Category: Lakeside Fest

Story Sparklers VI

sillylibrarian Leave a comment

I hope that everyone had a fantastic 4th of July!

Once again, I had the honor of presenting at Crystal Lake’s annual Lakeside Festival. This was my SIXTH year bringing storytime to the fest. I had a great turnout and a really fun audience–including “kids” I used to babysit for… and THEIR KIDS! Wow, I’m getting old 😉

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud (Big Book): King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Flannel: Five Elephants in the Bathtub
Action Song: We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop
Flannel Story: Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Action Song: Tommy Thumb
Puppet Story: The Napping House from the book by Audrey Wood (See librarian Steven Englefried’s YouTube demonstration.)
Rhyme (with finger puppets): Ten in the Bed
**Fingerplay: Rain Is Falling Down
Storytelling: Now I’ve Gotcha (I learned this “boo baby” story from storyteller Priscilla Howe)
Action Song: Let Everyone Clap Hands With Me (from Pete Seeger: American Folk, Game & Activity Songs for Children)

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.

**Rain Is Falling Down
Rain is falling down,
(Raise hands up high and flutter fingers down)
Splash!
(Slap floor with gusto)
Rain is falling down,
(Raise hands up high and flutter fingers down)
Splash!
(Slap the floor)
Pitter patter, pitter patter,
(Quietly. Flutter fingers delicately.)
Rain is falling down,
(Flutter fingers down.)
Splash!
(Slap floor with gusto)

***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

Story Sparklers V

sillylibrarian 1 Comment

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

Story Sparklers IV

sillylibrarian Leave a comment

I always look forward to performing at the Crystal Lake Lakeside Fest every year. Last Friday, I had fun sharing these stories, rhymes, and songs with families. It was also my nephew Carter’s first storytime! (And he loved it! It was so great seeing his giant grin in the audience.) I’m already excited about next year.

OPENING:

*Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:

Read-aloud #1 (Big Book): The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Action Song: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Flannel: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (flannel pieces here)
**Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Storytelling: Bear Hunt (based on Michael Rosen’s version)
Flannel: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (Templates available here.)
Puppet Story: Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (Puppet available here.)
Action Song: Hands Up High
***Action Song: Tommy Thumb
Storytelling: “At Midnight” (I learned this “boo baby” story from storyteller Priscilla Howe)

CLOSING:

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

*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.

**Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them,
(Open and close hands in front of you)
Open, shut them,
(Open and close hands in front of you)
Give a little clap.
(Clap hands as you say “clap”)
Open, shut them,
(Open and close hands in front of you)
Open, shut them,
(Open and close hands in front of you)
Place them in your lap.
(Fold hands in lap)
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin.
(Fingers crawl up chest to chin)
Open wide your little mouth,
(Open mouth)
But do not let them in!
(Quickly put hands behind back)

***Tommy Thumb
(Suit actions to words.)
Tommy Thumb is up and
Tommy Thumb is down
Tommy Thumb is dancing
All around the town.
Dance him on your shoulders,
Dance him on your head,
Dance him on your knees,
Then tuck him into bed.

****We Wave Goodbye Like This (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends. We wave goodbye like this.
(Repeat once.)

Story Sparklers III

sillylibrarian Leave a comment

Another fun year performing at the Lakeside Fest in Crystal Lake! I hope that everyone has a great holiday weekend 🙂

OPENING:
Opening Song: Let Everyone Clap Hands With Me (from Pete Seeger: American Folk, Game & Activity Songs for Children)

PROGRAM:

Storytelling (with puppets): “Book! Book! Book!” (This is a well-loved librarian anecdote about a chicken that comes into the library. One version, “The Well-Read Frog” can be found in Margaret Read MacDonald’s Three Minute Tales.)
Read-aloud #1 (Big Book): Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
*Action Song: Silly Hat Song
Read-aloud #2 (Big Book): Sitting in My Box by Dee Lillegard
**Fingerplay: Beehive
Flannel: Little Cockroach Martina (from The Flannel Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra)
Action Song: Hands Up High
Storytelling: “The Ghost with One Black Eye” (I learned this “boo baby” story from storyteller Priscilla Howe)
***Action Song: Fun with Hands

CLOSING:

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

*Silly Hat Song
Tune: “This Old Man”
On my head, I wear my hat.
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro.
Where else can my silly hat go?
Repeat using foot, elbow, knee, etc.
Put hat on appropriate body parts and wiggle!

**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…

****We Wave Goodbye Like This
to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends. We wave goodbye like this.
Repeat once.

Story Sparklers II

sillylibrarian Leave a comment

Today was my second year performing at the Lakeside Fest in Crystal Lake!

Sadly, I have just one storytime left this summer: this Monday, July 7 at the Randall Oaks Library at 10:30 am. It’s been a GREAT summer session, and I will be missing the kids lots.

This happy Fourth of July, I shared some more story sparklers…

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Big Book): The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Flannel: The Enormous Turnip
**Fingerplay: Apples
Storytelling Activity: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (using story props)
***Fingerplay: Five Little Sausages
Story/Song: Herman the Worm
Read-aloud #2 (Big Book): The Little Red Hen (pictures by Lucinda MccQueen)
Storytelling: “Chickens!” (I learned this “boo baby” story from storyteller Priscilla Howe’s cd, Chickens! and Other Stories for Young Children)

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

*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.

**Apples
Way up high in the apple tree,
(Stretch arms in the air.)
Two little apples smiled at me.
(Hold up two fists.)
I shook the tree as hard as I could.
(Shake fists in the air.)
Down came the apples.
(Drop fists to lap. Mime biting into “apples”.)
Mmm, were they good!
(Pat tummy.)

***Five Little Sausages
Five little sausages frying in a pan
(Wiggle all five fingers)
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, and one went BAM!
(When you say “BAM”, clap your hands together Count down with each sausage (fingers) until you’re out of sausages)

****We Wave Goodbye Like This (to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends. We wave goodbye like this.
(Repeat once.)

Story Sparklers

sillylibrarian Leave a comment

I had a fun time performing at the Lakeside Fest in Crystal Lake today!

It’s been a busy week. Not only did I travel to Crystal Lake for the Fest, I also volunteered at the Gail Borden Rakow Branch in Elgin this week. I will be doing more storytimes over there Wednesdays, July 10 and 17 at 10:30 am. I also continue to do storytimes for the Fox River Valley Public Library District at Panera and the Randall Oaks Branch. Come enjoy some stories with the Silly Librarian 🙂

This happy Fourth of July, I shared some story sparklers…

Big Books:
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Mrs. McNosh Hangs up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks

Storytelling:
“Book! Book! Book!” (This is a well-loved librarian anecdote about a chicken that comes into the library. One version, “The Well-Read Frog” can be found in Margaret Read MacDonald’s Three Minute Tales.)
“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.)

Songs:
*If You Wanna Hear a Story
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Let Everyone Clap Hands with Me (from Pete Seeger: American Folk, Game & Activity Songs for Children)
**We Wave Goodbye Like This

Dancing Music:
“Coconut Soap” from Frank Leto’s Time for Music

**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.

**We Wave Goodbye Like This (to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends. We wave goodbye like this.
(Repeat once.)