Tools!

The Plan

Books

I Love Tools! by Philemon Sturges
The Magic Toolbox by Mie Araki
Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman
Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia
Whose Tools Are These? by Sharon Katz Cooper

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Toolbox Match-Up”

Song: “Construction Worker Song”
This is the way we pound our nails, pound our nails, pound our nails
This is the way we pound our nails, so early in the morning
(Saw the wood, turn the screwdriver, drill a hole, stack the bricks, stir the paint, paint the walls)
Credit: Everything Preschool

Action Rhyme: “Dump Truck”
Dump truck, dump truck, bumpin’ down the road (bounce throughout)
Spillin’ gravel as you travel with your heavy load
Bumpety bumpety bump
Dump truck, dump truck, dump truck, DUMP! (tip)
Credit: Perry Public Library

Action Rhyme: “Johnny Works With One Hammer”
Johnny works with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer
Johnny works with one hammer, and then he works with two
(Two hammers – both fists on legs; Three hammers – both fists on legs and one foot on the floor; Four hammers – both fists on legs and both feet on the floor; Five hammers – both fists on legs, both feet on floor and nod head up and down; “And then he goes to sleep!”)
Credit: Mrs. Hegna’s Storyroom

Fingerplay: “Noisy Nails”
I use my hammer and five nails (hold up five fingers)
That’s too noisy, my neighbor yells (yell)
I’ll hammer them now before it’s night (pretend to hammer)
And to my neighbor, I’ll be polite! (bow)
Credit: Everything Preschool

Craft

This idea came from Mrs. Hegna’s Storyroom and the pattern came from the book: “Ready-To-Go Storytimes.” My teens cut out the tools and tool belts; kids decorated with crayons and foam stickers.

How It Went

This was a very funny storytime. I picked the theme after several friends had done it because I’m still a mostly boys storytime group (though the demographics are changing a bit as of very recent storytimes!). I knew that the kids would really respond to this theme and I was right. Their favorite book was “I Love Tools,” although the parents thought “Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop” was hysterical — mostly because I sung it and somehow remembered all the sounds for all the tools correctly while they kept tripping up. Craft went over just as well and many of the kids walked out wearing their tool belts!