T is for Thanksgiving

An Outreach Storytime

Five Little Turkeys

5 little turkeys by the barn door
1 waddled off, then there were 4.

4 little turkeys out under the tree
1 waddled off, then there were 3.

3 little turkeys with nothing to do
1 waddled off, then there were 2.

2 little turkeys in the noonday sun
1 waddled off, then there was 1.

1 little turkey--better run away!
Soon it will be Thanksgiving Day!

Book:  'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving Written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey




Five Fat Turkeys
Two fat turkeys standing in a row (hold up two fingers)
They spread their feathers (spread out arms) and their tails like so (wiggle bottom)
They strut to the left (move to the left)
They strut to the right (move to the right)
They say "Gobble, gobble!"
In the bright sunlight! (arms high and move down)

Continue counting up to five

Book:  The Very First Thanksgiving Day Written by Rhonda Gowler Greene; Illustrated by Susan Gaber



Book:  This is the Turkey Written by Abby Levine; Illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye



Thanksgiving Dinner
(Sung to "Frere Jacques")

We eat turkey, we eat turkey.
Oh, so good. Oh, so good.
Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving
Yum-yum-yum! Yum,-yum-yum!

Other verses:
Mashed potatoes
Homemade biscuits
Turkey dressing
Pumpkin Pie

You can also ask children what they like to eat on Thanksgiving and sing about that. Be warned: You may be singing about cheeseburgers and spaghetti!

H is for...

H is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  hat (a little winter hat for her to wear)

Echo Song:  hair, house, hospital, helicopter

Flannel Board:  5 Little Hippos
(chant just like 5 little monkeys--I just changed the words)

5 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

4 little hippos swimming in the stream
Teasing Mr. Alligator and being rather mean!
Along comes Mr. Alligator...quiet as can be
And "SNAP" that hippo right out of the stream!

Continue until all the hippos are gone!

Book:  Bear Wants More Written by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Jane Chapman

 

 

Stand-up song:  If you're happy and you know it

 

* clap your hands, stomp your feet, shout hooray, do all three

 

Rhyme Time Song

 

Nursery Rhyme:  Hot Cross Buns

 

Book:  Horses: Trotting! Prancing! Racing! Written by Patricia Hubbell; Illustrated by Joe Mathieu

 

ABC Chant

 

Animal Good-byes

 

Enrichment Activities

 

Enrichment Activities

• Heart Matching Game (cardboard hearts from Oriental Trading Company)
• Hula hoops and bean bags
• Cutting practice Worksheet (from Kids Learning Station)
• Hopscotch (indoor foam hopscotch)
• Hand print Turkey (I printed the following poem on the bottom of a paper, then the child traces their hand. Their thumb becomes the head of the turkey and the fingers are the tail feathers. Decorate with markers or crayons...no messy paint!)



G is for...

G is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  Gorilla webkinz

Echo Song:  Grandpa, grapes, glove, girl

Flannel Board
G-R-E-E-N
You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
And green is that color!

You take some yellow, you take some blue
You mix them together to make something new
G-R-E-E-(clap)
G-R-E-E-(clap)
G-R-E-E-(clap)
And green is that color!

Continue taking one letter away until you have 5 claps!

Book: The Tale of Two Goats written by Tom Barber


Stand-up Song: 
My Darling Goldfish

(sung to: Grand Old Duke of York)

My darling little goldfish (make sign for fish)
Hasn't any toes (point to your toes)
He swims around without a sound (pretend to swim)
And bumps his angry nose (point to nose)
He can't get out to play with me (Point to your self)
Nor I get in to him (Point to other children)
Although I say, "Come out and play" (motion hand for him to come)
He says, "Come in and swim!" (point down)

Rhyme Time Song:

Nursery Rhyme:  Little Bo Peep

Book:  Off We Go! written by Jane Yolen


ABC Chant

Animal Goodbyes

Enrichment Activities

Play with the guitar and other musical instruments

Stacking Cups

Gumball Activity [from Confessions of a Homeschooler] I printed out four gumball sheets and had regular pom-poms available for children to fill in the "G" and gumball machine.

Things That Go Together [from tlsbooks.com]

F is for...

Welcome Song

Henreitta's Basket:  Flag

Echo Song: Fingers, firefighter, farm, fork

Flannel Board:  5 Black Flies

Five black flies, buzzing through a hive,

One snuck some honey, then took a dive!

Four black flies, buzzing by the door,

One flew in and there was no more.

Three black flies, buzzing in a tree,

One landed on a horse's knee.

Two black flies, buzzing through a shoe,

One held his nose and said, "P-U!"

One black fly, landed on a bun,

"Splat!" goes the fly swatter--

Then there were none!

Book: A Frog Thing Written by: Eric Drachman (2005)


Stand-up Song:  I can walk on two feet
I can walk with two feet, with two feet, with two feet.
I can walk with two feet all day long.

I can tap with two feet, with two feet, with two feet

I can tap with two feet all day long.
Additional verses:
jump, stomp, run, spin, march

Rhyme Time Song:

Nursery Rhyme:  Hey Diddle Diddle

Book:  Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek Written by: Marianne Berkes (2012)


Enrichment Activities:
Five Flowers
Magnetic sort--farm animals and zoo animals
Farm counting sheet
Fishing

E is for...

E is for...[focus on short /e/ sound]

Henrietta's Basket:  envelope (with letter inside)

Be My Echo:  Elmo, elevator, emperor,

Flannel Board: E-I-E-I-O
(sung to Old McDonald)

Chickens lay eggs,
This we know,
E-I-E-I-O
And from those eggs
Chickens grow
E-I-E-I-O

There's a chicken egg here
And a chicken egg there.
Here an egg, there an egg
Everywhere a chicken egg.

Chickens lay eggs,
This we know,
E-I-E-I-O!

Book:  Where's Tumpty?

Stand-up Song: There's an Elf on the Floor

There's an elf on the floor, on the floor
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for any more
Than an elf on the floor?
There's an elf on the floor, on the floor.

*Leg...he isn't very big
*Tummy...he really is funny
*Arm...he doesn't mean any harm
*Face...Oh, what a big disgrace!
*Head...Did you hear what I just said?
*Floor...who could ask for any more?


Rhyme Time Song

Nursery Rhyme:  Humpty Dumpty

Book:  Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who will the babies be?

Enrichment Activities

Humpty Dumpty Puzzle (from Literacy Centers & Activities for Nursery Rhymes, Volume 1, p. 48)

Egg sort (sounds) I filled twelve plastic eggs with six different small objects. Children shake the eggs and find the ones that sound the same.

Practice writing the letter E (Four straight lines)

Lacing Cards

So far behind...

I have drafts of the last FIVE storytimes I've done--I just need to get with it and finish them up.  They are coming though, so please check back again soon!

F is for Fall

An Outreach Storytime...

Books:

Songs/Fingerplays

A-C-O-R-N
(tune: Bingo)

There is a nut that squirrels like
And acorn is it's name-o
A-C-O-R-N
A-C-O-R-N
A-C-O-R-N
And acorn is it's name-o.

There is a nut that squirrels like

And acorn is it's name-o
A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)
A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)
A-C-O-R-(clap/crunch)
And acorn is it's name-o.

Continue singing the song, taking one letter from the end and replacing it with a clap/crunch, until all letter are gone and you do five clap/crunch.

Scarecrow, Scarecrow
Scarecrow, scarecrow turn around
Scarecrow, scarecrow touch the ground

Scarecrow, scarecrow reach up high
Scarecrow, scarecrow touch the sky

Scarecrow, scarecrow bend down low
Scarecrow, scarecrow touch your toe.

Scarecrow, scarecrow stand up now
Scarecrow, scarecrow take a bow!  

Autumn Leaves
(tune: Did you ever see a lassie?)

Autumn leaves are hanging, are hanging, are hanging
Autumn leaves are hanging, are hanging today.

Autumn leaves turn colors, turn colors, turn colors
Autumn leaves turn colors, turn colors today.

Autumn leaves are falling, are falling, are falling
Autumn leaves are falling, are falling today.

Autumn leaves are dancing, are dancing, are dancing
Autumn leaves are dancing, dancing today.

Autumn leaves are raked up, are raked up, are raked up
Autumn leaves are raked up, raked up today.

Autumn leaves are jumped in, are jumped in, are jumped in
Autumn leaves are jumped in, are jumped in today!

D is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  Rubber Ducky

Be My Echo Song:  dream, dinosaur, dessert, dance

Flannel Board:  D-O-N-U-T
(sung to Bingo)

There is a treat I like to eat
And donut is its name-o
D-O-N-U-T
D-O-N-U-T
D-O-N-U-T
Save a bite for me, MUNCH!

There is a treat I like to eat

And donut is its name-o
D-O-N-U-(clap)
D-O-N-U-(clap)
D-O-N-U-(clap)
Save a bite for me, MUNCH!

Continue to take "bites" until the whole donut is gone.

On the last verse (with five claps) end with "There's no bites left for me!"

Book:  I Want a Dog by: Helga Bansch

Stand-up Song:  5 Little Ducks

Rhyme Time Song

Nursery Rhyme:  Hickory, Dickory, Dock
Since we had a little bit of extra time we changed to "mouse" to other small animals to run up the clock.  We had a frog, a spider, and an ant!

Book:  Who wants a dragon?

ABC Chant

Animal Good-byes

Enrichment Activities:
Play with plastic dinosaurs
Dominoes
Dog matching game
Dot-to-dot
Glue dots on dinosaur

C is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  Crayon

Echo Song:  Caterpillar, corn, candy cane, clown

Flannel Board:  5 Little Cows


Five little cows ate grass all day.
Grazing in the fields of hay.
They ate and ate and ate and STILL
They ate and ate and ate until
One little cow had had enough that day...
And slowly, slowly walked away.

Continue counting down to one...

One little cow ate grass all day.
Grazing in the field of hay.
She ate and ate and ate and STILL
She ate and ate and ate until
That little cow had had enough that day...
And slowly, slowly walked away.

Book:  Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake by Thomas Taylor

Poem:  What am I?


What is fluffy white and floats up high?
Like a pile of cotton in the sky?
And when the the wind blows hard and strong,
What very gently floats along?
What brings the rain?
What brings the snow showers on us way down below?
When you look up in the sky
What is that thing you see floating by?
A Cloud!

Stand-up Song:  When I see Clouds in the Sky (from PreschoolExpress.com)

(sung to "My Bonnie lies over the ocean")

When I see clouds in the sky,
All big and puffy and white,
When I see clouds in the sky,
The weather is sunny and bright.

White clouds, white clouds,
White clouds up in the sky (the sky)
White clouds, white clouds,
White clouds puffy and dry.

When I see clouds in the sky,
All big and solid and gray,
When I see gray clouds in the sky,
The weather is rainy all day.

Gray clouds, gray clouds,
Gray clouds up in the sky (the sky)
Gray clouds, gray clouds,
Dropping rain from up high.

Nursery Rhyme:  Jack be Nimble

Book:  Cat Secrets

ABC Chant

Animal Goodbyes

Enrichment Activities:  Caterpillar Name, Counting Clouds, "Cookies" (wooden set), Cupcake file folder game--smallest to largest, Color Cars file folder game.

Here are the cute caterpillar names the children made on Wednesday.  I love the ones the kids made by themselves!

A is for Apples

An Outreach Storytime

A is for Apples


Flannel Board:  Star in the Apple

Once upon a time a little boy was tired of playing with his toys. He whined to his mother, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do!" Mother suggested he go outside and find a small red house with no windows and no doors but with a star inside. The little boy thought that sounded like fun so off he went. He looked and looked but couldn't find the small red house with no windows and no doors with a star inside. Soon he came to a dog. "What are you doing?" asked dog. "I am looking for a small red house with no windows and no doors with a star inside. Have you seen one?" the boy replied. "No, I haven't," said the dog, "but I am curious about this little red house with no windows and no doors with a star inside. Could I come with you to look?" "Of course," said the boy. So together they set off.

Continue the story with the boy meeting several different animals, such as a cat, duck, horse or cow.

Finally the boy and the dog and the... and the... and the ... came to a little old lady. The boy asked, "We are looking for a small red house with no windows and no doors but with a star inside. Have you seen it?" "Why, indeed I have!" answered the old lady. She reached up and plucked an apple from the apple tree. "Here is a small red house with no windows and no doors." "I guess", answered the boy, "but there is no star inside. I know. I've eaten an apple before." Then the old woman carefully cut the apple in half and showed the boy. "There is a star in the middle of an apple!"

Book:  Up, Up, Up! It's Apple-Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro
(This was a little long, so at the second preschool I read Apple Farmer Annie)

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Stnad-up Activity:  Apple Tree

Way up high in the apple tree,
Four little apples hung over me.
I shook the tree as hard as I could
Down came an apple. Crunch!
Mmmmmm! It was good!

Countine counting down through one

Book:  The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

Activity:  Ten Red Apples Guessing Game (from prekfun.com)
Ten red apples growing on a tree
Five for you and five for me.
There’s one little worm that you can’t see!
Where, oh where, could that little worm be?

I made ten apples and one worm using clipart then printed them on cardstock and numbered them. I put a magnet on the back of each and used a cookie sheet to play the game. Both times I hid the worm under number 7 and it was last or second to last to be picked!

Book: One Red Apple by Harriet Ziefert

Song:  Round the Apple Tree (from alphabet-soup.net)
(Tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush")

Verse 1:
Here we go round the apple tree,
The apple tree, the apple tree.
Here we go round the apple tree,
So early in the morning.

Verse 2: This is the way we plant the seeds.

Verse 3: This is the way the little seed sprouts.

Verse 4: This is the way it grows to a tree.

Verse 5: This is the way the flowers blossom.

Verse 6: This is the way the apples grow.

Verse 7: This is the way the apples are picked.

B is for...

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  Blue balloon (that I blew up and let go--kids loved it!!)
Echo Song:  Bubble, bumblebee, button, bicycle

Flannel Board:  Five Little Butterflies (from preschoolexpress.com)

Five little butterflies on flowers galore,
One flew off, then there were four.

(repeat after each "verse")
*Butterfly, Butterfly, happy all day,
Butterfly, Butterfly, fly fly away.

Four little butterflies among the sweet peas.
One flew off, then there were three. *

Three little butterflies with nothing to do,
One flew off, then there were two. *

Two little butterflies resting in the sun,
One flew off, then there was one. *

One little butterfly, now the only one,
She flew off, then there were none. *

Book:  The Biggest Bed in the World by Lindsay Camp

Stand-up Song:  Beanbag Song (Totline Magazine, July/August 1999, p. 24)
(Sung to: If you're happy and you know it)

Put your beanbag on your hair, on your hair
Put your beanbag on your hair, on your hair
Put your beanbag on your hair and leave it right up there
Put your beanbag on your hair, on your hair.

Put your beanbag on the ground, now step and step around

Put your beanbag on your toe, on your toe

Put your beanbag on your toe, lift it high and and lift it low

Put your beanbag in your hand, toss it up and watch it land.


Book:  I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd

Enrichment Activities

• Butterfly (made from a gallon size plastic bag and a variety of colorful items) From http://www.rainbowstarbooks.com/butterflyunit 
• Bug counters
• Large wooden beads and string
• Trace the ball bounces (from http://www.kidslearningstation.com/tracing-lines/trace-curved-lines.asp )

A is for...

Today in storytime we started our alphabet adventure again with the letter A.

Welcome Song

Henrietta's Basket:  Ant puppet

Echo Song: (ambulance, Antarctica,

Flannel Board:  I planned on telling The Star in the Apple story using flannel board figures.  But with it being the first week we were kind of behind...so I choose to skip this part.

Book:   Young Mouse and Elephant: An East African Folktale by Pamela J. Farris

(Animals from Africa)

Stand -up Song:  The Ants Go Marching

Nursery Rhyme:  One, Two Buckle My Shoe

Book:  A isn't for Fox: An Isn't Alphabet by Wendy Ulmer
[This book was a little long for the three year olds, so on Thursday I read Snip, Snap! instead.]

Snip, Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman

ABC Chant

Animals Good-byes
Enrichment Activities

• Match animals and their shadows by drawing a line (from www.tlsbooks.com/preschoolworksheets.htm)
• Play dough with alphabet letter "cookie cutters"
• Sort animals into "farm animals" and "zoo animals"
• Letter card games (from the Dollar Store)
• Apple Survey (What's your favorite way to eat an apple?)

Storytimes Begin!!

I am so excited for preschool storytime to begin again!  I will be doing the letter of the week approach again this year, but with a greater emphasis on the five early literacy practices:  singing, talking, reading, playing and writing.

I have also started a blog specifically for the library.  It is Storytimes and More.  At this blog I will be adding more professional thoughts and ideas...not just my storytime outlines.  At first I wasn't sure that I wanted to start another blog, but I am now looking forward to it--and have even written two posts already!

Tomorrow we will start the alphabet all over again with a new group of preschoolers!  I am looking forward to another great year wandering through the alphabet!!

S is for Swimming

Two Outreach Stotyimes

S is for Swimming!
(toddler/preschool children)

Splish, Splash, Splat! by Rob Scotton

Don't be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

Down in the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton

August "Holidays"!
(elementary-aged children)

National Watermelon Day--August 3
Peter Spit a Seed at Sue by Jackie French Koller

National Lazy Day--August 10
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

National Tell a Joke Day--August 16
[I used three different joke books found in the non-fiction area...any good joke books will do!]

National Dog Day--August 26
Always in Trouble by Corinne Demas

N is for Night Shivers

An Outreach Storytime


Book:  Creak! Said the Bed by Phyllis Root

Fingerplay:  I'm Not Afraid
from 2012 Summer Reading Program Manual

I'm not afraid of the night
When my mom turns off the light.
If I see shadows on the wall,
I am not afraid at all.
If there are strange noises that I hear,
I am brave.  I have no fear.
Cause monsters aren't real and I'm safe in bed
So I think happy thoughts instead.
At night, I do not cray or scream.
I climb in bed and dream good dreams.

Book:  The Great Monster Hunt

Song:  Monster, Monster
from 2012 Summer Reading Program Manual


Monster, monster turn around.
Monster, monster touch the ground.
Monster, monster reach up high.
Monster, monster blink your eyes.
Monster, monster show your teeth.
Monster, monster stamp your feet.
Monster, monster slap your knees.
Monster, monster sit down please.

Book:  There was an Old Monster

S is for Stuffed Animals

This is the storytime we did in conjunction with our stuffed animal sleepover


Book:  Stuffed Animals get ready for bed by Alison Inches

Song:  Put Your Stuffed Animal on Your Head
Tune:  If you're happy and you know it
From http://wiki.kcls.org

Put your stuffed animal on your head, on your head
Put your stuffed animal on your head, on your head
Put your stuffed animal on your head then put that animal to bed.
Put your stuffed animal on your head, on your head.

Put your teddy bear on your knee, on your knee (repeat)

Put your teddy bear on your knee, Put him there just like me (repeat 1st line)

Put your teddy bear on your tummy, on your tummy (repeat)

Put your teddy bear on your tummy, it feels so very funny! (repeat 1st line)

Give your teddy bear a hug, give him a hug (repeat)

Give your teddy bear a hug, make him snug as a bug in a rug! (repeat 1st line)

Book:  Good Night Harry by Kim Lewis

Song:  Stuffed Animal, Stuffed Animal [yes, it was quite a mouthful!]
Tune:  Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear


Turn around
Touch the ground
Reach up high
Touch the sky
Bend down low
Touch your toe
Stand up now
Take a bow

Activity:  Using alphabet beads make a bracelet or necklace for your stuffed animal to wear.

Summer Storytimes

I haven't posted lately because I didn't develop/plan storytimes for the summer.  At our library we do a combined toddler/preschool storytime through the summer reading program and the Children's Librarian planned this summer's storytimes while I worked on school-age events--Guardians of Ga'Hoole; Tutus and Castles and Wings, Oh My!; Stuffed Animal Sleepover; Magic Tree House Night Adventurs; and Super Heroes.

So I don't have anything of my own to post, but I will add my few outreach storytimes.  My preschool storytimes will start up again mid-September.

Z is for...

(Sorry, just realized I didn't publish this--we start our summer storytimes tomorrow!)

Welcome Song

Henrietta’s Basket: Zero (I forgot to bring the zoo map from home!)

Song: Be my echo (6 syllables x 2) zoom and zebra; zipper and zucchini

Flannel Board: The Buzzing Busy Bee

The bee is such a busy soul.
She buzzes all around.
You see her flit from flower to flower,
Making her sweet buzzing sound. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz

She sips each flower’s nectar sweet,
‘Til she can drink no more.
Then back to her hive to prepare a treat
Of honey which she’ll store. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Once in her hive, she doesn’t stop.
Her chores continue on.
Feeding queen and young and fanning her hive,
Singing her sweet buzzing song. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Book: Zero (Otoshi)

Song: ZOO ANIMALS — an action song to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you want to be a monkey, go Ohh, Ohh!
If you want to be a monkey, go Ohh, Ohh!
If you want to be a monkey, if you want to be a monkey,
If you want to be a monkey, go Ohh, Ohh!

Parrot — flap your wings
Elephant — swing your trunk
Lion — roar out loud
Giraffe — stand up tall
Kangaroo—hop, hop

Nursery Rhyme: There was an old woman

Book: Life-Size Zoo (Komiya)

ABC Chant

Good bye Chant

Enrichment: ABC dot-to-dot, trace/cut zig-zag lines, Little People zoo/train play set, zoo file folder game, zoo stamps

B is for Bedtime

An outreach storytime
To introduce the Summer Reading Program--Dream Big--Read!

Book:  Go To Bed, Monster  (Natasha Wing)

Song:  Before I go to bed
(tune:  The Wheels on the Bus)

Before I go to bed I take a bath
Splash, splash, splash
Splash, splash, splash
Before I go to bed I take a bath
Splash, splash, splash!

Additional verses:
I brush my teeth--brush, brush, brush
I get a drink--gulp, gulp, gulp
I read a book--once upon a time
I give a kiss--(make kissing sounds)
I whisper good night--nighty-night, nighty-night

Now I'm in bed I go to sleep
(snore, snore, snore)
(snore, snore, snore)
Now I'm in bed I go to sleep
(snore, snore, snore)

Book:  Sweet Dreams: How Animals Sleep (Kimiko Kajikawa)

Song:  Sleeping Bunny
(Tune:  Frere Jacques)

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?
Little bunny?  Little bunny?
Shhhhh!!  Shhhh!!
Wake up little bunny
Wake up little bunny
Hop, hop, hop!
Hop, hop, hop!

Additional verses:
Little tiger--Grrrrr, grrrr, grrrrr
Little cheetah--run, run, run
Little crocodile--chomp, chomp, chomp
Little frog--jump, jump, jump

Book:  Chicks Run Wild (Sudipta Bardham-Quallen)