

Stand-up activity: Blast Off to the Moon (action rhyme I found in many places)

Let's take a rocket to the moon
First we climb into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder into rocket)
Next we buckle ourselves in
(crouch down and pretend to but a seat belt across your shoulder)
Now for the countdown... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We go flying around the earth and over to the moon
(airplane arms)
Now stop on the moon and look around
(look around with hand over eyes)
Now it's time to go back home so we climb back into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder)
Buckle ourselves in
(pretend seat belt)
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We fly around the moon and fly around the earth
(airplane arms)
And finally come back home
(land on the ground)

 

Sit-down activity: Five Little Astronauts (fingerplay I adapted from one called "Five Little Aliens")

(Hold up fingers of one hand)

One, two, three, four, five
Five little astronauts standing in a row.
They nod their heads to the children just so
They run to the left.
They run to the right.
They stand and stretch in the bright starlight.

 

***Parent literacy tip: Singing and rhyming build children’s listening skills and help them hear that words are made up of smaller sounds.

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: AstronautPiggyWiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox

Book #3: Twinkle TwinkleLittle Star by Jane Cabrera

Closing music with bean bags: “Bean Bag Rock” from Bean Bag Activities & Coordination Skills by Georgiana Stewart

 

Art activity #1: Stamping paint craters on paper plate moons

Art activity #2: Adding star stickers to the drawing of star constellations

Extra activity: Play exploration of a model solar system toy

 

 

 

Space Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – I Want To Be an Astronaut by Byron Barton
• Stand-up Activity - Blast Off to the Moon (action rhyme I found in many places)

Let's take a rocket to the moon
First we climb into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder into rocket)
Next we buckle ourselves in
(crouch down and pretend to but a seat belt across your shoulder)
Now for the countdown... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We go flying around the earth and over to the moon
(airplane arms)
Now stop on the moon and look around
(look around with hand over eyes)
Now it's time to go back home so we climb back into our rocket ship
(pretend to climb ladder)
Buckle ourselves in
(pretend seat belt)
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blast off!
(jump up)
We fly around the moon and fly around the earth
(airplane arms)
And finally come back home
(land on the ground)

• 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/Math Activity - 4 Little Stars (counting backwards rhyme, not sure where I found this one)

4 little stars winking at me.
One shot off, then there were three!
3 little stars with nothing to do.
One shot off, then there were two!
2 little stars afraid of the sun.
One shot off, then there was one!
1 little star alone is no fun.
It shot off, then there was none!

• Fingerplay - A Tiny Little Star (not sure where I found this fingerplay)

There's a tiny little star way up in the sky.
(put one hand in the air)
A tiny little star, up so very high.
(raise hand even higher)
It twinkles brightly throughout the night,
(open and close fist for blinking)
But during the day it's out of sight.
(hide hand behind back)

• Book #2 - Astronaut Piggywiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox
• Activity – Ring Around the Rocket Ship (action song I adapted to the tune of "Ring Around the Rosie")

Ring around the rocket ship
(spin around)
Dancing little stars
(dance and jump around)
Stardust, Stardust,
(flash hands out)
The stars fall down!
(fall to the floor)

• Closing - Popcorn Calling Me (scarf song found in Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
• Craft – Glue some cutout stars and yellow yarn pieces to a piece of black paper for some shooting stars