Tag: trees

Leaves Story Time – Family

Opening Song

Book: My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington

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

Book: Leaves by David Ezra Stein
Leaves book cover

Flannel: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”

Book: One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me! by John Micklos Jr., illustrated by Clive McFarland

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)

Closing Rhyme

Forest Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Puppet Song: “When Ducks Go on an Adventure”
When ducks go on an adventure, they always say good day.
When ducks go on an adventure, 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: Trees, squirrel, rabbit, owl

Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Forest Hide & Seek by Eric Carle

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.

Song: “Our Arms Go Up and Down” (Tune: “The Farmer In the Dell”)
Our arms go up and down,
Our arms go up and down,
Hi ho the derry-o,
Our arms go up and down.

Additional verses:
Our feet go back and forth…
Our heads go side to side…
We all go up and down…
(Credit: Bucks County Free Library)

Puppet Rhyme: “There’s Something in the Forest”
There’s something in the forest
That I can’t really see.
There’s something in the forest.
Now what can it be?

Repeat for bear, rabbit, owl, fox, squirrel, and mouse.

Book: Hide-and-Seek In the Forest by Rachel Elliot, illustrated by Gareth Lucas

Lap Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Repeat with: bounce, sway, tickle

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: “Giddyap Giddyap”
Giddyap, giddyap ride to town (bounce)
Giddyap, giddyap up and down (lift)
Giddyap fast, giddyap slow
Giddyap, giddyap WHOA! (lean baby back)
(Credit: Read Sing Play)

Scarf Song: “Rain on the Grass”
Rain on the grass, (shake on floor)
Rain on the trees, (shake high)
Rain on the roof, (hold above head)
But not on me. (drop)

Repeat with sun and leaves.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Scarf Song: “Peekaboo” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Peekaboo, peekaboo,
I see you, I see you,
I see your button nose,
I see your tiny toes,
Peekaboo, I see you.

Closing Rhyme

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

Tree Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola

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)

Flannel: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”

Book: The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern

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!

Closing Rhyme

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)

Trees Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Trees by Lemniscates

Action Rhyme: “A Tree Is a Home”
A tree may be a home for bird (flap arms like a bird)
A tree may be a home for bee (buzz your hand around)
A tree may be a home for snake (slithering snake)
A tree may be a home for monkey (swing your arms)
Hmmm. I wonder if a tree would make a good home for me? (point to self)

Book: Shake the Tree by Chiara Vignocchi, Paolo Chiarinotti, Silvia Borando

Flannel Story:  Stuck  by Oliver Jeffers
Stuck flannel

Song: “The Trees Are Growing”
The trees are growing high, (raise arms overhead)
The trees are growing high.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing high.
(Other verses: The threes are growing roots, The trees are growing leaves)

Book:  Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

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

Song: “Can You Shake Your Egg?” (Tune: “Have You Ever Seen?”)
Can you shake your egg with me,
egg with me, egg with me?
Can you shake your egg with me
and put it on your (head, knee, belly, etc.)?

Closing Song

Craft: Make Your Own 3D tree

Plants and Trees Story Time – Preschool

Opening song

Book: Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

UpDownAround

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.

The rain falls on the ground…
The sun shines bright and warm…
The seeds begin to grow…

Rhyme: Garden snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, creeps the garden snail. (Move hands down legs)
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, up the wooden rail. (Move hands up legs)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly, runs the little mouse, (down legs)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly, in his little house. Squeak! (up legs and body, make ears)

Book: Who Will Plant a Tree? By Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Tom Leonard

who will plant a tree

Song: “Oranges Grow on Trees” – Dance and Sing: The Best of Nick, Jr.

Book: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

tap the magic tree

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

Song: The Goldfish – Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito

Craft: Recycled magazine paper garden scene (inspired by laughpaintcreate.blogspot.com)

recycled flowers