This is what I did at my circus preschool storytime.
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
I asked if any of the kids had ever been to the circus. Then I talked about the different things they might see at the circus.
BOOK: Circus by Lois Ehlert
(This is a colorful book. I think the pictures were too abstract for the kids or maybe I should have shortened the portion I read to the kids. Some of them got restless and it was a distraction for the rest of the kids.)
FLANNEL BOARD STORY: Clancy the Clown (from the storytime box)
(This was a really fun story. The kids interacted by calling out the color and shape of the nose that was wrong. I loved this and will use it again!)
Clancy was a clown in a circus. Every day he put on a funny face that made the children clap and laugh. Then he did somersaults and rode a pig. Clancy blew a trumpet and that made the children clap and laugh too.
One day Clancy went to put on his funny face. He put on his silly eyes (place eyes). He put on his happy mouth (place mouth). He put on his crazy hair (place hair). But Clancy Clown couldn't find his funny nose.
"I know my nose", said Clancy. "My nose is round and red. Where is my funny nose?"
Clancy found a nose and put it on. (put on a blue square nose) Something wasn't quite right. Was this Clancy's nose? (let kids respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off." (The kids screamed NO. Then I had them tell me why it wasn't his nose. They called out the shape and color.)
Clancy found another nose and put it on. (put on a green triangle nose) Something wasn't right with this one either. Was this Clancy's nose? (let the kids respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off." (the kids screamed NO. Then I had them tell me why this wasn't his nose. They called out the shape and color. They really started to laugh at this point. I was amazed by how much they know about shapes and they were able to explain why it wasn't the right nose.)
Clancy found another nose and put it on. (put on a big yellow circle) Something didn't look right. Was this Clancy's nose? (children respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off".
Clancy found another nose and put it on. (put on a tiny purple circle). Something wasn't right with this one either. Was this Clancy's nose? (children respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off".
Clancy found another nose and put it on. (put on a yellow star). Something didn't look right. Was this Clancy's nose? (children respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off."
Clancy put on another nose. (a large orance circle). It looked almost right but not quite. Was this Clancy's nose? (children respond) Clancy said, "this is not my nose and he took it off".
Then Clancy put on the last nose (put on the large red circle). Was this Clancy's nose? (they all scream YES.) Yes it was red and it was round like a circle. This was Clancy's funny clown nose.
Clancy Clown went out to turn somersaults and ride a pig and blow his trumpet so the children would clap and laugh.
ACTION SONG: The Dance Along Gong Song from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem CD
(I talked to the kids about clowns at the circus. Then I explained that clowns make people laugh and we are going to pretend to be clowns. We will dance around and make silly faces and then every time we hear the "gong" sound in the song we will freeze. They seemed to really enjoy this. They danceed and giggled and wiggled and froze. I've noticed that kids love freezing during a song.)
BOOK: Little Monkey Says Goodnight by Ann Whitford Paul
(Cute book. The kids quieted down and listened. I just wish the pictures were brighter and easier to see. Nice story that held their interest.)
ACTIVITY: Swing, Swing
(I got this idea from http://www.preschooleducation.com/szoo.shtml and I just changed the ending a little bit. I asked the kids if they had ever played ring around the rosie. They said yes so I told them to hold hands and helped them to get in a circle. I explained we were going to be monkeys and swing are arms like a tail. I had them practice and then we went through the fingerplay twice. Then I experimented and had them move around in a circle. It was hilarious. That part got all messed up. They didn't know what they were doing and the kids got all smooshed together and it was more like a pretzel. They had fun though!)
Little monkeys swinging in the tree,
all hold hands and swing with me.
swing up high and swing down low,
swing in the tree, now don't let go!
swing, swing, like I do.
Swing like monkeys at the circus do.
(swing arms back and forth while holding hands in a circle)
BOOK: Last Night I Dreamed a Circus by Maya Gottfried
(Nice and short. Unique illustrations. The kids were fairly attentive.)
ACTIVITY: Circus Extravaganza
I played the song Animal Parade from the Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals CD by Pamela Conn Beall
(I had the kids sit on the storytime rug while I quickly ran around and set up the activities. I put out the tunnel from baby/toddler storytime, I had allready put a line of masking tape down on the carpet, I threw a hula hoop on the ground, and had a cardboard animal with an open mouth and bean bags for them to throw inside. Then I explained the activity. They were circus performers and when I turned on the music they were going to walk on the tightrope, jump in and out of the hoop, crawl through the tunnel and throw the bean bags into the lions mouth. I showed them how to do it and then turned on the music. The kids had a blast doing this and they didn't want it to end. I played the song through twice. Finally I had to tell them it was over. The only problem was that we ended up with a traffic jam at the lion's mouth and the tunnel, but they didn't seem to care. One of the mom's helped me keep traffic moving and that made a big difference!)
TAKE HOME: Circus Elephant coloring page.
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem CD (The Dance Along Gong Song)
Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals by Pamela Conn Beall CD (Animal Parade)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
February Baby/Toddler
I keep the same handout for 3 weeks. The repetition seems to work well with this age group (babies-2+). I have ongoing songs and rhymes that I use each week (I have listed those in a separate entry.) I also read a different book and provide a different music and motion activity weekly.
OPENING SONG: The More We Get Together
OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open, Shut Them
FINGERPLAY: Jack in the Box (another version of Peek-A-Boo)
(Children love peek-a-boo. Repeated the fingerplay two/three times)
Jack in the box
(cover babies eyes)
Sits so still
Won’t you come out?
Yes, I will!
(throw out your arms)
FINGERPLAY: Dinosaurs
(I used a T-rex puppet that we have from Folkmanis. The kids loved this one. I had them practice the different actions and then we did the fingerplay twice.)
Dinosaurs lived long ago.
Some walked (stomp in place)
Some swam (pretend to swim)
Some flew, you know! (flap arms at sides)
Some were big (holds hands high)
Some were small (crouch low)
Some were gigantic (stretch arms wide)
V-e-r-y tall! (stretch arms up high).
FINGERPLAY: Clap Your Hands
(Kids had fun clapping fast and slow. Did fingerplay twice.)
Clap, clap, clap your hands
(clap hands in rhythm with words)
Clap your hands with me.
Clap them fast!
(clap quickly)
Clap – them – slow.
(clap slowly)
Clap your hands with me.
(return to original rhythm)
ACTION SONG: Ladies Ride from the Wiggleworms Love You CD by The Old Town School of Folk Music
(The children love this activity. They have lots of fun. Toddlers that are not on a lap usually jump or sway themselves back and forth. Consistently fun action song.)
This is the way the ladies ride.
Trit, Trot, Trit, Trot. (slowly sway)
This is the way the ladies ride.
Early in the morning.
This is the way the gentlemen ride.
Clip, clop, clip, clop. ( little faster)
This is the way the farmers ride.
Clippity, cloppity (even faster)
This is the way the cowgirls/cowboys ride.
Giddy-up, giddy-up. (very fast)
Yeehah! Repeat.
EXERCISE RHYME: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
(The kids love this one. We do it three times. Regular, then fast, and then slow. A favorite!)
BOOK:
If You See a Kitten by John Butler (Week 1)
(This is my all time favorite book for baby/toddler storytime! Children and moms love it. It has good participation, sweet pictures, and a fun rhythm to it.)
Won't You Be My Kissaroo? by Joanne Ryder (Week 2) (Worked ok with the smaller group but not with the larger group. The illustrations a light pastel and hard to see. I shortened the story by using paper clips but even then I was just trying to get through it. It didn't hold their interest and didn't seem to have enough to grab this age group. Some of the mom's did kiss and hug baby along with the story which was what I had hoped, but probably won't use again.)
Peek-a-boo, You! by Roberta Grobel Intrater (Week 3) (This is one of my old stand by's. This is a nice interactive book for younger children.)
Fire fighter PiggyWiggy by Christyan Fox (Week 3) (I tried this one because it has bright colors. Only the kids were wired and kept standing in front of the book and it was probably to long and advanced for the age group especially with the number of kids today.)
FINGERPLAY: I'm a Little Teapot
(Lots of fun. The kids enjoy this one. I do it twice and have them switch sides for the handle and spout.)
I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout -
Here is my handle, (one hand on hip)
Here is my spout. (bend other arm out to side)
When I get all steamed up, (rock from side to side)
Hear me SHOUT -
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to “spout” side)
ACTION SONG: Grand Old Duke of York from the Where is Thumpkin? Action Songs for Every Month CD
(The kids love this one. I use it alot. I have them march in place and emphasize that they aren't to run around. If the child is on a lap they get lifted into the air and if they are marching (toddler) they get to jump up and down.)
The grand old Duke of York, (salute)
He had ten thousand men, (hold up both hands for 10)
He marched them up to the top of the (march arms in place)
hill and he marched them down again.
And when they’re up they’re up.
(lift baby up)
And when they’re down they’re down.
(bring baby down)
And when they’re only half way up,
They’re neither up nor down. (up and down)
TICKLE: Criss Cross Applesauce
(I love this tickle. Very gentle on the back and always gets kids giggling.)
Criss-cross applesauce.
(Draw X with finger on child’s back)
Spiders crawling up your back.
(Walk fingers up child’s back)
Cool breeze.
(Gently blow on child’s neck)
Tight squeeze.
(Hug child)
Makes you get the sillies.
(Gently tickle child)
FINGERPLAY: Itsy Bitsy Spider
(Always popular almost like a familiar friend.)
The itsy-bitsy spider
Went up the water spout.
(Walk fingers up arm or in the air)
Down came the rain
(Flick your fingers overhead)
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
(Big circle with arms overhead)
And dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider
(walk fingers up arm or in the air)
Went up the spout again.
LAPJOG: Pop Goes the Weasel
(I have a song I like to use for this one but I decided to try just singing it and it worked out really well. The babies were lifted up on "pop" and the toddlers jumped. I repeated it twice and the kids love it.
All around the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought ‘twas all in fun.
POP! Goes the Weasel.
(Bounce and lift baby up with the word POP!)
ACTION SONG: Go, Go, Go
(All time favorite. I use this song at the end of every baby/toddler storytime. I use a stop sign and the kids run in place and stop at certain points in the song.)
CLOSING RHYME
MUSIC AND MOTION:
Bell Horses (BELLS) (Week 1) from the Baby Record CD by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim
(Went pretty good. I have them play the bells and then they hide them behind their back and bring them out again. I played the song twice.)
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (SCARVES) (Week 2) from the Lilo and Stitch Movie Soundtrack Disney CD
(This is one of my favorites to use because it has a nice beat and goes great with scarves. The kids wave them back and forth and it works as a hula, swimming, dancing or whatever.)
Rockin' Robin (TAMBOURINES) (Week 3) from the Dancin Magic Joanie Bartels CD.
(One of my old standbys. Nice beat fun for the kids.)
MUSIC CDs:
Wiggleworms Love You CD by Old Town School of Folk Music (Ladies Ride)
Where is Thumpkin? Action Songs for Every Month CD (Grand Old Duke of York)
Baby Record CD by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim (Bell Horses) (BELLS)
Lilo and Stitch Movie Soundtrack Disney CD (Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride) (SCARVES)
Dancin Magic by Joanie Bartels CD (Rockin' Robin) (TAMBOURINES)
OPENING SONG: The More We Get Together
OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open, Shut Them
FINGERPLAY: Jack in the Box (another version of Peek-A-Boo)
(Children love peek-a-boo. Repeated the fingerplay two/three times)
Jack in the box
(cover babies eyes)
Sits so still
Won’t you come out?
Yes, I will!
(throw out your arms)
FINGERPLAY: Dinosaurs
(I used a T-rex puppet that we have from Folkmanis. The kids loved this one. I had them practice the different actions and then we did the fingerplay twice.)
Dinosaurs lived long ago.
Some walked (stomp in place)
Some swam (pretend to swim)
Some flew, you know! (flap arms at sides)
Some were big (holds hands high)
Some were small (crouch low)
Some were gigantic (stretch arms wide)
V-e-r-y tall! (stretch arms up high).
FINGERPLAY: Clap Your Hands
(Kids had fun clapping fast and slow. Did fingerplay twice.)
Clap, clap, clap your hands
(clap hands in rhythm with words)
Clap your hands with me.
Clap them fast!
(clap quickly)
Clap – them – slow.
(clap slowly)
Clap your hands with me.
(return to original rhythm)
ACTION SONG: Ladies Ride from the Wiggleworms Love You CD by The Old Town School of Folk Music
(The children love this activity. They have lots of fun. Toddlers that are not on a lap usually jump or sway themselves back and forth. Consistently fun action song.)
This is the way the ladies ride.
Trit, Trot, Trit, Trot. (slowly sway)
This is the way the ladies ride.
Early in the morning.
This is the way the gentlemen ride.
Clip, clop, clip, clop. ( little faster)
This is the way the farmers ride.
Clippity, cloppity (even faster)
This is the way the cowgirls/cowboys ride.
Giddy-up, giddy-up. (very fast)
Yeehah! Repeat.
EXERCISE RHYME: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
(The kids love this one. We do it three times. Regular, then fast, and then slow. A favorite!)
BOOK:
If You See a Kitten by John Butler (Week 1)
(This is my all time favorite book for baby/toddler storytime! Children and moms love it. It has good participation, sweet pictures, and a fun rhythm to it.)
Won't You Be My Kissaroo? by Joanne Ryder (Week 2) (Worked ok with the smaller group but not with the larger group. The illustrations a light pastel and hard to see. I shortened the story by using paper clips but even then I was just trying to get through it. It didn't hold their interest and didn't seem to have enough to grab this age group. Some of the mom's did kiss and hug baby along with the story which was what I had hoped, but probably won't use again.)
Peek-a-boo, You! by Roberta Grobel Intrater (Week 3) (This is one of my old stand by's. This is a nice interactive book for younger children.)
Fire fighter PiggyWiggy by Christyan Fox (Week 3) (I tried this one because it has bright colors. Only the kids were wired and kept standing in front of the book and it was probably to long and advanced for the age group especially with the number of kids today.)
FINGERPLAY: I'm a Little Teapot
(Lots of fun. The kids enjoy this one. I do it twice and have them switch sides for the handle and spout.)
I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout -
Here is my handle, (one hand on hip)
Here is my spout. (bend other arm out to side)
When I get all steamed up, (rock from side to side)
Hear me SHOUT -
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to “spout” side)
ACTION SONG: Grand Old Duke of York from the Where is Thumpkin? Action Songs for Every Month CD
(The kids love this one. I use it alot. I have them march in place and emphasize that they aren't to run around. If the child is on a lap they get lifted into the air and if they are marching (toddler) they get to jump up and down.)
The grand old Duke of York, (salute)
He had ten thousand men, (hold up both hands for 10)
He marched them up to the top of the (march arms in place)
hill and he marched them down again.
And when they’re up they’re up.
(lift baby up)
And when they’re down they’re down.
(bring baby down)
And when they’re only half way up,
They’re neither up nor down. (up and down)
TICKLE: Criss Cross Applesauce
(I love this tickle. Very gentle on the back and always gets kids giggling.)
Criss-cross applesauce.
(Draw X with finger on child’s back)
Spiders crawling up your back.
(Walk fingers up child’s back)
Cool breeze.
(Gently blow on child’s neck)
Tight squeeze.
(Hug child)
Makes you get the sillies.
(Gently tickle child)
FINGERPLAY: Itsy Bitsy Spider
(Always popular almost like a familiar friend.)
The itsy-bitsy spider
Went up the water spout.
(Walk fingers up arm or in the air)
Down came the rain
(Flick your fingers overhead)
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
(Big circle with arms overhead)
And dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider
(walk fingers up arm or in the air)
Went up the spout again.
LAPJOG: Pop Goes the Weasel
(I have a song I like to use for this one but I decided to try just singing it and it worked out really well. The babies were lifted up on "pop" and the toddlers jumped. I repeated it twice and the kids love it.
All around the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought ‘twas all in fun.
POP! Goes the Weasel.
(Bounce and lift baby up with the word POP!)
ACTION SONG: Go, Go, Go
(All time favorite. I use this song at the end of every baby/toddler storytime. I use a stop sign and the kids run in place and stop at certain points in the song.)
CLOSING RHYME
MUSIC AND MOTION:
Bell Horses (BELLS) (Week 1) from the Baby Record CD by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim
(Went pretty good. I have them play the bells and then they hide them behind their back and bring them out again. I played the song twice.)
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (SCARVES) (Week 2) from the Lilo and Stitch Movie Soundtrack Disney CD
(This is one of my favorites to use because it has a nice beat and goes great with scarves. The kids wave them back and forth and it works as a hula, swimming, dancing or whatever.)
Rockin' Robin (TAMBOURINES) (Week 3) from the Dancin Magic Joanie Bartels CD.
(One of my old standbys. Nice beat fun for the kids.)
MUSIC CDs:
Wiggleworms Love You CD by Old Town School of Folk Music (Ladies Ride)
Where is Thumpkin? Action Songs for Every Month CD (Grand Old Duke of York)
Baby Record CD by Bob McGrath and Katharine Smithrim (Bell Horses) (BELLS)
Lilo and Stitch Movie Soundtrack Disney CD (Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride) (SCARVES)
Dancin Magic by Joanie Bartels CD (Rockin' Robin) (TAMBOURINES)
Cowboys
This is what I did for my preschool storytime on Cowboys.
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
I asked the kids what does a cowboy wear and what does a cowboy do?
BOOK: What I did on My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague
(This book was way too long. I had some new kids that weren't used to sitting still and it didn't hold their interest. Worked last time but not this time.)
FINGERPLAY: I'm A Little Cowboy
(I didn't sing this to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot". I just repeated it like a rhyme and had the kids follow the actions. They seemed to like this one.)
I’m a little cowboy.
Here is my hat
(point to self, then to hat)
Here are my spurs
(point to your heels)
And here are my chaps
(pat legs)
As soon as I get up,
(stretch, pretend to wake up)
I work all day
(pretend to lasso a cow)
I get on my horse
(pretend to get on a horse)
And ride away.
(run in place and pretend to hold reins)
BOOK: Clip, Clop by Nicola Smee
(Cute book. Simple and straightforward. The kids enjoyed the pictures and humor. I emphasized the "clip clopping" sound of the horses hooves.)
SONG: Ladies Ride from the Wiggleworms Love You CD by the Old Town School of Folk Music (DRUMS)
(I talked to the kids about making the sound of horses hooves on the drums. Then the different riders (i.e. ladies, gentlemen, farmer, cowboy). We practiced going faster and faster patting their hands on their legs. Then I handed out the drums and turned on the music. Most of the kids seemed to enjoy this but a few gave me their drums before the song ended. Next time I think I will only play it halfway through and not have them do the activity twice.)
BOOK: Giddy up, Cowgirl! by Jarret Krosoczka
(This book worked pretty well, overall. Some of the kids paid attention but I had a much bigger group than usual and half of them weren't listening very well.)
MATCHING ACTIVITY: Boots
(My coworker made a matching activity with colorful cowboy boot sets. I tried to do this but it didn't work out very well. I usually struggle with matching games during storytime. The kids get out of control, they crowd the board, and they want to be the one to take off the matches. Someone always gets mad and cries because they missed out. In the end it was a trainwreck! I think I will avoid matching in the future.)
ACTION SONG: BOOTS from the Victor Vito CD by Laurie Berkner
(Fun song. I had the kids pretend to put on boots and then they stomped, jumped and splashed along with the song as they wore different kinds of boots. They had alot of fun with this and got the wiggles out and helped us to recover from the matching activity.)
BOOK: Are You a Horse by Andy Rash
(Great book!! Very funny. The kids listened attentively. I probably should have read this earlier in the storytime. Great pictures, funny storyline and hilarious surprise ending.)
ACTIVITY: Rounding up the Cattle
(I explained how cowboys used to rustle up the cattle and put them in the corral. Then I threw cotton balls everywhere and played music while the kids ran around gathering up the cows and putting them in the corral (a chair). It was fun but it got a little crazy because I kept throwing cotton balls out and saying that cows were escaping from the corral. Pretty soon they were throwing cotton balls everywhere instead of gathering them up. Need to re-think the approach. They did have fun it just got a little crazy towards the end.
TAKE HOME: A Cowboy hat
(out of construction paper)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Wiggleworms Love You CD by The Old Town School of Folk Music (Ladies Ride)
Victor Vito CD by Laurie Berkner (BOOTS)
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
I asked the kids what does a cowboy wear and what does a cowboy do?
BOOK: What I did on My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague
(This book was way too long. I had some new kids that weren't used to sitting still and it didn't hold their interest. Worked last time but not this time.)
FINGERPLAY: I'm A Little Cowboy
(I didn't sing this to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot". I just repeated it like a rhyme and had the kids follow the actions. They seemed to like this one.)
I’m a little cowboy.
Here is my hat
(point to self, then to hat)
Here are my spurs
(point to your heels)
And here are my chaps
(pat legs)
As soon as I get up,
(stretch, pretend to wake up)
I work all day
(pretend to lasso a cow)
I get on my horse
(pretend to get on a horse)
And ride away.
(run in place and pretend to hold reins)
BOOK: Clip, Clop by Nicola Smee
(Cute book. Simple and straightforward. The kids enjoyed the pictures and humor. I emphasized the "clip clopping" sound of the horses hooves.)
SONG: Ladies Ride from the Wiggleworms Love You CD by the Old Town School of Folk Music (DRUMS)
(I talked to the kids about making the sound of horses hooves on the drums. Then the different riders (i.e. ladies, gentlemen, farmer, cowboy). We practiced going faster and faster patting their hands on their legs. Then I handed out the drums and turned on the music. Most of the kids seemed to enjoy this but a few gave me their drums before the song ended. Next time I think I will only play it halfway through and not have them do the activity twice.)
BOOK: Giddy up, Cowgirl! by Jarret Krosoczka
(This book worked pretty well, overall. Some of the kids paid attention but I had a much bigger group than usual and half of them weren't listening very well.)
MATCHING ACTIVITY: Boots
(My coworker made a matching activity with colorful cowboy boot sets. I tried to do this but it didn't work out very well. I usually struggle with matching games during storytime. The kids get out of control, they crowd the board, and they want to be the one to take off the matches. Someone always gets mad and cries because they missed out. In the end it was a trainwreck! I think I will avoid matching in the future.)
ACTION SONG: BOOTS from the Victor Vito CD by Laurie Berkner
(Fun song. I had the kids pretend to put on boots and then they stomped, jumped and splashed along with the song as they wore different kinds of boots. They had alot of fun with this and got the wiggles out and helped us to recover from the matching activity.)
BOOK: Are You a Horse by Andy Rash
(Great book!! Very funny. The kids listened attentively. I probably should have read this earlier in the storytime. Great pictures, funny storyline and hilarious surprise ending.)
ACTIVITY: Rounding up the Cattle
(I explained how cowboys used to rustle up the cattle and put them in the corral. Then I threw cotton balls everywhere and played music while the kids ran around gathering up the cows and putting them in the corral (a chair). It was fun but it got a little crazy because I kept throwing cotton balls out and saying that cows were escaping from the corral. Pretty soon they were throwing cotton balls everywhere instead of gathering them up. Need to re-think the approach. They did have fun it just got a little crazy towards the end.
TAKE HOME: A Cowboy hat
(out of construction paper)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Wiggleworms Love You CD by The Old Town School of Folk Music (Ladies Ride)
Victor Vito CD by Laurie Berkner (BOOTS)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Food
This is what I did for my preschool storytime on Food.
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
I asked the kids about their favorite foods.
BOOK: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
(Fun and silly book. The kids were quiet and paid attention and laughed.)
FINGERPLAY: Five Little Jelly Beans
(I used flannel jelly beans on the board and had a dinosaur t-rex puppet. We repeated the rhyme and counted down and the dinosaur would eat the jellybeans off of the flannel board. I had the kids call out the color that he should eat next. The kids loved the dinosaur puppet and yelling out the color.)
5 little jelly beans
I wish I had more!
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are four!
4 little jelly beans
Tasty as can be
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 3!
3 little jelly beans
Only a few.
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 2.
2 little jelly beans
Eating them is fun
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there is one.
1 little jelly bean
The last one for me
I'll eat the (color) one
I'm as happy as be!
FINGERPLAY: Jelly on my head
(I had the kids stand up and then we practiced. They matched the actions to the fingerplay. Then we went through the fingerplay 3 times and we got faster each time. They seemed to enjoy it.)
Jelly on my head, jelly on my toes
Jelly on my shirt, jelly on my nose
Jelly on my belly, jelly on my knee
Jelly on my elbow, jelly on my ear
Jelly is my favorite food
And when I'm in a jelly mood
I can't ever get enough
Of that yummy, yummy stuff!
BOOK: Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
(Fun pop-up book. The kids seemed to enjoy the humor of it. I had them tell me what each animal eats.)
POEM ACTIVITY: Monster's Lunch
(My coworker made a big monster with a see-through stomach and the animals that go with the poem. As I read the poem I put each animal into his mouth and the kids could see it fall into his stomach. I think they are still too young for this and I needed to practice more. I was always trying to find the right animal and it messed with the flow of the poem. Probably won't use again.)
The monster can eat a hearty lunch.
Among his favorites to munch and to crunch
Are alligator eyeballs, armadillos, and bears.
He also adores anaconda in a luscious sauce of pears.
If his stomach still grumbles,
He'll eat a moose,
And perhaps consume a hog, mud turtle, or goose.
But when he's depressed,
Chocolate-covered tarantulas are best.
He enjoys bats because they're chewy,
And slimy slugs are nice and gooey,
And wolverines make a feisty foodstuff.
When you think he's had enough,
He can still consume a whale,
Ingest an ox's tail,
And nibble on a hedgehog or two.
When he's finally through,
With nothing left to chew,
He goes off to sleep,
To dream of sheep,
And mint green jelly,
And other things to put in his belly.
ACTION SONG: Popcorn from the Snack Time CD by Bare Naked Ladies
(I told the kids to get down low like a popcorn kernal then we would jump when the kernel popped and keep jumping. I played this twice and the kids loved it. It was alot of fun and it was fun to have a different popcorn song than Raffi. The kids especially loved jumping non-stop. I stopped the song before the end because it gets a little long and then had them get back down and we started again.)
FINGERPLAY: Five Ice Cream Cones (can be sung to Frere Jacques)
(I added this at the last minute. It was ok but not fantastic. I had 5 ice cream cones with different colored ice cream. I had the kids count each time and tell me which color to get rid of. This was pretty good I just felt a little unsure because I hadn't read through the fingerplay yet. I chose not to sing this and I only said each line once.)
Five ice cream cones, five ice cream cones
In the sun, in the sun.
Dripping down my fingers, dripping down my fingers
Run, run, run, now one's done!
BOOK: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
(Great story. Unfortunately I had a smaller version of the book and the kids had a difficult time seeing the pictures so they kept standing up, but they did point to the pictures and laugh but I had to keep encouraging them to sit down. Next time I will make sure I have a bigger copy of the book.)
ACTIVITY: Food Twister
(I used an instrumental version of the Bunny Hop from the Dance Party Vol. 2 CD by Rich Acocella. This was so much fun. We had about 20 different plastic Strawberry Shortcake Dance Mats from the Food library storytime box. I asked the kids how many feet they have, how many hands, etc. Then I talked about the food that was on the dance mat and we practiced. Put one hand on the lemon and one on the cupcake, etc. Then I turned on the music and would call out 2 foods for their hands and 2 for their feet. then I would have them stand up and shake it off and we would start again. I intentionally got them all twisted up and there was alot of giggling. We kept playing until the song was done. Great idea. Lots of fun.)
TAKE HOME: Make your own pizza coloring page
(Two white pieces of paper. One with a circle and the other with a variety of pizza toppings for them to color and glue on the circle.)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Snack Time CD by Bare Naked Ladies (Popcorn)
Dance Party Vol. 2 by Rich Acocella (Bunny Hop Instrumental)
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
I asked the kids about their favorite foods.
BOOK: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
(Fun and silly book. The kids were quiet and paid attention and laughed.)
FINGERPLAY: Five Little Jelly Beans
(I used flannel jelly beans on the board and had a dinosaur t-rex puppet. We repeated the rhyme and counted down and the dinosaur would eat the jellybeans off of the flannel board. I had the kids call out the color that he should eat next. The kids loved the dinosaur puppet and yelling out the color.)
5 little jelly beans
I wish I had more!
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are four!
4 little jelly beans
Tasty as can be
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 3!
3 little jelly beans
Only a few.
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 2.
2 little jelly beans
Eating them is fun
I'll eat the (color) one
Now there is one.
1 little jelly bean
The last one for me
I'll eat the (color) one
I'm as happy as be!
FINGERPLAY: Jelly on my head
(I had the kids stand up and then we practiced. They matched the actions to the fingerplay. Then we went through the fingerplay 3 times and we got faster each time. They seemed to enjoy it.)
Jelly on my head, jelly on my toes
Jelly on my shirt, jelly on my nose
Jelly on my belly, jelly on my knee
Jelly on my elbow, jelly on my ear
Jelly is my favorite food
And when I'm in a jelly mood
I can't ever get enough
Of that yummy, yummy stuff!
BOOK: Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
(Fun pop-up book. The kids seemed to enjoy the humor of it. I had them tell me what each animal eats.)
POEM ACTIVITY: Monster's Lunch
(My coworker made a big monster with a see-through stomach and the animals that go with the poem. As I read the poem I put each animal into his mouth and the kids could see it fall into his stomach. I think they are still too young for this and I needed to practice more. I was always trying to find the right animal and it messed with the flow of the poem. Probably won't use again.)
The monster can eat a hearty lunch.
Among his favorites to munch and to crunch
Are alligator eyeballs, armadillos, and bears.
He also adores anaconda in a luscious sauce of pears.
If his stomach still grumbles,
He'll eat a moose,
And perhaps consume a hog, mud turtle, or goose.
But when he's depressed,
Chocolate-covered tarantulas are best.
He enjoys bats because they're chewy,
And slimy slugs are nice and gooey,
And wolverines make a feisty foodstuff.
When you think he's had enough,
He can still consume a whale,
Ingest an ox's tail,
And nibble on a hedgehog or two.
When he's finally through,
With nothing left to chew,
He goes off to sleep,
To dream of sheep,
And mint green jelly,
And other things to put in his belly.
ACTION SONG: Popcorn from the Snack Time CD by Bare Naked Ladies
(I told the kids to get down low like a popcorn kernal then we would jump when the kernel popped and keep jumping. I played this twice and the kids loved it. It was alot of fun and it was fun to have a different popcorn song than Raffi. The kids especially loved jumping non-stop. I stopped the song before the end because it gets a little long and then had them get back down and we started again.)
FINGERPLAY: Five Ice Cream Cones (can be sung to Frere Jacques)
(I added this at the last minute. It was ok but not fantastic. I had 5 ice cream cones with different colored ice cream. I had the kids count each time and tell me which color to get rid of. This was pretty good I just felt a little unsure because I hadn't read through the fingerplay yet. I chose not to sing this and I only said each line once.)
Five ice cream cones, five ice cream cones
In the sun, in the sun.
Dripping down my fingers, dripping down my fingers
Run, run, run, now one's done!
BOOK: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
(Great story. Unfortunately I had a smaller version of the book and the kids had a difficult time seeing the pictures so they kept standing up, but they did point to the pictures and laugh but I had to keep encouraging them to sit down. Next time I will make sure I have a bigger copy of the book.)
ACTIVITY: Food Twister
(I used an instrumental version of the Bunny Hop from the Dance Party Vol. 2 CD by Rich Acocella. This was so much fun. We had about 20 different plastic Strawberry Shortcake Dance Mats from the Food library storytime box. I asked the kids how many feet they have, how many hands, etc. Then I talked about the food that was on the dance mat and we practiced. Put one hand on the lemon and one on the cupcake, etc. Then I turned on the music and would call out 2 foods for their hands and 2 for their feet. then I would have them stand up and shake it off and we would start again. I intentionally got them all twisted up and there was alot of giggling. We kept playing until the song was done. Great idea. Lots of fun.)
TAKE HOME: Make your own pizza coloring page
(Two white pieces of paper. One with a circle and the other with a variety of pizza toppings for them to color and glue on the circle.)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Snack Time CD by Bare Naked Ladies (Popcorn)
Dance Party Vol. 2 by Rich Acocella (Bunny Hop Instrumental)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Space
This is what I did for my preschool storytime on Space.
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
We have a storytime rug with clouds and sun that the kids sit on during storytime. I pointed them out and talked about what we see in the daytime and night-time skies.
BOOK: Star Climbing by Lou Fancher
(Not the best book to start with. The kids had a hard time focusing. The pictures were not as obvious. A little too artistic for their attention span.)
SONG: Are You Sleeping (BELLS)
(I had the kids pretend to be asleep then when we I played the song and when we got to "morning bells are ringing" they woke up and rang the bells. I played the song twice with one verse of the song. They seemed to enjoy it.)
FINGERPLAY: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (BELLS)
(I explained that we were going to pretend that the bells were stars and so the kids rang the bells throughout the fingerplay. Went pretty well. They seemed to enjoy ringing the bells for both activities. I repeated the fingerplay twice--felt a little long towards the end.)
BOOK: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
(The kids listened very well to this book and giggled about kitten's misadventures. Nice calm story with soothing illustrations.)
FINGERPLAY: Hey Diddle Diddle
(I had the kids stand up and we practiced jumping over the moon and running in place as the dish ran away with the spoon. Then I said the fingerplay three times to get all of their wiggles out.)
BOOK: What Does the Moon See? by Nancy Tafuri
(I read both sides of this book. The kids were getting restless and so they weren't real attentive at the end. So I decided to do an action song next.)
ACTION SONG: Wake Up Toes from the Morning Magic Joanie Bartels CD
(The kids had a lot of fun with this. We were able to get alot of wiggles out and they calmed down somewhat. Fun song. Towards the end I made up stuff for them to do because she stops singing and there is just music. They loved it.)
BOOK: Astronaut Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox
(Fun book with nice bright colors. The kids were just tired of sitting. Most of them were attentive but I was losing part of the group by this point.)
ACTIVITY: Balloon Rocket
(I had allready attached a string on the wall just below the ceiling. I had a straw on the string with an empty balloon taped to it. I explained that we were going to shoot off a rocket. I had the kids stand to one side of the room. Then I blew up the balloon and held the end. I had them count down from 10 with me and shout BLAST OFF. Then I let go of the balloon. I held the string tightly at an angle and the balloon went pretty far. The kids loved it. I tried it again and it worked well but the string came off the wall at the end. The children probably would have wanted to do this a bunch more times. Fun activity.) http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/balloonrocket.php
ACTIVITY: Star Toss
(I had a sheet and the kids grabbed the ends of the sheet. I threw soft balls (stars) on the sheet and they had alot of fun trying to toss them off of the sheet. Got a little wild. They were screaming and yelling. I know they loved this activity. I threw the balls back on to the sheet and we repeated the activity 3 times. I had to say that time was up. They wanted to keep going. Lots of fun.)
TAKE HOME: Astronaut Helmet
(I had an astronaut helmet on white cardstock for the kids to color and cutout at home then attach a piece of yarn so they could wear the helmet around their head.)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Magic Morning by Joanie Bartels (Wake Your Toes)
(Are you sleeping)
OPENING SONG: Clap Your Hands from the Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange
We have a storytime rug with clouds and sun that the kids sit on during storytime. I pointed them out and talked about what we see in the daytime and night-time skies.
BOOK: Star Climbing by Lou Fancher
(Not the best book to start with. The kids had a hard time focusing. The pictures were not as obvious. A little too artistic for their attention span.)
SONG: Are You Sleeping (BELLS)
(I had the kids pretend to be asleep then when we I played the song and when we got to "morning bells are ringing" they woke up and rang the bells. I played the song twice with one verse of the song. They seemed to enjoy it.)
FINGERPLAY: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (BELLS)
(I explained that we were going to pretend that the bells were stars and so the kids rang the bells throughout the fingerplay. Went pretty well. They seemed to enjoy ringing the bells for both activities. I repeated the fingerplay twice--felt a little long towards the end.)
BOOK: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
(The kids listened very well to this book and giggled about kitten's misadventures. Nice calm story with soothing illustrations.)
FINGERPLAY: Hey Diddle Diddle
(I had the kids stand up and we practiced jumping over the moon and running in place as the dish ran away with the spoon. Then I said the fingerplay three times to get all of their wiggles out.)
BOOK: What Does the Moon See? by Nancy Tafuri
(I read both sides of this book. The kids were getting restless and so they weren't real attentive at the end. So I decided to do an action song next.)
ACTION SONG: Wake Up Toes from the Morning Magic Joanie Bartels CD
(The kids had a lot of fun with this. We were able to get alot of wiggles out and they calmed down somewhat. Fun song. Towards the end I made up stuff for them to do because she stops singing and there is just music. They loved it.)
BOOK: Astronaut Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox
(Fun book with nice bright colors. The kids were just tired of sitting. Most of them were attentive but I was losing part of the group by this point.)
ACTIVITY: Balloon Rocket
(I had allready attached a string on the wall just below the ceiling. I had a straw on the string with an empty balloon taped to it. I explained that we were going to shoot off a rocket. I had the kids stand to one side of the room. Then I blew up the balloon and held the end. I had them count down from 10 with me and shout BLAST OFF. Then I let go of the balloon. I held the string tightly at an angle and the balloon went pretty far. The kids loved it. I tried it again and it worked well but the string came off the wall at the end. The children probably would have wanted to do this a bunch more times. Fun activity.) http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/balloonrocket.php
ACTIVITY: Star Toss
(I had a sheet and the kids grabbed the ends of the sheet. I threw soft balls (stars) on the sheet and they had alot of fun trying to toss them off of the sheet. Got a little wild. They were screaming and yelling. I know they loved this activity. I threw the balls back on to the sheet and we repeated the activity 3 times. I had to say that time was up. They wanted to keep going. Lots of fun.)
TAKE HOME: Astronaut Helmet
(I had an astronaut helmet on white cardstock for the kids to color and cutout at home then attach a piece of yarn so they could wear the helmet around their head.)
MUSIC CDs:
Miss Anna's Music Class Volume II CD by Anna Stange (Clap Your Hands)
Magic Morning by Joanie Bartels (Wake Your Toes)
(Are you sleeping)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Favorite Music and Motion Songs
I include a music and motion activity at the end of each baby/toddler storytime. I have some old standbys that I use when I don't have time to find a new song or I just want a tried and true "fun" activity.
Here are my favorites:
SCARVES
Let's Go Fly a Kite from the Walt Disney Mary Poppins movie soundrack CD.
At the Codfish Ball from the Singin' in the Bathtub John Lithgow CD
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from the Lilo & Stitch original movie soundtrack CD
SHAKERS
Freeze from the Kids in Motion Greg and Steve CD
Rockin' Robin from the Dancin' Magic Joanie Bartels CD
Mexican Hat Dance from the Dream Catcher Jack Grunsky CD
Purple People Eater from the More Silly Songs Disney CD
Spanish Numba Rumba from the Sesame Street Fiesta Songs CD
TAMBOURINES
Down in the Valley from the Dream Catcher Jack Grunsky CD
MARACAS
It's a Small World from the Disney Mania 2 CD
DRUMS
Hampster Dance Song from the How to Eat Fried Worms Soundtrack CD
Uninvited Parade & Return of the Uninvited Parade from the Blue Moo Sandra Boynton CD
Animal Parade from the Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals CD
Day O from the Six Little Ducks CD
STREAMERS
Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room from the Disney Mania CD (Hillary Duff song) CD
What a Wonderful World from the Jazz for Kids (Louis Armstrong) CD
BELLS
Chopsticks from the All Wound Up! CD
Bell Horses (repeat song) from the Songs and Games for Toddlers Bob McGrath CD
Here are my favorites:
SCARVES
Let's Go Fly a Kite from the Walt Disney Mary Poppins movie soundrack CD.
At the Codfish Ball from the Singin' in the Bathtub John Lithgow CD
Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from the Lilo & Stitch original movie soundtrack CD
SHAKERS
Freeze from the Kids in Motion Greg and Steve CD
Rockin' Robin from the Dancin' Magic Joanie Bartels CD
Mexican Hat Dance from the Dream Catcher Jack Grunsky CD
Purple People Eater from the More Silly Songs Disney CD
Spanish Numba Rumba from the Sesame Street Fiesta Songs CD
TAMBOURINES
Down in the Valley from the Dream Catcher Jack Grunsky CD
MARACAS
It's a Small World from the Disney Mania 2 CD
DRUMS
Hampster Dance Song from the How to Eat Fried Worms Soundtrack CD
Uninvited Parade & Return of the Uninvited Parade from the Blue Moo Sandra Boynton CD
Animal Parade from the Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals CD
Day O from the Six Little Ducks CD
STREAMERS
Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room from the Disney Mania CD (Hillary Duff song) CD
What a Wonderful World from the Jazz for Kids (Louis Armstrong) CD
BELLS
Chopsticks from the All Wound Up! CD
Bell Horses (repeat song) from the Songs and Games for Toddlers Bob McGrath CD
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