Where We Live (houses) Storytime

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Too Tall Houses – Gianna Marino

(Friends keep trying to build the biggest house, until they realize it might be better to work together. Response was lukewarm.)

Flannel Board: A House for Birdie (from the story by Stuart J Murphy)

Essentially, Birdie doesn’t have a house and recruits friends to help her find one. Each house they come upon doesn’t work for Birdie, but one of the friends claims it. Finally, the friends decide to build a house just for Birdie.

(The kids were really excited about his. They loved identifying which bird fit in the houses as they appeared.)

Book: Where To, Little Wombat – Charles Fudge

(Wombat want’s to live somewhere else, but realizes a burrow is the best place after all. Well simple, nice pics. Good overall.)

Activity: In and Out the Doors (from Susan M Dailey)

In and Out the Doors
(sung to “Go In and Out the Window”)

    Step in and out the front door.
(take a step forward, then back)
Step in and out the front door.
Step in and out the front door.
Then make a doorbell sound.
(say “ding dong”)

    Jump in and out the back door.
(jump forward, then back)
Jump in and out the back door.
Jump in and out the back door.
Bend down and touch the ground.
(touch ground with hand)

    Slide in and out the side door.
(slide to one side, then other)
Slide in and out the side door.
Slide in and out the side door.
And then turn all around.
(turn around)

    Step in and out the front door.
Jump in and out the back door.
Slide in and out the side door.
Then sit yourself right down.
(sit down)

(We did each action twice, with the kids remembering which action fit each location. Good stuff!)

Book: Do Lions Live on Lily Pads? – Melanie Walsh

(A bit short, certainly great for engaging the kids!)

Puppets: 3 Little Pigs

The Traditional story

(Had a wolf puppet as well, was just a bit much to handle as one person. Kids still had a super time with it! The little pigs in the house window just showed up at the beginning and the end. I swapped out props on a puppet for each pigs turn in their house.)

Book: Bear Says Thanks – Karma Wilson

(This was my attempt to tie in Thanksgiving, unnecessarily I’m sure. The kids kinda lost interest for this.)

Activity: Paper Bag houses (from Storytime Katie)

(We made little houses of paper bags with cut out ornamentation. )

Tops and Bottoms Storytime

(The group on Tuesday was pretty subdued, perhaps because of the rainy day, but I think they were still engaged and enjoyed themselves. Thursday was one of those perfect days where the kids were engaged and participated just where they were supposed to but didn’t disrupt from what was going on. Goes to show that often it’s the energy rather than the program that can make all the difference! )

Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi

Book: Sally and the Purple Socks – Lisze Bechtold Chicken Cheeks

(Sally’s socks just keep growing! But she continues to find new uses for them. The kids were quite engaged during this story, it’s nice!)

Flannel Board: Cupcake – (from the book by Charise Mericle Harper)

(Little Cupcake feels too plain, so candle tries to fancy him up! Nothing quite works. Spaghetti is too squiggly!! A little bit short/basic maybe, but I suppose that makes a good flannel board!)

Book: No! That’s Wrong! – Zhaohua Ji

(Bunny finds a great hat, but then learns that it isn’t a hat after all. He realizes that what’s best for others isn’t necessarily best for him!)

Activity: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes – Traditional

(We start it slow, and increase the speed with each repetition. Kids love it!)

Book: Chicken Cheeks – Michael Ian Black

(This is just a bunch of animal heinies! One little girl was giggling and repeating each one.)

Activity: Magic Magic, in My Hat

(MAGIC) – “Hat Trick” by Deanna Romriell.

(Use a top hat/rabbit puppet along with a selection of other animals to perform this rhyme.)

Magic!  Magic!  In my hat,

I’ll pull out a rabbit –

Aaaaaa!!  What is that?!!

(Pull anything other than a rabbit out and repeat.)

Magic!  Magic!  In my hat,

I’ll pull out a rabbit –

 See!!  Look at that!!

(I love this little rhyme, and so do the kids! I like to have them help on the last time to get the rabbit out.)

Book: A Boy and His Bunny – Sean Bryan

(I don’t know how well this was received. I think it was pretty good!)

Activity: Parachute Play

(We bounced things on the parachute, up and down!)