Books:
I'm a Unicorn by Helen Yoon
This Is a Ball by Beck & Matt Stanton
The children color and folded and taped papers to make a small paper pocket with a unicorn face clip art on it. Place this pocket on a straw and then blow into the straw to allow the unicorn to fly.
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:
Book #1: There's a Unicorn In Your Book by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott
Theme activity #1: "If You're Happy And You Know It" traditional action song from WeeSing
Theme activity #2: Magic Finger (fingerplay I found at the Storytime with Ms. Emily Library blog at https://msemilylibrary.com/2021/03/29/preschool-storytime-magic/)
Transition: Come 'A' Look And See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop
conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the music CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)
Come a' look a' see, here's my
mama,
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa,
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall,
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby,
(point to ring, then baby finger)
I love them all.
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family)
***Parent literacy tip: Stories often explore themes of emotions, relationships, and dilemmas, helping children understand and navigate their own feelings and social interactions.
Book #2: The Magic Rabbit by Richard Jesse Watson
Book #3: How to Spot a Mermaid by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Sally Deng
Closing music with scarves: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song & Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill
a.jpg)
a.jpg)
Art activity: Create magical door charms by painting watercolor paints on doorknob hangers
Optional other books:
If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle
Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Derek Anderson
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.
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: Baby Dragons Playing with Letters (flannelboard song to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man" written by Carol Hopkins)
Book #1: There's a Dragon In Your Book by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott
Theme activity #1: Can You Do What These Pets Do? (action chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)
Theme activity #2: Stretching Dragon (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)
Here comes a waking, stretching dragon.
(show ASL for "dragon")
Their mouth goes "Chomp! Chomp!";
Their eyes go blink, blink;
And their head moves from side to side.
First they stretch out one foot.
Then they stretch out one wing.
And finally they fly out of sight with a fiery, "Roar!"
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
***Parent
literacy tip: Acting out parts of a story (like movements or sound effects) enhances comprehension and makes the story more memorable.
Book #2: The Magic Hat by Mem Fox, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Book #3: Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson
Closing music
with rhythm sticks: “Goin’ On a Bear
Hunt” from Kids In Action by Greg & Steve
a.jpg)
a.jpg)
Art activity: Create and decorate paper plate spiral dragons. Beforehand, I drew a spiral pattern on the paper plates. The children cur with scissors on these lines. Then they added a dragon head I found online and decorated the dragon with color pens and glued on crepe paper square scales.
Optional other books:
Duncan the Story Dragon by Amanda Driscoll
If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki Vansickle, illustrated by Cale Atkinson
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
places to stick the gum)
Book: Today I'll Be a Unicorn by Dana Simpson (board book)
Themed activity
#1: "If You're Happy And You Know It" traditional action song from Songs for Wiggleworms
Themed activity
#2:
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: Dance Your Fingers (fingerplay adaption from a
video I saw from New York Public Library)
Dance your fingers up;
(put fingers high in the air)
Dance your fingers down;
(touch the ground)
Dance your fingers from side to side;
(move hands from left to right side of body and back again, several times)
And dance them all around.
(hands move in a large wiggly circle in the air in front of your body)
Dance them on your shoulders;
(fingers wiggle on your shoulders)
Dance them on your head;
(fingers wiggle on top of your head)
Dance them on your tummy;
(fingers wiggle on top of your tummy)
And put them all to bed.
(fold hands in lap or tuck under armpits)
Lap rhyme #4: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
(traditional 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: “U” is for Unicorn
Flannelboard:
Five green dragons making such a roar.
One danced away and then there were four.
Four green dragons dancing around a tree.
One danced away and then there were three.
Three green dragons dancing around you.
One danced away and then there were two.
Two green dragons dancing in the sun.
One danced away and then there was one.
One green dragon having lots of fun
She danced away and then there were none.
Closing song with
scarves: “Milkshake
Song” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
A monthly Thursday morning library program for homeschool families.
Goals:
·
Opportunity
to explore STEAM concepts in a relaxed setting.
·
Participants
can socialize and connect with other homeschool families.
·
Students
build confidence and cooperative skills by completing tasks
together.
Activities of the day:
I put out the leftovers from a
previous gnome craft activity and invited the children to make spring gnomes
with the art materials on hand.
“S” is for Science: Light bending
lasers
I got this laser kit from my library’s
main office. The kit included some laser
pens and mirrors. The children were invited
to see how many times they could get the laser to bounce off the mirrors. Easier said than done.
“E” is for Engineering: Build with building
toys
I got out the wood stacking rocks and
the marble run sets for the children to play with.
.jpg)
For this
passive program, I wanted to set up a craft table on a no school day. I found these ceramic unicorn decorations
online at Baker Ross. These fun unicorns were a perfect open ended
painting opportunity.
-
Ceramic unicorn decorations
-
Paint in lots of colors
-
Paint brushes
-
Water cups
-
Paper towels
-
Plastic paint palettes
-
Paper plates (to carry home their wet paint treasures)
-
Tablecloth
