Being Brave AND Feelings

Being Brave Storytime (from a while ago... oopsie)

For this storytime, we borrowed the Being Brave kit from IFLS.

We had our good morning song.

Book: When Lions Roar by Robie H Harris

Felt: Rhyming Dust Bunnies (see picture below)

Book: My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza

Book: Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Song: Squirrel, Squirrel (we sang this song at the Girl Scout Camp I went to and worked at - always a favorite) which we sang about 3 times.

Squirrel, squirrel shake your bushy tail.
Squirrel, squirrel shake your bushy tail.
Wrinkle up your nose and crinkle up your toes.
Squirrel, squirrel shake your bushy tail.

Book: Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

Goodbye Songs and Bubbles

For Playgroup, I had a balancing obstacle course set up, set out the dust bunnies, and we also made shoebox paintings with rocks, paint, paper, and a shoebox.

Feelings Storytime

A kit from IFLS was borrowed this week, as well.

Good morning song

Book: Hug Machine by Scott Campbell

Felt: Go Away, Big Green Monster - each child brought up part of the face when it was their turn

Puppet: I told David Ezra Stein's story, Pouch, using the puppets.

Game: Pass the Face 

We sat in a circle semi-circle. I showed a silly face to the child next to me. They copied me and passed the face on to the next person, continuing around the circle down the line. They quite enjoyed this game!

 Song: Old MacDonald Had Some Feelings -
Instead of singing about the animals, we sang about his feelings. I completely stole this idea from Jill Patchin at LE Phillips Memorial Public Library and used their wheel die cut machine. (Thanks, Jill!)



















We ran out of time for Drum Dream Girl, which I kinda expected but had it there anyway.

Goodbye Song and Bubbles

For playgroup, I had playdoh, our mini "post office," the kangaroo puppets, and the big green monster puppet set out.

Next week: Woodland Creatures!

April 29 is our final spring 2015 storytime. Storytime will resume in June. Don't stay away, though! Playgroup will continue through the month of May at 10am. I will continue to have on your own and lightly guided activities for your families to explore.

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

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!