Balloon Storytime

After attending a workshop at Starting Strong entitled "More Than a Mess!" I just had to try painting with balloons!  This was a super fun, successful storytime!

Books

A Balloon for Isabel

by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Laura Rankin

Don't Wake UP the Tiger

by Britta Teckentrup

Graph Question
What is your favorite color balloon?
Blue (4), Yellow (3), Red (5), Green (3)

Song

If You're Happy and You Know It
with additional verse about blowing up a balloon--then having it POP!

Flannel Board

Balloons
(tune: Pop Goes the Weasel)

__________(name/animal) had a ___________ (color) balloon
He/she blew and blew and blew
His/her mother said "You'd better stop!"
Oops! Too late he/she popped it!

Play and Learn

Paint with Balloons!

I love the differences between these two children

and how they interacted with the balloons and paint!

Up Houses with do-a-dot

Play with balloons

Fun and Learning with Balloons!

• Count how many times your child can hit the balloon and keep it up in the air
• Count how many times you and your child can hit the balloon back and forth to each other
• Balance a balloon on a cup; toss the balloon in the air and try to catch it on the cup
• Walk on the different lines while tapping the balloon to keep it in the air

Friends Storytime

I was able to do this storytime twice; once with preschoolers and the second with an all ages group.  Both times hugely successful!

Books

Ella and Penguin: A Perfect Match

by Megan Maynor; illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet

Hedgehugs

by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper

Graph
How do you show kindness to your friends?
Play together (5)
Give a hug (2)
Help (2)
Share (3)

Song

Two Little Friends
(tune: 5 Little Ducks)

Two little friends went out to play
On a bright and sunny day
They jumped, they ran, they had such fun
So they called another little friend to come,
"Come and play!"

Continue up through 5

They played and played till the day was done!

Magnet Board

Hide and Seek Friends Curious George

Curious George is playing hide and seek

Is he under the __________(color) hat?

Let's take a peek!

Play and Learn

Parachute!  You need lots of friends to do the parachute!
CD Music:  Alabama, Mississippi by Jim Gill
I taught the children how we would do the parachute during the song--slowly up and down until we get to "Shake, shake, shake..." then we go fast and wild!  Then back to slow and gentle.  The second time around the kids sat under the parachute and the grown-ups did the parachute in the same manner.

Preschool

• Contact paper and tissue paper art
• Train
• Puzzles

All Ages

• Blocks
• Counting pom-poms
• Pattern Blocks
• Feed the Animals

The Why

An internal blog post

I was able to attend an early learning conference last week and gained a lot of great information, ideas, and insights.  I love learning new techniques, talking with like-minded individuals who love working with children, and being reminded again about “the why”.  Why do we do what we do in early learning?  Thinking about “the why” focuses me again on the important work we do with young children, their caregivers, and families.  Being reminded of “the why” also keeps me motivated and energized!

Here are three of “the whys” I took away from the conference applied directly to storytime.  Reflecting on these, and other “whys”, reminds us that we don’t do storytimes to just read a few books and sing a song or two then put out toys to play with.  We can, and should be, doing so much more!

• Why do “messy art” in storytime?

Children learn best through open-ended play; meaning children have the freedom to interact with the environment and objects in their own way.  This includes how they interact with art supplies.  Children learn through play, experimenting, and trying new things.  Children learn best and are more motivated when their art is their own—they make the decision as to what it will be and are validated for their efforts because there is no “right” way to do it.  This adds to the child’s motivation, confidence and resilience, which are all necessary to order to continue to learn.

• Why do math activities in storytime?

Research has shown that early math skills have the greatest predictive power to later learning.  Children need a lot of expose to math concepts, because of course, that is how we all learn, through repetition.  Math is linear—one concept builds upon the previous.  The next layer can’t be added if the child doesn’t first have a firm grasp on the previous concept, including math vocabulary.  Thus a strong foundation is needed and early math expose and activities help to build that.  Storytimes are an ideal place to point out math concepts in books, songs, flannel boards, etc. by counting, asking how many, and asking the child to verbalize math ideas.

• Why use movement activities in storytime?

Children need time to move.  In fact, children learn better and are more focused after doing a physical activity.  Movement activities help to develop executive function, stimulates motivation, grows neurons in the brain, and improve memory.  So be sure to add some simple movement activities which could include actions with songs, stretches, yoga poses, or even a quick GoNoodle video!

Baby Storytime for July and August--Colors!

Most of the Fridays in July...and into August...(four weeks) we focused Baby Storytime around Colors!

Songs/Rhymes/Bounces

*Clap Your Hands
(tune: Wheels on the Bus)
Take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap
Give a little clap!
Additional Verses:
Toes--tap
Feet--jump

*Hello (tune: Good Night Ladies)
Hello __________
Hello __________
Hello __________
We're glad you're here today!

*Little Bear
*When Cows get up in the Morning
puppets included cow, duck, frog, mouse, dog, cat, monkey, lamb, pig, bunny (I usually do 5)
*Roly-Poly
*Tiny Little Babies

Itsy Bitsy Spider
Trot, Trot to Boston
I'm a Little Teapot
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Humpty Dumpty
Jack Be Nimble
Hickory Dickory Dock

*Toast

*used every week

Flannel Board

Color Butterflies

The 1^st to come to the garden bed

Was a lovely butterfly of brilliant RED

Then in comes another and that make two

Fly right in, my friend of BLUE

The garden is fine, the best I’ve seen

Said the butterfly of springtime GREEN

The garden needs a sunshiny fellow,

So fly right in if your wings are YELLOW

This is all perfect I really do think

If only you’d join, butterfly of PINK

Little friend of PURPLE, take a place too,

This garden is a perfect spot for a color like you.

ORANGE, orange, you’ve waited so long

Fly right in here you belong.

Butterflies, butterflies, you’re such a sight

Flying together in summer delight!

Read Aloud Books

Baby Bear Sees Blue

(abbreviated)

by Ashly Wolff

Cleo's Color Book

by Caroline Mockford

Lunch

by Denise Fleming

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle

Shared Reading

A variety of board books about colors including...

Maisy's First colors

by Lucy Cousins

Color Our World

by Elle D. Risco; illustrated by Nancy Kubo

Follow the Yarn:  A Book of Colors

by Emily Sper

Rainbow: A Book of Colors

by Jane Cabrera

Play and Learn

Parachute

Scarves

Tunnel

Color Boxes

(Colorful) Button Bottle

Balls

Blocks

Stacking Cups

Puppets

Sun and Moon Storytime--Baby

This was our 4th Storytime Mash-up this summer--in preparation for the solar eclipse.  It was a little bit of a stretch putting one together for babies, but I think it came together and was a lot of fun!  (We'll be doing the same songs/rhymes/flannel again this week!)

Read Aloud 

Alphaprints: Fun in the Sun

by Roger Priddy

The Silver Moon: Lullabies and Cradle Songs

by Jack Prelutsky; illustrated by Jui Ishida
(3 moon poems)

Songs/Rhymes/Bounces

Clap, Clap, Clap
Hello Song
Little Bear

(Sun)
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 verses with other hand puppets
cat, dog, duck, monkey

You Are My Sunshine 
(traditional)
I asked the moms/grandmas to set their baby on their lap looking at them and look into their eyes while we sang this song.

Itsy, Bitsy Spider
(traditional)

(Moon/Stars)
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
(traditional)

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! 
(bounce baby gently)

Zoom, zoom, zoom!
We're going to the moon!
Zoom, zoom, zoom!
We're leaving very soon!
5-4-3-2-1-BLAST OFF! (lift baby up)

Flannel

Five Little Stars

Five little stars shine and shine some more,

One fell to the earth and then there were four.

Four little stars, happy as can be,

One fell to the earth and then there were three.

Three little stars in a sky so blue,

One fell to the earth and then there were two.

Two little stars, having lots of fun,

One fell to the earth and then there was one.

One little star left all alone,

That one fell to earth and then there were none.

The moon came out- what a pretty sight!

He waved to the stars and he said goodnight.

Shared Reading
A variety of Babybug Magazines

Play and Learn

Explore Shadows 
I brought in my reading lamp and set it up in the darkened corner for babies to create shadows

All the other fun baby toys we usually have :)

Sun and Moon Storytime

In preparation for the solar eclipse we hosted our 4th Mash-up Storytime of the summer--all about the sun and moon!

Books

Moonbear's Sunrise

by Frank Asch

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy

by Jan Thomas

Songs/Flannel Board/Nursery Rhymes

There was One in the Bed
(counting up)

There was one in the bed and the little one said,
"I'm lonely! I'm lonely!"
So one climbed then...

There were two in the bed...

There were five in the bed and the little one said,
"Good Night!"

We were going to do the traditional Five in the Bed counting backwards at the end, but we ran out of time.

Hey Diddle, Diddle
Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Shadow, Shadow
Shadow, shadow turn around
Shadow, shadow touch the ground
Shadow, shadow dance on your toes
Shadow, shadow touch your nose
Shadow, shadow bend down low

Shadow, shadow touch your toe

Shadow, shadow jump up now
Shadow, shadow take a bow
Shadow, shadow stomp your feet
Shadow, shadow take your seat.

Play and Learn

Puppets and Shadows!  

(I brought my bed reading lamp for light and turned off half the overhead lights)

Make a sun--paper plate, yellow and orange construction paper strips

Felt Button Chain

Sewing cards

Counting Cars