Today’s storytime was all about shapes!  Prior to today, I don’t think I’ve ever done a shape storytime.  Even in ye olde days before I had a blog.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony*

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE: sign for “Square” and “Circle”

taken from Costello, Elaine Ph.D.  Random House Webster’s American Sign Language Dictionary.  1994.

BOOK:

Baby Party by Rebecca O’Connell, illustrated by Susie Poole

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Orange Triangle Fox
 
based on the book Orange Triangle Fox by Sarah Jones.  Flannelboard pieces inspired by Lisa from Libraryland and AnnMarie from Pasadena Public Library.

I put each piece up on the flannelboard, and we named what color, shape and animal it was.  As I took the pieces down, I turned them over to just show them the shape and had everyone name the shape.

I realized later that how I SHOULD do this as a flannelboard is put the pieces back side up on the flannelboard first.  We could talk about colors and shapes.  Then — BOOM! — turn them around and show that they are actually all animals as well.  I think that would flow better and be a much better reveal.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman.

MOVEMENT: Patty Cake*

BOOK:

Circles by Yusuke Yonezu

TICKLE: Round and Round the Garden*

NURSERY RHYME:
Jack Be Nimble

Pieces from Little Folk Visuals

Jack be nimble
Jack be quick
Jack jumped over the candlestick.

We did this one as a bounce as well as we recited it.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: What Shape? by Debbie MacKinnon and Anthea Sieveking

HOW IT WENT:
I liked Baby Parade as a story a lot, because I think it does a fun job of incorporating the shapes.  But it does ask those listening to do a lot of clapping — I have to figure out how to better job of integrating that next time I read it.  Circles by Yonezu is a board book, but I was hoping that the stark colors and shapes of the book would carry in spite of the smaller size.  I wish they would make his as lap board books.  I would use those all the time.

And I really think I need to change-up the Orange Triangle Fox like I mentioned up in the flannelboard section — I think then it would tell much better.  Just need to make sure the backs of the pieces all have the correct color felt on them (I think the fox is white now…).

ATTENDANCE: 45 people (adults and children)

* For these songs, please see my page Storytime Movements & Music