Oh, What Winter Fun! Preschool Visit

Opening: If You Want to Hear a Story
Book: Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper
*Fingerplay: Snow Fell Softly
Book: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Song: Silly Hat Song
Storytell: The Mitten (You can use beautiful visuals as props from Jan Brett’s website here.) (I also used Heather Forest’s musical refrain from her version on her Tales Around the Hearth cd.)
Book: Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
Dancing Song (with bells): “Jingle Bells” from Raffi’s Christmas Album
Closing: We Wave Goodbye

*The snow fell softly all the night.
It made a blanket soft and white.
It covered houses, flowers, and ground,
But did not make a single sound!

January 2018 “Snow Clothes” Toddler Visit

It’s been cold and snowy in Illinois. Today, my toddler friends and I stayed warm indoors and shared this fun storytime together. (This month, my preschool and kindergarten friends are enjoying a version of this “It’s Frosty Cold Out!” storytime plus “The Freeze!” song listed below.)

Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story
Read-aloud: Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin
Song: Silly Hat Song
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
*Flannel Rhyme: Cute Little Snowman
Action Song: Fun with Hands
Dancing Song (with scarves): “The Freeze!” from Carole Peterson: Dancing Feet
Closing Song: We Wave Goodbye

Schools visited: Little Bear Academy

*Cute Little Snowman
A cute little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose,
Nibble, nibble, crunch!

It’s Frosty Cold Out!

BRR! Come in to the library where it’s nice and warm… and listen to some fun winter stories! So far, I’ve done this storytime (some variation of it) with 3 preschool groups, 2 kindergarten classes, and a family literacy group. I’m also planning on using it for my regular Panera storytime and my new storytime over at the Randall Oaks branch 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle OR Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner
*Flannel Rhyme: Cute Little Snowman
Read-aloud #2: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London OR Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Read-aloud #3: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
Song: Silly Hat Song
Storytell: The Mitten (You can use beautiful visuals as props from Jan Brett’s website here.) (I also used Heather Forest’s musical refrain from her version on her Tales Around the Hearth cd.)
Read-aloud #5: Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson OR Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman OR Oh! by Kevin Henkes OR Pip and Squeak by Ian Schoenherr
(Song: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Goodbye

*Cute Little Snowman
A cute little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose,
Nibble, nibble, crunch!

Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snoooow!

This week, I experienced my first snow fall since moving back to the chilly Midwest from sunny California. I guess it’s time to bundle up! Here’s a fun Snow & Clothing preschool storytime. I like to combine the two themes. It was always interesting to do a snow storytime in California… most of the kids had never even seen the stuff 🙂

Also: you may notice me changing the look of my blog/website a couple of times within the next few weeks… please be patient with me as I try to get everything “just right”. I have actually changed the look back to how I originally had it in the first place for this week… kind of retro:)

Clothing and Snow Preschool Storytime with Jennifer: January 23, 2007

OPENING:
Play “Jenny Jenkins” as audience enters (and wear Amelia Bedelia hat)
Have competition with fish puppet to see if I can swim
Discuss clothes and what you wear
Opening Fingerplay: 10 Little Fingers
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Put hat on fish puppet to segue into…
Read-aloud #1: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, Barrett
Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Action Rhyme: Can You Hop Like a Bunny?
Song (with artfelt): Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Read-aloud #2: Froggy Gets Dressed, London
*Fingerplay: Snow Fell Gently
**Song: This is the Way We All Get Dressed
Storytell: The Mitten (You can use beautiful visuals as props from Jan Brett’s website here)

VIDEO:
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (10 minutes)

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

*The snow fell softly all the night.
It made a blanket soft and white.
It covered houses, flowers, and ground,
But did not make a single sound!

**This is the Way We All Get Dressed (to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we all get dressed, all get dressed, all get dressed…so early in the morning
This is the way we put on our shoes… (pants, socks, shirt, coat, etc.)

If You're Wearing Clothes Today…

If you’re wearing clothes today, stand up and shout Hooray! HOORAY! Today, we had a fun storytime about clothes.

FYI: We’re nearing the end of our fall storytime session. Just two more weeks to go…and then we will break for the holidays (until January). Also: we will be closed next Wednesday for Veteran’s Day, so no storytime at BV next week. Regulars are invited to attend my Friday session over at Central next week (10 or 11) or go to Donna’s storytime on Thursday at BV (10 or 11).

Stories Shared:
Who’s Under That Hat? by Sarah Weeks and David A. Carter (lift-the-flap)
New Socks by Bob Shea
Whose Shoe? by Margaret Miller
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin

Rhymes (Can be found on Toddler Storytime Rhymes Sheet.):
Silly Hat Song
Animals on the Bus
Ten Little Fingers
If You’re Wearing Red Today
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Music:
Carole Peterson: Sticky Bubble Gum and Other Tasty Tunes (I am a Fine Musician)

Diddle Diddle Dumpling…Clothes!

Nursery Rhyme of the Week:
Diddle Diddle Dumpling
Diddle, diddle dumpling,
My son, John,
Went to bed
With his trousers on;
One shoe off
And one shoe on,
Diddle, diddle dumpling,
My son, John.

Stories Shared:
Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
Three Little Kittens by Lorianne Siomades

Rhymes (Can be found on Toddler Tales Rhymes sheet. Extra copies available at the Library.):
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Caps, Mittens, Shoes and Socks
If You’re Wearing Red Today
Where is Thumbkin?
Fun With Hands

Bonus Rhyme:
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 and knee.]

Music:
Music for Little People: Toddler Favorites
Me and My Bean Bag (Take that Bean Bag)