Tag: sensory friendly story time

Earth Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: What Can You Do with a Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Katie Kath
The cover of the book What Can You Do with a Rock? The illustration is of a child with blue hair crossing a woodland stream on some rocks.

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: A Chant in Praise of Nature by Michael DeMunn, illustrated by Jim McMullan
The cover of the book The Earth Is Good: A Chant in Praise of Nature. The illustration is of a child running with their arms out past some trees with a dog following behind.

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

Yoga: Tree pose

Social Story: Big Earth, Little Me by Thom Wiley, illustrated by Kate Endle
The cover of the book Big Earth, Little Me. The illustration is of a child lying in the grass with a caterpillar on her finger and a butterfly in the background.

Closing Song

Craft: Earth suncatchers
A photograph of an earth suncatcher made with green tissue paper in the shape of the continents and blue tissue paper for the water.

Garbage Truck Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
The cover of the book Every Monday Mabel. The illustration is of a girl dragging a chair past a window where you can see the garbage truck driving by.

Song w/Book: The Wheels on the Garbage Truck by Jeffrey Burton, illustrated by Alison Brown
The cover of the book The Wheels on the Garbage Truck. The illustration shows a garbage truck with four animals in garbage collector outfits.

Book: Garbage Collectors by Laura K. Murray
The cover of the book Garbage Collectors. The photograph is of a garbage collector next to a big green truck that is collecting trash.

Song/Video: “Dance for the Sun” – Kira Willey: Dance for the Sun

Yoga: Garbage truck (dump truck)
(Credit: Diggory the Dumptruck | A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure! Pose begins at 1:53)

Social Story: Being Grateful by Rebecca Pettiford
The cover of the book Being Grateful. The cover has a photograph of a hand holding a thank you card.

Closing Song

Craft: Garbage truck coloring sheet with “trash”
Colored in garbage truck coloring pages with colorful tissue paper glued on to represent trash.
(Credit: justashleyreed on Instagram)

Rain Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Rainy by Tessa Kenan
The cover of the book Weather Report: Rainy. It has a photograph of a girl holding an umbrella.

Song: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Songs for Wiggleworms

Book: The Rainbow Snail by Karin Åkesson
The cover of the book The Rainbow Snail. The illustration is of a snail with a rainbow for a shell.

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

Yoga: Umbrella, rain boots, & puddle poses
(Credit: Pyramid Kids Yoga)

Social Story: Sunny-Side Up by Jacky Davis, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock
The cover of the book Sunny-Side Up. The illustration shows a happy girl standing in a shower of colorful raindrops.

Closing Song

Craft: Streamer and cotton ball rainbow clouds
A photo of a paper cloud with cotton balls glued on top and rainbow colored streamers glued to the bottom of it.

Outdoors Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Let’s Go Outside! by Ben Lerwill, illustrated by Marina Ruiz
The cover of the book Let's Go Outside! The illustration is of children hiking, running, and exploring outside.

Song: “Goin’ on a Bear Hunt” – Greg & Steve: Kids in Action

Book: How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside by Kari Percival
The cover of the book How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside. The illustration is of a child with a pink polka-dotted hood peering into a garden bed with sprouting plants and a worm.

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

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “tree”

Social Story: Thank You, Bees by Toni Yuly
The cover of the book Thank You, Bees. The illustration is of three bees flying towards a purple flower.

Closing Song

Craft: Binoculars made from toilet paper rolls & washi tape
Binoculars made out of two toilet paper rolls held together by colorful washi tape.

Bicycle Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
The cover of the book Duck on a Bike. The illustration is of a duck waving at the reader while riding a red bike.

Song: “The Goldfish” – Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito

Book: My Bike by Byron Barton
The cover of the book My Bike. The illustration is of a child riding a green bike and wearing a blue helmet and purple backpack in front of a bright pink background.

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

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “pedal laughing”

Social Story: Bike Safety by Sarah L. Schuette
The cover of the book Bike Safety. The photograph is of a smiling child on a bike.

Closing Song

Craft: Stand-up bicycle
The photograph shows a paper cutout of a child on a bike that is attached to a paper base by two paper strips formed into circles.
(Credit: Krokotak)

Turtle Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Sign Language: Turtle

Book: Turtles by Emily Green
The cover of the nonfiction book Turtles. The cover has a photograph of a turtle on a green background.

Song: “Turtle, Turtle” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Turtle, turtle, moves so slow,
Crawling, crawling, watch him go.
At the pond he looks around,
See his head move up and down.
Turtle, turtle, wants to swim,
Now he slides and dives right in!
(Credit: PreschoolExpress)

Book: Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell
The cover of the book Scoot! The illustration is of a turtle on the ground looking up at a tree where a squirrel is leaping. A bird, a dragonfly, and a frog are also nearby.

Song/Video: “Dance for the Sun” – Kira Willey: Dance for the Sun

Yoga: Turtle pose

Social Story: “Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think” by Rochelle Lentini, Lindsay N. Giroux,
and Mary Louise Hemmeter
The cover of the story Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think: A scripted story to assist with teaching the "Turtle Technique." The illustration is of a happy turtle standing on two legs next to a pond.
(Credit: From the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations)

Closing Song

Craft: Paper turtle
A photograph of a paper turtle craft. The turtles are made out of paper cutouts, with googly eyes and square paper pieces glued onto their shells for decoration.

Frog Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: It’s Mine! by Leo Lionni
The cover of the book It's Mine! The illustration is of three frogs, one of which is jumping up to catch a flying bug.

Puppet Song: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”
Five green and speckled frogs sat 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.

Repeat, taking a frog away each time until there are no green and speckled frogs.
The prop used while singing the song "Five Green and Speckled Frogs." A photograph of a stuffed log prop with five stuffed frogs sitting on it. Each frog is a different green and has a number 1 to 5 on its back.

Book: Frogs by Julie Murray
The cover of the nonfiction book Frogs. The photograph is of a red-eyed tree frog on a white background.

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

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “frog squat”

Social Story: Can I Tell You A Secret? by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
The cover of the book Can I Tell You a Secret? The illustration is of a worried looking frog in front of some reeds.

Closing Song

Craft: Frog coloring sheet with tissue paper squares
A coloring sheet of a frog that says "F is for Frog." The frog is colored in with green tissue paper.

Jungle Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon
The cover of the book Sloth Slept On. The illustration is of a sloth sleeping on its back in a tree next to a bird and a birdhouse.

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

Book: Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron
The cover of the book Tiny Little Fly. The illustration is of a tiger laying down with one eye open and watching a fly on its paw.

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

Yoga: Tarzan’s thymus tap

Social Story: How to Be by Lisa Brown
The cover of the book How to Be. The design has colorful watercolor-style boxes arranged in a rectangle around the title and author with line sketches of several animals on top.

Closing Song

Craft: Tiger coloring pages with yarn

Star Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Star in the Jar by Sam Hay, illustrated by Sarah Massini
The cover of the book Star in the Jar. The illustration shows two children looking at a jar that has a star inside.

Rhyme: “Star Chant” (pass out star cutouts to each of the children)
Put your star shape in the air, (hold in the air)
Hold it high and keep it there.
Put your star shape on your back, (reach back and put star on back)
Now lay it on your lap. (put star on lap)
Put your star shape on your toes, (touch star to toes)
Now hold it by your nose. (touch star to nose)
Hold your star shape in your hand, (stretch hand out in front of you)
Now everyone please stand. (have children stand up)
Wave your star shape at the door, (face door and shake star)
Now touch your star to the floor. (touch star to floor in front of you)
Hold your star in your hand and jump, jump, jump, (hold star and jump up and down)
Now toss your star shape way, way, up! (toss star up in front of you)

Book: Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
The cover of the book Touch the Brightest Star. The illustration is of a night sky with a big bright star and several woodland creatures.

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

Movement/Yoga: Star

Social Story: Twinkle, Twinkle, You’re a Star! by John John Bajet
The cover of the Baby Shark and Friends book Twinkle, Twinkle, You're a Star! The illustration shows a smiling yellow star in the middle with sea creatures surrounding it.

Closing Song

Craft: Pipe cleaner and bead star
Colorful beads are strung onto a pipe cleaner, which is bent into a star shape.

Cat Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Floof by Heidi McKinnon
The cover of the book Floof. The illustration is of a fluffy gray cat.

Song: “If You’re a Kitty and You Know It” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a kitty and you know it, lick your paws. (pretend to lick paws)
If you’re a kitty and you know it, lick your paws. (pretend to lick paws)
If you’re a kitty and you know it, and you really want to show it.
If you’re a kitty and you know it, lick your paws. (pretend to lick paws)

Additional verses:
Show your claws (show claws)
Swish your tail (wiggle bottom)
Chase some yarn (swat high)
Say “Meow!”

Book: No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons
The cover of the book No Cats In the Library. The illustration is of a librarian pushing a book cart and frowning at a cat sitting outside the library doors, looking in.

Song/Video: “Dance for the Sun” – Kira Willey: Dance for the Sun

Yoga/Breathing: Cat

Social Story: I’m Sorry by Janet Riehecky
The cover of the book I'm Sorry. The cover art is a photograph of a boy looking concerned and saying, "I'm sorry."

Closing Song

Craft: Cats in sweaters
A photograph of cardboard cut into cat shapes viewed from the front. Colorful yarn is wrapped around each cat's torso like a sweater.
(Credit: Krokotak)