Tag Archives: preschool storytime

Journey to the North Pole: A Storytime About Arctic Animals

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At last week’s storytimes, I decided to focus on the animals of the North Pole. It ended up being a lot of fun.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

I have a special fondness for Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris, because they are both Bay Area authors, and have done a number of programs for us (Shawn Harris even provided the artwork for our My Summer Adventure program this summer). They were also childhood friends, and it’s fun to hear them talk about their collaborations as adults. This is a beautiful, simple story that follows a polar bear as he wakes up and goes for a swim. The kids were mesmerized by the illustrations.

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws by Kim Norman; illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Fun, Arctic-themed version of If You’re Happy and You Know It, featuring actions like tasting a snowflake, sipping hot chocolate, and building a snowman. The kids enjoyed miming the motions.

Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks

Very simple, cute story about a penguin and a polar bear who live on opposite poles, but meet once a year in the Galapagos Islands. They are opposites in lots of other ways too, but still manage to be very good friends.

Little Whale by Jo Weaver

This was a wonderful story for our community because we often get to see the gray whales as they migrate along the coast. It’s about a baby gray whale and her mother as they travel through the ocean to the feeding grounds in the North. Several parents commented that the baby whale reminded them of their kids asking “Are we there yet” on family road trips.

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

We sang this to accompany If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws. I always throw in other emotions.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

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

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

Two Little Black Birds

We sang this to accompany Polar Opposites, since it’s a song about opposites.

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!…

Snow Is Falling Down

We sang this with play scarves, waving them up and down for the rain, and throwing them in the air, then letting them fall for the snow.

Rain is falling down. SPLASH!
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!
Pitter patter, Pitter patter,
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!

Snow is falling down. SHHH!
Snow is falling down. SHHH!
Swirling, twirling, swirling, twirling,
Snow is falling down. SHHH!

Baby Beluga by Raffi

We sang this as our play-along song at the end, to accompany Little Whale.

C] Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea
Swim so wild and you [G7] swim so free
Heaven above and the sea below
And a little white whale [C] on the go

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] is the water warm?
Is your mama home [G7] with you so happy?
[C] Way down yonder where the dolphins play
Where you dive and [G7] splash all day
Waves roll in and the waves roll out
[G] See the water squirting [C] out of your spout

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] sing your little song,
Sing for all your friends. [G7] We love to hear you!
[C] When it’s dark you’re home and fed
Curl up snug in your [G7] water bed
Moon is shining and the stars are out
Good night, little whale, [C] goodnight

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] with tomorrow’s sun,
Another day’s begun. [G7] You’ll soon be waking.
[C] Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you [G7] swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale [C] on the go.
[G7] You’re just a little white whale [C] on the go!

Stay & Play: Polar Bear in the Snow

This was a fun, if messy, painting activity. Before storytime, I cut out polar bear templates on white paper. For the Stay & Play, I put out blue construction paper, bowls of white tempera paint, repositionable glue sticks, and cotton swabs.

I told the kids they could glue their polar bear on the paper with the repositionable glue stick and then paint snowflakes all around with the cotton swabs. I gave them the option of either leaving the polar bear template on the paper, or painting around it with the white paint, and peeling it off to leave the outline.

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

Page Turners: A Storytime for Picture Book Month

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November is Picture Book Month, so I thought it would be fun to celebrate some of the classic picture books that have stood the test of time. Please share your favorites in the comments below.

Books:

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

This is such a fun book to read aloud, and is one of the earliest examples of a story that seems designed for audience participation. A cap seller wakes from a nap to discover that all of his caps have been stolen by monkeys, who copy everything he does. The kids loved pretending to be the monkeys and making, “Tsz! Tsz! Tsz!” noises.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

This was one of my very favorite childhood stories, about a bear searching for his lost button, after the mother of a little girl who wants to buy him points out that it is missing. I did preface the book by explaining that mattresses always used to have buttons sewn on the top, since a lot of modern mattresses aren’t made that way, but the kids clearly understood the humor of Corduroy mistaking an escalator for a mountain, and a department store for a palace. The ending got lots of “Awww’s!”

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

I still have a copy of this book that my grandmother gave me. She suffered from Parkinson’s disease for most of her life, causing her to lose the use of her right hand, so the message she inscribed to me on the title page is written in her shaky handwriting. Sharing it at storytime this week brought back a lot of memories of her, and it was gratifying when several of the kids asked if there were other books about Madeline, which they eagerly checked out before they went home. I think the book is kind of amazing for the way it manages to pack so much into a concise, but memorable little poem: a unique character, an emergency trip to the hospital, and the humor of a whole school full of girls envying the attention their classmate receives after what would ordinarily be seen as a traumatic event.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I love reading this book aloud because the kids are always absolutely mesmerized by the magical story of Max, and his journey to the land of Wild Things. They also enjoyed pretending to be Wild Things: roaring and gnashing their teeth.

Songs:

Monkey See & Monkey Do

I don’t remember where I learned this song, but it’s one of my favorites, and it was the perfect follow-up to Caps for Sale.

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

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

When the Bears Go Marching In

Fun variation of When The Saints Go Marching In. We sang it with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime, and I threw different stuffed animals onto the parachute for each verse. The kids loved watching them fly up and down.

[C] Oh, when the bears go bouncing in,
Oh, when the bears go bouncing [G7] in,
Oh, [C7] how I want to be in that [F] number,
When the [C] bears go [G7] bouncing [C] in!


Repeat with other actions, like:
Oh, when the bears go clapping in…
Oh, when the bears go stomping in… etc.

You Sing a Song by Ella Jenkins

Ella Jenkins just died at the age of 100, so it seemed appropriate to share this song as a tribute to her. We did it as our instrument play-along for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and with the play scarves for Family Storytime. I adapted the verses accordingly, doing “You shake them fast!” for the egg shakers, and “You throw a scarf” for the play scarves.

[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
And [C] we’ll sing a [Dm] song toge-[G]ther.
[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
In [G] warm or [C] wintry [G] wea-[C]ther.

You’ll wave a scarf, and I’ll wave a scarf, and we’ll wave our scarves together…

You’ll peek-a-boo, and I’ll peek-a-boo… (put the scarf over your face, then pull it away)

You’ll throw a scarf, and I’ll throw a scarf…

Home Again

I wrote this song a while back as a tribute to Maurice Sendak, who wrote a lot of my favorite childhood books. We did it as our instrument play-along for Family Storytime.

[F] Darling, when you [C] feel afraid,
For [Bb] you can plainly [F] see,
The world is full of [C] monsters
Who look [Bb] just like you and [F] me.
Just [F] jump aboard your [C] tiny boat
Fol-[Bb]low the falling [F] star.
You’ll sail away through [C] night and day,
To [Bb] where the wild things [F] are.

And you will dance and [C] then
Let the [Bb] wild rumpus be-[F]gin.
But I will love you [C] best of all
When [Bb] you come home [F] again.

And darling, when the goblins come,
And no one seems to care,
Climb out your bedroom window
Into outside over there.
Bring your horn, and play a jig,
And charm them with a song.
They’ll set you free, and you will soon be
Home where you belong.

And you will dance and then,
Let the wild rumpus begin.
But I will love you best of all,
When you come home again.

[C] And if you fall into the [F] Night Kitchen,
[C] Just fly your plane up to the [F] Milky Way.
[C] Our world is full of dark and [F] strange visions,
But I [C] know that you will find a [A] way.

And when the moon is in a fit,
And you are in the dumps,
Lost in the rye with one black eye,
And diamonds are all trumps.
I will come and buy you bread,
One loaf or maybe two.
And I will bring you up
Cause happy endings can come true.

And we will dance and then,
Let the wild rumpus begin.
And I will love you best of all
Until the very end.

Stay & Play: Homemade Books

Super simple Stay & Play. Before storytime, I assembled the books by folding three pieces of white paper in half and stapling a folded piece of colored paper around them to make a cover. For the Stay & Play, we put out markers, stickers, and dot markers for the kids to create their own books.

What are your favorite classic picture books? Please share them in the comments below.

Dinosaur Days: A Storytime for DiNovember

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This storytime theme was so much fun, with lots of opportunities for roaring and stomping!

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Fun, interactive picture book about a shy dinosaur who is easily frightened. The narrator suggests different ways to make him feel comfortable: saying “Hello” in different ways, and singing, “Happy Birthday!” Even the older kids in my Family Storytime enjoyed doing the different actions.

Dino Duckling by Alison Murray

Sweet story about a dinosaur who belongs to a family of ducklings. Mama Duck always says that differences don’t matter, and everyone belongs, but when it comes time for the ducks to fly south for the winter Dino is sure that he will have to stay behind. Luckily, the ducks find a way to keep everyone together.

I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! by Angela Dominguez

A lot of the caregivers at Outdoor Musical Storytime are native Spanish speakers, and they were very excited to see this bilingual book. A bilingual bird tries to help a Spanish-speaking dinosaur find food, but he doesn’t seem interested in eating anything but the bird himself. Luckily, the bird is able to persuade him to try cookies instead. This is a brilliant example of a bilingual book, because the bird is essentially translating the Spanish words for anyone who doesn’t already know them.

Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

We gave out egg shakers before I read this one, and the kids played them along with the repeated “Love My Doggy Ice Cream” song. Groovy Joe is excited to enjoy some ice cream, but keeps getting interrupted by hungry dinosaurs. But, as Joe says, “It’s awesome to share!”

Songs:

Can You Name the Dinosaur?

For this song, I printed out pictures of different types of dinosaurs (stegosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and velociraptor) and put them in a bag. Each time I sang the song, I’d hold up a dinosaur and the kids would call out the name.

To the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Can you name the dinosaur,
The dinosaur, the dinosaur?
Can you name the dinosaur
I have here in my hand?

I Found a Little Egg

For this one, I printed out small pictures of animals that hatch from eggs (a baby bird, a snake, and a dinosaur) and put them inside plastic eggs. I had the kids pretend to hold an egg in their hands. Each time we sang the song, I would ask them to guess what animal was inside, and then crack it open.

To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot.

I found a little egg out on the ground,
I kept it warm and safe and sound.
I waited and I watched my egg with pride.
Can you guess who was inside?

The Dinosaurs March Up and Down

We sang this one with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. It’s to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

The dinosaurs march up and down,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The dinosaurs march up and down,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The dinosaurs march up and down,
They stomp their feet upon the ground,
And we all roar loud
When the dinosaurs march around!

Two Little Blue Birds

We sang this with play scarves for Family Storytime after reading I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre!

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

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

We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. Always a hit!

[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!

Stay & Play: Duplo-Painted Dinosaurs

I found this fun process-art activity on stayathomeeducator.com. Before storytime, I printed a couple of different dinosaur templates and cut them out. For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper templates, some blank paper to put underneath the templates while the kids were stamping, small paper plates with different colors of tempera paint, and duplo blocks. The kids had a great time dipping the duplos into the paint and stamping them onto the dinosaurs.

We also put out two Snap Dino sets for kids to play with, and they were a big hit!

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

Going Batty: A Storytime for Bat Appreciation Month

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October is Bat Appreciation Month, so I was excited to devote a couple of storytimes to celebrating bats.

I started by sharing photos of three different kinds of bats: two that are common in the Bay Area (the Mexican free-tailed bat and the large brown bat), and one that families can visit at the Oakland Zoo (the Malayan flying fox, a large fruit bat). I talked a little bit about how bats eat a lot of the bugs that we don’t like, including lots of mosquitoes, but that some of them eat fruit, and some even drink blood (although they are small, and rarely target people).

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Superbat by Matt Carr

Funny story about a bat who makes himself a costume in order to become Superbat. The problem is that all of the superpowers he has (amazing hearing, the ability to fly, and echolocation) are things that all of his other bat friends can do too. He is about to give up his dream, when his bravery helps him save a family of mice. The kids enjoyed yelling, “Superbat!”

Mr. Bat Wants a Hat by Kitty Black; illustrated by Laura Wood

A cute, colorful picture book about a bat who decides he would like a hat. He takes an especially nice one from a baby, who gets understandably upset. Eventually he feels bad and returns the hat, and is thrilled to receive a pair of socks in return. I had the kids make “Wah!” sounds along with the baby.

I Am Bat by Morag Hood

This is such a simple book, but I really enjoy reading it aloud in my super squeaky “bat voice.” Bat talks about his love for cherries, and is greatly upset when some of them disappear. Luckily, a pear appears in their place. The kids enjoyed naming the different types of animals who are stealing the cherries.

Kit and Caboodle by Anna Pignataro

Sweet story about a witch named Kit, who rescues an injured bat named Caboodle. Her attempts to fix his wing with magic don’t work out, but she cares for him until he recovers, and eventually he ends up rescuing her in return.

Fiona, the Fruit Bat by Dan Riskin; illustrated by Rachel Quiqi

Full disclosure: I was planning to read this one for Family Storytime, but we ran out of time. I think it’s a great book for describing how echolocation works, through a simple story about a young bat flying alone in the dark for the first time.

Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat by Tracy C. Gold, illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

Adorable rhyming Halloween book full of facts about bats. The kids enjoyed making “Eww!” sounds whenever the book described all the yummy bugs the bat is excited to eat.

Songs:

I’m A Bitty Bitty Bat by Stephanie Leavell

I really like this bat-themed movement song, and the kids enjoyed flying around like bats as we sang it. You can add in your own motions.

I’m a [Am] bitty, bitty bat,
A [Dm] bitty, bitty [Am] bat.
[Dm] Flying a-[Am]round,
I’m a [E7] bitty, bitty [Am] bat.

I’m a [Am] great big bat,
A [Dm] great big [Am] bat.
[Dm] Flying a-[Am]round,
I’m a [E7] great big [Am] bat.

Chorus:

I’m [Dm] flying, I’m [Am] flying.
I’m a [E7] bitty, bitty, bitty, bitty bat.
I’m [Dm] flying, I’m [Am] flying.
I’m a [E7] bitty, bitty, bitty, bitty [Am] bat.

I’m a balancing bat,
A balancing bat.
Flying around,
I’m a balancing bat.

Chorus:

I’m flying, I’m flying.
I’m a bitty, bitty, bitty, bitty bat.
I’m flying, I’m flying.
I’m a bitty, bitty, bitty, bitty bat.

I’m a bouncing bat…

The Bats in the Sky

We sang the first verse (below) with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, raising it up and down as we sang. For Family Storytime, I extended it into a longer song about Halloween, and asked the kids to suggest different things they might see on Halloween. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.

The bats in the sky fly up and down,
Up and down, Up and down.
The bats in the sky fly up and down,
All night long.

Halloween version:

The [C] bats in the sky fly up and down,
[G7] Up and down, [C] Up and down.
The [C] bats in the sky fly [G7] up and down,
On Hallo-[C]ween.

The witches in the house go, “Hee, hee, hee!
Hee, hee, hee! Hee, hee, hee!”
The witches in the house go, “Hee, hee, hee!”
On Halloween.

The ghosts in the house go, “Boo! Boo! Boo!”…

The children at the door say, “Trick or Treat!”…

Soooky Bats

We sang this variation of Scary Skeletons with the play scarves for Family Storytime. I had the kids take two scarves each, and wave them like bat wings.

We are spooky bats
Flying down the street,
Flying down the street,
Flying down the street.
We are spooky bats
Flying down the street.
We’ll scare you…BOO!

Apples and Bananas

We sang this as our instrument play-along, after reading I Am Bat. It’s a silly traditional camp song, but the kids love it, and it’s a great way to focus on the different vowel sounds. I usually change all of the vowels in each line (including the “I like to eat” part), which is different from the way they sing it in this Super Simple Songs video:

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)

Stay & Play: Sponge Painted Bat Pictures

I based this one on a craft from Tiny Teaching Shack. This was messy, but a fun way to give the kids a chance to try relief art, which is always a bit magical.

Before storytime, I printed lots of bat templates on white cardstock and cut them out (there’s a great collection of them here on OneLittleProject.com). For the Stay & Play, I put out black construction paper, the bat templates, removable restickable glue sticks, paper bowls with different colors of tempera paint, and sponge brushes. I showed the kids how to glue a bat or two onto their black paper ,and then paint the whole paper (including the bat) with the sponge brushes. They loved peeling the bat off at the end to see the shape appear in black in the middle of their painting.

Do you have favorite books or songs about bats? Please share them in the comments below.

Take Care: A Caregiver Appreciation Storytime

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This week, our libraries have been observing what we called “Caregiver Appreciation Week,” a celebration of everyone who cares for children in our communities: parents, grandparents, babysitters, nannies, daycare providers, teachers, etc. We have been using it as an opportunity to promote library cards to some of the adults who bring children to storytime, but also as a chance to say thank you.

Here’s what we did this week:

Books:

I Really Want to See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi

Simple, but adorable story about a little girl and her Grandma, who decide to visit each other at the same time, but keep missing each other. The kids at Family Storytime thought it was very funny.

Llama Llama Meets the Babysitter by Reed Duncan; illustrated by J. T. Morrow

Cute addition to the Llama Llama series created by Anna Dewdney. In this one, Llama Llama is upset to learn that he will have a babysitter when Mama Llama goes out for the evening. But the sitter turns out to be someone he knows from their local ice cream shop, and he ends up having a wonderful time.

Saturday by Oge Mora

I love this book so much, even though I usually get choked up at the ending. A little girl and her mother are so excited about their Saturday plans, but the library storytime is cancelled (the horror!), their new hairdos get ruined by a splash from a passing car, their picnic at the park is loud, and they forget the tickets to the puppet show. But they discover that the day is still special, just because they are together. The kids enjoyed the repeated “Zoom’s” and the deep breaths.

Oh, Daddy! by Bob Shea

This is one of my favorite Dad stories. A little hippo explains how he is so much smarter than his Dad, who can’t seem to do the simplest tasks. Like when he’s busy getting dressed (the illustrations show him sitting in front of the TV), his Dad asks him “Is this how you get dressed?” while wearing all of his clothes in the wrong places. Then the little hippo has to demonstrate the right way to get dressed. Even the preschoolers in my Outdoor Musical Storytime seemed to get the joke, or at least thought the Dad’s “mistakes” were very funny.

Songs:

Freight Train by Elizabeth Mitchell (Based on the original version by Elizabeth Cotten)

We sang this after reading I Really Want to See You, Grandma, and I asked the kids to suggest different places they would like to go.

[C] Freight train, Freight train [G7] going so fast.
[G7] Freight train, Freight train, [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.

With My Family

Based on a song I found on NoTimeForFlashcards.com. I asked the kids to suggest things they like to do with the caregivers in their life, and we sang about them. One little boy said he liked to run around with his “fun Daddy,” which was adorable!

To the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

[C] Tell me what you like to do,
You [F] like to do, you [G7] like to do.
[C] Tell me what you like to do,
[F] With your [G7] fami-[C]ly.

Ollie likes to run around,
Run around,
Run around.
Ollie likes to run around,
With his fun Daddy!

Love Somebody, Yes I Do!

We sang this song with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime, shaking the chute along with the rhythm and getting faster each time we sang it. The version I sing uses the tune in this Magical Musical Kingdom video, but we only sang the second verse.

Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody
And it’s YOU! YOU! YOU!

You Sing a Song by Ella Jenkins

We sang this with play scarves for Family Storytime.

[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
And [C] we’ll sing a [Dm] song toge-[G]ther.
[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
In [G] warm or [C] wintry [G] wea-[C]ther.

You’ll wave a scarf, and I’ll wave a scarf, and we’ll wave our scarves together…

You’ll peek-a-boo, and I’ll peek-a-boo… (put the scarf over your face, then pull it away)

You’ll throw a scarf, and I’ll throw a scarf…

Baby Shark by PinkFong

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

[C] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo do
[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: Beaded Keychains & Necklaces

For the Stay & Play, I thought it would be fun to have the kids make necklaces or keychains for their caregivers. We put out lacing strings and pony beads (a mix of colored beads and alphabet ones), along with scissors and keyrings.

I pre-tied some of the lacing strings onto keyrings and then taped the aglets (the ends of the strings) together, to make it easier for the kids. When they finished adding beads, I helped them tie a knot at the end to keep the beads on, and then cut the ends of the strings.

The kids LOVED the beading! One four-year-old was so into it that his grandmother was asking where she could buy pony beads. She had never seen him so focused on an activity before! Some kids made bracelets too.

Do you have any favorite books or songs about caregivers or families? Please share them in the comments below.

Without Missing a Beet: A Storytime About Vegetables

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September is National Fruits and Veggies Month, so I thought it might be fun to do a storytime about vegetables.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

How Are You Peeling? by Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers

This is an older title, but the adorable faces made from various fruits and vegetables always draw the kids in. The text is a rhyme about feelings. I also love the newer book Foodie Faces by Bill and Claire Wurtzel, although it features several other types of food (oatmeal, bagels, etc.). The kids love naming the foods in each picture.

Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell

Sweet, colorful, rhyming book about a family visiting their Grandpa on a rainy day, and having a great time picking a wide variety of vegetables from the garden to make his famous Rainbow Stew.

Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf

This one’s a bit longer than the ones I usually read, at least for Outdoor Musical Storytime, but it’s such a sweet story, and it held the kids’ interest in spite of the length. When Sophie picks out a butternut squash from the farmer’s market, it becomes her new best friend, until it begins to get mushy. The kids loved the ending.

Carrot and Pea: An Unlikely Friendship by Morag Hood

This is a very short, simple book, but even the older kids at Family Storytime enjoyed it. Even though Carrot looks nothing like Pea and his other pea friends, he has special qualities all his own that make him a wonderful friend.

Songs:

If You’re Happy And You Know It

We sang this after reading How Are You Peeling?

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

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

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

Popcorn Kernels

I usually sing this every week with play scarves for Family Storytime. This week, though, we sang it with a parachute in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime (we have a few different parachutes for outdoor or indoor use). I threw cotton balls on the parachute, and the kids LOVED watching them bounce around.

Popcorn kernels, Popcorn kernels,
In the pot, In the pot.
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em.
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em.
‘Till they pop! ‘Till they pop!

I Like to Eat Vegetables

This song was inspired by one in a list of vegetable songs from preschooleducation.com. I used the tune to Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. For each verse, I asked the kids to name a vegetable that they like, and we sang about them.

[C] I like to eat vegetables,
[G7] Vegetables, [C] vegetables.
I like to eat vegetables,
[G7] Each and every [C] day.

Ishan eats some onions,
Onions, onions,
Ishan eats some onions,
Each and every day.

Eat a Vegetable by Gary LaPow

We used to sing this song years ago in Musical Storytime, and I had forgotten how much fun it was!

Chorus:
[C] Eat a vegetable for [G7] dinner.
Eat a vegetable for [C] lunch.
Cut ‘em up and [F] cook ‘em in a pot,
And [C] eat ‘em [G7] by the [C] bunch!

[C]Now a tomato’s red and [G7] juicy,
But be careful for your [C] shirt.
You’d better watch out on the [F] very first bite,
To-[C]matoes [G7] like to [C] squirt!

Chorus

Corn is bright and yellow.
You can eat it right on the cob.
Melt some butter along the top.
Look out! That corn is hot!

Chorus

Now a carrot can be soft,
When you cook it in a stew.
But if you eat a carrot raw my friend,
You better chew and chew and chew and chew and chew and chew and chew!

Stay & Play: Painting with Vegetables

One of the simplest Stay & Play activities I’ve ever done. Basically, the idea was just to provide vegetables (celery and asparagus) and plates of tempera paint and let the kids use the veggies as brushes. The only problem: I somehow forgot to bring white paper to the park for Outdoor Musical Storytime! Oops! Luckily, I had brought a stack of paper plates to put the paint out on, and miraculously we had enough for each child to paint the back of a plate. They had a wonderful time.

A caveat about this project: I know there’s considerable debate about using food in art activities (and sometimes policies prohibiting it) because of food insecurity that may be impacting local families, and also the risk of appearing to encourage food waste. For that reason, I don’t often use it. But since this storytime was intended as a celebration of vegetables (which often get a bad rap among children), I wanted the kids to have the opportunity to explore them in a fun, hands-on way, which hopefully might make them more inclined to try eating something like asparagus. I think if I do this theme again, though, I might bring something like carrots with the greens still attached, so the kids can see how they grow, and then do a project (like painting or leaf rubbings) with the parts of the plant that we don’t usually eat. I really wish we could serve snacks, because it would be really fun to have kids “paint” paper plates with something like a veggie dip and then eat the brushes.

Do you have any favorite books or songs about vegetables? Please share them in the comments below.

Chicken-Hearted: A Storytime for National Chicken Month

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At our libraries, we just learned that September is National Chicken Month, which has led to some adorable “book book book” displays. It made for a fun storytime theme this week too.

Here is what we did:

Books:

Chicken Story Time by Sandy Asher; illustrated by Mark Fearing

Just like the title says, this book is about chickens coming to storytime at the library. At first there is only one, but then more and more chickens come every week, until there is too much clucking and noise for the librarian to be heard. But she finds a solution that works for everyone: having the children each read to a small group of chickens. The kids loved making chicken noises.

Chicken in Space by Adam Lehrhaupt; illustrated by Shahar Kober

Very cute story about a chicken who wants to go into space with her friends, but only Pig will go with her. The two fly in a basket carried by balloons, and encounter an asteroid (a baseball), a comet (kite), and birds (alien space ships).

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman

Cute, simple story about a flock of chickens who rushes to the rescue each time a member of the Greenstalk family runs into trouble: dropping a watch in well, feeling too tired to make dinner, or needing help with a last minute book report. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Chickens to the Rescue!” line.

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

This is a great book for storytime because the kids can join in on the actions. Three cows declare that it is time to jump up and down on Chicken’s sofa. When Chicken objects, they decide it’s time to dance, and then wiggle on his sofa instead, and eventually, to nap.

Songs:

I Bought Me a Rooster

I love this cumulative traditional song because the kids can suggest a new animal and animal sound for each verse, and it gets longer and longer each time. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, they suggested a dog, a cow, a crocodile, a goat, and a duck.

[C] I bought me a rooster and the rooster pleased me
I fed my rooster on the [G7] bayberry tree
[C] My little rooster goes, [F] “Cock-a-doodle doo!
Dee [C] Doodle, Dee [F] Doodle, Dee [G7] Doodle, Dee [C] Doo!”

[C] I bought me a dog and the dog pleased me
I fed my dog on the [G7] bayberry tree
[C] My little dog goes, [F] “Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!”
[C] My little rooster goes, [F] “Cock-a-doodle doo!
Dee [C] Doodle, Dee [F] Doodle, Dee [G7] Doodle, Dee [C] Doo!”

I bought me a cow and the cow pleased me…etc.

The Chicken Dance by Werner Thomas

I’ve never done this before, but for this song, I brought a bluetooth speaker and connected it to my phone to play a recording. The kids loved doing the motions in the main part of the song (as seen in the YouTube video below), and then doing their own dance in the parts in between. We danced with play scarves at Family Storytime.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

We do this song with the parachute every week in Outdoor Musical Storytime, but this week it fit perfectly with the book Chicken in Space. I put a chicken puppet on the parachute so the kids could make it fly in the air. We sang it with play scarves at Family Storytime.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Blast-off!

Shaky Egg Song by Laurie Berkner

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

[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: Paper Plate Chickens

I got this idea from AllFreeKidsCrafts.Com , although I used paper plates instead of paper circles. I mostly wanted it to be an opportunity for kids to practice cutting, so I brought a variety of scissors, including different sizes of loop scissors, which can be easier for little hands.

Before the storytime, I had cut out paper hearts and triangles for the crown and beak. For the Stay & Play, I put out the scissors, glue sticks, paper plates, googly eyes, and paper shapes. The kids enjoyed exploring the scissors, and also putting a variety of googly eyes on their chickens.

Do you have any favorite books or songs about chickens? Please share them in the comments below.

The Cat’s Meow: A Storytime About Cats

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I just learned that September is Happy Cat Month, so it seemed like the perfect time to share some of my favorite cat books and songs at our storytimes this week.

I started by teaching the kids the ASL signs for Happy and Cat. Here’s are the books and songs we used:

Books:

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin; illustrated by James Dean

This is the original Pete the Cat story, which is still my favorite. The kids got excited as soon as I held up the book. Pete loves his white shoes so much, he sings a song about them, and still loves them even when he steps in things that make them change color. Always a hit!

Kat Writes a Song by Greg Foley

I love this sweet story about a cat who writes an “Amazing Song to Make Things Better.” At first, singing the song seems to make magical things happen (the sun comes out, Dog doesn’t bark at her, and Turtle finds his missing sock), but it doesn’t solve every problem, and she begins to doubt her song. But then her friend Bird shows her that the song really does make everything better. The kids loved singing the little song (all “meow’s”) along with the story.

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman

Adorable story about a dog who just can’t keep herself from howling with excitement and frightening the three new kittens her owner just brought home. Finally, she feels so badly that she lies down in her bed and goes to sleep. When she wakes up, she finds the kittens curled up on top of her. The kids had a great time joining in on all the howling parts.

No Fuzzball! by Isabella Kung

Hilarious story about a cat who is convinced her name is “NoFuzzball!” because that’s what her family always calls her. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “NoFuzzball!” parts.

Songs & Rhymes:

Do You See the Color Red

We sang this song to go along with Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. This song always gets the kids excited, as they look around the room pointing to things that match each color. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Do you [C] see the color red,
The [F] color red, the [G7] color red?
Do you [C] see the color red,
[F] Right here [G7] in this [C] room?

Do you see the color blue… etc.

I Have a Cat

I usually have the kids echo each line of this rhyme as I say it. They especially like the part where they get to pretend to catch a rat.

I have a cat (pet imaginary cat).
My cat lies flat (put one hand flat on top of the other).
I have a cat (pet imaginary cat).
She wears a hat (pat the top of your head).
I have a cat (pet imaginary cat).
She caught a rat (grab imaginary rat).
I have a cat (pet imaginary cat).
Purr, Purr, MEOW!

You Sing a Song

We sang this song after reading Kat Writes a Song. We did it with the parachute and a cat stuffed animal for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and with the play scarves for Family Storytime.

[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
And [C] we’ll sing a [Dm] song toge-[G]ther.
[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
In [G] warm or [C] wintry [G] wea-[C]ther.

For Play Scarves

You’ll wave a scarf, and I’ll wave a scarf, and we’ll wave our scarves together…

You’ll peek-a-boo, and I’ll peek-a-boo… (put the scarf over your face, then pull it away)

You’ll throw a scarf, and I’ll throw a scarf…

For Parachutes

You shake the chute, and I’ll shake the chute, and we’ll shake the chute together…

You shake it fast, and I’ll shake it fast…

You lift it high, and I’ll lift it high…

The Cat Went Fiddle-I-Fee

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. I love the Sam Hinton version of this song (see below). It’s perfect for storytime, because you can ask the kids to suggest animals and sounds for each verse.

[G] I had a cat and the cat pleased me,
And I fed my cat under [D] yonder [G] tree.
And the cat went [D] fiddle-i-[G] fee.

I had a wolf and the wolf pleased me,
And I fed my wolf under yonder tree.
And the wolf went “Arrrrroooo!”
And the cat went fiddle-i-fee.

Stay & Play: Paper Cats

Before storytime, I printed and cut out blank cat templates from clipartbest.com and cut some small triangles out of pink adhesive foam to make noses (some kids used them for the ears, as in the picture above). For the Stay & Play, I put out the cat templates, markers, googly eyes, the pink foam triangles, markers, and crayons. The kids had fun sticking the eyes and noses on their cats, and decorating them with the markers and crayons.

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

My Summer Adventure: A Storytime About Summer

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This year, our library system decided to revamp our annual summer program. For the past several years, we called our program Summer Learning, and gave out reading logs that asked kids to fill in little bubbles each time they read for 20 minutes. This summer, we called our program My Summer Adventure instead. We gave out paper journals with five blank squares for participants to draw or write about different activities they tried over the summer: reading a new book, travelling to a new place, practicing a new skill, attending a library program, etc. The journal entries can be shared with library staff in person, or entered online (the kids get to keep the actual journal as a memento of what they did over the summer). Participants aged 0-18 who share their journal entries can earn up to three raffle tickets for a chance to win a $1,000 college scholarship or a County Parks pass. They can earn an additional raffle ticket by checking something out from the library on their own library card.

So far, the feedback on the new program has been positive, and it’s been nice having kids come in to describe their summer adventures. It has been a bit more challenging to explain the logistics of the program though, so my coworker Claire suggested that we have our storytime families work on their journal entries as one of our Stay & Play activities. So, this week, I decided to a do a storytime about different types of summer adventures, which mostly revolved around traveling. Here’s what we did.

Books:

Bearplane by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Sam Wedelich

This adorable rhyming book describes a little bear’s flight to a family reunion, covering all of the elements of the trip: packing, going to the airport, waiting in line, going through the metal detector, buying snacks, boarding the plane, sitting for a long time (without kicking the seat in front of you!), etc.

Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root; illustrated by Jill Barton

This is an older title, but I love it for the humor and all of the wonderful sound effects. On a hot summer day, a family tries to drive to the lake in their rattletrap car, but first they have a flat tire, and then pieces of the car fall off. Luckily, they have a solution for every problem, usually involving chocolate marshmallow fudge delight, which is apparently better than super glue!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera

I love this extended version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, which features lots of different animals and their sound effects. This book works well for a wide range of ages, and the kids love shouted out the names of each animal. We handed out egg shakers before we read it.

Songs:

The Airplane Song by Laurie Berkner

This is a really fun song, where the kids get to pretend to be airplanes flying and landing, with other actions in between. I asked the kids to suggest different places they’d like to go for each verse.

[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.

Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

We sang this with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and put some stuffed animals on top, so the kids could make them bounce up and down.

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Won’t you be my darling?

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon

We sang this with the play scarves in Family Storytime (I always do it with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime). The kids loved throwing them in the air.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Blast-off!

Freight Train

This is one of my all-time favorite songs, and it has an incredible back-story. The original version by Elizabeth Cotten is beautiful, but sad, so I use this kid-friendly version by Elizabeth Mitchell. I ask the kids for different destinations for each verse.

[C] Freight train, Freight train [G7] going so fast.
[G7] Freight train, Freight train, [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: My Summer Adventure Journals

For our Stay & Play activity, we handed out My Summer Adventure journals to each family, along with crayons and markers. We explained that they could draw or write about things they had done over the summer, including coming to storytime! Since the kids were mostly toddlers and preschoolers, the caregivers usually wrote descriptions and the kids drew or just colored in the box. I gave each family who completed a journal entry a raffle ticket to be entered into our end-of-summer raffle for a $1,000 college scholarship or a County park pass.

Happy end of summer! Does your library offer a summer program? Please tell me about it in the comments below.

Keeping Fit: A Storytime About Exercise

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Last week was National Exercise with Your Child Week, so I thought it would be fun to do a storytime about different types of exercise families could do together (yoga, dancing, playing catch, etc.). Here is what we did.

Books:

You Are a Lion: And Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun Yoo

There are a number of Yoga-themed picture books, but this one is my favorite. It asks the kids to try different poses, and then tells them which animal the pose is based on: lion, butterfly, dog, cat, etc. It’s a little tricky to demonstrate the pose while holding the book, but the kids loved calling out their guesses about the name of the pose.

Watch Me Throw the Ball by Mo Willems

Funny Elephant and Piggie story where Piggie tries to throw a ball. When it lands behind her, she thinks that she has thrown it all the way around the world, until Gerald tells her what really happened. My coworker Claire read the part of Piggie, and I read the part of Gerald.

Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig; illustrated by Marc Brown

Simple rhyming book that asks kids to guess what kind of animal has a particular kind of foot. My Family Storytime group was WILD because for many of them it was the evening after their first day of school, but this one caught their interest and helped them refocus.

The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Scott Magoon

Catchy musical story about Hazel Nut, whose family members are too busy to dance to her new song. Luckily, Grandma shows up to save the day. I gave out egg shakers before I read it, and the kids played along.

Songs:

Shoo, Fly!

We sang this one after reading You Are a Lion, and I had the kids suggest different animals they would like to be. For Family Storytime, I handed out the play scarves before we sang it, and we waved them in the air for the “Shoo Fly” parts. There are lots of different versions of this song, but the one I use is closest to the one in this video by Greg and Steve.

CHORUS:

Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me! (Wave hands or scarf as if shooing a fly)
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me!
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me,
I’ll tell you what I want to be.

I hop, I hop,
I hop like a kangaroo.
I hop, I hop,
I hop like a kangaroo.

CHORUS

I roar, I roar, I roar like a lion…

Elephants Have Wrinkles

We sang this after reading Dancing Feet. I asked the kids to suggest different body parts where elephants have wrinkles (on their foreheads, on their bottoms, etc.), and we added a new one each time.

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!

Throw the Bean Bag and Catch!

For Family Storytime, I handed out bean bags before we sang this song. The kids had fun tossing and catching them, and then trying to balance them on their heads.

Chorus:
Throw the bean bag and catch
Turn around, turn around, stamp, stamp, stamp
Throw the bean bag and catch
Turn around, turn around, stamp, stamp, stamp

Put it on your head and walk around the room
Put it on your head and walk around the room

Chorus:
Throw the bean bag and catch
Turn around, turn around, stamp, stamp, stamp
Throw the bean bag and catch
Turn around, turn around, stamp, stamp, stamp

When the Dogs Come Bouncing In

Fun variation of When The Saints Go Marching In. We sang it with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and I put three small dog stuffed animals on the parachute. The kids loved watching the dogs bounce up and down.

Oh, when the dogs go bouncing in,
Oh, when the dog go bouncing in,
Oh, how I want to be in that number,
When the dogs go bouncing in!

The Hokey Pokey

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

[C] You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in,
[G] And you shake it all about!
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all [C] about!

You put your left hand in…

Stay & Play: DIY Sock Bean Bags

There are lots of ways to make no-sew bean bags, both out of socks and even balloons. For our Stay & Play, I put out a variety of mini crew socks, along with a bowl of black beans, a paper cup for scooping, rubber bands for closing the socks, and washable markers for decorating.

The kids loved filling the toes of the socks with the beans! They needed a little help wrapping the rubber band around the sock when they were done, and then folding the top of the sock down over the filled part (you can also just tie the top of the sock closed). Then they decorated their socks with the markers. They all seemed really happy to have their own bean bags.

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