Tag: storytime

Let’s Cook Up Some Fun!

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This summer, our Summer Reading theme at my library is “Reading is soooo delicious!” So, I’m cooking up some fun at storytime with food-related stories, songs and finger-plays. This week was dedicated to the “art/act” of cooking… Bon apetit!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig
*Song with flannel pieces: I am a Pizza
Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Read-aloud #2: Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
Song (with finger puppets): Old MacDonald
Read-aloud #3: The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
Flannel: Stone Soup poem (template found here)
Read-aloud #4: Warthogs in the Kitchen by Pamela Duncan Edwards
**Flannel song: Aiken Drum

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

*I am a Pizza
I am a pizza, with extra cheese.
From tomatoes, sauce is squeezed.
Garlic and mushrooms, oregano.
I am a pizza, ready to go.

**Aiken Drum
There was a man lived in the moon,
lived in the moon, lived in the moon,
There was a man lived in the moon,
and his name was Aiken Drum.
And he played upon a ladle,
a ladle, a ladle,
He played upon a ladle,
and his name was Aiken Drum.
And his eyes were made of gum drops…
And his nose was a banana…
And his mouth was a watermelon…
And is hair was made of green beans…
(Templates can be found in the book 52 Programs for Preschoolers: The Librarian’s Year-Round Planner by Diane Briggs.)

Funny Bunny

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I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!

Bunnies Outreach Class Visit with Jennifer: June 19, 2009

PROGRAM
Rhyme: Ten Little Fingers
Rhyme: Bunny with Ears So Funny
Book: A Boy and His Bunny by Sean Bryan
Song: Pig On Her Head (Bunny on Her Head)
Book: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Flannel: The Enormous Turnip
Book: Hurry Up and Slow Down, L. Marlow
Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo (with finger puppets)
Book: It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler
Rhyme: Tony Chestnut

HANDOUT or CRAFT
Bunny Foo Foo Coloring Sheets

It’s raining… Dogs!

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Dogs Preschool Outreach Storytime with Jennifer: January 7, 2009

OPENING:
Intro Song: Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Song: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Bertie Was a Watchdog by Rick Walton
Flannel: Where’s Spot?
Read-aloud #2: Dog Food by Freymann and Elffers
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
*Fingerplay: Ten Little Doggies
Read-aloud #3: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Flannel Song: BINGO
Read-aloud #4: Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems

CLOSING:
Song: Fun with Hands

CRAFT OR HANDOUT:
Spot Coloring Handouts

*Ten Little Doggies
Ten little doggies went out one day
(hold 10 fingers up)
To dig in the dirt and play, play, play.
(Pretend to dig like a dog with both hands)
Five were spotted, and five were not,
(Hold up one hand at a time)
and at dinner time they ate a lot!
(Pretend to eat)

March showers bring April flowers?

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This weather has been incredible! And a little strange… But, it makes me happy to be able to go on nice walks and see all of the daffodils!

Rain Open Storytime with Jennifer

OPENING:

As children are entering, blow bubbles and play “If All the Raindrops” on Barney’s Favorites
*Opening rhyme: I clap my hands…
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Fingerplay: Rain is Falling Down (from I’m a Little Teapot)

PROGRAM:

Read-aloud #1: Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Song: “I Hear Thunder” (from I’m a Little Teapot)
Read-aloud #2: Rain by Manya Stojic
Rhyme: Rain, Rain, Go Away
**Flannel: Daffodils
Storytell (with animal puppets, parachute for mushroom, and rainstick/shakers/drum): Mushroom in the Rain
Rhyme (repeat): Rain is Falling Down
Song: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song

CLOSING:

Song: “Toe Knee Chestnut”
Closing song: “We Wave Good-bye”

*I Clap My Hands
Suit actions to words

I clap my hands,
I touch my feet,
I jump up from the ground.
I clap my hands,
I touch my feet,
And turn myself around.

**Daffodils (use 5 flannel daffodils)

One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one, then there were two.

Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee,
Out popped another one, then there were three.

Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
Out popped another one, then there were four.

Four little daffodils were glad to be alive,
Out popped another one, then there were five.

Five little daffodils were wearing gold crowns,
They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns.

What’s Your Name?

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I am settling in to my new library. Perhaps the hardest part is remembering everyone’s name!

Names Outreach Class Visit with Jennifer: September 19, 2008

OPENING:

Introduction
Name song: Pig on Her Head (Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz)
Opening song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Opening fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers

PROGRAM:

Fingerplay: Two Little Blackbirds
Read-aloud #1: Catalina Magdelena… by Tedd Arnold
Flannel song: BINGO
Read-aloud #2: Mommy Doesn’t Know My Name by Suzanne Williams
*Song (with actions): “Hi, My Name is Joe”
Read-aloud#3: Silly Sally
Flannel song: “Aiken Drum”
Read-aloud #4: No, David by David Shannon
Song: Fun with Hands

CLOSING:

Closing song: We Wave Goodbye

*“Hi, My Name is Joe”
(I learned this from Sharon, Lois and Bram when I was a kid.)
(Have kids join you in movements.)

Hi. My name is Joe and I work in a button factory..
I got a wife and a dog and a family.
One day, my boss comes up to me. He says,
“Hi Joe, are you busy?”
I say “No”
He says,
“Okay, turn the button with your right hand.””
(make the motion with your right hand)

You repeat this with…
…turn the button with your left hand.
…turn the button with your right foot.
…turn the button with your left foot.
…turn the button with your head.

And then the next time he says…
”Joe, are you busy?”
You shout – “YES!”

Featuring Heather Forest

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Yesterday, I got to go out and play with other librarians at a story-swap meeting (Lincoln Story League)!!!

There, I shared my love of musical storyteller Heather Forest. I plugged two of her wonderful cds, Sing Me a Story and Tales Around the Hearth as well as her picture book version of The Little Red Hen. These cds (as well as mp3s of individual stories from the collections) are available from such sites as CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.

I’ve adopted catchy musical refrains from her versions of The Mitten, The Turnip and The Little Red Hen into my own storytelling at the library. Adding these refrains is a great way to perk up the presentation and to get the kids singing along.

I also talked a little about how I tell The Little Red Hen. In addition to using Heather Forest’s singing refrain (“If you want some cake to eat, who will help me plant this wheat, etc.?”), I often use audience participation in the form of choosing some kids to work puppets or wear special headbands to act out the parts of the dog, the cat and the mouse. I wear a crazy chicken hat and act as the little red hen. Everyone else gets to be my little chicks. So, when the dog, the cat, and the mouse all say “Not I”, I ask my little chicks if they will help me. They all nod and agree, and we act out planting the seeds, harvesting the wheat, etc. And, of course, the little red hen and her chicks all get to mime eating delicious cake at the end! For my youngest audiences, I usually use flannels and visual cards to tell the story. I still have the kids be chicks, but I don’t select anyone to be a specific part.

The Little Red Hen was a part of a chicken folktale program that I geared for a K-3rd grade audience (and their families). I also used it in my storytime best practices presentation for the California Library Association Conference in 2009. (Please note my email address and blog URL have changed since then.) For that presentation, I also included a template for a fun chicken craft. Other chicken storytimes I’ve done can be found here, here, and here. (Can you tell it is one of my favorite themes?)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
–Dr. Seuss

Readers across America today (and all this month) are celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday and all of his great contributions to children’s literature. Are you doing anything special?


Dr. Seuss Outreach Class Visit with Jennifer: March 4, 2009

OPENING
Talk about Seuss and Read Across America
Fingerplay: Rain is Falling Down
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

PROGRAM
Book: The Cat in the Hat
Song: Silly Hat Song
Book: Ten Apples Up On Top
Action Rhyme: Apples
Book: Green Eggs and Ham
Fingerplay: Five Little Sausages

CLOSING
Read more Seuss books at home/library this week!

HANDOUT or CRAFT
Cat in the Hat Coloring Sheet

–For information about Read Across America Day, you can start by clicking here or here.

Many Colored Days

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Happy Friday! Today is a snowy, white day in Chicagoland. These past couple of weeks have seemed a bit brighter for me… I was finally offered a new library job! Stay tuned for more details 🙂 Until then, here is a colorful baby storytime to enjoy.

A Rainbow of Fun Bibs to Books Storytime with Jennifer: September 15, 2006

OPENING:

Opening rhyme: Brown Bear

PROGRAM:

Story Apron with Velcro Pieces: Brown Bear
Book: Baa Baa, Black Sheep by Annie Kubler
Song (with scarves): “Peek a Boo” from Mary Lee’s Baby-O!: Activity Songs for Babies
*Flannel: Little Mouse
**Rhyme: Little Mousie
Song (with shakers): “Ducks Like Rain” from Carole Peterson’s H.U.M. All Year Long
Book: Maisy’s Rainbow Dream by Lucy Cousins

BOOK SHARE

Rhyme (song): I Love Books

TOY TIME
Rhyme: Tick Tock
(played music while playing)

Note: I sang “Clean Up” (Barney-style) while the babies helped clean up books and toys.

CLOSING:

Rhyme (song with finger puppet): Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
Closing rhyme: Tickle the Clouds

*Flannel:
Little Mouse, Little Mouse, Are you in the [insert color] house?
(Underneath different colored flannel houses, I place different flannel animals. Using a cat puppet, we go in search of the mouse flannel…)

**Little Mousie
See the little mousie (Touch fingers to thumb)
Creeping up the stair? (Creep fingers up forearm)
He’s looking for a warm nest (“Look around” with hand)
There – Oh! there! (Tickle child inside elbow or under arm)

Love You, Baby!

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Happy early Valentine’s Day, everyone! Be sure to snuggle up with your babies and loved ones 🙂

Love That Baby Bibs to Books Storytime with Jennifer: April 7, 2006

OPENING:

Greet babies with puppy puppet
Opening rhyme: Brown Bear

PROGRAM:

Song: “Toe Knee Chestnut”
Book: All the Ways I Love You: a Pop-up Book
Song: “Snuggle Puppy”
Have moms hug babies and pet puppy puppet as I go around the room singing
Song (with shakers): “Ducks Like Rain” from Carole Peterson’s H.U.M. All Year Long
Song (with felt pieces): “Five Little Ducks”
Book: Hello, Lulu by Caroline Uff

BOOK SHARE

Rhyme (song): I Love Books

TOY TIME
Rhyme: Tick Tock
(played music while playing)

Note: I sang “Clean Up” (Barney-style) while the babies helped clean up books and toys.

CLOSING:

Rhyme (song with finger puppet): Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
Closing rhyme: Tickle the Clouds

Rhyme Time!

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Rhyme Time Bibs to Books Storytime with Jennifer: October 20, 2006

OPENING:

Opening rhyme: Brown Bear
*Opening Rhyme: Baby’s Fingers

PROGRAM:

Song (with scarves): “Peek a Boo” from Mary Lee’s Baby-O!: Activity Songs for Babies
Book: Peek-a-boo, You! by Roberta Intrater
Song: “Toe Leg Knee” from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi on his Toe Leg Knee
Song: “Tommy Thumb”
Book: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear! By Annie Kubler
Rhyme: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty

BOOK SHARE

Rhyme (song): I Love Books

TOY TIME

Song (with bubbles): “If All the Raindrops” on Barney’s Favorites
Rhyme: Tick Tock
(played music while playing)

Note: I sang “Clean Up” (Barney-style) while the babies helped clean up books and toys.

CLOSING:

Rhyme (song with finger puppet): Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
Closing rhyme: Tickle the Clouds

* Baby’s Fingers
These are Baby’s fingers. (Touch the baby’s fingers).
These are Baby’s toes. (Touch the baby’s toes).
This is Baby’s belly button. (Touch the baby’s stomach).
Round and round it goes! (Gently circle belly button).