Storytime: Under the Sea

We're winding down our Summer Reading Program at my library.  That also means we have a couple weeks of story time left this summer and then I'm free on vacation.  I thought it would be fun to do an Under the Sea themed story time, especially since a lot of our little ones have been going on vacation to the beach with their families.  Calgon, take me away!

BOOKS:



RHYMES & SONGS:

Did You Ever See a Fishy?
Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?

Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy?
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way, swim this way and that way,
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?

(Source: King County Library System)

The Shark in the Sea
Tune: The Wheels on the Bus

I have a sea animals felt set that have velcro attached to them.  They work great as a glove puppet, or directly on a flannel board.  I modified the verses to this song based on those felt animals.

The shark in the sea goes chomp, chomp, chomp.
Chomp, chomp, chomp. Chomp, chomp, chomp.
The shark in the sea goes chomp, chomp, chomp,
All day long.

The octopus in the sea goes wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
The seahorse in the sea rocks back and forth.
The fish in the sea goes swim, swim, swim.
The crab in the sea goes snap, snap, snap

(Source: Youth Literature)

Once I Saw an Octopus

Once I saw an octopus in the deep blue sea
     (put hand over eyes as if searching and look down)
I called, "Hey, Mr. Octopus, won't you swim with me?"
     (hands over mouth to call)
Then out came his tentacles so very long and straight
     (link thumbs with fingers out)
I counted them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
     (count eight fingers)

(Source: Jen in the Library)

"Under the Sea"
Pull out the music instruments, get everyone up on their feet, and dance away to this hit song.  From the CD The Little Mermaid Greatest Hits, you can't have an ocean-themed story time without playing this song.  And good luck getting this song out of your head.  You'll be humming it all day.  Not that I speak from experience. :)

CRAFT:
For my preschool group, we made hermit crabs.  I found the idea on Pinterest and here are the details.  I simplified it by having the kids trace their hands without using a paint hand print.  Then, they decorated their paper plate "shell" anyway they liked and I helped them affix the pipe cleaners and eyes with tape and glue dots.
For my toddler group, we decorated paper fish.  I cut out several fish shapes on construction paper using an Ellison die-cut.  The kids decorated them with foam stickers, sequins, and crayons.