Storytime Setlist Updates

We've been having loads of fun with our storytime friends. We typically have 6-10 children and their caregivers. Children are ages 2-5. And here is what we have been up to...

November 12 - Rivers

We borrowed the sensory kit from IFLS and made good use of it.

-Good morning song
-On the River ABC by Carline Statson
-10 Little Alligators - I have die-cut alligators and eggs. We sang and counted forward and backward.
-Miss Juli read a book of her choice :) (I forgot what it was...)
-The Boatman's Dance by The Okee Dokee Brothers with egg shakers
-I acted out The Wide Mouthed Frog with puppets - I shook it up a bit and used a a shark, a squirrel, a bird, and Prince who likes to eat expensive and rare wide mouthed frogs.
-Poem: The Red River from River Friendly, River Wild by Jane Kurtz
-Goodbye Song and Bubbles

After storytime, I had an alligator infested obstacle course set up using the alligators and river stones from the sensory kit. They balanced from one "stone" to another. Some kids were making up their own adventures, too!

November 19 - Emergency!

-Good Morning Song
-The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak (I just had to because, you know. It's The Book with No Pictures.)
-Song: I am a Police Officer
-Book: Safe Kids - Safety on the Go
-Book: Rescue Boats by Chris Oxlade
-Song: The Wheels on the Firetruck
   Wheels go round and round
   Siren goes whooo
   Ladder goes up and down
   Hose goes whooosh
   Firefighter says "fires out"
-Book: I Drive an Ambulance by Sarah Bridges
-Goodbye Songs and Bubbles

After storytime, my friend Theresa Erbs brought her EMT and firefighting gear. She show and told the kids about it and children could take turns trying on her boots and pants. (Photos to come later... They are on my other camera!)

November 26 - Rabbits

We borrowed the rabbit kit from IFLS for today.

-Good Morning Song
-Book: Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
-Song: 5 Little Rabbits
-Book: Tom Rabbit by Martin Waddell
-Song: Rocking Rabbit
Little Rabbit in the forest green (ba dum dum dum)
Little man by the window screen (ba dum da dum)
Saw a rabbit hopping by
Knocking at his door (ba dum da dum)
"Like help! Like help!" was his plea (ba dum da dum)
'Fore the farmer exterminates me (ba dum da dum)
"Little rabbit, come inside,
Safely we will hide." (ba dum da dum)
-Book: Tops & Bottoms
-Then a rabbit puppet read a poem from the kit
-Goodbye songs and bubbles

After storytime, I used the 15 laminated rabbit pictures. I set out white board markers and tissues so the kids could draw and erase pictures on the rabbits. What fun!

December 3 - Houses

-Welcome Song
-Book: Where We Live: City Homes
-Fingerplay: Here is a nest for robin
Here is a nest for robin
Here is a hive for bee.
Here is a hole for bunny.
And here is a house for me.
From http://www.perrypubliclibrary.org/webfm_send/127
-Book: A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
-Song: Open Up the Door (made up by your's truly and to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
-Story: Do Lions Live on Lily Pads? by Melanie Walsh
-Gather around story: We looked through the book If you Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles. Laroche. They all gathered around the floor near me and we flipped through the pages and talked about what we saw.
-Goodbye Songs & Bubbles

After storytime, I set out a whole bunch of stuff: string, yarn, tape, scissors, wood blocks, egg cartons, straws, etc and let the children construct whatever they wanted.

Upcoming storytimes:
December 9 at 10:30am at Tiny Tots: Snow
December 10 at 9:30am at the Library: Winter
December 17 at 9:30am at the Library: Storytime Winter Party

Soup Storytime - November 5

A whole storytime about soup?! Yup. If I had it my way, everyone would have gone home with a bucket of my mom's homemade pea or chicken dumpling soup... And sorry about the sideways photo...

Welcome Song

Book: Tiger in My Soup


Song: I Know A Chicken by Laurie Berkner with shaker eggs













Book: Stone Soup

Song that I made up this morning because I realized my pre-planned felt activity was not exactly finished (oops):

Find a pot of water (make arms into large pot)
Add the water (pretend to pour water and make water-y noises)
Boil boil boil (wiggle arms, body)
Drop in the veggies (drop to the ground)
Measure in spices (throwing motion)
Now stir..... (spin in circle or make stirring motion with arms)
And wait (STOP! HOLD STILL!)
And stir......
And wait
(repeat for a while)
And EAT!! (eating motions and noises)

Book: A Soup Opera

Goodbye Song and Bubbles

After storytime, we played with that floam stuff.

Next week: Rivers!

Food Groups Storytime - October 15

This was so much fun!

Good Morning Song - I switched it up a bit as we used the egg shakers this time.















Book: Healthy Eating by Emily Green













Music Activity: Do You Know the Muffin Man?
First, we clicked with the stick end of rainbow wands as we sang the song's first verse. Through the second verse, we waved the wands. Repeat. Simple but fun.































Book: Even Aliens Need Snacks by Matthew McElligot

Song: Crazy Food - I got this idea from Kindergarten Magic













Interactive Story: Creepy Carrots by Aaron
Reynolds - whenever I said, "Creepy," the children could respond with "ooooohhhhh"

Poem: The Catsup Bottle - page 51 in Never Take a Pig to Lunch

Goodbye Songs & Bubbles

Playgroup: Playdoh (by popular request :) )

Scary Stories Display

This is what I have had up the past few weeks in our juvenile/young adult area: scary stories! We have seen quite a few leave it and quite quickly!

Ghosts & Ghouls Storytime - October 29

We had a large crowd for storytime this morning! What fun!

Good Morning Song

Book: The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak -- not exactly related to ghosts and ghouls, but I just HAD to!! They really got into it once they realized how silly it was and how much fun it was to respond.










Music: If You're a Monster and You Know It - like If You're Happy and You Know It.
-clap your hands
-stomp your feet
-show your fangs
-howl loud
-go sneaking
-holler "BOO!"

Book: Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara (ran out of time for Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak)

Activity: Count the pumpkins in Jenna's cauldron (21 of them)




























Book: Skeleton Hiccups

Song: Halloween Action Poem - from The Pumpkin Book by Susan Olson Higgins
Flap your wings like a big black bat,
Arch your back like a witch's cat.
Prowl around like a goblin on the town,
Dance on tiptoes like a funny, floppy clown.
Fly away on your magic broomstick,
Open your bag for a treat or a trick.
Float through the air like a ghost all about,
Now everyone together, let me hear you shout:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat by Lewis Carroll
Twinkle, twinkle little bat.
How I wonder what you're at.
Up above the world youfly,
Like a tea tray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at.

Goodbye songs but no bubbles due to the spiderweb....

Playgroup activity:
Collect the ghosts and spider off the spiderweb - Children balanced on the spiderwebs to collect the ghosts and spider, then walked to a new location and set them down so other friends on the web could collect them. I was slightly surprised how long most of the kids did this potentially never-ending activity!

Next week: Soup!

October 2015 Homeschool Club

Thanks to some pinterest inspiration, we explored 3D art and architecture.

We spent some time looking through books each kid found interesting - I pulled about 20 books regarding artists, museums, architecture, famous spaces around the world, architects, etc. They pointed out what they found appealing and what they did not.

Then we created our own 3D art using only the supplies I provided: plastic cups of paint, hot glue, CDs, wood blocks, egg cartons, and tin can tops.

Then we practiced teamwork by stacking cups WITHOUT using our hands, only string and rubber bands.

We finished up with larger-scale building and creating.

Insects Storytime - October 2

Last week, we focused our play and reading on insects! One of my favorites!

Good morning song

Book: Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Song: We used pom pom balls to sing A Fly is on My Toe

A fly is on my toe, on my toe.

A fly is on my toe, on my toe.

A fly is on my toe.

-Nose

-Leg

-Knee

-Arm

-Elbow

-Neck

-Face

-Head

-Then I did random body places, including armpit, kneepit, ankle, bellybutton.

Book: Aaaaargh! Spider! by Lydia Monks - Whenever I said, "Aaaargh! Spider!" the kids would follow with "Out You Go!"

Book: Mr. Mosquito Put on His Tuxedo by Barbara Olenyik Morrow

Felt: Bug in the Rug

Song: Ants to softly round and Round - We walked in a circle, then crawled. They enjoyed it so much we did it three or so times.

Ants go softly round and round

Shhh! Shhh!

Ants go softly round and round

Shhh! Shhhh!

Ants to softly round and round

Crawling all across the ground

getting closer to the picnic feast.

Goodbye Songs & Bubbles

Playgroup activity: Worm in the Mud painting

Family Fun Day

We sure had quite a few folks show up for our Family Fun Day! We hope everyone had a great time!
Here are some photos of what I had going on: