A Not Halloween Storytime

To be sure to include all children and families in storytime I do a "not Halloween" storytime just before the holiday.  It can be about monsters, spiders, dressing up, not being scared.  Elements of Halloween without being Halloween.  This year it was a mash-up of many Halloweenish things.

Books

The Mouse who wasn't Scared

by Petr Horacek

Aaaarrgghh! Spider!

by Lydia Monks

Where's Sam?

by Yves Got

Flannel

Go Away Big Green Monster

(based on the book by Ed Emberley)

Songs/Rhymes

Hello, Hello

The Monster Boogie

by Laurie Berkner

The Itsy Bitsy Spider FIVE WAYS!

The Big Hairy Spider

The Super Slow Spider

The Speedy Little Spider

The Silent Little Spider

My Hands Say Goodbye

Open Ended Art Activity

Lunch size paper bags, paper scraps, yarn, crayons, scissors, glue sticks 

Four Hungry Ants

A fun flannel rhyme that has a fun twist to the traditional "Five Little Whatsits".

You can use as many or as few ants as you'd like.  I usually do four or six just to be different!

I introduce this rhyme by asking the children if they have ever been on a picnic.  I also ask them what they take to eat.  Do they ever take...a salad? (add the salad piece to the flannel board)  Do you ever take...a cake?  What about this?  (they usually say it's salt, but I tell them it's not salt, but that this can make you sneeze...pepper).  Who (or what bug) likes to come to picnics and eat your food?

Count the ants as you add them to the flannel board.

Four Hungry Ants

Four hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine.

One marched into the salad

Then he marched into the cake

He marched into the pepper

But that was a mistake!

Aaaah! Aaaah! Choo!

That poor little ant sneezed so hard he flew right off the flannel board! (The kids love it!)

Three hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine.

One marched into the salad

Then he marched into the cake

He marched into the pepper

But that was a mistake!

Aaaah! Aaaah! Choo!

Two hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine.

One marched into the salad

Then he marched into the cake

He marched into the pepper

But that was a mistake!

Aaaah! Aaaah! Choo!

One hungry ant marching in a line

He came upon a picnic where he could dine.

He marched into the salad

Then he marched into the cake

He marched into the pepper

But that was a mistake!

Aaaah! Aaaah! Choo!

Baby Storytime--Farms

Finally back to Baby Storytime (starting Sept 7).  Over two and a half years!!  A slow start, but so excited to be back at it! Farm Theme for the first six weeks...

Books

Are You My Mommy?

by Mary Murphy

Hurry, Hurry!

by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Jeff Mack

Old MacDonald had a Farm

by Jane Cabrera

I Went Walking

by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas

Hello, Day!

by Anita Lobel

Songs/Rhymes/Bounces

You Ought to See My Baby

Baby-o

Hooray!

At storytime we have _______ today

We're so glad let's shout hooray!

Little Bear

Little Bear in the tree

Sitting oh so still

Won't you come out?

Yes, he will!

He looks to the left

He looks to the right

He looks straight ahead

Then he pops out of sight!

When Cows Get Up in the Morning

When cows get up in the morning they always say, "Good day"

When cows get up in the morning they always say, "Good day"

"Moo, moo, moo", that's how they say good day

"Moo, moo, moo", that's how they say good day!

Additional farm animals

Sheep, Duck, Horse, Cat, Dog

I started out using flannel pieces, but then used large plastic farm animals instead.

Roly Poly

Roly poly, roly poly

Big, big, big

Roly poly, roly poly

Small, small, small

Roly poly, roly poly

Touch your nose

Roly poly, roly, poly

Touch your toes

Roly poly, roly poly

Up to the sky

Roly poly, roly poly

Fly, fly, fly!

Hickory Dickory Dock (x4)

Hickory dickory dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck one

The mouse ran down

Hickory dickory dock

Two--the mouse said "Boo!"

Three--the mouse said "Whee!"

Four--there is no more

Tony Chestnut

Toe, knee, chest, nut (head)

Nose, eye love you

Toe, knee, nose

Toe, knee, nose

Toe, knee, chest, nut

Nose, eye love you

That's what toe, knee nose

Toast

I am toast in the toaster

I'm getting very hot

Tick, tock; tick, tock

Up I

Pop!

One Bright Scarf

One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow

Wiggle it high

Wiggle it low

Shake it fast

Shake it slow

Hide it behind your back

Where'd it go?

Here it is!

Flannel

Over in the Farmyard

Fall and Pumpkins Storytime

Books

Mystery Vine

by Cathryn Farwell

In the Middle of Fall

by Kevin Henkes

Pumpkin Trouble

by Jan Thomas

Flannel/Magnet Board

Fall Riddles

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

Songs/Fingerplays

Hello, Hello

Pumpkins on the Ground

Scarecrow, Scarecrow

I've Changed My Mind

Jim Gill

My Hands Say Goodbye

Open Ended Art

Small sticks, leaves, pinecones, craft sticks, yarn

Paper, glue, scissors

Open Ended Science

Magnifying Glasses

Leaves, sticks, rocks, pine cones, berries

Monkey Storytime

Hello, Hello

Books

Leyla

by Galia Bernstein

Monkey See, Look at Me!

by Lorena Siminovich

Spunky Little Monkey

by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson; illustrated by Brian Won

Fingerplays/Songs

Two Little Monkeys

Two little monkeys sitting on a hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Run away Jack. Run away Jill.

Come back Jack. Come back Jill.

Climbing to the sky

One named Low and one named High

Sitting on a pole

One named Fast and one named Slow

Looking at a cloud

One named Quiet and one named Loud

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Are You Sleeping?

(animals from Monkey See, Look at Me!)

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping? Little bird, little bird?

Wake up little bird, wake up little bird

Flap, flap, flap

Flap, flap, flap!

Bunny--hop

Lion--roar

Elephant--stomp

Monkey--swing

My Hands Say Goodbye

Activities

Dotters

Balls and Tubes

Mice Storytime

Hello, Hello

Books

Mouse who Reached the Sky

by Petr Horacek

Big Box, Little Box

by Caryl Hart

Mice

by Rose Fyleman; illustrated by Lois Ehlert

Songs/Fingerplays

Hickory Dickory Dock (x4)

Hickory Dickory Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck one

The mouse ran down

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Two...the mouse said "Boo!"

Three...the mouse said, "Whee!"

Four...there is no more!

Mouse Clapping

Give two claps after each line **

Behind the tree **

And under the house **

There lived a teeny **

Tiny mouse **

She loved to sing **

She loved to tap **

But most of all **

She loved to clap **

She clapped all night **

She clapped all day **

She clapped to frighten **

The cat away ********

Silly Dance Contest

Jim Gill

Old Gray Cat

The old gray cat is sleeping, sleeping

The old gray cat is sleeping, sleeping in her bed.

The little mice are creeping, creeping

The little mice are creeping, creeping through the house.

The little mice are eating, eating

The little mice are eating, eating all her food.

Little mice are climbing...on the cat.

Little mice are jumping...on her back.

Little mice are dancing...'round the cat

Old gray cat is waking...from her nap

Little mice are hiding...from the cat.

Old gray cat is creeping...through the house.

Little mice all scamper...through the house.

My Hands Say Goodbye

Flannel Board

Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Art Activity

Triangles and circles for mice

Farm Storytimes

A nice broad topic as I start doing some outreach storytimes, as well as continuing in house.

Baby

Peek-a-Moo

Are You My Mommy?

by Mary Murphy

Hello, Day!

by Anita Lobel

Baby/Toddler

I Went Walking

by Sue Williams

Toddlers

Barnyard Banter

by Denise Fleming

Clip-Clop

by Nicola Smee

Toddler/Preschool

The Very Busy Spider

by Eric Carle

This Little Pup

by Laura J. Bryant

Chicken, Chicken, Duck

by Nadia Krilanovich

Preschoolers

The Cow Loves Cookies

by Karma Wilson

Five Fuzzy Chicks

by Diana Murray

Songs, Rhymes, Fingerplays, Flannel Board

Old MacDonald had a Farm

I had a Little Cow

When Cows Get Up in the Morning

Five Little Pigs Rolled in the Mud