Tag: tree

Tree Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: The Life Cycle of an Oak Tree by Linda Tagliaferro
The cover of the book The Life Cycle of an Oak Tree. The cover has a photograph of acorns, a photograph of an oak seedling, and a photograph of a fully grown oak tree on a teal background.

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)

Song: “Leaves, Branches, Trunk and Roots” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Leaves (wiggle hands and fingers), branches (stretch arms out to the sides), trunk (touch torso) and roots (touch legs), 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: A Tree Is a Community by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
The cover of the book A Tree Is a Community. The illustration is of a boy and a girl swinging beneath a tree where squirrels, raccoons, bugs, mushrooms, and birds are living.

Flannel Song: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”

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!

Shaker Eggs: “Can You Shake Your Egg with Me?” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Can you shake your egg with me?
Shake your egg along with me.
It’s as easy as can be.
Now put it on your tummy!

Repeat with different body parts
(Credit: King County Library System)

Closing Rhyme

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.

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.

Apples and Pumpkins Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Puppet Song: “When Ducks Get Up in the Morning”
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.

Repeat with other animals/sounds
(Credit: King County Library System)

Sign Language: Apple, pumpkin

Puppet Story: Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

Rhyme: “Criss Cross Applesauce”
Criss, cross, applesauce (draw X on back)
Spiders crawling up your back (crawl fingers up)
Cool breeze, tight squeeze, (blow air, squeeze)
Now you’ve got the shivers! (tickle)

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.

Flannel Rhyme: “Five Big Pumpkins”
Five big pumpkins sitting in a line, (hold fingers up)
All growing on one long vine. (hold flat arm up)
Along came the wind, WHOOSH! (blow on neck)
It made the squashes sway, (sway back and forth)
And one big pumpkin rolled away. (roll arms)

Repeat, counting down until:
One big pumpkin sitting all alone,
A family picked it and took it home!
(Credit: Leah Portz, Verona Public Library)

Book: Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills
Duck and goose find a pumpkin

Lap Rhyme: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way 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. (wobble gently)
Down came the baby. (bring down)
Mmm, was she good! (Kiss)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Lap Rhyme: “Pumpkin, Pumpkin”
Pumpkin, pumpkin, sitting on a wall,
Pumpkin, pumpkin, tip and fall.
Pumpkin, pumpkin, rolling down the street,
Pumpkin, pumpkin, tickle those feet!

Lap Song: “Bouncing, Bouncing, Baby on My Knee”
Bouncing, bouncing, baby on my knee.
Bouncing, bouncing, 1 – 2 – 3!

Clapping, clapping, baby on my knee.
Clapping, clapping, 1 – 2 – 3!

Rocking, rocking, baby on my knee.
Rocking, rocking, 1 – 2 – 3!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Shaker Eggs: “Apple Pickin’ Time” – Tom Pease: I’m Gonna’ Reach!

Closing Rhyme

Fall Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book/Flannel: That Pup! by Lindsay Barrett George

Song: “Walk Old Squirrel” – Kathy Reid-Naiman: When It’s Autumn

Book/Flannel: Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky, illustrated by Susan Swan

Song: “Pumpkin, Pumpkin” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
(Credit: Step by Step Childcare)

Song: “Autumn Leaves” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Autumn leaves are in the trees,
In the trees, in the trees.
Autumn leaves are in the trees
All over town.

Additional verses:
Autumn leaves are falling down…
Autumn leaves are whirling round…
Everybody rake them up…
Jump into the pile we made…

Puppet Show: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
The Busy Little Squirrel book cover

Puppet Song: “So Many Leaves are Falling on the Ground”
So many leaves are falling on the ground,
Orange ones, yellow ones, and even brown.
But the one little leaf that rhymes with…
Is my favorite color, it’s the color…

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

Closing Rhyme

Tree Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Song: “Orange, Yellow, Red and Brown” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”) (with colored felt leaves)
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Autumn leaves are twirling all around, (hold your arms out to your sides and spin them around and around)
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown.

Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Autumn leaves are dancing in the breeze, (hold your arms up and dance them all around)
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown.

Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown,
Autumn leaves are falling to the ground, (go down to the floor and lay down)
Orange, yellow, red and brown, red and brown.
(Credit: From the CD, “Children’s Favorite Autumn Songs & Fingerplays” by The Learning Station)

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Yoga: Tree pose

Social Story: “Listening in Class” from Quinn at School: Relating, Connecting, and Responding at School by Rick H. Warren
Quinn at School: Relating, Connecting and Responding - A Book for ...

Closing Song

Craft: Torn paper fall tree

Fall Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Song: “When Ducks Get Up in the Morning”
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.

Repeat with other animals/sounds
(Credit: King County Library System)

Sign Language: Tree, leaves, squirrel

Puppet Story: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
The Busy Little Squirrel book cover

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.

Rhyme: “Autumn”
Autumn winds begin to blow. (blow gently on baby’s cheek)
Colored leaves fall fast and slow. (wiggle fingers downward)
Twirling, whirling all around, (roll hands)
Until, at last, they touch the ground. (lower baby between legs)
(Credit: Library Village)

Book: Who Loves the Fall? by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Judy Stead
Who Loves the Fall? book cover

Lap Song: “Little Red Wagon”
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon,
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon,
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon,
Won’t you be my darlin’?

Additional verses:
Goin’ back and forth in my little red wagon… (lean front to back)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken… (lean side to side)
(Credit: Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You)

Lap Song: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high in the apple tree, (lift baby)
I saw a little baby smiling at me.
I shook that tree as gently as I could, (shake gently)
Down came the baby, (bring down)
Mmm, was she good! (kiss)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Lap Song: “Bouncing, Bouncing, Baby on My Knee”
Bouncing, bouncing, baby on my knee.
Bouncing, bouncing, 1 – 2 – 3!

Clapping, clapping, baby on my knee.
Clapping, clapping, 1 – 2 – 3!

Rocking, rocking, baby on my knee.
Rocking, rocking, 1 – 2 – 3!
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

Scarf Song: “Autumn Leaves are Falling Down” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Autumn leaves are falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down
All around the town.

The wind will blow them round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wind will blow them round and round
All around the town.
(Credit: King County Library System)

Closing Rhyme

Apple Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Apples A to Z by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Jake Parker

Song: “Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down” – Junior Jukebox: Four Seasons

Rhyme: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high in the apple tree, (stretch arms in air)
Two little apples smiled at me. (make two fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (shake arms in air)
And down came the apples. (drop fists to floor)
Mmmmm, they were good! (rub tummy)

Book: Toto’s Apple by Mathieu Lavoie

Rhyme: “Wiggle Worms”
Here are some worms who are, oh, so sad.
They’ve lost all the wiggles that they once had.
They wonder if you, just for today,
Would lend them your wiggles so they can play.

Wiggle them up and wiggle them down,
Wiggle the worms around and around.
Wiggle them high and wiggle them low,
Wiggle them fast and wiggle them slow.
Wiggle them over your shoes and your socks,
Then wiggle them back into their box.

Song: “Put Your Finger in the Air” – Bob McGrath: Bob’s Favorite Sing Along Songs

Flannel/Puppet Story: Little Mouse’s Big Secret by Éric Battut

Song: “A Little Apple Seed” (Tune: “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”)
Once a little apple seed
Was planted in the ground.
Down came the raindrops falling all around.
Out came the big sun,
Bright as bright could be,
And that little apple seed grew up
To be an apple tree.

Closing Rhyme

Apples and Pumpkins Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Flannel with Puppets: Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

Song: “Tap Your Toe and Follow Me” – Susan Salidor: Come and Make a Circle

Book: Seed, Sprout, Grow! by Ruth A. Musgrave

Song: “Pumpkin, Pumpkin” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (hold hands together)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
(Credit: Step by Step Childcare)

Song: “Fall Freeze Dance” – The Kiboomers

Book: Pepo and Lolo and the Red Apple by Ana Martín Larrañaga

Rhyme: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high in the apple tree, (stretch arms in the air)
Two little apples smiled at me. (make two fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (shake arms in the air)
And down came the apples, (drop fists to floor)
Mmm, were they good! (rub tummy)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Song: “Reach for the Ceiling” – Carol Totsky Hammett, Elaine Bueffel, Dennis Buck, and Lynn Roberts: Toddlers on Parade

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

Closing Rhyme

Fall Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
in the middle of fall cover

Song: “Leaves are Falling” (Tune: “Jingle Bells”)
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, falling on my nose,
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, falling on my toes,
On my head, on my ears, even my elbows,
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, when the brisk wind blows.

Repeat the song, faster.

Book: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
The Busy Little Squirrel book cover

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “tree”

Social Story: “Listening in Class” from Quinn at School: Relating, Connecting, and Responding at School by Rick H. Warren

Closing Song

Craft: Torn paper fall tree