Elephants Story Time – Everybody

September 12, 2016

Sign Language: Elephant

Book: My Elephant by Petr Horáček

Song/Rhyme: Two big elephants were sitting on a hill
One named Jack and the other named Jill
Run away, Jack! Run away, Jill!
Come back, Jack! Come back, Jill!

Book: Elephants by Mary Lindeen

Felt Story:
1 elephant in the bathtub going for a swim.
Knock, knock (clap hands for each knock)
Splash, splash (pat lap for each splash)
Come on in! (Wave hand invitingly)
2…,3…,4…,
5 elephants in the bathtub going for a swim.
Knock, knock (clap hands for each knock)
Splash, splash(pat lap for each splash)
And they all fell in!

Song: “Monkey Dance” – The Wiggles: Yummy Yummy

Book: Elecopter by Michael Slack

Book: Always by Emma Dodd

Song: “The Hands are for Clapping” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

Closing Rhyme

Craft:

Train Story Time – Baby

September 9, 2016

Opening song

Sign language: Train

Book: Terrific Trains by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker

Rhyme: This Little Train
This little train ran up the track (run your fingers up arm)
Toot, toot, toot (make train whistle sound)
And then it came toot-tooting back (run fingers down arm)
Toot, toot, toot
(Credit: earlylit.net)

Rhyme: Away up high in the apple tree (lift baby)
I saw a little baby smiling at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake gently)
Down came the baby (bring down)
Mmm, was she good! (Kiss)

Rhyme: Trot, trot, trot to Boston (gently bounce baby on your knees)
Trot, trot, trot to Lynn.
Look out baby
You’re going to fall in (lower knees)

Book/Song: The Whistle on the Train by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Richard Egielski, paper engineering by Gene Vosough

Song: “Train Wheels Are Rolling” – Kathy Reid-Naiman: Say Hello to the Morning

Rhyme: Balloon goes up (lift)
Balloon goes down (lap)
Balloon goes up to reach the clouds (lift high)
Storm rolls by (wiggle side to side)
Babe rocks down (sway to lap)
Made it home, safe and sound (hug and kiss)
(Credit: Leah Portz)

Flannel: The Train
Chug, chug, choo, choo, choo down the track.
First comes the engine with the coal car in back;
Boxcar, flat car, boxcar again;
Last the caboose at the end of the train.
(Credit: C.S. Peterson)

Song: Did you ever see a baby, a baby, a baby?
Did you ever see a baby go this way and that? (lean side to side)
Go this way and that way and this way and that way (lean front to back, side to side)
Did you ever see a baby go this way and that? (lean front to back)

Book (choral): Freight Train by Donald Crews

Song (shaky eggs): “Train Song” – Bari Koral: Anna and the Cupcakes

Closing rhyme

Big and Little Story Time – Baby

August 5, 2016

Opening song

Sign language: Big, Small

Book: A Pig is Big by Douglas Florian

Rhyme: This Little Pig

Rhyme: Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel
My little baby deserves a tickle! (tickle baby)
One for her nose, and one for her toes
And one for her tummy where the hot dog goes!

Book: So Big! by Dan Yaccarino

Song: “The Little Bird” – Georgiana Stewart: Nursery Rhyme Time: Songs, Rhymes and Movement Activities

Song: Ants go marching

Book: I Am Small by Emma Dodd

Rhyme: Great A, little a
Bouncing B,
The cat’s in the cupboard,
But she can’t see me.

Song: Let’s Tap our Feet Together (Tune: “The More We Get Together”)
Let’s tap our feet together, together, together,
Let’s tap our feet together, because it’s fun to do.
Let’s clap our hands….
Let’s touch our nose…
Let’s touch our ears…

Book (Choral): Big Fat Hen illustrated by Keith Baker

Song (shaky eggs): “Six Little Ducks” – Joanie Bartels: Bathtime Magic

Closing rhyme

Dance Story Time – Toddler

July 21, 2016

Opening Song

Book: Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig

Song: “Wiggy Wiggles Freeze Dance” – Hap Palmer: Two Little Sounds

Book: Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus”–Laurie Berkner: Laurie Berkner’s Favorite Classic Kids’ Songs

Book: I Love to Dance by Anna Walker

Song: “Octopus” (Slippery Fish) with scarves – Charlotte Diamond: 10 Carrot Diamond

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

Craft: Shaker eggs made with plastic Easter eggs

shaker egg

Closing Song

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Bounce and Jump Story Time – Preschool

July 19, 2016

Opening Song

Book: Hop, Hop Jump! by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Song (with puppets): Five Green and Speckled Frogs

five frogs

Song: “Jump, Jump” – Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights: I’m a Rock Star

Book: Bounce by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin

Flannel: Ten Little Grasshoppers

One little, two little, three little grasshoppers,
Four little, five little, six little grasshoppers,
Seven little, eight little, nine little grasshoppers,
Ten little grasshoppers in my yard.

Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me (slap thighs to rhythm)
Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me,
Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me,
Ten little grasshoppers in my yard.

Ten little, nine little, eight little grasshoppers,
Seven little, six little, five little grasshoppers,
Four little, three little, two little grasshoppers,
One little grasshopper in my yard.

Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
One little grasshopper in my yard.

grasshopper

Song: “I Like to Hop” – Brian Vogan & His Good Buddies: Born to Wiggle

Book: The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner, illustrated by Jonathan Lambert

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: The Irrational Album

Craft: frog headbands (idea from Meg Hossler on pinterest)

frog headband

Outdoor Play Story Time – Toddler

July 14, 2016

Opening Song

Book: Let’s Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around by Claudia Rueda

Song: “Shake Your Sillies Out” – The Wiggles: Yummy Yummy

Book: My Bike by Byron Barton

Flannel: Five Colorful Kites

Way up high in the sky so blue (raise arms high)
Five colorful kites flew and flew (hold up 5 fingers)
The wind blew hard (blow out hard)
The wind blew loud (say, “wooooo!”)
The wind blew the (insert color) kite off to the clouds! (remove kite)
Continue until there are no kites left.

kites

(Source: Literary Commentary)

Song: “The Wheels on the Bike”
The wheels on the bike go round and round, round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bike go round and round, all through the town.

(Pedals on the bike go up and down, streamers on the bike go swish swish swish, bell on the bike goes ding-ding-ding)

(Source: Storytime Katie)

Book: Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

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

Closing Song

Craft: Bike Scenes

bike die cut

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Sports Story Time – Everybody

July 12, 2016

Opening song

Sign Language: Sports/Compete/Race

Book: Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon

Song: I’m in the Mood for Singing – Raffi: Rise And Shine (played on ukulele)
G
I’m in the mood for singing
D
Hey, how about you?

I’m in the mood for singing
                                   G
I’m in the mood for singing
C
Singing along with you
G
Hey, hey, what do you say
D                                     G
I’m in the mood for that today
C                   G
Hey, hey, what do you say
D                                    G
I’m in the mood for that.
(verses: racing, reading)

Book: Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook, illustrated by Andy Robert Davies

Activity: Baseball Number Match
Children matched the number on the baseballs to the glove with the same number of dots.

$baseball math$

(Source: Preschool Plan It )

Flannel Story: The Tortoise and the Hare told in the style of Hare and Tortoise by Alison Murray

Hare and Tortoise

Fingerplay: Here’s A Ball
Here’s a little ball.
(Make a small with your thumb and index finger.)
And here’s a bigger ball.
(Make a bigger ball using both thumbs and both index fingers.)
And a great big ball, I see.
(Make a ball by holding your arms up over your head and touching your fingers together.)
Shall we count them?
Are you ready?
One, Two, Three
(make all three balls in succession)

(Source: Bright Hub Education)

Book: Dunk Skunk by Michael Rex

Closing rhyme

Craft: Pom Pom Sports

Pom Pom Sports

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Primate Story Time – Baby

July 8, 2016

Opening song

Sign language: Monkey & Gorilla

Book: Monkey Colors by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia Wynne

Rhyme: Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel
My little baby deserves a tickle! (tickle baby)
One for her nose, and one for her toes
And one for her tummy where the hot dog goes!

Finger puppets: Teasing Mr. Crocodile

Song: Ants go marching

Book: Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein

Song: “Monkey Dance” – The Wiggles: Yummy Yummy

Rhyme: Great A, little a
Bouncing B,
The cat’s in the cupboard,
But she can’t see me.

Book: Banana! by Ed Vere

Song: (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)

The monkeys in the zoo all touch their toes . . . just like I do.
The monkeys in the zoo all rub their tummies . . .
The monkeys in the zoo all swing their arms . . .
The monkeys in the zoo all pat their heads . . .

Song (with shaky eggs): “No More Monkeys” – Asheba: Animal Playground

Closing rhyme

Sports Story Time – Toddler

July 7, 2016

Opening Song

Book: Bunnies and Their Sports by Nancy Carlson

Song: “Clap Your Hands”- Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You

Book: Let’s Play Basketball! by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Flannel: Little Ball, Big Ball
A little ball, a bigger ball, a great big ball I see.
Can you count the green balls? One, two, three.

Repeat for blue and orange.
Add the red ball and say:
Little balls, big balls, another ball I see.
Can you count all the balls? 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!

little balls big balls flannel

(Source: Read, Rhyme, and Sing)

Song: “This is the Way We…”
This is the way we bounce the ball, bounce the ball, bounce the ball,
This is the way we bounce the ball,
when we play basketball.
Twirl around…
When we do ballet.
Kick the ball…
When we play soccer.
Throw the ball…
When we play football.
Swing the bat…
When we play baseball.

(Source: Sunflower Storytime)

Book: Dunk Skunk by Michael Rex

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus” – Laurie Berkner: Laurie Berkner’s Favorite Classic Kids’ Songs

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

Closing Song

Craft: Pennants with pom poms

pennant

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Beach Story Time – Everybody

July 6, 2016June 30, 2022

Opening song

Sign Language: Swim

Book: Beach Day! by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Scott NashHey, how about you?

Song: I’m in the Mood for Singing – Raffi: Rise And Shine (played on ukulele)
G
I’m in the mood for singing
D
Hey, how about you?

Book: Sea, Sand, Me! by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Flannel: Five Little Sandcastles

5 little sandcastles

Five little sandcastles built by the shore,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were four.

Four little sandcastles built by you and me,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were three.

Three little sandcastles built by me and you,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were two.

Two little sandcastles built in the sun,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there was one.

One little sandcastle built just for fun,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were none.

(Source: Story Tree)

Movement: Octopus (Slippery Fish) – Charlotte Diamond: 24 Carrot Diamond (with scarves)

Movie: Chicka Cicka Boom Boom

chicka chicka boom boom

Song: The Fish in the Sea (to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
C
The fish in the sea go swish swish swish,
G7
Swish swish swish, swish swish swish,
C
The fish in the sea go swish swish swish,
G7 C
All day long.

Verses
The jellies in the sea go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp…
The crabs in the sea go pinch, pinch, pinch….

(Source: Storytime Ukulele)

Book: Senses at the Seashore by Shelley Rotner

Closing rhyme

Craft: Crab

crab

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Verona Story Time

Story Time Ideas from the Verona Public Library

Elephants Story Time – Everybody

Train Story Time – Baby

Big and Little Story Time – Baby

Dance Story Time – Toddler

Bounce and Jump Story Time – Preschool

Outdoor Play Story Time – Toddler

Sports Story Time – Everybody

Primate Story Time – Baby

Sports Story Time – Toddler

Beach Story Time – Everybody