Bunny Rabbits - Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds.

• Opening - If You're Happy and You It (action song from Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays) as well as Row, Row, Row Your Boat (action song from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School fo Folk Music)
• Book #1 - Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
• Book #2 - Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
• Stand up activity - When the Music Stops, Everybody Hop (action song from Getting Strong: Wiggle and Learn by The Wiggles)
• Sit down activity - Here's a Bunny (fingerplay)

Here's a bunny with ears so funny
(bend two fingers over thumb)
Here is his hole in the ground
(make hole with other arm at side of body)
When a noise he hears
(clap hands)
He pricks up his ears
(straighten fingers)
And jumps in his hole in the ground
(bunny ears jump into hole at side of body)

• Flannelboard - Perfect Pet by Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis
• Book #3 - Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis, pictures by Ora Eitan
• Activity - I Saw a Little Rabbit (action rhyme)

I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop
(jump)
I saw his ears go flop, flop, flop
(flop hands on head)
I saw his eyes go blink, blink, blink
(point to eyes and blink)
I saw his nose go twink, twink, twink
(wiggle nose)
I said, "Little rabbit, won't you stay?"
(beckon with hand)
He looked at me and hopped away
(jump)

• Closing - Scarves with the song "Jump" from Bottle of Sunshine by Milkshake
• Art activity - Color rabbit ear headbands

Green for St. Patrick's Day

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
• Stand-up Activity - The Little Green Frog (action song from It's Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel)
• 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/Math Activity - Hi Ho for St. Patrick's Day (adapted by Carol Hopkins, to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell")

This shamrock is green, this shamrock is green,
Hi, ho for St. Patrick's Day,
This shamrock is green.
This leprechaun wears green, this leprechaun wears green,
Hi, ho for St. Patrick's Day,
This shamrock is green.
(repeat with more green objects)

• Sit-down Activity - Little Clover (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

Hey little clover with four leaves not three
I want to pick you to take home with me
One leaf for wisdom
One leaf for love
One leaf for happiness
And one leaf for luck

• Book #2 - St. Patrick's Day Countdown by Salina Yoon (board book)
• Activity – Leprechaun, Leprechaun (action rhyme adaptation of "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around" written by Carol Hopkins)

Leprechaun, leprechaun turn around
Leprechaun, leprechaun find gold on the ground
Leprechaun, leprechaun jump on your toes
Leprechaun, leprechaun scratch your nose
Leprechaun, leprechaun reach up high
Leprechaun, leprechaun see a rainbow in the sky
Leprechaun, leprechaun point to your feet
Leprechaun, leprechaun have a seat

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Put dot stickers on a leprechaun pot

Gardens - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
  
• Book #2 - The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, pictures by Crockett Johnson
  
• Stand up activity - Little Flower Open Up (action song to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" written by Carol Hopkins

Little flower begin to grow
Open up your petals bright
Swaying in the sunshine light
Come and let the bees buzz right
Little flowers in the night
Closing up your petals tight

• Flannelboard - Plant a Little Seed (song I learned from Nancy Stewart from http://www.nancymusic.com/)
  
• Book #3 - One Little Seed by Elaine Greenstein
  
• Activity - Baby Bumblebee (action song from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids)
  
• Closing - Use scarves with the song "Water, Wind, and World" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Create flowers with foam shapes
  

Bugs Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
• Stand-up Activity - Little Wiggle Worm (action rhyme, not sure where I found this one)

I'm a little wiggle worm, wiggling all around.
First I wiggle down to the ground.
Then I wiggle upright.
Now I wiggle to the right
Now I wiggle to the left.
Now I stop and jump up and down!
Finally I wiggle spinning round and around.

• 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/Math Activity - 5 Little Dragonflies (not sure where I picked up this counting rhyme)
• Sit-down Activity - Two Moths (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

I see two moths flying toward the light
They fly around in circles
Sometimes they fly fast
Sometimes they fly slow
But never do they touch that light as they fly out of sight

• Book #2 - In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
• Activity – Baby Bumblebee (action song from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids)
• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Thumb print spots on a ladybug shape

Royatly - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
  
• Book #2 -One Monday Morning by Uri Shulevitz
  
• Stand up activity - The Noble Duck of York (traditional action song)

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

• Flannelboard - Sing a song of Six Pence (nursery rhyme)

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
All baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlor
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes;
When down came a blackbird,
And snapped at her nose!

• Book #3 -Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks
  
• Activity - Fairies In the Town (action song to the tune of "Wheels On the Bus," I adapted this song from one I found at http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/fairytales/songs.htm)
  
• Closing - "The Ponies Are Walking" with scarves as horse reins (action song from Say Hello to the Morning by Kathy Reid-Naiman)
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Build castles with the wood building blocks
  

Winter Snow - Family Storytime

This is for an all ages, whole family storytime:

• Opening - If You're Happy and You Know It
• Book #1 - The Mitten by Jan Brett
  
• Book #2 - Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by S.D. Schindler
• Book #3 - Millions of Snowflakes by Mary McKenna Siddals
• Stand up activity - Snowflakes (action chant, not sure where I picked up this one)
  
• Flannelboard - Winter Snowflakes (counting down rhyme I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, August/September 2008, page 28)
  
• Book #4 - Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
• Book #5 - The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Activity - The Snowman (action chant, not sure where I picked up this one as well)
• Closing - Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (action song)
  
• Family Small Motor Activity - Decorate a felt mitten cut-out with felt tipped color pens
  

Winter Snow Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink (from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck at Kimbo), Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
• Stand-up Activity - This Is the Way We Play In the Snow (action song written by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Here We go Round the Mulberry Bush")

This is the way we stomp through the snow, stomp through the snow, stomp through the snow.
This is the way we stomp through the snow,
When we go out to play.
This is the way we hop through the snow, hop through the snow, hop through the snow.
This is the way we hop through the snow,
When we go out to play.
(Repeat with other action words)

• 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/Math Activity - 5 Little Snowmen (counting down rhyme I found on some website)
• Sit-down Activity - Itsy Bitsy Snowflake (fingerplay to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" that I found in Mailbox Preschool magazine, Dec./Jan. 2007-8, page 26)
• Book #2 - Cleo In the Snow by Caroline Mockford
• Activity – Make Some Snowballs (action song written by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")

Snow is falling, snow is falling
All around, all around
Come let's make some snowballs, come let's make some snowballs
Throw them here, throw them there

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Flitter, Flutter" from The Second Line by Johnette Downing
• Craft – White paint on dark blue construction paper, use a Q-tip as the painting instrument.