My weekly storytime at a local summer camp for 5- and 6-year-olds. It is a short storytime with a simple art project, but sometimes when it is hot outside that is about all the children need.
Books:
Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez
How to Talk Like a Chicken by Charlie Grandy, illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths
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The children made paper bag octopuses. Color the paper bags, cut the tentacles, add sticker eyes. Simple yet the kiddos enjoyed it.
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This summer I was invited to give a special weekly storytime at a local summer camp for 5- and 6-year-olds.
Book:
Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Tadgh Bentley
Craft activity:
We made an orca leaping over paper plate waves. This craft was inspired by something I found online that was a dolphin. I changed the animal to make it go with the book I read.
For this
passive program, I put out a craft table that was available all day long.
The intention of the table was to walk up and help yourself to the intended
craft on a no school day.
This particular craft was to create an octopus mini wreath (an idea I found at https://simplelivingcreativelearning.com/curtain-ring-crafts/.)
Supplies:
-
Wood drapery rings
-
Crepe paper
-
Ribbon
-
Eye stickers
This was
a low cost, low staff intensive activity with some interesting
results!
I held a storytime session at the local summer day camp for 5- and 6-year-olds.
Opening Song:
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 that I randomly pull out of a cloth bag.)
Books:
Dirty Joe the Pirate: A True Story by
Bill Harley, illustrated by Jack E. Davis
Crash, Splash, or Moo! by Bob Shea
Craft activity:
We did paper weaving with fish strips and
a paper kelp forest. The children also got to practice their scissor cutting skills.
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 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 (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 flannelboard: Little Fish Swimming in the Sea (animal recognition chant)
Hand
every child a fish with one animal sticker on it. Each child will bring
their fish up to the board when their animal is called out in the rhyme.
Little
________ fish are swimming in the sea,
Swimming
in the sea,
Swimming
in the sea.
Little
________ fish are swimming in the sea,
Swimming
up right now!
(Call out an animal for the blank)
Book #1: Chomp:A Shark Romp by Michel Paul
***Parent literacy tip: Sharing informational books (non-fiction) builds background knowledge. Children with strong background knowledge are more likely to understand what they read.
Stand-up activity: “The Goldfish" from Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner
Sit-down activity: Slippery Fish (action song as seen done by Jbrary at https://youtu.be/0C9HSOlb4qI)
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)
Book #2: I'm the Biggest Thing In the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Book #3: Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Closing music with
scarves: “Popcorn Calling Me” action song from Buzz Buzz by Laurie
Berkner
Art activity: Giant kelp cut and weave (not a process art project but it used up something I found in my desk)
A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years.
Opening #1: “Skinnamarink”
action song from Car Songs by Dennis Buck (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: Fish
Eyes by Lois Ehlert
Stand-up activity: Did You Ever See a
Fishy? (action song to the tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie?” adapted from a
song I found at https://www.adventuresofabookworm.com/2014/02/03/storytime-fish/)
(Teach sign language for
“fish”)
Did you ever see a
fishy, a fishy, a fishy,
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way (lean forward)
And that (lean backwards)?
Swimming forwards and backwards.
Swimming forwards and backwards.
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that.
Did you ever see a
fishy, a fishy, a fishy,
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way (move to the right)
And that (move to the left)?
Swimming right-way and left-way.
Swimming right-way and left-way.
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that.
Did you ever see a
fishy, a fishy, a fishy,
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way (arms move up)
And that (arms move down)?
Swimming u-up and down.
Swimming u-up and down.
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that.
Did you ever see a
fishy, a fishy, a fishy,
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way (hands rolling)
And that?
Swimming around and around.
Swimming around and around.
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that.
Sit-down activity: Crabs Are Crawling (my notes do not say
where I found this fingerplay to the tune of “Frere Jacques”)
Crabs
are crawling, crabs are crawling
On the rocks, on the rocks
Watch out for their pinchers, watch out for their
pinchers
Snap, snap, snap!
Snap, snap, snap!
Lap rhyme #1: Roly Poly (hand rolling fingerplay)
Roly
poly, roly poly up, up, up.
Roly poly, roly poly down, down, down.
Roly poly, roly poly clap, clap, clap.
Roly poly, roly poly tap, tap, tap.
(tap top of head)
Roly poly, roly poly fast, fast, fast.
Roly poly, roly poly slow, slow, slow.
Roly poly, roly poly I love you!
Lap rhyme #2: 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 #3: 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.
Lap rhyme #4: Frog Jump Over the Great
Big Stick (lap bounce action rhyme by Carol Hopkins)
Frog be nimble, frog be
quick,
Frog jump over the great big stick.
Frog be nimble, frog be slick,
Frog swim under the great big stick.
Frog be nimble, frog go
click,
Frog almost falls off the great big stick.
Frog be nimble, frog be
fine,
Frog gets a kiss (blows a kiss) at storytime!
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)
Letter of the day: “F” is for fish
Flannelboard: Fishies (color fish song from Nancy Stewart at https://nancymusic.com/Fishiesplay.htm)
Parent literacy tip: Helping your child learn color names in a
playful way, like in a rhyme or song, helps them learn more about their world.
This can be done in any language!
Closing song: “Popcorn Calling Me” action song from Buzz Buzz
by Laurie Berkner
Optional extra book: Hooray
for Fish! By Lucy Cousins
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 – Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson
Stand-up activity – “If You’re Happy and You Know It” action song from
Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music
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 – Little Crab Hiding Shapes
Directions: Place different
colored sea stars on the board. You can
also place one crab shape. Under the sea
stars, place smaller shapes. The
children are to name the color and then name the shape under each sea
star. You can say this little rhyme
before each guess
Little crab, little
crab,
Are you hiding my shapes?
Little crab, little crab,
Which shape is under the _____ sea star?
Letter of the day - "S” is for squish
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 – Three Little Mermaids by Mara Van Fleet (pop-up)
Closing – “Goin’ On a Bear Hunt” action song from Kids inAction by Greg & Steve
