I hope that everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! I spent my holiday sharing farm stories at Crystal Lake’s annual Lakeside Festival. This was my FIFTH year bringing storytime to the fest. I had a really fun audience and a great turnout. Miss Illinois Teen, Rachel Hodson, also visited to say hello to the kids and to assist with the event. She’s a big supporter of reading and was great with the kids. So nice to have her there.
For anyone interested, I will be repeating this farm-themed storytime at the Streamwood Farmers Market on Friday, July 27th at 11:30 a.m. The Farmer’s Market will be located in the parking lot of the Poplar Creek Library (where I work!) at 1405 Park Avenue, Streamwood. It’s a drop-in outdoor storytime– no need to register; just show up for fun and stories!
OPENING:
*Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story
PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Big Book): Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Song with Puppets: Old MacDonald
Puppet Story: Who Said Meow? from the book by Maria Polushkin (See librarian Steven Englefried’s YouTube demonstration.)
**Fingerplay: The Beehive
Flannel Story: The Goat in the Chile Patch (from Multicultural Folktales: Stories to Tell Young Children edited by Judy Sierra)
***Action Song: Fun with Hands
Storytelling: “The Little Red Hen” (This is a traditional folktale, possibly of Russian-origin. Children dressed up and acted out the parts. I used a singing refrain from storyteller Heather Forest’s sound recording Sing Me a Story.)
CLOSING:
****Closing Rhyme: Thank You
*If You Want to Hear a Story (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
if you want to hear a story,
if you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
Other verses:
“nod your head,”
“rub your tummy,”
“sit real still,” etc.
**The Beehive
Here is a beehive
Make a fist.
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch as they come out of their hive—
One, two, three, four, five,
Extend fingers one at a time.
They’re alive! Buzzzzzz!
Wiggle your fingers.
***Fun With Hands
Suit actions to words.
Tune: “Row, Row, Row your boat”.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
As slowly as can be.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
Do it now with me.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
As fast, as fast can be.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
Do it now with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands…
Shake, shake, shake your hands…
Stamp, stamp, stamp your feet…
****Thank You
My hands say thank you
With a clap, clap, clap
Clap hands
My feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap
Tap feet
Clap, clap, clap.
Tap, tap, tap.
Clap hands, then tap feet
Turn myself around and bow,
Thank you!
Turn around, bow, then smile