Outreach Storytime: 3/24

I do a regularly scheduled (sometimes twice monthly and sometimes just monthly) at a local business that we’ve partnered with. For these storytimes geared towards ages 3-6, I’ve thrown out themes! I’m just reading favorites books, new books that strike my fancy, and doing favorite flannels/props/activities. Materials starred are the ones used at the storytime. Other than this difference, I’ll report on these like I do with all of my other storytimes.

The Plan

Books

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas*
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell*
If You’re Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera*
It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle*
Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Down Around the Corner”

Flannelboard: “Great Hot Air Balloon Race”*

Prop Sticks: “Baa Baa Black Sheep”

Puppets: “Old MacDonald”

Puppets: “Two Little Bears”*
Two little bears sat on a hill, (hold up two fingers)
One named Jack and one named Jill. (wiggle each finger)
Run away, Jack; run away, Jill, (put fingers behind your back)
Come back, Jack; come back, Jill. (bring fingers back)
Credit: Childhood

Action Rhyme: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”*
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes
Two eyes, two ears, a mouth and a nose
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes
Credit: Childhood

Fingerplay: “Where Is Thumbkin?”
Where is thumbkin? Where is thumbkin? (put hands behind back)
Here I am! Here I am! (bring hands around from behind the back)
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you! (wiggle thumbs, one at a time)
Run away, run away! (hide hands behind back again)
Credit: Childhood

How It Went

If you’ve never done It’s a Tiger! with a group of preschoolers, you are MISSING OUT. They scream and run and climb and hide and it’s truly the best thing in the world. Doing “The Great Hot Air Balloon” in an outreach storytime was difficult since I didn’t know every child’s name. I wound up having them make a line to roll the dice and we had one toddler who kept stealing the die from everyone else. Not good. I will probably keep participation flannels at the library from now on.