Storytime--Earth Day!

This Storytime I had a special guest from the recycling center in town, and leading up to it I wasn't sure exactly how big of a role they wanted to take. We ended up only reading two of the four books I prepared, because she had a pretty long activity. So I read Stuff to start, and then did the action activity. After that she took over. I had her read Junkyard, then she went into her activity. That went long, so we ended with the craft. The kids enjoyed Stuff a lot more than I thought they would, and I'm glad I included it (it was a last-minute switch).

Books:

Stuff: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Steven Kroll
Junkyard by Mike Austin
We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child
Maple by Lori Nichols


Fingerplay:

This is an acorn so smooth and so brown,
(Make small circle with fingers)
Which from a great oak tree came rattling down.
(tap fingers on desk or table)
Now it is hiding deep down in the grass,
(hide head into hands)
Waiting for ice-time and snow-time to pass.
Here are some baby oaks trying to grow,
(raise head up – point pointers up straight)
Here are young saplings all placed in a row,
(raise other fingers and arms up straight)
These are tall oak trees in red leaves and brown,
(stand up straight and extend arms like tree)
Hear how their acorns come rattling down.
(sit down and tap fingers briskly on desk or table)


Action Activity

Trees grow from seeds! Get little! (Form small ball with body)
Sunshine and rain feed the trees, yum yum yum!
Now we grow! (Pretend to grow)
And we get bigger! We have branches! (arms out as branches)
We sway in the wind! (sway) 
Good job everyone! We're big and strong! Time for the next book!


Craft:

Mosaic Earth

 

This is one of my standby crafts. I always save the scraps from previous stortytimes and tear them up for mosaic pieces. Easy and the kids enjoy it.

Storytime--Easter

This one went really well! Both flannelboards went over well. I did one after the first book and one after the third, and when they saw it come out again they got all excited! The craft, as always, was the highlight. One little girl was bouncing around, she just couldn't contain how excited she was! As far as the books go, Here Comes The Easter Cat and The Easter Bunny's Assistant were the favorites. Both are very funny and were my favorites too. 


Books:

Here Comes The Easter Cat by Deborah Underwood
Little Bunny's Easter Surprise by Jeanne Modesitt
Looking For Easter by Dori Chaconas
The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas


Fingerplay

The Bunny Fingerplay
Here is a bunny (make a bunny with hand)
With ears so funny (wiggle ears)
And this is his/her hole in the ground (make a hole with other hand)
When a noise she hears (listen intently)
She pricks up her ears (straighten ears)
And jumps in her hole in the ground (make bunny jump into hole)

(From http://www.childfun.com/index.php/holidays/spring-holidays/easter/393-easter-songs-poems-a-fingerplays-easter-crafts-and-activities.html#sthash.UfUM9s88.dpbs)


Flannelboard:

 
 

5 Little Easter Eggs
5 little Easter eggs I wish I had more! I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are four!
4 little Easter eggs Tasty as can be I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 3!
3 little Easter eggs Only a few. I'll eat the (color) one
Now there are 2.
2 little Easter eggs Eating them is fun I'll eat the (color) one
Now there is one.
1 little Easter egg The last one for me I'll eat the (color) one
I'm as happy as can be!

(From http://www.childfun.com/index.php/holidays/spring-holidays/easter/393-easter-songs-poems-a-fingerplays-easter-crafts-and-activities.html#sthash.UfUM9s88.dpbs)


Where is the Candy?
The Easter Bunny hid candy behind one of the Easter Eggs! Let's see if we can find where he hid them. Close your eyes tight! What color egg do you think he hid it under?



Craft

Wet Chalk and Tape Resist Easter Eggs.



This one is simple: tape up the egg, then paint it with wet chalk. After it dries a little, peel back the tape!

(From http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2013/02/wet-chalk-tape-resist-easter-egg.html)

Storytime--Ninjas

Well, the weather finally got nicer here, and the daycares came back. I had a huge group of kids today, which was great. I really think I've improved my storytimes over the winter and I'm really excited to see how naturally it is starting to come. This storytime went really well. The kids enjoyed all of it. The books kept them entertained and the flannelboard and movement activity went really well too. I wasn't quite prepared with my craft for this many kids, but fortunately all the parts were easy to throw together and my sub really helped out.

Ninja Storytime

Books:

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted To Be Noticed by J.C. Phillipps
The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex Latimer
Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta

Flannelboard:



Five little ninjas creeping through the door,
One said HIYAH, and then there were four.
Four little ninjas, climbing up a tree,
One said HIYAH, and then there were three.
Three little ninjas with nothing to do,
One said HIYAH, and then there were two.
Two little ninjas, having so much fun.
One said HIYAH, and then there was one.
One little ninja, on the run.
He said HIYAH, and then there were none.

(From Falling Flannelboards: http://fallingflannelboards.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/storytime-ninjas/)

Movement Activity:

We bowed at the beginning and end of the activity, like the ninja pigs did in our book!

Ninja, ninja – sneak around.
Ninja, ninja – touch the ground.
Ninja, ninja – jump up high.
Ninja, ninja – touch the sky.
Ninja, ninja – get down low.
Ninja, ninja – touch your toes!

(Adapted from What Happens At Storytime: http://storytimewithmissmollie.blogspot.com/2013/05/storytime-sneaky-ninjas.html )

Craft: 

Circle Ninjas

 

(From No Time For Flashcards :http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/02/shape-ninja-craft-for-kids.html)

Storytime--Birthday

Since it was my birthday this week, I wanted to do a birthday storytime! I had super squirrely kids but they had a good time. They especially enjoyed the craft, as usual, but the fingerplays went over really really well.

Books:

If You Give A Pig A Party by Laura Numeroff
I Want Two Birthdays by Tony Ross
The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick
Guinea Pig Party by

Fingerplay:

Ten Little Candles
Ten little candles on a birthday cake.
(hold up ten fingers)
“Wh! Wh!” Now there are eight.
(blow twice and bend down two fingers)
Eight little candles on a birthday cake.
“Wh! Wh!” Now there are six.
Six little candles on a birthday cake.
“Wh! Wh!” Now there are four.
Four little candles on a birthday cake.
“Wh! Wh!” Now there are two.
Two little candles on a birthday cake.
“Wh! Wh!” Now there are none!
Make a wish!

(From the King County Library System http://wiki.kcls.org/index.php/Happy_Birthday_Story_Time_-_December_1,_2,_3)


Make A Cake!
Mix the batter, stir the batter
(make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Shake some flour in
(make a shaking motion with one arm/hand)
Mix the batter, stir the batter
(make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Place it in a tin
(pretend to pour)
Sprinkle in some chocolate chips 
(pretend to sprinkle)
Put it in to bake
(open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)
Then open wide the oven door
(pretend to open door)
And out comes the cake!
(open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)

(From Sunflower Storytime http://sunflowerstorytime.com/2012/02/17/birthdays/)


Flannelboard:



Five little cupcakes in a bakery shop,
Round and fat with frosting on top.
Along came ________ (child's name) with a quarter one day.
And bought a cupcake and ran away.
Four little cupcakes...
Three little cupcakes...
Two little cupcakes...
One little cupcake...


Craft:

Frost the Cake!



For these, I used a paint recipe I've used a few times before--shaving cream and glue! This time I added some food coloring to make it look like frosting. The kids had a great time painting, and I love the easy clean-up.