Under the Sea Storytime

This week we talked about creatures under the sea!

Songs:

Bubblegum By: Dr Jean

Popcorn calling me By: Laurie Berkner (We used shakers)

Flannel Board:

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean!

Books:

I’m the Biggest Think in the Ocean By: Kevin Sherry

Hooray for Fish! By: Lucy Cousins

This is Not My Hat By: John Klassen

Check out my sea tag on my Shelfari page for more good books that I didn’t have time to read!

Craft:

We made our own jellyfish out of a coffee filter and tissue paper. They turned out soooo cute!  They even float like a jellyfish!

Jellyfish Craft!

Birthday Storytime

This week we talked about birthdays!  (Mine is tomorrow, so I figured it was the perfect theme 🙂 )

Songs:

The Goldfish By: Laurie Berkner

Tooty Ta By: Dr Jean

Flannel Board:

Five Birthday Candles

Books:

If you Give a Cat a Cupcake By: Laura Numeroff

A Birthday for Cow! By: Jan Thomas

Don’t Spill the Beans By: Ian Schoenher

Check out my birthday tag on my Shelfari page for more good books that I didn’t have time to read!

Craft:

I have a huge cupcake die cut that the kids colored and put “sprinkles” on.

Dog Storytime

This week we talked about dogs!

Songs:

Come on and sing with me By: Mr Eric and Mr Michael-We used egg shakers and pretended to play the instruments.

I Took a bath in a Washing Machine By: Jim Gill

Flannel Board:

Dog’s Colorful Day

Books:

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy By: Mo Willems

Dog’s Colorful Day By: Emma Dodd

Bark, George! By: Jules Feiffer

Check out my dog tag on my Shelfari page for more good books that I didn’t have time to read!

Parachute Playtime!

Well, my first parachute playtime is now complete!  I would definitely call it a success.  It didn’t go as planned, but I was prepared for that.  Here is the outline I took in with me:

Parachute Playtime!

Ages 2-5 (18 passes Drop in)

Begin with children sitting ON the parachute and explain the rules and how we use it.

• Always hold with two hands
• There are younger kids so don’t shake it too hard, be aware
• Don’t pull the parachute
• If I ring my bell then you must stop shaking the chute and put it on the ground and put your hands on top
• Take our shoes off
• Don’t lift the chute when someone is on it

Beginning activities:

• Hold it low and high
• Shake it fast and slow
• Walk in circle
• Parents hold chute up high so kids can go under

Songs:

• Itsy Bitsy Spider-Mr Eric
  • STAND-Up & Down
• One Two Three Whee!-Mr Eric
  • STAND-Whee=up/Jump/Shake/Whee
• Rolling Ball-Mr Eric
  • SIT-Big Ball
• Popcorn calling me-Laurie Berkner
  • STAND-Small Balls-Sizzle=Shake it/Pop/Walk Dance Run
• My Ups and Downs-Jim Gill
  • CROUCH-Follow Music up and down
• Old MacDonald-Mr Eric
  • STAND-Cow/Dog/Chicken
• I hear the water-Mr Eric
  • SIT-Make it sound like water by shaking slowly and rock back and forth. Rain-tap the chute

   

Here is what REALLY happened and what I learned:

• The bell actually worked really well.  Any time I rang it, they stopped and did what they were supposed to do so that I could talk.  I’m not sure they listened though 🙂
• I didn’t even attempt to walk in a circles, that just wasn’t going to happen
• I did have the parents hold up the chute, but not til the end.  Then we gathered it together.  It was a good way to end it.
• Most songs I picked worked pretty good
• Popcorn calling me-This was the song I was most excited for. We used those small play balls as popcorn. They were supposed to sizzle then pop.  That didn’t quite work how it was supposed to. They just popped the balls like crazy, but that’s ok!  They had fun!
• I skipped Jim Gill’s My ups and downs.  They were so crazy at this point I didn’t want to explain anything else.
• The last song, I hear the water is SO GREAT. It’s clam and soothing. We left the chute on the ground and slid it side to side to make it sound like water.  Then we tapped it with our fingers to make it sound like rain. It was a nice closing song for sure.

I really wish I could do the program for 2-3 year olds and a separate one form 4-5 year olds, but with our big families that come with multiple kids, I just don’t see that happening.  So for now, I’m just going to leave the ages as they are.  I can’t wait to do it again!  I definitely want to do it around Christmas time with some holiday songs.

Oh, and this was me at the end:

Be sure to check out Kendra and Lisa’s Parachute programs as well!  They have great ideas 🙂

Storytime To Go

Well,  the time has FINALLY come. We have our Storytime To Go Kits!  I talked about them a while back here. It’s taken some time to get everything done, but it was definitely worth the wait.  I’m so excited to see how they do.  I know the parents will love them, they’re just so handy!  None of this could have been done without the brains that thought it all up AND got the grant, Miss Leona 🙂 But also, my fellow coworkers who have helped implement it.  Eventually, there will be a digital video for each kit that shows finger plays, flannel boards, and the book covers. *UPDATE* Here are the online video tutorials from our website!  Kind of like a little storytime tutorial on how to use the kits.  I can post that when those go live.  Here they are ready and waiting to be checked out!