A Preschool Storytime: Friends

I visited a local elementary school who has a preschool program as a part of the school.  I visited a group of three or four classes in the morning, and then returned that afternoon and presented another one to a group of three or four smaller classes.  What I'm going to list is a sort of combination of what I did each time for the theme of friends!

Hello song: "My Hand Waves Hello"

Flannel board hides behind: crayons

Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock"

Book: Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles

Book: I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems

Fingerplay: "Roll, Roll, Sugarbabies"

Flannel board story made from: My Red Umbrella

This image was uploaded onto Amazon.com by Volunteers of Americas--thanks!

Flannel board story made from: A House for Birdie by Stuart Murphy

Fingerplay: "Clap Your Lap"

Prop story made from: Thank You Bear by Greg Foley

Storycards made from: Henry and Amy by Stephen Michael King

Storycards made from: Now I Eat My ABCs by Pam Abrams

Fingerplay: "Two Little Blackbirds"

Book: Big Frog Can't Fit In by Mo Willems

Goodbye song: "Goodbye, So Long, and See You Soon"

Saturday Storytime: Friends

This morning I presented a friendship-themed storytime to a group of 26; the children were on the young side, but everything went well on this dreary Saturday.

Hello song: "My Hand Waves Hello" 
     

Flannel board hides behind: Cats
          

Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock" 


Book: Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles

Prop story based on the book: Clifford's Birthday Party by Norman Bridwell

Music: "Put Your Finger On" from Feel the Music by Parachute Express

Fingerplay: "Roll, Roll, Sugarbabies" 


Flannel (Magnetic) board story based on the book:  Knock, Knock by Jan Wahl

Fingerplay: "Here is a Bunny"


Storycards: Tumble Bumble by Felicia Bond

Book: Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills

Goodbye song: "My Hands Say Thank You"

Extras:

Book: Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox

Big Book: The Cow that Went Oink by Bernard Most

A Possible Storytime: Butterflies

I haven't actually presented this storytime, but I made this list of cute butterfly books ages ago...so I thought I'd add it here.

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek

Good Night, Sweet Butterflies: a Color Dreamland by Dawn Bentley

Four Friends in the Garden by Sue Heap

Angelina and the Butterfly by Katharine Holabird

Infant lapsit storytime

This was the final storytime in the five week fall session.  Today, six moms and their babies participated in the storytime.

Opening song:  "Hello Song"


Flannel board hides behind: leaves


Mother Goose rhyme: "Little Boy Blue"

Fingerplay: "Baby a-go-go"


Book:  Mommies Say Shhh by Patricia Polacco

Music with puppets:  "If I was a Bird" by Old Town School of Folk Music from Wiggleworms Love You

Book: Peek-a-Boo Pets by Francesca Ferri


Fingerplay: "Tick Tock"


Music: "Shake Your Scarves" by Johnette Downing from The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs

Extra:  

The Knock-knock house

--playtime for 15 minutes--

Goodbye song: "Goodbye, so Long, and See You Soon"






 

Opening song: "Hi, Hello, and How are You"

(To the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down")

wave hand

Hi, hello, and how are you?

How are you?

How are you?

Hi, hello, and how are you?

How are you today?

Fingerplay: "Baby a go-go"

With baby on lap; clap on go-go

Baby a go-go
Sway

Hey-ah!
Sway to the left

Baby a go-go
Sway

Hey-ah!
Sway to the right

Baby a go, oh!
Lift baby up

Baby a go-go-go

Clap three times 

Fingerplay:  "Tick Tock"

Tick Tock, tick tock

Sway back and forth

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock

Now it's striking ___ o'clock!

Cuckoo!

Lift baby up with each cuckoo 

Song: "Goodbye, so Long, and See You Soon"

(To the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down") 
wave hand goodbye 
Goodbye, so long, and see you soon!
See you soon!
See you soon!
Goodbye, so long, and see you soon!
On a another day!

  

A Saturday Storytime: Monsters!

I presented a monster storytime this morning to a fairly small group: 17 total.  Most of the children were of barely walking age, so this was a teeny bit challenging.  This is what I presented:

Hello song: "Hi, Hello, and How are You?" 


Flannel board hides behind: Monsters


Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock" 


Book:  I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean! by Kevin Sherry

Flannel board story: Five Ugly Monsters based on the book by Tedd Arnold

Music: "The Silly Dance Contest" from The Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill

Fingerplay:  "Roll, Roll, Sugarbabies"


Flannel board story:  Ugly Fish based on the story by Karen LaReau

Fingerplay:  "Clap Your Lap"


Book:  The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Fingerplay:  "Two Little Blackbirds" 


Flannel board story:  "Build a Monster"


Goodbye Song:  "My Hands Say Thank You"

Extras:

Books:  
If You See a Kitten by John Butler

Animal Soup by Todd H Doodler

Opening song: "Hi, Hello, and How are You"

(To the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down")

wave hand

Hi, hello, and how are you?

How are you?

How are you?

Hi, hello, and how are you?

How are you today?

Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock"
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
The mouse runs up the clock
Use two fingers to run up arm
The clock strikes one
Clap once
The mouse runs down
Use two fingers to run down arm
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
The mouse runs up the clock
Use two fingers to run up arm
The clock strikes two
Clap twice
The mouse says, "whew"
wipe brow
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
The mouse runs up the clock
Use two fingers to run up arm
The clock strikes three
Clap three times
The mouse goes "whee!!"
Slide two fingers down arm
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands
The mouse runs up the clock
Use two fingers to run up arm
The clock strikes four
Clap four times
The mouse says, "no more"
wave finger
Hickory dickory dock
Tap lap, alternating hands

Fingerplay: "Roll, Roll, Sugarbabies"

Roll roll sugarbabies

spin fists in a circle in front of you

Roll roll sugarbabies

spin fists in front of you

Push!

push out

Pull!

pull inward

Clap clap clap!

clap when you say clap

(repeat as many times as desired doing it fast, slow, big, tiny, etc.)

Fingerplay: "Clap Your Lap"

Clap!

Clap hands together

Clap your lap!

Tap hands on lap

Thunder clap!

Do a huge clap using spread arms

Itty-bitty clap!

Clap index fingers together

Take a nap! 

Rest head on hands

Zap!

"Wake up" and quickly push out hands toward children

Are you awake now?

Fingerplay: "Two Little Blackbirds" (with little blackbird puppets)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill

Hold up thumbs of each hand

One named Jack

Move right thumb

One named Jill

Move left thumb

Fly away Jack

Put right thumb behind back

Fly away Jill

Put left thumb behind back

Come back Jack

Bring back right thumb to front

Come back Jill

Bring back left thumb to front

Now let's pretend they're sitting on a cloud!

Hold up thumbs above head

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud

Hold up thumbs of each hand above head

(whisper) One named Soft

Move left thumb

(shout) ONE NAMED LOUD!

Move right thumb

(whisper) Fly away Soft

Put right thumb behind back

(shout) FLY AWAY LOUD

Put left thumb behind back

(whisper) Come back Soft

Bring back right thumb to front

(shout) COME BACK LOUD

Bring back left thumb to front

Now let's pretend they're sitting on a row instead

Hold thumbs of each hand low, near your lap

Two little blackbirds sitting in a row

Move thumbs of each hand

One named Fast

Move right thumb

(speak sloooowly) And one named Slow

Move thumb of left hand

Fly away Fast!

Move thumb of right hand really fast behind back

(speak sloooowly) Fly away Slow

Move thumb of left hand really slowly behind back

Come back Fast

Move thumb of right hand really fast back to front

(speak sloooowly) Come back Slow

Move thumb of left hand really slowly back to front

Goodbye Song: "My Hands Say Thank You"

My hand says thank you with a clap clap clap!

Clap hands when you say clap

My feet say thank you with a tap tap tap!

Tap feet when you say tap

Clap clap clap!

Clap hands when you say clap

Tap tap tap!

Tap feet when you say tap

Do a turn!

Turn around

Take a bow!

Bow

(repeat if desired)

Infant Lapsit Storytime

I presented an infant lapsit storytime a few weeks ago--I haven't had time to add it here until now.  Here's what I did for the 8 adults with their 8 babies:

Opening song:  "Hello Song" 


Flannel board hides behind:  ducks

Fingerplay: "Baby a-go-go" 


Mother Goose rhyme: "Little Bo Peep"

Book: One Bear, One Dog by Paul Stickland

Fingerplay: "Icky Bicky Soda Cracker" 


Book:  I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy

Puppets:  Who's in the Tree 


Song: "Shake Your Scarves" by Johnette Downing from the cd The Second Line: Scarf Activity Songs

--15 minutes of playtime-- 


Goodbye song:  "Goodbye, So Long, and See You Soon"

A Saturday Storytime: Winter in July

I redid some of the things presented at the Winter in July Pajama Storytime, but some things were new.  A surprising 32 people were there this morning!

Hello song: "My Hand Waves Hello" 

     

Flannel board hides behind: Snow People

            

Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock" 

Book:  Snow Friends by M. Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton

Song: "The Silly Dance Contest" from The Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill

Fingerplay: "Clap Your Lap"

Prop story based on the book The Mitten by Jan Brett

Fingerplay:  "Roll, Roll, Sugarbabies"

 

Storycards based on the book Marmalade's Snowy Day by Cindy Wheeler

Marmalade's Snowy Day is an old book whose cover is no longer available, so here is Marmalade in the fall instead

Fingerplay: "Two Little Blackbirds"

 

Flannel board story based on a winter weather poem

Goodbye song:  "My Hands Say Thank You"

Extras:

Books:

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

The Snowmen Pop-up Book by Caralyn and Mark Buehner

Snow Magic by Harriet Ziefert

Flannel board story made from ten red mittens

Storycards made from various winter poems

A Pajama Storytime

A partner and I presented a pajama storytime yesterday night.  Historically, these haven't been the best attended, but we ended up with 20 children/adults.  Our theme was winter in July...a theme that I will revisit this Saturday when I present storytime solo--but I'll use some of the items we didn't use last night.

Hello song:  "My Hand Waves Hello"   


Flannel board hides behind: Snow people

Fingerplay: "Hickory Dickory Dock"    


Book:  Snappy Little Snowtime by Dugald Steer

 

Prop Story: Mixing Up Winter
 

Music: "The Beanie Bag Dance" (with beanbags) from Kids in Action by Greg and Steve


   

Fingerplay:  "Clap Your Lap"         

Prop story based on the book The Mitten by Jan Brett  


 

Flannelboard story (with music):  Bert in Winter Clothes ("All Dressed Up" from Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits)
   

Fingerplay: "Roll, Roll Sugarbabies "   


Goodbye song: "My Hands Say Thank You"