Storytime: Water

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes

Sticking with the Fizz Boom Read! CSLP theme, I have chosen seven science topics for our summer. This week we looked at water.


1) What's the weather? 

I made a weather chart for week one of summer reading, and am starting each week this summer talking about the current weather. 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?


2) Where do you find water?
I told the kids our topic for the week, then asked them what some of the places are where they see water. I listed them on a piece of posterboard, to encourage some word/letter recognition.

3) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
We sing this every week before reading our first book. 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)


4) Water in the Park - Emily Jenkins

A little long, so I ad-libbed a bit. I also made a simple clock that I could move the hour hand to each time of day, to help keep the kids' attention.

5) Sink or float?
Idea from Amy and Katie. Rather than using it as a station like they did, I did the "experiment" in front of the kids. I explained what "float" and "sink" mean, then held up objects one at a time and asked the kids which they thought it would do in water. I had two crayons at the end, and purposely dropped the first pointy-end down so it would sink, then did another and gently laid it on top of the water to float. I encouraged them to find things at home (with parent permission of course!) that they could test in their own bathtub.

Duck, rock, Lego, popsicle stick, penny, crayons

6) It Could Still Be Water (nonfiction) - Allan Fowler

I'm loving these Rookie Read-About Science books. I found one to use during our moon storytime last winter, and they are at just the right level for preschool storytime. I wish the books themselves were a little bigger though, the kids had to come close for them to see the pictures.


7) The Goldfish Song - Laurie Berkner
The previous book ended with mention of water being a home for fish, which led great into one of my kids' favorite songs.


8) Water Can Be - Laura Purdie Salas

This book came out in April, and is a great simple, poetic way of telling all the different roles water can play in our lives. I highly recommend adding it to your collection if you don't already have it!


9) Water craft
I purchased some simple water painting pages from CSLP/Upstart, gave the kids paintbrushes and cups of water, and let them go at it.

Other water ideas:
This is the Ocean - Kersten Hamilton (I actually almost used this one, and thought of making a flannel board for it. Then I found the non-fiction book and chose it instead.)
All the Water in the World - George Ella Lyon
It's Raining - Gail Gibbons
Moonbear's Pet - Frank Asch
Itsy Bitsy Spider song
anything from my Underwater Storytime
markers on coffee filters, spray with water to make cool designs
water cycle bracelets