Families: Balloons & Bubbles

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

bubblesandballoons

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett Krosoczka*
Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy
It’s Tough to Lose Your Balloon by Jarrett Krosoczka
Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid*

Early Literacy Tip
Help your children see shapes all around them, even if they are not standard shapes like circles, triangles, and squares. Even babies can see shapes! Shapes are the precursors to letters!

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Yo Gabba Gabba Music Is Awesome!*

Featured Track: #13 Bubbles*

Flannelboard: “Five Bubbles”

Flannelboard: “The Great Hot Air Balloon Race”

Props: Bubble Machine

Repeating Extension Activities

I had lots of back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I starred which ones I used in this storytime:

  • Ants Go Marching
  • Five Little Monkeys Swinging From a Tree
  • Green Says Go*
  • Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
  • If You’re Happy and You Know It
  • Pat-a-Cake
  • Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
  • Two Little Blackbirds
  • Way Up High in the Apple Tree

How It Went

I was pretty terrified to let the large group of kids each have a turn to roll the dice for “The Great Hot Air Balloon Race”, but they were amazing and patient and all took their turns. I did have a few very small toddlers who loved to pick up the dice and bring it to me, but since we do so much passing in/out at our storytimes they are always prepared to give it back to Miss Katie. Our music CD started skipping at the beginning of class, but thankfully our track was working fine. The favorite book of the day was definitely Bubble Bath Pirates!

December 17, 2015 2 Comments Short URLFamily Storytime

Shake, Shimmy, & Dance: 9/14

It’s back to school and back to the monthly format for Shake, Shimmy, & Dance

shakeshimmyanddance

The Plan

musicclasstoday
Book
Music Class Today! by David Weinstone
If you lead a music and movement program, you need to get your hands on this book! It talks about all that goes on during a music class: shaker eggs, rhythm sticks, scarves, singing, dancing, etc. I chose to read it at this particular session because I always get a different crowd during the school year than I do during the summer. This crowd tends to be younger and this book has a wonderful reassuring refrain about deciding when YOU (the child) wants to join in. The kids who were familiar with the format of my program just acted out the book with me.

Props
Shaker Eggs!

The Playlist

Hello & How Are You? — Old Town School of Folk Music
Sunny Day — Elizabeth Mitchell
Get Your Move On — Mr. Jon & Friends
Rocketship Run — Laurie Berkner
Silly Dance Contest — Jim Gill
I Can Shake My Shaker Egg — The Learning Groove
We’re Going to the Market — Kathy Reid-Naiman
Shake Your Sillies Out — The Wiggles
Shake Hands With Friends — Ella Jenkins

How It Went

This was a great “opening” session. I had so many friends from the summer come back and I made so many new friends too! Our most successful song for today was definitely “Rocketship Run”. I had a lot of toddlers and older babies in this class and it works both as a great lift song and a great jumping song for preschoolers. I did wind up skipping “Silly Dance Contest” because we were running short on time and that song works much better with older kids.

(For an example of the Powerpoint and handouts that I made for each Shake, Shimmy please visit the original post.)

December 16, 2015 2 Comments Short URLMusic and Movement

Toddlers: Hide & Seek

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

hideandseek

Hide and Seek by Il Sung Na
Peek-a-Zoo by Marie Cimarusti Torres**
Where’s Lenny? by Ken Wilson-Max**
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill**

Early Literacy Tip
By developing an awareness of the designs and shapes that bodies can make as well as where the bodies are in space, children also gain an awareness of others and the world around them.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Wiggleworms Love You***

Featured Track: #29 Peek-a-Boo (twice with scarves)***

Flannelboard: “Dear Zoo”***

Flannelboard: “The Shape Game”**

Repeating Extension Activities

  • Elevator Song***
  • Everyone Can March*
  • This Is Big, Big, Big***
  • Thumbkin*
  • Wiggle Your Fingers & Stomp Your Feet*

How It Went

Tuesday morning
This group couldn’t get enough of Where’s Spot?. It was like there were watching live news coverage and couldn’t turn off the TV until Spot was found. (Okay, that might have been a really bad analogy, but there you have it.) They also really enjoyed when I hid the dog from my “Dear Zoo” flannelboard under the shapes and let them guess where it was!

Thursday morning (9:30)
I did this storytime with Where’s Lenny? and Peek-a-Zoo. I loved watching their reactions and hearing their animal noises during Peek-a-Zoo! This class has several patrons with multiple kids under age two and they were SO EXCITED to hear that I will be doing a new storytime this winter for siblings since our baby and toddler programs are marked “no siblings, please” for fire code.

Thursday morning (10:30)
Oh, “Elevator Song”, I pledge my undying and never fading love to you. You magically bring every toddler to their caregiver in under two seconds and then reward me with excited squeals, happy faces, and tons of laughter. May I never forget the words to you, oh “Elevator Song.” This group also loved Where’s Spot? and I might need to add it to my personal storytime collection!

December 15, 2015 0 Comments Short URLToddler Storytime

Flannel Friday: Five Hungry Ants

A very out-of-place summertime & bug flannelboard today:

Rhyme: “Five Hungry Ants”
Five hungry ants, marching in a line,
Came upon a picnicwhere they could dine.
They marched into the salad,they marched into the cake,
They marched into the pepper….uh oh, that was a mistake!
AHHHH-CHOOO!
(count down)
Credit: Miss Mary Liberry

I made this using a clip art template for my ant. I blew it up in Publisher to get the right size. I used pipe cleaners (attached with hot glue) to make the antennae.

This was made for bugs storytime after it was such a success as a fingerplay in picnic storytime.

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Lisa is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

December 11, 2015 2 Comments Short URLFlannels

Colors & Shapes!

The Plan

Books

colorsshapes

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
Little Green Peas by Keith Baker
Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin
My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
Round Like a Ball by Lisa Campbell Ernest

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear”

Flannelboard: “The Shape Game”

Flannelboard: “The Shape Story”

Prop: Song Cube

Song: “Driving Round In My Car”
Driving round in my little red car
Driving round in my little red car
Driving round in my little red car
Zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom
(Go through red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Credit: Childhood

Song: “I Can See Shapes” (Tune: London Bridge)
I can see a circle shape, circle shape, circle shape
I can see a circle shape, how about you?
(Little square, triangle, rectangle, diamond)
Credit: The Story Place

How It Went

Site Information
At this location, I do two storytimes and each group has their own theme/storytime. Today’s group was the toddler, two-year-old, & three-year-old classrooms. I read to 46 people total over the two storytimes.

Topic
This particular facility selects themes for me to do ahead of time to tie into their curriculum.

Preschool 1 (Outside)
This was an interesting storytime. During storytime, the test siren alarm went off (as it’s scheduled to in Illinois — the first Tuesday of every month) and after that the kids were GONE. I did get through Color Zoo and Round Like a Ball before the sirens and they enjoyed those. The flannels and songs did hold their attention through the end of our time together though!

Preschool 2 & Toddlers (Inside)
My younger group really liked doing “Brown Bear” as a flannelboard. They had read the story in their classroom earlier in the week and were great at predicting where the story was going to go! Their favorite book was My Heart is Like a Zoo since they were great at animal identification!

December 9, 2015 0 Comments Short URLOutreach Storytime

Flannel Friday: Five Snowmen

A winter-y wonderland for today’s Flannel Friday!

2015/01/img_0767-0.jpg

I used this in Snowmen themed storytime. I didn’t make the sled in time for the storytime and still haven’t made one!

“Five Snowmen Riding on a Sled”
Five snowmen riding on a sled
One fell off and bumped his head
Frosty called the doctor and the doctor said
No more snowmen riding on that sled
(Continue in this fashion until you get to zero)
Credit: Preschool Music & Education

I also used these snowmen last winter in Hats, Mittens, & Scarves storytime. Originally, the snowmen had black hats. I peeled those off and updated with the brightly colors hats and scarves. I sewed the buttons on to match and asked the kids to help me match up the scarves and mittens in a discussion game. They had a great time!

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Mollie is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

December 4, 2015 2 Comments Short URLFlannels

Families: Teeth

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

teeth

Clarabella’s Teeth by An Vrombaut*
I Will Chomp You! by Jory John & Bob Shea*
Maisy, Charley, and the Wobbly Tooth by Lucy Cousins

Early Literacy Tip
Using music during every-day routines makes them more enjoyable. If your child does not like brushing their teeth, sing a song to help pass the time! Try “The Goldfish” like we sang in class today.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Best of the Laurie Berkner Band*

Featured Track: #13 The Goldfish*

Flannelboard: “Go Away Big Green Monster”

Flannelboard: “Tooth Fairy”*

Props: “Five Little Monkeys Swinging”*

Repeating Extension Activities

I had lots of back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I starred which ones I used in this storytime:

  • Ants Go Marching
  • Five Little Monkeys Swinging From a Tree
  • Green Says Go
  • Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
  • If You’re Happy and You Know It*
  • Pat-a-Cake
  • Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
  • Two Little Blackbirds
  • Way Up High in the Apple Tree

How It Went

This was an awesome week of stories. “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree” is a magical, magical rhyme. I showed the monkeys afterwards (since I’m doing all ages and we have some toddlers and younger kids in the audience) to make sure the little kids were good. Both books were really well-received, but the best part of storytime was singing along and dancing to the “The Goldfish”. I’ve done that song so often with the kids in “Shake, Shimmy, & Dance” that they know exactly what to do when they hear it start up!

December 3, 2015 2 Comments Short URLFamily Storytime

Shake, Shimmy, & Dance: 8/3

During the summer, we’ve switched to a weekly format again! I’m packing in between 60-120 people in a room and we are DANCING ourselves silly!

shakeshimmyanddance

The Plan

howcanyoudance
Book
How Can You Dance? by Rick Walton
I picked another repeat for this last week of Shake, Shimmy, and Dance. “How Can You Dance?” is always a crowd pleaser and I’m happy to report that it remained a hit in this week’s session. I love seeing the kids follow the actions in the book, but if I’m pressed to confess, I might enjoy watching the parents more.

Props
Parachute!

The Playlist

Hello & How Are You? — Old Town School of Folk Music
If You’re Happy and You Know It — Mr. Jon & Friends
Tricky Way — Emmy Brockman
Let’s Dance Now — Jim Gill
Rolling Ball — The Learning Groove
Fast and Slow — Laurie Berkner
Popcorn — Laura Doherty
Shake Hands With Friends — Ella Jenkins

How It Went

I saved our most challenging prop (the parachute) and a most challenging dance (“Tricky Way”) for the last session of SSD this summer. My group handled them both beautifully. The last session is always bittersweet and this was no exception. I’m saying goodbye to kiddos who are starting full-time school or going to preschool or moving away. Luckily, we went out on a high note with an excellent SSD line-up.

(For an example of the Powerpoint and handouts that I made for each Shake, Shimmy please visit the original post.)

December 2, 2015 2 Comments Short URLMusic and Movement

Flannel Friday: Eight (Nine, Really) Planets

An out-of-this-world flannel!

I originally made this laminated flannelboard at my old library. I don’t know where the pieces went in the moving process. (I honestly think I left behind nearly all of the laminated flannels in a file cabinet I didn’t clean out in time.)

Anyways, I used it in Number Nine! storytime and then re-made it this summer to use in outreach Space! storytime. I did make Pluto because we were having storytime on the day that Pluto pictures were revealed (!!!) and I wanted to talk about that. This is just a discussion based ordering flannel. No special rhymes!

The new set features clip art from Etsy shop JWIllustrations.

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There is no round-up today due to the holiday, but I made a resolution to post EVERY Friday this year and I’m keeping it! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

November 27, 2015 4 Comments Short URLFlannels

Books!

The Plan

Books

books

Book Book Book by Deborah Bruss
Elephant’s Story by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn
Maybe a Bear Ate It! by Robie H. Harris & Michael Emberley
My Book Box by Will Hillenbrand

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Five Little Books”

Flannelboard: “Letter Puzzles”

Puppets: “Five Little Monkeys”

Prop: Song Cube

Song: “If You Want to Read a Book” (Tune: If You’re Happy)
If you want to read a book, clap your hands
If you want to read a book, clap your hands
If you want to read a book, if you want to read a book,
If you want to read a book, clap your hands
(stomp your feet, shout hooray, do all three)
Credit: Modified from childhood

How It Went

Site Information
At this location, I do two storytimes and each group has their own theme/storytime. I actually had the classrooms split and I did one preschool outside and the other preschool with a toddler group inside their classroom. Previously, I had done all three groups at once.

Topic
This particular facility selects themes for me to do ahead of time to tie into their curriculum.

Preschool 1 (Outside)
This was a beautiful summer day, not too hot or windy, and the site has a canopy over their outdoor space so the kids and I were in the shade. With my first group (which is older than my second group), I read Elephant’s Story, Maybe a Bear Ate It, and Lola Loves Stories. Their favorite story was >em>Maybe a Bear Ate It. I had a great transition from Elephant’s Story to “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree” since there’s a alligator crocodile in the book.

Preschool 2 & Toddlers (Inside)
My second storytime was more basic: Book, Book, Book, My Book Box and Lola Loves Stories. This set of kiddos really enjoyed Book, Book, Book since we made animal noises throughout the book with the story. I didn’t do the Letter Puzzle with this group because they are so much younger and might not have all the vocabulary that makes that activity so much fun.

November 25, 2015 0 Comments Short URLOutreach Storytime

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