Today’s preschool storytime was all about our best friends – Pets!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

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

BOOK:

Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

MOVEMENT:
Ten Little Kittens
Ten little kittens standing in a row
(Palms facing forward, fingers extended)
They bow their heads to the children so
(bend fingers forward and back)
They run to the left, they run to the right
(move fingers to alternate sides, wiggling fingers)
The stretch up tall with all their might
(stretch hands over head)
Along comes a dog, looking for some fun
(fingers of one hand resting on thumb, move hand towards other hand)
“Meow!” Away those kittens run!
(As you meow, open both hands with fingers extended, “run” hands behind back)

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Pet Voices and How Much is that Pet in the Window?

Flannelboard pattern, and altered story from Felt Board Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes.

Pet Voices
(take each of the animals out and put on the flannel board one by one)
This my pet _____.  S/He makes this sound ________.

Children fill in the blanks for the following animals:
This is my Fish.  He makes this sound, “Glub Glub”.
Mouse… squeak.
Rabbit…I don’t know what sound rabbits make, but let’s wiggle our noses like them!
Cat…Meow.
Bird…Tweet tweet.
Dog… Arf Arf.

How Much is that Pet in the Window?
(to the tune of: “How much is that Doggy in the Window?”)
For this, I just held up each of the animals as I took them off the flannelboard, and we sang the following:

How much is that doggy in the window? Woof woof!
The one with the waggly tail?
How much is that doggy in the window? Woof woof!
I do hope that doggy’s for sale.

Other verses:
To do the different verses, I asked the audience what the animals did.  Here are ones we ended up with at this storytime:
Kitty…meow…long whiskers
Bird… tweet tweet…flappity wings
Rabbit…hop hop…hoppity legs 
Fish… glub glub… swimmy fins 

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

MOVEMENT:
Animals
Can you hop like a rabbit? (Hop)
Can you jump like frog? (Jump)
Can you waddle like a duck? (Waddle)
Can you run like a dog? (Run in place)

Can you squeak like a guinea pig? (Squeak)
Can you swim like a fish? (Pretend to swim)
Can you sit down now and listen (Sit down)
And be as still as this?

BOOK:

I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs

VIDEO:

“Polly Parrot” from Peppa Pig: Muddy Puddles and Other Stories

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 
   

Book: Emma’s Pet by David McPhail
Book: Pet This Book by Jessica Young & Daniel Wiseman
Book: Some Pets words by Angela DiTerlizzi, pets by Brendan Wenzel
Book: The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley
Book: Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet by Liz Climo
DVD: “The Pet Competition” from Peppa Pig: Stars

HOW IT WENT:
I had planned this storytime for a 3-5 year old audience, but we ended up with a range from young toddlers to five-year olds.  I started with the book Excellent Ed because I love it and think the story is so sweet.  But I think it may have been a bit long for my audience.  The older kids and caregivers enjoyed it, though.  For the second book I used I Spy Pets because it was a little more interactive.  Speaking of interactive, all the kids seemed to enjoy the movements this time, even the Ten Little Kitties one, which I wasn’t sure would be a hit.  “Polly Parrot” was the first Peppa Pig video I ever saw, and I still love it.  Who isn’t entertained by an animated parrot who snorts like a piggy?

ATTENDANCE: 26 (adults and children)

DATE PRESENTED: Saturday, March 23, 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