Toddler Storytime: Happy Thanksgiving!

I had my last story time of the Fall session this week.  I usually take the month of December off from weekly story times (not that it's a vacation for me; I'll be working on projects that have been piling up) due to the busy holiday season.  Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought it was appropriate to end the Fall story times with a Thanksgiving theme.  Here is what I did:

DISCUSSION:  What Are You Thankful For?
The children in my toddler group are mostly 2-3 years old, so we had a quick discussion about things they are thankful for.  Trucks, toys, parents, cousins and families topped the list. :)

BOOK:  Splat Says Thank You! by Rob Scotton
Splat's best friend Seymour is sick and hasn't smiled in a while.  Splat decides to make Seymour a friendship book thanking him for all the wonderful things he has done for Splat, in hopes that it will make him smile.  This was a nice book to share after talking about things we are thankful for; the kids got to yell out "Thank you" each time Splat said something nice about his friend.

SONG:  "If You're Thankful and You Know It"
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're thankful and you know it, clap your hands.
If you're thankful and you know it, clap your hands.
If you're thankful and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If you're thankful and you know it, clap your hands.

Continue with stomp your feet, shout "I am!", and do all three.

(Source: Sunflower Storytime)

FLANNEL SONG:  "Did You Ever Seen a Turkey?"
(tune:  "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Did you ever see a turkey, a turkey, a turkey,
Who struts around the farmyard with feathers so bright?
With red ones and orange ones and yellow ones and brown ones,
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

Continue with pink ones and green ones and blue ones and purple ones
Continue with striped ones and spotted ones and glittery ones and a cow one

(Source:  Miss Sarah Storytime)

BOOK:  Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
Turkey does not like Thanksgiving.  He needs to get away from the farmer - fast!  He tries hiding in various places around the farm.  Kids love shouting out "Run, turkey, run!"  For the toddlers, I ask them where turkey is hiding and what kind of animal is he pretending to be.  This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving books and is great to share with preschoolers, too.

FLANNEL SONG:  "We Eat Turkey"
(tune:  "Frere Jacques")

We eat turkey, we eat turkey.
Oh so good, oh so good.
Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving.
Yum, yum, yum!  Yum, yum, yum!

Continue with mashed potatoes, corn, squash, and pumpkin pie.

Dinner's over, dinner's over.
We are stuffed!  We are stuffed!
What a great Thanksgiving, what a great Thanksgiving.
Yum, yum, yum!  Yum, yum, yum!

(Source:  Storytime Secrets)

For this rhyme, I printed out clip art of each food item, cut them out, laminated them, and glued a piece of felt onto the back.  I also acted out the verses, pretending to eat the food and rubbing and patting my tummy.  Between verses, I asked what are some things we eat on Thanksgiving and a little boy kept telling me "stuffing" each time I asked!  I'll have to find clip art for that for next year, buddy, because that's my favorite food, too!

CRAFT:  Paper Scrap Turkeys
I found this craft idea on Pinterest.  This is very easy and a great way to use up construction paper scraps.  Ahead of time, I cut out turkey bodies from brown construction paper.  Using scissors with a scalloping edge, I cut out squares of construction paper.  All the toddlers had to do was glue their turkey onto a piece of construction paper and glue paper scraps around it to make feathers.  Their grownups could also make a beak and feet out of scrap paper, if they desired.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Toddler Storytime: Pets

This is a versatile theme for storytime, because there are so many picture books about animals.  The obvious choices are cats or dogs, but you could include books about fish, snakes, hamsters, and the list goes on!  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  What Pet to Get? by Emma Dodd
Jack would like a pet and his mother said yes, but what should they get?  Jack has several suggestions, from an elephant to a Tyranasaurus Rex, but mom explains why each of these animals would be impractical.  This is a funny book, and I love the illustrations.


RHYME:  I Went to the Pet Store
I used puppets and had the kids "guess" the animal based on the rhyme.  You could also make the animals out of felt and use on a flannelboard.

I went to the pet store and made a special wish.
The pet that I wanted was a very special (fish)!

I went to the pet store, I went there at a jog,
To get a pet with a wagging tail, it was a little (dog)!

I went to the pet store, it had become a habit.
The pet I wanted now was a soft, white, fluffy (rabbit)!

I went to the pet store, I'm sure this sounds absurd,
But the pet I wanted was a colorful flying (bird)!

I went to the pet store, it was no mistake.
What I really wanted now was a hissing green (snake)!

(Source: Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan.  Chicago: American Library Association, 2009)

SONG:  "The Goldfish" by Laurie Berkner (from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band)
This interactive song is so much fun!  Kids get to act out swimming like fish and other activities like riding a bike and taking a nap.  My toddler group loves to play with the musical instruments, so I usually put a bunch out when we dance to songs.


BOOK:  A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
Four kittens have never seen winter or snow, and three of them are worried they won't like it, but their sibling can't wait to experience it.  The kittens watch out the window as the seasons change and snow finally arrives.  The three kittens watch as the fourth kitten has so much fun in the snow that they all decide to go out and enjoy it.  This is a really cute story.


FLANNEL STORY:  Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
A child writes to the zoo asking for a pet.  The zoo sends a different animal, but there is something wrong with each one, so it gets sent back, until the perfect one arrives.  The template for this story is available at Kizclub.  I didn't have time to make it out of felt, so I printed out the images, laminated them, cut them out, and attached a magnet to each piece.  Voila!  Instant story on a board.


FLANNEL STORY:  Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
This is a great story to share because it incorporates colors, counting and a dog!  I did make this out of felt and it was very easy because there aren't a lot of pieces.  The template is from Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan and is available online.


CRAFT:  Tabby Cat
I found this craft idea from The Mailbox, a magazine for teachers our library subscribes to.  They have some easy and fun ideas for things to do in the classroom.  This was a great craft for toddlers because it didn't involve a lot of steps, just folding paper, tearing paper, gluing and coloring.

Toddler Storytime: Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween!  Carving pumpkins, dressing up, trick-or-treating, apple cider, creepy snacks...it's all good stuff.  Get in the spirit by sharing some fun books with your children this year.  Here is what I did at this week's storytime:

BOOK:  Brooms Are For Flying! by Michael Rex
I read this every year because it's an awesome book for toddlers.  Short text and they get to act out the motions - that's my kind of read-aloud for this age group.  In this book, a young girl dressed as a witch goes out trick-or-treating with some other characters.


FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on the gate,
The first one says, "Oh my, it's getting late."
The second one says, "There's a chill in the air."
The third one says, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one says, "I'm ready for some fun."
The fifth one says, "Let's run, run, run."
Oooooh, went the wind, and out went the light.
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

SONG:  "If You're a Ghost and You Know It"
(tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say BOO!
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say BOO!
If you're a ghost and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say BOO!

If you're a black cat and you know it, say MEOW...
If you're a skeleton and you know it, shake your bones...
If you love Halloween and you know it, clap your hands...
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

BOOK:  Click, Clack, Boo by Doreen Cronin
Farmer Brown does not like Halloween, but the animals on his farm hold a party in the barn on Halloween night.  If you are a fan of the Click, Clack, Moo books, you must check this book out.  It's a fun book for toddlers.



PUPPET STORY:  Go Away, Big Green Monster
I purchased this puppet kit from Lakeshore Learning and it's great to use at storytime.  The velcro pieces make it easy to add parts to the puppet and take them away as the story progresses.  If you had older kids, you could pass out the pieces and have them come up and add them to the monster as you read the story.

FINGERPLAY:  Two Little Bats
Two little bats hanging in a cave,
One named Dawn and one named Dave.
Fly away Dawn.  Fly away Dave.
Come back Dawn.  Come back Dave.
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

BOOK:  It's Halloween Night! by Jennifer O'Connell
Everyone is getting ready to go trick-or-treating - what are they dressed up as?  This is a fun guessing book, because the pictures and words provide clues and the kids can shout out the answer.



CRAFT:  Paper Plate Pumpkins
I'm on a roll with painting crafts and Pinterest!  For this week, the kids painted a paper plate orange and added jack-o-lantern face cut-outs to their painting to create their own pumpkin.  This is very easy to do with toddlers; make sure you have washable paint and lots of baby wipes.

OTHER BOOKS TO SHARE:
Skeleton for Dinner by Margery Cuyler
Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Pumpkin Eye by Denise Fleming
Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane
The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
A Very Brave Witch by Alison McGhee

Toddler Storytime: Monsters

I absolutely love the month of October, because I get to do my favorite storytime - monsters!  Our library has a lot of great monster picture books, and because monsters fit in well with Halloween, there are always new books being published each year, so I'm never without great choices.  I try to pick stories that feature "non-scary" monsters.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

This is a new book and when I saw that it came in, I immediately grabbed it for storytime.  Monster can't decide what he wants to be for Halloween.  He tries on a variety of costumes, such as a cowboy, a ballerina, and a ninja.  In the end, he finds one that is just right.  The rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud for toddlers.

SONG:  "Monster Boogie" by Laurie Berkner from the album Buzz Buzz

You can't do a monster-themed storytime without playing this song!  I play a Laurie Berkner song at least once every couple of weeks, because her songs are so fun.  Give the kids some shakey eggs or other musical instruments and boogie around the room.  Don't forget to growl!

ACTIVITY RHYME:  Shape Monster

Shape monster, shape monster, munch, munch, munch.

Would you like a ____________ (insert shape) for your lunch?

I found this rhyme a couple of years ago on PUBYAC (a great listserv for youth services librarians); I apologize for not knowing who it came from.  I made a monster out of a tissue box, covering it with construction paper, wiggle eyes, pom-poms, and other odds and ends craft supplies.  If you Google "tissue box monster," you will see some images that will give you inspiration.  I cut out circles, squares and triangles out of felt, passed them out to the kids, and when their shape was called, they came up and "fed" it to shape monster.  If you have older kids, you can also include the color; for the toddlers, I stuck with the shape, because they are still learning how to take turns and listen.

BOOK:  Nighty Night Little Green Monster by Ed Emberley

This is another new book that I wanted to share with the toddlers.  It's a smaller version of Emberley's Go Away Big Green Monster.  In this book, little monster's face appears in die-cut shapes as you turn each page.  When the stars come out, though, it's time for little monster to say good night.

BOOK/SONG:  If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley

I decided to sing this book instead of reading it.  My crowd was also getting a little antsy, so I skipped some of the lyrics.  This is a great choice for storytime.  I love books that require sing-along participation!  Children can snort and growl, smack their claws, stomp their paws and more monster-y movements.  This is a great choice if you are looking for something to get them up and moving.

SONG:  "Horns, Fangs, Knees and Claws"

(tune: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

Eyes and ears and tails and paws,

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

(Source: Youth Literature)

CRAFT:  Masking Tape Mummy

This was another Pinterest find - what a great source for finding craft ideas!  This was very easy to do with toddlers, especially if you cut out the mummies ahead of time.  Kids love things that "stick," so give them the task of putting the masking tape on their mummy.  Easy peasy!

Toddler Storytime: Owls

Another fun storytime idea for the fall is owls.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of picture books in our collection that were about owls.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  "I'm Not Cute!" by Jonathan Allen
A baby owl gets upset when all the other animals tell him he is cute.  He thinks he's a rough and tough fighter; thankfully, mama owl knows just what to say to her little guy.  The other books in this series about baby owl are fun, too.


FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Hoot Owls
Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
Three hoot owls...etc.
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

BOOK:  Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson
There's a new animal in the forest, and Bear and his friends would like to play with him, but he is very shy.  What animal could it be?  Will they ever coax him out of his hole?  I love the Bear series, and knew I had to share this book!  This is great to share with toddlers and preschoolers because of the rhyming text.

ACTION RHYME:  Wide-Eyed Owl
There's a wide-eyed owl     (circle eyes with fingers)
With a pointed nose            (make a beak with your fingers)
Two pointed ears                (make ears with your fingers)
And claws for toes              (make claws with your fingers)
He lives way up in the tree   (point up/reach up)
And when he looks at you   (point to children)
He flaps his wings                (flap your arms)
And says, "Whoo! Whoo!"
(Source:  King County Library System)

SONG:  "Owl's Hokey-Pokey"
You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out,
You put your right wing in, and you flap it all about.
You do the owl hokey pokey and you fly yourself around.
That's what it's all about.  Hoo-hoo!
Additional verses:
left wing
right claw, left claw
beak
whole, feathered self
(Source:  Ms. Hegna's Storyroom)

BOOK:  Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Hoot doesn't like to stay up late, like he is supposed to.  He wants to go to bed and begs his parents to let him.  (When does that ever happen?!)  A fun take on the bedtime story.



CRAFT:  Hand-Print Owls
I saw this idea on Pinterest and my initial thought was "Painting with 2 year olds?  Jen, what are you thinking?"  It worked fine!  Crayola washable paint and lots of baby wipes are a must.  I also had a smaller group that morning.  If it was bigger, you could forego the painting and glue feathers onto the owl.  I also had an awesome helper who helped me cut out all the pieces the night before storytime.  Pretty cute, huh?

Toddler Storytime: The Color Orange

To celebrate the season, I decided to a storytime on the color orange.  The inspiration came from Storytime Katie's blog.  I took her advice and matched rhymes with the stories I read, rather than trying to come up with activities about the color orange.  I think it worked well.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  Where is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin
Tippy Toes is a cat who spends his day doing fun things, but what does he do at night?  This is a great book to share with toddlers, because of the flaps hiding the cat.  Children had fun telling me what Tippy Toes was doing.  I included this book because Tippy Toes is bright orange.


FINGERPLAY:  Kitten Was Hiding
Kitten was hiding under a chair
I looked and I looked for her everywhere
I looked under the table
I looked under the bed
I looked in the corner
And then I said,
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.  Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.
I have a bowl of milk for you."
And then the kitten came running, saying "mew, mew, mew, mew."
(Source: King County Library System)

BOOK:  How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? by Wendell Minor
You can't have an orange storytime without a book about a pumpkin!  This is a new picture book we have at the library, and I wanted to share it with the kids.  I love the illustrations and that it's about the concept of "big."  Children get to see how the pumpkins get bigger and bigger on each page.

ACTION RHYME:  Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground     (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round?     (stretch arms to make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small        (pretend to hold a seed)
Now you are a great big ball            (make a big circle with hands)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground     (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round?     (stretch arms to make a big circle)
(Source: King County Library System)

BOOK:  Little Owl's Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney
This is another new picture book, and when I read it I knew it would be perfect for an orange storytime.  Little Owl dislikes his orange scarf for many reasons, but mainly because orange is not his favorite color.  This is a really cute story, and would also be perfect for an owl-themed storytime.

FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Hoot Owls
Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away.  How many do you see?
Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away.  How many do you see?
Three hoot owls, etc.
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

For a craft, we made pumpkin collages, which is an easy craft to do with 2 year olds.  I printed out a pumpkin shape onto cardstock paper (or you can use construction paper).  I gave them crayons, Halloween stickers, and orange tissue paper squares which they could glue onto their picture with a glue stick.  Easy-peasy!

Preschool Storytime: Superheroes!

Books about popular superhero characters fly off our library shelves.  I thought it would be fun to do a Superheroes storytime.  I told the kids the week before, so they could come dressed up, if they liked.  Here is what we did:

BOOK:  The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon; illustrated by Jake Parker
If you couldn't tell by the title, Awesome Man is just awesome.  He has amazing powers, which he uses on evil villains.  He has a trusty sidekick, his awesome dog Moskowitz.  And, like most superheroes, he has a secret identity.  Can you guess who he is?  You'll be surprised!

SONG:  "Chicken Impossible" from the album Songs Inside the Radio from the Greasy Kids Stuff radio program
The theme song to "Mission Impossible" sung by chickens?  Oh, we are so playing this song during storytime!  This was perfect to use with shakey eggs as the chickens cluck along to the theme.  I had the kids pretend to fly around the room and jump up and down.

BOOK:  Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco
This is a new picture book at my library and when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for this storytime.  A young boy fears he lost his super powers when a villain (the barber) captures him and cuts his hair!  Egads!  The boy believes his hair is the source of his strength - how will he ever be a superhero again?

RHYME:  Superman
Put your hands way up high,
Like Superman flying across the sky.
Fly to the left.  Now fly to the right.
Now show me your muscles with all your might.
Now Superman's putting his suit away,
So he can go flying another day.
(Source:  Pubyac)

BOOK:  Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
Different superheros from A to Z are described in this fun book.  I love the illustrations and some of the wacky superheroes.  Kids will love reading about Bubble-Man, Goo Girl, Laughing Lass, and The Volcano.  Full of alliteration, with the description of each superhero matching the letter, this is fun to read aloud.

RHYME:  Superhero, Superhero
Superhero, superhero, turn around.
Superhero, superhero, touch the ground.
Superhero, superhero, put on your suit.
Superhero, superhero, put on your boots.
Superhero, superhero, jump up high.
Superhero, superhero, fly, fly, fly!
(Source:  Pubyac)

CRAFT:  Superhero Masks
This is an easy craft, especially with a template you can print out.  I found mine here.  Kids color, cut out, decorate, and add some string to put on their heads.  Instant superhero!

OTHER BOOKS TO SHARE:
Charlie's Superhero Underpants by Paul Bright
Max by Bob Graham
Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds
The Superheroes' Employment Agency by Marilyn Singer
The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy by David Soman
Mighty Max by Harriet Ziefert