Tag Archives: toddler storytime

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.

Life Lessons: A Back to School Storytime

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Our local high schools started back this week, and the elementary and middle schools start next Wednesday, so I decided to do a school-theme for both Outdoor Musical and Family Storytime.

Here is what we did:

Books:

Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese and Juana Medina

This was a favorite book of my coworker, Angela, who just retired, and it was a big hit with my storytime families too. Lena is excited to start Kindergarten, but her favorite pair of shoes is too nervous to go! After talking to her father about the best way to convince her shoes to go to school, she finally warns them that she’s going to have to wear her slippers instead, and they decide to be brave after all.

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! by Jody Jensen Shaffer; illustrated Claire Messer

Our local school district can’t afford school buses, but the kids here are fascinated by them anyway (perhaps even more than in other places!). This is a cute story about Busy Bus getting ready for the first day of school, and worrying that the children won’t like him. There are lots of opportunities for kids to make sound effects as Ben the driver checks the different parts of the bus.

Hurry Kate, Or You’ll Be Late! by Janice N. Harrington; illustrated by Tiffany Rose

This is such a beautiful, sweet story about a little girl named Kate who is late for preschool. The book describes every step of Kate’s morning routine, from drinking a glass of chocolate milk, to having her Daddy brush her hair into big puffs, to going to the bus stop, riding the bus, and waiting at the crosswalk. Along the way she is excited to see emergency vehicles and construction equipment and point them out to her Daddy, but none of things made her late. She is late because her Daddy gives her a big, long hug at the doorway into preschool (I had to take a deep breath before reading the last page, so I wouldn’t get choked up!).

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

I read this one for Family Storytime, which tends to have slightly older kids. It’s one of my very favorites to read to elementary school classes: a hilarious story about a dinosaur named Penelope who can’t stop herself from eating the children in her class, even though her teacher always makes her spit them out again. But when the class goldfish, Walter, bites her finger, she realizes that it’s no fun to be eaten, and finally learns to make friends with her classmates instead.

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

We sang this to go along with Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous.

[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!”

The Wheels on the Bus

We sang this to go along with It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus. We did all of the usual verses (wipers, driver, horn, door, babies, etc.). I also included a dinosaur on the bus “Roar, Roar, Roar!” and ended by singing the first verse again, making our wheels (and the song) go as fast as we could. At Outdoor Musical Storytime, we followed it up by singing the “people on the bus go bumpity bump” with the parachute. It’s really easy to play on ukulele with the chords below:

[C] The wheels on the bus go round and round.
[G7] Round and round, [C] Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
[G7] All over [C] town.

This is the Way We Go to School

I adapted this from the Kiboomers version in the video below. We sang with play scarves in Family Storytime, using the scarves to mime the actions. It’s to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.

This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face, wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face,
Early in the morning.

This is the way we wash our hair…

This the way we wear our clothes…

This is the way we wave goodbye…

We Are Gonna Be Friends

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

[C] Fall is here, hear the yell,
[C] Back to school, ring the bell.
[F] Brand new shoes, walking blues,
[C] Climb the fence, books and pens.

[G7] I can tell that [F] we are gonna be [C]friends.
[G7] I can tell that [F] we are gonna be [C]friends.

[C] Walk with me, Suzy Lee,
[C] Through the park and by the tree.
[F] We will rest upon the ground,
[C] And look at all the bugs we found.
[G7] Safely walk to school [F] without a [C] sound.
[G7] Safely walk to school [F] without a [C] sound.

[C] Here we are, there’s no one else.
[C] We walk to school all by ourselves.
[F] There’s dirt on our uniforms,
[C] From chasing all the ants and worms.
[G7] We clean up and [F] now it’s time to  [C] learn.
[G7] We clean up and [F] now it’s time to [C] learn.

[C] Numbers, letters, learn to spell,
[C] Nouns and books, and show and tell.
[F] At playtime, we will throw the ball.
[C] Back to class, through the hall.
[G7] Teacher marks our [F] height against the [C] wall.
[G7] Teacher marks our [F] height against the [C] wall.

[F] And we don’t notice any [C] time pass
[F] We don’t notice any [C] thing
[D] We sit side by side in every class.
[F] Teacher thinks that I sound funny,
[G7] But she likes the way you sing.

[C] Tonight I’ll dream while I’m in bed,
[C] When silly thoughts go through my head.
[F] About the bugs and alphabet,
[C] And when I wake tomorrow I’ll bet
That [G7] you and I will [F] walk together a-[C] gain.
Cause [G7] I can tell that [F] we are gonna be [C]friends.
[G7] I can tell that [F] we are gonna be [C]friends.
 

Stay & Play: Decorated Paper Lunch Bags

The kids had a great time with this simple activity, which you can really do with any kinds of decorating materials (markers, stickers, stamps, etc.) and paper lunch bags. I happened across a set of Ooly Double-Sided Stampable Markers recently, so for the Stay & Play, I put those out, along with some regular markers, animal stamps, ink pads, and gem stickers.

Do you have any favorite Back to School picture books or songs? Please share them in the comments below.

Let the Games Begin: A Storytime About the Olympics

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The Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games was held today in Paris, so this week for Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime, I focused on the Olympics and some of its featured sports.

I started out by describing the Olympics and some of the sports the kids might see if they watched it on TV: gymnastics, swimming, diving, cycling, running, etc.

Here are the books and songs that I did:

Books:

Curious George and the Summer Games based on the books by Margret & H.A. Rey

Cute story where George sees kids practicing various sports for an upcoming competition, and tries to join in. Although as usual, he gets in a bit of trouble, he ends up saving the day for a friend who gets stage fright during her gymnastics routine. A good overview of a variety of events like hurdles, the relay race, the long jump, and volleyball. I don’t usually read Curious George books because they tend to be too long for toddlers and preschoolers, but the older kids in my Family Storytime were excited that I was reading one.

Koala Lou by Mem Fox; illustrated by Pamela Lofts

Sweet story about a koala whose mother is too busy to remember to say “Koala Lou, I do love you!” the way she used to, so she decides to compete in and win the climbing competition in the Bush Olympics. She practices and practices, but comes in second instead of first. She is devastated, until her mother finds her and says she loves her and she always will. The kids loved joining in during the parts where the crowd cheers. I always get choked up at the end (an embarrassing occupational hazard!).

Dino Swimming by Lisa Wheeler

Cute, rhyming story about a dinosaur swimming competition. The kids enjoyed pointing out the different types of dinosaurs.

Bike On, Bear! by Cynthea Liu; illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Bear can do absolutely anything, except ride a bicycle. Finally, his mother sends him to the library, where he finds a book that describes the steps involved in learning to ride. He still struggles to get the hang of it until he sees a baby goat in need of a quick rescue, and finds he can ride after all. I love the shameless plug for the library. One of the parents remarked afterwards that you really can learn anything there.

Jubari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

This is such a sweet father and son story, and perfect for storytime because of its large illustrations. Jubari thinks he is ready to try the high dive at the pool, but keeps finding reasons not to climb the ladder. His Dad tells him that sometimes when he is afraid, he takes a deep breath, and finds that the fear turns into a feeling of surprise. Jubari is thrilled to find that it works! Several of the kids had read the book before, but they all seemed to enjoy it.

Songs:

Monkey See, and Monkey Do

We sang this after reading Curious George and the Summer Games. I had a volunteer who mimed the motions with a monkey puppet, and we asked the kids to suggest other motions for the monkey to 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: jumping up and down; making a funny face; turning yourself around, etc. I usually end with “When you sit back on the ground…”

Skidamarink A Dink A Dink

We sang this after reading Koala Lou.  I went over the sign language for “I Love You” before we sang 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.

We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Dino-Swimming. It’s always a hit!

[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] 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 dinosaurs [C] 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 dinosaurs [C] 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!

The Bears Are Jumping Up and Down

We did this with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I put little plastic bear counters on the parachute. The kids loved watching them fly around. I was a little worried in retrospect that they might hurt if they hit someone though, so I think if I do it again, I will use teddy bears instead.

The bears are jumping up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The bears are jumping up and down,
At the Olympics today.

The bears are running all around,
All around, all around.
The bears are running all around,
At the Olympics today.

Jump Up by Dan Zanes

This is such a happy song! Years ago, my old manager, Thom Ball, and two volunteers and I recorded an album of Musical Storytime songs that we gave away to our storytime families, and Dan Zane kindly gave us permission to include this one. For my storytimes this week, we did it as our instrument play-along at the end. The kids loved jumping up and down as we sang.

[C] Jump up day is breaking
[G7] Jump up let’s get shaking
[C] I know you’re lying down
[F] Jump up and we’ll dance a-[C]round

Jump up bells are ringing
And i hear friends are singing
Oh yea, it’s a crazy sound
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Jump up stand on your tip toes
Reach out grab a rainbow
Turn it upside down
Jump up and we’ll dance it around

Jump up clouds are passing
Look up the sky is laughing
I know we’ll be laughing too
Jump up I want to dance with you

Jump up you know i love you
That’s right i love love love you
A new day is shining down
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Stay & Play: Paper Gold Medals

This was a quick and easy Stay & Play activity. Before storytime, I cut circles out of yellow paper and punched a hole in each one. I also cut pieces of red nylon cord roughly 24″ long.

For the Stay & Play, I put out the circles, cut pieces of cord, and markers. I told the kids they could make themselves a medal for whatever activity they would like to win a medal in: running, eating ice cream, etc.

Do you have any favorite books about the Olympics or Olympic sports? Please share them in the comments below.

Give and Take: A Storytime About Gifts

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

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen

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

Malina’s Jam by Svetla Radivoeva

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

Thank You, Bear by Greg Foley

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

Harold Loves His Woolly Hat by Vern Kousky

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

Songs:

Peanut Butter & Jelly

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

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

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

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

Two Little Blackbirds

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

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both thumbs)
One named Jack, and the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack! (Put one thumb behind your back)
Fly away, Jill! (Put the other thumb behind your back)
Come back, Jack! (Bring the first thumb out in front).
Come back, Jill! (Bring the second thumb out in the front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud,
One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”)
Fly away, Quiet!
Fly away, Loud!
Come back, Quiet!
Come back, Loud!

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

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

Hickory Dickory Dock

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with the parachute, and put a mouse puppet on top. Here’s a video from The Learning Station with the tune.

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The mouse ran down (run fingers down arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

This Little Light of Mine

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

[C] This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
[F] This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it [C] shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it [Am] shine,
Let it [C] shine, let it [G] shine, let it [C] shine.

Gonna spread some kindness ’round the world. I’m gonna let it shine…

Won’t let anyone (pff!) it out, I’m gonna let it shine…

Stay & Play: Beaded Bracelets

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

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

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

Here There Be Dragons: A Storytime About Dragons

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This week, we celebrated Dragons in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime. Here are the books and songs we did:

Books:

Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng; illustrated by Dan Santat

A proud dragon brags about the strength and bravery of his kind, but every time he roars, he sneezes. Luckily, his friend Phoenix is there to help him feel better. The kids LOVED joining in on the repeated “ROAR-Choo’s!” This was my first time using this book for storytime, but it definitely won’t be the last.

Wishing for a Dragon by Becky Cameron

Sweet, imaginative story about three friends off on an adventure in a magical hot air balloon. They visit a pirate ship and a jungle before their balloon crashes. Luckily, they are rescued by a dragon, who carries them back home.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Such a beautiful and endearing book about a brave little owl who longs to be a knight. When a gigantic dragon threatens him while he is on Knight Night Watch, Owl saves the day with pizza, and makes a bunch of new friends.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

This one was a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Storytime group, but I read it at Family Storytime, where many of the older kids were already familiar with it. It’s a funny book about the hazards of feeding spicy salsa to dragons. It was especially fitting for our town, which is famous for its Taco Bell on the beach.

Songs:

Silly Pizza Song

This song by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman from her Signing Time series is one of my absolute favorites. We sang this one after reading Knight Owl, since it talks a lot about pizza. I taught the kids the sign for pizza (there are a lot of different variations in ASL, but I use the one she demonstrates in the video with the double Z) and the sign for cheese, and then I ask them for topping suggestions. The kids suggested dough, sauce, pepperoni, herbs, and anchovies.

I like pepperoni on my pizza.
I like pepperoni pizza, please.
Put the pepperoni on my pizza,
Don’t forget the extra cheese.

I like olives on my pizza,
I like olive pizza, please.
Put the olives on the pepperoni,
Put the pepperoni on my pizza,
Don’t forget the extra cheese.

I’m a Little Dragon

I found this adaptation of I’m a Little Teapot on LaptimeSongs.com

I’m a little dragon, strong and stout.
Here is my tail and here is my snout.
If I get upset, you better watch out!
I’ll roar, and shout, and stomp about.

Flying Up and Down on My Little Green Dragon

For our parachute song at Outdoor Musical Storytime, I adapted the Raffi song Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon. We lifted the parachute up and down along with the words. For Family Storytime, we sang it with play scarves, which we waved around like flying dragons, and changed the words to “Flying All Around on My Magic Dragon.”

Flying up and down on my little green dragon,
Flying up and down on my little green dragon,
Flying up and down on my little green dragon,
Up…Up…Up…Up…DOWN!

Puff, the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. I skipped final verse because it is so sad.

Chorus
[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea,
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called Honah-[G7]Lee.
[C] Little Jackie [Em] Paper [F] loved that rascal [C] Puff.
And [F] brought him [C] strings and [Am] sealing wave and [D7] other [G7] fancy [C] stuff.

Chorus
[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea,
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called Honah-[G7]Lee.
[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea.
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called [G7]Honah-[C]Lee.

[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea,
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called Honah-[G7]Lee.
[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea.
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called [G7]Honah-[C]Lee.

Chorus
[C] Together they would [Em] travel, [F] on a boat with billowed [C] sails.
[F] Jackie kept a [C] lookout[Am] perched on [D7] Puff’s gigantic [G7] tail.
[C] Noble kings and [Em]princes [F] would bow where ere they [C] came.
[F] Pirate ships would [C] lower their [Am] flags when [D7] Puff roared [G7]out his [C] name.

[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea,
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called Honah-[G7]Lee.
[C] Puff, the magic [Em] dragon [F] lived by the [C] sea.
And [F] frolicked in the [C] autumn [Am] mist in a [D7] land called [G7]Honah-[C]Lee.

Stay & Play: Dragon Masks

This was a really simple Stay & Play, but a big hit with the kids. Before storytime, I printed out these paper mask templates from Ruffles and Rain Boots, and cut them out (with a lot of help from my coworkers!). For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper masks, along with Scotch tape, markers, and popsicle sticks (the wide kind). The kids enjoyed coloring their masks, then taping them to the popsicle sticks, and pretending to be dragons.

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

This Land Is Your Land: A Storytime for the Fourth of July

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The Fourth of July is this Thursday, but since there aren’t very many Fourth of July picture books that work well for my storytime audience, I decided to focus on the theme of birthdays instead.

I started by asking the kids what happens on the Fourth of July. Several kids shouted “fireworks!” which is definitely the most memorable part of the holiday in our town. I also asked what the Fourth of July means, and talked about how it is the birthday of our country. Then I asked the kids which country we live in. Most of them shouted out Pacifica (our town), or California, but we got there eventually.

Here are the books and songs that we did:

Books:

A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas

This is one of my favorite birthday-themed books, because it always gets big laughs. Mouse and Pig are making a birthday cake for Cow, but Duck wants to add a turnip to the recipe. They are surprised and dismayed when Cow arrives, and is very excited to see the turnip. We all sang Happy Birthday to Cow at the end.

Don’t Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup

Fun, interactive story about a group of animals trying to avoid waking up a sleeping tiger. The text asks the reader to help by petting the tiger’s nose (I had the kids mime this in the air), blowing air to move a balloon, and singing a lullaby (we sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star). In the end, the stork accidentally pops a balloon (I had the kids clap their hands), and the tiger wakes up just in time for her surprise birthday party.

Shy Willow by Cat Min

Sweet story about a shy rabbit who goes on an adventure to deliver a letter to the moon from a boy who has a special request for his mother’s birthday. It’s a longer book than I usually read, but it worked perfectly for the older kiddos who came to Family Storytime.

Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer

Not a birthday book, but a good one for the Fourth of July, because it talks about fireworks, and the color scheme throughout the book is red, white, and blue. Olivia the Pig wants to have a band for the fireworks show, but no one in her family wants to help, so she makes her own band. The book is full of funny moments, and features a beautiful fireworks display at the end. I gave out egg shakers and other instruments before I read it, and had the kids make lots of noise on the pages where Olivia is performing. The parents got a kick out the ending, when Olivia dreams she is a member of the Supreme Court.

Songs & Rhymes:

Ten Candles on a Birthday Cake

We did this fingerplay rhyme after reading 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, all the way up to seven. I usually make a joke about doing my age, but then say I don’t have enough fingers.

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)

Boom, Boom, Boom!

I was struggling to come up with a parachute song for my Outdoor Musical Storytime to fit with the Fourth of July, but then had the idea of adapting our usual Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon song (here’s a YouTube video from JingleJam with the tune, in case you aren’t familiar with it). We sang it through once, and then I threw several small pom-poms on the parachute, so they would dance around on the parachute as we waved it up and down. For Family Storytime, we did the same song with play scarves, and threw them into the air.

Boom, Boom, Boom!
The fireworks go Boom!
Boom, Boom, Boom!
The fireworks go Boom!
Green and yellow, blue and red,
Colors bursting over head!
Boom, Boom, Boom!
The fireworks go Boom!

This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie

We did this one for our instrument play-along at the end. 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: Colored Sand Fireworks

I was originally going to do this craft with glitter, but I was worried about leaving a lot of glitter behind at the park. I considered using biodegradable glitter, but then realized I could get a similar effect from colored sand. So, before the storytime, I mixed some white play sand with different colors of food coloring in large Ziploc bags. For the Stay & Play, I put out black construction paper, glue sticks, and the different colored sand in paper bowls. The kids had a great time making patterns on the paper with glue, and then sprinkling the sand on top.

What are your favorite books or songs for the Fourth of July? Please share them in the comments below.

Fish Tales: A Storytime about Fish

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Last week, we did a Fish-themed storytime for both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime. Here are the books and songs that we did.

Books:

The Blobfish Book by Jessica Olien

This is such a great book for kids who love deep-sea fish. It reads like a nonfiction guide to creepy, toothy creatures like the anglerfish and viperfish (with real photographs), but the adorable cartoon blobfish keeps interrupting. When the book finally gets to the blobfish, it says it is considered the “ugliest animal.” The blobfish is devastated, until the other fish reassure him. It was a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd, so I didn’t try it there, but my Family Storytime group loved it.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Technically, this book only has a few fish in it, but it’s always such a big hit that I included it anyway. A giant squid is bragging about being the biggest thing in the ocean, until he gets eaten by a whale. But he manages to find the bright side. The kids enjoyed calling out the names of the different fish and other animals on each page.

Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway

Adorable, colorful story about a fidgety fish whose mother tells him to go out and swim until he gets tired, but to stay away from the big fish. Unfortunately, on his adventures, he stumbles across a dark cave that turns out to be the mouth of the big fish. The kids loved the part where the big fish burps him out.

Swallow the Leader by Danna Smith; illustrated by Kevin Sherry

A counting book, featuring a variety of different kinds of fish, who all get eaten one by one, and then burped out (again, the kids love anything with bodily functions!)

I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs

This book challenges readers to guess which sea creature is being depicted in this small circle on each page. It’s a simple book, but both the older and younger kids in both storytimes enjoyed calling out the answers.

Songs:

Slippery Fish

We sang this one with a fish, octopus, shark, and whale puppet. Lots of swimming schools around here use this song, and it’s always a big hit.

Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish,
Swimming in the water.
Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

She was eaten by an octopus, octopus,
Swimming in the water.
Octopus, Octopus,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

He was eaten by a great white shark,
Great white shark,
Swimming in the water,
Great white shark, Great white shark.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

She was eaten by a humongous whale,
Humongous whale,
Swimming in the water,
Humongous whale,
Humongous whale,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
BURP!! Pardon me!

The Goldfish Song by Laurie Berkner

We sang this one in Family Storytime. I gave out play scarves for the kids to swish around like fish.


[C] Lots of little fish were sleeping on a rock
In the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.
They lifted up their heads,
And they shook out their tails,
And they [G] said let’s go [C] swimming.

CHORUS
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming,
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired
That they [G] swam back to the [C] rock.
And they [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And when they woke up, they were a little bit dirty,
So they took a shower.
And they washed their [C] hair,
And they washed their [G] ears,
And they washed their tummies,
And they washed their very long fishy beards.
And they washed their [F] noses,
And they washed their [C] toeses,
And then they [G] said,
“Wait a minute, we’re fish!
We don’t take showers!”

CHORUS:
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming,
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired,
That they [G] came back to the [C] rock.
They [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And [C] when they woke up,
They decided to ride their bicycles.

So they rode to the [C] left,
And they rode to the [G] right,
And they rode all day,
And they rode all [C] night-night-night-night-night.
They rode down the [F] hill,
And then faster [C] still,
And then they said,
“Wait a minute, [G] we’re [C] fish!
We don’t ride bicycles!”

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired
That they [G] swam back to the [C] rock.
And they [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And when they woke up,
They decided to brush their teeth.

So they got out their tooth [C] brush
And their [G] toothpaste.
And they squeezed a little on,
They really liked the [C] taste.
Then they put it in their [F] mouth,
They brushed north and [C] south.
Ch-ka-ch! Ch-ka-ch! Ch-ka-ch!
And then [G] they said,
“Wait a minute, we’re fish!
We don’t brush our teeth!

CHORUS
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [F] o-[C]cean

1-2-3-4-5

Simple counting song that’s always fun.

1,2,3,4,5,
Once I caught a fish alive.
6,7,8,9,10,
Then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so!
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.

The Waves on the Ocean

We did this one with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and put a fish puppet on top to go up and down with the waves. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus:

The waves on the ocean go up and down,
Up and down, Up and down.
The waves on the ocean go up and down,
All day long!

Baby Shark

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

[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: Tissue Paper Painted Fish

This Stay & Play was a little messy, but the kids really enjoyed it. Before the storytime, I printed some blank fish templates on white paper, and cut out small pieces of colored tissue paper. For the Stay & Play, I put out the printed fish templates, the tissue paper pieces, paint brushes, and small cups of water. The kids had a good time decorating their fish with the tissue paper, and then painting over it with the water to make the colors bleed onto the paper.

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

Purple Prose: A Storytime About the Color Purple (and Indigo)

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I actually did this storytime a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t had a chance to post about it until now.

I’ve enjoyed doing this series of storytimes about the colors of the rainbow, but I admit I had a hard time deciding what to do about indigo. From everything I’ve read, indigo was included in the colors of the rainbow by Sir Isaac Newton because he attributed mystical significance to the number seven, and wanted there to be seven colors. But there are very few books (at least books that are simple enough for my storytime audience) about the color indigo. In the end, I talked a bit about the color at the beginning of my purple storytime, and then read the book Big Choo, which features a train with an indigo engine and a purple car.

Books:

Big Choo by Stephen Shaskan

Cute story about a little train who is determined to climb a big hill, with the encouragement of his father. The kids loved joining in on the train noises. As I mentioned in the intro, the engine of the train is indigo, but the book also features a purple train car, so it was provided a good way to show the difference between the two colors.

Purple Little Bird by Greg Foley

Adorable story about a little bird who paints everything purple, but isn’t completely happy with his house, so he goes on a journey to find the perfect home. The ending got a lot of laughs.

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold

Funny story about a goose whose new purple socks keep growing, and growing, becoming a scarf, then curtains, then a blanket, and more. The kids were really engaged by this one.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

I didn’t actually end up reading this because I had done it fairly recently, but I wanted to include it in my list since it’s such a classic (there’s also a movie adaptation coming out this fall). It was a favorite of my own kids when they were little, an imaginative story about a little boy whose drawings come to life. I especially love the part about the nine different kinds of pie.

Songs:

Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten

We sang this after reading Big Choo. I sing the adapted kids version by Elizabeth Mitchell, which is the one in the video below, although the original version is beautiful and has a fascinating back story. I usually ask the families to suggest places where they would like to go, and we sing a verse about each of those places.

[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] train I’m on,
So they [C] won’t know [G7] where I’ve [C] gone.

Going to Mexico, going so fast!
Going to Mexico, going so fast!
Please don’t tell what train I’m on,
So they won’t know where I’ve gone.

Two Little Purple Birds

We sang this after reading The Little Purple Bird, although it works well for any color (the original version is “Two Little Blackbirds”). We sang it with play scarves for Family Storytime.

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

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

The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

We did this as our instrument play-along, and it was a big hit! The original song features several key changes, but I sang the whole thing in C. I actually only sang the first couple of verses, and then repeated the chorus several times, but I included the full version below.

[C] Well, I saw the thing comin’ out of the sky,
It had [G] one long horn, [C] one big eye.
I commenced to shakin’ and I [F] said “ooh-eee!”,
It [G] looks like a purple people eater to [C] me.

CHORUS:
[C] It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] One-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
A [C] one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] Sure looks strange to [C] me.

[C] Well, he came down to earth, and he lit in a tree.
I said, [G] “Mr. Purple People Eater, [C] don’t eat me.”
I heard him say in a [F] voice so gruff:
“I [G] wouldn’t eat you cause you’re so [C] tough!”

CHORUS

I said, “Mr. Purple People Eater, what’s your line?”
He said, “It’s eatin’ purple people and it sure is fine.
But that’s not the reason that I came to land..
I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band.”

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
(We wear short shorts) Flyin’ purple people eater..
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground,
He started to rock, really rockin’ around.
It was a crazy ditty with a swingin’ tune..
Sing A bop bop-A-boppa-loppa-lim-bam-boom.

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
I like short shorts!..Flyin’ little people eater.
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he went on his way, and then what do ya know?
I saw him last night on a TV show.
He was blowing it out, a’really knockin’ ’em dead..
Playin’ rock and roll music through the horn in his head.

Stay & Play: Flower Petal Collage

I love doing activities with flowers. For Outdoor Storytime, I gathered a variety of flowers from my yard (lavender, nasturtiums, geraniums, etc.) and them out on the tables with some white cardstock and glue sticks. The kids had a great time exploring the different colors and textures, as they arranged them on their paper and glued them down.

For Family Storytime, which gets a smaller crowd, I did the same basic activity, but taped squares of contact paper onto the table. The kids stuck the flowers onto the sticky part of the contact paper, and then we helped them seal them in with another piece of contact paper on top.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the color purple (or indigo)? Please share them in the comments below.

Out of the Blue: A Storytime About the Color Blue

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This past week, I continued my rainbow color series of storytimes by focusing on the color blue. I started by asking the kids to suggest things that were blue. They enjoyed looking around and pointing at different things around them, including the sky, backpacks, blueberries, and blankets.

Here’s a combination of the books and songs I used for both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.

Books:

Becoming Blue by Ellen Tarlow and Julien Chung

Blue wants to be more like Red, who seems to be so much more exciting and impressive. But he doesn’t seem to be able to be anything other than Blue. Finally Red tells him stop copying her and be blue, and he discovers the joys of being himself. The kids really liked the bright, colorful illustrations.

Roo Knows Blue by Renée Treml

Cute rhyming book about a kangaroo who says he knows blue, but does he really? The kids enjoyed calling out the names of the correct colors.

Blue vs Yellow by Tom Sullivan

Blue and Yellow both think they are the best colors, until they discover that together they can make something entirely different. The kids had fun calling out the names of the blue, yellow, and green things in the pictures.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

I was thinking about this book recently, because it was one of my mother-in-law’s childhood favorites, and I wrote a song based on it for her for Mother’s Day. It’s a longer book than I usually read for storytime, but I decided to give it a try with my Family Storytime group, and they loved it. Such a sweet, classic story about a little girl and her mother, and a baby bear and his mother, who all get a big surprise while eating berries on Blueberry Hill.

Songs:

Peanut Butter & Jelly

I sang this one at Family Storytime to go along with Blueberries for Sal. I do a slightly different version of the one in the Super Simple Songs video below. I have the kids mime picking the peanuts and grapes (or whatever other fruit they suggest), mash them, spread them, and eat the sandwich. I usually pretend to have peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth at the end, and then we all mime pouring and drinking a glass of milk.

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

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

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

Shoo Fly

I did this song to go along with Roo Knows Blue. In Family Storytime, I passed out play scarves for the kids to wave on the chorus. I do this version of the song from Greg and Steve, and ask the kids to suggest different animals they would like to be.

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.


Oh, Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me.
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me!
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me,
I’ll tell you what I want to be.

I wiggle, I wiggle, I wiggle like a wiggling worm…

The Waves on the Ocean

We did this one with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and put a stuffed animal on top to go up and down with the waves. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus:

The waves on the ocean go up and down,
Up and down, Up and down.
The waves on the ocean go up and down,
All day long!

Baby Beluga by Raffi

This one was a bit of a stretch, but I used it for our instrument play-along because of the “deep blue sea” line. The kids always love it.

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: Glow Glue Painting

We happened to have a lot of blue glow-in-the-dark glue, along with other colors, left over from a STEAM program last summer, so I decided to use it for a very simple process art activity. For the Stay & Play, I put out paper plates with small quantities of different colors of glue, along with cotton swabs (Q-tips), and black construction paper. The kids had fun drawing with the glue on the paper, and were excited to take it home to see their paintings glow in the dark. My Family Storytime kids, who tend to be a bit order, had a great time mixing different colors of glue on the plates to make different colors.

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