Storytime: Weather

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes

Hurray for the beginning of Summer Reading! Our Pre-Reader group is our most-highly-sought-after program. We offer storytime each week, with two time slots for families to choose between, and they always max out on registrations. We end up with 60 kids total ages 2-5, while our 1st-6th grade group has 80-100 and our teens have around 25. In the future I'm hoping to really work at encouraging the kids to come back as they get older!

Sticking with the Fizz Boom Read! CSLP science theme, I have chosen seven topics for our summer. We opened with Weather.

1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
We used this as my opening song all last summer and last school year, and the kids seem to like it so much that I decided to not change it. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I ask them to put their "books" in their lap while we read our first book.

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) Hello Sun - Dayle Ann Dodds

A simple little story of a girl and her cat who want to go outside but keep needing to come back in for different clothes because of the changing weather.


3) What's the weather? 

I made a weather chart similar to this one. I hope to incorporate talking about the current weather each week this summer. We sang this little song to go with it, to the tune of Oh My Darling Clementine:

What's the weather, what's the weather,
What's the weather everyone?
Is it windy, is it cloudy, is there rain, or is there sun?


4) Mr. Sun - Raffi
It has been a rainy week, so we transitioned to hoping the sun will come out, and singing this song to help him along. I used a combination of motions from Jbrary and Raffi himself.

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun (make big sun with arms over head)
Please shine down on me (wiggle fingers and come down, kind of like rain actually)
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun (make big sun with arms over head)
Hiding behind a tree (hide eyes with hands)

These little children are asking you (point at self with thumbs)
To please come out so we can play with you (hands make "come here" motion)
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun (make big sun with arms over head)
Please shine down on me (wiggle fingers and come down)


5) Little Cloud - Eric Carle

A small cloud changes into different shapes. I let the kids tell me each time what they thought it looked like.


6) Itsy Bitsy Spider
The previous book ended with it raining, so I told the kids they knew a song about rain. We sang it the traditional way, then also did the "great big hairy spider" (in a really deep voice) and the "teensy weensy spider" (in a high squeaky voice).


7) Sounds of rain activity
I told the kids we were going to make it sound like rain inside our room. I had them just watch and imitate me:

Rub hands together
Pat the floor with hands
Clap hands
Stand up and stomp while clapping
Clap hands
Pat the floor with hands
Rub hands together

I then had fun jumping between the really quiet and the really loud and back again. :)


8) A Rainbow of My Own - Don Freeman

I paperclipped a couple of pages together in this one, knowing it was our last book and our first storytime, the kids would be getting a little antsy. It led into our craft, where the kids got to take home a rainbow of their own!


10) Rainbow Craft
Construction paper (pre-cut), glue, and cotton balls. Easy peasy.

My 4-year-old daughter's version

Other weather ideas:
Kipper's Book of Weather - Mick Inkpen
Colors of Weather - Laura Purdie Salas
The Wind Blew - Pat Hutchins
Storm is Coming - Heather Tekavec
In the Rain with Baby Duck - Amy Hest
Baby Bear Sees Blue - Ashley Wolff
Just a Thunderstorm - Gina Mayer
It Looked Like Spilt Milk - Charles Shaw
Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats
The First Day of Winter - Denise Fleming
All You Need for a Snowman - Alice Schertle