Several of our library branches recently started offering seed libraries, where patrons can take home free seeds, and also donate seeds of their own.
Although I was eager to offer this program in the two small libraries I work in, I wasn’t sure how to make them work, since our space is very limited. Most of the other libraries were organizing the seeds into drawers or even giving out seedlings in pots. But I found a suggestion online of organizing the seeds into a large binder full of plastic sleeves with four pockets on each page.
It’s a very low-tech set up, but it allows us to display the binder on a shelf with our Library of Things (the place where we display other items like ukuleles, sewing machines, karaoke machines, and laptops). There are small envelopes provided in the front pocket of the binder so that patrons can take only the seeds that they need.
At first I wasn’t sure if anyone was taking advantage of the seed libraries, since I rarely see anyone looking at the binders. But every time I checked, I noticed that a lot of the seeds and envelopes were gone. Then, a few weeks ago, I received an email from a local high school teacher who was thrilled to have been able to take free seeds for her classroom. She sent me these photos of the plants her students had been growing for a science unit.
The funniest thing about starting the seed library is that it’s changed my own interest in seeds. I now find myself saving seeds from fruits and vegetables at home and sticking them in small pots to see if they will grow. I’m hoping to see which ones are the most successful, so that I can save those seeds in the future to add to the seed binder.
All in all, I’ve been so surprised and excited to see how well-received this initiative has been, even with our very low-key set-up.
If you have run or used a seed library, I would love to hear what things worked best for you. Please share your experiences and ideas in the comments below.
When I started my series of letter-themed storytimes, I didn’t really take the time to figure out which letter would fall on which week. So it was purely by accident that we ended up featuring the Letter H on Halloween!
For both my Outdoor Musical and Family Storytimes, I started by asking the kids to call out any words they could think of that started with the letter H, so that I could write them on my white board. They came up with hot, hat, hippo, and happy. I had also brought a harmonica, which the kids seemed fascinated by.
Here’s a combination of the books and songs I used for both storytimes:
Very cute story about a bat who wants a hat so badly that he takes one from a baby. Naturally, the baby cries, and eventually, Mr. Bat feels so guilty that he returns the hat, and is given some pink socks as a reward. For my family storytime group, I had given out play scarves before I read this, and I had the kids pretend the scarves were bats whenever Mr. Bat swooped down.
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
This is such a simple and hilariously-illustrated book about a common problem: Hiccups! I also read it to a special needs preschool class today, and one little guy laughed out loud every time I read the “Hic! Hic! Hic!” (Protip: I used to always space the “hic’s” out, but the kids seem to find it much funnier when I read them fast and all-together: hic-hic-hic!”)
Adorable story about Oscar, a dachshund who is often called “Wiener Dog” by the other dogs in his class. Things get even worse when his mother buys him a hot dog costume for Halloween. But when the other dogs are frightened into a pond by a scary monster, Oscar saves the day by revealing that it is really just a couple of cats in a costume. He paddles out to help the other dogs to shore, and earns a new nickname: Hero Sandwich!
This is my new favorite book! It features a little girl in a spooky old house saying that she has heard the house is haunted, but she has never seen a ghost. In between the regular pages, which show the girl in different parts of the house, are white filmy pages with pictures of adorable ghosts on them. When you flip these pages so that they cover the regular paper pages, it looks like the ghosts are in the room with the girl, lurking on the staircase, hiding under the table, bouncing on the bed, etc. I also read this to two second grade classes, who were completely enthralled by finding and counting all the ghosts.
Songs:
My Hat, It Has Three Corners
This is an old camp song, where you start by doing motions to accompany each word, and then gradually leave the words out and only do the motions. It’s a fun challenge that gets harder and harder each time, and usually leaves the kids laughing. I use the ASL sign for hat, instead of the motion shown in this YouTube video by Miss Nina:
The motions are:
My: point to yourself Hat: pat your head Three: hold up three fingers Corners: point to your elbow
The first time through, sing the whole song with both the words and the motions:
My hat, it has three corners. Three corners has my hat. And had it not three corners, It would not be my hat.
The second time through, leave out the word “My,” and only do the motion (pointing to yourself). The third time through, leave out the word “My” and “Hat,” and only do the motions. The third time through, leave out “My,” “Hat” and “Three,” and the fourth time through, leave out “My,” “hat,” “three,” and “corners.”
On Halloween
This is a fun, easy Halloween song set to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus. For each verse, I asked the kids for suggestions of Halloween things they might see in the house. We had pumpkins, mummies, cats, bats, and witches. I always end with “The kids at the door say, ‘Trick or Treat!’”
[C]The ghosts in the house say, “Boo! Boo! Boo!” [G7] “Boo! Boo! Boo! C] Boo! Boo! Boo!” The ghosts in the house say “Boo! Boo! Boo!” On Hallo-[C]ween!
Oh, A-Haunting We Will Go
For our instrument play-along, we did a Halloween version of “A-Hunting We Will Go!” I asked the kids for things that we might catch, and then we came up with rhymes on the spot. They came up with “we’ll catch a dinosaur and put it in a store,” and “we’ll catch a ghost and put it on some toast.” Here’s a Lingokids video with the original song, which is also a favorite of mine.
Oh, [C] a-haunting we will go! A-[F]haunting we will go! We’ll [G7] catch a witch and put her in a ditch, And then we’ll let her [C] go!
Stay & Play: Paper Shape Halloween Houses
Before the storytimes, I cut a bunch of colored paper squares (about 5″ x 5″) for the house base, and large triangles for the roof. I also cut some 4″ squares out of white paper, and folded them in half lengthwise, to make small doors, and some 3″ x 5″ rectangles out of white paper, which I folded in half widthwise to make windows.
For the Stay & Play, I put out white cardstock, glue sticks, the colored paper squares and triangles, the white paper windows and doors, and some markers, googly eyes, and Halloween stickers (with ghosts, cats, vampires, etc.). I showed the kids how to glue the triangles and colored squares on their cardstock to make a house, and then glue half of their white paper doors and windows on so that they would open like a “lift-the-flap.” Then they decorated their houses with markers, googly eyes, and the stickers.
What are your favorite books or songs for Halloween or other words that start with the letter H? Please share them in the comments below.
By a happy coincidence, we arrived at the Letter G in the week before Halloween, which allowed me to do my favorite Ghost book for both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.
As usual, I started by sharing several items that start with the Letter G: a pair of swim goggles, my glasses, and a guiro (a wooden instrument. Mine is shaped like a frog). I also asked the kids for suggestions. They came up with ghost, goat, girl, and gorilla.
Here’s a combination of the songs and books I used for both storytimes:
I don’t know how I missed this one, but it was absolutely perfect for storytime, with large, bright, illustrations, a cute story, and even a plotline involving underpants, which always gets some giggles. The story is about a goat who gets bored with his usual meals and decides to spice up his diet with the dog’s food, the cat’s milk, the pig’s potato peelings, the farmer’s wife’s new plant, the farmer’s daughter’s shoes, and the farmer’s brand new underpants. Not surprisingly, the goat doesn’t feel well after that, and even changes colors (the kids loved calling out the color names).
The tricky thing about Family Storytime is that I never know exactly what age groups are likely to show up from week to week, so I usually try to have a range of options. I often have slightly older kids (up to age 6), so I had brought a couple of longer books (Gorilla! Gorilla! by Jeanne Willis and The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson), but in the end I had a couple of new families with toddlers, who were just settling in to storytime, so I read this one instead. It’s one of my favorites: a story about a gorilla who everyone in the great green forest loves, until one day he begins to grow and grow and grow into a BIG gorilla. And everyone still loves him.
This is my favorite Halloween book for toddlers and preschoolers, since it’s more whimsical than scary. A girl moves into an old house at the edge of town, which happens to be haunted. Luckily, the girl is a witch, who quickly catches all the ghosts, puts them in the washing machine, dries them on the line, and puts them to work as cheerful looking curtains, tablecloths, and blankets. We had given out play scarves before we read this one, and I had the kids toss their scarves in the air and catch them on the pages where the witch catches the ghosts.
This classic story also worked perfectly for both our letter G theme and Halloween. The book describes the multicolored features of Big Green Monster’s face (two big yellow eyes, a long bluish-greenish nose, etc.), and then makes them disappear one-by-one. The kids still had their play scarves, and I had them wave them in the air and say, “Poof!” every time I said, “Go Away!” to one of the monster’s facial features.
Songs & Rhymes:
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
We sang this one after The Greedy Goat. I asked the kids to suggest what Old MacDonald had on his farm for each verse. They came up with a robot, a cow, a pig, a sheep, and a unicorn.
[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm, E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O! And on that farm he [F] had a [C] goat, E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O! With a maa-maa here, and a maa-maa there, Here a maa, there a maa, Everywhere a maa-maa. [C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm, E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
Ten Candles on a Birthday Cake
I did this rhyme as a follow-up to Little Gorilla for Family Storytime.
Ten candles on a birthday cake (hold up ten fingers) All lit up for me (point to yourself) I make a wish and blow them out. Watch and you will see! (blow on fingers and quickly close hands into fists)
After we did the rhyme with ten candles, I asked the ages of the kids, and we did it again with six candles, then four, then three, then two, then one. I usually joke about doing my own age, which, of course, would require much more than ten fingers.
We Are Scary Ghosts
We handed out play scarves before singing this one. I had the kids put them on their faces as we sang and pretended to “float” down the street, and then pull them off when we said, “BOO!”
We are scary ghosts floating down the street, Walking down the street, Walking down the street. We are scary ghosts walking down the street, We’ll scare you…BOO!
Have You Seen the Ghost of John?
This is a deliciously creepy Halloween song, which also works really well as a round if you have two or three strong singers to lead it.
[Dm] Have you seen the [Gm] ghost of [Dm] John? [Dm] Long white bones with the [Am] skin all [Dm] gone. [Dm] Oooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh… [Dm] Wouldn’t it be [G m] chilly with [Am] no skin [Dm] on?
Stay & Play: Cotton Ball Ghosts
For our Stay & Play, I put out black construction paper, cotton balls, glue sticks, googly eyes, and dot markers for the kids to make cotton ball ghosts. I was amazed by the different designs they came up with. In my example, I had made a ghost shape out of the cotton balls, and then put the googly eyes on top, but many of the kids opted to put their eyes directly on the paper, with cotton balls scattered across the page in different ways. Several of them had ghosts with lots of eyes as well. Spooky fun!
Do you have favorite books or songs featuring the Letter G? Please share them in the comments below.
I’m still enjoying the challenge of our storytime adventures through the alphabet. This week we did the letter F in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime. I started by asking the kids to suggest words that started with the letter F. They came up with finger, fall, flower, frog, and fox. I wrote them down on my whiteboard and then we all drew the letter F in the air. I also demonstrated a few notes on my flute (an instrument I rarely get to play, since I can’t sing while playing it.) The kids were intrigued by the way you make sound by blowing across the hole, rather than into it.
Here’s a combination of the books, songs, and activities I used for both storytimes.
This is such a cute book, featuring faces made out of fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, whipped cream, bagels, and lots of other foods. The text is a simple rhyme, which describes different feelings. The kids loved calling out the feelings, and also the different types of foods.
A beautiful book about the Fall, featuring squirrels, apples, pumpkins, and of course, falling leaves. Before we read it, I had handed out play scarves for the song Leaves Are Falling to the Ground, and I asked the kids to hold on to their scarves and then throw them on the page where all the leaves blow off the trees. It was a bit hit!
Adorable Elephant and Piggie book where Gerald is shocked when Piggie tells him she is a frog. He worries that he might turn into a frog too, until she explains that she is just pretending. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, Claire read the part of Gerald and I read Piggie. The kids especially loved the page where they argue, “Yes, you can!” and “No, I can’t!”
Jan Thomas is one of those authors that really understands what makes a great storytime book: humor, repetition, and opportunities for kids to take part in the story. In this one, three cows declare that it’s time to jump, dance, and wiggle on Chicken’s sofa, with Chicken objecting every time. I did this one for Family Storytime, and the kids loved it!
I used this one in place of In the Middle of Fall for Family Storytime, which gets a slightly older audience. It’s a beautiful book about all of the things you can do with fall leaves: pretending they are hats or Halloween masks or parachutes. I had given out play scarves before I read it, and I had the kids pretend they were leaves, as we acted out the different ideas in the book. It would be fun to hand out actual leaves as well.
Songs:
If You’re Happy and You Know It
I did this one to go along with the book Foodie Faces, since it’s all about feelings. I usually add in verses about other emotions:
[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!”
Aiken Drum
For Family Storytime, which draws a smaller crowd, I did this song to go along with Foodie Faces. I brought out a basket of play food, and asked the kids to come up and pick foods to be the parts of Aiken Drum’s face. We laid them out on the floor. In the end he had eyes made of lemons, a nose made of grapes, a mouth made of corn, and ears made of eggs.
[C] There was a man lived [F] in the moon, [C] In the moon, [G] in the moon. There [C] was a man lived [F] in the moon, And his [C] name was [G] Aiken [C] Drum.
Chorus:
[C] And he played upon a [F] ladle, [C] a ladle, a [G] ladle, He [C] played upon a [F] ladle, and his [C] name was [G] Aiken [C] Drum.
[C] And his eyes were made of [F] lemons, [C] Lemons, [G] Lemons. His [C] eyes were made of [F] lemons, And his [C] name was [G] Aiken [C] Drum.
[C] And he played upon a [F] ladle, [C] a ladle, a [G] ladle, He [C] played upon a [F] ladle, and his [C] name was [G] Aiken [C] Drum.
And his nose was made of grapes… etc.
Leaves are Falling on the Ground
To the tune of The Wheels on the Bus. I got this one from PreschoolExpress.com, who credits Jean Warren as the author. We handed out play scarves before we sang it, and pretended they were leaves falling through the air, then swished them in the air like rakes for the second verse:
The leaves on the trees are falling down, Falling down, falling down. The leaves on the trees are falling down, All through the town.
Let’s rake the leaves into a mound, Into a mound, into a mound. Let’s rake the leaves into a mound All through the town.
The kids in the town jump up and down, Up and down, up and down. The kids in the town jump up and down, All through the town.
Five Green & Speckled Frogs
For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with the parachute. I had the kids shake the parachute in rhythm as I sang the song and held up toy frogs. Each time we got to the line about the frog jumping into the pool, I threw a frog onto the parachute. For Family Storytime, I had a frog puppet and a fly toy that I let the kids take turns feeding to the frog.
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.
You Are My Flower
This is a classic bluegrass song that’s really simple to play. We did it as our instrument play-along at the end. Here is a link to the YouTube video for the version by Elizabeth Mitchell:
[C] The grass is just as green, the sky is just as [G7] blue. The day is just as bright and the birds are singing [C] too.
You are my [C] flower, that’s blooming in the mountain for [G7] me. You are my flower, that’s blooming there for [C] me.
The [C] air is just as pure, the sunlight just as [G7] free, And nature seems to say, it’s all for you and [C] me.
You are my [C] flower, that’s blooming in the mountain for [G7] me. You are my flower, that’s blooming there for [C] me.
So [C] wear a happy smile, and life will be worth-[G7]while. Forget your tears, but don’t forget to [C]smile.
You are my [C] flower, that’s blooming in the mountain for [G7] me. You are my flower, that’s blooming there for [C] me.
When [C] summertime is gone and snow begins to [G7] fall, Just sing this song and say to one and [C] all.
You are my [C] flower, that’s blooming in the mountain for [G7] me. You are my flower, that’s blooming there for [C] me.
Stay & Play: Paper Fans
It’s actually been hot this week in the Bay Area, so this simple activity turned out to be a nice gift to the families, especially at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I pre-folded paper fans accordion style out of different colors of paper. For the Stay & Play, I told the kids to flatten the paper and draw whatever designs they wanted with markers. Then they refolded them to make them back into fans.
Do you have any favorite kids books or songs featuring the letter F? Please share them in the comments below.
I had a lot of fun focusing on the Letter E in both my Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime this week. We started by talking about the sounds that E makes, and I asked the kids if they knew any words that started with E. They came up with Elephant, Eagle, Eye, Ear, and Egg. I wrote those on my portable whiteboard, and then we drew the letter E in the air together.
Here’s a summary of the books and songs I used in both storytimes:
My family storytime on Wednesday nights has been bringing in some older preschoolers and early elementary school students, and this book was a big hit with them. It’s an hilarious story about Penelope the T-Rex who can’t help but eat her human classmates, even though her teacher always makes her spit them out again. But when Walter, the class goldfish, bites her finger, she realizes what it’s like to be someone’s snack, and finally learns to enjoy her classmates as friends, instead of meals.
In this Elephant and Piggie book, Piggie tries to teach Gerald to dance, even though he tells her that elephants can’t dance. Although he struggles and eventually gives up trying to follow her instructions, some squirrels ask him to teach them to dance “The Elephant.” In my Outdoor Musical Storytime, I had the kids stand up and try to follow Piggie’s instructions along with the book.
Adorable version of the classic song. For both of my storytimes, I handed out play scarves, and had the kids pretend that the scarves were long ears as I read the book. The last page features a mirror, which I carried around so that each of the kids could see themselves “in the book.” They all loved it!
Very cute, simple story about a duck who finds an huge egg. He thinks it’s the most amazing egg in the world, but the other birds, who each have their own eggs, disagree. Gradually all of the eggs hatch into baby birds, except for duck’s, which hatches into an alligator. The kids all laughed at the alligator calling duck “mama.”
Songs:
I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas
We sang this in Family Storytime after We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. It was a great fit, because it not only featured the E word “Eat,” but also emphasizes the long E sound. I started by teaching the kids the ASL signs for Apple, Banana, and Eat, so they could sign along with the song while I played it on the ukulele. Each time you sing the song, you change the vowels to A, E, I, O, or U, using the long sound of each (the one that sounds like the name of the letter).
I like to [C] eat, eat, eat, apples and ba-[G]nanas. I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and ba-[C]nanas. I like to [C] eat, eat, eat, apples and ba-[G]nanas. I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and ba-[C]nanas.
Ay lake to ate, ate, ate, ayples and baynaynays…
Ee leek to eat, eat, eat, eeples and beeneenees…
I like to īte, īte, īte, īpples, and bīnīnīs… (the ī symbol is for the long “i” sound, which sounds like “eye”)
Oh, loke to oh-te, oh-te, ohte, oh-pples and boh-noh-nohs…
Ū lūk to ūte, ūte, ūte, ūpples and būnūnūs… (the ū symbol is for the long “u” sound, which sounds like “ooh)
Elephants Have Wrinkles
There are different versions of this song, but this is the one that I use. As we sang each verse, I asked the kids for suggestions of where elephants have wrinkles (they came up with eyes, ears, mouth, legs, ears, tails, and bellies), and we sang the song faster each time. Click on the triangle for the tune:
Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable) Wrinkles, Wrinkles, Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable) Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable) Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable) Everywhere! (stomp feet on each syllable) On their nose! Oh-oh! (touch your nose, and mime a trunk)
Repeat
Elephants have wrinkles…
On their legs! On their nose! Oh-oh!
Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
I did one to go along with Do Your Ears Hang Low. We sang it three times, getting faster and faster each time. I always start by asking the kids if they remembered to bring their heads, which usually gets a laugh.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, Knees and toes. Head and shoulders, knees and toes, Knees and toes. And eyes and ears, and mouth and nose. Head and shoulders, knees and toes.
I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner
We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. Laurie Berkner’s video is below:
[C7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) Oh [F7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she [C7] laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) [G7] Oh my goodness! (Oh, my goodness) It’s a [C7] shaky egg! (It’s a shaky egg!)
Now shake them [C7] fast! Shake them [F7] fast! Shake them [C7] fast! [G7] Shake your eggs! [C7] Shake them [G7] fast!
[C7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) Oh [F7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she [C7] laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) [G7] Oh my goodness! (Oh, my goodness) It’s a [C7] shaky egg! (It’s a shaky egg!)
Now shake them [C7] slow! You know how it [F7] goes. Shake them [C7] slow, [G7] Because you know how it goes. [C7] Shake them [G7] fast! Oh, shake those eggs!
[C7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) Oh [F7] I know a chicken, (I know a chicken) And she [C7] laid an egg. (And she laid an egg) [G7] Oh my goodness! (Oh, my goodness) It’s a [C7] shaky egg! (It’s a shaky egg!)
Now shake them [C7] in a circle. Shake them [F7] round and round. Don’t let them touch the [C7] ground. [G7] Now shake them up and down. [C7] You’ve got to shake them up and [G7] down.
Stay & Play: Googly Eye Monsters
Super simple, but fun. I just put out large and small pom-poms, glow-in-the-dark googly eyes, and glue sticks for the kids to make their own monsters. The kids were especially excited about the glow-in-the-dark eyes, and it was a good activity since it’s close to Halloween.
What are your favorite Letter E books, songs, or activities? Please share them in the comments below.
I’m enjoying my storytime journey through the alphabet. This week we did the letter D in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime. I started by showing the kids a drum (a djembe), a dog puppet, and for fun, a didgeridoo (an instrument that I once received as a birthday gift, which I recently learned is actually called a mago by the Australian Aboriginal peoples who play it). We talked about the letter D and the sound it makes. I drew the letter on my little whiteboard, and then we drew it together in the air.
Here’s a combination of the books and songs I used for both storytimes:
Funny book about a service run by a dog who provides a “truck full of ducks” on demand. But when one of his ducks eats the paper with the customer’s address, he ends up asking everyone he meets if they need a truck full of ducks. He meets animals who have requested an ice cream truck, a pirate seeking a cracker truck for his parrot, an alien who requested a tow truck, and even someone who called for a duck removal service, before he makes his way into the deep dark woods to his actual customer: a fox who wants ducks for his bath. The kids especially loved the picture of all the ducks stopping at a rest stop, with all of their little duck feet showing underneath the restroom doors.
Cute book with lots of sound effects for the kids to join in on, like “Dugger Dugger Digger,” and featuring a variety of animals driving construction vehicles: a camel in a crane, a duck in a dump truck. It was a big hit with the kids who love trucks and big machines.
Adorable adaptation of the traditional song, featuring lots of baby animals all rising the train to the children’s zoo. Each verse adds a new animal sound.
This book seems to be out of print, unfortunately, which is sad, because it was a big hit with my family storytime kids. It’s a simple, rhyming pop-up, featuring large colorful dinosaurs. We have it on a small shelf of non-circulating books for storytime. One preschooler was so taken with it that she spend twenty minutes flipping through it after storytime, and cried when she had to leave.
A fun sequel to There Are Cats in This Book, where the three colorful cats are frightened by the arrival of cute, purple dog, but soon discover that it is scared too. We had a small enough group for Family Storytime that I was able to let each kid take a turn opening one of the books many flaps, and petting the dog.
Songs:
When Ducks Get Up in the Morning
This is an old-standby of mine. The kids always enjoy suggesting animals for each verse. We sang about pigs, cats, dinosaurs, turtles, and whales.
[C] When ducks get up in the morning, [G7] They always say, “Good [C] day!” [C] When ducks get up in the morning, [G7] They always say, “Good [C] day!” [C] They say, “Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!” [G7] That is what they [C] say. [C] They say, “Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!” [G7] That is what they [C] say.
Six Little Ducks
Another favorite duck song.
[C] Six little ducks that I once [G7] knew, Fat ones, skinny ones, [C] fair ones too.But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back. He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”
Chorus: [G7] “Quack! Quack! Quack! [C] Quack! Quack! Quack!” [G7] He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”
[C] Down to the river they would [G7] go, Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, [C] to and fro. But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back. He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”
Chorus
[C] Home from the river they would [G7] come, [C] Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, ho hum hum. But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back. He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”
Chorus
We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner
Most of the families were familiar with this song, which always gets the kids up and stomping. Laurie Berkner’s original video is below.
[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching. [Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that? [Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching. [Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat. We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
[F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood. [F] Stop and eat our [C] food on the [Dm] ground. [F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood. [F] Stop and eat our [C] food, and [Dm] then we march [A] around.
[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching. [Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that? [Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching. [Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat. We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
[F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest. [F] Stop and take a [C] rest at the end of the [Dm] day. [F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest. [F] Stop and take a [C] rest, and [Dm] then you’ll hear us [A] say…
[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching. [Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that? [Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching. [Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat. We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
[A] And then we RO-AR-OAR! [A] Because [Dm] we [C] are the [Dm]dino-[D]saurs!
Do As I’m Doing
I gave out play scarves before we sang this one, and demonstrated different motions each time we sang it: twirling the scarves, throwing them in the air, playing peek-a-boo, etc.
[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.
Dee Dee Dee by Jeff Moss
An old, but very catchy song from Sesame Street. We sang it as our instrument play-along at the end.
[Bb] Dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, [C7] doggy. Dee-dee, dangerous [F] dragon. Dee-dee, dee-dee, [Bb] donkey, duckie, [F] Dinosaur! Oh, [Bb] dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, [C7] dinner. Dee-dee, dee-dee, [F] De-licious. Dee-dee, dee-dee, dee, [Bb] don’t drop dishes [C7] Down on the floor! Oh, [Cm7] do a dance. Dig some dirt. Dunk a [Bb] doughnut for dessert. Draw a [C7] daisy that’s dee-de-lightful to [F] see When“D” is handy, it’s fine anddandy. Dee, dee-dee, dee [Bb] “D” is such a very nice [C7] letter. Each day I like it [F] better, That lovely letter called [Bb] “D!” Having fun! But [F] now I’m dee, dee, dee, [Bb] done!
Stay & Play: Complete the Drawing
This was a really simple activity, but I justified it because the word drawing also starts with the letter D. I printed out several of these Finish the Drawing pages from Finish the Picture Drawing Prompt Worksheets for Kids – Free Printable (thesavvysparrow.com). The kids could choose from the astronaut picture shown above, a pair of glasses that they could add a face to, a scene outside a window, or a picture of what a group of people are looking at. Then I just put out markers for them to draw whatever they liked. Some of them got really caught up in creating their drawings.
What are your favorite books or songs featuring the letter D? Please share them in the comments below.
As a kid, I was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz, to the point that on my first day of Kindergarten, I insisted that my name was Dorothy. Every year, I looked forward to watching the movie on TV with a heady mixture of excitement and dread. I was terrified of the Wicked Witch and the flying monkeys, but also thrilled at the prospect of travelling to a world full of magic and talking animals.
As I got older, I became equally obsessed with the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, which were full of fascinating characters and new ways for Dorothy to find herself back in the magical land.
As a kid, I think my love of the Oz stories was largely about the dream of escaping to a place where magical things could happen. But lately I’ve been thinking about how the world is already pretty magical. At the touch of a few buttons, I can listen to almost any song, watch thousands of movies and TV shows, have incredible food appear right outside my door, and have whole boxes of random items fly across the country just for me. I know I often take all of these things for granted, but I’m sure to someone from an earlier time (even L. Frank Baum himself perhaps), it would all seem like sorcery.
But when I wrote this song, I wasn’t thinking about the magic of Oz, but about the Wizard. At the time, I was frustrated by all of the bigwigs in the news who get so much attention, just for having money and celebrity. And it reminded me of how one of the big lessons of the first Oz book is that the “Wonderful Wizard” Dorothy goes to for help turns out to be a man who ended up in Oz by accident, just like she did– a man who got very good at projecting a larger-than-life persona while hiding behind a screen.
The Emerald City
We travelled to the Emerald City Through the land of Oz, Hoping the Wizard would take pity And rally to our cause. But despite his booming voice And shining riches, He was just a man behind a screen. Just a man pretending he had all the answers, In his palace made of green.
We don’t need witches, And we don’t need wizards. They cause more problems in the end. The true magic lies in what we have together In the company of friends.
When the cyclone came, I was tossed around and twisted, My whole life was torn away. Waking up to things I never knew existed, And colors brighter than the brightest Kansas day. And strange new people Who joined me on the journey. They felt just like my family. We were wiser, kinder, braver all together Than any “magic man” could be.
We don’t need witches And we don’t need wizards. They’re nothing special in the end. The true answers lie in fighting for each other In our company of friends.
There may be golden roads But they will never lead you home, They only lead to humbugs Who are not what they pretend. And though you may be quite impressed By witches North, South, East, or West. Their claims will not hold water in the end.
When we arrived at last And told him our position, The Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and me. The Wizard sent us on a deadly mission, To fight his greatest enemy. And when the witch was washed away Her monkeys had a lot to say: They were taking orders just like me. The wizard floated off in his big balloon to nowhere. And the land of Oz was free.
We don’t need witches And we don’t need wizards. They are only serving their own ends. We will find we have everything we ever needed In our company of friends.
Thanks for listening! If you have any favorite childhood books you would like me to write a song about, please tell me in the comments below.
Continuing our Reading through the Alphabet series of storytimes, this week we had fun celebrating the letter C for both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.
I started by holding up a Cat stuffed animal, Corn, a Carrot, and a Chicken. I wrote the words on a whiteboard and asked the kids what they had in common. Then we drew the letter C in the air together, before reading our first book.
The classic story about a peddler whose caps are stolen by a tree-full of monkeys. Although it’s a longer story than I usually do for my Outdoor Musical Storytime, the kids loved acting out the part of the monkeys: shaking their hands and saying, “Tsz! Tsz! Tsz!”
Chameleon! by Joy Coyley; photographs by Nic Bishop
I did this one for my Family Storytime. The text is very simple, following the adventures of a beautiful chameleon as he looks for food and avoids danger. The kids were mesmerized by the large, colorful photographs.
Fun variation of the classic rhyme, featuring a wide range of animals, including a raven, a beaver, and a turtle. The illustrations are colorful and fun, and the kids loved the ending, where the culprit turned out to be a whole bunch of ants.
I couldn’t resist including this essential classic about the hungry caterpillar who eats a wide variety of foods on his journey to becoming a beautiful butterfly. The kids enjoyed calling out the names of the different fruits.
Songs:
Monkey See, Monkey Do
This is one of my old standbys, which the kids always seem to enjoy. I asked them for suggestions on things the monkey could do, and they came up with jumping, galloping, and shaking their tails.
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!
Repeat with other motions: when you jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.
Do You See the Color Blue?
We sang this one after reading Chameleon! The kids had the best time pointing out everything they could see that matched the color we were singing about. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?
Do you see the color blue, the color blue, the color blue?
Do you see the color blue, right here in this room?
Do you see the color red… etc.
Butterfly Song
My coworker Angela taught me this one, which we sang after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I handed out play scarves before we sang it, and had the kids bundle them up to be chrysalises and wave them in the air to be butterflies. The song is to the tune of Up on the Housetop. Here’s a video by Colleen Niedermeyer:
First comes a butterfly (Wave scarf)
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).
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Out of the chrysalis, my, oh, my!
Out comes a beautiful butterfly! (Wave scarf).
Candy Corn for Dinner
We sang this as our instrument play-along (after handing out the shakers). This was one of the first songs I ever wrote.
[C] Mom and dad put me in charge of our [G] dinner to-[C]night. [C] They said I could make anything as [D] long as we ate [G] right. [C] I had to serve some vegetables, a [G] salad, and a [C] stew. I thought a while and cooked a bit, and here is [G] my me-[C]nu.
CHORUS [F] We’re having candy corn for [C] dinner [G7] With a side of [C] chocolate stew. A [F] three jelly bean [C] salad, [G7] And an ice cream sandwich [C] too.
[C] I don’t know why Mom and Dad say [G] cooking is a [C] chore. [C] ‘Cause I had such a great time [D] going to the grocery [G] store. [C] My Mom said we were out of milk, so I [G] bought a big milk-[C] shake. And since my Dad likes cheese so much, I bought him a [G] cheese-[C] cake.
CHORUS [F] We’re having candy corn for [C] dinner [G7] With a side of [C] chocolate stew. A [F] three jelly bean [C] salad, [G7] And an ice cream sandwich [C] too.
[F] Life is [C] better [G7] when it’s [C] sweet, [F] Like a big hot [C] plate of [G7] Rice Krispie treat.
[C] So if you have to cook tonight, I hope you’ll [G] learn from [C] me. [C] And make your family carrot cake or [D] cherries jubi-[G]lee [C] Even if they don’t approve, you can [G] count it as a [C] win. You’ll have a yummy dinner and you’ll never have to [G] cook a-[C]gain
CHORUS [F] We’re having candy corn for [C] dinner [G7] With a side of [C] chocolate stew. A [F] three jelly bean [C] salad, [G7] And an ice cream sandwich [C] too.
STAY AND PLAY: DOT MARKER CATERPILLARS
For the Stay and Play, I put out dot markers, white cardstock, markers and googly eyes. As usual, I told the kids they could make caterpillars, or whatever else they wanted with the art supplies. There were some really fun dot marker and line creations.
What are your favorite books or songs about the letter C? Please share them in the comments below.
I’m enjoying my “Reading through the Alphabet” series of storytimes so far. This week, I focused on the Letter B in both my Outdoor Musical and Family Storytimes.
I started by holding up three objects that start with the letter B: a bird puppet, a banana, and a slice of bread (a wooden one from a toy food set). I asked the kids what they had in common, and some of the older ones immediately guessed “they start with B.” I wrote the letter B on a small white board, and then we all drew it in the air before I read the first book.
I used the same books for both storytimes, but changed some of the songs (for Outdoor Musical Storytime, we did a parachute song; for Family Storytime we did a song with play scarves and another one with bean bags). All of the songs are listed below.
This is a long-time favorite of mine that is so much fun to read aloud. The animals at a zoo are awakened by a very noisy little bird who sings “Beebeebobbibobbi” all night long. Together they hatch a plan to give him a taste of his own medicine. The kids love joining in on all of the animals sounds and “Beebeebobbi’s.”
My coworker Claire and I read this one together (she read the part of Piggie and the whale, and I read Gerald). In this book, Gerald promises to get Piggie’s “big ball” back from the big guy who took it from her, but the big guy turns out to be a whale who is much bigger than he is. They are both surprised when the whale thanks them for finding his “Little Ball,” and even more surprised to learn that the whale has no friends to play with because “little guys have all the fun.” Gerald and Piggie invite him to play Whale Ball, a game they just made up, and the three of them end up having “big fun.”
Fun interactive book where different animals press colored buttons on each page to see what they do. The red one makes a loud “BEEP!” the orange one makes everyone clap, the blue ones makes everyone sing, the green one makes everyone blow raspberries, etc. In my Family Storytime, which has a smaller group, I had the kids take turns pressing the buttons. In Outdoor Musical Storytime, I had them all pretend to press an imaginary button. They all enjoyed the anticipation of seeing what each button would do.
Songs:
I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee
There are lots of different versions of this song, including the gruesome camp version where the poor bumblebee gets squished. The version I do is closest to the one in this video by Dr. Jean. I had the kids suggest different animals, and we created new verses on the spot for them: I’m bringing home a baby elephant/Won’t my Mommy say, “Oh, what a smell-a-phant!”, etc.
I’m [C] bringing home a [F] baby [C]bumblebee. [G7] Won’t my mommy be so proud of me? ‘Cause I’m [C] bringing home a [F] baby [C] bumblebee. [G7 ]Ouch! It stung me!
Hop, Little Bunnies!
I learned this one from a local daycare provider, who used it every day with her kids. The motions are pretty self-explanatory, but you can either have the kids physically pretend to sleep and then hop around, or you can have them make bunny ears with their fingers. There are different versions of the song, but the tune I used is the same as in this video by Little Baby Bums Nursery Rhymes for Babies:
See the little bunnies sleeping ‘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! Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!
There’s a Bean Bag on My Head
For Family Storytime, I handed out bean bags, and we sang this song to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It. I asked the kids to suggest other body parts to put the bean bag on and we made up new verses: “There’s a bean bag on my eye…and I toss it to the sky; There’s a bean bag on my toe…and I shake it to and fro,” etc.
There’s a bean bag on my head, on my head. (Put the bean bag on your head) There’s a bean bag on my head, on my head. There’s a bean bag on my head, Now I’ll tuck it into bed. (Hide the bean bag behind your back) There’s a bean bag on my head, on my head.
We Bounce and We Bounce and We Stop
For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we did this one with the parachute. I threw a bunny puppet into the middle and we all shook the parachute to make it bounce. For Family Storytime, I just had the kids bounce in place, and then we added additional verses (We clap and we clap and we stop, etc.). Click on the triangle for the tune.
[C] We bounce and we bounce and we stop! [C] We bounce and we bounce and we stop! [C] We bounce and we bounce and we bounce and we bounce, [C] And we bounce and [G7] we bounce and we [C} stop!
Two Little Blackbirds
I used this one as a scarf song for Family Storytime as a follow-up to The Baby BeeBee Bird. I gave each child two play scarves, and had them pretend they were birds as we sang. We actually changed the lyrics to “Two Little BeeBee Birds,” but the other lyrics were the same as below.
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!… (I like to drag the pauses out as long as possible before saying “Late!” until the kids are all yelling it out.)
Bananaphone by Raffi
I used this one as our instrument playalong for both storytimes. It’s such a catchy, fun song!
[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring [G] Bananaphone! [D] [G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring [E7] Bananaphone [Am] I’ve got this feeling, [G] so ap-[Em]pealing [A7] For us to get together and [D7] sing, sing!
[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring [G] Bananaphone! [D] [G] Ding dong ding dong [D] ding dong ding [E7] Donanaphone! [Am] It grows in bunches. [G] I’ve got my [Em] hunches. [A7] It’s the best! Beats the rest [D7] Cellular, modular, interactivodular!
[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring [G] Bananaphone! [G] Ping pong ping pong [D] ping pong ping [E7] Pananaphone [Am] It’s no baloney. [G] It ain’t a [Em] phony, [A7] My cellular [D7] Bananular [G] phone.
Don’t [F#] need quarters, don’t need dimes, To [Bm] call a friend of mine! Don’t [F#] need computer or TV To [Bm] have a real good time! I’ll [E7] call for pizza, I’ll call my cat I’ll [A] call the white house, have a chat! I’ll [A7] place a call around the world. [D7] Operator get me Beijing-jing-jing-jing!
[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring [G] Bananaphone! [D] [G] Yin yang yin yang [D] yin yang ying [E7] Yananaphone. It’s a [C] real live mama and [C#dim7] papa phone, A [G] brother and sister and a [E7] dog-aphone, A [A7] grandpa phone and a [D7] grandmaphone too! [E7] Yeah! My [A7] cellular, [D7] bananular [G] phone!
[G] Bananaphone, ring [D7] ring [G] ring! [G] Bananaphone, ring [D7] ring [G] ring!
Stay & Play: Make-Your-Own Book
For the Stay & Play, I brought multicolored construction paper, a stapler, white paper, and markers. The caregivers and I all helped the kids choose a color for their book cover, fold it in half, along with two or three sheets of white paper for the inside, and staple it together with two or three staples near the fold. I brought some multicolored duct tape for any families who wanted to cover up the staples.
After they made their books, the kids were free to write and draw on the covers and inside. They seemed very engaged and excited to have their own books.
If you have any favorite Letter B books or songs, please share them in the comments below.
Recently, I decided to do a series of storytimes about each letter of the alphabet, something I haven’t done for a long time. So this week, I started with the letter A for both my Outdoor Musical and Family Storytimes.
I started by holding up three objects that start with the letter A: an Anglerfish puppet, an Alligator stuffed animal, and an Apple. As I asked the kids to call out the names of each one, I wrote them on a small dry erase board, and asked what they had in common. Several kids called out, “They start with A.” We talked about the sounds the letter A makes, and I joked that if you were a little fish who saw an Anglerfish, or if you yourself saw an Alligator, you might yell out, “AAAAHHHH”
Here are the books, songs, and rhymes that I used:
I’m so sad this book is out of print, because it worked perfectly for reinforcing the “Ahh!” sound of the letter A. It’s also just a very funny, simple book about a frog who escapes being caught in a jar, only to almost get eaten by a turtle, a flamingo, and an alligator. The book alternates between the “AAHH!” of fear, the “AH HA!” of discovering a safe place to go, and the “AAHH!” of relief. The kids loved joining in.
This was a long-time favorite of my own kids, and one of my favorites to read aloud to them. It’s about a young boy who has an alligator under his bed that disappears whenever his parents come to look, so he takes matters into his own hands and lures it into the garage with a trail of food. Although it’s an empowering story about how to deal with your own under-the-bed-type monsters, I’m always a little worried about implanting new fears, so I took a couple of minutes before I read the story to ask the kids if they thought it was possible to have an alligator under your bed. They all agreed that it wasn’t.
This is another long-time favorite, about a family with a baby that appears very weak, until they start feeding it avocado (which the book calls an “avocado pear.”) Suddenly it can lift pianos and push the car, and it saves the family from both a burglar and couple of mean bullies. It got lots of laughs from my Family Storytime group.
This is the sequel to Peanut Butter & Brains, so I had to briefly explain that the town in the book was inhabited by both people and zombies. In this story, the town of Quirkville is invaded by space aliens, who demand something called, “Sploink!” In their anger, they squirt cosmic grape jelly all over town, until Reginald the Zombie figures out that they are looking for peanut butter. I had done a couple of scarf songs before I read it, so I had the kids throw a play scarf whenever the aliens made the “Brazzap-Splat” sound as they fired off their blasters full of grape jelly. They also enjoyed joining in on all the “Sploinks!”
Songs & Rhymes:
Mmmm-Ahhh, Went the Little Green Frog
I did this as a follow-up to Ah Ha! There are LOTS of different versions, and additional verses. The one I do is fairly close to the one in the JBrary video below:
MMM-AHH! Went the little green frog one day. (blink your eyes and then stick out your tongue)
MMM-AHH! Went the little green frog.
MMM-AHH! Went the little green frog one day.
And they all went MMM-AHH- AHH!
But we all know frogs go “Flow-do-di-o-di-oh! (wiggle your fingers)
“Flow-do-di-o-di-oh!
“Flow-do-di-o-di-oh!
We all know frogs go “Flow-do-di-o-di-oh!
They don’t go MMM-AHH-AHH!
Alligator Pie
This is a fun, easy clapping rhyme that I learned from an Orff Music lesson years ago. We chanted Alligator Pie twice, and then I asked for other types of pie to substitute for Alligator. The kids suggested pumpkin, blueberry, apple, and everything.
Alligator Pie, Alligator Pie,
If I don’t get some, I think I’m going to cry.
Take away my basketball and take away the sky,
But don’t take away my Alligator Pie!
Way Up High in the Apple Tree
I did this one with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime (we lifted the parachute up high and threw two apple-shaped maracas on it, then shook it and lowered it down), and with scarves at Family Storytime (I had the kids hold two bundled play-scarves in their hands and throw them in the air at the end). It’s also fun to do it just with the motions. I always ask the kids to suggest other types of fruit or food (it’s fun to do silly things like a cookie tree).
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up)
Two little apples smiled at me (made circles with the thumb and fingers of each hand).
I shook that tree as hard as I could! (shake imaginary tree)
Down came the apples (lower arms quickly)
Mmmm! They were good! (rub stomach)
I’ll See You Later, Alligator
We had a debate in my Family Storytime the other day about the differences between alligators and crocodiles, so I wrote this song to help me remember. My daughter helped me make this YouTube video with DaVinci Resolve, using public domain photos (credits in the description). Enjoy!
[C] If you see something in the water With [F] scales and lots of teeth, [G7] Looking like a floating log With [C] four legs underneath. [C] You can tell that it must be a type Of [F] dangerous reptile. But is it an alli[C]-gator Or a [G7] hungry croco[C]-dile?
I’ll see you [F] later, Alligator, With your [G7] mouth shaped like a [C] U, But [F] Crocodile, with the V-shaped [G7] smile, It’ll be a while ‘Till I see [C] you.
[C] Alligators like to live in swamps, While [F] crocs prefer a river. No [G7] matter where you find them, They’re sure to make you [C] shiver. On crocs you see their bottom teeth, On [F] gators just the top. If you’re able to see [C] either, You’re [G7] way too close, so [C] STOP!
I’ll see you [F] later, Alligator, With your [G7] mouth shaped like a [C] U, But [F] Crocodile, with the V-shaped [G7] smile, It’ll be a while ‘Till I see [C] you.
A [C] crocodile has lighter skin, While [F] gator’s skin is dark, To [G7] help them hide out in the mud Waiting to [C] catch their mark. Learning of their differences Can [F] be a lot of fun, But one thing they have in [C] common, If you [G7] see one you should [C] run!
I’ll see you [F] later, Alligator, With your [G7] mouth shaped like a [C] U, But [F] Crocodile, with the V-shaped [G7] smile, It’ll be a while ‘Till I see [C] you.
Stay & Play: Collage Aliens & Letter A Alligators
For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we made Letter A Alligators.
I had cut strips of green paper and small white paper triangles ahead of time. For the Stay & Play, I put out the green strips to make the letter A, along with white paper, the white triangles (for teeth), glue-sticks, and googly eyes. In retrospect, I think it might have been better to use a different colored paper for the background, so the teeth would stand out more, but the kids seemed to enjoy the project anyway.
For Family Storytime, I challenged the kids to make aliens out of different paper shapes, googly eyes, pieces of yarn, and markers. It was great to see all of the different designs.
If you have any favorite Letter A books, please share them in the comments below.
The Loudest Librarian! 