Chicken Storytime

A few weeks ago I did a "Noisy Farm" storytime.  I had so much fun with that subject I developed a storytime all about chickens!

Books
Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen; illustrated by David Gavril

Wee Little Chick by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by John Butler

Songs, Rhymes, Fingerplays

Little Chick
Little Chick, Little Chick
Come out and play
What color barn are you in today?

Shake, Shake, Shake
(Tune: Do your ears hang low?)

Can you shake your egg up high?
Can you shake your egg down low?
Can you shake it side to side?
Can you shake it by your toe?
Can you shake it really fast?
Can you shake it really slow?
Can you shake your egg?

1, 2 Buckle My Shoe
1, 2 buckle my shoe
3, 4 shut the door
5, 6 pick up sticks
7, 8 lay them straight
9, 10 a big, fat hen!

Play and Learn

Little Chick

Find the Chick (yellow pom-pom in egg)

Playdough

Pom-Pom numbers

Life Cycle of a Chicken

Picnic Storytime

What better way to celebrate summer than with a picnic...unless it happens to be raining!  But we had a fun picnic storytime inside!!

Books

Ready for Anything by Keiko Kasza

Picnic by Emily Arnold McCully

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

Four Hungry Ants
4 hungry ants, marching in a line
They come upon a picnic, where they could dine
They marched into the salad
They marched into the cake
They marched into the pepper
Oh-uh!  That was a mistake!
AAAAAAACCCCCCCHHHHHOOOOOO!

Jump Up, Turn Around (Jim Gill)

Jack Be Nimble
Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack jump over the candlestick!

We're Going on a Picnic (chant)
Going on picnic
Gotta pack a lunch
What should we bring to munch, munch, munch?

Let's bring.... (x3) to munch, munch, munch!

Play and Learn

Giant Sandwich (Melissa & Doug)

Pretend picnic with play dishes and food

Pack a picnic "worksheet"

Strawberries in a Basket Counting

Baby Storytime

My first ever Baby Storytime!!  (well, I've subbed before, but this one I planned and presented!)  Two things that helped me feel prepared for this new opportunity:  1.  Book Babies that I took my daughter to many years ago.  2.  A wonderful role model and mentor...Mrs. B!

Here's what we did today:

Bubbles

Hands are Clapping
(Tune: London Bridges)

Hands are clapping
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Hands are clapping
Clap, clap, clap
Hands are clapping.

Additional verses:
Toes are tapping
Fingers are wiggling
Eyes are hiding; peek-a-boo!

Hello, Baby! (Thanks Mrs. B for this song!!)
(Tune:  Goodnight Ladies)

Hello, _______
Hello, _______
Hello, _______
We're glad you're here today!

Trot, Trot to Boston
(bounce)
Trot, trot to Boston.  Trot, trot to Lynn
Watch out little baby or you might fall in!

Trot, trot to Denver.  Trot, trot to Dover
Watch out little baby or you might fall over!

Hey Little Baby! by Heather Leigh; illustrated by Genevieve Cote

Roly-Poly
Roly-poly, roly-poly (roll arms)
Out, out, out (move hands apart)
Roly-poly, roly-poly
In, in, in (move hands towards each other)
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!

Jack be Nimble
(sit crisscross on floor with baby on one knee)
Jack be nimble
Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick! (switch baby from one knee to the other on the word "over")

Who's that...Playing? See How Animals Play by Kingfisher (didn't read the words...just named the animal and made its noise)

Pat-a-Cake
Traditional

Popcorn! (with the parachute)
You put the oil in the pot and you let it get hot.
You put the popcorn in and start to grin
You go sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, POP!

Play and Learn
Puzzles
Squishy Blocks
Stacking cups
Shape sorter
Color boxes

Noisy Farm Animals Storytime

Our final theme for summer reading was "Noise".  Kids love to make animal noises, so I decided to focus this storytime on farm animals.

Books

Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack!  by Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb; illustrated by Ailie Busby

No Sleep for the Sheep!  by Karen Beaumont; illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic

Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays

Here is the link for our weekly songs

Over in the Barnyard
Over in the barnyard
Early in the morning
See the little chickies
All in a row
See the busy farmer
Giving them their breakfast
"Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep"
Off they go.

Repeat song using different farm animals and the sounds they make.  [Cows, sheep, ducks, horses, pigs]

Clap our Hands When We Get Together (Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem CD)

Baa, Baa Black Sheep
Baa, baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Three bags full.
One for the master,
One for the dame,
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.

Play and Learn

Science Experiment:  Coat Hanger Sounds
Farm animals vs. zoo animals magnets

Farm animal matching baby to mother

Using children's tweezers to pick up and sort objects

Hopscotch

Frankentoys!

Another program that was totally planned before I started my new job...but that I got to execute at one of the ten branches!

See this article in School Library Journal for more info.

Take old toys and create new ones!  Made me feel like Sid from Toy Story!

Here are the creations...from both kids and adults!!

 

Squishy Circuits

I was able to help with a tween program at one of the branches.  It was called "Squishy Circuits"  and was inspired from the University of St.Thomas.

Although the program was already developed I had a fun time working with the kids...and learning too!  It's amazing stuff!

Here are some pictures from the event!