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 tap and sing hello // We wave and sing hello
Source: Storytime Katie
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus round and round
All through the town
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish //
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep //
The doors on the bus go open and shut //
The driver on the bus goes move it on back //
The people on the bus go up and down //
The babies on the bus go wah, wah, wah //
The people on the bus go shh, shh, shh
Book: Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty; illustrated by David Roberts
Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Itsy Bitsy Spider (sung normally)
Teeny Weeny Spider (sung in falsetto)
Great Big Hairy Spider (sung deeply)
Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Sung three times, getting faster each time.
Wiggle Rhyme: Watch Out for the Bugs (to the tune of Jingle Bells)
Clap your hands, stomp your feet
Wiggle all around
Throw your hands up in the air and now let’s touch the ground
Touch your head, touch your hips, give yourself a hug
Now sit down upon the floor
But watch out for the bugs!! (stamp out the bugs)
Book: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
A little girl knows she can make the most magnificent thing. But how will she get her idea out of her head and into real life? I love this book’s message about trying and trying again when things fail and how even your failures can teach you something.
Then as an end-of-summer treat, I broke out the parachute.
Song: Row Row Row Your Boat
I do three verses of this classic:
Row row row your boat (the traditional way) //
Rock rock rock your boat, sway from side to side
Merrily merrily merrily merrily what a bumpy ride (bump hands on lap) //
Row row row your boat, gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile (crocodile snap with arms)
Don’t forget to scream (*AH*)
On our last verse where we see a crocodile and scream we lifted the parachute over our heads and screamed underneath of it.
Song: The Grand Old Duke of York
First we did the song with the kids sitting on the ground using the parachute. Then I had everyone stand up and we did it again. And then we did it AGAIN because they liked it so much.
Song: Popcorn by Barenaked Ladies
I had the kids do Popcorn with me again. We practiced going slow and then increasing our speed before I even started the music. These kids are good listeners and it worked really well.
Then I had the kids run underneath the parachute for our last song and the adults and I operated the parachute. We went up and down over the heads and walked around and shook it. They had a ball.
Song: All Together Now by The Beatles
I counted to three and gathered up the parachute. We had to take a big deep breath after all that excitement to get through our next book. Luckily, they knew the book and loved it so that helped.
Book: The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
A circus ship capsizes and all the animals are forced to swim to shore after the mean circus owner saves himself and not them. The town is surprised but comes to realize the animals are helpful and kind. When the circus owner comes back to claim them, the animals camouflage themselves in the town so they can stay and live a peaceful life. I love Chris Van Dusen’s illustrations and his rhyming books.
Egg Shakers: Shake It by Sally’s Music Circle
Book: A Couch for Llama by Leah Gilbert
A family gets a new couch but when it falls off of their car and into a field, llama loves the couch and wants to keep it. Now what?
The school had science and circus as two of their weekly themes for August so that’s why I chose the first three books. I chose this book simply because it was new and I loved it and wanted to read it to them. They loved it.
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
The Short Stack Librarian 