44 people!!!! AND the other children’s librarian sat in on this session since she’s going to cover my story time when I’m at a library conference in two weeks. That extra set of hands was really nice to have.
One of the parents commented that this was the first time she was able to hear me read the story at the beginning!
Book: Peck Peck Peck by Lucy Cousins
Welcome Song: Good Morning by Old Town School of Folk Music
Song: Clap Your Hands by Old Town School of Folk Music
Song: Hands Are for Clapping by Jim Gill
LIBRARY BAND
I laid out a big container of instruments: cymbals, drums, shakers, etc.
Song: Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith
This song is by the same guy who wrote the book featured in the recent viral video. We don’t have the book in our system so I found his songs on Spotify and they’re so much fun. There aren’t really dance instructions like the ones I like to use for dance breaks but they’re perfect for library band time.
After our song I had the kids return the instruments using a little song I learned at the local kid gym:
(to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)
Please put the instruments in the bin, in the bin, in the bin,
Please put the instruments in the bin,
Thank you for your help!
Song: Turn It Down (The Air Band Song) by Lisa Loeb
Yes, THAT Lisa Loeb. We really had fun with this song.
Song: Drivin’ in My Car by Ralph’s World
Another great one.
Song: If I Was a Bird by Old Town School of Folk Music
Animal songs are always popular. I felt like the music at this particular session went really well. Sometimes you have a song dud but not this time.
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.
Song: Colors (to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)
Pink, orange, green and blue, green and blue,
Pink, orange, green and blue, green and blue,
Oh, I see colors, how about you?
Pink, orange, green and blue, green and blue.
We shook the parachute and sang slowly at first. Then we sang it twice more getting faster and faster each time.
Song: Go Round and Round the Circle (to the tune of In and Out the Window)
Go round and round the circle, (all hold parachute; move around in a circle)
Go round and round the circle,
Go round and round the circle,
As we have done before.
Go in and out the window (in and out with hands) //
Climb up and down the staircase (up and down with parachute) //
Shake hands with the parachute (shake parachute)
Source: Momstown Brampton
The circle actually worked this week so that was exciting!
Finally I had the kids run under the parachute (which they were dying to do) and the adults and I moved the parachute up and down over their heads and shook it while we sang this song:
Song: Come Under My Umbrella (to the tune of The More We Get Together)
Come under my umbrella, umbrella, umbrella,
Come under my umbrella, it’s starting to storm!
There’s thunder and lightning and wind and rain,
Come under my umbrella it’s starting to storm!
Source: Read Sing Play
After we were done with our last song, the adults and I counted to three, I had them all let go and I gathered up the parachute.
Parachute time worked much better this week. I had a couple kids who planted themselves under the parachute after repeated attempts to get them out. (And mama wasn’t helping.) So we continued on. It’s tough because going under the parachute is contagious so other kids wanted to go under and were confused as to why they couldn’t when these kids could. *sigh*
Song: The Goldfish by Laurie Berkner
This song was such a hit last week I’m going to make it a weekly staple. So much fun!
And I have officially ditched the bubbles. The whole point of the bubbles was to do a bubble lullaby with the kids lying on the floor cooling down while we listened to a gentle song before saying goodbye. Our bubble machine wasn’t powerful enough to propel the bubbles very far and because the machine is within reach on the table, it’s just too tempting for little hands.
So after The Goldfish we went right to our goodbye song:
Goodbye Song: Goodbye by Old Town School of Folk Music
The Short Stack Librarian 
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