Firetruck Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Fire Fighter Piggywiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox
• Activity – Drive the Firetruck (action song done twice, from Songs for Wiggleworms)
• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Five Firefighters (counting rhyme I found in Mailbox Preschool, Oct./Nov. 2007 page 40)
• Book #2 - Maisy's Fire Engine by Lucy Cousins (board book)
• Activity – Firetruck Tune (action song I adapted from one I found in Mailbox Preschool, Oct./Nov. 2006 page 34, to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus")

The wheels on the firetruck go round and round, round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the firetruck go round and round, all around the town.

The lights on the firetruck go blink, blink, blink...
The siren on the firetruck goes woo, woo, woo...
The firefighters on board go up and down...
The ladder on the truck goes up, up, up...
The water from the hose goes whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

• Closing - Did You Ever See A Lassie? (tambourines using Playtime: 49 Favorite Action and Sing-Along Songs from CEMA Special Markets)
• Craft – Color firefighter hat cut-outs with color marker pens

Halloween Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Snappy Little Halloween by Derek Matthews (pop-up)
• Activity - Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern (action rhyme based on Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear)

Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern turn around.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern touch the ground.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern dance on your toes.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern touch your nose.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern reach up high.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern jump to the sky.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern find your feet.
Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern have a seat.

• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Three Little Pumpkins (not sure where I found this one)

Three little pumpkins, sitting very still
In a pumpkin patch on a great big hill
The first one said, "I'm very green,"
(show green side)
"But I'll be orange on Halloween."
(show orange side)
The second one said, "Oh me, oh my,"
(show orange pumpkin side)
"Today I'll be a pumpkin pie."
(show pumpkin pie side)
The third one said, "I'm on my way,"
(show pumpkin side)
To be a Jack-O-Lantern today."
(show face side)

• Book #2 - Five Little Pumpkins pictures by Dan Yaccarino (board book)
• Activity -This Little Pumpkin (action rhyme I found in Mailbox Magazine)
• Closing - Did You Ever See A Lassie? (tambourines using Playtime: 49 Favorite Action and Sing-Along Songs from CEMA Special Markets)
• Craft - Chalk drawing on pumpkin cut-outs

Apple Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern
• Activity - I'm A Little Teapot (action song)
• Flannelboard/Math Activity - Four Little Apples by Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis
• Book #2 - Apples! Apples! by Salina Yoon (lift-flap)
• Activity - Appleseed (action song to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider")

The tiny little apple seed
Was planted in the ground
Down came the rain
Falling all around
Out came the sun
As bright as bright can be
And the tiny little apple seed
Became an apple tree

• Closing - Did You Ever See A Lassie? (tambourines using Playtime: 49 Favorite Action and Sing-Along Songs from CEMA Special Markets)
• Craft - Bingo paint dabbers on apple drawings

Sensational Sea Serpents

Library program for children ages 4 to 12 years old.

This program starts off with a viewing of the animated movie Mysterious Tadpole produced by Weston Woods, based on the book by Steven Kellogg.

The movie was followed by 3 stations:

1. Make your own sea serpent segmented puppet - Materials were provided. Stencils for the face piece were pre-cut but the children were on their own to create their own body and tail pieces. (Note: This project took a lot of time, so have plenty of table space.)

2. Sea monster cages - Using the Connector Straw sets the children could make a variety of monster cages. (These were not for take home.)

3. Sea monster races - Some miniature dinosaurs were frozen in ice cube trays. The children place the cube of their choice at the top of a slanted board and then release their monsters to see which one slides to the bottom first.

Silly Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Silly Sally by Audrey Wood (big book)
• Activity - Shake My Sillies Out (action song from More Singable Songs by Raffi)
• Flannelboard/Math Activity - A-hunting We Will Go (song)
• Book #2 - Piggies by Audrey Wood and Don Wood
• Activity - Ten Fingers (fingerplay)

I have ten little fingers
And they all belong to me
I can make them do things
Would you like to see?
I can shut them up tight
Or open them wide
I can put them together
Or make them all hide
I can make them jump high
I can make them jump low
I can fold them quietly
And hold them just so

• Closing - Did You Ever See A Lassie (tambourines using Playtime: 49 Favorite Action and Sing-Along Songs from CEMA Special Markets)
• Craft - Coloring sheet

Diary of a Spider

Library program for children ages 4 to 12 and their families.

The program starts off with a viewing of the movie Diary of a Spider produced by Weston Woods, based on the book by Doreen Cronin.

The movie was followed by 3 stations:

1. Itsy Bitsy Spider - Children color and cut out a house, then slide a spider ring onto a bendable straw. Now the straw is taped to the house to resemble a water-spout. Move the spider up and down the spout while singing the song! (The house for this craft project came from Mailbox Preschool magazine October/November 2007, page 25.)

2. Pin the spider on the web - A large spider web was drawn onto a large piece of black paper with a silver marker. Children had spider cut outs to add pieces of double sided tape onto. Blind fold the children up and watch how close to the spider web they can stick that spider.

3. Spider hat - Measure long, thick black rectangluar strips of paper around child's head, overlap and tape ends together to create a headband shape. Cut out and decorate small colored square pieces to make eyes. Glue eyes to the hat band. Take 8 long, skinny colored rectangular strips for spider legs. Glue one end of each skinny strip to the inside edge of the hat band. Decorate and wear your hat to celebrate our spider friends.

Boats Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – I'm Mighty by Kate and Jim McMullan
• Activity - "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" from Songs for Wiggleworms
• Flannelboard/Math Activity - My Big Blue Boat (song)

I love to sail in my big blue boat, big blue boat, big blue boat;
I love to sail in my big blue boat far across the sea.

My big blue boat has 2 red sails, 2 red sails, 2 red sails;
My big blue boat has 2 red sails far across the sea.

So come for a ride in my big blue boat, big blue boat, big blue boat;
So come for a ride in my big blue boat far across the sea.

• Book #2 - Boats by Anne Rockwell
• Activity - This Is the Boat, The Golden Boat (fingerplay, I first heard this one at a workshop by Jane Cobb)

This is the boat, the golden boat,
(Cup hands together palms down)
That sails on the silvery sea,
(Undulate hands like waves)
And these are the oars, the ivory oars,
(Interlace fingers with thumbs sticking out to the sides)
That lift and dip, that lift and dip.
(Lower and raise fingers)
And here are the ten little Ferrymen
(Show 10 fingers up high)
Running along, running along,
(Make fingers run)
To take the oars, the ivory oars
(Interlace fingers with thumbs sticking out to the sides)
That lift and dip, that lift and dip,
(Lower and raise fingers)
That move the boat, the golden boat,
(Move cupped hands gently back & forth)
Over the silvery sea.
(Undulate hands like waves)

• Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song " Goin' On a Bear Hunt" (found in Kids In Action by Greg and Steve)
• Craft - Glue sails onto boat bottoms and color with crayons