Shape of Things - 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: Bird Shapes (a fun shape and color rhyme I found in my library’s flannelboard collection, it is very similar to this Bird House flannelboard I found at https://fallingflannelboards.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/flannel-friday-bird-houses/ )

 

 

  

Book #1: The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds, illustrated by Julie Lacome (big book)

Stand-up activity: “Jumping and Counting” action song by Jim Gill

Sit-down activity: Circles, Triangles, and Rectangles (fingerplay to the tune of "Jingle Bells" written by Carol Hopkins)

Circles round, circles round, circle in the air
Circles can be small or big
We see them everywhere

Triangles, triangles, triangle in the air
Triangles can be slim or huge
We see them everywhere

Rectangles, rectangles, rectangle in the air
Rectangle can be as big as a door
We see them everywhere

 

***Parent literacy tip:  Learning shapes helps get kids ready to learn letters! Learning about any differences will help them, too.    

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: Guinea Pigs Go Baking by Kate Sheehy (board book)

Book #3: Brown Rabbit’s Shape Book by Alan Baker  

Closing music with jingle bells: “Fruit Salad Salsa” from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner

  

Art activity: Glue precut shapes onto a paper plate

Optional other books:
Shapes, Reshape! By Silvia Borando
Get Together by Miguel Ordóῆez (board book)

 

 

 

Dinosaur Shapes - 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: Shape by Shape by Suse Macdonald

Stand-up activity: All Around the Swamp (action song to the tune of “Wheels on the Bus” that I found at Storytime Sprout https://www.storytimesprout.com/post/dinosaur-storytime)

Pteradactyl’s wings went flap, flap, flap
Flap, flap, flap, (x2)
Pteradactyl’s wings went flap, flap, flap
All around the swamp.

 

Triceratops’s horns went poke, poke, poke…

 

Stegosaurus’s feet went stomp, stomp, stomp…

 

Their dinosaur mouths went munch, munch, munch…

 

 Sit-down activity: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (fingerplay song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo)

***Literacy tip: Learning shapes helps get kids ready to learn letters! Learning about any differences will help them, too.     

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: Roly Poly (hand rolling opposites action rhyme)

Roly poly, roly poly, up, up, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down, down, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, out, out, out.
Roly poly, roly poly, in, in, in.
Roly poly, roly poly, clap, clap, clap.
Roly poly, roly poly, tap, tap, tap.
Roly poly, roly poly, fast, fast, fast.
Roly poly, roly poly, slow, slow, slow.
Roly poly, roly poly, I love you!

 

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: 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 

 

Letter of the day: "B” is for brachiosaurus and big

 

Flannelboard: Ship-Shape Shay (a shape rhyme flannelboard I found in my library’s flannelboard collection)

Closing song with bells and egg shakers: “Ring Them On the Floor” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman

 

 

 

 

Opposites Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

• Book #1 – Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

• Stand-up Activity – The Noble Duke of York (traditional action song from More Tickles & Tunes by Kathy Reid Naiman) 

The noble duke of York, he had 10,000 men
He marched them up the hill and then he marched them down again
When you're up, you're up
When you're down, you're down
And when you're only halfway up
Your neither up or down

• 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 - Five Clean and Dirty Pigs (counting down rhyme I found at the Sunflower Storytime blog)

• Letter of the Day - "O" is for opposites

• 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 –  Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Stickland 

• Closing - Tambourines to the song "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin? by Kimbo 

 

• Art Experience – Glue big and little wallpaper squares onto a sheet of paper

Painting to Learn with Shapes

This was a special painting program the library did where children and their caregivers paint together, each on their own canvases.  The point of the program is to make children and their parents aware of shapes, patterns, or colors while creating art.  All a part of making the young children of our community ready to start kindergarten.  

Opening - "My Ups and Downs" action song from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Me On His Toe Leg Knee by Jim Gill and Tommy Thumbs fingerplay 

Tommy Thumb is up (thumbs up)

and Tommy Thumb is down. (thumbs down)

Tommy Thumb is dancing all around the town.
Dancing on your shoulders,
dancing on your head,
Dancing on your knees,
then tuck him into bed.

Theme intro - 

Hold up a variety of shapes
How many sides does this shape have?
How many corners does this shape have?
What does this shape remind you of in your world?
Shapes are all around us.  In just a few moments you will have the opportunity to paint a picture, and maybe you will include some of these shapes in your painting. 

Flannelboard - Shape Match Up (adapted by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Muffin Man")

Directions: Hand out a red circle, blue rectangle, or yellow triangle to the children (only one shape per child). Review the different aspects of each shape (sides, corners, etc.). Then sing the song for each shape and allow the children to place their shapes on the flannelboard.

Can you find a [red circle, a red circle, a red circle]?
Can you find a [red circle], then bring it up right now. 

Book - Shape by Shape by Suse Macdonald 

Painting intro - Are you ready to paint with shapes? 

Show the materials we are working with:

• Aprons

• Paint brushes

• Canvas

• Paint palette on a paper plate

• Water cups

• Paper towels

Be sure to rinse off your paint brush with the water cup in between colors.  We will be sharing water cups.
There is more water, paper towels, and paints if needed.
There is no wrong way to do this!  Start with a shape and see where it takes you. 
Dip your paint brush in paint.  Use it to paint a shape, any shape, on your canvas.  What will you do around this shape?  What will your shape turn into?