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.