Storytime: My Favorites

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and snack

For my very last storytime, I chose some of my favorite books and songs. I made it through without crying! The gal who will be taking my place was able to be there with me, which was so great for her to meet the kids and see what I've done!


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Llama Llama Red Pajama - Anna Dewdney

I can pretty much recite this one without looking. It's always fun to be extra dramatic...


3) Song - Moon Moon Moon - Laurie Berkner

This one is still on the Music & Movement playlist, which we're scheduled to start in a couple weeks, so I wanted the kids and the new gal to see my motions (I started with the motions from Sunflower Storytime, and then changed a few).

Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head) 
Shining bright (wiggle fingers like they are sparkling) 
Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head) 
My night light (act like turning off a light) 
Moon, moon, moon (arms in circle over head) 
I can see (point to eyes)
Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head)
You’re taking care of me (hands over heart) 

Look up, it’s the moon (point up with right hand and look up) 
Look up, it’s the moon (point up with left hand and look up) 
Look up, it’s the moon (point up with both hands)
Up in the sky (wave arms back and forth over head)
It’s big and round (make circle with arms over head) 
And I have found (thumbs to chest)
That it looks just like a pizza [lemon] pie! (make circle with hands in front of you, then take a bite)

4) Flannel - Shape Monster

My favorite generic flannel of all time. The youth gal before me did it when I was just a mom bringing kids to storytime, and I continued to use it throughout my two years.

5) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff

For Abby's 2nd birthday party we did a theme around this book, we loved it so much.

6) Song – We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner

The best storytime song for getting kids of all ages (and their grown-ups!) up and moving.


7) Song & Rhyme Cube

Today the cube rolled I'm a Little Teapot, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Five Little Monkeys.

8) Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? - Bill Martin Jr.

The kids' faces lit up when I pulled this one out. So many of them know it so well, but they love hearing someone new read it to them. This book taught my kids their colors, and I've used it throughout my Storytime for Littles this year. I like giving the animals different voices.


9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Snack

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, but none of the kids were interested. My director had bought cupcakes for my last day, and the kids just enjoyed them at the tables before giving me hugs and heading out.

What a fun two years this has been! I'm really going to miss these kids!!!

This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

Storytime: Ducks

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 25 minutes + play and craft

It's been a dry March here in mid-Michigan, and was perfectly fitting that the first day we see lots of rain is when I have a storytime about ducks scheduled!


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Cold Little Duck Duck Duck - Lisa Westberg Peters

I did paperclip a couple pages in this one, I thought the kids might be a little bored with it (and I was right), but I really wanted to use it with it being the first week of spring!


3) Five Little Ducks

From Abby and Meg.

5 little ducks went out to play (hold up 5 fingers/sticks)
Over the hills and far away (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hand around mouth)
And 4 little ducks came waddling back (hold up 4 fingers)

…

1 little duck went out one day (hold up 1 finger/stick)
Over the hills and far away, (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hand around mouth)
but no little ducks came waddling back! 


Can end with:
Mother duck went out one day,
over the hills and far away (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hands around mouth)
and 5 little ducks came waddling back! (hold up 5 fingers)

But since I used the ducks on sticks (and placed them on the chair behind me as I went), I said:
Oh no! The little ducks are all gone! Maybe the mother duck didn’t quack loud enough. Can you help me be really loud quackers and see if they’ll come back? …. Whoa maybe that’s TOO loud. How about quiet quacks? … Medium quacks?

4) The Ducks on the Bus 

From Sunflower Storytime. Tune: The Wheels on the Bus

The ducks on the bus go quack quack quack!
Quack quack quack! Quack quack quack!
The ducks on the bus go quack quack quack!
All through the town!

flap flap flap!….
waddle waddle waddle!….
quack quack quack!….

5) Duck on a Bike - David Shannon

"Have you ever seen a duck on a bus??" (referencing the song we just sang) "Me neither. Well have you ever seen a duck on a bike???" I did read the whole thing (could have skipped a few pages if the kids got restless), and each time after the duck said hello I asked the kids what noise that animal made.

6) Song - I Know a Chicken - Laurie Berkner

There were chickens in the previous book. I almost did Old MacDonald here in this spot, but the kids needed something more interactive.


7) Song & Rhyme Cube

Today the cube rolled Twinkle Twinkle and 5 Little Monkeys.

8) Duckie's Ducklings - Frances Barry

A really cute little board book. I seriously didn't see the ducklings coming up behind her until a couple pages in (I must have had my hand covering the side or something!). But the kids caught it right away, and were all excited and running up to point at the pages.


9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, and for a table craft I printed an outline of a duck on yellow cardstock. The kids could practice cutting if they wanted, or they could leave it whole. Then we had glue sticks and feathers. Messy, yes. But we have a great vacuum. And I think the kids LOVED this easy craft. I even had one grandma take extra copies for her other grandkids to do later in the day.

Other ducks ideas:

Duckie's Rainbow - Frances Barry (I used this in my Littles storytime)
Duck! Rabbit!  - Amy Krouse Rosenthal (I had bad luck with this one once and considered trying again... but then decided against it)
One Duck Stuck - Phyllis Root
Duck Soup - Jackie Urbanovic
10 Little Rubber Ducks - Eric Carle
Duck Dunks - Lynne Berry
Little Quack - Lauren Thompson
Old MacDonald (especially after Duck on a Bike)


This post does contain Amazon Affliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

Storytime: Birthdays

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and snack

What's better than leading a birthday-themed storytime? Leading a birthday-themed storytime ON your birthday!!! :)


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthay Cake - Eileen Christelow

My own kids love this book (though we have the old edition, with the title Don't Wake Up Mama! 


3) Birthday Months

From Storytime Katie. I had the kids find out from their grown-ups which month their birthday was in, then we did this action rhyme. Some of them just acted out everything even when it wasn't their month. :)

If your birthday is in January, turn around
February, touch the ground
March, march along
April, sing a song
May, wiggle your nose
June, shake your toes
July, jump up high
August, reach the sky
September, tap your shoe
October, call out “Boo!”
November, tickle your ears
December, give three cheers!

4) A Birthday

Also from Storytime Katie.

Today is everyone's birthday
Let's make us a cake  
(form cake with hands)
Mix and stir, stir and mix  (stir)
Then into the oven to bake  
(push hands out)
Here's our cake so nice and round  
(make a circle)
We frost it green and white  
(spread frosting)
We put five candles on it  
(hold up hand)
To make a birthday bright!

5) Five Birthday Candles flannel

Yup you guessed it, from Storytime Katie again! :) (loved your plan this week Katie!) I had the kids hold up their fingers for how many candles, then blow one out, while I did the flannel candles on the board.

Five candles on a birthday cake
Five, and not one more
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves four!

Four candles on a birthday cake
There for all to see
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves three!

Three candles on a birthday cake
Standing straight and true
You may blow one candle out, 
And that leaves two!

Two candles on a birthday cake
Helping us have fun
You may blow one candle out,
And that leaves one!

One candle on a birthday cake
We know its task is done
You may blow one candle out, 
And that leaves none!

6) If You Give a Pig a Party - Laura Numeroff

Not a birthday book per se, but I sure think this pig wanted a birthday party full of balloons and her friends. Plus it led well into the next flannel.


7) Color Balloons flannel

I found this in my stash of flannels-made-before-my-time. The envelope only had the balloons and the rhyme below, so I rounded up the other pieces needed. I set the background on the flannel board and held the balloons, and as I read the rhyme I "let the balloons go" and they floated to their spot on the board.

I had a great big orange balloon,
Until I let it go.
Now where, oh where, I wonder, 
Did my balloon blow?

I had a great big blue balloon
The string I held so tight.
But when I opened up my hand,
My balloon flew out of sight.

I had a great big green balloon,
As pretty as could be.
But when I let go of its string,
It flew away from me.

I had a great big purple balloon
When I went out to play.
But when I wasn't watching, 
My balloon just flew away.

Orange balloon, orange balloon, where can you be?
Orange balloon, orange balloon,
Up in a... (I paused and let the kids finish the sentences) tree!

Blue balloon, blue balloon, where did you fly?
Blue balloon, blue balloon, up in the... sky!

Green balloon, green balloon, where can you be?
Green balloon, green balloon, under the... tree!

Purple balloon, purple balloon, where did you fly?
Purple balloon, purple balloon, way up... high!

8) Five Days Old - Laurie Berkner Band
We just acted this one out (sitting, jumping, etc.), and tried to hold up fingers as she said the numbers ("I'll be 2 then 3 then 4!", etc.). A fun movement song. I might have to add it to the Music & Movement list.


9) My Birthday Cake - Olivia George

A cute, simple, one-sentence-per-page book to finish today. The girl wants to make her own birthday cake, but it doesn't turn out how she expected.


10) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

11) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, and instead of a table craft I bought Birthday Cake Oreos for a snack. I had hoped to pick up these mini cupcakes that our local grocery store makes, but of course I thought of it last minute and they didn't have any made. Oh well. The kids loved the sprinkles in the Oreos, and we had leftovers for the break room. :)

Other birthday ideas:

The Birthday Box - Leslie Patricelli (I literally went back and forth on the spot of whether to end with My Birthday Cake or this one. I decided to go with the shorter one.)
Flower Garden - Eve Bunting
Mouse's Birthday - Jane Yolen
A Birthday for Cow - Jan Thomas
The Birthday Queen - Audrey & Don Wood
Froggy Bakes a Cake - Jonathan London
Happy Birthday, Moon - Frank Asch



This post does contain Amazon Affliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

Storytime: Green & St Patrick's Day

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and craft

Continuing our one-week-of-a-color-each-month theme, we're going green for March (fits great with St. Patrick's Day, spring, Michigan State basketball in March Madness... :)


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) I liked how Kathryn introduced the idea of St. Patrick's Day with a few sentences, so I shared this with the kids before we got started: "St. Patrick's Day is about a real person who lived a long time ago, in a place far away called Ireland. We wear something green and talk about real things like shamrocks and rainbows, and about pretend things like leprechauns and pots of gold.


3) St. Patrick's Day - Mari Schuh

This book is physically pretty small, so rather than a normal panning while reading I actually stood up and walked it around to show the kids the pictures more closely. There is a single sentence on every page and while it's not the most fun St. Patrick's Day book out there, it was the shortest one I could find!

4) Five Green Shamrocks

No idea where this came from - it was in my flannel drawer with a note "added February 1999"... I had a sudden influx of kids this week (my regular crowd is 6-8, this week I had 15!), so instead of going through it twice and letting the actual kids take the shamrocks off, I showed them my leprechaun from the next flannel and had him pick the shamrocks instead.

Five green shamrocks growing outdoors
[Child's name] picked one, and that left four.
Four little shamrocks, green as they can be
[Child's name] picked one, and that left three.
Three little shamrocks playing peek-a-boo
[Child's name] picked one, and that left two.
Two little shamrocks nodding in the sun
[Child's name] picked one, and that left one.
One little shamrock for St. Patrick's Day fun
[Child's name] picked one, and that left none.

5) Leprechaun, Leprechaun

I found a couple different versions of this, from Jen in the Library and Storytime Fun. Since I didn't want to spend too much time creating it, I printed and laminated the leprechaun and pot of gold and made flannel pieces for the others.

Leprechaun, leprechaun, what do you see?
I see a red heart here with me.

I see an orange star here with me.
I see a yellow moon here with me.
I see a green clover here with me.
I see a blue diamond here with me.
I see a purple horse shoe here with me.

Purple horse shoe, purple horse shoe, what do you see?
I see lots of children here with me.
Children, Children, what do you see?
…
What does that make? A rainbow!

And leprechauns LOVE rainbows, because they think at the end of a rainbow they can find a pot of gold!

6) Green: Seeing Green All Around Us - Sarah L. Schuette

Wow, two non-fiction books in one storytime?? The kids loved telling me all of the green things they saw on these pages. They started pointing out the green things around the room too. :)


7) Five Green & Speckled Frogs
Apparently the librarian before me had done this at some point, because I discovered a prop for it! It's a paper towel tube (so it really is a hollow log!).

Five green & speckled frogs (hold up 5 fingers)
Sitting on a hollow log (point at the log, kids sit)
Eating the most delicious bugs -- yum yum! (rub belly)
One jumped into the pool (flip one frog down, kids jump)
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four green & speckled frogs! (ribbit, ribbit!)

8) We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner
My antsy group really needed to get up and move around, so we did this favorite song about something that's often depicted as green in books and pictures.


9) Where is the Green Sheep? - Mem Fox

I love this book. I did paperclip a couple pages since it felt a tad bit long for a closing book with our rowdy group.


10) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

11) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, and our table craft was green fingerpaint. I also had coloring pages left over from our Littles storytime that some kids colored with crayons and some kids colored with fingerpaint.

Other green ideas:

Green - Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Green Eggs & Ham - Dr. Seuss
It's St. Patrick's Day! - Rebecca Gomez
The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever! - Teddy Slater
Lizette's Green Sock - Catharina Valckx



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Storytime: For the Littles

My first year of storytime planning I had three classes - 0-18 months, 18-36 months, and 3-5 years. The baby storytime didn't really work out. One or two moms came sporadically before Christmas, then never came at all after the break. I decided with the new season last fall to only offer two classes, Storytime for Littles (age 0-2) and Storytime for Bigs (age 2-5). I've been amazed at how well this has worked for us!

I do get a lot of questions about "my child is 2 years old, which class should he go in?" and my answer is always "Our Littles class reads two short books and mostly does songs and playtime. Our Bigs class reads three longer books and is more structured. It's up you which one you think your child would fit best in!" In both classes I get older/younger siblings that would usually belong in the other class. But the parents know what works best for them.

So here is what I typically do in my "Littles" class! It is VERY repetitive from week to week, where my Bigs class has a weekly theme and I post those here each week. Littles lasts about 20 minutes, Bigs about 30.


My opening and closing activities are the same as what I use in my Bigs class. Can ya tell we love repetition around here? :)

1) Greet with puppet
This is my friend Leo the Lion. He's a nice lion, his mouth doesn't even open! His favorite thing to do is wave to the kids. Therefore he helps us sing our opening and closing songs.

2) This is the Way We Wave Hello
(tune: Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wave hello, wave hello, wave hello
This is the way we wave hello, hello, hello, hello! 

This is the way we clap hello, clap hello, clap hello...
This is the way we pat hello (pat thighs), pat hello, pat hello...

Repeat all 3 verses again.


3) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
I started using this song before reading our first book each week during my very first Summer Reading Program in 2013, and have used it ever since. The kids know it so well, I think I'd have a mutiny if I ever left it out now. We sing it through (acapella) 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)


4) Read a Book
I usually pick one book and read it each week for the entire month. I look for ones that the kids might already be familiar with, so that if there are any new or shy kids, they might feel more comfortable with something they've seen before. I've used:
Brown Bear Brown Bear
Goodnight Moon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Big Fish Little Fish
Freight Train


5) Full Body Songs
I'll usually pick just 1 of them, and just go with the mood of the group.
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
If You're Happy and You Know It
We are the Dinosaurs


6) Songs with Manipulatives
I'm always prepared to do any of these, and I'll pick 1-2, occasionally 3, depending on how the kids are doing.
I Know a Chicken (with shaky eggs)
What a Miracle (with scarves)
Walter the Waltzing Worm (with little pieces of cut yarn that resemble worms)
Old MacDonald (this is just me showing them the animals, not as interactive)
Shape Monster (flannel board)


7) Read a book
I'll change this book up from week to week. Often I'll find one that fits with the Bigs' theme of the week that is short enough for the Littles to enjoy (like Freight Train).


8) Closing: Do You Know What Time It Is?

(tune: Muffin Man) Early in the season I had to explain to the kids a few times that some grown-ups wear watches on their wrist to see what time it is. One week a little 2 year old, who never talks and never smiles, came up to show me she'd worn her own watch that day!

Do you know what time it is? (tap wrist)

What time it is? What time it is?
Do you know what time it is?
Storytime is over!

Now it's time to stretch up tall (stand/reach up)

Stretch up tall, stretch up tall
Now it's time to stretch up tall
Storytime is over!

Wave goodbye to all your friends (wave)

All your friends, all your friends
Wave goodbye to all your friends
Storytime is over!

(original from Abby)

9) Playtime
I attended a Storytime 101 workshop at the beginning of the season that was put on by the co-op my library is part of, and they talked about the five practices of early literacy. I decided I wanted to incorporate a time for play after every Storytime that I offer. I have a box of blocks, and a box of things like instruments (shakers, jingle bells, rhythm sticks), puppets, scarves, etc. I'll also put paper or a coloring page on the tables. Kids can play with any or all, which they do for about 5-10 minutes, then gravitate out of the program room and into the children's area which also has games and puppets and puzzles.

Storytime: Trains

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and craft


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) A Train Goes Clickety-Clack - Jonathan London

A basic train book about what some trains look like and the different things they can carry.

3) The Wheels on the Train

Another simple "wheels on the bus" rendition from The Storytime Lady.

The wheels on the train go clickety-clack (bend arms at elbows, chug chug around like train wheels)
The whistle on the train goes toot toot toot (pull train whistle)
The conductor on the train says “all aboard!” (cup hands around mouth)
The crossing gates go up and down - or clang clang clang (arms cross in front of you like the gates)
The people on the train go bumpety bump (sit on seat, bump up and down)

4) Clickety Clack flannel

From Mel's Desk. I did print and use the patterns she provides, and considered drawing in the windows and details but decided last minute to leave them as the outlines. The boxcar and coach car could probably have used the detail to make them look a little different but oh well. I had the kids hold up the number of fingers we were on for each sentence. If I'd had 6 or less kids I would have handed them out and called the color along with the type of car and had them bring them up. But I had one of my bigger groups today at 12!

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes the train on the railroad track!

Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,
Here comes ENGINE number one.

Clickety-clew, clickety-clew,
Here comes COAL CAR number two.

Clickety-clee, clickety-clee,
Here comes BOX CAR number three.

Clickety-clore, clickety-clore,
Here comes TANK CAR number four.

Clickety-clive, clickety-clive,
Here comes COACH CAR number five.

Clickety-clicks, clickety-clicks,
Here’s the CABOOSE, that’s number six.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
There goes the train on the railroad track!

5) All Aboard the DinoTrain - Deb Lund

When I pulled this book out parents exclaimed it combined two of their kids' favorite things! I wish I would have clipped a few pages together. I forgot that I had when I'd used it once for a dinosaur storytime, and by 3/4 of the way through the kids were restless. Maybe just because while the pictures were beautiful they weren't very engaging. I tried to read it with lots of expression. They all liked the ending though.


6) We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner

But the DinoTrain book easily led into one of my kids' favorite songs.

7) Song Cube
This week the cube rolled I'm a Little Teapot and If You're Happy and You Know It. (Okay that's 3 weeks in a row of If You're Happy. I'm beginning to think my kleenex box is heavier on one side. Time to switch the pictures around.)


8) I Love Trains - Philemon Sturges

So this one hits on basically the same things as the first book we read, along with lots of the other train books I list below in "other" ideas. But I love the simple images, few words on a page, and cute ending.

9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, and our table craft was Shape Trains. I got the idea from here and here via Pinterest. I freaked out a little bit because I thought I had a medium size circle punch at home to make the wheels but couldn't find it... so I quickly free-handed a bunch of black wheels instead. The kids didn't care. :)

My example - but I emphasized they could
make their trains look however they wanted!

Other train ideas:

Freight Train - Donald Crews (I used this with my Littles)
My Little Train - Satomi Ichikawa
The Little Engine That Could - Watty Piper
Hey Mr. Choo-Choo, Where Are You Going? - Susan Wickberg
Inside Freight Train - Donald Crews (board book)
Steam Train Dream Train - Sherri Duskey Rinker
Clickety Clack - Rob & Amy Spence
Dinosaur Train - John Steven Gurney
And the Train Goes... - William Bee
The Goodnight Train - June Sobel



This post does contain Amazon Affliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

Storytime: Penguins

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 25 minutes + play and craft


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) One Cool Friend - Toni Buzzeo

My own kids recently received this book as part of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and they are loving it! The parents at storytime got a kick out of the ending, though I think it went over the kids' heads. I tried to explain, but it's one of those books that once you know the ending the middle makes lots more sense.

3) Baby Penguins

From Mary and Mike. I made penguins on sticks that I held for this rhyme while the kids acted it out, and brought out my big penguin puppet for the mama. The kids got to use the stick penguins later.

1 baby penguin makes a wish (hold up 1 finger then point up)
2 baby penguins catch some fish (hold up 2 fingers then clap hands)
3 baby penguins slip and slide (hold up 3 fingers then wiggle arms)
4 baby penguins run and hide (hold up 4 fingers then hide them)
5 baby penguins look around, (hold up 5 fingers then shade eyes with hand)
Calling “Mama! Mama! Mama!”
Out waddles mama, now the babies are found. (waddle)

4) If You're a Penguin and You Know It

I feel like I've used this tune so much in the last few weeks for various things... at least it's something that all the kids and parents know!

If you’re a penguin and you know it flap your wings
If you're a penguin and you know it flap your wings
If you're a penguin and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If you're a penguin and you know it flap your wings

I brought out our mama penguin again and showed them her wings -- she doesn't use them to fly, she uses them to swim!

If you're a penguin and you know it go for a swim...

I asked if anyone remembered from our first book what kind of pizza the penguin Magellan liked to eat...

If you're a penguin and you know it bite a fish...

And finally, we looked at the feet of my stuffed penguin and how there really aren't any legs. So when penguins have to walk, they waddle!

If you're a penguin and you know it waddle your feet...

5) Penguins Penguins Everywhere - Bob Barner

This was as non-fiction as I got this week, but I had brought out all of our other books about penguins for kids to look at after and check out, that had real photos of penguins and described them even more than this book.

6) Adorable Penguin
From Storytime ABCs. I handed out the stick penguins to the kids to act out this and the next rhyme.

I'm a little penguin
Black and white,
Short and wobbly,
An adorable sight!

I can't fly at all,
But I love to swim.
So I'll waddle to the water 
And dive right in!

7) The Penguins are Here
Also from Storytime ABCs.

The penguins are here; the penguins are there.
The penguins, the penguins are everywhere.

The penguins are up; the penguins are down.
The penguins, the penguins are all around.

The penguins are in; the penguins are out.
The penguins, the penguins are all about.

The penguins are low; the penguins are high.
The penguins, the penguins all say "goodbye"!

8) Song Cube
This week the cube rolled If You're Happy and You Know It and The Itsy Bitsy Spider (which we always add the verses for the Great Big Hairy Spider and the Teensy Weensy Spider...).


9) Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice - Steve Metzger

Just like 5 little monkeys. But with penguins. And different things that happen to them.

10) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

11) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments again, but no one wanted to play. They all wanted to just do the craft. For the table craft I got the idea from Mike to cut squares of paper and let the kids glue them onto a background to make penguins. Some were really into making sure there's looked exactly like mine, others were more artsy...

My example

Other penguin ideas:

Adorable penguin hat craft
A Penguin Story - Antoinette Portis
Splash! A Penguin Counting Book - Jonathan Chester
If You Were a Penguin - Wendell & Florence Minor
Penguins - Liz Pichon
I Am Small - Emma Dodd



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Storytime: Purple

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and craft

Continuing our one-week-of-a-color-each-month theme, we're on purple for February (I considered doing pink for Valentines Day but thought purple would be a bit more interesting for the boys!).


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Harold and the Purple Crayon - Crockett Johnson

No purple storytime would be complete without this book. I chose to read it first since it's a little long for my group. Katie has an AMAZING flannel story for this book, but I didn't have the time (or much desire) to make it for myself. Instead I took Erin's idea and put up a piece of white paper and drew the moon at the beginning and the window at the end.

3) I Have a Crayon flannel

From Abby Librarian. I handed out crayon-shaped felt pieces and recited this rhyme, asking the kids to come up and put their crayon on my board when I called their color. Luckily I had exactly 10 kids this week!

I have a crayon, we can draw a circle. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of purple. 

I have a crayon, I'll give it to you. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of blue. 

I have a crayon, a lovely little fellow. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of yellow. 

I have a crayon, I think it's just right. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of white. 

I have a crayon, it's here on my head. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of red. 

I have a crayon, I found it in town. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of brown. 

I have a crayon, what do I see? 
Here is my crayon, an orange one for me. 

I have a crayon right in my sack. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of black. 

I have a crayon, it's just right I think. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of pink. 

I have a crayon, the best I've ever seen. 
Here is my crayon, my crayon of green. 

4) Purple Heart, Purple Heart flannel

I used this for last year's storytime near Valentine's Day too. Instead of starting with red, we started with purple. I placed the hearts on the board as we went, since I didn't have enough for everyone to get one.

Purple heart, purple heart, what do you see? I see an orange heart looking at me!

Orange heart... etc... 

White heart, white heart, what do you see? I see a whole bunch of children looking at me!

Children, children, what do you see? We see a purple heart, an orange heart... looking at us! That's what we see!

5) Purple - Schuette and Purple Animals - Melissa Stewart

A couple of fun non-fiction books I came across. I shared Purple Animals in my Littles storytime too (0-2 years). These use real photographs of things in nature (and things like boomerangs and stuffed animals) that are purple. Both are super short.


6) Acting out purple things

Katie at Storytime Secrets had this idea for encouraging kids to pretend. I changed her pink things to more purple, and just read them from the list.

Eat a purple popsicle
Climb a purple mountain (just like Harold!)
Act like a purple monster
Color with a purple crayon (just like Harold again! :)
Spread purple jam on bread
Fly like a purple bird
Chew purple bubble gum
Sip purple grape juice
Smell purple flowers

7) Song Cube
Our song cube rolls today were If You're Happy and You Know It and I'm a Little Teapot.

8) Purple Little Bird - Greg Foley

I like this book more and more every time I read it. I used it in my houses storytime last year, and it could easily fit into a colors or rainbow or animals storytime too.


9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments again. For the table craft I pulled out pink and purple paper, stickers, scissors, and glue, and let the kids go to town making Valentines.

Other purple ideas:

Sally and the Purple Socks - Bechtold (I came so close to using this one but ran out of time)
Gladys Goes Out to Lunch - Anderson (the gorilla is purple)
Lunchtime for a Purple Snake - Ziefert (a little long)
Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse - Adams (a little long)
Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem - Ohi
Storytime Katie's Purple Storytime



This post does contain Amazon Affliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!