It’s been a while since I’ve done an owl storytime, and it looks like I’ve never done one for preschoolers that I’ve posted about on here.  Seems about time!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Hoot Owl Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien

MOVEMENT:
Just Like an Owl
(to the tune of “London Bridge”)

Flap your wings and fly around,
fly around, fly around.
Flap your wings and fly around.
Just like an owl.

Other Verses:
Open your eyes big and wide…
Land on the ground and hop along
Turn your head and say “hoo hoo!”

rhyme taken from: Literary Hoots

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Good-Night Owl!
 
based on the book by Pat Hutchins, flannelboard patterns taken from Read Rabbit Read and Studio Window

Since the tree had to be fairly large to fit all those birds, I made the trunk separately, and then just made three large poofs of flannel to be the “fall leaves” in the tree:

Here are all the other pieces on their own:

MOVEMENT:
The Owl Pokey
(to the tune of “The Hokey Pokey”)

You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out
You put your right wing in, and you shake it all about
You do the owl pokey and you fly yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!
Hoot! Hoot!

Taken from storytime katie, who got the idea from Ms. Hegna’s Storytime

BOOK:

Little Owl’s Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney

VIDEO:

“The Happy Owls” from I Want My Hat Back…and more happy stories  Based on the book by Celestino Piatti

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
     
Book: I’m Not Cute! by Jonathan Allen
Book/DVD: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson
Book: Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
Book: Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin and Rob Dunlavey (especially for toddlers)
Book: Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
Book: A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
Book: Little Owl’s Day by Divya Srinivasan
Book: Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan
DVD: “Party at Owl’s House” or “Owl’s Dilemma” from Little Bear: Search for Spring

GREAT RESOURCES FOR MORE IDEAS
Adventures in Storytime (And Beyond) – Owl Preschool Storytime
Laugh Out Loud Storytime – Owl Storytime – Who Hoots!
North Mankato Taylor Library Storytime – Owl Miss You!
Johnson County Library – “Who, Who, Who Like Owls?” Storytime
Sunflower Storytime – What a HOOT (Owls)

Jen in the Library – Owls – Toddler Storytime
Jen in the Library – Owls – Infant Storytime

HOW IT WENT:
This was a fun storytime, where I tried a lot of new things.  I’m so glad I finally made a Good-Night Owl flannelboard, because it turned out pretty fun, and the kids had a lot of fun repeating “Owl tried to sleep”. to it with me.  I really love Hoot Owl, and it seemed to work well with this group (the bird bath page especially got a lot of giggles), but I’m wondering if it would be even better with a group of Kindergartners.  I was also a little unsure about how the DVD of “The Happy Owls” would go over, since it was rather slow.  But the younger children there enjoyed seeing and naming the different animals that show up in the video.  I’m not sure that will be a go-to one for storytimes, but it worked well enough this time.

ATTENDANCE: 30 (adults and children)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page