Summertime!

The Plan

Opening Action Song: “Bananas” by Jim Gill Presents Music Play For Folks of All Stripes  CD

Book: Zoomer’s Summer Snowstorm by Ned Young

Zoomer wants to cool off during the summer heat by making a snow cone that quickly spirals out of control and turns his backyard into a winter wonderland!

Action Rhyme: 5 Little Hotdogs

5 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up all your fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went BAM! (clap loudly)
4 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up four fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went BAM! (clap loudly)
3 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up three fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went BAM! (clap loudly)
2 little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up two fingers and wiggle them)
The grease got hot and one went BAM! (clap loudly)
1 little hotdog in the fry pan, (hold up one finger and wiggle it)
The grease got hot and it went BAM! (clap loudly)
No little hotdogs in the fry pan, (hold up a fist and shake it)
The pan got hot and it went BAM! (clap loudly)

Book: Mouse’s Summer Muddle by Anita Loughrey

Little mouse sees sparkles in the pond and wonders what they are.  Are they treasure?  Owl finally explains to mouse where the sparkles come from.

Flannelboard: Summer Shapes

 

Book: Birdsong by Ellie Sandall

All different kinds of birds join each other on a tree branch making all kinds of noise.  All that changes when a big bird with a big noise joins them.

Action Rhyme: Watermelon Song

sung to tune “Are You Sleeping?”

Watermelon, watermelon, (Make a circle with your arms.)
On the vine, on the vine,
(Curve hands and arms beside body.)
Sweet and red and juicy, sweet and red and juicy,
(Rub your tummy.)
Please be mine! Please be mine!(Palms together as though pleading.)
Watermelon, watermelon,
(Make a circle with your arms.)
Thump, thump, thump,
Thump, thump, thump,
(Make a thumping movement with thumb and middle finger.)
I think you are ready- I think you are ready-
(Point, resting finger on your temple.)
Big and plump! Big and plump!
(Make a circle with your arms.)

Book: Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

An ABC book about a pesky fly that gets into lots of things around the house before meeting his demise.

Handout/Craft/Game/Activity

I handed out a Summer Activity Book that I made to each child to take home and have fun with.  I just pulled images off the internet to create it.  Very simple, but they loved it.

How It Went

The kids enjoyed today’s storytime and the favorite books were Zoomer’s Summer Snowstorm and Old Black Fly.  This storytime was a bittersweet one.  This was my final storytime as I will be leaving the end of this week for another position.  Hopefully this blog will continue to be used and enjoyed by many!

Fishing

The Plan

Opening Action Song: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” by Songs for Wiggleworms CD

Book: The Biggest Fish by Sheila Keenan

A mayor wants his town to stand out in a big way, so he has a contest for the biggest fish.  Many townspeople catch very big fish, but it’s the painter that wins the prize!

Action Rhyme: We’re Going on a Fish Hunt

Chorus:
We’re going on a fish hunt (we’re going on a fish hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one (we’re gonna catch a big one)
What a beautiful day! (what a beautiful day!)
We’re not scared (we’re not scared)
UH OH! Grass! Long tall grass!
Bridge:
We can’t go over it
We can’t go under it
We gotta go through it
Swishy, swashy, swishy, swashy Swishy, swashy, swishy, swashy! rub hands together
Chorus
UH OH! A rainstorm! Flashy crashy rainstorm!
Bridge
Pitter, patter, Boom, Boom, pitter, patter, boom, boom! Tap knees w/ hands
Chorus

UH OH! Mud! Ooey, gooey mud!
Bridge
Glorp, glorp, glorp, glorp, glorp, glorp! move feet up and down
Chorus
UH OH! A lake! A shady, wavy lake!
Bridge
Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle! move arms as though paddling in a canoe
Chorus
UH OH! A bug cloud! An itchy, scratchy bug cloud!
Bridge
Buzz, swat! Buzz, swat! Buzz, swat! Buzz, swat! Swat arms and legs
Speak the following: A tug! A tug on the pole! It’s a fish, I think I got it! I’m pullin! There it is- It’s flopping away, we have to catch it! Hurry back through the:
Bug cloud – Buzz swat, buzz swat! swat arms and legs
Lake – Paddle, paddle, paddle paddle! move arms in paddling motion
Mud – Glorp, glorp, glorp, glorp! move feet up and down
Rainstorm – Pitter, patter, Boom, boom! Tap knees w/ hands
Grass – Swishy, swashy, swishy, swashy! rub hands together
Speak the following: We caught it! Whoa he’s slimy! Hold ‘m tight, we don’t want him to get loose! Hurry, put him back in the water, back through the:
Grass – Swishy, swashy, swishy, swashy! rub hands together
Rainstorm – Pitter, patter, Boom, boom! Tap knees w/ hands
Mud – Glorp, glorp, glorp, glorp! move feet up and down
Lake – Paddle, paddle, paddle paddle! move arms in paddling motion
Bug cloud – Buzz swat, buzz swat! swat arms and legs
Speak the following: Quick throw the fish back in the water! Whew! That was a close one!

Book: Bears on Ice by Jill Kalz

Three bears go fishing on the frozen lake in their fishing hut.  They have a hard time catching fish and keep themselves busy in different ways while waiting.  Finally, they catch one and realize they have fun just being together.

Flannelboard: Five Little Fishies

 

Book: Just Fishing With Grandma by Mercer Mayer

Another fun Critters book!  Someone wants to go fishing and asks everyone in his family if they can take him.  Everyone is busy except for Grandma.  They have some mishaps, but realize in the end that they had fun anyway.

Action Rhyme: Catch a Fish

One, Two, Three, four, Five
(count fingers on left hand)
I caught a little fish alive
(catch fingers on right hand with left hand)
Why did you let it go?
(release fingers quickly)
Because it bit my fingers so.
(shake right hand)
Which finger did it bite?
The little finger on the right.
(point to little finger on right hand)

Handout/Craft/Game/Activity

We went fishing for prizes today!  It was time to clear out our prize cupboard from past summer reading years.  I made a fishing pole out of a long tube with a string and clothespin attached at the end.  I had the kids fish over a large cardboard stand-up that we had.  I sat on the other side and clipped a prize to the end of their fishing line.  I gave a tug so they knew when to reel it in.  The kids thought this was fantastic!

How It Went

This was the first storytime this summer so it was a super busy one!  I made sure to have an easy activity at the end instead of a craft since I didn’t know how many kids I was going to have.  I think it was very successful.

Five Little Fishies Flannelboard

Five Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea

Five little fishies, swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mr. Shark “You can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr. Shark, as quiet as can be…
And (clap hands) SNAPS that fishy right out of the sea.

(Repeat with four fish, three fish, two, etc.)

So alone swims Mr. Shark as quiet as can be
And he looked and he looked…
“No more fishies for me.”

Birthday Cake Flannelboard

Five Candles

Five candles on a birthday cake,
And not one more
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves four!

Four candles on a birthday cake,
There for all to see
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves three!

Three candles on a birthday cake,
Standing straight and true
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves two!

Two candles on a birthday cake,
Helping us have fun
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves one!

One candle on a birthday cake,
We know it’s task is done
You may blow the candle out,
And that leaves none!

Credit: Storytimekatie

 

Paintbrushes Flannelboard

I got this idea and made a template from Storytime Katie.  I plan on using this flannel activity during my art themed storytime this summer.

I know the colors of the rainbow.
Do you know them too?
If one color were missing,
Would you know which hue?

The idea is to let the kids see all the paintbrushes laid out in rainbow order.  Then, flip the felt board around and remove a color and see if they can guess which one it was.

Color Soup Flannelboard

I found this flannelboard idea at several places on the internet, so I don’t know who to credit.  I plan on using this flannelboard activity during my Rainbow theme storytime this summer.  Here’s how it goes:

Start with the fruit pieces up on the felt board in rainbow order.  Put the colored strips of the rainbow into a pot (maybe something like a bucket or from Halloween).  Name all the fruits with the children before starting.  Use a wooden spoon to stir the pot during the rhyme.  Pull out the corresponding color strip and place on the felt board.

Take an apple,
Put it in the pot.
Stir it, stir it, stir it a lot.

Take it out now.
What will it be?
The prettiest RED you ever did see!

Continue with all the fruits to create a rainbow!

Summer Shapes Flannelboard

I am going to use this flannel during my Summertime storytime this summer when they start up again.  I got this idea from Storytime Katie.  First, you start with all the shapes flipped over as in the first picture.  You start a discussion with the children about what kind of shapes we see in the summertime.  Point to each shape, name it, and then ask where this shape can be found during the summer.  For example: the red square is a picnic blanket.  The blue rectangle is a beach towel, yellow circle is the sun, etc.  Have them guess first before flipping them over.

Bridge to Reading Books

The Plan

Opening Action Song: “The Silly Dance Contest” by Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes CD

Book: Wild About Us! by Karen Beaumont

A bunch of zoo animals are very glad to be the way they are.

Book: A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell

Someone wants to tell their story, but the person reading the story keeps making a mess all over the pages.

Action Song: “Bananas” by Jim Gill presents Music Play for Folks of All Stripes CD

Book: Little White Fish by Guido Van Genechten

A little fish searches the ocean for his mother and comes across some very colorful creatures.

Book: Meet Dizzy Dinosaur! by Jack Tickle

We meet a cute dinosaur named Dizzy that is not very bright, but is very funny.

Songs: Song Dice

 

Book : I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty

A little frog doesn’t want to be a frog.  He would rather be a cat, pig, or anything else instead of a frog.  He soon realizes that it’s better to be a frog.

Book: The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

An extremely funny book with tons of funny text that has no pictures!

Handout/Craft/Game/Activity

We voted for our favorite Bridge to Reading book today.  The Bridge to Reading Picture Book Award program is through our library and also state-wide.  There are 10 nominees each year, and children get to vote for their favorite book.  They have from February through April to cast their votes and the winning book will get an award.  To find out more information about this program click here.  I previously read 4 books to the kids during this past session, so I made sure to show them the books so they would remember.  Those were: Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry, This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne, Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman, and Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won.  This was the last storytime until summer, so I handed out a packet of coloring pages for the kids to take home.  My storytime will resume on June 15.

How It Went

This was a fun and easy storytime.  Not really like my other ones in that I didn’t have a particular theme.  We danced and sang to plenty of songs in between the reading, so the kids were very happy.  All the books today were fabulous, but the clear favorites (at least from the votes) were The Book With No Pictures and I Don’t Want to Be a Frog.  I had a huge group today, so my session ended with a bang!

Garden

The Plan

Opening Action Song: “Bananas” by Jim Gill Presents Music Play for Folks of All Stripes CD

Book: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

A very dreary city is brightened up by a curious and persistent little boy that nurtures a dying patch of garden.

Action Rhyme: There’s Something in My Garden

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
QUACK – QUACK – QUACK.
A DUCK is what I found!
QUACK – QUACK – QUACK.

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
THUMP – THUMP – THUMP.
A RABBIT is what I found!
THUMP – THUMP – THUMP

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
SQUEAK – SQUEAK – SQUEAK.
A MOUSE is what I found!
SQUEAK – SQUEAK – SQUEAK.

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ.
A BEE is what I found!
BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ.

Book: Too Tall Houses by Gianna Marino

A rabbit and an owl try to make their houses taller than the others’, but they eventually get out of control.

Action Rhyme/Song: The Seeds Grow

Sung to tune: Farmer in the Dell

The Gardner plants the seeds
The Gardner plants the seeds
Deep down inside the ground
The Gardner plants the seeds

The rain clouds give them water
The rain clouds give them water
seeds need some water to drink
The rain clouds give them water

The sun gives heat and light
The sun gives heat and light
Seeds like it warm and bright
The sun gives heat and light

The Gardner pulls the weeds
The Gardner pulls the weeds
Seeds need the room to grow
The Gardner pulls the weeds

The seeds grow into flowers
The seeds grow into flowers
Flowers that are beautiful
The seeds grow into flowers

Book: Muncha, Muncha, Muncha! by Candace Fleming

A man plants a garden, but it keeps getting invaded by three pesky rabbits each night.  He finds ways to keep them out, but they are very smart.

Folder Story: Five Little Daffodils

 

Book : The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes

A tiny little gardener tries to keep his garden thriving, but he’s just too small.  He gets some bigger help in the end.

Handout/Craft/Game/Activity

We made Popsicle stick flowers today.  I made some pre-cut larger yellow hearts and some smaller green hearts for the petals and leaves.  We also used glue sticks and foam shapes.  A very simple craft to pull together that the kids enjoyed.  Some kids used multiple foam shapes for ‘bugs’ on their flowers.

How It Went

This was a pleasant storytime today.  It wasn’t a crazy one, but nice and mellow.  We started things off with the ever popular Bananas song by Jim Gill which is always a big hit.  The kids really enjoyed my ‘magic’ daffodil folder story and watching the flowers ‘grow’.  I think the favorite books today were Muncha, Muncha, Muncha! and Too Tall Houses.  They were very attentive to The Curious Garden, too.  The craft was easy and fun to do.

Five Little Daffodils Folder Story

Five Little Daffodils

(Push up one daffodil)
One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one, then there were two.
(Push up another daffodil)

Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee,
Out popped another one, then there were three.
(Push up another daffodil)

Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
Out popped another one, then there were four.
(Push up another daffodil)

Four little daffodils were glad to be alive,
Out popped another one, then there were five.
(Push up last daffodil)

Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns,
They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns.