Tag Archives: owls

Nocturnal Animals – Preschool (But Really Infant/Toddler) Storytime

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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

Owls – Preschool Storytime

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It’s been a while since I’ve done an owl storytime, and it looks like I’ve never done one for preschoolers that I’ve posted about on here.  Seems about time!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

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

BOOK:

Hoot Owl Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien

MOVEMENT:
Just Like an Owl
(to the tune of “London Bridge”)

Flap your wings and fly around,
fly around, fly around.
Flap your wings and fly around.
Just like an owl.

Other Verses:
Open your eyes big and wide…
Land on the ground and hop along
Turn your head and say “hoo hoo!”

rhyme taken from: Literary Hoots

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Good-Night Owl!
 
based on the book by Pat Hutchins, flannelboard patterns taken from Read Rabbit Read and Studio Window

Since the tree had to be fairly large to fit all those birds, I made the trunk separately, and then just made three large poofs of flannel to be the “fall leaves” in the tree:

Here are all the other pieces on their own:

MOVEMENT:
The Owl Pokey
(to the tune of “The Hokey Pokey”)

You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out
You put your right wing in, and you shake it all about
You do the owl pokey and you fly yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!
Hoot! Hoot!

Taken from storytime katie, who got the idea from Ms. Hegna’s Storytime

BOOK:

Little Owl’s Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney

VIDEO:

“The Happy Owls” from I Want My Hat Back…and more happy stories  Based on the book by Celestino Piatti

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
     
Book: I’m Not Cute! by Jonathan Allen
Book/DVD: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson
Book: Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
Book: Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin and Rob Dunlavey (especially for toddlers)
Book: Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
Book: A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
Book: Little Owl’s Day by Divya Srinivasan
Book: Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan
DVD: “Party at Owl’s House” or “Owl’s Dilemma” from Little Bear: Search for Spring

GREAT RESOURCES FOR MORE IDEAS
Adventures in Storytime (And Beyond) – Owl Preschool Storytime
Laugh Out Loud Storytime – Owl Storytime – Who Hoots!
North Mankato Taylor Library Storytime – Owl Miss You!
Johnson County Library – “Who, Who, Who Like Owls?” Storytime
Sunflower Storytime – What a HOOT (Owls)

Jen in the Library – Owls – Toddler Storytime
Jen in the Library – Owls – Infant Storytime

HOW IT WENT:
This was a fun storytime, where I tried a lot of new things.  I’m so glad I finally made a Good-Night Owl flannelboard, because it turned out pretty fun, and the kids had a lot of fun repeating “Owl tried to sleep”. to it with me.  I really love Hoot Owl, and it seemed to work well with this group (the bird bath page especially got a lot of giggles), but I’m wondering if it would be even better with a group of Kindergartners.  I was also a little unsure about how the DVD of “The Happy Owls” would go over, since it was rather slow.  But the younger children there enjoyed seeing and naming the different animals that show up in the video.  I’m not sure that will be a go-to one for storytimes, but it worked well enough this time.

ATTENDANCE: 30 (adults and children)

*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

Owls- Toddler Storytime

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Today was the last storytime for this session.  My how time flies.  Just like the animals I highlighted today — owls!  This was actually the first time I did an owl storytime for infants and toddlers, it’s always been taken by other storytellers.  Hooray for getting to try out new things.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

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

MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*

BOOK:
I'm Not Cute by Allen

I’m Not Cute! by Jonathan Allen

MOVEMENT: “Reach for the Ceiling” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

MOVEMENT: Itsy Bitsy Spider*

COUNTING SONG:*

10 Owls Flannelboard
Owls

FLANNELBOARD:
One Night Owl
One Night Owl Flannelboard

Pattern via Google Images Search

(to tune of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain)
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
Oh, he called up to the sky to an owl flying by,
And the owl came and joined him happily:
Hoo!  Hoo!

Repeat with two night owls, three, and four.

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

BOOK:
Owlet's First Flight by ModarressiWow Said the Owl by Hopgood

10 am: Owlet’s First Flight by Mitra Modarressi
11 am: Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

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

VIDEO:
Owl Babies DVD

MOVEMENT:  Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS IDEAS:
Hoot Hoot by Powell Good Night Owl by Hutchins
Hoot! Hoot! by Richard Powell
Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
Any of the other Owl books by Jonathan Allen
DVD: Any Little Bear video with Owl in it.

HOW IT WENT:
For my first time doing owls, this storytime wasn’t too bad.  I like reading I’m Not Cute, but after doing so I wondered if maybe some of the other owl books by the same author might work better for a toddler audience.  I wasn’t thrilled with Owlet’s First Flight at the first storytime, so I thought I would try a different option for the second.  I think they both probably worked equally well.

Since this was my last storytime for the Fall 2012 session, there will be fewer infant toddler storytimes up on my blog, but I will keep updating it with the other age programs that I do.

ATTENDANCE:  10 am:  34 people      11 am: 26 people

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

Owls – Infant Storytime

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We finished up our Fall Infant Storytime with Owls!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: In the Toaster*

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony*

BOUNCE: Icky Bicky Soda Cracker*

BOOK:
Good Night Owl by Hutchins
Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins

I skipped the page where you repeat all the bird noises again in this reading.  I would have done that if I had an older audience.

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
One Night Owl
One Night Owl Flannelboard
Pattern via Google Images Search

(to tune of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain)
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
Oh, he called up to the sky to an owl flying by,
And the owl came and joined him happily:
Hoo!  Hoo!

Repeat with two night owls, three, and four.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:
Wow Said the Owl by Hopgood
Wow! said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

TICKLE: Chicken in the Barnyard*

NURSERY RHYME:
Little Bo Peep
Little Bo Peep Flannelboard 1Little Bo Peep Flannelboard 2

Pattern and rhyme from Mother Goose’s Playhouse: Toddler Tales and Nursery Rhymes with Patterns for Puppets and Feltboards by Judy Sierra

Little Bo Peep
has lost her sheep
and doesn’t know where
to find them.

Leave them alone
and they’ll come home.
Wagging their tails
behind them.

I do this as is suggested by Sierra in her book.  I hide the sheep as they go up on the flannelboard behind bushes.  We say the rhyme once through, then “look” for the sheep.  Once the sheep are revealed we count them all together, and say the rhyme together once more.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 Owl Babies DVD Owlet's First Flight by Modarressi Hoot Hoot by Powell
Book: Owl Babies by Waddell
Book: Owelet’s First Flight by Modarressi
Book: Hoot! Hoot! by Powell

HOW IT WENT:

Since this was my last infant storytime for this session I decided to do a quick review of all the different bounces we had learned during the past ten weeks.  It seemed a  good way to keep those ideas fresh for parents.  I could have done the same with the tickles, I suppose, but the children seem to enjoy the bounces more.  I really need to make a flannelboard of Good-Night, Owl! because I think that would translate beautifully into that type of storytelling.  Also, I could probably stand to find a few better, younger books for infants on owls for the next time I do this theme.

ATTENDANCE: 18 people

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