Preschool Story Time Plan - Summer 2015

Not much has changed in my preschool story time for the summer session, except for a few songs and rhymes here or there. For a more detailed guide for why I made the choices I have for preschool story times, you can look at my Winter 2015 guide.

Themed elements, that change on a weekly basis, will be in BLUE.

Preschool Story Time:

1. Opening song + Bubbles: Jump and Fly by Laurie Berkner Band (Rocketship Run)

2. Calm Down Rhyme: Everybody Count

Everybody count to one, ONE, 

Story time has just begun.

Everybody count to two, ONE, TWO, 

Shake your shoulders, show your shoes.

Everybody count to three, ONE, TWO, THREE, 

Listen very carefully.

Everybody count to four, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,

And put your bottoms on the floor.

Source: Jbrary

3. Welcome and Guidelines

4. Themed: Letter of the Day

I have been using letter puzzles for preschool story time, similar to those used by Storytime Katie.

5. Calm Down

Point to the ceiling, point to the floor.
Point to the window, point to the door.
Point to your elbow, point to your knee.
Now sit down and point to me.

6. Themed: Book 1

7. Themed: Activity/Flannel

8. Movement Song: Can't Sit Still by Greg & Steve (Kids in Action)

9. Transition:

TAP, TAP, TAP your toes.
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP your hands.
Let's all twirl around,
And sit back down.
Source: This is my version of one I had done from Preschool Express last session.

10. Themed: Book 2

11. Themed: Flannel or Activity

12. Themed: Song, Activity, or Rhyme

13. Calm Down:

Stretch up to the ceiling,
Stretch to the door.
Stretch to the window,
And sit back on the floor.

14. Themed: Book 3 OR Puppet Show

15. Familiar Song: Rock-a-Bye Your Bear by The Wiggles

16. Book Display!  

Last session I had a fun rhyme to go along with pulling a satiny sheet off of the books that were on a cart. I have had difficulty with the kids being patient long enough for us to say the rhyme together (sometimes they start pulling the sheet off before I was ready). So lately I've just been having the kids count to three with me and we pull it off together.

Dinosaurs

This week our theme is DINOSAURS!! Rawr!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Dino Bites! - Algy Craig Hall

Dinosaur Parade - Shari Halpern

Dinosaur vs. Mommy - Bob Shea

How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe - Jane Yolen

Preschool Books:

Dino Bites! - Algy Craig Hall

Dinosaur Farm - Frann Preston-Gannon

Dinosaur vs. Mommy - Bob Shea

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - Mo Willems

I'm Sure I Saw a Dinosaur - Jeanne Willis

How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe - Jane Yolen

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

All Around the Swamp (Tune: "Wheels on the Bus")

The triceratop's horns went poke, poke, poke, (make horns on head)

Poke, poke, poke, Poke, poke, poke.

The triceratop's horns went poke, poke, poke,

All around the swamp.

Other verses:

Tyrannosaurus Rex went stomp, stomp, stomp (stomp feet)

The stegosaurus' tail went spike, spike, spike (put hands together in front of your body and swing them)

The big brontosaurus went munch, munch, munch (pretend to eat yummy leaves)

Source: Harris County Public Library

Song: We Are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner Band (Whaddaya Think of That?)

Five Dinosaurs:

One dinosaur went out to play,

On a bright and sunny day.

He had such enormous fun, 

He called for another dinosaur to come!

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Count up to 5 (or more!)

Source: Harris County Public Library

Toddler Story Time Plan - Summer 2015

This is the story time plan for Toddler story times this Summer of 2015. 

To reiterate from my earlier post (Toddler Story Time Plan - Winter 2015), I usually include between 15 to 18 elements in each story time. I only read two books per Toddler Story Time. My groups for Toddler Story Time can get rather large (50+, and occasionally up to 100), so my toddlers are too distracted to sit through long books or too many books. 

Themed elements, that change weekly, are in BLUE. Everything else is a static element that stays the same every week.

Toddler Story Time:

1. Opening Song: Everybody Clap Your Hands by We Kids Rock

2. Calm Down Rhyme: Everybody Count

Everybody count to one, ONE, 

Story time has just begun.

Everybody count to two, ONE, TWO, 

Shake your shoulders, show your shoes.

Everybody count to three, ONE, TWO, THREE, 

Listen very carefully.

Everybody count to four, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,

And put your bottoms on the floor.

Source: Jbrary

3. Welcome and Story Time Guidelines

4. Themed: Letter of the Day

Using sign language or drawing the letter with our "finger pencils"!

5. Stretch Song: Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

6. Calm Down: Roly Poly 

Roly poly, Roly poly

Up, up, up, Up, up, up.

Roly roly poly, Roly roly poly

Down, down, down. Down, down, down.

Roly poly, Roly poly

Out, out, out. Out, out, out.

Roly roly poly, Roly roly poly

In, in, in. In, in, in.

Roly poly, Roly poly,

Fast, fast, fast. Fast, fast, fast.

Roly roly poly, Roly roly poly,

Slow, slow, slow. Slow, slow, slow.

I always have parents and caregivers do this rhyme TWO times. The second time through, I add an extra verse to get the kids to sit down and get ready for our first book.

Roly poly, Roly poly,

Clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap.

Roly roly poly, Roly roly poly.

Sit, sit, sit. Sit, sit, sit.

Source: Jbrary 

*I created the last verse so I could have the Toddlers sit down the last time through in preparation for our first book we are reading together.

7. Themed: Book 1

8. Themed: Fingerplay/Flannel/Activity/Rhyme

9. Stretch Song: Run Baby Run by Caspar Babypants 

*I have shortened the song so that it ends after clapping. So we run, jump, spin (roll our hands), sing, and clap.

10. Transition: Eeney Meeney Miney Mo

Eeney Meeney Miney Mo, Let me hear your hands go

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

That was good, that was fine, Let me hear you one more time.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

Eeney Meeney Miney Mo, Let me hear your feet go

Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp. Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp.

That was good, that was fine, Let me hear you one more time.

Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp. Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp.

Eeney Meeney Miney Mo, Let me hear your mouths go

Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.

That was good, that was fine, Let's all sit down this time.

Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.

Source: Various Librarians and Library Assistants - everyone I know has their own version when they use it at story time.

11. Themed: Book 2

12. Themed: Activity/Song/Flannel

13. Themed: Activity/Counting/Flannel 

*If there is time, we do a second themed activity or flannel. Sometimes there is no time to do so.

14. Familiar Song: Rock-a-Bye Bear by The Wiggles

15. Closing

16. Goodbye Song + Bubbles: Jump and Fly by Laurie Berkner Band

Birds

Last week our theme was birds! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Who Hoots? - Katie Davis

A Book of Babies - Il Sung Na

Whose Chick Are You? - Nancy Tafuri

Early Bird - Toni Yuly

Preschool Books:

Who Hoots? - Katie Davis

Goodnight, Already! - Jory John

Swim, Duck, Swim! - Susan Lurie

A Book of Babies - Il Sung Na

Early Bird - Toni Yuly

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Little Ducks:

Five little ducks went out one day,

Over the hills and far away,

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack."

But only four little ducks came back.

Count down to none.

Sad mother duck went out one day,

Over the hills and far away,

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack!"

And all five little ducks came back.

Source: Traditional (memory)

Chickens in the Barnyard:

Down by the barnyard on a big straw bed,

Stood a little hen that was colored red.

Down by the barnyard, eating a snack,

Stood a little hen that was colored black.

Down by the barnyard by the farmer's well,

Stood a little hen that was colored yellow.

Down by the barnyard by the wagon for town,

Stood a little hen that was colored brown.

Down by the barnyard, near the farmer's shoes,

Stood a little hen that was colored blue.

Down by the barnyard, pecking at some beans,

Stood a little hen that was colored green.

Source: Half of the rhyme was from my flannel drawer. The other half I created based on what colored hens we had. 

Little Chick (hiding game):

Little chick, little chick, come out to play!

What color barn are you in today?

Source: One of my fabulous LA's! She made different colored barns for the little chick to hide behind. A spin-off of the little mouse in the house hiding game.

Two Little Blackbirds:

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,

One named Jack and the other named Jill.

Fly away Jack, Fly away Jill.

Come back Jack, Come back Jill.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,

One named Jack and the other named Jill.

Source: Traditional

Rabbits

The second week of Summer 2015, and our first full week back to storytimes, we did the theme of rabbits. 

Books:

Toddler Books:

A Lullaby for Little One - Dawn Casey

Me and You - Janet Holmes

Here Comes the Big, Mean, Dust Bunny! - Jan Thomas

Rhyming Dust Bunnies - Jan Thomas

Preschool Books:

A Lullaby for Little One - Dawn Casey

Wolfie the Bunny - Ame Dyckman

The Scariest Thing of All - Debi Gliori

Creepy Carrots! - Aaron Reynolds

Moon Rabbit - Natalie Russell

The Easter Bunny's Assistant - Jan Thomas

Rhyming Dust Bunnies - Jan Thomas

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Mr. Rabbit:

Oh, Mr. Rabbit, you've got a mighty habit,

Of running through my garden

And eating all of my ________.

Peas, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, etc.

Source: Flannel Drawer - we used this not too long ago and it was a major hit!

Five Little Rabbits:

One rabbit in the bathtub,

Going for a swim.

Knock, Knock (clap hands)

Splash, Splash (pat legs)

"Come on in!"

count up to 5...

Five rabbits in the bathtub,

Going for a swim.

Knock, Knock (clap hands)

Splash, Splash (pat legs)

"Come on in!"

Source: Jbrary (Five Elephants in the Bathtub)

*I substituted rabbits in for the elephants

Song: Baby Hop (Bunny Hop) - Diaper Gym

Lyrics:

Snuggle up together, babies in your lap,

Snuggle up together and clap, clap, clap.

Snuggle up together, don't you nap,

Snuggle up together and tap, tap, tap.

You're working out together, baby don't stop,

You're working out together now hop, hop, hop.

Snuggle up together, babies in your lap,

Snuggle up together and clap, clap, clap.

Snuggle up together, don't you nap,

Snuggle up together and tap, tap, tap.

Now our song is over, get ready to stop,

Now our song is over so hop, hop, hop.

Sleeping Bunnies (with the ukulele):

C                                      F                   C

See the bunnies sleeping, till it's nearly noon,

G                        C                 G                    C

Come and let us wake them, With a merry tune.

the next three lines: just strum each numbered string 

2     3      1      

Oh, how still. 

2     3      1

Are they ill? 

1         1   3

Wake up soon...

the next four lines: strum really fast!

C    

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!

C                           G              C

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!

G              C

Hop, hop, hop,

G              C

Hop, hop, hop!

Source: Miss Mary Liberry (for the song)

The Show Me Librarian (for the wonderful sheet music to accompany the song)

Directions -- Up and Down

We started our three-month-long summer session last week. Since May 1st was on a Friday, I only had to plan for a Toddler Storytime. Directions, as a theme, seemed a little abstract to attempt to teach my Toddlers (they are typically in the younger range of that age bracket), so we learned Up and Down.

Toddler Books:

Up, Down, and Around - Katherine Ayres

Where is Mortimer? - Karen Bryant-Mole

Guinea Pigs Far and Near - Kate Duke

Up and Down - Oliver Jeffers

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Waves at the Beach (Tune: "Wheels on the Bus"):

The waves at the beach go up and down,

Up and down, Up and down,

The waves at the beach go up and down,

All day long!

Other verses:

Clams at the beach will open and shut

Crabs at the beach crawl back and forth

Source: Preschool Education

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down - Raffi

Penny Pointers:

Penny pointers up and penny pointers down,

Penny pointers dancing all around the town.

Dancing on your shoulders, dancing on your head,

Dancing on your tummy, now put them to bed!

Repeat with:

Tommy Thumbs

Finger Families

Source: From a fellow librarian