Category Archives: Storytime themes

E is for Elephant: A Storytime About the Letter E

Posted in Storytime themes by

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:

Books:

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

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.

Elephants Cannot Dance by Mo Willems

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.

Do Your Ears Hang Low? by Jenny Cooper

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!

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett

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.

D is for Duck: A Storytime for the Letter D

Posted in Storytime themes by

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:

Books:

Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Barach

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.

Dalmatian in a Digger by Rebecca Elliott

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.

Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand

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.

Dinosaur Stomp by Paul Stickland

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.

Is There a Dog in This Book? by Viviane Schwarz

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 and dandy.
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.

B is for Book: A Storytime About the Letter B

Posted in Storytime themes by

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.

Books:

The Baby BeeBee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie; illustrated by Steven Kellogg

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.”

A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems

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.”

The Button Book

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.

A is for Alligator: A Storytime About the Letter A

Posted in Storytime themes by

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:

Books:

Ah Ha by Jeff Mack

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.

There’s An Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

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.

Avocado Baby by John Burningham

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.

Peanut Butter & Aliens by Joe McGee; illustrated by Charles Santoso

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.

By the Numbers: A Storytime About Counting

Posted in Storytime themes by

Last week was National Literacy and Numeracy Week. I figure all of my storytimes are connected to literacy, but I don’t often get to focus on numbers and counting, so I made that the theme for both my evening Family Storytime last week, and today’s Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

How to Count to One (And Don’t Even Think About Bigger Numbers!) by Caspar Salmon; illustrated by Matt Hunt

This book is a little longer than I usually read for my Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd, but they loved it anyway. It’s a funny book that asks the reader to count…to 1. After starting out with one apple and one elephant, the pages get increasingly tricky, showing, for example, three bowls of soup on a page, but asking you to count the one fly. Once the kids caught onto the joke, they loved shouting out, “ONE!”

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin; illustrated by James Dean

One of my favorite Pete the Cat books, which features lots of elements for the kids to repeat, including Pete’s song (“My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons”) and the “POP! Oh No!” as each button pops off and rolls away. Like I Love My White Shoes, it also includes the “Did Pete Cry? Goodness, No!” refrain, which the kids enjoy joining in on. Plus the punchline, when Pete looks down and sees his belly button, always gets a laugh.

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

Adorable rhyming book about nine colorful dinosaurs who all hide when ten-osaurus rex appears. It seems like they might all be in danger, but wait, they’re actually all just playing hide-and-seek. The rhymed text and the large, clear numbers make it easy for kids to join in on the counting, and there’s a page in the middle where everyone gets to roar. The book ends with the dinosaurs playing Simon-Says, so I introduced the kids to that game for a minute or two after we read it.

Five Hiding Ostriches by Barbara Barbieri McGrath; illustrated by Riley Samels

This book is surprisingly similar to One-osaurus, Two-osaurus, so I read it for my Family Storytime, but not my Outdoor Musical one. This one features five ostriches hiding from a lion, who once again turns out to be playing Hide-and-Seek. The rhyme is reminiscent of Five Little Pumpkins.

Songs & Activities:

We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner

We sang this as a follow-up to One-osaurus, Two-osaurus (after a brief game of Simon Says). The kids loved stomping around and roaring. Laurie Berkner’s 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!

Counting with Dice

This was just a simple counting activity I threw in between books. Our library has a giant inflatable die that we used for a summer program years ago. I let the kids take turns throwing the die, and we counted the dots together. Then I asked for suggestions of something we could do that number of times (jumping up and down, spinning around, walking like a robot, etc.). It was a big hit at both storytimes.

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!

We did this one with the parachute (it’s a shorter version of the Zoom, Zoom, Zoom song):

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! We’re going to the moon! (shake the parachute in rhythm)

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! We’re be there very soon! (shake the parachute in rhythm)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (shake the parachute for each number)

Blast Off! (raise or throw the parachute as high as you can, then let it fall back down).

The Ladybug’s Picnic by Donald Hadley and William Luckey

I’m dating myself, but I love this old Sesame Street song, which was a lot of fun for our instrument play-along at the end of storytime.

[C] One, two, three
Four, five, six
Seven, eight, nine,
Ten, eleven, twelve
[G7] Ladybugs
Came to the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.

[C] One, two, three,
Four, five, six
Seven, eight, nine,
Ten, eleven, twelve
[G7] And the all played games
At the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.

[F] They had twelve sacks so they ran sack races.
[C] They fell on their backs and they fell on their faces.
[G7] The ladybugs twelve
At the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.
[F] They played jump rope but the rope it broke,
So they [C] just sat around telling knock-knock jokes,
[G7] The ladybugs twelve.
At the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.

[C] One, two, three
Four, five, six
Seven, eight, nine,
Ten, eleven, twelve
[G7] And they chattered away
At the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.

[F] They talked about the high price of furniture and rugs,
[C] And fire insurance for ladybugs.
[G7] The ladybugs twelve
At the ladybugs’ [C] picnic.

Stay & Play: Air Dry Clay Dice

For the Stay & Play, we put out small amounts of white air-dry clay on individual paper plates, along with some markers. I explained to the kids how they could make their own dice by rolling the clay into a ball, and then flattening the sides against the plate. I told them they could put as many dots on each side as they wanted, and then do the dice activity (above) with their family. As usual, I also told them they were free to make whatever they wanted with the clay as well, so we also had some kids making adorable snakes and dinosaurs.

What are your favorite counting books or songs? Please share them in the comments below.

Taking Flight: A Storytime for National Aviation Day

Posted in Storytime themes by

This Saturday (August 19) is National Aviation Day, so we had a fun time celebrating airplanes and other flying machines at today’s Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Bearplane! by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Sam Wedelich

Super cute, rhyming book about a little bear’s first airplane ride. The author includes a lot of common experiences, including going through the metal detector, putting items in bins in security, finding the bathroom on the plane, and dealing with popping ears during landing by chewing gum. This would be a great book for kids who are preparing for a first plane trip, but is also just a fun read, with adorable illustrations.

Little Plane Leans to Write by Stephen Savage

Cute, short story about a little plane learning to skywrite. He easily masters dives and arc, but loopity-loops make him dizzy, so he keeps leaving out the letter O. I had the kids draw the shapes in the air as I read.

Today I Will Fly by Mo Willems

This one doesn’t actually feature a flying machine (Piggie ends up flying with the help of a friendly pelican), but it’s one of my favorite Elephant and Piggie books. Claire and I read it together (she read Gerald, and I read Piggie). The kids especially loved Piggie chanting, “Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!” while flapping her arms.

Songs:

The Airplane Song by Laurie Berkner

This one was a lot of fun. Here’s the video by Laurie Berkner with the motions:


[C] Get in your airplanes, and [F] off we [G] go.
[C] Going to the park is [F] first, you [G] know.
[C] Now slow it [C7] down and [F] land on the [Fm] ground,
And when you [G] get out,
You’re gonna jump all [C] around.

Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the California is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna spin all around.

Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the New York City is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna gallop all around.

Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the playground is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna dance all around.

Get back in your airplanes, it’s time to go home,
Your family and friends are waiting you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And come sit down in your own hometown.

I’m a Little Airplane

To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot:

I’m a little airplane on the ground. (crouch down with arms outstretched)

Watch my propeller spin round and round (move your hand in a circle).

Racing down the runway, time to fly (run in place)

Up! Up! Up! Into the sky! (“fly” around with your arms outstretched)

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!

My coworker, Rachel, recently ordered us a 20 foot parachute for storytime, and it’s a been a big hit so far. I found this idea on Early Impact Learning, and the kids loved it, especially running underneath the parachute at the end. It’s a shorter version of the traditional Zoom, Zoom, Zoom song:

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! We’re going to the moon! (shake the parachute in rhythm)

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! We’re be there very soon! (shake the parachute in rhythm)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (shake the parachute for each number)

Blast Off! (raise or throw the parachute as high as you can, then let it fall back down).

Airplane (based on the song Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten)

I love the song Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten, and frequently do the more kid-friendly version by Elizabeth Mitchell for storytime (see the YouTube video below). For today’s theme, I just changed the train into an airplane, and asked the kids to suggest places they’d like to go for each verse. We went to Hawaii, Tokyo, Ireland, and Disneyland, before coming back home.

[C] Airplane, Airplane [G7] going so fast.

[G7] Airplane, airplane, [C] going so fast.

[E7]Please don’t tell what [F] plane I’m on,

So they [C] won’t know [G7] where I’ve [C] gone.

Going to Hawaii, going so fast!

Going to Hawaii, going so fast!

Please don’t tell what train I’m on,

So they won’t know where I’ve gone.

Stay & Play: Paper Airplanes

Before storytime, I folded a bunch of paper airplanes out of white paper. (I wanted an easy design, without a sharp point, so I used The Bumble design from HGTV). For the Stay & Play, I put out the pre-folded planes, markers, and dot markers, along with some blank paper in case anyone wanted to fold their own plane. The kids had a great time decorating their planes, and then testing them out in the park.

What are your favorite picture books about airplanes and other flying machines? Please share them in the comments below.

All in the Family: A Storytime for Family Fun Month

Posted in Storytime themes by

I recently learned that August is Family Fun Month, which I was excited to try as a storytime theme for Outdoor Musical Storytime. Here’s what we did:

Books:

The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Scott Magoon

I had never read this one aloud before, but it was a big hit! Simple story about Wally and Hazel Nut, who are too busy singing their song (“We’re Nuts! We’re Nuts! We’re Nuts!”) to hear their mother’s repeated refrain, “All little Nuts need to go up to bed!” Most of the kids and grown-ups were singing along by the end.

Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root; illustrated by Jill Barton

This book is so much fun to read aloud, and I was able to borrow a Big Book version from another library, which made it even better for storytime. When Junie, Jakie, and the Baby beg to go to the lake on a hot, hot day, their Poppa worries that their rattletrap car won’t be able to survive the trip. Sure enough, they are met with one disaster after another: a flat tire, a missing floorboard, a detached gas tank, and finally a missing engine! Luckily, with some quick thinking, and their supply of chocolate raspberry fudge delight, they are able to make the journey. The joy of the book is in the sound effects: fizzelly sizzelly, wappity bappity, lumpety bumpety, etc.

Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney

I wanted to include grandparents in my family theme, and this Llama Llama book is so sweet! When Llama Llama goes for his first overnight alone at his grandparents’ house, he enjoys getting to try new things, like building a chair for his Little Llama stuffie. But he can’t stop thinking about Little Llama, who he has accidentally left at home. He is especially upset at bedtime, until Grandpa shares the special toy that HE had when he was a young llama.

Songs:

No More Monkeys

I love this lively, musical version of the traditional Five Little Monkeys rhyme, written and performed by  Caribbean singer-songwriter Asheba. The kids really enjoyed all of the jumping up and down!

[C] Five monkeys were playing on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his [G7] head.
Mama called the doctor, and [F] the doctor said,
[C] “No more monkeys [G7] jumping on the [C] bed!”
[C] “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
No more monkeys [G7] jumping on the bed!
[C] No more monkeys [F] jumping on the bed!”
[C] That is what the [G7] doctor [C] said.

Four monkeys were jumping on the bed…
(Repeat, counting down to one…)

One monkey was playing on the bed,
She fell off and bumped her head.
Mama called the children, and the children said,
“YES! More monkeys jumping on the bed!”
“Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!
Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!
Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!”
That is what the children said.

The Wheels on the Bus (with parachute)

My coworker, Rachel, recently surprised me with a 20 foot parachute, which I was excited to try with our Outdoor Musical Storytime group. We did The Wheels on the Bus, which was a nice follow-up to Rattletrap Car, and gave us lots of opportunities to move the parachute in different ways. Some kids wanted to hold the handles, while others just wanted to run underneath, but they all had fun:

[C]The wheels on the bus go round and round. (Walk the parachute around in a circle)

[G7]Round and round, [C] Round and round.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

[G7]All over [C] town.

The doors on the bus go open and shut… (Step in towards the middle of the parachute, then out again)

The windows on the bus go up and down… (Raise the parachute up in the air, then lower it)

The people on the bus go bumpety bump… (Shake the parachute).

Baby Shark

I couldn’t resist throwing in the quintessential preschool ear-worm, about a family a sharks. We did it as our instrument play-along at the end:

C] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo

[F] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo

[Am] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo

[G] Baby shark!

Mommy shark…

Daddy shark…

Grandma Shark…

Grandpa Shark…

Let’s go hunt!…

Run Away…

Safe at last…

That’s the end…

Stay & Play: Craft Stick Families

For the Stay & Play, we put out jumbo craft sticks, pieces of yarn in different colors, glue sticks, googly eyes, and markers, for the kids to make families (their own, or one they invented). Some of them were very determined to make sure every member of their family was represented.

Do you have favorite books about families having fun together? Please share them in the comments below.

This Land Is Your Land: A Storytime About Parks

Posted in Storytime themes by

July is Park and Recreation Month, and since I have been holding my weekly Outdoor Musical Storytime in a local park for the past couple of years (originally because of the pandemic, but also because the library branch closest to the park doesn’t have any open hours in the mornings), it seemed like the perfect time to celebrate the parks in our area.

Like other libraries in California, we offer free passes to many of the state parks for patrons to check out, so I brought one of our park backpacks along to show it to the storytime families. We have similar passes for our County Parks, but those were all checked out.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

The Hike by Allison Farrell

This book was new to me, but it ended up being perfect for the theme. Three kids and a dog hike to the top of the mountain to read a poem, plant a flag, and release some feathers into the wind. Along the way they get lost, but find their way again, and see lots of animals and birds, which one of them draws in her sketchbook. The kids enjoyed calling out things they saw in the pictures.

Where’s My Teddy? by Jez Alborough

This is a long-time favorite of mine: a rhyming story about a boy named Eddie who finds a giant teddy bear while he is searching for his own lost teddy in the woods. He runs into a bear, who is looking for his own lost teddy, and the two are so frightened that they both run back home. This is the first book in a trilogy about Eddie and the Bear, with the two eventually becoming close friends.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain by Jane Cabrera

This version of the classic children’s song is perfect for storytime. When a baby bear goes over the mountain, he gets stuck in a tree. Luckily, his friend Hare comes to rescue him, and her friend Fox brings them tea. The last verse shows a boy climbing the stairs to his bedroom, where all of the animals are revealed to be his toys, cuddled up in bed. The ending got lots of “Awws.”

Songs & Rhymes:

Two Little Ravens

Since I was trying to focus on animals commonly found in the park, I changed the traditional Two Little Blackbirds rhyme to Two Little Ravens, and held up a picture of a raven for the kids to see. Click on the triangle for the tune:

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

Two little ravens 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.)

I’m a California Quail

The California Quail is the state bird, and it happens to be a common sight in the park where we have our storytime. I held up a picture of the bird for the kids to see and played a clip of its call before we sang this song, which is to the tune of I’m a Nut. We ended by making sounds like the quail, which makes a cawing sound in a rhythm similar to the word “Chicago.”

I’m a California Quail,
See me walking on the trail.
Got six feathers called a crown (put the back of your hand on your forehead and wiggle your fingers),
See it bobbing up and down (bob your head up and down).

Caw-CAW-Caw! Caw-CAW-Caw!

Going on a Bear Hunt

This was one of my favorite activities when I was a kid, and I love to throw it into a storytime.  The kids echo most of the lines (the ones in parentheses).  I like to play up wiping grass off my pants, and the mud off my feet, and shaking off the water from the lake.  It’s always a hit:

We’re going on a bear hunt!
(We’re going on a bear hunt!)
It’s a beautiful day!
(It’s a beautiful day!)
We’re not scared!
(We’re not scared!)

We’re coming to some grass.
(We’re coming to some grass).
Can’t go over it.
(Can’t go over it.)
Can’t go under it.
(Can’t go under it.)
Have to go through it.
(Have to go through it.)
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! (Rubbing hands together)

We’re coming to some mud.
(We’re coming to some mud.)
Can’t go over it.
(Can’t go over it.)
Can’t go under it.
(Can’t go under it.)
Have to go through it.
(Have to go through it).
Squilch! Squelch! Squilch! Squelch! (Clapping hands together).

We’re coming to a lake.
(We’re coming to a lake.)
Can’t go over it.
(Can’t go over it.)
Can’t go under it.
(Can’t go under it.)
Have to swim across it.
(Have to swim across it.)
Splish! Splash! Splish! Splash!

We’re coming to a cave.
(We’re coming to a cave.)
Can’t go over it.
(Can’t go over it.)
Can’t go under it.
(Can’t go under it.)
Have to go inside.
(Have to go inside.)
Tiptoe…tiptoe…tiptoe…tiptoe…
It’s dark in here…
(It’s dark in here…)
It’s cold in here…
(It’s cold in here…)
Two yellow eyes…it’s a bear!

Run!
Swim across the lake!
Run through the mud!
Run through the grass!
Into the house!
Slam the door!
Lock it!
We’re never going on a bear hunt again!

The Bears Go Marching In

Fun variation of When The Saints Go Marching In. The kids loved it!

[C] Oh, when the bears go marching in,

Oh, when the bears go marching [G7] in,

Oh, [C7] how I want to be in that [F] number,

When the [C] bears go [G7] marching [C] in!

Repeat with other actions, like:

Oh, when the bears go clapping in…

Oh, when the bears go stomping in… etc.

This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie

We did this one for our instrument play-along (where we hand out shakers for the kids). Here’s an old recording of Guthrie himself.

CHORUS

[C] This land is [F] your land, this land is [C] my land.
From [G7] California to the New York [C] island.
From the redwood [F] forest to the Gulf Stream [C] waters
[G7] This land was made for you and [C] me

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway.
I saw below me that golden valley,
This land was made for you and me.

CHORUS

I’ve roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps,
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts.
And all around me a voice was sounding
“This land was made for you and me.”

CHORUS

Stay & Play: California Quail Coloring Sheet & Scavenger Hunt

For the Stay & Play, we put out crayons, along with these coloring sheets from coloringhome.com, featuring our state bird, the California Quail.

My main goal for the Stay & Play this week, other than introducing the state bird, was to encourage families to explore the park and learn about some of the major plants and animals. So I created a simple Scavenger Hunt, featuring nine common animals, birds, and plants. Before I handed it out, I held up a large picture of Poison Oak, and talked about the old “leaves of three, let them be” rhyme. The park does try to keep the poison oak trimmed back, but there’s usually some growing around the edges of the picnic areas that I want the families to be aware of.

We also all signed a big handmade thank you card to give to the park employees.

Do you have favorite picture books about parks or outdoor activities? Please share them in the comments below.

scavenger-hunt-for-san-pedro-valley-parkDownload

Moo-ving Experiences: A Storytime About Cows

Posted in Storytime themes by

July 10 was Cow Appreciation Day, so we had a lot of fun celebrating cows at this week’s Outdoor Musical Storytime. Here’s what we did:

Books:

A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas

Pig and Mouse are busy making a birthday cake for cow, but Duck keeps trying to get them to include a turnip in the recipe. The surprise ending got lots of laughs! I love Jan Thomas’ funny, short, colorful picture books, which are usually perfect for younger kids.

Peek-a-Moo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti

This simple, lift-the-flap book was a big hit! Each page features a different animal playing peek-a-boo. The kids loved calling out the names of the animals and their sounds.

Cowlick by Christin Ditchfield; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Funny, rhyming story about a mischievous cow who sneaks into a house to leave sleeping children with an untameable cowlick.

Songs & Rhymes:

Ten Candles on a Birthday Cake

We did this fingerplay as a follow-up to A Birthday for Cow. After we did the rhyme with ten candles, I asked if there were any one year-olds in the group, and we did it again with one candle, then two, then three, then four, etc. I usually make a joke about how I don’t have enough fingers to do my age, which gets laughs from the grown-ups.

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)

This is the Way I Blow My Balloon

This is the way I blow my balloon: (mime holding a balloon in both hands)

Blow! (blow air out while spreading your hands apart)

Blow! (blow air out while spreading hands even wider)

Blow! (blow air out while spreading your hands as wide apart as you can)

This is the way I POP my balloon. Oh! Oh! No! (clap hands together)

Wiggle Till the Cows Come Home by Susan Salidor

This was my first time singing this song, but it was a big hit, and is definitely one I will use again.

Here’s a link to the video by Susan Salidor:

[C] I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and clap my hands.
[G7] I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and clap my hands.
I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and clap my hands.
And wiggle till the cows come [C] home.

CHORUS
‘Cause when the [F] cows come home,
We say, “Moo, Moo, Moo!”
And when the [C] cows come home,
We go, “Doodle-i-doo.”
And when the [F] cows come home,
It’s time to cele[G7]brate,
Moo! Moo! Moo! Moo!

I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and stomp my feet…

CHORUS

I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and turn around once…

CHORUS

[C] I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and clap my hands.
[G7] I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and stomp my feet.
I’m gonna’ jump, twist, and turn around once.
And wiggle till the cows come [C] home.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

We sang one while holding up the Old MacDonald Monkey Mitt, adding a new animal for each verse:

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!

Cows in the Kitchen

Cute, versatile animal song to the tune of Skip to My Lou. We did it as our instrument play-along at the end. I asked the kids for suggestions of animals and rooms in a house for the other verses. We had a pig in the pantry, a duck in the bathtub, and a dog in the dining room.

Here’s a link to a version by The Tiny Boppers:

[C] Cows in the kitchen,
Moo, Moo, Moo!
[G7] Cows in the kitchen,
Moo, Moo, Moo!
[C] Cows in the kitchen,
Moo, Moo, Moo!
[G7] What shall we do, Tom [C] Farmer?

Stay & Play: Dot Marker Cows

This was a really simple activity. I just printed out cow templates from FreeStencilGallery.com ahead of time. Then, for the Stay & Play, I put out the printed templates, along with Dot Markers, glue sticks, and googly eyes. Most of the kids used the dot markers to cover their cows with multi-colored spots (although many gave them more than two eyes), but I liked this Mark Rothko-esque cow design that one girl made by using the dot markers to color in the whole cow.

Do you have any favorite cow books, songs, or activities? Please share them in the comments below.

Busy as a Bee: A Storytime about Bees

Posted in Storytime themes by

Yesterday (July 10) was Don’t Step on a Bee Day, a day celebrated in the United Kingdom in honor of the important roles bees play in our ecosystems. It seemed like a fun excuse to do a storytime about bees, sot that’s what we did for our Outdoor Musical Storytime today.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

This book asks the reader to help the bees by brushing away snow, blowing a kiss to the lilac trees, and other interactive activities focused on flowers that represent all the colors of the rainbow. The kids loved calling out the colors on each page, and some of them came up to the front to point to things in the illustrations.

Bear and Bee by Sergio Ruzzier

Funny story about a bear who wants some honey from a nearby hive, but is terrified of bees, who he has heard are big with sharp teeth and claws. Luckily a real bee sets him straight, and shares his honey.

beehive by John Hurley

Very simple book with only one word per page, showing how bees swarm, lay eggs, pollinate flowers, guard their hive, and make honey. I had the kids mimic the actions of the bees on each page.

Songs & Rhymes:

Rainbow ‘Round Me

We sang this one after reading The Hidden Rainbow. I asked the kids to suggest things they might see outside the window. We had a brown kitty, a blue and purple dinosaur, a white owl, and a black tree.

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] tree outside my [G7] window,
Is as green as green can [C] be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window 
It’s as [G7] green as green 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] bird outside my [G7] window,
Is as blue as blue can [C] be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window 
It’s as [G7] blue as blue can [C] be.
And the tree is [G7] green as green can [C] be.

Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

I do a variation of the version in this video by Dr. Jean, which is considerably less violent than the old camp song. I asked the kids to suggest other animals they would like to bring home and we made up new verses for them: “I’m bringing home a baby elephant. Won’t my Mommy say, “Oh, no, we can’t!” 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!

Here is a Beehive

One of my favorite rhymes for baby and toddler storytimes. We did it three times:

Here is the beehive (hold up fist)

Where are the bees?

Hiding away where nobody sees.

Watch, and they’ll all come out of their hive!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5! They’re alive! (fly fingers around).

You Are My Flower

This is a sweet, old song by The Carter Family. I especially love this version by Elizabeth Mitchell. It’s also very easy to play on the ukulele or guitar, with a two chord pattern that repeats all the way through. I actually played it on the autoharp today, which the kids found really fun to play at the end of storytime.

[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: Craft Stick Bees

This was a variation of a similar craft from I Heart Crafty Things. Before the storytime, I cut out ovals and slightly smaller circles on yellow paper for the body and the head, and small ovals for the wings.

For the Stay & Play, we put out the paper shapes, glue sticks, googly eyes, craft sticks, and markers. The kids had fun making their own unique bees, some of which had many eyes!

What are your favorite books or songs about bees? Please share them in the comments below.