After a very long break I was so happy to be back at storytime this morning!
Welcome Song: Clap and Sing Hello (to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
We clap and sing hello,
We clap and sing hello,
With our friends at story time,
We clap and sing hello!
We wave and sing hello // We stomp and sing hello
Source: Storytime Katie
Song: Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands, clap them now with me.
Clap your hands, let me see, clap them now with me.
Wiggle your feet // Stretch your arms // Zip your lips
Book: Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack! by Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb; illustrated by Ailie Busby
A little rooster doesn’t know what to say to wake up everyone up on the farm so he tries out some different animal sounds. Always a hit. The word “poo” is in it and that always gets a good giggle …
Song/Finger Puppets: Over in the Barnyard (to the tune of Down By the Station)
Over in the barnyard early in the morning,
See the yellow chickies standing all in a row,
See the busy farmer giving them their breakfast,
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep,
Off they go!
Spotted cows // Pink piggies // Wooly sheep // Brown horses
Source: Storytime Katie
My coworker found a really cute set of farm finger puppets so I decided to give them a try. This was my first attempt at finger puppets and I think it went well. I’d definitely try it again!
We also tried a new prop today: rhythm sticks! I outlined a couple of rules for our rhythm sticks: We don’t run around with them and we don’t hit our friends. One of the moms asked if I could include brothers in that announcement. 😀 I guess brothers don’t count as friends when you’re three. The kids did VERY well with them; no one got hit and everyone stayed in their own little space while we were drumming and tapping. The caregivers and I were all very impressed.
Song/Rhythm Sticks: This is the Way We Tap Our Sticks (to the tune of Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we tap our sticks,
Tap our sticks, tap our sticks,
This is the way we tap our sticks,
So early in the morning.
Scrape our sticks // Tap them soft // Tap them loud (hold bumpy stick on the floor and tap with smooth — it’s louder that way!) // Tap the floor
Source: 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children by Abigail Flesch Connors
Song/Rhythm Sticks: Hot Dog! (from Micky Mouse Clubhouse) by They Might Be Giants
I thought more of the kids would know this song but I don’t think they did. I think I’ll try another song next week, maybe something with more rhythm stick movement instructions built in.
Book: Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown; pictures by Felicia Bond
Beautiful rhyming stories by one of the greats about all the animals on the farm.
I had a flannel planned here but the kids were NUTS today so I skipped it in favor of some wiggle time! Here’s the one I was planning to do:
Flannel: Open Up the Barn Door
Open up the barn door, the spring goes “boink,”
There’s a pig in the barn saying, “oink, oink, oink.”
Open up the barn door before the clock strikes two,
There’s a cow in the barn saying, “moo, moo, moo.”
Open up the barn door, it’s a sunny day,
There’s a horse in the barn saying “neigh, neigh, neigh.”
Open up the barn door while singing “tra-la-la,”
There’s a sheep in the barn saying “baa, baa, baa.”
Open up the barn door while the sky is blue,
There’s a rooster in the barn saying “cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Open up the barn door and don’t get off the track,
There’s a duck in the barn saying “quack, quack, quack.”
Source: Storytime Katie
Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Egg Shakers: Shake It by Sally’s Music Circle
I was also going to do the Raffi song Down on Grandpa’s Farm as an additional shaker song but a lot of the kids had moved on the games and puzzles so I skipped it.
Book: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Marcellus Hall
Rhyming story about what the farm animals eat. All are normal except for the cow … he loves cookies.
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)
Grandpa Shark (shark mouth like daddy 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
Closing Song: It’s Time to Say Goodbye to All Our Friends (to the tune of She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain When She Comes)
It’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!” (tap knees)
It’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!”
It’s time to say goodbye,
Wave your hands and wink your eye, (wave, wink)
Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!”
Source: Sunflower Storytime
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