In the Sky Storytime

The second time I did this program, I used the same books, but swapped out some of the activities. 

For our first activity we did a flannel version of “There Was a Bold Lady who Wanted a Star” by Charise Harper. 

 

And after the book ‘Birds’ we did The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, 

The cow tried to jump behind, under and onto the moon, before the kids helped it remember where it should go. Over the moon! Then we all stood up and did the rhyme with actions. 

Hey diddle diddle, the Cat and the fiddle,

(pretend to play fiddle)

The Cow jumped over the moon.

(jump up)

The little Dog laughed to see such fun,

(hold or tickle belly)

And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.

(run in place)

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Kite Day – Will Hillendbrand

(This is a nice simple book, with a sweet ending. A parent even commented on what a nice book it was to her child when it was finished.)

Flannel Board: My Friend Rabbit – from the book by Eric Rohmann

(Mouse has a new plane, but Rabbit gets it stuck in a tree! He has an idea to get it back though. My first group of kids wasn’t as attentive, but the 2nd group was pretty engaged.)

 

Book: Birds – Kevin Henkes

(I quite like this book! It isn’t a narrative, but more a series of observations. Great illustrations.)

Song/Activity: Way Up High in the Apple Tree

 Way up high in the apple tree (hold apple cutout over head)

a little red apple smiled at me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could, (shake arm and drop apple)

down came the apple!

Mmmm was it good!

(We did this with red, green and yellow apples. Then with 2 little, and 3 little apples. The kids love shaking the apples down!)

Book: Butterfly, Butterfly – Petr Horacek

(This is a fantastic book, bright pictures and a lovely pop-up ending that always entrances the kids.)

Flannel Song: Fireworks – from the webpage of Miss Angela

(I had pipe cleaner fireworks to put up, the kids loved making the Boom! and identifying the colors.)

We sit and look at the dark night sky

waiting for the fireworks to start to fly.

Then with a Boom (clap hands) and a flash of light

a big RED firework sparkles in the night!

(continue with other colors)

Book: Kens Cloud – Isabel M. Arques

(I was a little surprised at how well this was received! Even at the end of the storytime the kids were very into it during both my sessions.)

Activity: Bubbles

(I wanted to bounce balloons on our parachute, but didn’t manage to get any. So bubbles worked as a default!)

Back to School Storytime

(A little drama occurred prior to this storytime. I took my bag of books home to practice them, and it got lost somewhere! So I scrounged together a new set in the half hour before my program. It worked out pretty well though. )

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Late for School -Stephanie Calmenson

The kids had fun with this, it was nice having them identify all the different modes of transportation.

(wanted to use Cornelius P. Mud, are you Ready for School?  by Barney Saltzberg)

Song: There’s  Dog in School

There’s a dog in school, OH NO!

What are we going to do?

As long as there’s a dog in school

He’ll have to learn his alphabet, too!

(Bark the ABC song, then continue with other animals. I used a dog, cat, mouse, dinosaur, then child to sing the proper way.)

(This was very popular!)

Book: How Rocket Learned to Read – Tad Hills

This story is rather long, so I clipped some pages together. Not very suited to for storytime but it worked okay.

(wanted to use Llama Llama Misses Mamma by Anna Dewdey)

Activity: If you’re wearing any red

If your clothes have any red, any red

If your clothes have any red, any red

If your clothes have any red,

put your hands above your head,

If your clothes have any red, any red.

…if your clothes have any blue,

jump up and down inside your shoes,

…if your clothes have any white,

scrunch your face up small and tight,

…if your clothes have any yellow,

jiggle like a bowl of jello-o,

…if your clothes have any green,

tilt sideways ‘till you lean,

…if your clothes have any brown,

turn around and around,

Talked about wearing new school clothes, it was a good get up and move activity.

Book: If You Take a Mouse to School – Numeroff

This was a little flat, but worked okay. It was good we’d just done a moving thing!

(wanted to use Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin)

Activity: One Was Johnny from the book by Maurice Sendak

I had a little flip board with number for the kids to call out. It worked well enough, but some of the kids were getting a little restless.

Book: How do Dinosaurs go to School? – Jane Yolen

Pretty compact, and who doesn’t love dinosarus!  One little boy started shouting out No! after each of the questions. Love that participation!

(wanted to use Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten! by Heywon Yum)

Activity: Hand Out Books

(We had a bunch of books to give the kids to help them ‘Get ready for school’. And as a present for those that wouldn’t be able to attend storytime anymore when summer ends.)

Bugs Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: I Love Bugs – Emma Dodd

(The kids quite like this, especially the spider at the end!)

Poem: Flea known as Ralph

(I made this for Unloved Animals storytime, and am so glad to use it again. The crowd loves it, and we do it twice so the kids can help me remember which animal comes next.)

Book: Old Black Fly – Jim Aylesworth

(Such a fun alphabet book, with such gross pictures and a great ending. Fantastic! )

Song/Activity: A Fly Is On My Nose

 A Fly is on my nose,

a fly is on my nose.

Hi-ho, just watch me blow

the fly right off my nose!

(Then we buzzed our finger around until it landed on another body part, and continued the song. We did nose, eye, ear, knee, toe, tummy, and then clapped to catch the fly. It’s nice to get suggestions from the kids on where the fly should land next!)

Book: Sleepyhead Bear – Lisa Peters

(This was a last minute addition, and it worked out very well. )

Flannel Board: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (from the book by Eric Carle)

(I wasn’t sure I could work out this flannel board set, but just kept trying until it happened! [glued the eyes on the caterpillar the morning of the program!] The caterpillar starts small, and keeps eating the items until it’s fat. Then I swap for a brown rolled up felt [the chrysalis], that flips around to be the butterfly’s body. The group seemed quite impressed, I’m glad it payed off!)

Book: Can You Make a Scary Face? – Jan Thomas

(Such a fun interactive book. When the frog was about to show up, one boy call out ‘But that’s a bug!’ about the narrator.)

Activity: Streamers

(Had music play while the kids danced with streamers, all in all, a fun time for everyone!)