Storytime: Underwater

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, U is for Underwater!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I put some small toy fish, a whale, and an octopus in the box. Once the kids identified them, I asked where those animals lived.


3) Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea - Jan Peck

This was my favorite book of the morning. It showed off lots of different creatures who live underwater, and the kids (and parents) liked the ending when it revealed where the boy really was... :)


4) The Creatures in the Ocean song
I found this one at Miss Sarah's Storytime. It's to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus.

The waves in the ocean go up and down, up and down, up and down
The waves in the ocean go up and down, all day long! 

The crabs in the ocean go pinch, pinch, pinch... 
The clams in the ocean go open and shut...  
The sharks in the ocean go snap, snap, snap...  
The fish in the ocean go swim, swim, swim...


5) Tickly Octopus - Ruth Galloway

6) Fish flannel rhymes
I had six flannel fish, and luckily had no more than six kids in each of my storytimes. I put them all up on the board, then said this rhyme:

There are so many fish in the deep blue sea, what color fish does ___ see? (insert child's name)
The child came up and took one fish off the board, telling me what color it was, and brought it back to their seat.

Once everyone had a fish, I asked who had the red fish, and had them put it up on the board. Then we said:

Red fish, red fish, what do you see? I see a ___ fish looking at me! (name another color)

And repeated until all the fish were back on the board. After the last one I said:

Purple fish, purple fish, what do you see? I see children looking at me!
Children, children, what do you see? We see a...
and I pointed at each color fish for them to recite. That's what we see!

These rhymes worked so well together, because each child was able to take a fish, and then I was able to get them back without a struggle. :)


7) The Goldfish Song - Laurie Berkner
Even my own kids at home ask me to sing this song. I love how it gets them super active, then slows them down, then back up, then down, etc.


8) I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean - Kevin Sherry

One of the older siblings who had tagged along (yet another snow day... ugh...) asked "What about squid? Squid live underwater too!" Well I just happened to have a book about a squid next! The parents laughed at the ending. The kids not so much, but the short pages and bold drawings kept their attention.


9) U is for Underwater coloring page (18-36 months) or U is for Underwater craft (3-5 years)
Found this craft idea at Crystal & Company. I had the kids cut their own waves (or get a grownup's help), and used circle stickers since I couldn't find my small circle scrapbooking punch...

My 4-year-old daughter's version

Other underwater ideas:
Fish with the Deep Sea Smile - Margaret Wise Brown (I found flannel pieces for this little story, but couldn't get it to fit with everything else I was already doing)
Ten Little Fish - Audrey & Bruce Wood (I had this one in my pile, would have done it if I'd had more time and thought the kids would sit still...)
Rub a Dub Sub - Linda Ashman (too similar to Way Down Deep)
The Deep Blue Sea - Audrey & Bruce Wood
Commotion in the Ocean - Giles Andreae
Swimmy - Leo Lionni