This weekend, my library is the site of our community’s Garden Club flower show!  So, around the library we have lovely floral displays featured.

It seemed if ever there was a time to do a flowers theme, this was it.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Jump Jump” from I’m a Rock Star by Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights

MOVEMENT: My Wiggles*

BOOK:

Fran’s Flower by Lisa Bruce, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

SONG/MOVEMENT:
The Gardener Plants the Seeds
(to the tune of: The Farmer in the Dell)

The gardener plants the seeds. (pretend to put a seed in the ground)
The gardener plants the seeds.
Heigh-ho, let’s watch it grow,
The gardener plants the seeds.

Other verses:
The rain begins to fall… (move your hands down & wiggle fingers like rain)
The sun begins to shine… (open and close hands to form finger “rays”)
The plant begins to grow… (hands together, move upwards)
The bud opens up… (hands, palms together, move palms apart a bit)
The flower smiles at me… (big smile)

FLANNELBOARD:
5 Pretty Flowers

(from FingerTales by Joan Hilyer Phelps)

5 (4, 3, 2, 1) pretty flowers
In the meadow grew.
“Hmmm,” I said
“I bet they smell pretty too!”
I bent down to sniff (sniff big)
But they ticked my nose!
Ah-CHOO!  (sneeze really big)
Oh, no!
Away one flower blows. (Remove one flower.)

MOVEMENT: “Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs by Raffi

MOVEMENT: Grandma’s Spectacles*

BOOK:

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

SONG/MOVEMENT:
I’m a Little Green Weed
(to the tune of: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little green wee (crouch down)
growing fast! (stand up quickly)
I’m hiding in the garden (cover head)
but it won’t last. (shake head no)
Someone’s going to find me (hands over eyes, searching)
and give a SHOUT. (Cover hands over mouth on shout & say it louder)
Then bend right over (bend down)
and pluck me out. (Pretend to pull weed)

VIDEO:

“My Garden” based on the book by Kevin Henkes from 20 Stories for Spring

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
Book: No, No, Gnome! by Ashlyn Anstee
Book: Sunflower by Miela Ford and Sally Noll (good for toddlers, too)
Book:Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown (good for toddlers, too)
Book: What Does Bunny See? by Linda Sue Park, pictures by Maggie Smith (good for toddlers, too)
Flannelboard: 
Movie: “The Curious Garden” from The Curious Garden …and More Stories About Nature.

GREAT RESOURCES FOR MORE IDEAS:
Storytime Katie – Garden!
Mel’s Desk – Baby Storytime : Flower Garden
Literary Hoots – Flower Storytime
Literary Commentary – Storytime – Flowers
Miss Meg’s Storytime – Dig Into Reading: Gardening (Toddlers)

THOUGHTS ON THIS STORYTIME:

Flowers were a really fun theme!  Both books worked really well.  Since a lot of the kids today were wiggly, it was also good to have the two songs with motions as well.  I was surprised at how they seemed to like doing “I’m a Little Green Weed”. That one turned out to be more fun than I thought it would be.  Also, the kids seemed to enjoy sneezing along with the flannelboard – one little boy laughed delightedly every time!

It was a large crowd today.

ATTENDANCE: 56 (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