Monday (July 15) was National Give Something Away Day, so this week we focused on gifts and giving at Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen

This is one of my favorite picture books, which was a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Storytime kids, but perfect for Family Storytime, which brings in some early elementary school kids. It’s a magical story about a girl named Annabelle who finds a box full of yarn, which never gets depleted, no matter how many sweaters she makes and gives away. When the box is stolen by a greedy archduke though, he finds it empty.

Malina’s Jam by Svetla Radivoeva

Adorable book about a hedgehog who loves to grow raspberries, and make jars of raspberry jam. When other animals seem interested in the jam, she gives jars away to them, but then realizes she has none left for herself. But the animals surprise her with new treats for the winter, and help her grow her next crop of raspberries.

Thank You, Bear by Greg Foley

We have two high school students interning with us for the summer, and they read this book aloud together. It’s a sweet, simple story about a little bear who finds the perfect present for his friend Mouse, but all of the other animals make him doubt the gift. Luckily Mouse is thrilled to get the gift: a little box just the right size for her.

Harold Loves His Woolly Hat by Vern Kousky

Harold loves his woolly hat, which shows everyone that he is a special bear. So, when a crow steals his hat, he tries to trade her worms and treasures in exchange. After climbing the tree to the crow’s nest, he discovers that his hat is keeping three baby crows warm, and decides that he can be a special bear even without a hat. This was a fun book to read in the park, because a crow in a tree overhead kept interjecting. The kids loved making the “ca caw!” sounds.

Songs:

Peanut Butter & Jelly

This is an old camp song that I remember learning as a kid. Somewhere along the way, our library acquired a toy set with peanuts, grapes, and bread, which I used as props. I do a slightly different version of the one in the Super Simple Songs video below, and have the kids mime picking the peanuts and grapes (or whatever other fruit they suggest), mash them, spread them, and eat the sandwich. I usually pretend to have peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth at the end, and then we all mime pouring and drinking a glass of milk.

First you take the peanuts, and you pick ’em,
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them,
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em.
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!
Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!”

Then you take the grapes and you pick ’em,
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them,
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em.
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!
Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!”

Then you take the sandwich and you bite it,
You bite it, you bite it, bite it, bite it.
Then you chew it, you chew it, you chew it,
Chew it, Chew it.
Then you swallow it, you swallow it,
You swallow it, swallow it, swallow it.
Singing, “Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!
Peanut, Peanut Butter…and Jelly!”

Two Little Blackbirds

We sang this with play scarves for Family Storytime after reading Harold Loves His Woolly Hat.

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!…

Hickory Dickory Dock

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with the parachute, and put a mouse puppet on top. 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)

This Little Light of Mine

We did this one as an instrument play-along at the end, and everyone was dancing along. Here’s a Raffi video for the tune:

Stay & Play: Beaded Bracelets

Beading projects are always a hit, and this one was SO sweet! Before we started, I told the kids that they could make a bracelet for themselves, and/or make one to give away. So many of them ended up making them for their parents or siblings, and they worked really hard on the patterns and designs.

I put out different types of pony beads in small paper bowls, along with a variety of colored pipe cleaners. Some kids needed a little help fastening their bracelets at the end, but otherwise they were pretty self sufficient.

Do you have any favorite books about gifts and giving? Please share them in the comments below.