storytime katie

My turn to choose the theme at our grocery store storytime! I went with Pets since I really wanted to re-use my new flannelboard for My Bus.

The Plan

Books

Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer*
My Bus by Byron Barton*
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani*
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne
What Pet to Get? by Emma Dodd*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Dear Zoo”*

Flannelboard: “My Bus”*

Puppet & Song: “The Goldfish”*

Puppet: “I Have a Little Turtle”*
I have a little turtle (put hands on top of one another)
He lives in a box (make box)
He swims in a puddle (swimming motion)
He climbs on the rocks (climbing motion)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap)
He snapped at a flea (clap)
He snapped at a minnow (clap)
And he snapped at me (clap)
He caught the mosquito (cup hands together)
He caught the flea (cup hands together)
He caught the minnow (cup hands together)
But he didn’t catch me! (shake finger “no”)
Credit: Childhood

How It Went

This was such a fun storytime! I did My Bus with the flannelboard and the kids loved being able to play the part of a dog or cat to board the bus. (To accommodate larger groups, I double or triple the amount of animals in the story. A bit of math, but it’s manageable.) Our most successful book was What Pet to Get? by Emma Dodd. The kids really enjoyed imagining different kinds of pets and I think the grown-ups appreciated the spot of humor at the end.

I did have a storytime blunder today and completely miss-rhymed during “I Have a Little Turtle”. I’m not sure where my mind was! I think my favorite part of storytime was swimming along to Laurie Berkner’s “The Goldfish” song in the grocery store though. I highly recommend it!

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

The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage*
The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah Ohora
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom*
Still a Gorilla! by Kim Norman*
Walter’s Wonderful Web by Tim Hopgood*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Down Around the Corner”*

Flannelboard: “Ten Fluffy Chickens”*

Finger Puppet Glove: “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”*

Prop: “Movement Cube”*

Prop: “Song Cube”*

How It Went

The kids absolutely loved the new movement cube/game! We roll it several times throughout the storytime which was a great break from our books. The best books for the day were definitely The Mixed-Up Truck which segued great into the “Down Around the Corner” flannelboard, and Still a Gorilla!. We also had very happy kiddos when we were jumping with the monkeys on the bed!

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

The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell*
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek*
If You’re Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera*
The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald*
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Clickety-Clack”*

Flannelboard: “Five Little Sandcastles”*

Flannelboard: “One Elephant Went Out to Play”

Props: “Song Cube”*

Action Rhyme: “Everyone Can March”*
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
And now let’s make a stop.
Verses: clap, jump, tap, etc.
Credit: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”*
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!
Credit: Jbrary

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes”*
Credit: Childhood

How It Went

A really fun storytime with a mixed age group. Some littles, but mostly bigs. So I played a little bit of something for everyone at this storytime. They were most engaged with If You’re Happy and You Know It and Butterfly, Butterfly. The Squeaky Door was such a great story until a very small one had a crying spurt and I never got the crowd back into the book. We closed it early and moved on to some movement activities.

Another outreach storytime for this summer — at a local bank! Afterwards, they took the kids on a tour which was so in-depth! We got to go in the vault, behind the counter, press the button to send the carrier through the tube, see the coins get sorted, etc. This was an amazing opportunity and we had seventy people show up!

The Plan

Books

Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells*
If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz
Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins & G. Brian Karas
Out and About at the Bank by Nancy Garham Attebury*
You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur on a Dime by Harriet Ziefert*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Down Around the Corner”*

Props: “Song Cube”*

How It Went

This storytime was really about letting the bank shine. I read two books about money: Bunny Money for the younger kids and You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur on a Dime for the older kids. I loved that the older kids did the sums in their heads and helped the younger children remember how much money we had left in both books. I didn’t plan a lot of extension activities because I wasn’t sure how much space I would have. I was glad that I didn’t since it was SUCH a large crowd and the bank was still technically open for operation.

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*
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry*
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne
Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia*
Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: Ice Cream Colors*

Flannelboard: Pretty Ladybugs

Flannelboard: Seals on the Bus*

Folder Story: Scat the Cat*

Props: “Song Cube”*

Action Rhyme: “Zoom Zoom Zoom”*
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!
Credit: Jbrary

How It Went

This outreach storytime went well. The kids seemed to enjoy all of the books that I brought along with me, although Can You Make a Scary Face? was probably the biggest hit. My group really enjoyed the participatory nature of the book and I will definitely make a note to bring another Jan Thomas book with me next time. Other than that, I often forget how magical Scat the Cat is until I use it again!

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

Dig In! by Cindy Jenson-Eliot*
Hurry Up, Alife! by Anna Walker
I’m Not Cute by Jonathan Allen*
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert*
Quackers by Liz Wong*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: Go Away Big Green Monster*

Flannelboard: Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Flannelboard: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt*

Props: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with prop faces

Props: “Song Cube”*

Fingerplay: “Little Turtle”*
There was a little turtle (put hands on top of one another)
He lived in a box (make box)
He swam in a puddle (swimming motion)
He climbed on the rocks (climbing motion)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap)
He snapped at a flea (clap)
He snapped at a minnow (clap)
And he snapped at me (clap)
He caught the mosquito (cup hands together)
He caught the flea (cup hands together)
He caught the minnow (cup hands together)
But he didn’t catch me! (shake finger “no”)
Credit: Childhood

Song: “Old MacDonald”

How It Went

For this outreach storytime, I pulled mostly books off the new books shelf for a bit of variety instead of from my storytime collection. The kids really enjoyed Quackers because they liked the humor of mistaken identity. And they also responded well to the interactive movements in Dig In!. For our bear hunt, I hid a bear puppet in my bag and pulled him out at the end. Lots of shrieks of delight since it was a mostly preschool crowd. I admit I wouldn’t do that with toddlers or lower!

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

Big, Bigger, Biggest by Nancy Coffelt*
Charlie Chick by Ant Parker and Nick Denchfield*
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis*
Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora*
Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: Go Away Big Green Monster

Flannelboard: Clickety-Clack

Flannelboard: I Have a Crayon*

Props: Flutter, Flutter Butterfly*

Props: “Song Cube”*

Action Rhyme: “Where Is Thumbkin?”*
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you.
Run away. Run away.

How It Went

This storytime was full of incredibly well-behaved and attentive kids. I can’t remember the last time I read every single book that I had packed/pulled and still could have kept going if I had had more. Because of the crowd size and my new location, flannelboards really aren’t working. Nearly everyone has trouble seeing the board and there isn’t an opportunity for me to hold it up on a table or pan it around the room. I might need to make a smaller handheld one to take with me for these storytimes. I also COMPLETELY forgot the words to “Where Is Thumbkin?” halfway through the song. Thanks to the caregiver who bailed me out!

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

Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins*
I Ain’t Gonna Paint by Karen Beaumont*
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and James Dean*
Ten in the Bed by Jane Cabrera*
What a Wonderful World by Tim Hopgood

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”*

Flannelboard: “Paintbrushes”*

Prop Sticks: “Green Says Go”*

Props: “Song Cube”*

Action Rhyme: “Dance Your Fingers”*
Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down,
Dance your fingers side to side,
Then dance them all around.
Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your knees,
Then put them straight to bed.
Credit: Best Kids Book Site (site no longer has link)

Action Rhyme: “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”*
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In five, four, three, two, one, BLASTOFF!
Credit: Jbrary

How It Went

This was a hard storytime to do. My location within the store moved to a much smaller location with less horizontal space and more vertical space, which made my families further away from me. I thought that the most books were Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons for the song engagement and Hooray for Fish! because of the trim size of the book. Other than that, props were a big hit today. Also had some very interesting conversations (one involving a political candidate and a child expressing their opinion of the candidate) while reading. All in all, a good storytime. But I will be making some adjustments for next time.

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

Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek*
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd*
Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin*
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli*

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Little Mouse”*

Flannelboard: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”*

Props: “Song Cube”*

Puppets: “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from the Tree”*

Action Rhyme: “Everyone Can March”*
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
And now let’s make a stop.
Verses: clap, jump, tap, 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 no longer links)

How It Went

Today’s storytime was a pretty small crowd (only 18 when I’m normally in the 30s/40s), but I was able to re-introduce participation activities since it was a smaller crowd. Every kid got a chance to pick a color and pull the house off of the flannelboard. Every kid got to say an action for “Everyone Can March” and we did it together. Our most success book was Dog’s Colorful Day which I haven’t read in a storytime in such a long time! It was a treat to re-visit it since it’s one of my favorite books.

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

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard*
Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin*
Please Mr. Panda by Steve Antony*
Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera*
Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

Flannelboard: “Five Hungry Ants”*

Flannelboard: “Lots of Cars”*

Prop Sticks: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (Emotions)*

Puppets: “Flutter, Flutter Butterfly”

Action Rhyme: “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Credit: Childhood

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 does not link anymore)

How It Went

This storytime wound up having an unintended theme of “feelings” for a bit between Please Mr. Panda and Grumpy Bird and our prop sticks. But I was okay with that! Connective storylines/threads just allow me to transition between elements easier. And these wound up being the most successful parts today! I had all of the preschoolers making faces at me — grumpy along with Grumpy Bird and all of the other emotions with the prop sticks. I also had a great time singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat at the top of my lungs and actually getting more friends to stop by storytime!