Burrowers Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Where To Little Wombat– Charles Fudge

(Adorable illustrations, and a nice repetitive formula with a fun ending.)

Activity: Mole’s Hill – from the book by Lois Ehlert

(I copied and laminated illustrations from the book for our flannel board, and it worked quite well!)

Book: Dinnertime– Sue Williams

(We did counting down for each page, and some of the kids started joining in on the ‘Dinnertime’ phrase.)

Activity: Little Bunny Foo Foo – from the CD Toddlers on Parade

Little bunny Foo Foo went walking through the forest, gathering some clover on his way to play.

Down came the good fairy, and she said,

“Little bunny Foo Foo, it’s so nice to see you, walking through the forest, on your way to play.

But it’s getting late, so you’d better hurry!”

(Repeat with jumping through the forest, and running through the forest.)

(At first I was a bit reluctant to use a changed Bunny Foo Foo, but it lends itself so well to a nice action break.)

Book: Arthur Digs– Lindsay Barrett

(A bit wordy in places, but still a fun story, the kids were very engaged.)

Activity: Ant’s Go Marching – traditional

The ants go marching 1 by 1 hurrah, hurrah!

The ants go marching 1 by 1 hurrah, hurrah!

The ants go marching one by one, the little on stopped to stand in the sun

and they all went marching down, in the ground, to get out of the rain.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

(Continue with 2 by 2, etc.)

(This was a bit of a fizzle. I tried to get the kids to find rhyming words with the numbers, which didn’t work for my Thu group. I loved a suggestion on Tue though, Jive as a rhyme for 5!)

Book: Wonderful Worms– Linda Glaser

(This was a flop for my first group, but the second group quite liked it! just the right amount of text on each page.)

Activity: Streamers

(Then we used our streamers as wiggly worms!)

Dinosaur Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Dinosaur vs The Library – Bob Shea

(A good intro for proper library behavior, and we got to start the storytime with roaring!)

Activity: Dini Dinosaur – based on the book by Karen Beaumont

Dini has been playing in the mud, so him mom tells him he needs a bath before bed. He scrubs different parts, but forgets to take of his clothes! Back in the tub!

“Dirty Dini Dinosaur splashed in the tub. He tried to wash his head with a scrub-a-dub-dub!

Silly Dini Dinosaur! Don’t you know? You have to take your Hat off, back you go!”

Dini’s momma helps him get clean, and tucks him into bed. Good night Dini!

 

(Pretty cute, and simple. Kept the kids engaged.)

Book: Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe – Tim Myers

(I thought it might be a little too wordy, but it worked out fine. Nice bright pictures.)

Activity: We Are The Dinosaurs – from the CD Waddda Think of That by Laurie Berkner

(I introduce some different dino’s we can be …flap for pterodactyl, hold up fingers on head for triceratops, chop hand together for t-rex, etc…and we act out the song. It’s fantastic!)

Book: The Really Really Really big Dinosaur – Richard Byrne

(A cute story with a bit of a surprise ending, and a good lesson in manners.)

Puppet Song: Dinosaur Round – from the CD Rhinoceros Tap by Sandra Boynton

(The puppets act out this song. Dino is a bit of a messy eater, but the kids are eager to re-feed him the food that drops. At the very end he gobbles up the boy! Loads of fun.)

Book: How Do Dinosaurs Eat their food – Jane Yolen

 

(Then we learn how you ought to behave at meal time. This series is awesome.)

Activity: bubbles

(You think these are bubbles? No, they’re mini asteroids! Destroy them before they crash into the earth!)

Letter I Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: An Island Grows – Lola M Schaefer

(One of the boys said ‘Islands don’t grow!’ when I introduced this book, education time! Lovely simple text and vibrant images. One of the kids announced about midway through ‘It rhymes!’. A fun find indeed.)

Activity: Itsy Bitsy Spider – Traditional

(We sang the Itsy Bitsy spider, then I pulled out my emotion faces, and we sang it angrily, sadly, happily, nervously, and finally sleepily. The kids loved it.)

Book: Should I share my Ice Cream – Mo Willems

(Another big hit, when I asked if sharing his ice cream was a good idea, there was a big chorus of ‘No!’. I think by the end they were convinced that sharing was a good thing.)

Activity: Ice Cream Cone – from the CD Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner

(For this song I introduced the sign language for Ice Cream, Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry. Then told the kids that we’d Freeze, and melt like ice cream when the music stopped. I paused it before each new ice cream flavor, which was a good break to refresh the sign language. I threw in actions for the rest of the song as well, and we ended by melting. It was a hit!)

Book: Except If – Jim Averbeck

(I know a story was well received when at the end a kids says ‘That was a funny story.’ and this one earned that recognition!)

Activity: The Great Big Itch – adapted from Rhino’s Great Big Itch by Natalie Chivers

Elephant has a great big itch in his ear! It won’t come out with shaking, or rolling. Bird says he just need some help, so elephant goes and asks fish (who is too slippery), turle (who is too slow) monkey (who is too silly) he doesn’t even bother to ask crocodile. How will he get the itch to go away! Bird offers to help, but elephant doesn’t see how a tiny bird can get rid of a great big itch. But bird does!

(I adapted this story for the puppets I had on hand, and it worked great.)

Book: Icky Sticky Monster – Jo Lodge

(I wasn’t sure I’d get this book on time (it was checked out while I was planning the program) but it arrived the morning I needed it, and was a great finish! When the monster wants a kiss at the end, I asked who wanted to give him one. As expected there were no volunteers, so I suggested blowing a kiss, which they were all happy to do.)

Activity: Instruments

(Then we had free play with instruments!)