Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Bears

Storytime in the Children's Area again because the elevator is still broken, but at least this time I felt more prepared because I knew there was a chance I'd be upstairs again.  It went so much better than last week's!! Whew!!

Hello, Hello

If You Were a Panda Bear
by Wendell and Florence Minor

Two Little Panda Bears

Two little panda bears sitting on a hill
One named Jack; one named Jill
Run away Jack; run away Jill
Come back Jack; come back Jill

Peering at the sky...Low and High
Sitting on a pole...Fast and Slow
Sitting on a car...Near and Far
Looking at a cloud...Quiet and Loud

My Hands

Where's My Teddy?
by Jez Alborough

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Turn around
Touch the ground

Dance on your toes
Touch your nose

Reach up high
Touch the sky

Bend down low
Touch your toes

Jump up now
Take a bow

Stomp your feet
Take a seat

Flannel Story
Used the script from Felt Board Magic
adapted from Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera

Washing Machine made from a Kleenex box

My Hands Say Goodbye


I had quickly made up a bear scavenger hunt for children to do.  I hid pictures of a panda bear, brown bear, black bear, polar bear, and a teddy bear in the children's area for them to find and each had a half sheet of paper they could mark off the ones they found.  They absolutely love it!
Bear Scavenger Hunt around the children's area

Duplos

Weighted Bears and Balance

Wooden Beads

Coloring

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Food and Eating Storytime

In the Children's Area because the elevator was broken.  It was pretty disastrous.  I really didn't have time to change things up, and I had to haul everything up the stairs.  Several books had just come in, and I didn't have time to review them, and I just felt flustered!  Then it was a very young group, many new faces, and oh, so many distractions!!  And I was being observed by a staff member who is being trained in storytime.  I felt pretty awful having her see one of my worst storytimes ever!!  

Books

I Won't Eat That
by Christopher Silas Neal

Who's Hungry?
Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt


Feast For Ten
by Cathryn Falwell

Magnet Board

Four Hungry Ants

One of These Things is Not Like the Others
(tried with foods--such as strawberry, banana, apple, cake), but it was too hard.  I should have done food and some random object)  So I quickly switched to...

Where is the ant hiding?
(behind different foods)

Songs

Hello, Hello

The Ants Go Marching

If You're Happy and You Know It

My Hands Say Goodbye

Alternative Books

Crunch Munch
by Jonathan London

Ten Hungry Pigs
by Derek Anderson

The Greedy Goat
by Petr Horacek

Mouse Mess
by Linnea Riley

What Does an Anteater Eat?
by Ross Collins

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Dogs--Toddler Storytime

Subbed in today for Toddler Storytime

Books

Maggie and Michael Get Dressed
by Denise Fleming

This Little Pup
by Laura J. Bryant


We Love You, Rosie!
by Cynthia Rylant and Linda Davick
(In and Out; Up and Down)

Songs

Hello, Hello

My Dog Rags
(see Jbrary for tune)

My Hands say Goodbye

Magnet Board Game

Where is Dog's Bone?

Optional Books

Domino
by Claire Masurel; illustrated by David Walker


Maggie's Ball
by Lindsay Barnett George


Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Pets Storytime

Books

My Pet Wants a Pet
by Elise Broach; illustrated by Eric Barclay


Can I Keep It?
by Lisa Jobe

Flannel Story

Fifteen Animals
by Sandra Boyton

Songs

Hello, Hello

Are You Sleeping? Pet Edition

Jump Up, Turn Around
Jim Gill

My Hands Say Goodbye

Magnet Game

Who's hiding Puppy's bone?

Art

Chalk Art on black paper

Optional Book
Hiding Phil
by Eric Barclay

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Colors Storytime

Books

Three of the following books (two storytimes that week)

Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse
by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Blanca Gomez

Bear Sees Colors
by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

A Good Day
by Kevin Henkes

Wake Up, Color Pup
by Taia Morley

Cat's Colors
by Jane Cabrera

Songs/Fingerplays

I'm a Little Kitty Cat
(tune: I'm a little teapot)

I'm a little kitty cat soft and sweet
Here are my whiskers, here are my feet
When I go out hunting, mice beware
Or you might just get a...SCARE!

Saturday, October 29, 2022

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!