Making Waves: Using Play Scarves in Storytime

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I don’t have a photo of any of my storytime kids playing with scarves, but I found this beautiful royalty-free photo from Estonia on Pexels.com

A storytime prop I use a lot, especially for Family Storytime, are play scarves. They are so light, compact, and fun, and they provide an easy break from reading, which helps kids refocus and usually brings any wandering toddlers back into the group.

So, I thought I would share some of my favorite scarf songs and book connections.

I’m always looking for more, so please share your favorites in the comments at the bottom.

Songs:

Popcorn Kernels

For my Family Storytimes, which are in the evenings and have a smaller turnout, I always hand out the play scarves after reading the third book. I usually do a song that relates to the theme, or at least to the book I just read, and then I always do Popcorn Kernels. The kids love to grab handfuls of scarves and throw them all up in the air. Here’s a video from JBrary.

To the tune of Are You Sleeping? (Frere Jacques)

Popcorn kernels, Popcorn kernels, (Wave scarves)
In the pot, In the pot. (bundle the scarf into your hand)
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em. (shake your hands)
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em.
‘Till they pop! ‘Till they pop! (throw the scarf in the air)

The Wishy-Washy Washer Woman

Another favorite of mine. I like it because it uses the scarf in a lot of different ways, and it’s fun to sing the “ooh! ah!” part.

Way down in the valley where nobody goes,
There’s a wishy washy washer woman washing her clothes.
She goes “Oooh! Ahhh! Oooh! Ahhh! Oooh! Ahhh!”
And that’s the way she washes her clothes.

Repeat with drying her clothes (we blow on the scarves), folding her clothes, and wearing her clothes.

Two Little Blackbirds

This is a classic fingerplay (usually you pretend your thumbs are the birds and put them behind your back). I love to sing it with scarves though (I give each child two scarves). It pairs well with lots of different themes: you can substitute different colors of bird, or different types of bird (“two little owls sitting on a hill”). It’s also a great way to demonstrate opposites. But mostly, it’s just a lot of fun. The kids always giggle on the loud verse. Click on the triangle for the tune.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both scarves)
One named Jack, and the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack! (Put one scarf behind your back)
Fly away, Jill! (Put the other scarf behind your back)
Come back, Jack! (Bring the first scarf out in front).
Come back, Jill! (Bring the second scarf out in the front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud,
One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”)
Fly away, Quiet!
Fly away, Loud!
Come back, Quiet!
Come back, Loud!

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow.
One flew fast!
And the other flew slow!…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate.
One was early, and the other was…late!…

You Sing a Song by Ella Jenkins

This is an old song by Ella Jenkins that we used to use regularly in Musical Storytime. I adapted the words to include things to do with the scarves (waving them, throwing them, etc.). You can also add in other actions like “You clap your hands,” or “You stomp your feet,” etc.

[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
And [C] we’ll sing a [Dm] song toge-[G]ther.
[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
In [G] warm or [C] wintry [G] wea-[C]ther.

You’ll wave a scarf, and I’ll wave a scarf, and we’ll wave our scarves together…

You’ll peek-a-boo, and I’ll peek-a-boo… (put the scarf over your face, then pull it away)

You’ll throw a scarf, and I’ll throw a scarf…

We Are Spooky Ghosts

I made this video during lockdown, when I was doing Zoom storytimes and asking kids to use props from home (that’s why I have a cloth napkin instead of a scarf). It’s a song I learned originally as We Are Scary Skeletons (at Halloween, it’s fun to ask the kids for different things they would like to be: witches, monsters, zombies, etc.), but I love to use play scarves and have the kids pretend to be ghosts. They love the “BOO!” at the end.

We are spooky ghosts (put scarf on your head)
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street.
We are spooky ghosts
Floating down the street.
We’ll scare you!
BOO! (pull scarf off quickly)

Rain Is Falling Down

This one is a lot of fun too, and pairs well with stories about weather. I use the same tune as the one in the JBrary video below, although they don’t use scarves in the video.

Rain is falling down. SPLASH! (toss the scarf in the air, and then grab it and pull it down quickly towards the ground)
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!
Pitter patter, Pitter patter, (wave the scarf up and down)
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!

Snow is falling down. SHHH! (wave the scarves in figure 8’s in the air getting lower each time)
Snow is falling down. SHHH!
Swirling, twirling, swirling, twirling,
Snow is falling down. SHHH!

Icky Sticky Bubblegum

Another fun one to do with scarves. I have the kids stretch the scarves between their hands like they are stretching bubblegum, and then we “stick” them to different body parts (I ask the kids for suggestions). I usually end with the bubblegum “all over my face.”

Icky, sticky, sticky bubble gum, (stretch the scarf between your hands)
Bubble gum, Bubble gum,
Icky, sticky, sticky bubble gum,
Sticking my hands to my knee… (touch one end of the scarf to your knee)
1,2,3, UNSTUCK! (throw the scarf in the air)

Other Songs and Activities:

There are lots of ways to adapt favorite songs and rhymes to work with scarves. Here are a few ideas:

  • You can pretend the scarf is a spider climbing up the waterspout for The Itsy Bitsy Spider, or a mouse climbing up the clock (your arm) for Hickory Dickory Dock
  • You can throw the scarf in the air for any rhymes or songs that talk about falling, like London Bridge is Falling Down.
  • You can spin the scarf in the air for The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, and then wave it up and down for “The windows on the bus go up and down.”
  • You can wave the scarf up and down for songs like The Noble Duke of York
  • Sometimes it’s fun just to have a “snowfall fight” with the scarves, bundling them up and throwing them at each other. The kids especially love throwing them at me, and at their caregivers.

Using Scarves with Books

Another fun thing to do with scarves is to use them with certain picture books, usually ones involving waving or throwing or painting. Some of my favorites are:

Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. I like to give them kids scarves before I read the book. Each time I turn the page to make another part of the monster disappear, we all wave our scarves like magic wands and make a “whsh” sound

Food Fight Fiesta by Tracey Kyle and Ana Gomez. This is a fun picture book about La Tomatina, a Spanish festival where people throw tomatoes at each other. I usually hand out scarves before we read it, and we all throw them in the air whenever the book talks about throwing the tomatoes

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. There are a number of fun ways to use scarves with this story, like putting the scarf on your head when the snow plops on Peter’s head, throwing them in the air on the page with the snowball fight, and bundling them up when Peter puts the snowball in his pocket.

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont and David Catrow. This one works especially well with scarves, because you can have the kids pretend the scarves are paintbrushes and use them to “paint” the different body parts along with the book.

Other Scarf Tips:

Fortunately, my Family Storytime group is usually small enough that all of the kids can have the scarf color that they want, but I used to bring the scarves to preschool visits where the “I want pink!” “I want blue!” demands could sometimes end in tears. For those situations, I usually have the kids close their eyes tight and then I drop a scarf in their laps, telling them that the color they get is a surprise!

Washing scarves is always a bit of pain. But if you have volunteers, a good task for them is to hand wash the scarves gently in warm water and baby shampoo or a little dish soap. Then rinse in cold water and hang them up to dry. Just don’t use hot water or the dyes will run (I have a set of scarves that is now a blend of very interesting colors!)

Do you have any favorite songs or rhymes to use with scarves? Any other tips? I’m always looking for new ideas, so please share them in the comments below.

L-emental: A Storytime About the Letter L

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Early Literacy Tip: When reading books with predictable or very familiar text, try pausing before you say a word, and let your child fill in the blank (For example, “The cow said, “_____”. Using prediction skills is a key part of learning how to read.

This week, we continued our journey through the alphabet, focusing on the Letter L. We started by drawing the letter L (upper and lower-case in the air together), and then talking about words that begin with L. The kids suggested lollipop, lion, and lamb. I pulled out some items from a paper bag: a ladle, a lid, and a lyre (which I brought around for the kids to strum).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Red Light, Green Lion by Candace Ryan and Jennifer Yerkes

This is a cute book that kept the kids guessing. The text describes how things don’t always work out the way you expect, and demonstrates this on each page by ending with “Red Light, Green Li-” only to begin the next page with “Lion” or “Lifeboat” or “Livestock.” I tried to draw out the “Li…” each time, and the kids would laugh at the unexpected word.

Llama Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

The perfect book for letter L! Most of the kids knew the book already and were excited to see it. It’s such a classic rhyming story about an anxious Llama who gets upset when his Mama doesn’t come when he calls.

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Another classic picture book that a lot of the kids knew. I especially like this one because it’s fun to pause when you read the lines about each animal and have the kids supply the missing word (“Sheep said ____! Cow said _____!”) A sweet, rhyming story about a friendly blue truck who saves a grumpy dump truck with the help of all of his animal friends.

Moo-Moo, I Love You by Tom Lichtenheld and Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I wanted to include a picture book featuring the word “Love,” and this is one of my favorites (although it would also work well for letter M). Full of word play around the word “Moo,” (like “I would jump over the Moo-N for you!”) and sweet, funny pictures of cows, both the kids and their caregivers enjoyed this one.

Songs & Activities:

Red Light, Green Light

After reading Red Light, Green Lion, we played a short game of Red Light, Green Light. Instead of the traditional game of having the kids walk towards me when I said, “Green Light” and stop when I said, “Red Light,” I just had them do different actions (clapping, stomping, etc.) when I said “Green Light” and stop when I said “Red Light.” It works especially well if you hold up pictures of a red light and a green light each time.

Can You See the Color Red?

We sang this after reading Llama Llama Red Pajama. The kids always enjoying pointing to things around them that match each color. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Can you [C] see the color red,
The [F] color yellow, the [G7] color red?
Can you [C] see the color red,
[F] Right here [G7] where you [C] are?

Can you see the color blue… etc.

Love Somebody, Yes, I Do

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with the parachute, shaking it in time with the song.There are lots of different versions of the song, but the one I do is closest to the one in the video by Musicaliti found below. We sang it through three times.

Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody and it’s you, you, you! (point to different people)
You, you, you!

Little Red Caboose

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. For Family Storytime, I had the kids line up to make a train, and we circled the row of shelves next to the storytime space as we sang and shook our egg shakers (it would also be fun with play scarves). There are lots of versions of this song, but the one I do is closest to the Sweet Honey and the Rock version below.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train.

[C] Get your tickets and get on board,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Get your tickets and get on board,
Riding behind the [C] train.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train.

I’ve got a brother on that train,
Riding behind the train.
You’ve got a sister on that train,
Riding behind the train.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train

Stay & Play: Letter Stamps

This was a super easy Stay & Play, where I just put out our set of letter stamps, along with ink-pads, markers, and other fun stamps. Most of the kids stamped out their names with the help of a caregiver. It’s a great activity for both literacy (searching for each letter) and fine motor skills (figuring out the best way to coat the stamp in ink and press it onto the paper).

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the Letter L? Please share them in the comments below.

Picture Book Highlight: It’s My Bird-Day!

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It’s My Bird-Day! by Mo Willems

I think this is my favorite Pigeon book!

I’ve been reading it at preschools this month, and it’s been a big hit (yesterday, one little boy begged me to read it again, and then asked if I could bring him all of Pigeon books pictured on the back cover).

In this story, the Pigeon is excited to celebrate his Bird-Day. He has his Bird-Day hat, and can’t wait to eat his Bird-Day hot dog. But wait! Someone has eaten half of his Bird-Day hot dog, and someone else has a Bird-Day hat! It’s the Duckling, who shares the same Bird-Day, along with five newly hatched chicks. Suddenly, his Bird-Day doesn’t feel so special, until he asks YOU, the reader, if you see him, and he finds he is okay with sharing his Bird-Day after all.

This book works so well, partly because it’s such a relatable experience to realize you aren’t necessarily the only one being celebrated on your special day. Also, it’s really fun to say “Bird-Day!” I’m sometimes hesitant to read Pigeon books with younger kids, because they really do rely on the kids answering the Pigeon’s questions, and in shyer, younger groups, they don’t always work. But this one only asks the reader “Will you see me?” And adorably, all the kids I’ve read it to have always answered “Yes.”

This will definitely become one of my go-to read-alouds. Thank you, Mo Willems!

Have you run across any particular favorite picture books published this year? Please share them in the comments below.

Go Fly a Kite! A Storytime About the Letter K

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Early Literacy Tip: Point out words and letters that behave in surprising ways, like the silent K in words like “knot” and “knee.” It’s helpful for kids to know that words don’t always follow the “rules.”

Still working our way through the alphabet! This week was Letter K. As usual, we started by drawing an upper and lower case K in the air together, and I asked the kids if they knew any words that started with K. They suggested koala, Kindergarten, kite and kangaroo. From my paper bag, I also pulled out a kazoo, a set of keys, and a kalimba (also known as a thumb piano. I brought it around for the kids to try).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Before I read this one, I talked about how the letter K is usually silent when it appears in front of the letter N. Out of habit, I usually pronounce “knuffle” this way, although I’ve read that it’s actually based on a Dutch word (knuffel) that’s pronounced “Kuh-nuffle.” However you pronounce it, this is one of my favorite read-alouds, about a little girl whose favorite toy goes missing at the laundromat, and leads her to say her first words.

Mama’s Kisses by Kate McMullan; illustrated by Tao Nyeu

I read this one for Family Storytime, which is a much smaller group, so they were able to find the baby animals hiding in the illustrations throughout the book. A sweet book about four animal mothers looking for their babies at bedtime.

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman

I love this adorable story about a dog named Katie who is so excited when her owner brings home three little kittens that she just can’t stop herself from howling and chasing them around. She feels terrible for scaring them, but somehow it keeps happening, until she falls asleep, and wakes to find the kittens curled up on top of her. This book does such a good job of capturing the “cuteness aggression” that kids often struggle with around pets, and the kids loved howling along with the repeated “AROOOO’s!”

Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand

This book was a great lead-in to our Stay & Play and our last song. It’s a simple story about Bear and Mole making and flying a kite, which flies away and gets stuck in a tree. They are upset at first, until they discover that the lost kite is serving as an umbrella to a grateful nest full of baby birds.

Songs:

The Sleeping Bunnies

We sang this to go along with Knuffle Bunny. It’s one of my favorite songs to use with toddlers and preschoolers because they love lying down and then jumping back up. I usually sing it through three times.

See the little bunnies sleeping (crouch or lie down and pretend to sleep)
‘Till it’s nearly noon.
Come, let us wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still.
Are they ill?
NO! Wake up little bunnies! (jump up)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! (hop!)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

Five Days Old by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Mama’s Kisses. It’s one of my favorite Laurie Berkner songs, because the actions are built into the lyrics.

[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] one day old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] two [G7] days [C] old.
[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] three days old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] four [G7] days [C] old.
[F] One [C] day, I’ll [F] be a [C] year, then [F] I’ll be [C] two, then [G7] three, then four.
[C] As for now I’m [F] sitting here, I’m [C] five days old and [F] no [G7] days [C] more!

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

I’m clapping my hands, I’m one day old…

I’m kicking my legs, I’m one day old…

Getting really tired, I’m one day old…

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

Old MacDonald

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime after reading Katie Loves the Kitten. I threw different stuffed animals on the parachute each time: a cat, a mouse, and (just for fun) a snake!

[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
And on that farm he [F] had a [C] cow,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
With an moo-moo here, and an moo-moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo.
[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!

Repeat with different animals…

Let’s Go Fly a Kite by Richard M. Sherman and Robert Sherman

We sang this Mary Poppins song as our instrument play-along at the end. It would also work well with play scarves or ribbon wands.

With [G] tuppence for paper and strings,
You can have your own set of [C] wings.
With your [G] feet on the [G7] ground
You’re a [A] bird in [C] flight,
With your [G] fist holding [D] tight,
To the string of your [G] kite.

Oh, oh, oh,
[C] Let’s go fly a kite!
[G] Up to the highest height.
[D] Let’s go fly a kite,
And [G] send it soaring!
[C] Up through the atmosphere,
[G] Up where the air is clear,
[D] Oh, let’s go fly a [G] kite.

When you send it flying up there,
All at once you’re lighter than air.
You can dance on the breeze over houses and trees,
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite.

Oh, oh, oh
Let’s go fly a kite!
Up to the highest height.
Let’s go fly a kite,
And send it soaring.
Up through the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear,
Oh, let’s go fly a kite!

Stay & Play: Paper Bag Kites

A fun and easy kite craft, with a paper lunch bag as the base. There are lots of different examples online, but the one I used was based on this Crafty with Natalie example: Paper Bag Kite! – Crafty with Natalie.

For the Stay & Play, I put out paper lunch bags, a hole punch, crepe paper, glue sticks, kids scissors, string, markers, and popsicle sticks. The kids decorated their bags with markers and bits of crepe paper, and the grown-ups helped them punch a hole in the bottom of the bag, tie a long piece of string through the hole, and tie and wrap the string to the popsicle stick. It was cute to see them running with their kites, especially at Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs based on the letter K? Please share them in the comments below.

Jackpot! A Storytime About the Letter J

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Early Literacy Tip: Play rhyming games with your kids by asking them to come up with words that rhyme with another word, or asking them to guess which rhyming word you are thinking of. Rhymes are one of the best ways to help kids learn the sounds that make up the parts of words, an essential skill for learning to read later on.

This week, we focused on the letter J for storytime. As usual, I started by having the kids draw a capital and lowercase letter J in the air with me, and then asked them if they knew any words that started with J. They came up with jellybean, jellyfish, and jelly. I also pulled some items out of a paper bag: a jaw harp, a jar, and a jack-in-the-box (which I demonstrated several times. They loved it!).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

This classic book was a childhood favorite of my own kids, and the storytime families were excited to see it too. Rhyming text and large, beautiful illustrations describe a fantasyland full of different kinds of berries and animals.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

I love this book about a young boy named Jabari who decides to jump off of the high dive for the first time, but keeps finding reasons to put it off (thinking of the dive he wants to do, doing his stretches, etc.). His Dad tells him that sometimes when he’s afraid, he takes a deep breath, and discovers that the fear feels more like a surprise. His trick works for Jabari, who finally does his dive. The descriptions and illustrations are perfect for storytime.

Joy by Yasmeen Ismail; illustrated by Jenni Desmond

Very cute story about a kitten’s joy at playing with a ball of yarn, until she takes a tumble. A sweet exploration of different types of feelings. I have a volunteer who helps with Family Storytime, and she acted out the kitten’s motions with a kitten stuffed animal as I read.

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw; illustrated by Margot Apple

Classic rhyming story about a group of sheep who take a joyride in a Jeep. Before I read it, I asked the kids to guess the last word in the title, based on the rhyme and the picture on the front cover.

Songs:

Peanut Butter and Jelly

This is an old camp song that I remember learning in Girl Scouts when I was a kid. Our library actually has a set of props for this, and I used them when I sang the song. I often ask the kids to suggest a type of berry to pick for the jam. At the end, I usually pretend to have peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth, and we all pour and drink a pretend glass of milk. The version I sing is a little different than the one in this Super Simple Songs video (they repeat the “Peanut, peanut butter” line after each action, while I only sing it once per verse. See below.), but the tune is basically the same.

First, you take the peanuts and you pick ’em, (pretend to pick peanuts)
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them, (clap your hands together)
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em. (pretend to spread something on one hand)
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left)

Then, you take the berries and you pick ’em, (pretend to pick berries)
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them, (clap your hands together)
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em. (pretend to spread something on one hand)
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left)

Then you take the sandwich and you bite it, (pretend to bite a sandwich)
You bite it, you bite it, bite it, bite it.
Then you chew it, you chew it, you chew it, (pretned to chew)
Chew it, Chew it.
Then you swallow it, you swallow it, (rub your tummy)
You swallow it, swallow it, swallow it.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left).

Down in the Jungle

For Family Storytime, I gave out play scarves before we sang this one, and then we mimed washing them. I asked the kids to suggest different animals each time we sang it. I use the same tune as the Sing and Learn with Vicky video below:

Down in the jungle where nobody goes,
There’s a little baby elephant washing his clothes.
With a rub-a-dub here, and a rub-a-dub there.
That’s the way he washes his clothes!

Jellies Floating

We sang this with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I threw cotton balls on the parachute and told the kids they were our jellyfish.

To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down.

Jellies floating up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
Jellies floating up and down,
In the sea.

Jellies floating all around,
All around,
All around.
Jellies floating all around,
In the sea.

Jump Up

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. The kids loved jumping up and down as we sang. It’s such a fun and happy song!

[C] Jump up day is breaking
[G7] Jump up let’s get shaking
[C] I know you’re lying down
[F] Jump up and we’ll dance a-[C]round

Jump up bells are ringing
And i hear friends are singing
Oh yea, it’s a crazy sound
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Jump up stand on your tip toes
Reach out grab a rainbow
Turn it upside down
Jump up and we’ll dance it around

Jump up clouds are passing
Look up the sky is laughing
I know we’ll be laughing too
Jump up I want to dance with you

Jump up you know i love you
That’s right i love love love you
A new day is shining down
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Stay & Play: Beaded Jewelry

I actually did a different craft for Family Storytime, but didn’t get to take pictures. For that one, I just put out white cardstock, markers, and kids scissors, and told the kids to draw a picture and then cut it into a jigsaw puzzle. I told them they could challenge their caregiver to put the puzzle together, or have their caregiver cut the pieces and challenge them do to the puzzle.

For Outdoor Musical Storytime though, I put out a large selection of Pony beads and pipe cleaners, and let the kids make beaded bracelets. They always love threading the beads, and it’s a wonderful activity for developing their fine motor skills.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter J? Please share them in the comments below.

Picture Book Highlight: The Future Book

Posted in Book reviews, Books for First Grade, Books for Kindergarten, Books for Second Graders by

Finding books that work well with a large group of kids is always a challenge. They need to have large, clear illustrations, and a text that kids can follow, even if they can’t see all of the details in the pictures. The text also needs to grab and hold their attention. This is especially true for preschool and school-aged classes, where the kids are all sitting together (without a parent or caregiver right next to them), and can be easily distracted by the kids around them. Finding a book that meets all of these criteria is rare, so I was excited to come across The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.

The premise of the book is that the narrator is sharing surprising facts from the future. For example, in the future, instead of saying “thank you,” you put a fish on the other person’s head, and instead of saying, “Goodbye,” you say, “You smell like a baby!” After sharing a list of different things to know about the future, the narrator shares a simple story about going to the supermarket (now known as the “bolly bolly hoo hoo”) to buy some fruit for one bazillion dollars.

Originally, I wasn’t sure if this book would work for preschoolers, and only intended to try it with the second grade classes I read to regularly. But, on a whim, I ended up trying it with a transitional Kindergarten class, and they were practically shrieking with laughter from the very beginning. I don’t know if they all fully understood the idea of the book being set in the future, but I forgot how much kids that age love unexpected words or sounds (like when George the dog says “Meow” in the book Bark, George by Jules Feiffer). The “you smell like a baby,” line had them in hysterics.

I’ve since shared the book with several preschools (one of the teachers just asked me for the title, because the kids were still talking about it month later), as well as Kindergarten, first, and second grade classes. They have all loved it, and I love how it has become an inside joke when I run into any of those kids (they’ll say “I put a fish on your head!” or “you smell like a baby!”).

As a side note, I’ve been lucky enough to attend events with both Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris, and I love to tell kids about how they were childhood friends who ended up writing books together as adults. They also both still live in the Bay Area, and are wonderful with kids.

What are your favorite new picture books? Or your favorite books to share with classes? Please let me know in the comments.

The I’s Have It! A Storytime About the Letter I

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask your child to guess what will happen next in a story. This is a great way to make sure they understand what’s happening, and keep them engaged in the book.

This week’s storytime focus was the Letter I. We started by drawing a capital and lower case letter I in the air together (I also wrote them on my whiteboard), and then we talked about the two main sounds that the letter I makes, and some words that start with I. The families suggested igloo, ice cream, and ice. I also pulled three items out of a paper bag: an insect (honeybee puppet), an instrument (a rainstick), and an ink pad.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck by Sorche Fairbank; illustrated Terry Runyan

Cute, rhyming book about waiting for the ice cream truck, but seeing lots of other trucks instead. When I read this in Family Stortyime, one of the kids started pointing to different animals on each page, and saying, “That one’s me, and that one’s my Dad.” And then other kids started joining in. It was so funny and sweet that I think I may ask kids to point to the animal they would like to be in future books with different animal characters.

If You Give A Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff; illustrated by Felicia Bond

Many of the kids were familiar with this book, which I read in a big book format for Outdoor Musical Storytime. It’s a fun one for asking the kids to guess what the mouse will ask for next (my early literacy tip for the week).

The Most Important Thing by Antonella Abbatiello

Different types of animals argue about which trait is the most important (long neck, spiky quills, tall ears, wings, etc.), and they all imagine what they would look like if they had that trait. The kids really enjoyed the pictures showing all the animals with wings or long necks, etc.

If by Sarah Perry

This is an older book, but the ideas and illustrations are imaginative and unforgettable. Each page depicts a different hypothetical scenario, ranging from the magical (if cats could fly) to the creepy (if teeth were toes). The kids were mesmerized by the illustrations (and so were the grown-ups).

Songs:

If You’re Happy And You Know It

Full disclosure: I also sang this song for the letter H last week (as well as Hickory Dickory Dock (below), but it works for both! Plus, it’s the kind of classic song that the kids are usually excited to sing with me.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!”… (stomp feet while saying, “I’m mad!”)

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

We sang this with the play scarves in Family Storytime. I had the kids pretend the scarves were spiders that they “crawled” up their arms, and then threw into the air on the “down came the rain” line.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Hickory Dickory Dock

This was a repeat from last week that we did with the parachute. I put a mouse puppet in the middle of the parachute, and we shook the parachute in time to the song, and lifted it up and down to go with the lyrics.

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The mouse ran down (run fingers down arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went, “BOO!” (cover your face and then uncover it when you yell, “BOO!”)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “Whee!” (run fingers down body quickly)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

If All the Raindrops

I do this traditional song a lot because it works well for so many ages, and gives the kids a chance to suggest their favorite foods for each verse. We sang it as our instrument play-along at the end.

[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a rain it would [G7] be.
[C] I’d stand out- [G7] side with my [C] mouth open [G7] wide,
[C] “Ah, Ah, Ah, [G7] Ah, Ah, Ah, [C] Ah, Ah, Ah, [G7] Ah!”
[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a [G7] rain it would [C] be.

If all the raindrops were ice cream and carrots… etc.

Stay & Play: Stamps & Inkpads

This was one of the easiest Stay & Play’s I’ve done, but the kids really enjoyed it. We have a huge collection of different types of stamps and inkpads, so I just put them all out, along with white paper and markers. They had a great time trying out all of the different stamps. One of the caregivers pointed out that stamping is a great way to practice different types of motor skills, because it takes a while for kids to get the hang of pressing down hard on the inkpad, but also being careful to make sure the ink covers the whole surface, and then using enough force and care to make sure the whole image gets imprinted on the paper.

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs featuring the letter I? Please share them in the comments below.

Hip Hip Hooray: A Storytime About the Letter H

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Early Literacy Tip: When reading a book with a repeated word or phrase, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, pause to let your child fill in the word. You can also point to the word to reinforce their print awareness.

I was so excited this week to see storytime families actively engaging in our focus on letters and letter sounds. One of my regular Family Storytime kids came in announcing the letter of the day before I even said it, and, during our Hat activity at the end, I overheard a grandmother asking her grandson what letter the word hat starts with, and he said, “H!” She even took time to enunciate the “ha- ha- hat.” This was exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to revisit the alphabet in my storytimes: providing caregivers with simple, fun ways to practice basic early literacy skills in their daily routines.

As usual, this week I started by writing the Letter H on my whiteboard, and asking the kids to draw a capital and lowercase letter H in the air with me. Then we talked about the sound letter H makes and some common words beginning with H. I pulled some items out of a paper bag: a toy horse, a toy hippo, a harmonica, and a hat.

Here’s the rest of what we did (a combination of Family Storytime and Outdoor Musical Storytime).

Books:

I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! by Angela Dominguez

I love the Lolo and Birdie books by Angela Dominguez. They are all very simple bilingual stories in English and Spanish, featuring a dinosaur who speaks Spanish, and a bird who translates into English. In this one, Lolo the dinosaur complains that he’s hungry, and Birdie suggests different foods he might like to eat (she is dismayed when he says he would like to eat “un pajaro azul” but appeases him with some galletas instead. It’s also a fun book to use for letter h, because you can point out that h is silent in Spanish. One Family Storytime family loved this book so much that they asked to borrow it.

How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward; illustrated by Diana Sudyka

I read this one at Outdoor Musical Storytime, which is held in one of our County parks, so there are lots of birds all around. I took a moment before I read it to demonstrate the Merlin app (a free app from the Cornell Bird Lab), and how you could use it to identify the bird songs nearby. The book describes different ways to look for birds, with lots of different types of birds hidden in the illustrations.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The kids at Outdoor Musical Storytime were excited when I held this book up, since many of them have it at home. They also enjoyed calling out the names of the different foods the caterpillar ate, and yelling out “hungry!” each time I paused on the line, “But he was still…”

There’s a Mouse in My House by Ross Collins

Funny, rhyming sequel to There’s a Bear in My Chair (which many of the kids had read). In this one, the polar bear complains about the mouse that has settled in his house. He would throw him out, he says, except the mouse knows tai kwon do. He eats like a buffalo, and leaves the bear one pistachio. But when the mouse’s friends show up to throw the bear a party, he decides they are nice after all.

Hooray for Hat by Brian Won

This is such a colorful, fun book, about a variety of grumpy animals who cheer up when someone gives them each a hat. The kids loved joining in on the repeated “Hooray for Hat!” line, which appears in large colorful letters. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I handed out the egg shakers at the end, and we all shook the shakers each time we yelled, “Hooray!”

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

This song is a classic for a reason, although I’ve tweaked it a bit by adding in different emotions. The kids always giggle when we pretend to cry “Boo hoo.” You can ask them to suggest other emotions as well.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!”… (stomp feet while saying, “I’m mad!”)

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

Two Little Blackbirds

We sang this after reading How to Find a Bird. I often give out play scarves with this one and have the kids pretend they are birds.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both thumbs)
One named Jack, and the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack! (Put one thumb behind your back)
Fly away, Jill! (Put the other thumb behind your back)
Come back, Jack! (Bring the first thumb out in front).
Come back, Jill! (Bring the second thumb out in the front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud,
One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”)
Fly away, Quiet!
Fly away, Loud!
Come back, Quiet!
Come back, Loud!

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow.
One flew fast!
And the other flew slow!…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate.
One was early, and the other was…late!…

The Butterfly Song

A fun song to go along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

First comes a butterfly (Wave scarf or move your hands like a butterfly)
Who lays an egg. (Make a circle with your thumb and index finger).
Out comes a caterpillar (Wiggle your finger like a caterpillar)
With lots of legs.
Now see the caterpillar spin and spin (Spin the scarf),
A little chrysalis to sleep in (Bundle scarf up in a ball in your hand or make a fist).
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Out of the chrysalis, my, oh, my!
Out comes a beautiful butterfly! (Open up hand and wave scarf).

Hickory Dickory Dock

In Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with a mouse puppet on the parachute, lifting the parachute up and down. For Family Storytime, I gave the kids scarves to make pretend mice that ran up and down their arms. Here’s a video from The Learning Station with the tune.

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The mouse ran down (run fingers down arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went, “BOO!” (cover your face and then uncover it when you yell, “BOO!”)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “Whee!” (run fingers down body quickly)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck four: BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse said, “No more!” (hold hands out palms up and shrug shoulders)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

The Hokey Pokey

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. Parents always seem to enjoy doing this one with their kids.

[C] You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in,
[G] And you shake it all about!
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all [C] about!

Repeat with left hand, right foot, left foot, head, and whole body.

Stay & Play: Paper Bowl Hats

This was such an adorable project. I got the idea from raisecuriouskids.com.

Before the storytime, I had a volunteer punch holes on either side of each bowl and thread a long piece a ribbon from one hole to the other. For the Stay & Play, I put out the bowls, along with markers, and Washi tape in different patterns. The kids had fun decorating the bowls, and the caregivers helped them tie the ribbon into a loose chin strap. They all looked so cute in their little bowl hats!

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs featuring the letter H? Please share them in the comments below.

G-neral Knowledge: A Storytime About the Letter G

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask your child to search for different characters or items in the illustrations of books, like finding the little mouse on each page of Good Night, Owl. This makes sharing the book a more interactive experience. It will also teach them to look for details in the illustrations, which can help them decipher unfamiliar words when they are learning to read later on.

This week we had fun with ghosts and the word “Go” as we focused on the letter G. As usual, I started by writing the letter G (both upper and lower- case) on my whiteboard and having the kids trace it in the air with me. Then we talked about the two different sounds that G makes. I asked the kids to think of words that start with G (adorably, the first one they suggested was “Grandma”) and then pulled some things starting with the letter G out of a paper bag (a glue stick, a glove, a toy giraffe, and a toy gorilla).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers

A girl who lives in a big haunted house asks the reader for help finding the ghosts she has never seen. Each page features a translucent overlay that makes ghosts suddenly appear in the scene. This book is a hit with kids of all ages!

Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper

Cute story about Little Green, who can only say the word “Go!” He uses this word to help some construction vehicles get their job done, but things quickly get out of control, until Little Red arrives to tell them when to “Stop!” The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Go’s” and “Stop’s.”

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

An adorable giraffe named Gerald longs to dance but is impossibly clumsy, until a cricket helps him find his own music to dance to. A sweet, rhyming story with charming illustrations.

Good Night, Owl by Greg Pizzoli

Owl is all ready for bed, but keeps getting distracted by a “Squeek!” Trying to find the source of the noise leads him to empty his cupboards, pull up his floor, tear down his roof, and knock down his walls, until he finally spots the little mouse who is causing all of the commotion. The kids loved joining in on the “Squeek’s” and looking for the little mouse hiding on each page.

Songs:

We Are Spooky Ghosts

I wish I knew who wrote this song, which I learned many years ago from an Orff Music Curriculum. The original version was “We Are Scary Skeletons” and I often use it at Halloween, where I ask the kids to suggest different spooky things they would like to be. But my favorite way to sing it is with play scarves, where we all get to put the scarves on our heads and pretend to be ghosts. The video below is one I did during lockdown, when I was leading storytimes over Zoom from my house, and improvising with household items.

We are spooky ghosts
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street.
We are spooky ghosts
Floating down the street.
We’ll scare you!
BOO!

Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton

We sang this song after reading Giraffes Can’t Dance. It’s such a catchy song, and the kids enjoy pretending to be elephants and monkeys.

[C] Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow.
[G7] Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.
[C] Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
And [G7] we can stay all [C] day.

CHORUS:
[F] We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
[C] How about you, you, you?
[G7] You can come too, too, too! (G7)
We’re [C] going to the zoo, [G7] zoo, [C] zoo!

See the elephants with the long trunk swinging,
Great big ears and a long trunk swinging.
Snuffing up peanuts with the long trunk swinging,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

See all the monkeys, they’re scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Jumping all around and scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Hanging by the long tails scritch, scritch, scratchin’,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

Well, we stayed all day, and I’m getting sleepy,
Sitting in the car getting sleep, sleep, sleepy.
Home already and I’m sleep, sleep, sleepy,
‘Cause we have stayed all day!

We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
So have you, you, you!
You came too, too, too!
We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

But Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.
Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

Go, Go, Go, Stop

I improvised this simple song to sing with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. We sang it a little faster each time.

To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:

Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP! (shake the parachute in time to the song, and freeze on the word STOP!”
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!

So Glad I’m Here

This is a beautiful song (based, I believe, on a traditional African American gospel song). We used it as our instrument play-along at the end. I especially love this version by Elizabeth Mitchell. I added a final verse that says “I’m so glad you’re here.”

[C] I’m so glad I’m here,
So glad I’m here,
So glad I’m here, here to-[G7]day.
So [C] glad I’m here,
I’m [F] so glad I’m here,
So [G7] glad I’m here, here to-[C]day.

I’m gonna sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here, here today.
Sing while I’m here,
I’m gonna sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here, here today.

Love brought me here,
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here, here today.
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here, here today.

Joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here, here today.
Joy brought me here,
You know joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here, here today.

I’m so glad you’re here,
So glad you’re here,
So glad you’re here, here today.
So glad you’re here,
You know, I’m so glad you’re here.
So glad you’re here, here today.

Stay & Play: Glue Ghosts

For the Stay & Play, I offered the kids two different ways to make ghosts.

For the first option, I put out black paper, ModPodge, some cardboard squares I cut out of cereal boxes, and googly eyes. I helped the kids pour a small amount of ModPodge on their paper, and gave them each a cardboard square to spread it into a ghost shape. I also provided scissors and white paper, in case they wanted to cut out a mouth. Most of them added lots of googly eyes. Unlike other kinds of white glue, the ModPodge dries into a thick, smooth layer, which makes it look like a transparent ghost.

For the second option, I put out black paper, glue sticks, googly eyes, white paper, and googly eyes, so the kids could cut out ghost shapes and glue them on the black paper.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter G? Please share them in the comments below.

F is for Fun: A Storytime About the Letter F

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Early Literacy Tip: Share the sounds that letters make, especially strong consonants like F or P, and make a game of noticing words you hear throughout the day that start with that sound.

This past week, we continued our journey through the alphabet by focusing on the letter F in storytime.

As usual, I started by writing the letter F on my whiteboard and asking the kids to write an upper and lower case letter F in the air with me. I emphasized the sound that the letter F makes, and asked them if they knew any words that started with that sound (In Family Storytime, I accidentally asked, “Do you know any F words?” and then quickly said, “No, not that one!” Luckily, none of the kids caught it, but the grown-ups laughed). The kids suggested frog, fish, and fun, which I wrote on the board. I also asked them to pull different items out of a paper bag: a paper fan, a fork, and a flower.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books

Follow Me, Flo by Jarvis

Cute story, featuring an adorable duckling named Flo, whose father invents a song to help her remember their path. When she gets lost and runs into a hungry fox, the song helps her find her way back to her Dad.

The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner; illustrated by Jonathan Lambert

I love this simple pop-up book based on an old joke (we have a non-circulating copy on our staff Story Shelf). A curious wide-mouthed frog asks different animals what they like to eat, until he learns that the alligator likes to eat tasty wide-mouthed frogs. The big pop-out alligator always gets a big response from the kids!

Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

One of my favorite storytime books, featuring an adorable kitten who thinks the moon is a big bowl of milk in the sky that she can’t quite reach. The large black and white drawings, and simple, relatable story make it perfect for almost any age.

Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas

One of several interactive picture books by Jan Thomas. This one asks the reader to stand up, then sit down, then stand up again, and then pretend there is a little bug on their nose, which gets stuck in their shirt. The kids loved following the instructions on each page. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, my coworker Isabella held up a big frog puppet for the part with the giant frog.

Sam’s First Word by Bea Birdsong; illustrated by Holly Hatam

Funny story about a little girl named Sam, whose family and neighbor are all hoping their name will be her first word. They are so busy coaching her to say, “Mama,” or “Papa,” or “Nana” that they don’t notice that her actual first word is “Poop!” I’ve been reading this book at local preschools lately, and it’s been fun to ask the kids what their first word was (a lot of them don’t remember, but their guesses are often very funny).

Songs & Rhymes

Do As I’m Doing

We sang this after reading Follow Me, Flo. You can do different motions each time for the kids to copy, or ask the kids to suggest their own.

[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, follow [G7] me.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
[C] Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me.
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me,
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

We sang this after reading The Wide Mouthed Frog. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I held up a frog puppet, and pretended to have it slurp a bug off of the kids heads each time we got to the “Yum Yum!” line.

Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log.
Eating the most delicious bugs! Yum Yum!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are four green speckled frogs!

Four green and speckled frogs…etc.

Down By the Banks of the Hanky Panky

This is a lapsit rhyme I used to use for baby storytime, where you bounce the baby from knee to knee. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I put a frog puppet on the parachute, and we lifted the parachute up and down in time with the rhyme to make it “jump” around.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,
With a hip, a hop,
A hippity-hop,
Jump off the lilypad and kerplop!

Five Days Old by Laurie Berkner

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end, after reading Sam’s First Word. It’s such a fun and happy song, and the kids always enjoy jumping up and down.

[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] one day old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] two [G7] days [C] old.
[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] three days old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] four [G7] days [C] old.
[F] One [C] day, I’ll [F] be a [C] year, then [F] I’ll be [C] two, then [G7] three, then four.
[C] As for now I’m [F] sitting here, I’m [C] five days old and [F] no [G7] days [C] more!

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

I’m clapping my hands, I’m one day old…

I’m kicking my legs, I’m one day old…

Getting really tired, I’m one day old…

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

Stay & Play: Flower Painting

This is my all-time favorite process srt activity, especially for Outdoor Musical Storytime. I just put out white paper and a variety of flowers (this time I used nasturtiums, flowers from a broccoli plant, and lavender). The kids love squishing the petals into the paper and “painting” with their finger.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter F? Please share them in the comments below.