Winter (Part 1)

Books

Froggy Gets Dressed

by Jonathan London; illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Winter, Winter Cold and Snow

by Sharon Gibson Palermo; illustrated by Christina Song

Not Now, Cow

by Tammi Sauer

Turtle Walk

by Matt Phelan

Songs/Movement

Silly Dance Contest

Jim Gill

Jingle Bells

Flannel Board

Snowman Rhyme

by Deborah Garmon

I have a little snowman who has no clothes to wear,

So I'll give him a black hat, because he has no hair.

I have little snowman who has no clothes to wear

So I'll give him a bright red scarf, since I have one to share.

I have a little snowman who has no clothes to wear

So I'll give him blue boots, a nice, warm, wooly pair.

Now my little snowman has lots of clothes to wear,

And I hope that my snowman knows how much I care.

Yellow Mitten

Find the yellow mitten hidden behind different shapes

Play and Learn

Beads on pipe cleaners

Trains, counting cars, magnets, gears

Take Two

I ended up having to sub in another storytime later this week...and I had let families take some of my books.  Instead of  Not Now Cow and Turtle Walk I read the following:

In the Snow

by Sharon Phillips Denslow, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri

One Mitten

by Kristine O'Connell George; illustrated by Maggie Smith

(we ended when the girl found her second mitten)

Baking Day!

Books

Sesame Street: Cookie Countdown

by Matt Mitter; illustrated by Tom Brannon

Baking Day at Grandma's

by Anika Denise; illustrated by Christopher Denise

All for Pie; Pie for All

by David Martin; illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

Flannel Board

Five Little Gingerbread Men

Five little gingerbread men in a row

Not going to eat one, no. no, no!

But they look so sweet from head to toe

Nibble, nibble, munch, crunch...oh, no!

Continue counting down

No little gingerbread men in a row

I wasn't going to eat one, no, no, no.

But they looked so sweet that it's sad to tell

Munch, crunch...oh, well!

Fingerplay

Making Cookies

I am making cookie dough

Round and round the beaters go

Add some flour from a cup

Stir and stir the batter up.

Roll them, cut them nice and neat

Put them on a cookie sheet

Bake them, count them 1-2-3

Serve them to my friends for tea.

Songs/Movement

Cookie Bakers of the Night

Laurie Berkner

(not my favorite...)

Fun at Grandma's

It's __________ day

It's __________ day

It's __________ day at Grandma's!

(children suggested different actions to do, such as jumping, clapping, playing, and baking)

Open Ended Art

Decorate a gingerbread man

(glue, scissors, crayons, sequins, ribbon, yarn, construction paper scraps, stickers)

Imaginative Play

Baking cookie (bowls, spoons, cookie sheets, play cookies)

Cookie Sheets and Magnets

Muffin Tin and Buttons

Twig Blocks

Trains!

Used for two family storytimes and an outreach storytime.

Books

Train!

by Judi Abbot

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

by Emma Garcia

Snakes on a Train

by Kathryn Dnnis

Songs and Movement

Train Chant

I made up movements to go with the chants in Trains!

First I taught them the movements:

Train: slap legs

Plane:  arms above head

Car: Clap

Digger: Stomp

Train-plane-car!

Train-plane-car! 

Digger-digger-digger-digger!

Train-plane-car!

Train-plane-digger-digger!

Train-plane-car!

Train-plane-digger-digger!

Train-plane-car!

We did them each several times, trying to go slightly faster each time.

Two Little Blackbirds

There were two blackbirds in Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill

One named Jack. One named Jill

Fly away Jack! Fly away Jill!

Come back Jack! Come back Jill!

Additional verses:

Sitting on a car...near and far

Flying in the sky...low and high

Sitting on a pole...fast and slow

Looking at a cloud...quiet and loud

Magnet Board

Snake on a Train

Where is the snake hiding?

Train printed from Making Learning Fun

Snake copied from Snakes on a Train

Additional/Optional Books

Freight Train

by Donald Crews

Listen Up! Train Song

by Victoria Allenby

Two Little Trains

by Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Soup!

Books

Bear and Chicken

by Jannie Ho

Soup Day

by Melissa Iwai

A Soup Opera

by Jim Gill, illustrated by David Moose

Is That Wise Pig?

by Jan Thomas

Magnet Board

Vegetable Riddles
 
I’m round, red, and juicy and I’m good in a stew
Chop me up for a salad to feed a large crew.
 
I’m long and orange and crunchy
And bunny rabbits like me a lot
If you eat enough of me, I can help you see.
 
There’re many ways to eat me, with a fork or on the cob
If I’m dry and heated up you’ll love to hear me pop!
 
Mash me, bake me, or make me into fries
I could be red or brown and I also have eyes!
 
I’m born in a pod with others like me
I’ll roll around on your plate and I’m round and I’m green.

Songs

Hello, Hello

Jumping and Counting

Jim Gill

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Hop, Hop, Stop!

My Hands Say Goodbye

(we did not do The Soup is Boiling Up because we were in the Children's Area)

Open Ended Play

Pots, bowls, spoons, whisk etc.

Plastic food

Magnets

Wooden beads on strings

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

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

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

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

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!

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