It was raining today, so I don’t think it would be a good day to see animals at the zoo.  But in books, we can always visit the zoo!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

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

FLANNELBOARD:
Zoo Riddles

For this flannelboard, say the rhyme, then when the children guess put the correct animal up on the board.  Then you can make the animal sound.

They are big and they are gray,
And their trunks swing and sway.
What are they? ELEPHANT

Bananas are their favorite things,
And they like to chatter and like to swing.
What are they? MONKEY

These animals bark and are colored brown
They have flippers and swim all around.
What are they? SEAL

They have necks that are long, long, long.
If you guess a turtle, you are wrong, wrong, wrong!
What are they? GIRAFFE

They are sort of like a horse,
Except for their black and white stripes, of course.
What are they? ZEBRA

They are a kind of cat,
But they have a mane and Roar (ROAR) like that.
What are they? LION

These birds can’t fly and they look funny.
They’re black all over except for a white tummy.
What are they? PENGUIN

These animals like to hop around.
A tummy pouch is where their babies can be found.
What are they? KANGAROO

They don’t come in just one color or style
but they all like to giggle, laugh and smile.
What are they? CHILDREN

BOOK:

Stripes the Cat Tiger by Jean Leroy and Bérengère Delaporte, illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte

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

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Dear Zoo
Based on the book by Rod Campbell.  Template for this story taken from KizClub

SONG / MOVEMENT:
The Animals at the Zoo
(to the tune of: “The Wheels on the Bus”)

The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar.  Roar, roar, roar.
The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar
All day long.

Other verses:
snakes … hiss, hiss, hiss
hyenas … ha ha ha
monkey … ooh ooh ooh

Also just ask the kids about animals at the zoo and make up your own verses.  Today we had penguins that went skate, skate, skate and a flamingo that went flap, flap, flap.

BOOK:

A Hippo in Our Yard by Liza Donnelly

VIDEO:
 
“Good Night, Gorilla” from Good Night Gorilla…and More Bedtime Stories. Based on the book by Peggy Rathmann

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
      

Book: Hungry Roscoe by David J. Plant (this might be a better pick for a slightly older group)
Book: Look by Fiona Woodcock (Would be a good choice for infant/toddler storytime)
Book: The Way to the Zoo by John Burningham
DVD: “Wild About Books” from Chicka Chick Boom Boom…and More Fun with Letters and Numbers.  Based on the book by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown
DVD: “The Happy Lion” from Tikki Tikki Tembo… and More Favorite Tales.  Based on the book by Louise Fatio Duvoisin, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

HOW IT WENT:
I just transferred positions, and this was my first storytime back in Youth Services!  It was a small group (people in Los Angeles don’t like coming out in the rain…), but it was a really fun storytime.  I think I need to remake my Dear Zoo flannelboard pieces though – I used the laminate and felt back method, and the box that is supposed to hide the animal kept sliding off, thus ruining the whole element of surprise.  Stripes the Tiger was a bit hit – I would use that one again in a moment.

ATTENDANCE: 9 (adults and children)

DATE PRESENTED: Saturday, January 12, 2019 @ Children’s Room

*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