storytime katie

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

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems**
Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley*
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won***
Thank You Bear by Greg Foley

Early Literacy Tip

Identifying different feelings helps build vocabulary and social/emotional skills.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Go Away, Big Green Monster”***

Flannelboard: “Thanks a Lot”***

Repeating Extension Activities

• The Elevator Song***
• Open, Shut Them**
• Put Your Hands Up High*
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear***
• This Is Big***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
The last storytime in a session is always a little sad, with kids “graduating” to the next level up. Somehow, I held it together and managed not to cry during “Thanks A Lot” which always makes me tear up a little bit. I had a parent thank me afterwards for doing “Go Away, Big Green Monster” since their child has been having difficulties with being scared at night. She loved the “go away!” as a coping skill.

Tuesday afternoon
This group loved telling The Pigeon “NOOO!” And the kids doing “Teddy Bear” was the cutest thing I had seen all week. But the best part was when a mom came up after storytime and asked me if I made all the flannelboards. She loved “Thanks A Lot” and I was able to give her the link to Mel’s Desk for the template!

Thursday morning
“Hooray for Hat!” is the best book ever. Everyone participated so enthusiastically by cheering along. This time, I did get a little mushy during “Thanks A Lot”, but I managed to wipe the tear when I was changing flannel pieces and I don’t think anyone noticed. Lastly, this group was nothing but Pigeon’s sympathizers — they kept saying “yes!”

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

About a Bear by Holly Surplice***
Baby Bear’s Chairs by Jane Yolen
Bears in the Bath by Shirley Parenteau**
Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson*

Early Literacy Tip

Learning through play is relaxed, fun, and creative. Through “Sleepy Bear”, children are learning to take turns and follow directions.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear”**

Flannelboard: “Ten Teddy Bears”***

Puppet: “Sleepy Bear”**
(Tune: “Thumbkin”)
Where is bear? Where is bear?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
(Have kids shout “WAKE UP BEAR” to do the song again.)
Credit: Preschool Education Music & Songs : Animals > Winter

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

Song: “If You’re a Bear and You Know It”***
If you’re a panda bear and you know it, clap your paws
If you’re a polar bear and you know it, show your teeth
If you’re a grizzly bear and you know it, growl real loud
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

• Dance Your Fingers Up**
• Open, Shut Them***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
It was a hectic storytime this morning because of Veteran’s Day. I had several visiting siblings in the group and that always changes the group dynamic. Puppets were really engaging today (I had a set for “Two Little Bears” and one big one for “Sleepy Bear” — the kids were mesmerized.

Tuesday afternoon
This was a hard storytime because I only had one family (with two kids) show up. We went through the activities so fast and I felt like I was stretching to keep them entertained for the whole thirty minutes. But! This little boy has struggled so hard to open up and enjoy himself and this week, he had a breakthrough. Patience is so important!

Thursday morning
The kids in this class have our opening and closing routine down perfectly at this point in the seven week session. Also, this class had a lot of great parent involvement which I always love to see. “Brown Bear” became a chant during the flannelboard as nearly every caregiver joined in. The only downside is that there were a lot of sniffly noses. It’s getting to be cold season!

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

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert*
Not a Box! by Antoinette Portis**
Press Here by Henri Tullet
Shape by Shape by Suze MacDonald***

Early Literacy Tip

Identify the shapes you see and talk about them. Shapes are the precursors to letters!

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Shape Game”***

Flannelboard: “The Shape Story”***

Props: “Green Says Go”***

Action Rhyme: “Big, Bigger, Biggest”*
A little ball, a bigger ball,
And a great big ball I see
Now help me count them,
One, two, three!
Credit: Debmonn PB Wiki

Action Song/Fingerplay: “Where Is…?”**
(Tune: Where Is Thumbkin?)
Where is triangle? Where is triangle?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you.
Run away. Run away.
(Circle, rectangle, square, diamond)
Credit: KidsSoup

Repeating Extension Activities

• The Elevator Song***
• Open, Shut Them*
• Put Your Hands Up High*
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear*
• This Is Big***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
I got SO MUCH accomplished this storytime and I probably could have done a third book for most of the crowd, but I didn’t feel like pushing it. “Shape by Shape” was the best book. Both flannels were well-received and “Green Says Go” was a great chance for movement!

Tuesday afternoon
One of my little girls absolutely stole the show for participation. She stood in the middle of the rug and did all of the motions. It was adorable! “Where Is Circle?” was a great opportunity to repeat the Thumbkin tune especially because “Where Is Animal?” worked so well for this group in zoo storytime. And bubbles finally got through to some of our shier kids — it was great to see them on the carpet, jumping around.

Thursday morning
“Green Says Go” was the best thing I could have ever given these kids this morning. We played for nearly five minutes with everyone participating! Kids are now squealing if I say “Let’s do The Elevator Song” which gives me so much happiness. “Shape by Shape” was again a great hit.

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

Animal Opposites by Petr Horacek**
My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall*
Peek-a-Zoo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti**
Polar Bear, Polar Bear by Bill Martin Jr.*

Early Literacy Tip

When you read a book to your child, running your finger under the text lets them know you are reading words.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Color Zoo”**

Flannelboard: “Dear Zoo”***

Prop Song: “Where Are Animals?”**
Where is [animal]? Where is [animals]?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you.
Run away. Run away.
Credit: Modified from childhood

Action Rhyme: “Monkey See, Monkey Do”*
Monkey see, monkey do
Little monkey at the zoo
Monkey, monkey in the tree
Can you ________ like me?
(jump around, swing your arms, scratch an itch, eat a banana, screech)
Credit: Perry Public Library

Song: “You Can Hear”**
(Tune: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain)
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo, ROAR! ROAR!
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo, ROAR! ROAR!
You can hear the lions roaring, you can hear the lions roaring
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo! ROAR! ROAR!
(Elephants trumpeting, zebra braying, monkey eeking)
Credit: Perpetual Preschool

Repeating Extension Activities

• Dance Your Fingers**
• Open, Shut Them*
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat*
• Wake Up Toes**

How It Went

Tuesday morning
“Monkey See” was the most popular rhyme/activity this day! I kept it going for quite a while. “Peek-a-Zoo” was the most successful book with lots of good animal noise participation. And “Dear Zoo” was a great game to play. We did a lot of rhymes this session — a few of the kids were very restless.

Tuesday afternoon
Today was a day for a lot of singing. We had a new registration and the new toddler really shook up our rhythm. But “Where Is Animal?” was a great song and the kids were waiting on the edges of the rug to find out what animal would be next. They enjoyed the song cube so much that I rolled it twice.

Thursday morning
Both books were hits in this storytime — they loved both the flaps and fold-outs. “Color Zoo” was definitely their favorite activity though and it gave my heart such joy since that book is the first book I remember being read to me in the library. This session went by really fast and I couldn’t believe it was over already.

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

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell*
Kitten’s Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes*
Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson***

Early Literacy Tip

It takes five to twelve seconds for children to respond. We need to be patient after asking a question.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Five Little Pumpkins”***

Flannelboard: “Ouch”***

Action Song: “The Leaves Are Falling Down”*
Song: “The Leaves are Falling Down” (Tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown
The leaves are falling down
Credit: Preschool Education – Songs: Fall

Fingerplay: “Way Up High In the Apple Tree”***
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up high)
Two red apples smiled at me (hold up two fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (make a shaking motion)
Down came the apples… (make a downward motion)
And mmm, they were good! (smile and rub stomach)
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

• The Elevator Song*
• Open, Shut Them***
• Put Your Hands Up High*
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear*
• This Is Big**

How It Went

Tuesday morning
I had an amazing time dancing with two of my toddlers during “Put Your Hands Up High”. We had an extended quacking session and two of my girls came over to dance with me, holding my hands. (Which made singing the song hard, but that is life!) They really enjoyed “Ouch”, but we only got through one book this session.

Tuesday afternoon
My biggest afternoon crowd yet! I had two kids that were really good at participating this week and another toddler really opened up after being very reserved the last class. Our song cube rolled the ABCs today and one caregiver/toddler pair were very excited because the child was wearing an ABC shirt!

Thursday morning
Can I just say that “The Elevator Song” is pure joy? Also, flannelboards were a huge hit today. Storytime started late because of the toddlers had an accident and had to run to the bathroom. I was very happy that it didn’t happen on the rug because I’m just not sure how I would have been able to have storytime…

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

Animals 123 by Britta Teckentrup**
Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker***
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Fish, Swish, Splash, Dash! by Suze MacDonald*

Early Literacy Tip

Singing to your children is very important. Babies as young as one week can distinguish a family memeber’s voice from a group of stranger voices. Singing helps trigger speech developments.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “One Elephant Went Out to Play”*

Flannelboard: “Ten Fluffy Chickens”***

Puppets: “When Animals Get Up in the Morning”***

Song: “Ten in the Bed”**
There were ten in the bed (Hold up five fingers)
And the little one said, “Roll over, roll over!” (Make rolling motion)
So they are rolled over and one fell out. (Hold up one finger & surprised face)
// Count down until
There was one in the bed (Hold up one finger)
And the little one said, “I’ve got it all to myself!” (Spread out arms)
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

• Dance Your Fingers*
• The Elevator Song**
• My Thumbs Are Going to Wiggle**
• Open, Shut Them*
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat**
• Wake Up Toes*

How It Went

Tuesday morning
The flannelboard was a big hit today — we did both of them. Lots of toddlers were obsessed with petting the board and pieces. “Animals 1 2 3” is a multi-copy board book set that a lot of kids remembered from our baby storytime. They really enjoyed passing the books in and out.

Tuesday afternoon
Caregivers have been complementing this smaller session. I’m very glad that we tried this afternoon timeslot to give families this opportunity. “Animals 1 2 3” was also really successful here. And the group has really settled in nicely compared to last week.

Thursday morning
For this session, I tried to sit on the floor which maybe wasn’t the best idea. But this group for whatever reason loves to fight over who sits in my chair when I get up for the flannelboards. I thought removing the chair might fix the problem. But since I was on the floor, one of my toddlers volunteered to be my baby.

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

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington*
Pepo and Lolo and the Red Apple by Ana Martin Larranga***
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
Ten Red Apples by Virginia Miller**

Early Literacy Tip

Library programs can be considered a child’s first class. Encouraging personal interactions with the group leader help children develop a positive attitude toward learning.

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: Apple BINGO**

Flannelboard: Five Red Apples***

Action Song: “The Leaves Are Falling Down”*
Song: “The Leaves are Falling Down” (Tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown
The leaves are falling down
Credit: Preschool Education – Songs: Fall

Fingerplay: “Way Up High In the Apple Tree”***
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up high)
Two red apples smiled at me (hold up two fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (make a shaking motion)
Down came the apples… (make a downward motion)
And mmm, they were good! (smile and rub stomach)
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

• Open, Shut Them*
• Put Your Hands Up High**
• This Is Big***

How It Went

(This fall session I learned to take much better notes, so I’ll break it up by session.)

Tuesday morning
This was the class where we realized that we needed bouncers at the storytime door. We do registration-based storytimes and we had five non-registered kids sneak in to the storytime room. Since we don’t know everyone on sight on the first day, our room was uncomfortably packed. This was my second session and I was so excited to see so many familiar faces. Their favorite activity was Apple BINGO.

Tuesday afternoon
My afternoon session is much more intimate since I only have eleven registered patrons instead of the usual twenty. I really enjoyed getting to have more one-on-one time with each child and adult. This week, they loved “Pepo and Lolo” the most out of all of the activities.

Thursday morning
The puppets were a huge success in “Five Red Apples” — the kids loved when the puppets “ate” the apples. My adults were great during “Ten Red Apples” as we counted along, with lots of voices chiming in. After a summer of no toddler times, the kids were SO HAPPY to see bubbles again. They was such great bubble popping enthusiasm!

To read more about how I plan and prepare my Toddler Storytimes, please visit this post.

Each session, I pick some extension activities to repeat from week to week. Most of the time these have nothing to do with my theme of the day and just allow me to add more movement or songs if that’s what the toddlers need that week. Of course, I don’t use every activity every week. I’ll note in the individual theme summaries which activities I used. These are the activities that I had planned for Fall 2014.

Action Rhyme: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your knees
Teddy bear, teddy bear, sit down please
Credit: Childhood

Action Rhyme: “This Is Big”
This is big, big, big (stretch hands far to sides)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (hold palms close vertically)
This is tall, tall, tall (hold palms far apart vertically)
This is fast, fast, fast (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Credit: Mel’s Desk

Action Song: “My Thumbs Are Going to Wiggle”
Tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
And now so are my hands/arms/toes/feet…
Body is starting to wiggle: around and around and around!
(Sing about other body parts as wiggles spread!)
Credit: Jbrary

Action Song: “Put Your Hands Up High”
Tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low
Put your hands up high, put your hands down low,
Put your hands in the middle and wiggle just so.
Put your elbows in front, put your elbows in back
Put your elbows to the side and quack, quack, quack!
Credit: Jbrary

Action Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (three ways)
Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.
Extensions:
quickly down the stream (row faster, sing faster)
slowly down the stream (row slower, sing slower)
Credit: Childhood; Jbrary for the extensions

Action Song: “Wake Up Toes”
Wake up toes, wake up toes
Wake up toes and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up toes, wake up toes
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.
Also: hands, ears, knees, fingers, hips, etc.
Credit: Jbrary

Fingerplay: “Dance Your Fingers Up”**
Dance your fingers up, dance your fingers down
Dance your fingers to the side, dance them all around
Dance them on your shoulders, dance them on you head
Dance them on your tummy, and put them all to bed
Credit: Best Kids Book Site (Site appears to be completely reorganized…)

Lift/Song: “The Elevator Song”
Oh the city is great and the city is grand
There’s a whole lot of people
on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the 57th floor
and this is what we do when we open the door.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down,
take the elevator up, take the elevator down
Take the elevator up and the elevator down
And we turn around.
Credit: Jbrary

Song: “Open, Shut Them”
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth
But do not let them in, in, in!
Credit: My co-worker Sarah