A near repeat of my “Snow Day” First Grade visit… but with a few tweaks…
Picture Book: Straight to the Pole by Kevin O’Malley
Discussion: If school was closed for a Snow Day, what would you do?
Nonfiction Book Bites: read/showed snippets from Snow Play by Birgitta Ralston, The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino, and Animal Antics by David Harvey
Picture Book: Making a Friend by Tammi Sauer
Storytell: The Magic Ice Cream Maker (I adapted storyteller Priscilla Howe’s frosty fun story)
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!
Winter is here, and Snow Days are sure to come…
Picture Book: Straight to the Pole by Kevin O’Malley
Discussion: If school was closed for a Snow Day, what would you do?
Nonfiction Book Bites: read/showed snippets from Snow Play by Birgitta Ralston and The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino
Picture Book: Pizza-Pie Snowman by Valeri Gorbachev
Picture Book: Red and Lulu by Matt Traveres (also printed out and showed pictures of current 2019 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree)
Opening: If You Want to Hear a Story
Book: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Song: Silly Hat Song
Book: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
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 (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Dancing Song (with bells): “Jingle Bells” from Raffi’s Christmas Album
Closing: We Wave Goodbye
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!
Last Friday, I enjoyed doing a 20-minute toddler storytime for my nephew Jackson’s class at Crystal Lake Montessori School!
OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story
PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Story Cards): Oh! by Kevin Henkes
Flannel: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (Templates available here.)
Song/Fingerplay: Hands Up High
Read-aloud #2 (Story Cards): Disappearing Snowman
*Flannel: Five Little Snowmen
Song: Silly Hat Song
Read-aloud #3 (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Action Song: Fun with Hands
Dancing Song: “The Wiggle Song” from Carole Peterson: Sticky Bubble Gum and Other Tasty Tunes
CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Goodbye
*Five Little Snowmen
Five little snowmen round and fat.
Each one wearing a funny hat.
In the morning, out came the sun.
It looked down and melted one.
More Golfview Family Literacy Fun! Happy Holidays, everyone 🙂
Opening Song: “Put Your Finger in the Air” from Pete Seeger: Children’s Concert at Town Hall (live version)
Read-aloud #1: You Make Me Smile by Layn Marlow
Flannel: Rudolph! Rudolph!
Read-aloud #2 (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
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 #3: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Closing Song: “Jingle Bells” from The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (with bells, of course!)
Craft: Make holiday cards
They may be polar opposites… but both are a lot of fun!
OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story
PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: The Puzzled Penguin by Keith Faulkner (pop-up book)
Fingerplay: Two Little Penguins
Read-aloud #2: Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion OR Penguins by Liz Pichon
Song/Fingerplay: Tommy Thumb OR Where is Thumbkin?
Read-aloud #3: Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford OR My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda
*Flannel: Five Little Polar Bears
**Fingerplay: Sometimes
Read-aloud #4: Santa Claus and the Three Bears by Maria Modugno OR/AND Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks
(Story Props: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin (Templates here))
(Dancing Song: “Doing the Penguin” from Sesame Street Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs)
CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This
OTHER BOOKS TO CONSIDER: Sergio Makes a Splash! by Edel Rodriguez; If You Were a Penguin by Wendell and Florence Minor
**Sometimes
Sometimes my hands are at my side (Hold hands at side)
Then behind my back they hide (Put hands behind back)
Sometimes I wiggle my fingers so (Wiggle your fingers)
Shake them fast, shake them slow (Shake fingers fast and slow)
Sometimes my hands go clap, clap, clap (Clap hands)
Then I rest them in my lap (Rest hands in lap)
Now they’re quiet as can be.
Because it’s listening time, you see.
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!
A festive storytime to lift the spirits!
Opening Song: If you Want to Hear a Story
Book (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
*Flannel Rhyme: Cute Little Snowman
Book: What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz
**Flannel: Rudolph! Rudolph!
Song: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Book: The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore (illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa)
Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
(Book: Just Right for Christmas by Birdie Black)
Song: Raffi’s Christmas Album (Jingle Bells) (with bells, of course!)
*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!
**Rudolph! Rudolph!
At the last Lincoln Story League meeting, Kim from Crystal Lake Public Library shared this great flannel poem she found on Pinterest from the Library Quine. The Library Quine got the poem/idea from Crafty Chic Mommy’s blog.