Just before the November holiday, I visited one of the preschool classes in my community. We read books, sang songs, and danced with scarves.
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming
More Bears by Kenn Nesbitt, illustrated by Troy Cummings
What's Next Door? by Nicola O'Byrne
This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.
Intro song #1: Hello Friends
(sign language action song for the words hello, friends, science, fun, and time)
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.
Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.
Demonstration and Storytime:
·
Have the children jump
into the air.
·
Question: Why did you fall back to the ground? Why didn’t you stay in the air?
·
Answer: Because gravity pulled you back down. Gravity is what
keeps your feet on the ground. It’s why
objects fall to the ground.
·
Show gravity word
card. Talk about the definition of
gravity.
·
Hand out beans bags.
·
Question: Do bean bags fall back to the ground?
·
Throw beans bags into
the air and let them drop to the ground.
·
Question: Do a penny and a bean bag fall as the same speed?
·
Demonstrate a speed test
of a penny and a bean bag falling from the same height.
·
Question: What about ramps? What causes a ball to roll down a ramp?
·
Demonstrate a ball
rolling down the ramp.
Intro song #2: If You Are Ready for Stories... (my adaptation of a Rob Reid storytime rhyme)
If you are ready for stories...
...Count to three.
...Stretch your wings.
...Touch your toes.
...Touch your nose.
...Bark like a dog.
...Snore like a log.
...Sit like a kid at storytime.
·
Read:
Ouch! Tales of Gravity by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Andy Hardiman or Baby Loves Gravity by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan (board book)
·
Instruct children on how
to use the stations.
Stations:
Station #1- What types of
objects roll down ramps?
The children experiment
with a variety of objects to which will and will not roll down a simple
ramp.
Station #2 – Gravity painting
Children tape a sheet of
paper to a table. Then use pipettes with
paint in them to squeeze paint onto the paper and let gravity direct the paint
downwards.
Station #3 – Marble maze
The children use a marble maze toy set to create mazes that use gravity to pull the marble.
Station #4 – Keepy uppy game
Encourage the children
to use energy from their body to stop the balloon from falling back to
earth.
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.
Literacy activity flannelboard: Cat Fur Patterns (vocabulary flannelboard rhyme written
by Carol Hopkins to the tune "If You're Happy And You Know It")
If you’re a {tabby} and you know it,
Come on up.
If you’re a {tabby} and you know it,
Come on up.
If you’re a {tabby} and you know it,
Then meow to really show it.
If you’re a {tabby} and you know it,
Come on up.
(repeat while substituting other cat pattern names such as calico, solid color, colorpoint, and tortoise shell)
Book #1: Feathers for Lunch
by Lois Ehlert (big book)
***Parent literacy tip: It’s fun and easy for children to learn about topics that are relevant to
them. For instance, books about animals
they know help young children make sense of their world.
Stand-up activity: “If I was a Bird”
from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music
Sit-down activity: Five Kittens (fingerplay I picked up somewhere)
Five little kittens standing in a row
They nod their heads to the children so
They run to the left
They run to the right
They stand up and stretch in the bright sunlight
Along comes a dog who’s in for some fun
Meow! See those little kittens run away
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: Cookie’s Week by
Cindy Ward, illustrated by Tomie de Paola
Book #3: Stack the Cats by Susie
Ghahremani
Closing music with rhythm sticks: “Goin’ On a Bear Hunt” from Kids in Action by Greg & Steve
Art activity: Chalk coloring on
a black construction paper silhouette plus scissors to cut it out.
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 body parts)
Book: Cat by Matthew Van
Fleet, photos by Brian Stanton (lift-flap, moveable pages)
***Literacy tip: It’s fun and easy
for children to learn about topics that are relevant to them. For instance,
books about animals they know help young children make sense of their
world.
Stand-up activity: Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat (action rhyme written
by Carol Hopkins adapted from the jump rope rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Turn Around")
Kitty
cat, kitty cat turn around
Kitty cat, kitty cat touch the ground
Kitty cat, kitty cat walk on your toes
Kitty cat, kitty cat paw your nose
Kitty cat, kitty cat stretch up high
Kitty cat, kitty cat jump to the sky
Kitty cat, kitty cat start to eat
Kitty cat, kitty cat find your seat
Sit-down activity: I Have Fur Upon My
Back (action rhyme adapted from a rhyme I found at Mel’s Desk blog)
I have
fur upon my back
(Pat baby’s
back)
I have whiskers just like that
(Sign language for cat)
I have ears–I flick them twice
(Touch ears)
I have paws for catching mice!
(Hold your
hands in front of you like paws, then clap them together when you say
“catching!”)
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: Frog Jump Over the Great
Big Stick (lap bounce action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)
Frog be nimble, frog be
quick,
Frog jump over the great big stick.
(lift baby/arms up)
Frog be nimble, frog be
slick,
Frog swim under the great big stick.
(make swimming motions with arms)
Frog be nimble, frog go
click,
Frog almost falls off the great big stick.
(pretend to fall off lap)
Frog be nimble frog be
fine,
Frog gets a kiss at storytime.
(blow kisses)
Lap rhyme #3: Roly Poly (hand
rolling opposites action rhyme)
Roly poly, roly poly,
up, up, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down, down, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, out, out, out.
Roly poly, roly poly, in, in, in.
Roly poly, roly poly, clap, clap, clap.
Roly poly, roly poly, tap, tap, tap.
Roly poly, roly poly, fast, fast, fast.
Roly poly, roly poly, slow, slow, slow.
Roly poly, roly poly, I love you!
Lap rhyme #4: 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.
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: "C” is for cat.
Flannelboard: Scaredy Cat Under Hats (similar to this flannelboard I found at HeyThereLibrary blog)
Instructions: Place a
variety of colored felt hats on the board.
Hide a felt cat under one of the cats.
Let the children guess which hat the cat is hiding under.
Scaredy cat, scaredy
cat, are you under the {_Red_} hat?
(repeat with other colors until the cat is revealed)
Closing song with Scarves: “Around and Around” from Welcome from Miss Carole by Carole Peterson
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 body parts)
Book: One Bear, One Dog
by Paul Stickland
Stand-up activity: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around (traditional jump
rope 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
Sit-down activity: Two Little Black
Bears (adaption of the rhyme “Two Little Black Birds” that I found at Adventures
of a Bookworm blog)
Bear is
sleeping.
Bear is sleeping.
(lay head on hands)
Wake him up!
Wake him up!
(make peek-a-boo motions with hands)
Come and say hello bear.
Come and say hello bear.
(wave hello)
Time to read.
Time to read.
(Make book opening motions with hands)
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: Frog Jump Over the Great
Big Stick (lap bounce action rhyme written by Carol Hopkins)
Frog be nimble, frog be
quick,
Frog jump over the great big stick.
(lift baby/arms up)
Frog be nimble, frog be
slick,
Frog swim under the great big stick.
(make swimming motions with arms)
Frog be nimble, frog go
click,
Frog almost falls off the great big stick.
(pretend to fall off lap)
Frog be nimble frog be
fine,
Frog gets a kiss at storytime.
(blow kisses)
Lap rhyme #3: Roly Poly (hand
rolling opposites action rhyme)
Roly poly, roly poly,
up, up, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down, down, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, out, out, out.
Roly poly, roly poly, in, in, in.
Roly poly, roly poly, clap, clap, clap.
Roly poly, roly poly, tap, tap, tap.
Roly poly, roly poly, fast, fast, fast.
Roly poly, roly poly, slow, slow, slow.
Roly poly, roly poly, I love you!
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.
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)
***Literacy tip: Rhymes and songs
help children learn the cadence of language.
Letter of the day: "B” is for
bear
Flannelboard: All Types of Bears (flannelboard rhyme found in Artsy Toddler Storytimes written by Carol Hopkins, to the tune
of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")
Grizzly bears are big
and brown.
Big and brown, big and brown.
Grizzly bears are big and brown.
And live in the woods.
Polar bears are soft and white.
Soft and white, soft and white.
Polar bears are soft and white.
And live where it is cold.
Panda bears are black and white,
Black and white, black and white
Panda bears are black and white.
And live with bamboo.
Koala
bears have great big ears,
Great big ears, great big ears,
Koala bears have great big ears,
And live high in a tree.
Teddy
bears are just my size.
Just my size, just my size.
Teddy bears are just my size.
To cuddle with at night.
Closing song with Scarves: “Around and Around” from Welcome from Miss
Carole by Carole Peterson
Optional extra book: Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
