Tag: earth

Earth Day Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: What Can You Do with a Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Katie Kath

Song: “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Movements: Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air. Move arms straight out for the branches. Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk.” Touch legs when saying “roots.”
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots,
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots,
Trees are important to me and to you,
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots.
(Credit: KinderNature)

Book: The Earth is Good by Michael DeMunn, illustrated by Jim McMullan

Song: “Tap, Tap, Tap” – Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer: Get Set for School Sing Along

Movement/Yoga: Tree pose

Social Story: Big Earth, Little Me by Thom Wiley, illustrated by Kate Endle

Closing Rhyme

Craft: Earth suncatchers

Earth Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: Reuse This Book! illustrated by Emma Morris

Song: “To Help Our Mother Earth” (Tune: “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we pick up trash,
Pick up trash, pick up trash.
This is the way we pick up trash
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we turn off the light,
Turn off the light, turn off the light.
This is the way we turn off the light
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we plant a seed,
Plant a seed, plant a seed.
This is the way we plant a seed
To help our Mother Earth.

Book: Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond by Mary Quattlebaum, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Song: “All the Fish” – Sue Schnitzer: Wiggle and Whirl, Clap and Nap

Book: It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! by Mary Lindeen

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

Book: The Earth and I by Frank Asch

Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Songs for Wiggleworms

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

Closing Rhyme

Nature Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Dig In! by Cindy Jenson-Elliott, illustrated by Mary Peterson

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
up, up, up
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
down, down, down
down, down, down

Repeat with: out/in, fast/slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Flannel Song: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high in the apple tree,
Two red apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could,
Dooowwwwwwwn came an apple,
Mmmm, it was good!

Repeat with other fruit.

Book: Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

Puppet Song: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”
Five green and speckled frogs
Sitting on a speckled log,
Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool.
Now there are four green and speckled frogs. Glub, glub!

Repeat, counting down until there are no green and speckled frogs.

Book: Look and Listen by Dianne White, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake shake.
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake your shakers.

Additional verses:
Shake your shakers high, high, high
Shake your shakers low, low, low
Shake your shakers fast, fast, fast
Shake your shakers slow, slow, slow

Shaker Eggs: “Egg Shakers Up”
Egg shakers up.
Egg shakers down.
Egg shakers dancing all around the town.
Dance them on your shoulders.
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your knees,
And tuck them into bed!

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

Closing Rhyme

Earth Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Song: “Hello Friends”
Hello, friends
Hello, friends
Hello, friends
It’s time to say hello.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Are You Sleeping?”)
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
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: The EARTH Book by Todd Parr

Song: “Slippery Fish”
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a/an…

Repeat with: Octopus, Tuna Fish, Great White Shark, Humongous Whale

Song: “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.

Book: Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

Fingerplay: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high, in a tree (point up)
Two little apples looking down at me (two fists up in the air)
So I shook that tree as hard as I could (two fists shake ‘trunk’)
Down fell the apples (fists fall to ground)
Mmmm! Were they good! (rub tummy)

Song: “My Two Hands”
My two hands go clap, clap, clap
My two feet go tap, tap, tap
My two hands go thump, thump, thump
My two feet go jump, jump, jump

My one body turns around and it quietly sits down.

Book: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Song: “Bear is Sleeping” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping (lay head on hands)
Wake him up, wake him up (make peek-a-boo motion with hands)
Come and say hello bear, come and say hello bear (wave hello)
Time to eat, time to eat (grab food and put in mouth)
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

Closing Rhyme

Earth Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty

Song: “This is the Way to Help our Mother Earth” (Tune: “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we pick up trash,
Pick up trash, pick up trash.
This is the way we pick up trash
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we turn off the light,
We turn off the light, we turn off the light,
This is the way we turn off the light,
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we plant a seed,
Plant a seed, plant a seed,
This is the way we plant a seed,
To help our Mother Earth.

Book: A Rock Can Be or Water Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas

Song:  “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)
Trees are important to you and to me
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)

Movements:
Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air
Move arms straight out for the branches
Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk”
Touch legs when saying “roots”

Song: “Imagine You’re a Tree” – Kira Willey: Mindful Moments for Kids

Yoga/breathing: Volcano

Social Story: Ways to Welcome by Linda Ashman or Big Earth Little Me by Thom Wiley

Closing Rhyme

Earth Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign Language: colors, green, tree, flower, earth

Book: The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Song: “Colors Over You” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle”)
Signs – red, yellow, green, blue, colors, flower, tree, sun, sea

Red and yellow, green and blue, these are the colors over you.
Red as a flower, green as a tree,
Yellow as the sun, and blue as the sea.
Red and yellow, green and blue, these are the colors over you!
(Credit: Read Sing Play)

Rhyme: I Bounce You Here
I bounce you here, I bounce you there
I bounce you, bounce you everywhere
I tickle you here, I tickle you there
I tickle you, tickle you everywhere
I hug you here, I hug you there
I hug you, hug you everywhere
(Credit: Read Sing Play)

Book: Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

Song: “Watch Out for the Bugs!” (Tune: “Jingle Bells”)
Clap your hands,
Stomp your feet,
Wiggle all around.
Reach your hands high in the air
And now let’s touch the ground.
Hold your head,
Hold your hips,
Give yourself a hug.
Sit down upon the ground
but watch out for the bugs!

Rhyme: Round and Round the Garden
Round and round the garden like a teddy bear (swirl finger around palm)
One step, two step (walk fingers up child’s arm)
Hidden under there! (tickle child’s underarm)
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Song: “Hop, Hop, Hop Along” (Tune: “Row Your Boat”)
Hop, hop, hop along (hop)
Or bounce on someone’s knee (bounce)
Higher and higher and higher and higher (lift)
Bunny hop with me. (hop)

Book: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

Song: “We’ve Got the Whole World In Our Hands” with ukulele chords
C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

G7
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

G7                 C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!

Additional Verses:
2. We should recycle now – all that we can x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!

Be kind to the plants and animals – of our land x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!

Dream your bright dream – then do all that you can x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!

We’ve got the whole world, in our hands x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!
(Credit: Lyrics by Daria (dariamusic.com), chords by Dr. Jim Rosokoff (doctoruke.com))

Closing Song

Earth Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Song/Flannel: The Green Grass Grew All Around

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Fingerplay:  Away Up High in the Apple Tree
Away up high in an apple tree, (Children point high up at imaginary tree)
Two red apples smiled at me. (Place two apples on board)
I shook that tree as hard as I could; (Children pretend to shake the apple tree)
Down came those apples,
And mmmm, they were good! (Pretend to eat apples)

Story: The Earth and I by Frank Asch

Song: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs” (with frogs on a log)

Five Green and Speckled Frogs
sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs.
Yuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm…yuuummm!
One jumped into the pool,
where it was nice and cool.
Then there were four green speckled frogs,
Glub glub.

Additional verses:
Four green and speckled frogs…
Three green and speckled frogs…
Two green and speckled frogs…
One green and speckled frog…
…Then there were no green speckled frogs!
Glub glub, glub, glub

Closing Song

Craft: Tissue paper Earth suncatcher
Adapted from https://fullgreenlife.com/earth-day-with-your-toddler/

Earth Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: The World is Waiting for You by Barbara Kerley

Song:  “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)
Trees are important to you and to me
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)

Movements:
Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air
Move arms straight out for the branches
Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk”
Touch legs when saying “roots”

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Flannel: Five Red Apples
Five red apples, hanging on a tree
The juiciest apples you ever did see
The wind came past and gave an angry frown
And one little apple came tumbling down
(Repeat for 4,3,2,1)

Flannel: The Apple Tree
Away up high in an apple tree, (Children point high up at imaginary tree)
Two red apples smiled at me. (Place two apples on board)
I shook that tree as hard as I could; (Children pretend to shake the apple tree)
Down came those apples,
And mmmm, they were good! (Pretend to eat apples)

Book: Ten Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh

Closing rhyme

Craft: Summer Scenery (I emphasized I used recycled materials from previous story times to help our earth)

Earth Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Song: “This is the Way to Help Mother Earth” (Tune: “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we pick up trash,
pick up trash, pick up trash.
This is the way we pick up trash

To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we turn off the light,
we turn off the light, we turn off the light,
This is the way we turn off the light,
To help our Mother Earth.
This is the way we plant a seed,
plant a seed, plant a seed,
This is the way we plant a seed,
To help our Mother Earth.
Book: The World is Waiting For You by Barbara Kerley
Song/Flannel: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”
Book:  A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma

Song/Rhyme: “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)
Trees are important to me and to you
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)

Movements: Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air
Move arms straight out for the branches
Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk”
Touch legs when saying “roots”
Credit: http://kindernature.storycounty.com/display.aspx?DocID=2005914946

Song/Fingerplay: “Five Bottles of Juice on the Wall”
Book: The Earth is Good by Michael DeMunn
Craft: Tissue paper Earths

Earth Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign Language: please, thank you

Book: The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Song/Rhyme: Mama’s Little Baby (Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
Mama’s little baby loves bouncin’ bouncin’
Mama’s little baby loves bouncin’ round,
Mama’s little baby loves bouncin’ bouncin’
Mama’s little baby loves bouncin’ round.

Lean to the left, lean to the right
Hug that baby nice and tight!
Lean to the left, lean to the right
Hug that baby nice and tight

Daddy’s little baby loves wigglin’ wiggling’
Daddy’s little baby loves wigglin’ round, (repeat)
(can alter to Grandma, Grandpa, Nanny, etc)

Song/Rhyme: The Moon is Round
The moon is round
As round can be
Two eyes
A nose
And a mouth like me!

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Song : “We’ve Got the Whole World In Our Hands” with ukulele chords

C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

G7
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands

G7                     C
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!

Additional Verses:
2. We should recycle now – all that we can x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!
3. Be kind to the plants and animals – of our land x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!
4. Dream your bright dream – then do all that you can x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!
5. We’ve got the whole world, in our hands x3
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands!
Credit: Lyrics by Daria (dariamusic.com), chords by Dr. Jim Rosokoff (doctoruke.com)

Song/Flannel: Away Up High
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) 

Song/Rhyme: “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)
Trees are important to me and to you
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (trunk and roots)

Movements: Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air
Move arms straight out for the branches
Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk”
Touch legs when saying “roots”
Credit: http://kindernature.storycounty.com/display.aspx?DocID=2005914946

Book: The World Shines for You by Jeffrey Burton

Song (Recording) with shaky eggs: Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Closing Song