Storytime and Social Hour are Back! Today: Animals

We re-opened storytime and social hour with animals. We talked a bit about the new Storybook Trail at Beaver Creek Reserve, which inspired many of the social hour activities after storytime.

New Welcome Song: (adapted from JBrary found here)
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together the happier we'll be.
For your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends.
The more we get together the happier we'll be.

The more we read together, together, together
The more we read together the happier we'll be.
Read big books and small books read short books and tall books
The more we read together the happier we'll be.

The more we sit together, together, together
The more we sit together the happier we'll be.
Sit down with your friends and stay til the end
The more we sit together the happier we'll be.

Book: What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot

Song with shaker eggs: Laurie Berkner's "I Know a Chicken"


















Book: Little Mouse by Alison Murray

Fingerplay/Song: 5 Jungle Monkeys by Colleen and Uncle Squaty













Book: The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga

Song: I can sound Like ...
(using my tree see in picture... i rotate the animal by spinning the circle)

Goodbye Song: You Are My Sunshine (adapted from the traditional)
NEW! I'M PLAYING MY UKE WHILE WE SING THE SONG!!
You are my sunshine my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are grey.
You'll never know dear how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

You are all special so very special.
You're growing up every day.
You're learning lots and making friends.
Please come back again to play.

(We ran out of time for The Busy Tree.)

Social Hour Activities:

Follow the Animal Tracks - I taped animal footprints down, starting from the same table. Follow the tracks to see which animal left them.

Pretend to be an animal and read books about animals together...or check them out.

Pretend to be an animal who burrows underground.


















Next Week: Being Brave and a special visit from Family Resource Center Playgroup Coordinator, Sharon Ivers!

Remember, all ages and abilities are welcome at Storytime and Social Hour. We look forward to meeting you!

Mice Are Nice Storytime - April 1

No April Fools today... just some cute little mice.

Good Morning Song

Book: I Miss You Mouse by Greg Foley













Felt/Fingerplay: 10 Little Mice











Book: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Song: The Old Gray Cat (from Very Ready Reading Program manual)
The old gray cat is sleeping, sleeping, sleeping.
The old gray cat is sleeping in the house.
The little mice are creeping, creeping, creeping.
The little mice are creeping through the house.
The old gray cat is waking, waking, waking.
The old gray cat is waking in the house.
The old gray cat is chasing, chasing, chasing.
The old gray cat is chasing through the house.
All the mice are squealing, squealing, squealing.
All the mice are squealing through the house.

Felt story: Adapted from Little Mouse's Big Secret - I handed out the animals (except the mouse) and then I told the story. The children quickly caught on to "It's my secret and I'll never tell."








Book: Mouse Paint

Song: 3 White Mice (also from Very Ready Reading Program Manual)
(tune of 3 Blind Mice)
3 white mice, 3 white mic,
See how they dance, see how they dance.
They danced around for the farmer's wife.
Who played for them on a silver fife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life
As 3 white mice?

Goodbye Songs and Bubbles.

For storytime, I left Little Mouse's Big Secret out. We also did chalk+water drawing. I also made felt play of Mouse Count - 10 mice, a snake, and a cup as props that they could play with and tell the story with their caregivers.

 Next Week: Feelings!

Birds Storytime - March 11

Thanks to Indianhead Federated Library System for the use of the birds kit.

Welcome Song - we used some shakers, also borrowed from IFLS. Instead of placing our hands on different parts of our body, we shook the instruments near them.











Book: 5 Little Ducks by Raffi












Puppets: 3 Little Birds - I used the adorable and soft nest & bird puppet. The poem/fingerplay is my own creation.

Movement: I'm a Duck - we practiced the actions then sang the song a few times.

Book: Henny Penny by Jane Wattenberg

Movement: This is the Way. . . I turned it into a sort of "Workin On the Railroad" type of song.

Book: Shhh! We have a Plan by Chris Haughton

Poem: Birdseed by Brod Bagert

Goodbye Song & Bubbles










For playgroup, we made birds by spreading paint around with a fork. SUPER CUTE. I saw the idea here. They did the painting and google eyes here and I told them they could create more details at home, like a beak or feet or a nest.

I also set out some tile letters, the birds & next puppets, and the finger mitt for 5 Little Ducks.

Next Week: Barnyard Tales!

Dogs Storytime

Due to time constraints, no photos today. My apologies.

I again borrowed a kit from IFLS. The BINGO mitt and dogs puppets are in it, along with many other items we did not have time to use.

Welcome Song (YAY! We were able to hear and sing along with my computer. Thank you, again, families for your patience as I searched for my extension cord.)

Book: Time for Bed, Fred by Yasmeen Ismail

Fingerplay: BINGO on hand mitt, which was available for kids to play with during Playgroup

Book: Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Movement Activity: Let's learn dog tricks! I used the die cut machine at LE Phillips Library to cut out dog shapes. On each dog, I wrote a different dog trick. The kids took turns drawing a dog from the bucket and we all practiced that trick. Examples: lay down, play dead, sit, shake, beg, bark, howl, roll over....

Book: Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh

Goodbye songs and Bubbles

During playgroup, the mitt and dog puppets were available. The Pizza Parlor, Jack & the Beanstalk activity, and dollhouse have been incredibly popular so I did not get any other new activities out for today.

Next time: Black & White Storytime! Come play shadow puppets during Playgroup!

Zoo Storytime February 18

Had the whiteboard again - make a line and count how many people are here.

-Welcome Song
-Book: An Octopus Followed Me Home by Dan Yaccarino

-Parachute games and activities - We played popcorn with fingerpuppet animals. Then we sang this song:
In the jungle there's a monkey
Dancing to this groovy beat
All he wants is ripe bananas
All he wants is mango treats
So jump out
And jump in.
 We repeated it multiple times.





Book: Monkey & Me by Emily Gravett

Activity: Mimicking - I discussed this word and then we played Monkey See, Monkey Do. They copied random action I did.

-Song: Five Little Elephants Jumping On the Bed - I passed out our elephant puppet heads. You stick your arm in the hole to be the trunk. I mixed up the song so the elephants jumped, danced, swayed, stomped, etc on the bed.










Goodbye Song and Bubbles.

For Playgroup, I set out Pentominoes, the animal fingerpuppets, the big book Who Is the Beast?, and of course all the usual stuff that is always set out, including some new stuff!

 

Next Week: Dogs!

Storytime February 11 - Caldecott Winners & Honors ONLY!

Today we focused solely on children's book that have received a Caldecott award or honorable mention. It was fun thinking up different activities to go along with the books, too! Again, I had the "how many people are there?" white board.






Welcome Song:  Moving Hands from Very Ready Reading Program

Book: First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

 Song: I got out the fishsticks... I mean fish on sticks... And we danced to part of Fish in the Sea by Dana McCarthy. We listened to the same part a few different times, making the fish do different fishy sounds and movements.

Book: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Then we acted out Stone Soup. Each kid was given two different items for the pot. I ripped up paper for water and milk.

Book: Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

I ran out of time for a Song of the Boatman poem, which I thought might happen so that's okay.

Then we did our goodbye songs and bubbles.

For playgroup, I had the voting board, draw/tell yourself in a story (like in Interrupting Chicken), and the number pebbles.

 Next Week: Zoo Animals!

Congrats to this year's Caldecott Winner!!!

Storytime is BACK :) And so is playgroup! Setlist from February 4

Today, I borrowed a large motor kit and the Noisy Stories kit from IFLS. Our kids always love the added props that I don't have time to make or don't have the funds to purchase.


I now have a "sign in" graph for kids to practice making marks and counting. Right now I have them making lines. After a few weeks, I will change to completing a circle or something like that. Then I will change it again.















We have a new welcome song. It is Moving Hands from Very Ready Reading Program. It moves quickly and will provide a joyful challenge for some kids. I think it is already a hit - they smiled through the whole thing.

Book: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Song: Bingo












Book: Bob by Pearson. I used the rooster puppet from the IFLS kit. The kids helped me make the animal noises.

Music: 5 Bears in the Bed from Very Ready Reading Program music CD. I handed out egg shakers for this song. We rolled our arms or twirled. When a bear fell out of bed, we shook the egg shakers high up in the air down to the ground. Nobody dropped them! :)

Book: Wiggle Waggle by Jonathan London - Used the beanbags from the IFLS kit. Of course we acted it out.











Fingerplay: Old MacDonald with the finger mitt. Here a mom and child are playing with it during Playgroup afterwards.

















Afterward, everyone could vote for their favorite story.












During playgroup, there were the storytime mitt, BINGO, scarves and eggs, and Dinosaur Vs. _______ out (see below) for them to explore. Of course, there is always our regular play items, dollhouse, and the puppets.

Poor picture - camera decided to clunk out on me so I had to use my computer. Anyway.... I display the completed drawings that are left in the basket, although I know some go home :)

I have Bob Shea's books on display, too.

Next Week: Caldecott Winners!