Storytime: Yarn

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, Y is for yarn!


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 a ball of yarn in the box. I said we'd be reading books about things we can make with yarn, and how yarn itself is made!


3) Extra Yarn - Mac Barnett

A little long, but it was okay for our first book. Afterward I mentioned different things you can make from yarn, like winter hats and mittens, sweaters, and blankets. One girl even had a knit sweater on, so I could really point it out.


4) Toss the yarn ball
I just wanted something a little interactive, so I took my ball of yarn out of the mystery box and tossed it to each kid, then had them toss it back to me. If the kids were a little older I would have done the old icebreaker game of holding on to the yarn while throwing it back and forth to make a web, but I thought it would be a little difficult for these groups. The kids liked having my complete attention when it was their turn, and giggled a lot when I dropped the ball (they don't exactly have the best aim...). The yarn came a bit unwound, but that added to the effect and reminded us of the book we'd just read.

Then I transitioned to our next yarn topic by asking, Do any of you know where yarn comes from?? I had a few answers like "the store" and "grandma's closet", but not a single one knew the correct answer (yay, teachable moment!!). I pulled out our next book and said that yarn comes from sheep...


5) Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep - Teri Sloat

I really liked this book. The rhyming is cute, the descriptions of the yarn-making process made sense, and the humorous element of the story (sheep being cold after shearing) kept the kids engaged. I'm actually tempted to find this book for my own kids at home.


6) iPad video - Sheep gets its first haircut
I started this video around :45 and showed it to the kids without the sound on. I commentated a bit for them, pointing out the clippers the farmer used (do any of you boys get your hair cut with clippers?) and how neat it was that all the wool came off in one big chunk!


7) Baa Baa Black Sheep flannel
I have flannel sheep in various colors, and handed them out to the kids, keeping the black one for myself. Then I started by saying "Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?" and making my sheep "talk" and answer "yes sir, yes sir, three bags full." Then I put it on my flannelboard. I repeated the rhyme using the different colors that the kids had and brought up to the board, and the whole group said "yes sir, yes sir, three bags full" with me.


8) Where is the Green Sheep? - Mem Fox

For some reason, my collection of colored sheep in the flannel above doesn't include a green sheep. Well it gave me the chance to ask the kids what color we were missing, then we read this book. It doesn't talk about yarn or wool at all, but it's a really cute easy story.


9) Song & Rhyme Cube
Today we rolled If You're Happy and You Know It, Twinkle Twinkle, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider.


10) One Little Lamb - Elaine Greenstein

To remind the kids where yarn comes from, this really really short book was our closing one today. It goes through the same process as Farmer Brown's book we read earlier, only it has very few words on a page.


11) Y is for Yarn coloring page (18-36 months) or Y is for Yarn craft (3-5 years)
This yarn lacing craft from my friend Sadie actually inspired this storytime. It was really easy to make (the Y is cut from foam), and it gave the kids something different to do this week instead of cutting and gluing all the time. FYI, putting a bit of tape on the end of the yarn helps kids thread it through the holes easier.

Other yarn ideas:
Knitty Kitty - David Elliott
Weaving the Rainbow - George Ella Lyon
Little Owl's Orange Scarf - Tatyana Feeney

Bulletin Board: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

While searching around for a new idea for my "upcoming events" bulletin board, I came across some pins of the very hungry caterpillar. Then I found these awesome images of the caterpillar foods from kidzclub.com (they have tons of other printable book images too), which I printed on cardstock.

The caterpillar circles I made by printing on construction paper. This was a lot more difficult than I expected -- construction paper is 9x12, not 8.5x11, so I had to adjust my Publisher file, adjust the print settings, and adjust the settings on our printer itself. But I wanted the circles to be as big as possible.

The circles each list our library's open hours, plus any on-going programs (like storytime, movie night, and LEGO club). Then I had space to pin up mini-flyers advertising special events.

Storytime: X-Rays

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, X is for x-rays! (I thought about doing xylophone, but I know I'll be doing a music-themed storytime during summer reading)


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 a little print-out of a chest x-ray in the box. The kids were mostly stumped when I asked them what it was. A few did say "bones" or "skeleton". I explained how we have hard bones inside our bodies, but we can't see them because our skin is in the way. I had them hold up their arm and feel their forearm, then their wrist and hand, and notice the hard bones inside. When doctors need to look at our bones, they use a special machine to take special pictures called x-rays.


3) Jessica's X-Ray - Pat Zonta

I read the first page, then stopped and asked if any of the kids had ever broken a bone (none of them had). Then I asked the grown-ups if they had ever broken a bone, and got a few nods. I did paperclip quite a bit of pages together, since I was going to show them pictures of x-rays later. I also emphasized how breaking a bone does hurt, but the x-ray does not. It's just taking a picture. At the end of the book I told how eventually they'd go back to the doctor and get the cast off, and Jessica's arm would be all better.


4) Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes


5) Pictures of x-rays
I used Google images to find pictures of various x-rays -- a hand, foot, chest, knee, and head -- and printed them one to a page. I showed the kids the image and asked which body part they thought it was. They thought it was pretty cool to see pictures of something underneath your skin.


6) Move Them Bones - Sticky Kids
I first read about this song from Mollie. After following the link to Sticky Kids, and searching YouTube for it without success, I found the mp3 on Amazon and spent the 99 cents to get it. I'm going to be starting a Music & Movement storytime program in a month, and thought this song would fit great. It was really easy for the kids to follow the instructions.


7) Here Are My Hands - Bill Martin Jr.

A simple rhyming book, I asked the kids to show me each body part as we read about it. The last page talks about our skin, so I was able to tie it back to our theme -- "and our skin is what hides our bones!"


8) Song & Rhyme Cube
We rolled Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Five Little Monkeys.


9) X is for X-Ray coloring page (18-36 months) or X is for X-Ray craft
My x-ray craft is a combination of Susan's and Allison's. I traced the X onto black paper with a white crayon and let the kids practice cutting first. Then they used glue to draw an X on top of their black X, then laid q-tips in the glue to look like bones.

Other x-ray ideas:
You Can't See Your Bones With Binoculars - Harriet Ziefert
My Mom Has X-Ray Vision - Angela McAllister

Storytime: Wings

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, W is for Wings!


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 little toys in my box like a butterfly, rubber bat, and stuffed bird - things that have wings.


3) Tiny Little Fly - Michael Rosen

The kids were able to guess a few of the animals before I turned the page. It was cute to try and get them to wink too.


4) Paper airplanes
I made a few different styles of paper airplanes ahead of time, and showed the kids the wings. I asked for a show of hands which one they think would fly the farthest. Then I threw them. They all wanted to try, so I told them they could make their own paper airplanes at home with mom and dad and see how far those would go.


5) The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

I pointed at the cover and asked if the caterpillar had wings. "No?? Well, why did I choose this book then?? Let's see what happens to the caterpillar..."


6) Butterfly, Butterfly
I'm honestly not sure where I found this rhyme originally, when I googled it I found lots of different places that have used it. I handed out pairs of scarves to everyone and we practiced flapping our wings.

Butterfly, butterfly, dancing all around (wave scarves up and down like wings) 
Butterfly, butterfly, now you're on the ground. (touch scarves to the floor) 
Up in a tree, you're hard to see, (hold scarves way up high)
Now you've flown away. ("fly" scarves behind back) 
Butterfly, oh, butterfly, please come back some day. ("fly" scarves back to the front)

We did the rhyme another time or two, then did lots of up and down, and then did the rhyme one more time starting with Butterfly, butterfly, spinning all around...


7) Birds - Kevin Henkes

I ended up skipping a few pages in this one toward the end. It wasn't all that interesting to the kids


8) Two Little Blackbirds
Just the classic fingerplay:
Two little blackbirds, sitting on a hill
One named Jack and one named Jill
Fly away, Jack, fly away, Jill
Come back, Jack, come back, Jill


9) Five Little Blue Birds
I found a bag with five cardstock bluebirds attached to craft sticks, along with this rhyme. The kids held up five fingers to start, and put one finger down each verse, while I held the sticks.

Five little blue birds, hopping by my door
One went to build a nest, and then there were four.

Four little blue birds singing joyfully
One got out of tune, and then there were three.

Three little blue birds, and what should one do, 
But go in search of dinner, leaving only two.

Two little blue birds singing for fun
One flew away, and then there was one.

One little blue bird sitting in the sun
He took a little nap, and then there was none.


10) Flying - Kevin Luthardt

"Papa, why can't I fly?" starts a chain of questions from this little boy. I interacted with the kids a lot with this book -- "do you have wings?" "show me your arms!"


11) W is for Wings coloring page (18-36 months) or W is for Wings craft (3-5 years)
This craft idea came from No Time for Flashcards. I cut out the W with wings already attached, out of cardstock instead of construction paper this time hoping it would hold up with the glue better. The kids decorated their W with crayons (I left mine blank - I have a hard time "scribbling" like they do). Then they squeezed some white glue onto the wings and stuck feathers on. Easy peasy.

the back

Other wings ideas:
Waiting for Wings - Lois Ehlert
Old Black Fly - Jim Aylesworth
Monarch Butterfly - Gail Gibbons
Angela's Airplane - Robert Munsch
There's a fly on the teacher (flannel)

Bulletin Board: Chica Chica Boom Boom

This is the bulletin board I created at the beginning of the school year, to advertise the ongoing children's events we would be having at the library.

The tree trunk is fabric, and the green leaves are some other fabric-y, crinkle-y, not-really-sure-what-it's-made-of stuff I found from previous bulletin boards.

Our large meeting room is known as our "club room".

Coconuts have the info about our weekly/monthly events, and I printed out some calendars that included our library's open hours and events (for people like me who actually prefer looking at a full calendar!).

Storytime: Vehicles

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, V is for Vehicles!


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 a couple little cars and trucks in the box (from my own kids' collection!).


3) Toot Toot Beep Beep - Emma Garcia

I love Emma Garcia's Tip Tip Dig Dig (my 18-month-old asks to read it at least once a day, and my 3.5-year-old can "read" the whole thing), so when I saw she had also written this one I had to give it a go. I had the kids say the sounds after me - "beep beep", "vroom vroom", etc. Big bold colors, few words on a page, but lots of different vehicles made this a winner.


4) Green Says Go
I originally came across this activity at Erin's Falling Flannelboards. Once I googled it I came across it a few other places, as well as a YouTube video. I put large green, yellow, and red paper circles on craft sticks. I asked the kids if they've ever seen a stoplight when their parents are driving. Most of them already knew that green means go and red means stop. Then I had them stand up and march in place while I showed them the different colors. I even switched the colors up a few times (straight from green to red, etc.).

Green says, “Go!” (march quickly) 
Go go go! Go go go! Go go go! Go go go! 
Yellow says, “Slow...” (march slowly) 
Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow...
And red says, “Stop!” (stop and freeze) 

Go go go! Go go go! Go go go! Go go go!
Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow... Slow slow slow...
And STOP!


5) Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus - Mo Willems

"Another kind of 'vehicle' is a bus. Have you ever seen a bus? Like a school bus?" I tried to get the kids to be very responsive in this book - the parents really helped. Any time the pigeon asked, I waited for everyone to say "no!" On the page where the pigeon really shouts and gets angry, one parent said to their child "it looks like he's having a temper tantrum! that's what you look like when you're having a temper tantrum too!"


6) The Wheels on the Bus
Of course that book led into this classic song. I used these verses, stopping before each one and asking the kids "what do the ___ do?"

The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

…doors…open and shut 
…wipers…swish, swish, swish 
…windows…up and down 
…driver (remember the bus driver in our last book?)…says move on back 
…babies…wah, wah, wah 
…mamas…shh, shh, shh


7) Sheep in a Jeep - Nancy Shaw

I had to interrupt the flowing rhymes of this book a few times to point things out or clarify what was going on. But mostly the kids seemed to enjoy it, and the ending got some smiles from the parents.


8) Song: Driving in my Car - Ralph Covert

Oh my goodness the more I listen to this song, the more hilarious it is! I told the kids I thought they were much better drivers than the pigeon or the sheep. I handed out paper plates that had a simple steering wheel clipart glued on. I had printed out the basic words and "sounds" of this song on a big paper and pinned it up for my own reference as well as for the parents. I explained to the kids that this song goes really fast, so we were going to practice first. After they knew what all the sounds were, I played this song directly from YouTube on my iPad. This is a song I'd be willing to purchase and use often if I could find it available...

P.S. I had this song stuck in my head all afternoon while I shelved books too... At least it made me move faster. :)


9) In the Driver's Seat - Max Haynes

The kids kept their paper plate steering wheels and helped me drive throughout this book. I had to remember to lean to my right when I wanted them to go left -- kids will always mirror whatever you do!


10) V is for Vehicles coloring page (18-36 months) or V is for Vehicles craft (3-5 years)
I cut out a template V and traced it onto black paper with a white crayon. Kids could try to cut the straight lines themselves or get a grownup to help. Then I had some thin yellow lines pre-cut that they glued down. And I printed some small clipart pictures of different vehicles on cardstock and cut out for the kids to glue on their roads.

Other vehicle ideas:
Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle
Night Light - Nicholas Blechman
My Car - Byron Barton
Flannels: Vehicle Guessing Game and Where Does This Go?

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

Storytime: S is for Squirrel, T is for Tree

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. I'm needing to double up a few letters so we finish by a certain date... so S is for Squirrel while T is for Tree!

Last week's storytime had almost double the number of kids because it was a snow day for the older siblings. This week was also a snow day, but I had NO ONE show up. Ok, one toddler came for my early class, but her dad told me to not do it just for her. The weather was definitely worse this week than last, but I was still disappointed. So this is the storytime plan I would have used if anyone had come. I need to finish my season by a certain date, so rather than putting this plan off until next week, unfortunately I'm going to just skip it (but that just means I can easily use it in its entirety sometime next year! :) SO all of that to say, I don't have any input on how kids liked or didn't like these things like I usually do...


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 a few fake green leaves in the box along with a little squirrel finger puppet.


3) Ol' Mama Squirrel - David Ezra Stein

4) Five Little Acorns Flannel

Katie has some fun squirrel and acorn flannel rhymes, as does Silly Librarian. I had a hard time choosing which to use. I ended up going with:

Down around the corner in the big oak tree 
Hung five little acorns looking so yummy 
Along came a squirrel with a big bushy tail. 
He took one acorn and ran off down the trail.
etc...

I had a big tree flannel from my apples storytime, and made five acorns to fit on it. I was planning to use my little squirrel finger puppet (from the Mystery Box) to sneak up and take the acorns.

5) Apartment House Tree - Bette Killion

This book bridged the gap between S is for Squirrel and T is for Tree really well. It describes all the different creatures who can live in the same tree, starting with a squirrel.


6) Little Squirrel Song
I had first seen the "Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel" song on Miss Tara's blog (and here's a YouTube link). Since I don't have the pom poms but liked the song, my plan was to give the kids colored scarves and sing about different colors instead. And to have everyone participate for the first and last verses, I changed the "grey" squirrel to a "little" squirrel.

Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail 
Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail 
Hold a nut between your toes, wrinkle up your little nose 
Little squirrel, little squirrel, swish your bushy tail

Red squirrel, red squirrel, swish your bushy tail...


7) Frisky Brisky Hippity Hop - Susan Lurie and Murray Head

This is a super cute book with real photos of squirrels and an easy rhyme. I think the kids would have really enjoyed it.


8) Parachute play
I was planning to put the little squirrel finger puppet in the parachute for the kid to bounce around. Kinda goes with the hippity hop book we'd just read.


9) S is for Squirrel and T is for Tree craft
A combination of this squirrel and this tree created my craft.

My 3.5-year-old daughter's version

Other squirrel & tree ideas:
Nuts to You - Lois Ehlert
Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri (I probably would have used this one if it was currently fall)
Scaredy Squirrel - Melanie Watt
What Will it Rain? flannel and squirrel coffee ground craft

Storytime: R is for Red (Valentine's Day!)

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. Since the letter R fell right on Valentine's Day, R is for Red! (which was really just a way to let me read V-day books :)

I ended up having only one toddler come for my 10:00 class, and they decided to just stay for the 11:00 preschool class since I generally use the same books anyway. It was also a day off school for the older siblings (a pre-scheduled mid-winter break... even though they've already had 13 snow days...) so my 11:00 class was busy!


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 a bunch of red things in the box, like an egg shaker, scarf, and flannel piece. I sat the kids back down and asked them what else they knew that was red. I was going to bring in a big piece of posterboard and list the things they said, but forgot to grab it, so we just talked about it instead.


3) Little Mouse's Big Valentine - Thacher Hurd

Little Mouse got out a bucket of red paint... so this was a great start to our storytime! The kids liked how it ended, and it led really well into our next little story.


4) Squirrel Gives Her Heart - paper cutting story
I simply used a piece of red construction paper for this story. I really tried to play it up that there was NO way the one heart would be big enough to give a Valentine to all of squirrel's friends!! When I started cutting, I could see smiles on the adults' faces as they realized what was happening, and the kids lit up when I showed them all five hearts.


5) Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine - Sarah Weeks

I lucked out -- I was really hoping to use this book but it was checked out during all of my planning. BUT someone returned it the day before my storytime! Yay! Coming out of the paper cutting story above, where all of squirrel's friends got the Valentine that was just the right size for them, this little book was fun. I pointed out the rhyming, and had the kids guess the answer before opening the flap. Because there were school-age kids there, they got all of the answers easily (except the clam. No one guessed the clam!).


6) Flannel - Red Heart Red Heart
Brooke gave me the idea for this one, I cut out 8 different colored felt hearts and handed them out to the young kids. I kept the red one and started it, then called the kids up in order. Some of the older kids were disappointed they didn't get to participate, but I told them they could do it later. And guess what? While the little ones were doing their craft, the four big kids politely asked if they could do the heart story, and I could hear them reciting it as they put the colored hearts up on the board themselves! So fun!

Red heart, red 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 red heart, an orange heart... looking at us! That's what we see!


7) Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day is Cool - Kimberly and James Dean

I just couldn't pass up the chance to use the new Pete the Cat book! My kids looooove Pete, and the older ones do too! Plus it fit great with the mini-theme we had going of choosing valentines that are just right for the people receiving them. This book came with stickers that I gave to the kids while they were doing their craft.


8) R is for Red craft
I cut large letter R's from red construction paper, found some little pieces of red yarn, red pom poms, and stickers of red things, and let the kids go to town. I asked them to first try and use their glue to "trace" the letter R (trying to get some of that skill practice in), then stick their red things in the glue.

9) Valentines Day cards
When they were finished, I had another table set up with colored paper, Valentine's Day stickers, foam letters, scissors, glue... for any of the kids, young and old, to make Valentines. It was a very crafty day. :)

Oh, and can I just share how much I love these kids and my job??? :)

Other red/Valentines ideas:
Mouse's First Valentine - Lauren Thompson - I would have used this as my opening book with my toddler group if anyone had come...
Sweet Hearts - Jan Carr
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear - Don & Audrey Wood
Mary Wore Her Red Dress - Merle Peek
Red is Best - Kathy Stinson

Storytime: P is for Prince & Princess, Q is for Queen

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)
Time: 30 minutes plus craft

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. I'm needing to double up a few weeks so that we finish when we're supposed to... This week, P is for Prince & Princess and Q is for Queen!


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, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

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 brought one of my daughter's play crowns to put in the box. The kids identified it right away, and I asked them "who wears a crown??"


3) Over at the Castle - Boni Ashburn

This was a great book to introduce the kids to lots of aspects of castle life. I was wondering what the dragons were up to... and was pleasantly surprised at the end. :)


4) There's a Castle in the Middle of the Moat

I found this awesome flannel at Mel's Desk. It was great that the book we just read showed the moat around the castle, so I could explain what a "moat" is before we sang! I used a moat, castle in the moat, throne in the castle, princess on the throne, prince by the princess, crown on the prince, jewel on the crown. For the toddler group I just put the pieces up (we had only two kids), and for the preschoolers I let them have a piece (we had five kids). Both groups loved remembering what each thing was -- I'd sing most of the verse myself, then sing "there's a ____ (pointing at the prince, waiting till they said it) by the _____ (princess)" etc.


5) Queen's Feet - Sarah Ellis

I pointed out the "Q" in queen, since we're doing that letter today too. This book led great into our next song.


6) Song – We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner
"Where are your feet? Can your feet do crazy things too? Like march like a dinosaur??"


7) Not All Princesses Dress in Pink - Jane Yolen

I wanted to make sure I had a princess book that wasn't too girly, so our boys wouldn't feel left out... I shouldn't have worried, in my toddler group I only had girls!


8) The Famous Prince of York
I tweaked the "Grand Old Duke of York" song to fit our theme. We started by marching in place, then whenever we said up we reached up high with our arms, and whenever we said down we touched the floor. With the preschoolers I did this four times -- normal, really slow, kind of fast, really really fast!

The famous Prince of York, he had ten thousand men 
He marched them UP to the top of the hill 
And he marched them DOWN again 
And when they were UP, they were UP! 
And when they were DOWN, they were DOWN! 
And when they were only halfway up, 
They were neither UP nor DOWN!


9) The Prince Won't Go to Bed - Dayle Ann Dodds

"That song was about a prince, so let's read a book about a prince too..." I used a lot of dynamics with the repeated parts of this one, reading quietly when the prince went to bed, then crying waa waa waa really loudly. The kids giggled a lot.


10) P & Q coloring page (18-36 months) or P & Q craft (3-5 yrs)
This was a pretty easy craft to come up with, a friend of mine did this queen Q with her daughter awhile ago. Just paper, gluesticks, and sequins. I would have loved to use those stick-on jewels, but I was sick earlier in the week and didn't have the chance to hunt for some at a store. I found a package of sequins in my cabinet instead.

Other prince/princess/queen ideas:
The Queen of Hearts - paper plate cutting story from Cut & Tell: Scissor Stories for Winter by Jean Warren
The Knight and the Dragon - Tomie DePaola
Princess Baby - Karen Katz
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub - Don & Audrey Wood
One Monday Morning - Uri Shulevitz
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots - Carmela Coyle
The End - David LaRochelle