The Plan
Books
Into the Outdoors by Susan Gal
Maisy Goes Camping by Lucy Cousins
Scare a Bear by Kathy-Jo Wargin
Sheep Take a Hike by Nancy Shaw
Extension Activities
Flannelboard: “Campfire Hokey Pokey”
You put your marshmallow in, you take your marshmallow out
You put your marshmallow in and you shake it all about
You do the campfire pokey and you turn yourself about,
That’s what it’s all about!
(Other verses include hotdog, potato, popcorn, etc.)
Flannelboard: “Five Little Kernels”
Five little kernels sizzling in the pot
All of a sudden, one went POP!
(Countdown)
Action Rhyme: “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”
We’re going on a bear hunt (We’re going on a bear hunt)
Gonna catch a big one (Gonna catch a big one)
I’m not scared (I’m not scared)
What a beautiful day! (What a beautiful day!)
Oh look! It’s some long, wavy grass!
Can’t go under it (Can’t go under it)
Can’t go over it (Can’t go over it)
Can’t go around it (Can’t go around it)
Gotta go through it (Gotta go through it!)
(Trees, River, Storm, Cave, etc. until you meet a bear; then run back!)
Credit: Library School
Fingerplay: “Here is the Camper”
Here is the camper (hold up finger)
Here is the tent (bend fingers of other hand like tent)
He crawls inside on a summer night (finger goes under)
Fireflies flicker in a friendly way (flicker your hands)
All is calm till the light of day (head on folded hands)
Credit: Sturgis Kids
Song: “Twinkle Twinkle”
Craft
This was another pre-packaged craft from Oriental Trading. I had a lot of sibling sets at storytime, and this was definitely a reach for the youngest kids, so I would suggest it for preschool storytime and up. Luckily, I had some great moms who let their little ones make whatever kind of mishmash campfire they wanted!
How It Went
I wasn’t sure how this theme would work, because I honestly wasn’t sure if any of my kids had ever been camping. Luckily, lots of kids HAD been camping! I started with “Into the Outdoors” which turned out to be a great primer for those who hadn’t gone camping before. “Going on a Bear Hunt” was a RIDICULOUS good time!! I already made a flannelboard to go with it because I know I will be repeating it. The transition between “Maisy Goes Camping” and “Five Little Kernels” was amazingly (not planned) fluid since Maisy and her friends pop out of their tent and that’s the sound that popcorn makes! This was, overall, just a wonderful amazing storytime and a great send-off as I got ready to go to ALA Annual.
storytime katie 
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[…] my storytime kids enjoyed “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” so much in my camping storytime, I knew I needed to make some flannel pieces so that we could do it again. Luckily, Sarah’s […]
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[…] out of paper, and we all gathered around the fire to sing “The Campfire Pokey,” from Storytime Katie, […]
[…] FINGERPLAY: “Here Is the Camper”Credit: Storytime Katie […]
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