Snakes Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
• Stand-up Activity – Slithering, Sliding Snake (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

Here comes a slithering, sliding, slinking snake

Her mouth goes "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"

Here eyes go blink, blink, blink

Her tongue goes "Thrp, thrp, thrp."

First she slinks to the right

Then she slides to the left

And finally she slithers out of sight

• 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 

• Book #2 – Ziggy the Zebra: A One-Of-A-Kind Pop-Up Book by Libby Ellis, illustrated by Salina Yoon
• Activity – Can You Gallop Like a Zebra/Can You Growl Like a Tiger (action rhyme I found many years ago)

Can you gallop like a zebra?

Can growl like a tiger?

Can  you hop like a frog?

Can you climb like a monkey?

Can you bark like a dog?

Can you slither like a snake?

Can you fly like a bat?

Can you howl like a wolf?

Can you stretch like a cat?

Can you sit like a kid at storytime?

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Glue square tissue paper scales onto a paper plate snake.

Making Music Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – The Little Band by James Sage, illustrated by Keiko Narahashi
• Stand-up Activity – "The Tempo Marches On" action song from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi On His Toe Leg Knee by Jim Gill

• 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 

• Book #2 – Pots and Pans by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Diane de Groat
• Activity – "Where Is Thumbkin?" fingerplay song from Where Is Thumbkin? by Kimbo

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Glue crepe paper streamers to paper plate maracas
  

Bears Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
• Stand-up Activity – Great Big Bear (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

The great big bear,
(sing language for bear)
Gives a warning with a soft little growl.
(growl)
Waves its paws in the air.
(move hands like claws)
Shakes its great big head
(shake head)
Rubs its furry little ears
(rub ears)
Gives a great big roar
(loud roar)
Then goes to sleep in its lair.
(hands to side of face for sleep)

• 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 

• Book #2 – My Bear and Me by Barbara Maitland, pictures by Lisa Flather
• Activity – Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around (traditional action rhyme)

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear dance on your toes
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch your nose
Teddy bear, teddy bear reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear jump to the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your feet
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your seat

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Bear coloring sheet with crayons

Counting Storytime

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

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
• Book #1 – The Ants Go Marching edited by Ann Owen, illustrated by Sandra D'Antonio
• Activity – Hickory Dickory Dock (fingerplay)

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
(run fingers up arm to high overhead)
The clock struck one.
(clap once)
The mouse ran down.
(run fingers down arm and down body)
Hickory dickory dock.

Repeat with:
...the clock struck two, the mouse said boo!
...the clock struck three, the mouse said whee!
...the clock struck four, there is no more.

• Book #2 – Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
• Activity – Two Little Hands (action rhyme)

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap.
Two little fists go thump, thump, thump.
Two little legs go jump, jump, jump.
One little body turns around.
And everyone sits quietly down.

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve
• Craft – Make a count to 5 book with stapled pieces of paper

Artsy Toddler Storytime at the Sumner Public Library

Here is a special storytime I did at a local library.  It started off with a short storytime in which I told the parents about the different skills their children will be practicing at the four art tables.

Short storytime:

Opening - "Clap your Hands" from Toddler Action Songs by Cedarmont Kids

Book #1 - The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

Activity - Clippity Clippity Clop (action rhyme I adjusted from another rhyme I found many years ago)

Clippity, clippity clop,
The horses go clip clop.
They gallop to the right.
They gallop to the left.
They gallop all around...
And they come to a stop.
Clippity, clippity clop.

Transition - Open, Shut Them (well known fingerplay)

Book #2 - Charlie Chick: A Pop-up Book by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker

Ending - "Very, Very Tall" from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

Art tables:

a) Glue feathers on a baby chick.  Skill: Impulse control

b) Apply dot stickers to a cow picture.  Skill: Exercise small muscles in hands

c) Color a sheep with crayons.  Skill: Coloring, holding a pencil/crayon

d) Paint brown "mud" paint onto a pig.  Skill: Following directions

Mom 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 – Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steve Kellogg
• Stand-up Activity - Do It for Your Mother (action song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

Clap, clap, clap your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now let me see
Do it for your mother

(use other body motions such as stomp your feet, jump your legs, etc.)

• 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 

• Book #2 - That's My Mommy! by Ann Hodgman, illustrated by Laura Logan (board book)
• Activity – Come A'Look A' See (fingerplay found on The Baby Record by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim)

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue together a paper daisy with a pink circle center and white paper strips for petals

Garbage and Recycling Trucks 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 – Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash! by Barbara Odanaka, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
• Stand-up Activity - I'm a Little Garbage Truck (action song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" written by Carol Hopkins)

I'm a little garbage truck, watch me go
Here is my hopper
Here is my cab
When I get all filled up, to the dump I go
Just tip me over and dump the garbage out

• 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 

• Book #2 - Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
• Activity – Morning at the Dump (fingerplay written by Carol Hopkins)

(show ten fingers)
Early in the morning, down at the dump
See the dump trucks standing all in a row
See them dump their garbage
(bend fingers)
Dump, dump, dump
Now watch them rolling away
(roll hands over each other)
To go gather more
(sign language for "more")

• Closing - Use scarves to the song "Water, Wind and World" from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs by Johnette Downing
• Craft – Glue shredded paper pieces to a drawing of a recycle truck (see page 121 of my book Artsy Toddler Storytimes)