Thanksgiving – Infant & Toddler Storytime

Since this was my second time doing Infant Toddler Storytime at one of my new branches, and since I was just filling in for my Technician in the middle of a session, I tried to stick as closely to her storytime format as possible.  I figured our patrons were already comfortable with that, and it allowed me to try out some new songs and rhymes.

SONG: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: If You’re Happy and You Know It (a capella)

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

MOVEMENT: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (a capella)

MOVEMENT:  Head Shoulders Knees and Toes (a capella)

BOOK:

Over the River and Through the Wood: A Song for Thanksgiving
by Lydia Marie Child, Nadine Bernard Westcott

MOVEMENT: Roly Poly
(to tune of Frere Jacques) – taken from jbrary

Roly poly, roly poly
up up up,
up up up
Roly roly poly roly roly poly
down down down,
down down down.

Other verses:
out / in
fast / slow

As you sing, do the motions with your arms for the verses, or you can do it with your little one’s legs.

MOVEMENT: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them

FLANNELBOARD:
Turkey Feathers

Pattern from Felt Board Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes
Song from Everything Preschool

Here’s a turkey. (Place the turkey on the flannelboard.)
But he’s missing something!  What is he missing? (wait for audience to answer)
Feathers!
What color is this feather? (Bring out the red feather)
Red!  That’s right!  Let’s put it on the turkey.  (Place the feather on the turkey.)
(now sing, to tune of Mary Wore Her Red Dress)
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather.
Turkey wore his red feather all day long.

(Continue adding color feathers and singing)

Let’s see, what color feathers does turkey have?  (rename all the colors)
And what does that make?
A rainbow!

(Sing)
Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers.
Turkey wore his rainbow feathers all day long.

MOVEMENT: 10 Little Fingers on My Hands

I have 1 little, 2 little, 3 little fingers
4 little, 5 little, 6 little fingers
7 little, 8 little, 9 little fingers
10 little fingers on my hands.

They wiggle and the wiggle
All together
They wiggle and they wiggle
all together
They wiggle and they wiggle
all together
10 little fingers on my hands.

They clap and they clap
and they keep on clapping.
They clap and they clap
and they keep on clapping.
They clap and they clap
and they keep on clapping.
10 little fingers on my hands.

BOUNCE: “A Bouncing We Will Go”

A bouncing we will go
A bouncing we will go
High-ho the derry-o a bouncing we will go

Other verses:
– A rocking we will go…
– A hugging we will go…
– A tickling we will go…

BOOK:

Where is Baby’s Turkey? by Karen Katz

SHAKER SONGS: For this portion, I used some songs from a cd my library tech had, and we shook our shakers all to the beat.

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
   

Book: The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
Book: Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewdney
Book: Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette
Book: Over the River and Through the Wood illustrated by Emma Randall  (I wasn’t able to get a copy of this one in time, but I am putting it on here as reminder to check it out next time!)

HOW IT WENT:  It went well.  I really relied on some of my Thanksgiving standards, since I didn’t have a lot of time to prep for this one.  It’s also fun trying out and learning some new storytime songs.  I like being able to keep things fresh.

PRESENTED: Thursday, November 15 at LM Branch

ATTENDANCE: 45 (adults and children)

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

Feelings & Emotions – Signs ‘n Storytime

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted a Signs n’ Storytime, because I had someone cover for me for last month’s program.

Disclaimer: I am not bilingual in ASL. I took some courses in college (which seems like a million years ago now…)  I know I am not going to teach anyone to be fluent in ASL – as a fully formed language, there is no way I could do this.  But I view this program as a way to teach parents signs that they might find useful to use with their babies, as children can sign before they can speak.  I am teaching words, not grammar or culture.  I mean no disrespect to the Deaf community, and I welcome comments/ways to improve this service in a culturally respectful manner.

This month, we focused on feelings.  In keeping what I did with my colors themed storytime, we reviewed a lot of the same signs over and over again with each story for lots of practice.

SONG: “Hello Friends” in ASL

taken from Jbrary
I changed this one a little so instead of doing it time to “say” Hello, I sing, “it’s time to Sign Hello” and use the ASL word for sign

SIGNS USED DURING THIS PROGRAM:
Happy
Brave
Mad 
Calm
Sad
Afraid
Proud
Friend 
Angry

BOOK:

In My Heart by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey

Signs used with the story:
Happy
Brave
Mad 
Calm
Sad
Afraid
Proud
Grumpy
Silly

(Because this book felt a little long for the audience, I used the paper-clip trick to skip over some pages, and only used those ones for the signs above)


MOVEMENT:
 Hokey Pokey

FLANNELBOARD:
Old MacDonald Felt So Glad

I’ve done this flannelboard before, and you can see the original words to the rhyme here. But, it felt strange to be making the sounds at a storytime that is all about sign language, so I changed the words a little to work better.

(to tune of “Old MacDonald had a farm”)
Old MacDonald felt so glad (Happy)
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA
And when he’s glad we sign it like this:
Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy
With a Happy Happy here and a Happy Happy there
Here a Happy, there a Happy everywhere a Happy Happy
Old MacDonald felt so glad.
Happy Happy

Repeat this, substituting the following emotions and signs:
Grumpy = Grumpy
Sad = Sad
Silly = Silly


MOVEMENT: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I sung this one a capella, and when we clap our hands we do the ASL version of clapping, we stomp our feet, and we pound our chest.  Whenever there is clapping in this storytime (at the end of a book, etc) we always do it the ASL way.

BOOK:

My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems

Signs used with story:
Friend 
Sad

Happy

VIDEO:
  
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!…and more stories by Mo Willems: The Mo Willes Cartoon Collection Vol. 1 based on the book by Mo Willems.

Signs used with this story:
Sad
Angry

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
    

Book: How Does Baby Feel? by Karen Katz
(signs to use with story: hungry, happy, sleepy, sad, silly, love)

Book: Places to Be by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Renata Liwska
(signs to use with story: happy, mad, thirsty, brave, bored, sleepy, scared)

Book: The Pigeon has Feelings, Too! by Mo Willems
(signs to use with story: happy, no, angry, sad, happy)

Book: How Do You Feel? by Anthony Browne
(signs to use with story: bored, lonely, happy, sad, angry, guilty, curious, surprised, confident, shy, worried, silly, hungry, full, sleepy)

HOW IT WENT: I had a good turnout at this storytime, so that was nice.  Originally, I thought I would use How Does Baby Feel? with the group as my second book, but I had some older siblings in the group, so I thought the Elephant and Piggie book was a better fit.  Also, I realized after showing Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! I should have prepped the story by having the kids learn the sign for no and then they could have signed along with the film.

PRESENTED: Thursday, November 8, 2018

ATTENDANCE: 12 people (adults and children)

Rivers and Streams – Preschool (But also Infant/Toddler) Storytime

This is another adapted from one of our system storyboxes.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Kathy Reid-Naiman

MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*

PUPPET:

Before starting into the storytime, kids could pet and say hello to a beaver puppet.

BOOK:

I Know the River Loves Me / Yo sé que el río me ama by Maya Christina Gonzalez

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

MOVEMENT: Two Little Blackbirds from Fingerplays and Footplays for Fun and Learning by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass.

FLANNELBOARD:


Five Little Boats (on the River)
Pattern taken from taken from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book 2nd Edition by Judy Sierra
Words adapted from Felt Board Ideas Five Little Sailboats Felt Board Poem

(to the tune of: “5 Little Ducks”)

Five little boats went out one day
Out on the river and far away
When the waves began to rock
One little boat returned to the dock.

Other verses:
4 little boats…

MOVEMENT: Row Row Row Your Boat

BOOK:

A Brave Bear by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Emily Hughes

MOVEMENT: Twinkle Twinkle

VIDEO:

“River, River, River Run” from A Kid for The Wild: Music Videos Featuring Scenic Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Animals and Locations

CRAFT: Fish Puppet in a River

Have the kids color in the river scene and the fish puppet.  Tape or glue the fish onto a popsicle stick.  Cut a slit into the river scene where the dotted line is.  Insert puppet into line, and have the fish “frolic” in the river!

The templates for this craft are below:
Fish Puppet Template
River Template

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 

DVD: “Scruffy the Tugboat: Big River Rescue” from The Poky Little Puppy and Friends
Book: Tugboat Bill and the River Rescue by Calista Brill, illustrated by Tad Carpenter
Book: Splash! by Flora McDonnell (they just say that the animals go down to the “water”, so I think you could say “river” instead.)
Book: Solomon Crocodile by Catherine Rayner
Book: The Crocodile and the Scorpion by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley

HOW IT WENT:
I wasn’t sure how Rivers would be as a theme for storytime, but I was pleasantly surprised!  The DVD worked really well too.

PRESENTED: Tuesday, October 9 at LM branch

ATTENDANCE: 16 people (adults and children)

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