Project: Storytime Cube

I have no idea where I first saw this particular idea, but I have been meaning to make a storytime cube at some point. Oh? You have no idea what a storytime cube is? Let me explain.

You take a square box. Any box will do but it can't be too large or too small, it needs to be just right. My box had graphics on it, so I covered each side with a square of construction paper. 

Then, I put a picture on each side of the box as a symbol of a storytime song or nursery rhyme. When I pull out the storytime cube at storytime, I will gently roll it. Whatever it lands on is the song we will sing at storytime that day for that activity. 

Songs on my cube:
1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
2. Wheels on the Bus
3. Two Little Blackbirds
4. Hokey Pokey
5. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
6. The Itsy, Bitsy Spider

Pictures of the final product:

  

Bears

Our last week of the fall session, we are learning about bears! Very appropriate since they're heading into their dens about to hibernate for the winter season.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Can You Growl Like a Bear? - John Butler

Make a Wish Bear - Greg Foley

Tiptoe Joe - Ginger Foglesong Gibson

Preschool Books:

Make a Wish Bear - Greg Foley

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats - Il Sung Na

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Wake Up Bear (Tune: "Where is Thumbkin?"):

Where is Bear? Where is Bear?

Here I am! Here I am!

How are you this Fall? Very tired, thank you.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep.

Source: Fellow librarian

*I used a puppet box with a cave cut-out taped to the front. We "woke" bear up several times to repeat the song. 

If You're a Bear and You Know It (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"):

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws,

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws,

If you're a black bear and you know it, and you really want to show it,

If you're a black bear and you know it, clap your paws!

Repeat with:

Polar Bear - Show your teeth

Brown Bear - Growl real loud

*I used puppets of the different types of bears with this particular song. I sat them up on the flannel board while we did each verse so they could judge our bear performances.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - Eric Carle 

*We have a flannel of this story in our flannel drawer. It makes a wonderful cumulative story that is easy for both Toddlers and Preschoolers to chant along with.

Zentangling - For School-Ager's

This week I also planned the program for the School-Age crowd. Since Zentangling is a thing with adults, and I was a HUGE doodler throughout school (I admit, I even doodled in my graduate classes...), I knew the kids would have fun! 

1. Discussion!
We discussed what Zentangling was. The simplest definition that I came up with, from all the Zentangling books and websites, is drawing repetitive patterns. 

2. Reading!
We read several seek-and-find books. I scanned images from "Yoo-Hoo Ladybug" by Mem Fox, "The Odd One Out" by Britta Teckentrup, and "Hide and Seek" by Taro Gomi. I put them on slides, read the blurbs about what to search for, and had the kids find the objects in the images. Then I circled them on the Powerpoint presentation and enlarged the image where each object or animal was hiding. 

3. Discussion Time!

We talked about why it was more difficult to find certain objects than others.

a. Repeating patterns within the picture

b. Similar objects on the page

c. Mixing patterns on the page

Then we discussed how patterns and puzzles affect our brain. I talked about how patterns and shapes help us identify objects in the world around us. Our brain likes order so it automatically groups similar objects and shapes together.

AND, puzzles that require us to find objects stretch our memory and concentration. So, to all the caregivers that think the I-Spy books aren't good for their kids, we have debunked that thought!

4. Nonfiction Read:

We "read" a nonfiction book to bring the discussion full circle: "What in the World: Fun-Tastic Photo Puzzles for Curious Minds" by National Geographic Kids. 

I also scanned several of the camouflage animal puzzles onto the slides for more seek-and-find puzzle games.

5. Discussion!

We talked about patterns in nature and why they're important. We discussed how patterns help camouflage animals in their environment, to help them blend into the background and protect them from predators.

6. CRAFT TIME!

And we, of course, Zentangled! I made a document that had easy patterns for the kids to use as reference. Then I printed half-sheets of various shapes (hearts, diamonds, stars, triangles, circles) for the kids to use to Zentangle in and around as a starting point. 

The kids had a great time and Zentangled for quite some time. I had slight concerns that the littlest ones would not be able to do the craft but they did great. Many of the kids did doodles that I cannot rival so, all-in-all, it was a success!

Food

Since there is a serious lack of really decent books that are appropriate for Toddlers and Preschoolers about Thanksgiving (especially ones that are culturally sensitive), we are learning about FOOD instead this week. 

Books:

Toddler Books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Apple Pie ABC - Alison Murray

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR - Don and Audrey Wood

Preschool Books:

Peanut Butter & Cupcake - Terry Border

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake - Laura Numeroff

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR - Don and Audrey Wood

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Alligator Pie:

Alligator, alligator, alligator pie (open/close hands in chomping motion),

If I don't get some, I think I'm gonna cry (pretend to cry),

You can take away the grass (wiggle fingers near ground),

You can take away the sky (move hands over head),

But don't take away my alligator pie! (chomping motion with hands)

Source: I learned this from a mentor librarian years ago but here's a similar version that has additional verses.

Five Big Strawberries:

Five big strawberries in a bowl,

One fell out and started to roll (roll arms),

Where did it go?

It hit my toe! (hit toe with strawberry),

How many strawberries left in the bowl?

1-2-3-4.

Repeat until: No more strawberries left in the bowl!

Source: Sunflower Storytime

Stir the Soup (Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"):

Stir, stir, stir the soup,

Stir it all day long.

Add some ____,

Take a taste (slurrrp),

Soup will make us strong! (flex arm muscles).

Repeat with different veggies.

Source: Jen in the Library



Update:
I'm a member of a Facebook group specifically for librarians that deliver storytimes for young library members, called Storytime Underground. One of the librarians recently posted about how there are not enough good picture books (and books in general) about American Indians, especially Thanksgiving books at this time of year. Diversity in books, especially children books, is a huge issue but one of the librarians shared a blog,  American Indians in Children's Literature, run by educator Debbie Reese. It has lists of books appropriate for certain age groups that are diverse, accurate, and well written.

Also, I've had the same thoughts as the people in this BuzzFeed video when I have read some of the books in my library about American Indians:

You

Last week we learned all about our bodies. Toddlers and Preschoolers love talking about themselves when they finally have enough words in their vocabulary to do so! And what a fun topic to talk about our body parts, do the hokey pokey, and learn all about YOU! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Happy in Our Skin - Fran Manushkin

We've All Got Bellybuttons - David Martin

Funny Face, Sunny Face - Sally Symes

Preschool Books:

Whose Nose and Toes? - John Butler

The Handiest Things in the World - Andrew Clements

Happy in Our Skin - Fran Manushkin

We've All Got Bellybuttons - David Martin

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Wake Up Feet:

Wake up feet, wake up feet, 

wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

Wake up feet, wake up feet,

Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Repeat with: Hands, Ears, Knees, Nose, etc.

Source: Jbrary

Song: I Have 10 Little Fingers

Hokey Pokey (for little ones):

You put your arms UP!

You put your arms DOWN!

You put your arms UP and you shake them all around!

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, 

And that's what it's all about!

Repeat with: Elbows, Shoulders, etc.

Source: Traditional (with a few tweaks to make it easier on the toddlers)

The Letter "M"

There are so many wonderful words that begin with the letter "M" so, instead of just choosing one, we learned about several different "M" words!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Lunch - Denise Fleming
Little Mouse - Alison Murray
What Will the Fat Cat Sit On? - Jan Thomas

Preschool Books:

Z is for Moose - Kelly Bingham
Lunch - Denise Fleming
Little Mouse - Alison Murray
What Will the Fat Cat Sit On? - Jan Thomas

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Hickory Dickory Dock:

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one *CLAP* the mouse ran down,

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck two *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "BOO",

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck three *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "Weeeeee!"

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck four *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "No more!"

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Source: Jbrary

Mouse Pokey (Tune: "Hokey Pokey"):
You put your whiskers in, you put your whiskers out,
You put your whiskers in, and you shake them all about.
You do the Mouse Pokey and you turn yourself about,
That's what it's all about!
Repeat with: your paws

Moose Pokey (Tune: "Hokey Pokey"):
You put your antlers in, you put your antlers out,
You put your antlers in, and you shake them all about.
You do the Moose Pokey and you turn yourself about,
That's what it's all about!
Repeat with: your hooves
Source: Harris County Public Library (with some changes)
*I interchanged these, depending on which animal I talked about at each storytime.

Little Mouse Hiding Game:
Little Mouse, Little Mouse
Are you behind the red house.
Repeat with different colored houses...
Source: Traditional flannel (from my flannel drawer)

Halloween

This year Halloween falls perfectly on a Saturday. We are having an extra special celebration for the holiday with costume parades and trick-or-treating in the library. So, we're pulling out all the fun (and not-too-scary) books and themed activities for Halloween this week!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins - James Dean

Just Say BOO! - Susan Hood

Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin - Mary Serfozo

Preschool Books:

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins - James Dean

Monster Trouble - Lane Fredrickson

Just Say BOO! - Susan Hood

Ghosts in the House - Kazuno Kohara

The Monsters' Monster - Patrick McDonnell

Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin - Mary Serfozo

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

My Little Pumpkin:

I've got a little red pumpkin, Cutest I've seen,

I hope my little red pumpkin turns orange for Halloween.

Source: Little Storybug

Mouse's Halloween House:

One day in the fall, a little gray mouse found a big orange house.

She nibbled a hole in the middle to make a door.

She nibbled two holes up near the top, to make two windows.

And then she nibbled a wide hole near the bottom, so that her children could run in and out.

Then she put a candle inside to light up the darkness.

The mouse's little house was a sight to be seen.

It was a Jack-O'-Lantern!

Happy Halloween!

Source: Jen in the Library

*One of my LA's made this flannel story and the audience LOVED it. The only tweak she made was to the candle bit. She, instead, made the "holes" double-sided. One side was black, the other side was neon yellow. We turned on the "light" (I turned around the flannel pieces on the front of pumpkin) to show the light glowing in the Jack-O'-Lantern.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, What Do you See?

Brown owl, brown owl, what do you see?

I see a yellow moon looking at me.

Yellow moon, yellow moon, what do you see?

I see a white ghost looking at me.

White ghost, white ghost, what do you see?

I see a purple bat looking at me.

Purple bat, purple bat, what do you see?

I see a black cat looking at me.

Black cat, black cat, what do you see?

I see a orange pumpkin looking at me.

Orange pumpkin, orange pumpkin, what do you see?

I see a Jack-O'-Lantern looking at me.

Source: Sturdy for Common Things

The Little Orange House by Jean Stangl (a cut-and-tell story):

Source: Highlights Magazine - The Little Orange House

*The source of this story is Jean Stangl but the text version that a fellow librarian shared with me is in the link provided. It is a VERY cool story to tell aloud and my audiences LOVED it. For the very small audience members, we changed the ghost to be a black cat and made a cute laminated little witch and cat to put on the storyboard when we told the story. 

Spiders

Since next week is Halloween, I wanted to get the fun started by having a creepy crawly storytime this week with a theme all about SPIDERS!!!

Books:

Toddler Books:

The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle

I Love Bugs - Emma Dodd

The Itsy, Bitsy Spider - Rebecca Emberley

Preschool Books:

The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle

I Love Bugs - Emma Dodd

Step Gently Out - Helen Frost

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

The Spider and the Bug (Tune: "Farmer in the Dell"):

The spider catches a fly,

The spider catches a fly,

Hi-ho the dairy-o,

The spider catches a fly.

Repeat with: 

Mosquito, Wasp, Moth, Flea, etc.

Source: Catch the Possibilities

On a Spiders Web:

One elephant went out to play,

Upon a spiders web one day.

He had such enormous fun,

He called for another elephant to come..."HEY ELEPHANT!"

count up 2, 3, 4, 5

Two alternate endings:

First ending:

Five elephants went out to play,

Upon a spiders web one day.

They had such enormous fun,

But there weren't any more elephants to come.

Second ending:

Five elephants went out to play,

Upon a spiders web one day.

The web went creak, the web went crack,

And five little elephants came running back!

Source: Storytime Katie OR A Room Without Books

Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Hap Palmer

Earth

We are learning all about Earth this week! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Bathtime Piggy Wiggy - Christyan and Diane Fox
Good Night, World - Willa Perlman
What the Sun Sees/What the Moon Sees - Nancy Tafuri

Preschool Books:

What in the World?: Numbers in Nature - Nancy Raines Day
Home - Carson Ellis
Bathtime Piggy Wiggy - Christyan and Diane Fox
The World is Waiting for YOU - Barbara Kerley
Good Night, World - Willa Perlman

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Source: Traditional

We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands (Tune: "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands") 

We've got the birds in the air, in our world,

We've got the birds in the air, in our world,

We've got the birds in the air, in our world,

We've got the birds in the air.

Other verses:

We've got alligators in the rivers, in our world

We've got fishes in the ocean, in our world

Source: Carol Simon Levin Program Palooza

*I used whatever puppets I had on hand for each verse. The sky is the limit on the amount of verses I could come up with for this one. I chose ones that they could also do actions for, though.

The Green Grass Grew All Around (traditional call-and-answer song):

There was a hole (there was a hole)

In the middle of the ground (in the middle of the ground)

The prettiest hole (the prettiest hole)

That you ever did see (that you ever did see)

Well, the hole in the ground,

And the green grass grew all around, all around,

And the green grass grew all around.

And in this hole (and in this hole)

There was a tree (there was a tree)

The prettiest tree (the prettiest tree)

That you ever did see (that you ever did see)

Well, the tree in the hole,

And the hole in the ground,

And the green grass grew all around, all around,

And the green grass grew all around.

And on this tree (and on this tree)

There was a branch (there was a branch)

The prettiest branch (the prettiest branch)

That you ever did see (that you ever did see)

Well, the branch on the tree,

And the tree in the hole,

And the hole in the ground,

And the green grass grew all around, all around,

And the green grass grew all around.

And on this branch (and on this branch)

There was a nest (there was a nest)

The prettiest nest (the prettiest nest)

That you ever did see (that you ever did see)

Well, the nest on the branch,

And the branch on the tree,

And the tree in the hole,

And the hole in the ground,

And the green grass grew all around, all around,

And the green grass grew all around.

And in this nest (and in this nest)

There was a bird (there was a bird)

The prettiest bird (the prettiest bird)

That you ever did see (that you ever did see)

Well, the bird in the nest,

And the nest on the branch,

And the branch on the tree,

And the tree in the hole,

And the hole in the ground,

And the green grass grew all around, all around,

And the green grass grew all around.

Source: Traditional 

(BUT if you want the entire song, Wikipedia has all of the verses. I shortened it considerably for storytime...and for my own sanity)

Home:
A nest is a home for a robin; (cup hands to form nest)
A hive is a home for a bee; (turn cupped hands over)
A hole is a home for rabbit; (make a hole with hands)
And a house is a home for me. (make roof with peaked hands)
Source: Perry Public Library

Autumn

As the weather starts to cool off [finally!], we are learning about Autumn this week!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Acorns Everywhere! - Kevin Sherry

The Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri

Pumpkin, Pumpkin - Jeanne Titherington 

Preschool Books:

Pumpkin Circle - George Levenson

Where Are My Books? - Debbie Ohi

Fall Mixed Up - Bob Raczka 

Acorns Everywhere! - Kevin Sherry

The Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri

Penguin and Pumpkin - Salina Yoon

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

The Squirrel and the Acorns:

Down around the corner by the big oak tree

Sat five little acorns as tasty as can be.

Along came a squirrel with a big bushy tail.

He took one acorn and ran off down the trail.

Count down 4, 3, 2, 1...

Source: One of my LA's found this rhyme but I changed the words slightly. 

*I used laminated acorns and squirrel puppet for this particular rhyme.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin:

Pumpkin, pumpkin, on the ground (touch ground)

How'd you get so big and round? (make a big circle)

Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)

Now you are a great big ball (make a big circle over head)

Pumpkin, pumpkin, on the ground (touch ground)

How'd you get so big and round? (make a big circle)

Source: Step By Step Child Care

*I also found a version from Jbrary that uses sign language.

Five Hoot Owls:

Five hoot owls, sitting in a tree.

One flew away!

Now how many do you see?

One, two, three, four...(continue to count down)

Source: Storytime Katie

Transportation

Trains, planes, and automobiles...our theme this week is Transportation! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Freight Train - Donald Crews

Yellow Copter - Kerston Hamilton

The Bus is for Us - Michael Rosen
Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle

Along a Long Road - Frank Viva

Preschool Books:

Yellow Copter - Kerston Hamilton

20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street - Mark Lee

The Bus is for Us - Michael Rosen

Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle
Down By the Station - Jennifer Riggs Vetter

Along a Long Road - Frank Viva

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

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 your rocket ship,

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we're going to the moon,

In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...BLAST OFF!!!

Source: Jbrary

*This is a storytime favorite for all ages so we have to do it several times!

Traffic Light (with sign language)

STOP says the red light, GO says the green,

Now just WAIT says the yellow in between.

That's what they say and that's what they mean,

We all must obey them, even the queen!

Source: Jbrary

*I also used sign language for "say", "mean", and "queen" but only taught the three in red to the storytime kids. 

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round, (roll arms)

Round and round, round and round,

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

All through the town.

Other verses:

The doors on the bus go open and shut (open and shut hands)

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (swish arms side to side)

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (make beeping motion with hands)

The people on the bus go up and down (get older kids to go up and down; for younger storytime kids have parents lift babies)

Source: Traditional

*This traditional song is SUPER easy to make extra/different verses for (and also change slightly to make it appropriate for babies or a baby storytime). 

Duck Behind the Truck

Little Duck, Little Duck,

Are you behind the red truck?

Source: One of my fabulous LA's made this particular hiding game but hiding games are a fun way for older kids to interact at storytime. 

Big and Little

This week we were overachievers and learned not one, but TWO, letters: "B" for Big and "L" for Little.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Big Bug - Henry Cole

Is It Big Or Is It Little? - Claudia Rueda

Big Bug, Little Bug - Paul Stickland

Preschool Books:

Big Bug - Henry Cole

You Are (Not) Small - Anna Kang

Tiny Little Fly - Michael Rosen

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Big, Bigger, Biggest Flannel:

A little _____, a bigger ____, a great big _____ I see.

Now help me count them, 1, 2, 3.

Source: Storytime Katie

*One of my lovely LA's made a laminated flannel of three different animals in 3 sizes: Owls, Elephants, and Zebras

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down by Raffi

Little Mouse Hiding Game

Little mouse, little mouse, are you behind the red house.

Source: Traditional

*We have 6 different colored houses to hide our mouse behind.

Weather

This week our theme was Weather. I had to make some slight adjustments to my original plan because of my broken foot, but otherwise everything went according to plan!

Books:

Toddler Books:

The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book - Nancy Tafuri

Blue on Blue - Dianne White

Blue Sky - Audrey Wood

Preschool Books:

It Looked Like Spilt Milk - Charles Shaw

The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book - Nancy Tafuri

Blue on Blue - Dianne White

Blue Sky - Audrey Wood

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

We're Stomping in the Rain (Tune: "Farmer in the Dell"):

We're stomping in the rain,

We're stomping in the rain,

We can't go yet, we must get wet!

We're stomping in the rain.

Other verses: Clapping, Spinning, Wiggling, etc.

Source: Perry Public Library

Umbrella Hiding Game:

We have a flannel with 10 umbrellas and 10 raindrops. I didn't think that the toddlers would sit through the entirety of the song (the Weather version to the tune of "10 Little Indians") and so I decided to use 6 or so of the umbrellas and hide a raindrop under them. I used the rhyme we use a lot at my library but with different themes:

Raindrop, raindrop, come out to play.

What colored umbrella are you hiding behind today?

Song: Itsy, Bitsy Spider by Hap Palmer

Farm

It's only in the second week of my storytime session and I have hit a pretty major road bump. It's nothing that will keep me from doing storytime, of course, but I found out at the end of last week that I have a stress fracture in my foot. 

It will certainly make doing storytime a bit more challenging than usual and I have had to modify many of my storytime plans for the next few weeks to accommodate for the injury. Let's cross our fingers that it heals quickly because it's near impossible to keep up with the energy level of Toddlers while I'm hobbling around the library!

This week, our storytime is about the Farm! 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Moo, Baa, La La La - Sandra Boynton

Peek-a-Moo! - Marie Cimarusti

Barnyard Banter - Denise Fleming

I Spy on the Farm - Edward Gibbs

Preschool Books:

I Spy on the Farm - Edward Gibbs

Cock-a-Doodle-Moo! - Bernard Most

E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm - Judy Sierra

Who Said Moo? - Harriet Ziefert

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Dirty/Clean Pigs (double-sided flannel):

Five little pigs rolled in the mud, (roll hands)

Squishy, squashy felt so good, (squish "mud" with fingers)

The farmer came and took one piggy out, (turn pig over to "clean" side)

"Oink, oink, oink," that piggy did shout. 

Count down to zero dirty pigs and five clean pigs

No more piggies rolled in the mud,

They felt so nice and clean and good,

The farmer turned his back and then,

Those piggies rolled in the mud again! (turn piggies over to dirty side)

Source: Sunflower Storytime

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep:

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full.

One for the master, and one for the dame,

One for the little boy who lives down the lane.

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full.

Source: Traditional

*We repeated with a different colored sheep (blue/red/green/etc).

BINGO

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

B-I-N-G-O, 

B-I-N-G-O, 

B-I-N-G-O,

And Bingo was his name-O. 

take the letter "B" away

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

*CLAP*-I-N-G-O, 

*CLAP*-I-N-G-O, 

*CLAP*-I-N-G-O,

And Bingo was his name-O. 

take the letter "I" away

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-N-G-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-N-G-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-N-G-O, 

And Bingo was his name-O. 

take the letter "N" away

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-G-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-G-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-G-O, 

And Bingo was his name-O. 

take the letter "G" away

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-O, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-O, 

And Bingo was his name-O. 

take the letter "O" away

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-O.

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*, 

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*,

*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*-*CLAP*,

And Bingo was his name-O. 

Source: Traditional

Barn Hiding Game Flannel

Little chick, little chick, come out to play!

What colored barn are you hiding behind today?

OR

Little chick, little chick, come out to play!

Are you hiding behind the blue barn today?

Source: One of my lovely Library Assistants came up with the idea for this flannel and the rhyme. We have different colored barns and we play the hiding game by hiding a little yellow chick behind one of the barns at storytime.

Rhymes

Last week was our first week back to storytimes for our Fall 2015 session!!! It is so great to see all the familiar faces of my storytime regulars - they really make my job as a librarian a true joy. 

Our theme for this week is Rhymes. We focused on books that had rhyming and lots of nursery rhymes for our activities.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure - Derek Anderson
Big Fat Hen - Keith Baker
Across the Stream - Mirra Ginsburg

Preschool Books:

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure - Derek Anderson

Counting Crows - Kathi Appelt

Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner - Gareth Edwards

Stick and Stone - Beth Ferry

Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Flo! - Laurel Molk

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Two Little Blackbirds - recorded song
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

Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one *CLAP*, the mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck two *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said "BOO",
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck three *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said "WEEEE",
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck four *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*, the mouse said, "No more!"
Hickory dickory dock.
Source: Jbrary


Little Mouse, Little Mouse Rhyme
Little mouse, little mouse are you behind the red house? 
Repeat with other colors
Source: This is considered a traditional rhyme in my library but I learned the rhyme from fellow librarians.

Volcanoes - For School-Ager's

Earlier this summer I planned and presented one of the School-Age programs at my library...and then SRP happened and I forgot to post about it. So, even though I did this program with the kids a couple months ago, I will share all the fun we had learning about VOLCANOES!

I have a slight confession...I am terrified of volcanoes. It is lucky that I discovered in my research for planning this program that the closest volcano to me is over 3000 miles away. Downside...I also learned some pretty crazy facts about volcanoes at the same time!

1. First, we defined what a volcano is. I also showed them two different types of volcanoes: composite and shield. 

A composite volcano from Weather Wiz Kid:

A shield volcano from Buzzle: 

2. Then, as an interlude, we learned some of my favorite volcano fun facts I found while skimming the juvenile nonfiction books I was reading on volcanoes.

3. I asked them if they could name any volcanoes. We learned about Mount Vesuvius, Mauno Loa, Mount Saint Helen's, and Mount Fuji. When I introduced each volcano, I had them guess where it was located and what type of volcano (shield or composite) they thought it was. When we talked about Mount Fuji, the kids learned that "dormant" means sleeping but could awaken anytime. 

4. We read the book: "A Rock is Lively" by Dianna Hutts Aston.

5. Next, we talked about how volcanoes are formed. 

I introduced Earth's layers from Windows to the Universe:

And the tectonic plates on Earth from Scholastic Teacher:

They learned that the tectonic plates shift and bump up against one another, which forms trench's where magma pushes up to create volcanoes.

6. Activity: Volcano EXPLOSION!

I used the Storm the Castle's easy version of how to build a volcano. I had our Teen Volunteers make the volcanoes out of empty soda bottles and poster boards. 

Ours did not go exactly according to plan since the baking soda settled in the bottom of the volcano by the time we poured the vinegar in...but it was still a fun activity.

7. Craft: Pet Rock Monsters

I used directions from Coastal Inspired Creations for how to do pet rocks. I was feeling brave and used hot glue guns to glue on the googly eyes but perhaps we will have to find a better method next time...

All in all, it was a fun program and the kids LOVED making their own rock monsters...and giving me a hard time about the "dormant" baking soda volcano that never exploded. 

Jobs

For our final theme of Summer 2015, I did the theme of Jobs. Since our Collaborative Summer Reading Program was about heroes, our last theme was about discovering what type of hero we wanted to be in our own lives. 

Books:

Toddler Books:

LMNO Peas - Keith Baker

When Poppy and Max Grow Up - Lindsey Gardiner

Work - Ann Morris

Whose Shoes?: A Shoe for Every Job - Stephen Swinburne

Preschool Books:

LMNO Peas - Keith Baker

When Poppy and Max Grow Up - Lindsey Gardiner

My Dad's Job - Peter Glassman

Night Shift - Jessie Hartland

I Can Be Anything - Jerry Spinelli

Whose Shoes?: A Shoe for Every Job - Stephen Swinburne

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Careers (Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")

The postman brings the mail, (marching)

The postman brings the mail,

Through rain, snow, sleet, and hail,

The postman brings the mail.

The baker bakes the bread, (move hands together as though you are playing with dough)

The baker bakes the bread,

Every day, right out of bed,

The baker bakes the bread. 

The barber cuts the hair, (make scissors with fingers)

The barber cuts the hair,

Snips here and there with great care,

The barber cuts the hair.

The librarian reads the books, (make book with hands)

The librarian reads the books,

To children and in reading nooks,

The librarian reads the books.

Source: Me :)

*I laminated pictures of each job to put on the flannel board while we acted out each part.

Community Helpers (Who am I?):

Stitches and itches, slips and falls,

Colds and flus, I fix them all.

Who am I? a DOCTOR

I get up early, just to bake,

Your cookies, rolls, bread, and cake.

Who am I? a BAKER

I'm there for you both night and day,

So you are safe at school and play.

Who am I? a POLICE OFFICER

If it's stories to read, or a computer you need,

I'll help you find whatever you have in mind.

Who am I? a LIBRARIAN

Source: My flannel drawer

Job Hat Guessing Game

I played this game with my Preschoolers. I laminated a clipart boy's face and put Velcro on either side of his hair. Then we changed the hats he was wearing. I made him hats for: a clown, construction worker, pirate, chef, police officer, cowboy, king, and firefighter. Needless to say...we had a lot of fun! 

Pirates

Our theme this week is pirates! We had some very impressive pirate crew members at our storytime's this week!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Twenty-Six Pirates: An Alphabet Book - Dave Horowitz

Bubble Bath Pirates - Jarrett Krosoczka

I Love Boats - Flora McDonnell

Pirate Nap: A Book of Colors - Danna Smith

Preschool Books:

Pirate, Viking, & Scientist - Jared Chapman

Pirates Love Underpants - Claire Freedman 

The Night Pirates - Peter Harris

Bubble Bath Pirates - Jarrett Krosoczka

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

If You're a Pirate and You Know It (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"):

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

If you're a pirate and you know it, and you really want to show it,

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

Other verses:

Walk the plank (stomp, stomp)

Shout, "Ahoy" (AHOY!)

Source: Born Librarian

The Pirate Wore His ____ Patch (Tune: "Mary Wore Her Red Dress"):

The pirate wore his red patch, red patch, red patch,

The pirate wore his red patch all day long.

Other verses:

Blue patch, Green patch, Yellow patch, etc.

Source: Storytime Katie

*I laminated a pirate head and several different colored patches. This was a fun one and easy for parents/caregivers to catch on. 

Pirate Ships:

There are so many pirate ships rocking on the sea.

What colored pirate ship do you see? 

Keep adding colored pirate ships...

There are so many pirate ships rocking on the sea.

How many pirate ships do you see?
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5!

Source: Roving Fiddle Head KidLit
*One of my awesome Library Assistants found this rhyme and made different colored ships for us to use.

Polly, come out to play!
Polly, polly, come out to play,
What colored pirate ship are you hiding behind today?
*A variation of our "Mouse Behind the House" game. Using the same colored ships from above, we hid a pirate's parrot, Polly, behind one of the colored ships and played a hiding game.

Five Pirates on a Treasure Chest
Five pirates on a treasure chest, 
One jumped off and four are left.
Four pirates on a treasure chest,
One stepped down and three are left.

Three pirates on a treasure chest,
One twirled off and two are left.
Two pirates on a treasure chest,
One climbed down and one is left.

One pirate on a treasure chest,
He was pushed off and none are left!
No pirates on the treasure chest,
"Yo, Ho, HO! Now the treasure is all mine!" 
Source: Storytime Katie
*Mine is a variation of Storytime Katie's flannel. You can substitute whatever action you feel in the mood to do during storytime!