fun with stories, rhymes & songs

It’s been lovely weather for bike rides!

This week, I did another “Transportation” storytime. This one focused on bikes. I admit it didn’t go as well as I would have liked… The bike picture books out there aren’t as lively as I’d like… except “Duck on a Bike”, of course. Oh well. It wasn’t terrible.

OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Wheels Around by Shelley Rotner
*Flannel: Parking Lot Rhyme
Read-aloud #2: Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
Action Song: “My Bike”
Read Aloud #3: Along a Long Road by Frank Viva OR The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Action Song: Tommy Thumb
Read Aloud #4: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Song/Flannel: Five Little Ducks (Patterns found here.)
Read Aloud #5: The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos OR Who is Driving? by Leo Timmers
Action Song: Tony Chestnut
(“Dancing” Song: “Hurry, Hurry Drive the Fire Truck” from Barney’s Favorites Volume 1)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

*Parking Lot Rhyme (Source unknown)
There are many machines to take us places.
Here they come to their parking spaces.
Here comes the fire truck, shiny and bright.
Here comes the ambulance, blinking its light.
Here comes the train; its whistle blows.
Here comes the bus; it stops and it goes.
Here comes the car with a family inside.
So many machines in which to ride.

And, here is the “Story Love” storytime I did for my regular storytimes (with some of the same elements as my “Story Love” storytime for my older group)…

OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Story Cards): A Sleepy Story by Elisabeth Burrowes
Song/Fingerplay/Finger puppets: Ten in the Bed
Read-aloud #2: The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore
Song (with flannels and finger puppets): Animals on the Bus
Read Aloud #3: I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric Kimmel
Song/Fingerplay/Props: Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Read Aloud #4: Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea (While the kids enjoyed this book, the participatory “roaring” got a little out of hand for me… and the illustrations didn’t totally lend themselves to this setting. I saw a librarian do this as a prop story… I might try that next time instead.)
*Flannel: Here is an Animal (Animal Feelings)
Read Aloud #5: Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr
(“Dancing” Song: “Dancing Scarf Blues” from Carole Peterson: Dancing Feet)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

*Here is an Animal (Animal Feelings) (with corresponding flannel pieces and kids mimicking the emotions)
Here is a mouse who’s happy
Here is a bear who sighs
Here is a turkey who’s sleepy
Here is a lion who cries
Here is a rabbit who’s angry
Here is a horse who’s sad
Here is a beaver who’s noisy
And here is an elephant who’s glad

OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk
Flannel poem: Five Green Shamrocks
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read-aloud #2: Good Luck Bear by Greg Foley
*Flannel poem: 5 Little Leprechauns
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #3: Pot O’ Gold by Kelly Green and/or Duckie’s Rainbow by Frances Barry
**Flannel: Baa, Baa Colored/Black Sheep
Read-aloud #4: The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater
Fingerplay: Fun with Hands
(“Dancing” Song: “Tempo Marches On” from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi on His Toe Leg Knee)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

*Five Little Leprechauns
Five little leprechauns playing in the sun.
The first one said, “Oh, my! We’re having fun!”
The second one said, “We need to spread some joy!”
The third one said, “Let’s find some girls and boys.”
The fourth one said, “There’s gold to be found!”
The fifth one said, “Let’s look all around!”
Then out came a rainbow, shining bright and bold.
So, five little leprechauns ran to find some gold!

**Baa, Baa Colored/Black Sheep
[I made visuals (could have been flannels) of sheep of various colors. On the back of the black sheep, I put three bags. I found a clipart that had three bags labeled "master", "dame" and "little boy".]
Baa, baa “blue” sheep,
Have you any wool?
No sir, no sir,
No bags full (turn visual around to show there’s nothing there)
…(Continue with other colored sheep)…
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, (turn visual to show the three bags)
Three bags full;
One for the master,
One for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full!