This was my first storytime at one of my new branches!  It is advertised in our newsletter as a preschool storytime, which to me means that it should be geared for ages 3-5.  But we don’t put age ranges for the preschool storytime in our newsletter, and after observing a few storytimes here, and then performing this one, the audience we get is really more infants and toddlers.

Since this was my first time performing storytime at this site, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I am fortunate that my system uses storyboxes with storytimes in a box that rotate from branch to branch to have a quick storytime ready to go whenever.  I’ve had posts about making those storyboxes (you can find those here), but I have a feeling I am going to be using them more and more now that I’m actually at a branch, and storytimes aren’t a regular part of my work.

And now, to my storytime:

WELCOME: with Owl Puppet

I had the Owl wave to everyone, and then each child got to pat it.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Wake Up Toes” from Morning Magic by Joanie Bartels

MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*

INTRO WITH PUPPET: Raccoon Puppet

We talked about the raccoon, and then about what the owl and the raccoon both have in common — they are active at night!

MOVEMENT: My Wiggles*

BOOK:

Look Whooo’s Counting by Suse MacDonald

BOUNCE: “Ladies Ride” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: “Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

BOUNCE: “Ladies Ride” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Night Owl by Toni Yuly

MOVEMENT: “2 Little Blackbirds” from Music Together (downloaded on iTunes)

MOVEMENT: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (a capella)

VIDEO:

“Quack’s Stuck Stick” from Peep & the Big Wide World: Peep’s New Friends

CRAFT: Owl on a Tree Branch Scene
  
We used different cut outs to make an Owl scene.  You can find the templates for the different pieces below. The eye pupils are made from 2 black circular stickers.  The beak and feet I just made from cutting triangles from orange paper with a paper cutter.
Owl Body Template
Owl Eyes and Moon Template
Tree Branch Shape

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
    

Book: Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin & Rob Dunlavey
Book: While the World is Sleeping by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illustrated by Daniel Kirk
Book: Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins (Also a good Flannelboard story)
Book: What’s Awake? Skunks by Patricia Whitehouse
Video: “Birds of a Feather” from Peep & the Big Wide World: Peep’s New Friends

Flannelboard Idea:  I think Nocturnal Song by the Billy Jonas Band would make a fun flannelboard.

Song:
Owl in the Tree
Owl in the tree says “Hoo, hoo, hoo.
Hoo, hoo, hoo. Hoo, hoo, hoo.”
Owl in the tree says “Hoo, hoo, hoo.”
All night long.

Substitute other nocturnal animals doing things.

RESOURCES FOR MORE IDEAS:
Jen in the Library: Owls – Preschool Storytime
Jen in the Library: Owls – Infant Storytime
Jen in the Library: Owls – Toddler Storytime

HOW IT WENT:
It was okay for my first time presented at a new location. I couldn’t figure out how to make my iPhone play through the room’s speakers, so I just played it using my phone’s speaker, which wasn’t quite loud enough.  I set up chairs, also, but I’m not sure if I did it in the best arrangement for the room.

PRESENTED: Wednesday, July 25, 2018

ATTENDANCE: 35 people (adults and children)

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