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

 

 

 

 

Oh My Pets - 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: Dog by Matthew Van Fleet, photography by Brian Stanton (lift-flap, moveable pieces)

Stand-up activity: On My Toes There Is a Flea (action rhyme/fingerplay I found at https://kcls.org/content/on-my-toe-there-is-a-flea/)

On my toe there is a flea,
Now he’s climbing up on me,
Past my stomach, past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.
On my head there is a flea
Now he’s climbing down on me,
Past my stomach, past my knee,
On my toe,
Take THAT, you flea!

 

Sit-down activity: Five Kittens (fingerplay I picked up somewhere and adapted)

Five little kittens standing in a row
They nod their heads to the children so
They run to the left
They run to the right
They stand up and stretch in the bright sunlight
Now those kitties have the giggles
Those kitties have the wiggles
Those kitties go tickle, tickle, tickle on your little tum!

 

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: "D” is for Dog

 

 

Flannelboard: Five Little Puppy Dogs (flannelboard I found in my library system’s collection)

Five little puppy dogs barking at the door.
This one chased a cat,
And that left four.

Four little puppy dogs racing around a tree.
This one chased a squirrel,
And that left three.

Three little puppy dogs chewing on a shoe.
This one left to chase a ball,
And that left two.

Two little puppy dogs chewing on a bone.
This one left to find some lunch,
And that left one.

One little puppy dog tired from all the fun.
She went to take a nap,
And that left none.

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

Substitute Storytime - Preschool Storytime

When my coworker wasn’t feeling well, I stepped up to do her preschool storytime for her. 

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

Opening #2: When Animals Get Up in the Morning (adaptation of a traditional song)

When pigs get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
When pigs get up in the morning,
They always say “Good Day!”
They say, "Oink! Oink! Oink! Oink!"
that is what they say.
They say, "Oink! Oink! Oink! Oink!"
that is what they say.

(Repeat with other animals I pulled out of a cloth bag.)

 

Literacy activity: Ice Cream Colors (color rhyme flannelboard found at Step By Step blog at https://www.stepbystepcc.com/foods/icecream.html)

We have ice cream, the best in town,
Let us begin with chocolate brown.

Now, let us scoop us some bubble-gum pink,
It is sweet and yummy, the best, some think.

Here is ice cream minty and green,
It is the creamiest I have ever seen.

Yellow ice cream is lemony and tart,
We like its taste from the very start.

Scoops of blueberry would make my day,
Look at all this ice cream, hip, hip hurray!

Red ice cream is a strawberry delight,
All these scoops are a heavenly sight.

Vanilla white is a popular flavor,
It tastes very good to an ice-cream craver.

Purple ice cream really gives me a kick,
Good and yummy till the very last lick.

Ice cream, ice cream, what a cool sensation,
We love ice cream in any combination!

 

  

Book #1: Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Stand-up activity: “I’m a Little Teapot” action song from This Little Piggy by Adam Stemple, et al

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
"Tip me over and pour me out!"

I'm a clever teapot,
Yes, it's true
Here let me show you
What I can do
I can change my handle
And my spout
Just tip me over and pour me out!

 

Sit-down activity: Alligator Pie (an action rhyme I found many years ago that I have seen on many websites)

Alligator, alligator, alligator pie, 
(Open and close arms like the jaws of an alligator)

If I don't get some, I think I'm gonna cry.
(Rub eyes like you are crying)

You can take away the grass,
(Point to the ground)

You can take away the sky,
(Point to the sky above)

But don't take away my alligator pie!
(Open and close arms like an alligator)

 

Book #2: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

Book #3: Bark, George! by Jules Feiffer

Closing music with scarves: “Popcorn Calling Me” action song from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner

Optional activity: Playing with blocks and dinosaurs

Puppy Dogs Toddler Storytime

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 #1 – Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Stand-up activity – Some Dogs (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Some dogs run
Some dogs bark
Some dogs jump
Some dogs growl
Some dogs roll in the grass
Some dogs yip
Some dogs sniff
Some dogs howl
And some dogs just wag their tails all day.

Transition #1 - 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 – Playing Drums On the Mat (clapping rhyme found in the book Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year's Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins) 

Letter of the day - "D” is for dog

Transition #2 – 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 – Puppy Dogs! by Katie Kobble, illustrated by Danny Brooks Dalby (board book pop-up)

Closing – Scarves to the song “Flitter Flutter” from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing