Fine Rts: A Storytime about the Letter R

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Early Literacy Tip: Talk about the sounds that individual letters make, and make a game out of coming up with words that start with that sound. Paying attention to the sounds that make up words is a critical part of phonemic awareness, an important skill for learning to read later on.

This week, we focused on the Letter R in storytime. As usual, we started by drawing an upper- and lower-case letter R in the air together (I also wrote it on my whiteboard). I talked about the sound the letter makes (we said it together), and asked the kids if they knew any words that started with R. They had several suggestions: rain, run, rabbit, rat, and rhinoceros. I also pulled some items out of my paper bag: a ruler, a ribbon wand, and some rosemary (I broke off pieces to hand out to the kids so they could smell it).

For our secret words at the end, I handed out slips of paper with some basic letter R words written on them, including robot, rose, rabbit, raspberry, and rocket. This has been a fun addition to storytime, and the kids seem to enjoy the surprise of seeing what word they will get. It’s always nice when someone has a particular connection to the word, like “Oh, raspberries are your favorite fruit!”

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

I love this sweet story that conveys the power of simply sitting with someone who is having a hard time, instead of trying to fix their problems. When Taylor’s block tower gets knocked over by a flock of crows, different animals stop to offer advice, telling him he should shout, or laugh, or ruin someone else’s tower. None of their advice makes Taylor feel any better, until the Rabbit comes and sits beside him, taking the time to listen to all of his feelings.

Rainbow Hat by Hong Hai

Cute, colorful story about a bear whose rainbow hat blows away. It lands on a turtle, and then a duck, and then a frog, and finally gets carried off by a large bird, who drops it right back on Bear’s head.

My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee

I love this book, especially because the author lives in the Bay Area, and has visited some of our local schools. When a boy buys a pet rhinoceros, he is disappointed to learn that rhinoceroses only do two things: pop balloons and poke holes in kites. Neither of those seem particularly useful, until the boy comes across two robbers escaping in a balloon and a kite. When his rhinoceros helps the police catch the robbers, the boy discovers his rhinoceros can also fly! The page with the flying rhinoceros always gets delighted gasps and giggles.

Singing in the Rain by Tim Hopgood (based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown)

I gave out the egg shakers before I read this book, and we sang the song together at the end of both Family and Outdoor Musical Storytime. I also pulled out my thunder stick (which makes a loud rumbling sound) and shook it whenever we got to the line about the stormy clouds. The illustrations are colorful and charming.

Songs:

The Sleeping Bunnies Song

For some reason, toddlers and preschoolers love songs where you sink down to the ground, and then jump up. This is one of my all-time favorites (I stole it from a local daycare provider years ago). There are lots of different versions, but the one I use is closest to the one in this Little Baby Bum video:

See the little bunnies sleeping (crouch 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! (jump up and down)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

Rainbow ‘Round Me by Ruth Pelham

I don’t remember where I first learned this song, but I love it because it gives kids a chance to suggest things that they might see outside their window. We sang this with the ribbon wands at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I told the kids to wave the wands back and forth on the verses, and then spin around in a circle during the chorus. They suggested a red cat, a white garbage truck, and a green duck.

When I [C] look outside my [G7] window,
There’s a world of color I [C] see.
Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window 
There’s a [G7] world of color I [C] see.

CHORUS:
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me. 
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me. 

And the [C] cat outside my [G7] window,
Is as red as red can [C] be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window 
It’s as [G7] red as red can [C] be.

CHORUS:
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me. 
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me.

And the [C] garbage truck outside my [G7] window,
Is as white as white can [C] be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window 
It’s as [G7] white as white can [C] be.
And the cat is as [G7] red as red can [C] be.

CHORUS:
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me. 
[F] Rainbow, [C] rainbow, [G7] rainbow ’round [C] me.  

And the duck outside my window…etc.

Roll the Ball to You

I used to work at a library that hosted a weekly Kindermusik class. The teacher would always sing this song in a really operatic style, which always struck me as funny. It is a really simple, catchy song though, and it stuck with me. For Family Storytime, we sang it while rolling a plush ball back and forth between me and each of the kids. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I put a plush ball on the parachute and we rolled it around together (I wish I had brought a lighter ball though, because the plush one didn’t roll very well on the parachute).

I roll the ball to you,
And you roll the ball to me.
I roll the ball to you,
And you roll the ball to me.
I roll the ball to you,
And you roll the ball to me.
I roll the ball to you,
And you roll the ball to me.

Rocketship Run by Laurie Berkner

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. I had the kids crouch down and jump up during each countdown.

[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!
[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!

[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] Sun,
[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] Sun,
[C]When I [G7] get there [F] I’ll be spinning everywhere.
[C]Spinning [G7] round the [F] Sun.

[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!
[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!

[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] Moon,
[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] Moon,
[C]When I [G7] get there [F] I’ll be dancing through the air,
[C]Dancing [G7] on the [F] Moon.

[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!
[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!

[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] stars,
[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] stars,
[C]When I [G7] get there [F] I’ll be jumping everywhere,
[C]Dancing [G7] from star to [F] star.[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!
[Am] 5-4-3-2-1 [C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run!

[C]Take me [G7] to the [F] Earth,
[C]Leave me [G7] on the [F] ground,
[C]When I [G7] get there [F] I’ll be [C] home.

[Am] 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

[C] Blast off! Another rocket [E7] ship [Am] run

Stay & Play: Straw Rockets

I got this idea from BuggyandBuddy.com, which also provided the rocket templates. Before storytime, I had our summer intern cut out the paper rocket templates.

For the Stay and Play, I put out the paper rocket templates, along with markers, tape, paper straws, and small pieces of larger plastic straws (our county has a policy of not purchasing disposable plastics if possible, so I cleaned a few used regular sized drinking straws and cut them into 2″ pieces. You can also roll up squares of paper and tape them into tubes instead, but there’s a little more friction, which makes it harder for the kids to blow the rocket off of the paper straw).

The kids enjoyed coloring their rockets with the markers. Then we helped them tape a piece of plastic straw to the back, making sure that the tape fully covered the hole at the top of the straw. When they inserted the paper straw into the plastic one, and blew, their rocket launched into the air.

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

Q-riosity: A Storytime About the Letter Q

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Early Literacy Tip: Write simple action words on small pieces of paper (run, clap, jump, etc.), and put them in a bag (or attach them to a die that you throw, or a board game spinner that you spin). Have your child pick out one of the papers, and then do the action together (or have your child direct you to do it). This is a simple, fun way to build print awareness.

This week we celebrated the Letter Q! As usual, we started by writing an upper and lower case letter Q in the air together, and then brainstormed words that started with Q. The kids suggested queen and quack. I also pulled some other items from my paper bag: a quarter, and a picture of quail and a quokka.

I had written three q words on pieces of paper, and I told the kids that there were special motions we would do for each one. For the word quack, we would quack like a duck and make duck bills with our hands. For the word quiet, we would put one finger over our lips and say, “Shhhh!” And for the word quick, we would clap our hands really fast. I spent a couple of minutes, pulling out the pieces of paper and reading the words, and we did the actions together.

HOME EXTENSION: I’ve been trying to add a “secret word” component each week, to help build excitement around printed words, and give the kids something to share with their caregivers after storytime. This week, I let them pick one of the “q” words from the activity above, and told them they could tell their grown-ups they had to do the motion (quacking, shushing, or clapping).

Books:

Quick Little Monkey by Sarah L. Thomson; illustrated by Lita Judge

A beautifully illustrated book about a pygmy marmoset who accidentally slips to the forest floor, and has to flee a giant snake before reuniting with his father. This was an exciting story that held the kids’ attention.

A Quick Trip to the Store by Sam Wedelich

I really like this funny new picture book about a girl and her mother, who have to take a quick trip to the store to buy bananas. While her mother chats with a group of other Mom’s, the girl decides to go shopping by herself, and accidentally crashes her cart (and herself!) into the bin of bananas. Her Mom agrees to buy all of the bruised bananas, and together they make banana bread for the employees at the store. The main character’s opinions about shopping, and mothers, and banana bread are hilarious.

Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up by Jane Whittingham; illustrated by Emma Pedersen

This is an adorable story that I’ve shared many times. I especially like to read it for Outdoor Musical Storytime, since there are a lot of California quail in the park. Queenie Quail just can’t keep up with her brothers and sisters, because she is too busy looking at bees and caterpillars and shiny stones. But when she spies a cat hiding in the grass, and alerts her family, her parents realize that her dawdling can be helpful. The kids enjoyed joining in on the repeated “bob bob bob,” “tap tap tap” and “hurry hurry hurry” motions throughout the book.

I Quit! by Kristen Tracy; illustrated by Federico Fabiani

Sweet story about a cat who gets adopted. At first, she is thrilled with her new home, but then she learns there are rules like no licking yourself on the table and no chasing the baby. “I quit!” she declares, and makes her escape. But the world outside is dark and scary, and she quickly decides she wants to go home.

Songs:

Monkey See and Monkey Do

We sang this after reading Quick Little Monkey. It’s a fun, versatile action song, and you can add in any motions that suit your storytime crowd. I always end with “sit back on the ground” to get the kids ready to listen to the next book.

When you clap, clap, clap your hands,
The monkey clap, clap, claps his hands,
Monkey see, and monkey do,
The monkey does the same as you!

When you jump up and down, etc.

Repeat with other motions: when you jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.

Two Little Quail

We sang this with the play scarves (I gave each child two). A variation of the traditional Two Little Blackbirds song to go along with the book Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up.

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

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

Quick, Quick, Quick

We sang this with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I have a bunch of little ducks from a couple of Monkee Mitt sets, and I told the kids to quack each time I threw one on the parachute. Then we sang the song, shaking the parachute quickly and then slowly, and lowering and raising it up. I added a few more ducks each time we sang it.

Quick, quick, quick!
Slow, slow, slow!
Down, down, down!
And up we go!

Letter Q

I wrote this song for my last set of alphabet storytimes, since I couldn’t find a good instrument play-along for letter Q. I had explained to the kids about how the letter Q is almost always followed by U, which is the subject of this song. We sang it at the end with egg shakers.

If you ever need a storytime song for a particular topic, feel free to reach out. I love a challenge!

[C] Oh, Letter [F] Q,
[G7] What can it [C] do?
It just can’t [F] be
[G7] Away from [C] U!

[C] Without U, there is no [F] Question.
[G7] Without U, no qualit-[C]y.
No Quiet walks [F] along the shore,
No [G7] Quests of braver-[C]y.
No Quilts to keep you [F] warm at night,
No [G7] Quick trips to the [C] zoo.
There’s nothing quite as [F] lonesome
As [G7] Q is without [C] U.

[C] Oh, Letter [F] Q,
[G7] What can it [C] do?
It just can’t [F] be
[G7] Away from [C] U!

[C] Q is such a quirky [F] letter.
[G7] It is useless on its [C] own.
Without U it cannot [F] Qualify,
It [G7] cannot stand a-[C]lone.
Q would be in such a [F] Quandary,
Without [G7] you to make it [C] sound.
I Quake to think what [F] Q would be
[G7] Without U [C] around!

[C] Oh, Letter [F] Q,
[G7] What can it [C] do?
It just can’t [F] be
[G7] Away from [C] U!

Stay & Play: Origami Paper Quilts

We have a lot of origami paper left over from past programs, so before storytime this week, I asked our summer intern to cut some of the paper into smaller squares.

For the Stay & Play, I put out white computer paper, glue sticks, and the precut origami squares. The kids enjoyed arranging the different patterns on the page and gluing them down.

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

P’s on Earth: A Storytime About the Letter P

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Early Literacy Tip: Write a favorite word on a piece of paper for your child to have. You can even make a game out of drawing a picture to go with it, and asking your child to guess what the word is. This is a great way to build print awareness, and build excitement and curiosity about words in general.

Today, we celebrated the letter P, which is a particularly fun letter. After we drew an upper and lower case P together in the air, we talked about words that started with P. The kids had LOTS of favorites: Pokemon! Peppa Pig! Paw Patrol! Pete the Cat! (Apparently, the key to a successful kids franchise is to use the letter P). I also pulled some items out of my paper bag: a pony, a poodle puppy, and a bottle of paint.

Big OOPS of the Day! Ironically (since it would have been the perfect day for it), I forgot to bring my parachute to the park! I didn’t realize it until I announced, “Time for the parachute!” Oh, the horror! I thought the kids were going to riot. Fortunately, I had the large tarp I always set up for people to sit on, so we used that instead, and it worked just fine. Phew!

NEW: I just added a new element to my storytimes: SECRET WORDS! I wrote words that start with the letter P (mostly fun, concrete things like pirate, playground, popcorn, pizza, panda, etc.) on strips of paper, folded them, and put them in a bag. At the end of storytime, I let each child pick a secret word. One little girl was thrilled to get the word penguin, because it’s her favorite animal to visit at the zoo.

Books:

Plumber Pearl! by Andrea Zimmerman; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

From the author/illustrator team behind Trashy Town, this rhyming story about a busy plumber features lots of fun sound effects. There are also squeaky mice on every page. A new storytime participant happened to bring a toy hedgehog that squeaked to Family Storytime, so I had her squeak it whenever I read the squeak sound in the book.

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

One of my all-time favorite read-alouds. I love to mention that William Steig was also the author of Shrek. This book features a family game where a father and mother cheer up their son Pete by pretending he’s a pizza. I love how the caregivers often act out the motions with their kids (kneading the dough, stretching the dough, tickling the pizza, etc.). It got lots of giggles today at the park!

The Polar Bear in the Garden by Richard Jones

A sweet fantasy story about a little boy who finds a polar bear that fits in his hand. Day by day, the bear grows bigger, and the boy realizes it needs to go home. So, they set out on a boat to find the polar bear’s family.

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird; illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

I love this book so much that I wrote a whole post about it the other day. It features a series of popular nursery rhymes that each get interrupted by “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” For Family Storytime, I gave out play scarves, and had the kids throw them in the air each time I read the word “Pop!” For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I gave out the egg shakers so the kids could play along with the rhymes and songs, and shake the eggs in the air extra hard on the word “Pop!” It was a big hit with both the kids and the caregivers.

Songs:

The Silly Pizza Song

A wonderful song from Signing Time. I usually skip the intro, and only do the sign for pizza (there are a lot of different variations in ASL, but I use the one she demonstrates in the video below with the double Z) and the sign for cheese. I ask the kids to suggest different toppings for each verse. Today we had pepperoni, doughnuts, olives, and apples.

I like pepperoni on my pizza.
I like pepperoni pizza, please.
Put the pepperoni on my pizza,
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

I like apples on my pizza,
I like apple pizza, please.
Put the apples on the pepperoni,
Put the pepperoni on my pizza.
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

When I Was One

A favorite action song that I learned from a coworker. I usually ask the kids to suggest words that rhyme with each number, and we come up with our own verses for two, three, and four.

When I was one, I had some fun,
When I travelled out to sea. (move hand in a wavy motion)
I jumped aboard a pirate ship (jump)
And the captain said to me. (salute)

He said, Go this way! (lean right) 
That way! (lean left) 
Forward! (lean forward) 
Backward! (lean backward) 
When you travel out to sea!”

.When I was two, my hair turned blue…

When I was three, I saw a bee…

Popcorn Kernels

I do this song every week with the play scarves at Family Storytime. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I meant to do it with the parachute and some cotton balls, but somehow forgot to bring both! Luckily, we were able to use our big tarp that I bring for seating, and some wild sweet pea flowers, which actually looked a bit like popcorn (and also start with the letter P!). Here’s a great video of the song 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)

Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

Classic song from 1958, which we did as our instrument play-along. I played it in the key of C (see the chords below), and skipped the key changes.

[C] Well, I saw the thing comin’ out of the sky,
It had [G] one long horn, [C] one big eye.
I commenced to shakin’ and I [F] said “ooh-eee!”,
It [G] looks like a purple people eater to [C] me.

CHORUS:
[C] It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] One-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
A [C] one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] Sure looks strange to [C] me.

[C] Well, he came down to earth, and he lit in a tree.
I said, [G] “Mr. Purple People Eater, [C] don’t eat me.”
I heard him say in a [F] voice so gruff:
“I [G] wouldn’t eat you cause you’re so [C] tough!”

CHORUS

I said, “Mr. Purple People Eater, what’s your line?”
He said, “It’s eatin’ purple people and it sure is fine.
But that’s not the reason that I came to land..
I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band.”

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
(We wear short shorts) Flyin’ purple people eater..
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground,
He started to rock, really rockin’ around.
It was a crazy ditty with a swingin’ tune..
Sing A bop bop-A-boppa-loppa-lim-bam-boom.

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
I like short shorts!..Flyin’ little people eater.
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he went on his way, and then what do ya know?
I saw him last night on a TV show.
He was blowing it out, a’really knockin’ ’em dead..
Playin’ rock and roll music through the horn in his head.

Stay & Play: Paint Sticks

Oh, my goodness, paint sticks were a big hit! We actually bought a set for our libraries several months ago for some activities for school-aged kids, but they work so well for toddlers and preschoolers that a lot of the caregivers at storytime were talking about buying some to use at home.

If you aren’t familiar with them, they are shaped like glue sticks, with a removable cap and a twistable bottom to move them up and down. The paint is tempera, and it glides on so smoothly that it feels like painting with lipstick. The colors are super bright, and the kids LOVED them! I just put out white paper and the paint sticks and they went to town!

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

An Open Book: A Storytime About the Letter O

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Early Literacy Tip: In books that feature a particular pattern with only one word changed, ask your child to fill in the new word. For example, in Open This Little Book, each animal opens “a little _____ book,” with a different color each time, based on the color of the book’s cover. Using context clues to decipher new words is an important early literacy skill.

This week we celebrated the letter O at storytime. We started by drawing the letter O together in the air (the kids really enjoyed this!). I also talked about how two O’s together making the sound “oo,” and we spent a minute saying fun “OO” words together as I wrote them on my whiteboard: BOO! Coo, Moo, etc. We also talked about words beginning with O (the kids suggested octopus, and I pulled an owl and an octagon out of my bag, and demonstrated an ocarina).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier; illustrated by Suzy Lee

I love to share books that surprise kids with unusual formats (pop-ups, books that open vertically, etc.) This book features a series of increasingly smaller books with different colored covers: Ladybug opens a little green book and reads about Frog, who opens a little orange book and reads about Rabbit, etc. The kids enjoyed calling out the colors of each book.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson

This is one of my all-time favorite picture books: the sweet story of three baby owls waiting for their mother to return. It’s beautifully written and illustrated, and the emotions are so relatable. I especially love the part where the baby owls close their owl eyes and wish their owl mother would come “And she came. Soft and silent, she swooped through the trees to Sarah and Percy and Bill.” The kids enjoyed chiming in on the repeated “I want my Mommy!” line.

One-Osaurus, Two-Osaurus by Kim Norman; illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby

In these storytimes about letters, I like to showcase words that demonstrate how letters don’t always sound the way you expect them to. I think it’s important for kids to know that English isn’t always predictable, so that when they are learning to read later on, they are prepared for surprises that are part of the language itself and not any reflection on their reading ability. So, I wanted to share a picture book featuring the word “one,” which is one of the strangest o-words. This is also a fun, rhyming picture book about dinosaurs hiding, in what turns out to be a game of hide-and-seek.

Octopants by Suzy Senior; illustrated by Claire Powell

This rhyming picture book got lots of laughs. It’s about an octopus trying to buy underpants. He can’t find any, and gets increasingly frustrated, until a shopkeeper points out that his legs are really arms, and all he really needs is an octo-sweater. The page with all the fish in underpants is hilarious!

Songs & Activities:

These Are My Glasses by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Open This Little Book. I use a lot of Laurie Berkner songs, but this one is my all-time favorite. Even older kids, who are sometimes reluctant to participate in action songs, enjoy doing this one.

These are my glasses,
This is my book.
I put on my glasses
And open up the book
Then I read, read, read,
And I look, look, look.
I take off my glasses,
And, WHOOP!, close up the book!

The Waves on the Ocean

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime. I put a fish puppet on the parachute and we waved it up and down. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.

The waves on the ocean go up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
The waves on the ocean go up and down,
All day long!

Simon Says

We played a couple of rounds of Simon Says after reading One-osaurus, Two-osaurus, which ends with the dinosaurs playing the game. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s a classic childhood game where you ask the kids to do a particular action, but only when you start by saying, “Simon Says.”

For example: if you say, “Simon Says, ‘touch your nose,'” they should touch their noses, but if you just say, “touch your ear,” they shouldn’t do anything. It’s a fun listening challenge, and lot of the kids at storytime had never played it before.

Octopus’ Garden by Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr)

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] He’d let us in,
[Am] Knows where we’ve been,
[F] In his octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[Am] I’d ask my friends
To come and see
[F] An octopus’ [G] garden
With me.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] We would be warm
[Am] Below the storm,
[F] In our little hideaway
Beneath the [G] waves.

[C] Resting our head
[Am] On the seabed,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
Near a [G] cave.

[Am] We would sing
And dance around,
[F] Because we know
We [G] can’t be found.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
In an [F] octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] We would shout,
[Am] And swim about
[F] The coral that lies
Beneath the [G] waves.

[C] Oh, what joy
[Am] For every girl and boy,
[F] Knowing they’re happy
And they’re [G] safe.

[Am] We would be so happy
You and me,
[F] No one there to tell us
[G] What to do.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
With [G] you.

[F] In an octopus’ garden
With you.
[F] In an octopus’ garden
With [G] you.

Stay & Play: Cup Stamping

This was a simple, if messy, Stay & Play. I just put out plastic trays, and added a few different colors of tempera paint to each one. I gave each child a piece of white paper and a paper cup, and explained that they could dip either the top or the bottom of the cup in the paint and stamp it on the paper to make an “O” shape. Some of them just used the cups as paintbrushes, which got very messy, but they had a wonderful time!

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

Picture Book Highlight: Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme

Posted in Book reviews, Books for Kindergarten, Rhymes and songs by

Every now and then, there’s a picture book that works so perfectly for storytime that I know it’s going to be in my regular rotation for a long time. Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird and Andrea Tsurumi is one of those picture books.

It starts with the song “Pop! Goes the Weasel,” and then moves into several other famous nursery rhymes: Jack and Jill, Little Miss Muffet, Mary Had a Little Lamb. Each one gets interrupted by “Pop! Goes the Weasel!” partway through.

All the kids I’ve read this to have found this book hilarious. It’s fun to have them clap their hands or throw play scarves in the air whenever you point to the word “Pop!” (which is also a wonderful way to help them develop print awareness). You can also extend it by singing some of the songs after you read the book (especially Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, which they usually know), and throw in your own “Pop! Goes the Weasel” in the middle.

Highly recommended for storytime collections!

N-Chanting Stories: A Storytime About the Letter N

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Early Literacy Tip: Point out words that share the same letters and sounds (like “La La La” and “Ma Ma Ma” in the book Noisy Night) to help kids learn to keep an eye out for patterns in the words they see.

Last week, we celebrated the letter N. As usual, we started by writing the letter N (upper and lower case) in the air together and then talking about words that started with N. The kids suggested “No,” and “nut.” I pulled a few other items out of a paper bag: a nose flute, a name tag, and a can of nuts (which was really one of those trick cans with a snake inside).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems

I read this with my Family Storytime group, which tends to skew a bit older. It’s a darkly humorous story about a goose who runs into a fox, who invites her to his house for dinner. Every time he invites her to do something (going for a walk in the deep dark woods, going to his house, tasting his soup), a small yellow gosling warns “That is NOT a good idea!” or “That is REALLY NOT a good idea!” In a surprise twist, the goose pushes the fox into the soup, and the book ends with the goslings saying, “We did try to warn him!” The kids loved joining in on the repeated “That is NOT a good idea!” parts.

I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems

One of my favorite Elephant and Piggie books. In this story, Piggie lets Gerald play with her new toy. He throws it in the air, but it breaks when it lands. Piggie is “mad and sad,” and Gerald is sorry, until a squirrel explains that the toy is actually a break and snap toy that’s meant to come apart. The representation of feelings (both named and unnamed) is spot on.

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta; illustrated by Ed Young

Adorable, slightly suspenseful story about a ninja on a nighttime mission. Before he can achieve his goal, the kitchen light comes on and he is caught…and revealed to be a boy trying to sneak some chocolate ice cream from the freezer.

Noisy Night by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Brian Biggs

Fun book about a noisy apartment building, where everyone wonders what’s making the noises in the apartment above them: an opera singer singing “La La La,” a baby cooing, “Ma Ma Ma,” a sheep saying, “Baa Baa Baa,” etc. The kids enjoyed repeating the sounds on each page and trying to guess who is making them.

No, David! by David Shannon

A lot of the kids were already familiar with this popular book. I love to tell them (and their caregivers) that the book was based on drawings that David Shannon made as a child, which his mother saved and sent to him. The kids enjoyed seeing all the ways David gets in trouble, especially the page where he runs down the street naked.

Songs & Activities:

Old MacDonald

We sang this after reading That Is Not a Good Idea in Family Storytime. I always have animal puppets out on all of the chairs for that storytime, and it’s fun to ask the kids to hold up an animal for us to sing about.

[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…

Number Play Activity

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I brought out a foam die and explained that we were all going to clap our hands, but first we would throw the die to see how many times to clap. Once we threw the die (which landed on 5), we counted the dots and then clapped 5 times. Then we tried the same thing with jumping and stomping. I’ve also done this with a second die that has different actions (clapping, jumping, stomping, etc.) on each side.

The Noble Duke of York

We sang this song with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I threw a bunch of small animals on the parachute (one little girl volunteered her stuffed rabbit), and we lifted the parachute up and down with the song. Here’s a Barney video with the tune, in case you’re not familiar with it.

The noble Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them all to the top of the hill, (stretch up high or lift parachute)
And he marched them down again. (crouch down low or lower parachute)
And when you’re up, you’re up. (stretch up high)
And when you’re down, you’re down. (crouch down low)
And when you’re only halfway up,
You’re neither up, nor down. (stretch up high, then quickly crouch down)

No One Like You by Andrea Willis Muhoberac

For years, this was our opening song for Musical Storytime, and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. We used it as our instrument play-along at the end. Click on the triangle for the melody.

I like your [C] eyes.
I like your [F] nose.
I like your [G] mouth.
Your ears, your hands, your [C] toes.
I like your face.
It’s really [F] you.
I [Dm] like the things you say and [G] do.

There’s not a [F] single [G] soul
Who [C] sees the [Am] skies
The [G] way you see them.
Through your [C] eyes.
[F] And aren’t you [G] glad.
[E]You should be [Am] glad.
There’s [C] no one, [G] no one
Exactly like [C] you.

Stay & Play: Nature Rubbings

Really simple, inexpensive Stay & Play, which worked perfectly for Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Before storytime, we gathered several different types of leaves. For the Stay & Play, I put out the leaves, white computer paper, crayons and colored pencils and tape (taping the leaves to the back of the paper keeps them from sliding around). I also gave out picture books for the kids to put underneath their paper, since the tables at the park are a bit bumpy.

I showed the kids how to tape a leaf to the back of the paper, and then flip it over and run the crayon or colored pencil back and forth on the part of the paper where the leaf is. Most of the kids had never done this before and were surprised to see the outline of the leaf appear.

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

Picture Book Highlight: Even Steven

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

Today I read Even Steven: A Book About Sharing by Carrie Finison & Daniel Wiseman to two preschool classes.

The book is about a boy named Steven who wants everything to be fun, fair, and even. He knows that cutting things in half is a great way to make things even. He discovers that works well for cookies, but not for crayons or books or nickels. He tries giving each person one of something, but that doesn’t work for roller skates or playground slides. Then he tries taking turns, which works well for the swings, but not with an umbrella or building with blocks. Eventually, he learns that things can be fun and fair without necessarily being even, and that some things (like your toothbrush!) don’t need to be shared at all.

This is such a fun and engaging look at all of the different ways to share. The kids thought parts of it (like the idea of sharing a lollipop or a toothbrush) were hilarious. Some pages ask the readers for ideas on how to share different things, like a sweatshirt, or the Earth. I didn’t dwell on these with the preschoolers (although one girl did raise her hand to suggest how she would share a sweatshirt), but I think they could make for a great discussion in a Kindergarten or elementary school classroom.

The book runs a little longer than the ones I usually read with preschoolers, but it kept them engaged. It will definitely be one I bring to my class visits in the fall. It’s one of those rare titles that conveys a complicated idea in a fun (and funny!), relatable way.

VolunTEEN: An Easy Library Program for Teenagers

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Although I’m not usually involved with teen programming in my current job, I am one of volunteer coordinators for the two libraries where I work, so I do regularly work with teen volunteers.

Volunteers in our system usually have to agree to a commitment of at least six months, and have to have a background check and be fingerprinted if they are over 16. In spite of these requirements, we do have a fair number of teens who help with evening storytime, teach people how to use the 3D printer, help with prepping crafts, straightening shelves, or pulling books for weeding or redistribution, lead Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, and (for a while anyway) read with kids as part of a drop-in Reading Buddies program (this is being replaced by a more formal reading program led by interns).

Recently, one of the teen librarians in our library system started a VolunTEEN program, to provide a way for high school students to earn Community Service hours (a requirement for some of the schools in our area) without all of the normal volunteer requirements. We tried it out in our libraries this Spring, and it has been a big success!

The idea of VolunTEEN is that it’s an hour-long drop-in program overseen by a staff person, which makes it more of a library program, rather than a regular volunteer activity where volunteers are operating without as much direct oversight. We provide snacks, and usually set aside some basic tasks for the teens to do during that time. Some of the tasks they have done are:

  • Prepping storytime crafts (cutting out paper templates, checking markers and stamp pads, etc.)
  • Cleaning shelves (we provided them with cleaning spray and cloths, and showed them how to carefully move the books onto a cart, wipe down the shelf, and carefully put the books back in order. One teen enjoyed this so much that he stayed for an extra hour, and then came back the next month to do it again).
  • Checking board games to make sure all of the pieces are in the box
  • Checking video game and DVD cases for the corrent cartridge or disk
  • Straightening shelves (just for neatness, not organization)

Some tips that have made the program successful:

  • Connecting with the local high schools (especially the community service coordinators) to help promote the VolunTEEN hour. It especially helps when they advertise it in the weekly parent email newsletters
  • Providing tasks the teens can work on together, or at least at the same table or in the part of the library. Although not all of them were eager to socialize, some of them really enjoyed getting to talk to other students while they worked
  • Putting out name tag stickers, to identify them to library staff and each other
  • Providing a sign-in sheet to log their hours (I include a column for them to add their email address, so I can remind them about the next VolunTEEN date. I also have a spreadsheet where I keep track of who attended each month)
  • Providing snacks

This program has been a great way to provide community service opportunities for students who aren’t able to volunteer weekly. It’s also helped us with a lot of tasks that we don’t usually have time for, like cleaning the shelves. The turnout isn’t huge (at most we’ve had 6 students at a time), which makes it easy to manage. I’m also hopeful that these students will become more regular users of the library.

Have you hosted any teen programs that you love? Please share them in the comments below.

First M-Pressions: A Storytime About the Letter M

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask kids to point out the word or words starting with a particular letter in the titles of the books you read. (Example: Can you find a word starting with the letter M?”) Learning to recognize letters is a key part of learning to read, and noticing them in the books they read helps them make the connection between the words they know and say, and the written words they see on the page.

Last week, we celebrated the letter M, a letter which has lots of fun word tie-ins. As usual, we started by drawing the letter M in the air together, and then listed words that started with M. Some of the words the kids suggested were: Mommy, moon, and monster. I also pulled out other items from a paper bag: a mouse puppet, a microphone and a marker.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Llama Llama, Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

I think this is one of the most relatable Llama Llama books (a friend of mine told me recently that whenever her teenaged daughter is upset with her, she asks her, “Llama Llama, mad at Mama?,” which probably just annoys her more, but I thought it was funny). It was also nice to include this book because we read Llama Llama, Red Pajama last week. In this story, Llama Llama gets increasingly frustrated by a trip to the store. When his temper finally explodes, his Mama tells him that she thinks shopping is boring too, but she enjoys being with him.

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

I love this book so much! Every Monday, Mabel’s family watches her take her breakfast and a chair out to the driveway to see the best thing ever: the garbage truck! The descriptions of the garbage truck and its sounds (gah-dump!) are so much fun to read.

Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley

This is a long-time favorite of mine: the rhyming story of a mouse who enjoys playing in a human family’s kitchen, and making a huge mess.

M is for Mango by Atinuke; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

This is an adorable book that uses a series of M words to tell a simple story about a little boy named Mo, whose mango is stolen by monkeys in a small Nigerian village. Perfect for toddler storytimes.

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

We sang this variation of the classic song after reading, Llama Llama, Mad at Mama. I really like adding in other emotions to this song, both because I think it’s important for kids to be able to name and share their “negative” emotions, and also because they love to act them out. If you’re not familiar with the original version, here’s a video from Super Simple Songs.

[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!” (say “Boo hoo!” and pretend to cry)…

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

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!”…

Hickory Dickory Dock

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime, and with the play scarves in Family Storytime. With the parachute, I put a mouse puppet on top, and we bounced it up and down with the song. With the play scarves, I had the kids pretend the scarf was a mouse and run it up and down their arms. I use the same tune as the one in this Learning Station video, but add in the additional verses below.

[C] Hickory [G7] Dickory [C] Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse [G7] ran up the [C] clock. (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The [F] mouse ran down. (run fingers down arm)
[C] Hickory [G7] Dickory [C] Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)

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)

Monkey See and Monkey Do

I wish I could remember who originally taught me this song, because it’s one of my favorites. You can ask the kids to suggest other actions. I always end with “when you sit back on the ground,” which is a great way to get everyone ready to listen to the next book. Click on the triangle for the tune.

[C] When you clap, clap, clap your hands,
The monkey clap, clap, claps his [G7] hands,
Monkey [C] see, and monkey do,
The monkey [G7] does the same as [C] you!

Repeat with other motions: when you jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.

Mi Cuerpo Hace Musica

One of my storytime families requested this song, which was a perfect fit for our letter M theme. We sang it in Spanish and English like the Learning Groove video below.

[A] Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mis manos hacen Clap! Clap! Clap!
Mis [E7] pies hacen Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
Mi [A] boca hace “La La La!”
[E7] Cintura hace [A] Cha cha cha! (shake your hips)
[A] Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a


My body, my body makes music!
My body, my body makes music!
My hands go Clap! Clap! Clap!
My feet go Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
My mouth goes, “La La La!”
My hips go Cha Cha Cha!

Stay & Play: Paper Masks

This was a fun and easy storytime, although it definitely helps to have volunteers to prep the masks in advance. Before storytime, I printed a variety of paper masks onto cardstock and cut them out. Unfortunately, the mask in the picture was one that a coworker had cut out years ago, and I don’t know where she found it, but there are a lot of cute mask templates available at FirstPalette.com: Printable Animal Masks | Kids’ Crafts | Fun Craft Ideas | FirstPalette.com

For the Stay & Play, I put out the masks, markers, craft sticks, and tape (for attaching the craft sticks to the back). I also put out some colored feathers and glue, which some kids enjoyed adding to their masks. It was so much fun to see them all modeling their finished masks.

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

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.