Category: Preschool Story time

Community Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: I Am You by Refiloe Moahloli, illustrated by Zinelda McDonald

Song: “Do As I’m Doing”
Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me, (clap hands)
Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me.
If I do it high or low, (clap high and low)
If I do it fast or s-l-o-w… (clap fast and slow)
Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me,
Do as I’m doing, follow, follow me.

Repeat with marching motions, then go back to clapping to end the song.
(Credit: King County Library System and Jbrary)

Book: The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Fingerplay: “One Little House”
One little house, all alone it stood, (hold up one finger)
Then another was built, (put up a second finger)
There grows the neighborhood.

Repeat, adding fingers for two, three, and four little houses.

Five little houses, (hold up hand with all fingers up)
All together they stood
On a beautiful street in a happy neighborhood.
(Credit: Handley Regional Library System)

Action Rhyme: “Hi, My Name is Joe”
Hi, my name is Joe,
And I work in a button factory.
I have a dog and family.
One day my boss said to me,
“Are you busy Joe?” I said, “No.”
They said, “Push this button with your _____.” (press a pretend button with the named body part, continue to do so for the rest of the song)

Repeat the rhyme for your right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, and head. Pretend to push a button with each body part, adding them on so by the end you are pushing a button with every body part you have named at the same time.

To end the rhyme, answer “Yes!” to “Are you busy, Joe?”
(Credit: Adapted from Jbrary)

Book: Thank You, Neighbor! by Ruth Chan

Closing Rhyme

Fruits and Veggies Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: The Life Cycle of a Carrot by Linda Tagliaferro

Fingerplay: “Five Little Peas”
Five little peas in a pea pod pressed. (fold hands in front of you)
1 grew, 2 grew, and so did all the rest. (pull one set of fingers out of the fist at a time)
They grew and they grew, (slowly pull hands apart)
And they did not stop, (stretch arms as far apart as possible)
Until one day, that pod went, Pop! (clap hands loudly)

Book: Lunch by Denise Fleming
Lunch

Flannel & Puppet Song: “Out In the Garden” by Jean Warren (Tune: “Down By the Station”) (Use a mouse puppet to eat the veggies from the garden.)
Out in the garden early in the morning,
See the red tomatoes all in a row,
See the hungry mouse coming out to eat them,
Munch, crunch, munch, crunch, off they go.

Additional verses:
Red tomatoes
Yellow corn
Green peas
Orange carrots
Purple peppers
White onions
Brown potatoes

Book: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Song: “Apples and Bananas” – Raffi: One Light, One Sun

Song: “Hot Potato” – The Wiggles: Yummy Yummy

Closing Rhyme

Outer Space Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max

Song: “If You’re Going to the Moon” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots. (stomp stomp)
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots.
If you’re going to the moon, this is what you have to do,
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots.

Additional verses:
Wear your suit (ziiiip!)
Wear your gloves (clap clap)
Wear your helmet (pat your head)
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Flannel: If Pluto Was a Pea by Gabrielle Prendergast, illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings

Song: “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 my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,
Blast off!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Snakes in Space by Kathyrn Dennis

Closing Rhyme

Tree Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola

Action Rhyme: “Once I Was a Seed”
Once I was a seed and I was small, small, small.
I grew into a tree and now I’m tall, tall, tall!
My branches sway in the breeze so soft.
And when it’s autumn, all my leaves fall off!
(Credit: Storytime in the Stacks)

Flannel: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”

Book: The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern

Shaker Eggs: “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers”
Shake your shaker up.
Shake your shaker down.
Shake it side to side.
Shake it all around.
Shake it on your shoulders.
Shake it on your head.
Shake it on your knees,
And shake it right to bed!

Closing Rhyme

Firefighter Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Flannel: “5 Big Fire Engines”
Five big fire engines
Racing down the road.
One finds a hydrant and hooks up its hose.
The rest call the station and the fire chief says,
“There are more fires farther ahead!”

Repeat with 4, 3, and 2 fire engines.

One big fire engine
Racing down the road.
It finds a hydrant and hooks up its hose.
All the fire engines put out those fires.
See any more?
Turn those tires.
Sirens roar!

Rhyme: “Firefighter, Firefighter”
Firefighter, firefighter, turn around.
Firefighter, firefighter, touch the ground.
Firefighter, firefighter, drive the truck.
Firefighter, firefighter, don’t get stuck!
Firefighter, firefighter, hurry to the fire.
Firefighter, firefighter, spray the water higher.
Firefighter, firefighter, turn off the spout.
Firefighter, firefighter, you put the fire out! Hooray!
(Credit: Sunflower Storytime Blog)

Book: Firefighter Duckies! by Frank W. Dormer

Song: “Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck”
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck! (x 3)
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Additional verses: Turn the corner, climb the ladder, spray the fire hose
(Credit: Jbrary)

Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Rhyme

Chicken Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Catch that Chicken! by Atinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Song: “If You’re a Chicken and You Know It” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings. FLAP! FLAP! (put hands near armpits to make your arms into “wings” and move your elbows up and down to flap)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings. FLAP! FLAP!
If you’re a chicken and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings. FLAP! FLAP!

Additional verses:
Run around
Scratch your feet (slide one foot back, then the other to “dig”)
Say, “Bok, bok!” (make chicken noises)
(Credit: Pasadena Public Library)

Flannel: “Ten Fluffy Chickens”
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Five eggs and five eggs, (add a clutch of eggs each time you say “five eggs”)
And that makes ten.
Sitting on top
Is Mother Hen. (add the hen)
Cackle, cackle, cackle! (clap hands each time you say “cackle”)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chickens, (flip over each clutch of eggs)
Yellow as can be.
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Book: Chickens on the Loose by Jane Kurtz, illustrated by John Joseph (Write the refrain “the chickens will not stop” on the board so everyone can join in repeating it.)

Shaker Eggs: “I Know a Chicken” – Laurie Berkner: Whaddaya Think of That?

Shaker Eggs (if time): “Shake Your Shakers”
Shake your shaker up.
Shake your shaker down.
Shake it side to side.
Shake it all around.
Shake it on your shoulders.
Shake it on your head.
Shake it on your knees,
And shake it right to bed!

Book (if time): Chicken Story Time by Sandy Asher, illustrated by Mark Fearing

Closing Rhyme

Underwear Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Monster’s New Undies by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Tad Carpenter

Song: “Monster Boogie” – Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz

Book: Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera
Polar Bear's Underwear

Action Song: “Now You’re Getting Dressed” (Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
(Mime the actions throughout the song.)
First put on your underwear, underwear, underwear.
First put on your underwear. Now you’re getting dressed.

Stick your arms up in your shirt, in your shirt, in your shirt.
Stick your arms up in your shirt. Now you’re getting dressed.

Pull your pants up to your waist, to your waist, to your waist.
Pull your pants up to your waist. Now you’re getting dressed.

Wiggle your toes down in your socks, in your socks, in your socks.
Wiggle your toes down in your socks. Now you’re getting dressed.

Slip your shoes on, tie them tight, tie them tight, tie them tight.
Slip your shoes on, tie them tight. Now you’re getting dressed.

Now you can go out and play, out and play, out and play.
Now you can go out and play. You got yourself all dressed. YES!
(Credit: Jen in the Library)

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Underpants”
Head, shoulders, knees and underpants, knees and underpants.
Head, shoulders, knees and underpants, knees and underpants.
Eyes and ears and mouth and underpants.
Head, shoulders, knees and underpants, knees and underpants!
(Credit: Miss Sarah’s Storytime)

Flannel: What Color Is Your Underwear? by Sam Lloyd

Scarf Song: “Bring Your Clothes” – Laurie Berkner: Whaddaya Think of That? (stop at 2:18)

Puppets: Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks
falling-for-rapunzel cover image

Closing Rhyme

Waiting Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Waiting by Kevin Henkes

Song: “We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop”
We wiggle and wiggle and stop.
We wiggle and wiggle and stop.
We wiggle and wiggle and wiggle and wiggle
And wiggle and wiggle and stop.

Additional verses:
We twirl…
We clap…
We wave…
We jump…
We bounce…
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Waiting Together by Danielle Dufayet, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

Action Rhyme: “Green Says Go”
Green says, “Go!” (march quickly)
Go! Go! Go!
Yellow says, “Slow!” (march slowly)
Slow…slow…slow.
And red says, “Stop!” (stop and freeze)
Go! Go! Go! (march fast)
Slow…slow…slow. (march slowly)
And STOP! (stop)
(Credit: Toddler Storytime)

Song: “Candle Breath” – Kira Willey: Mindful Moments for Kids

Book: I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

Closing Rhyme

Breakfast Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Little Mouse’s Big Breakfast by Christine Pym

Fingerplay: “Five Fat Sausages”
Five fat sausages frying in a pan. (hold up 5 fingers)
All of a sudden, one went BANG! (clap hands)

Repeat, counting down until there are no sausages left.

Last line:
Now there are no fat sausages frying in the pan.

Song: “I’m Toast in the Toaster” (Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m toast in the toaster, (like holding a loaf of bread)
And I’m getting very hot! (fan yourself)
Tick, tock, tick, tock, (move hands back and forth)
Up I pop! (jump in the air and raise hands)

Repeat with: waffles, Pop-tarts, English muffins, bagels

Book: Hey, Pancakes! by Tamson Weston, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

Movement: “Pancakes”
Mix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in a pan.
Fry a pancake,
Toss a pancake,
Catch it if you can!

Flannel: “Eggs for Breakfast”

Song: “If You Like Your Eggs Scrambled” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands.
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands.
Yes, they’re yummy and they’re yellow,
So you’ll be a happy fellow.
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands.

Additional verses:
If you like your eggs fried, jump up high…
If you want bacon with your eggs, wiggle your legs…
If you want toast instead, nod your head… (nod and say “mmm-hmmm”)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Puppets/Book: Ellie’s Breakfast by Sarah Garland

Closing Rhyme