Taking Flight: A Storytime for National Aviation Day

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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!

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.

3Aug2023

All in the Family: A Storytime for Family Fun Month

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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.

29Jul2023

This Land Is Your Land: A Storytime About Parks

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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-park Download

20Jul2023

Moo-ving Experiences: A Storytime About Cows

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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.

11Jul2023

Busy as a Bee: A Storytime about Bees

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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.

22Jun2023

Law of the Jungle: A Storytime for World Rainforest Day

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

This Thursday (June 22) is World Rainforest Day, so we based our Outdoor Musical Storytime on rainforest animals.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell

I love picture book biographies, and this is one of the few that is short enough to read with preschoolers. It tells the story of Jane Goodall, who dreamed of living with wild animals when she was a young child, and grew up to see her dream come true.

It’s a Tiger! by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Jeremy Tankard

Fun, colorful adventure that imagines a journey into the jungle, where the narrator is constantly being surprised by a tiger (RUN!). After several narrow escapes, the tiger is discovered to be friendly. This one was a big hit with the kids.

Wild Baby by Cori Doerrfeld

Very cute rhyming story about a baby orangutan who wanders off after a blue butterfly.

Rhymes & Songs:

Monkey See and Monkey Do

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: jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree

Five little monkeys sitting in a tree,

Teasing Mr. Alligator,

“Can’t catch me!

You can’t catch me!”

Along comes Mr. Alligator

Quiet as can be, and…SNAP

That monkey right off the tree!

Kids LOVE this fingerplay rhyme for some reason. I like to do it with the Monkee Mitt and an alligator puppet. Whenever the alligator chomps a monkey off the tree, I have it spit it out into the crowd and say, “Yuck! That monkey tastes terrible!” which always gets big laughs. The kids enjoy gathering up the monkeys and putting them back on the mitt at the end.

Going on a Tiger Hunt

Instead of the usual bear hunt, we went on a tiger hunt. This is a great way to give the kids a chance to move around in between books. I like to ham it up by pretending to get a grasshopper stuck in my shirt, wiping the mud off my feet, and shaking myself dry from the lake. There are lots of variations, but this the script I use, with the kids repeating every line:

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

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 tiger hunt again!

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Solomon Linda

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. Here’s a YouTube link to the version by The Tokens if you’re not familiar with the tune (there are lots of variations):

[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.
[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.

[C] In the jungle, the [F] mighty jungle,
The [C] lion sleeps to- [G7]night.
In the [C] jungle the [F] quiet jungle,
The [C] lion sleeps to-[G7]night.

[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.
[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.

Near the [C] village, the [F] peaceful village,
The [C] lion sleeps tonight.
Near the [C] village, the [F] quiet village,
The [C] lion sleeps to-[G7]night.

[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.
[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.

Hush, my [C] darling, don’t [F] fear, my darling,
The [C] lion sleeps to-[G7]night.
Hush, my [C] darling, don’t [F] fear, my darling,
The [C] lion sleeps to-[G7]night.

[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.
[C] Wee-ee-ee-ee ee [F] ee-ee-ee-ee [C] wee-oh weem a-[G7]way.

Stay & Play: Paper Plate Pythons

I found this craft on Craftymornings.com, although I did it slightly differently. It was messy, but a big hit, and several adults commented on how much they liked it.

Before the storytime, I cut paper plates into spiral snake shapes, and cut squares of bubble wrap roughly 6″ x 6″.

For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper plates snakes, the bubble wrap squares, Tempera paint, glue sticks, googly eyes, and some strips of red paper for the tongues.

For each child, I helped them put a small blob of two different colors of paint on the bubble wrap. Then I showed them how to fold the bubble wrap square in half and squish the paint around before opening it up and stamping it on their paper plate snake. In most cases, the paint was wet enough to hold the googly eyes and paper tongue, but I provided glue sticks just in case.

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

13Jun2023

Family Man: A Storytime for Father’s Day

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

This Sunday is Father’s Day, so we had a great time celebrating fathers and families at today’s Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

Hilarious, simple story about Trixie and her Dad, who accidentally leave Trixie’s beloved Knuffle Bunny stuffed animal at the laundromat. It got lots of laughs, especially from the parents.

Rafa Counts On Papá by Joe Cepeda

Sweet story, similar to Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Rafa and his Papá love to measure and count things to discover how long Rafa’s toy train is, how high their dog can jump, and how far they can run in 22 minutes. But, Rafa wonders, is it possible to measure how much his Papá loves him? The answer is a big hug.

Old MacDonald Had a Baby by Emily Snape; illustrated by K-Fai Steele

Baby-themed version of the classic song, describing the different things Old MacDonald does for his baby throughout the day: feeding him, giving him a bath, changing his diaper, etc. The lines don’t exactly rhyme, but we sang it anyway (I handed out instruments beforehand). The illustrations are adorable. The illustrations on the last page reveal that the baby has two Dads, which makes it a good fit for Pride month, as well as reflecting different types of families.

Songs:

Hop Little Bunnies

We did this song as a follow-up to Knuffle Bunny. 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.

Shall we 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 and stop!

Baby Shark

This one was kind of a stretch, but I threw it in because it features different members of a family (baby, Mommy, Daddy, etc.)

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…

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

We sang this before Old MacDonald Had a Baby and I handed out the instruments beforehand (usually I save them for the last two songs). I asked the kids for animal suggestions 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] pig,

E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!

With an oink-oink here, and an oink-oink there,

Here an oink, there an oink,

Everywhere an oink-oink.

[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,

E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!

Dance to Your Daddy

This is a traditional English folk song, although the original lyrics are not particularly well suited to storytime. There are lots of adaptations and different tunes, but the one I do is closest to this one from Kids-Songs.TV:

[C] Dance to your Daddy,

My little baby.

Dance to your Daddy,

My little lamb.

You shall have a fishy

On a little dishy.

You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in.

Dance to your Mommy…

Dance to your Granny…

Dance to your Granddad…

Stay & Play: Craft Stick Picture Frames

There are lots of versions of this craft, but the one I did was closest to this example from dodoburd.com.

I premade the frames by gluing the craft sticks together with white glue, and letting them dry for several hours (it helps to make them in a stack, so the spacing stays consistent). And I precut 4″ x 4″ pieces of cardstock.

For the Stay & Play, we put out the wooden frames and cardstock squares, along with stickers and markers for decorating the frames, and markers for drawing pictures on the cardstock. I also put out glue sticks to glue the pictures to the back of the frame.

What are your favorite books or songs for Father’s Day? Please share them in the comments below.

11May2023

Mother Knows Best: A Storytime for Mother’s Day

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Yesterday at our Outdoor Musical Storytime, we did stories and songs about mothers. Here’s what we did:

Books:

Toad on the Road: Mama and Me by Stephen Shaskan

This is a really cute story about a Mama toad who drives a tow truck, accompanied by her little one. As they drive along, they rescue a goat who has run out of gas, a fox with a flat tire, and a moose in the muck. Finally, they arrive at a party, where they discover where all of their newfound friends have been going.

Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Adorable book about a mother and her baby, who are shopping in a Nigerian market. The vendors can’t resist giving Baby different foods: bananas, oranges, chin-chin biscuits, and more. Each time, Baby eats one, and puts the rest in the basket on Mama’s head, without her knowing. Eventually Mama notices how heavy her basket is, and is shocked all the additional food. The crowd laughed at the ending, when the mother says Baby must be very hungry, since he’s had nothing to eat.

Everything is Mama by Jimmy Fallon

Very simple but funny book that shows a variety of baby animals who call everything they see “Mama.” Claire read the part of the babies, and I read the other parts. The kids enjoyed chiming in on the “Mama’s.”

Songs:

We Bounce and We Bounce and We Stop

One of my all-time favorite storytime songs. It works so well for different ages, and you can do different motions for each verse. We did clapping, turning, leaning, and stomping. The kids always love it!

We bounce and we bounce and we stop!

We bounce and we bounce and we bounce and we bounce,

C G7 C

And we bounce and we bounce and we stop!

Five Dinosaurs by Nancy Stewart

This one was a fun tie in to Toad on the Road: Mama and Me. I have the kids pretend to drive the car as we sing.

[C] There were five dinosaurs, [F] driving in cars,
[C] Having a really good [G7] time.
They said, [C] “We’ll step on the gas, and [F] go really fast!”
And they [C] did…until one [G7] had a flat [C] tire.
Ka-thunk! Ka-thunk! Ka-thunk! Ka-thunk!
She said, “Go on without me!”

Then there were four dinosaurs…

Repeat, until the last dinosaur has a flat tire, then say,

“She said, ‘I know! I’ll fix the tire! and then I’ll pick up all my friends!”

Then there were five dinosaurs,
Riding in a car, having a really good time.
They said, “Step on the gas, and go really fast!”
And they did, and down the road they went flying.

ROAR!!

Five Days Old by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after Baby Goes to Market. It’s a fun action song, and very catchy! Here’s Laurie Berkner’s video:

[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] one day old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] two [G7] days [C] old.

[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] three days old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] four [G7] days [C] old.

[F] One [C] day, I’ll [F] be a [C] year, then [F] I’ll be [C] two, then [G7] three, then four.

[C] As for now I’m [F] sitting here, I’m [C] five days old and [F] no [G7] days [C] more!

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

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

I’m kicking my legs, I’m one day old…

Getting really tired, I’m one day old…

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old..

Skiddamarink-A-Dink-A-Dink

This song is always a favorite with both kids and caregivers. I go over the sign language for “I Love You” before we sing the song together. Here’s a link to a YouTube video from Super Simple Songs with the tune:

Skidamarink a-dink, a-dink
Skidamarink a-doo
I love you.
Skidamarink a-dink, a-dink
Skidamarink a-doo
I love you.
I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon.
Oh, skidamarink a-dink, a-dink
Skidamarink a-doo
I love you.

Circle of the Sun by Sally Rogers

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. It’s a pretty folk song, that works well because you can add your own verses about different “firsts” in the life of a child. We sang, “Babies take their first steps in a circle of the sun,” and “Babies say their first words…”

[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,

Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.

[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,

Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.

CHORUS

[C] Clouds to the North, Clouds to the South,

[F] Wind and [C] rain to the [F] East and the [G7] West,

[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,

Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.

Stay & Play: Dot Paint Hearts

I intended this to be a resist type project, where the kids used the dot markers to color all around different sized hearts, and then removed the hearts to reveal the heart-shape in white, like the example on the right. But the kids seemed to be more caught up in decorating the paper hearts, and some of them turned out really well (the kid on the right was VERY enthusiastic about the dot markers!).

In any case, to prepare, I cut several paper hearts out of cardstock, and then covered the back with restickable glue stick. For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper hearts, sheets of cardstock, and dot markers.

I think if I did this again, I would either just have the kids decorate paper hearts, or pre-stick the paper frames of the hearts I cut out onto the cardstock, so they could enjoy decorating a big heart, and still have the magic moment when they peeled the frame away.

OTHER FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT MOTHERS

Where’s My Mom? by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

At my preschool visits this month I’ve read sharing this fun rhyming story about a monkey who can’t find his mother. A butterfly tries to help by pointing out various animals (an elephant, a frog, a snake, etc.), but none of them are the monkey’s Mom. The monkey complains that none of the animals the butterfly has found look like him, but the butterfly points out that her baby caterpillars look nothing like her either. The kids love yelling out, “No, that’s an elephant!” etc. on each page, and the book has a wonderful message about how not all children look like their parents.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson

One of my all-time favorite books for toddlers. An adorable family of baby owls wake up to discover that their mother is missing. At first they reassure themselves that she’s probably gone hunting, but then they start to worry. Luckily, their mother arrives just as they are starting to panic. The beautiful illustrations and repeated lines for kids to chime in on, along with the reassuring message make this perfect for storytime.

Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Sweet, funny story about a little girl who puts her Mommy to bed, with all of the usual negotiating and stalling tactics.

Hush, Little Trucker by Kim Norman; illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura

Another book I’ve been reading at the preschools lately is this truck-themed version of Hush, Little Baby. When a little boy loses his toy truck, his mother helps him look for it using a variety of construction vehicles.

What are your favorite stories, songs, or crafts for Mother’s Day? Please share them in the comments below.

20Apr2023

Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy! A Storytime About Frogs

Posted in Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

April is National Frog Month, which made for a fun theme for Outdoor Musical Storytime this week.

I started by showing pictures of two frogs that live in our area: the Pacific Tree Frog and the California Red-Legged Frog. Then we moved on to our celebration of frogs through books, songs, rhymes, and puppets.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley; photos by Nic Bishop

This is such a beautiful book, and it worked perfectly for my storytime group. The photos follow an adorable red-eyed tree frog as he wakes up one night and looks for food in the rain forest (while trying to avoid becoming food himself). The kids were mesmerized!

Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack

This book appears to be out of print, which is a shame, because it’s so much fun to read aloud. The story, about a frog who narrowly escapes a boy with a jar, a hungry turtle, a flamingo, and an alligator, alternates between “Aaahhh!” when the frog is in danger, and “Ah ha!” when he thinks he’s found an escape. The kids loved joining in, especially on the “Aaahh’s!”

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

It’s always fun to do a pop-up book, because the kids are usually fascinated. (I once had a toddler fall down flat on his bottom when he saw me pull a pull-tab on a pop-up that made something move on the page). This is a hilarious retelling of the old joke about the wide-mouthed frog who enjoys asking other animals what they like to eat, until he meets an alligator who eats “delicious wide-mouthed frogs,” and the frog makes his mouth very small and hops away. The large mouths of the animals are the real draw here. I read the part of the frog while holding up a frog puppet, and my coworker Charlotte read the rest of the parts.

Songs & Rhymes:

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

Charlotte and I each held up a frog puppet for this one, while holding up our other hand to show the number of frogs remaining. I like to stop between each verse to ask the kids how many frogs are left. I also like to have the puppet pretend to slurp up an imaginary frog on a child’s head after the “Yum! Yum!”:

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

Four green and speckled frogs…etc.

Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky

This is a great lap-sit rhyme, as well as a fun movement rhyme for toddlres and preschoolers. For babies, I tell the caregivers to bounce them from knee to knee, and then pick them up and swoop them down between their legs at the end. For older kids, I have them jump forward and backward, or side to side, and then crouch down on the ground at the end.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky,

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,

With a hip! A hop! A hippety hop!

Jump off the lily pad and

KER-PLOP!

Mmm-Ahh! Went the Little Green Frog

This is a silly camp song that’s always a lot of fun. 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!

We all know frogs go “Flow-do-di-o-di-oh!

They don’t go MMM-AHH-AHH!

Caribbean Amphibean

I couldn’t find the composer of this song, but if anyone knows who it was, please tell me in the comments. This song is a hilariously horrible earworm, but perfect for the theme. We did it as our instrument play-along at the end.

[G]I know a [D]tropical [C]is[G]-land,
Where the [C]mango moon and [Am]banana sun [D]shine.
[G]And on this [D]tropical [C]is[G]-land,
[C]There lives a [D]cousin of [G]mine.

[Am]Sometimes he lives in the [D]water,
[Am]Sometimes he lives on the [G]land.
[C]Sometimes he likes to go [G]sun himself,
On [C] soft Ca[D]-ribbean [G]-sand

He’s a [C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian
He [D]likes to hop in the [G]tropical sea.
[C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian,
A [D]frog in a coconut [G] tree.

[G]The flying [D]fish and the [C]tur[G]-tles,
They’ve seen him[C] hop where the [Am]pineapples [D] grow.
[G] He likes to see [D] all [C]is[G]-lands,
[C]So island [D] hopping he’ll [G] go.

[Am]Sometimes he hops to Ja[D]-maica.
[Am]Sometimes to Haiti he [G] hops.
[C]Sometimes a warm Puerto [G] Rican beach
Is [C] where he [D] finally [G] stops!

He’s a [C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian,
He [D]likes to hop in the [G]tropical sea.
[C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian,
A [D]frog in a coconut [G] tree.

[Am]Sometimes he lives in the [D]water,
[Am]Sometimes he lives on the [G]land.
[C]Sometimes he likes to play [G] music in
An [C] all am[D]phibean [G] band.

He’s a [C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian.
He [D]likes to hop in the [G]tropical sea.
[C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian,
A [D]frog in a coconut [G] tree.

Everybody!

He’s a [C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian.
He [D]likes to hop in the [G]tropical sea.
[C]Caribbean Am[G]-phibian,
A [D]frog in a coconut [G] tree.

Ribbit Ribbit!

Stay & Play: Watercolor Frogs

I went really simple for this one, and just brought a frog coloring sheet and watercolor paint sets. (I used this coloring sheet from ColoringBay.com). I also gave them option of painting whatever they wanted on the back side of the coloring sheet.

The beauty of doing a frog painting is that frogs come in all different colors, and we had some beautiful rainbow-colored frogs in the end. It usually takes the kids a few minutes to figure out the logistics of watercolor painting (dipping the brush in the water, and then into the paint), but once they get the hang of it, they never want to stop!

Hoppy Frog Month! If you have favorite frog books or songs, please share them in the comments below.

11Apr2023

Spidey-Sense: A Storytime About Spiders

Posted in Storytime themes, Uncategorized by worldsloudestlibrarian

I had planned on doing this storytime way back in March, in honor of National Save a Spider Day on March 14, but since it’s an outdoor storytime, it kept getting cancelled due to rain. I had fun doing it today though, especially because we had a couple of older preschoolers, which allowed for some longer books.

I started by sharing photos of three types of spiders that are common here in the Bay Area: the California Tarantula, the Johnson Jumper, and the Cellar Spider (Daddy Long Legs). I also showed the kids how to do the ASL sign for Spider, which is a fun one to do.

Here’s are the books and songs that we did:

Books:

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

This is one of my favorite nursery rhyme adaptations. It takes the traditional “Itsy Bitsy” song and adds additional verses about the spider’s attempts to climb a wall, a pail, and a rocking chair, before finally spinning a web at the top of a maple tree. The illustrations are adorable.

Aaaargh, Spider! by Lydia Monks

Another all-time favorite picture book of mine. In this one, a lovable spider tries to become a family pet, but keeps getting put outside, until finally one of the family members notices her beautiful sparkling webs. The kids enjoyed joining in on the repeated “Aaaargh, Spider! Out You Go!” refrain. (The large text provides a great opportunity to point out the big words on the page, and help them make the text to speech connection). The ending got lots of laughs (and shudders!).

Are You a Spider? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries

I love this Backyard Books series, which uses a simple conversational approach to teaching young kids about the life-cycle of small creatures like spiders and snails. In this one, the author explains that if you’re a spider, you will hatch out of an egg, spin a web, eat flies, and have to be very careful to avoid birds and wasps. It was a much longer book than I usually read for this storytime, but I was happy to hear the families talking about how spiders have eight legs and eight eyes during the Stay & Play at the end.

Songs:

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

When I do this song with toddlers and babies, I usually tell them that they can do the traditional finger motions (as shown here in this video by Katie Cutie Kids TV), or just wiggle their fingers like spider legs, or creep their hands up their bodies (it’s fun to have the grown-ups do this with babies, which gets lots of giggles). I usually do a second verse about the “Great Big Hairy Spider,” which we sing in a low voice, and sometimes add in a verse about the “Teensy Weensy Spider” in a high voice.

The [C] itsy bitsy spider went [G7] up the water [C] spout.
[C] Down came the rain and [F] washed the spider [C] out.
[C] Out came the sun and [G7] dried up all the [C] rain,
and the [C] itsy bitsy spider went [G7] up the spout [C] again.

I’m a Hungry Spider

To the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot” (If you don’t know the tune, here’s a video by Sing With Bella). We used the ASL sign for Spider for the first line.

I’m a hungry spider (Sign for Spider)

Look at me! (Point to yourself)

Eight legs to walk on, (Wiggle eight fingers)

And eight eyes to see (Point to your eyes).

When a bug gets caught in my web (Move your finger in the air like a fly),

Here I come!

I wrap it up tight (Move your hands in circles),

And YUM! YUM! YUM! (Mime eating).

There’s a Spider on the Floor

To the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It. This is an old Raffi song, although I usually change the lyrics a little. Claire mimed the actions with a spider puppet, while the rest of us made spiders with our hands.

There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor?
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.

Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg.
Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg.
Oh, he’s really, really big, this old spider on my leg.
There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.

Now the spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy…
Oh, I feel so very funny with this spider on my tummy!…

Now the spider’s on my neck, on my neck…
Oh, I’m gonna’ be a wreck, I’ve got a spider on my neck!…

Now the spider’s on my face, on my face…
Oh, I’m such a big disgrace. I’ve got a spider on my face!…

Now the spider’s on my head, on my head…
Oh, it fills my heart with dread to have this spider on my head!…

Spoken: But it jumps off!

Now the spider’s on the floor, on the floor…

Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor?…

Un Elefante

This is a traditional Mexican children’s song, which you can hear below in this video from VideoKids TV Canciones. The Spanish lyrics mean “An elephant balanced on a spider’s web. When he saw that it ‘resisted’ (held his weight), he called another elephant.”

If you’d like an English version of the song (with a slightly different meaning to the lyrics), here’s a video of a cute one from Canticos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1XC8cuio24)

[C] Un elefante se balanceaba,
sobre la tela de una a-[G]raña.
Como veía que resistía,
fue a llamar a otro ele-[C]fante.

Dos elefantes se balanceaban,
sobre la tela de una araña.
Como veían que resistía,
fueron a llamar a otro elefante.

Tres elefantes…

Stay & Play: Paint Splotch Spiders

This was really simple and fun! Before the storytime, I folded pieces of white cardstock in half lengthwise (like a book). For the Stay & Play, I put out the folded cardstock, two colors of tempera paint, googly eyes (the kind with sticker backs), and markers.

To make the spider shape, the kids opened their folded cardstock and dropped a small drop of paint of each color along the center fold (it helps to have an adult supervise this, so they don’t end up with too much paint). They then folded the cardstock again, and pressed down on it to spread the paint. When they opened the cardstock again, they had a symmetrical shape that they decorated with googly eyes and markers.

In the two examples above, the kids (both preschoolers) were making an effort to count out eight eyes, although they got a little carried away on the legs. It was great to hear them counting though!

What are your favorite books about spiders? Please share them in the comments below.