Rainforest Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal

Song: “I’m a Tree” – Banana Slug String Band: Dirt Made My Lunch

Book: Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon

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

Flannel: Five sleepy sloths
Five sleepy sloths on the rainforest floor
One swam away and then there were four
Four sleepy sloths climbing up a tree
One stopped for fruit and then there were three
Three sleepy sloths with an upside-down view
One switched branches and then there were two
Two sleepy sloths in circles they spun
One climbed down and then there was one
One sleepy sloth missing everyone
Left to eat leaves and now there are none.

Movement: “Snake Breath” – Kira Willey: Mindful Moments for Kids

 

Book: Rainforest Romp by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

Closing rhyme

Big Cats Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Little Mist by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies

Song: “Open Shut Them” – Laurie Berkner: Laurie Berkner’s Favorite Classic Kids’ Songs

Book: Lion Lessons by Jon Agee

Song: “The Countdown” – Jim Gill: Vote for Jim Gill

Movement: “Lion Breath” –Kira Willey: Mindful Moments for Kids

Book: I am a Cat by Galia Bernstein

Song: “Where is Big Cat?” (Tune: “Where is Thumbkin”)
Where is big cat, where is big cat, (hide thumbs behind back)
Here I am, here I am, (bring out thumbs one at a time)
How are you today, cat (wiggle one thumb)
Very well I thank you, (wiggle other thumb)
Meow, meow, meow (put thumb behind back)
Meow, meow, meow (out other thumb behind back)
(Credit: Miss Katie’s Story Time)

Closing rhyme

Folk Tales Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: You’re Safe with Me by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Poonam Mistry

Movement: “An Elephant Has”
An elephant has a great big trunk (swing arm)
That goes swinging to and fro.
And he has tiny, tiny eyes, (make binoculars with hands)
That show him where to go.
His great big ears go flopping, (put hands by ears to be elephant ears)
Flopping all around
While his great big feet go stomping, (stamp feet)
STOMPING on the ground!
(Adapted from https://www.kidsparkz.com/preschool-sings-zoo.html)

Song: “Elephant in There” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

Book: One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

Song: “Jake the Snake” – Laura Doherty: Shining Like a Star

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

Book/Puppets: Fox Tale Soup by Tony Bonning, illustrated by Sally Hobson

Fingerplay/Action Story: The Gingerbread Man

Closing rhyme

Desert Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Deserts by Tim Mayerling

Song: “We Are Going on a Journey” (Tune: “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain”)
We are going on a journey to the desert
We are going on a journey to the desert
We are going on a journey,
We are going on a journey,
We are going on a journey to the desert

Additional verses:
Well we won’t see rain for a while, (It’s dry!)…
Oh it might be hot while we’re there, (So hot!)…
Or it might be cold while we’re there, (Brrr, brrr!)…
Either way, bring some water when we go (Glug, glug!)…

Book: Welcome to the Sea of Sand by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Laura Regan

Flannel/Song: “Have You Ever Seen a Lizard?” (Tune: “Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?”)
Have you ever seen a lizard, a lizard, a lizard?
Have you ever seen a lizard all dressed up in Green?
With Green eyes, and Green nose,
And Green legs and Green toes.
Have you ever seen a lizard all dressed up in Green?
(Credit: Perfectly Preschool)

Song: “In the Desert” (Tune: “The Wheels On The Bus”)
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this, hop like this, hop like this (hop in place)
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this, all night long

The coyote in the desert can howl Ah-ooo!, Ah-ooo!, Ah-ooo!
The coyote in the desert can howl Ah-ooo! all night long

The rattlesnake in the desert goes hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss (move hands like a snake)
The rattlesnake in the desert goes hiss, hiss, hiss, all night long

The saguaro in the desert can stand like this, stand like this, stand like this (pose like a cactus!)
The saguaro in the desert can stand like this, all night long!
(Credit: Literary Hoots)

Book: Not a Bean by Claudia Guadalupe Marínez, illustrated by Laura González

Fingerplay:  Five Little Black Flies
Five little black flies flying ’round the cactus
Teasing Mr. Lizard, saying, “You can’t catch us!”
Then came the Lizard, being oh so sly
And SLUUUURP!! He ate one tasty little fly!
(Credit: Literary Hoots)

Book: The Sunhat by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Closing rhyme

Garden Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan

Song: “The Gardener Plants the Seeds” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The gardener plants the seeds.
The gardener plants the seeds.
High ho the derry oh,
The gardener plants the seeds.

Additional verses:
The rain falls on the ground…
The sun shines bright and warm…
The seeds begin to grow…
Flowers grow everywhere…

Flannel: There’s Something in My Garden
There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
Ribbit – Ribbit – Ribbit
A Frog is what I found!
Ribbit-Ribbit-Ribbit

Repeat with other animals, such as a crow (caw-caw-caw), mouse (squeak-squeak-squeak), rabbit (thump-thump-thump), bird (tweet-tweet-tweet) etc.
(Credit: Sunflower Storytime)

Song: “Won’t You Plant Your Seeds With Care?” – Kathy Reid-Naiman: Say Hello to the Morning

Book: Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story by Linda Glaser, photography by Shelley Rotner

Song: “In Our Garden” – Peter & Ellen Allard: Sing It! Say It! Stamp It! Sway It! Vol. 1

Fingerplay: This is my garden

Book: Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Closing Song

 

 

Bees Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Kaia and the Bees by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

Song: “Bumblebee, Bumblebee” (Tune: “Jingle Bells”)
Bumblebee, bumblebee
Landing on my nose,
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
Now he’s on my toes.
On my arms, on my legs, on my elbows,
Bumblebee, oh bumblebee,
He lands and then he goes.

Book: Honey Bees by Jill Esbaum (National Geographic)

Flannel: The swarm of bees

Fingerplay: Bees in the Beehive
Here is a beehive. Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they come creeping out of the hive (have one bee peek out)
1-2-3-4-5! BUZZ! (bring each finger out as you count)
(make your bees fly all around the hive)

Song: “Shake Your Body Down” – The Laurie Berkner Band: The Ultimate Laurie Berkner Band Collection

Book: Jam & Honey by Melita Morales, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Closing Song

Baking Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Song: “The Mixing Bowl” – Kira Willey: Kings & Queens of the Forest

Felt Story: “Five Little Cookies”
Five little cookies, with frosting galore
Cookie Monster ate the pink one, then there were four.
Four little cookies, two and two, you see,
Cookie Monster ate the green one, then there were three.
Three little cookies, but before I knew,
Cookie Monster ate the blue one, then there were two.
Two little cookies, oh, what fun!
Cookie Monster ate the orange one, then there was one.
One little cookie, watch me run!
Cookie Monster ate the red one, then there were none.

cookie monster prop image

Rhyme: Making Cookies
I am making cookie dough. (hold out arms in a circle, like a bowl)
Round and round the beaters go. (roll hands)
Add some flour from a cup. (shake a pretend cup)
Stir and stir the batter up. (stirring motion)
Roll them, cut them nice and neat. (rolling pin motion)
Put them on a cookie sheet. (place pretend cookies)
Bake them, count them 1-2-3. (counting motion)
Serve them to my friends for tea. (take a bite!)
(Credit: Sunflower Storytime)

Book: Everyone Loves Cupcake by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Eric Wight

Song: “The Cookie Bakers of the Night” – Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz

Book: Yum Yum! What Fun! by Mara Bergman, illustrated by Nick Maland

Closing rhyme