Yesterday I covered for a colleague’s storytime at a branch. It happens at 5pm, so it’s a pajama storytime, but I just wore normal clothes. I wish I could have used it as an excuse to wear pajamas all day, but when you’ve got meetings and such…

Also, none of the kids were in their pjs yet, so I didn’t feel so bad.

Again, since I was covering for someone, I tried to mix in some of what they do regularly with what I do for my storytimes into a mash up.

THEME: Flowers

WELCOME SONG:
We Clap and Say Hello
(to the tune of: The Farmer in the Dell”)
We clap and say, “Hello”
We clap and say, “Hello”
With our friends from storytime
We clap and say, “Hello”

Other verses:
We wave and say, “Hello”
We stomp and say, “Hello”

MOVEMENT: Open, Shut Them

BOOK:

Fran’s Flower by Lisa Bruce, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

SHAKER SONG (ACAPELLA)
Shake Your Shakers
(to the tune of “London Bridge”)
Shake your shakers, Shake shake shake
Shake shake shake, Shake shake shake
Shake your shakers, shake shake shake
Shake your shakers.

Other Verses:
Shake your shakers high high high…
Shake your shakers low, low, low…
Shake your shakers fast, fast, fast…
Shake your shakers slow, slow, slow…

MOVEMENT WITH SHAKERS:

“Shake Your Sillies Out” by Raffi from More Singable Songs

FLANNELBOARD:


Taken from: Miss Mary Liberry

5 spring flowers, all in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
The first one says (hold up 1 finger), “We need rain to grow” (use fingers to show rain)
The second one says (hold up 2 fingers), “Oh yes, we need water” (nod head)
The third one says (hold up 3 fingers), “It’s getting hotter!” (fan face with hand)
The fourth one says (hold up 4 fingers), “I see clouds in the sky” (point up)
The fifth one says (hold up 5 fingers), “I wonder why?” (shrug)

Then BOOM! (slap thighs) went the thunder (add cloud to board)
and CRASH! (clap hands) went the lightning (add lightning bolt)

That springtime storm was very frightening (hug self as if scared)
But the flowers weren’t worried, oh no no no! (shake head)
Because the rain helped them to grow, grow, grow! (raise arms as if growing)

FLANNELBOARD:
5 Pretty Flowers
Using the same flannelboard set)
(from FingerTales by Joan Hilyer Phelps)

5 (4, 3, 2, 1) pretty flowers
In the meadow grew.
“Hmmm,” I said
“I bet they smell pretty too!”
I bent down to sniff (sniff big)
But they ticked my nose!
Ah-CHOO!  (sneeze really big)
Oh, no!
Away one flower blows. (Remove one flower.)

MOVEMENT:

“Row, Row, Row Your Boat” by Old Town School of Folk Music from Songs for Wiggleworms

MOVEMENT: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

BOOK:

Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

SCARF MOVEMENT:
Popcorn Kernels
(to the tune of Frere Jacques)
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarf back and forth)
in the pot, in the pot (stuff scarf into your hands)
shake them, shake them, shake them (shake your hands with the scarf in them)
shake them, shake them, shake them
Til they pop! (toss scarf up in the air, then catch)
Til they pop!

SCARF MOVEMENT:

“Hop Little Bunnies” by Toddler Fun Learning from The Happy Animal Choir and Other Favourite Nursery Rhymes for Children

BUBBLES:

“Bubble Pop” by Nay Nay from Hey Hey Let’s Play

We used the bubble maker and just had fun dancing around and popping bubbles. Nothing fancy. I think I would have tried to find a better place to shorten this, however, as the song is a little long.

GOODBYE SONG:
We Clap and Say Goodbye
(to the tune of: The Farmer in the Dell”)
We clap and say, “Goodbye”
We clap and say, “Goodbye”
With our friends from storytime
We clap and say, “Goodbye”

Other verses:
We wave and say, “Goodbye”
We stomp and say, “Goodbye”

ADDITIONAL IDEAS:

Book: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Book: Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Book: Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre
Book: Sunflower by Miela Ford, illustrated by Sally Noll

DATE OF PROGRAM: April 3, 2024 at Grandview

ATTENDANCE (Including Adults): 25