Welcome Song: Hands Go Up and Hands Go Down
(to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Hands go up and hands go down
I can turn around and round
I can hop upon two shoes
I can listen so can you
I can sit, I’ll show you how
Story time is starting now
Song: This Old Man
This old man,
He played one, (hold up one finger)
He played knick knack on my thumb.
With a knick knack (slap knees)
paddy wack (clap hands)
give a dog a bone, (hand jive)
This old man came rolling home. (roll hands)
Two … on my shoe // Three … on my knee // Four .. on the floor // Five … on the hive
Book: Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
A little girl finds and cares for a little caterpillar. The rhymes are a tad inconsistent but I love the sweet story and the book is nice and big with colorful illustrations. Great for story time! I got my first “that was a little short” comment from one of my regulars who’s been coming to my story time since I started the job a couple years ago! They grow up so fast … *sniff*
Flannel: Butterfly Colors
The first to come to the garden bed
Is a lovely butterfly of brilliant RED.
Then in comes another and that makes two
Fly right in, my friend of BLUE.
This garden is fine, the best I’ve seen
Says the butterfly of the softest GREEN.
Our garden needs a sunny fellow
Fly in butterfly, with wings of yellow.
Little friend of PURPLE, fly in too
The garden is waiting for a color like you.
Hello ORANGE, we’ve waited so long
Fly in, right where you belong.
Butterflies, Butterflies, you’re such a sight
Flying together with such delight!
Source: Miss Meg’s Storytime
Song: Song cube (I’m a Little Teapot)
Book: Nibbles’ Garden by Charlotte Middleton
A little guinea pig raises caterpillars with his new best friend, Posie. But the pair is puzzled when all of their caterpillar pets disappear!
Song: The Life of a Butterfly (to the tune of Skip to My Lou)
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me
Wiggle with me my darlin’
(A chrysalis, sleep with me / A butterfly, come fly with me)
Adapted from Storytime Katie
Song: Baby Shark
Baby shark do do do do do do (shark mouth with two fingers)
Baby shark do do do do do do
Baby shark do do do do do do
Baby shark
Other verses:
Mama Shark (shark mouth with hands connected at the wrists)
Daddy Shark (shark mouth with whole arms)
Grandma Shark (shark mouth like mama shark but with fists)
Shark attack (snap arms overhead)
Swim away (swimming motion with arms)
Safe at last (jazz hands)
Source: Adapted from Kindergarten Nation
Song: Butterfly (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Flutter, flutter butterfly (hook hands together to make butterfly)
Floating in the springtime sky
Floating by for all to see (put hands over eyes)
Floating by so merrily
Flutter, flutter, butterfly (hook hands together to make butterfly)
Floating in the springtime sky!
Source: SurLaLune Storytime
Book: Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horácek
A little girl spots a butterfly in her garden one day. When she can’t find her friend the next day she explores some of the other bugs and creatures in the garden before one, final pop-up reveal of her missing butterfly pal! This book might have been better suited to a garden theme (which we’re doing next week) but I had already selected four books and I wanted to read this one so I snuck it into story time this week.
Action Rhyme: My Friendly Caterpillar
My friendly caterpillar (crawl fingers up arm)
Made its cocoon one day. (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked together)
And quickly flew away. (flap hands)
Source: SurLaLune Storytime
Egg Shakers: Shake It by Sally’s Music Circle
Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A classic that all the kids had read before but it’s a classic for a reason and I wanted to share it with them. I figured they might not have heard it for awhile. By this time they were pretty wiggly and many of them had abandoned me for the computers or blocks. 😀 This used to insult me but now that I have a kid of my own I know they just can’t sit still for very long.
Song: Song cube (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Song: Mr. Sun
Oh Mr. Sun. Sun. Mr. golden sun, (arms over head)
Please shine down on me. (move hands back and forth and down)
Oh Mr. Sun. Sun. Mr. golden sun, (arms over head)
Hiding behind a tree. (hide face behind hands)
These little children are asking you. (point to the children)
To please come out so they can play with you. (gesture ‘come here’ with hands)
Oh Mr. Sun. Sun. Mr. golden sun. (arms over head)
Please shine down on me. (move hands back and forth and down)
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This (to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends.
We wave goodbye like this.
The Short Stack Librarian 