Storytime - Shake It Up

Books

Stretch by Doreen Cronin

Toddler

Do Donkeys Dance by Melanie Walsh

Toddler and Preschool

Wiggle by Doreen Cronin

Preschool

Songs/Rhymes

The Hokey Pokey

You put one arm in,

You take one arm out.

You put one arm in,

And you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey Pokey,

And you turn yourself around.

That’s what it’s all about!

Substitute different body parts. For more advanced children, use left and right.

--Traditional

Head and Shoulders

Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes

Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose

Head and shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes!

--Traditional

If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it,

And you really want to show it,

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

Repeat with stomp your feet, shout hooray, do all three.

--Traditional

Activities

Move Like an Animal (dry erase board)

I put double sided tape on the back of each card, and hung them on the dry erase board. The children were invited to shout out the name of the animal and imitate their movements. 

Parachute*

Come Under My Umbrella (parachute)

Come under my umbrella,

Umbrella, umbrella.

Gently wave the parachute up and down.

Come under my umbrella,

It’s starting to storm.

Move parachute faster.

There’s thunder and lightning

And wind and rain.

Come under my umbrella,

It’s starting to storm.

--MCLS Kids

Ring Around the Rosie

Lead the group around in a circle.

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
"Ashes, Ashes"
We all fall down!
Everyone falls down.

--Traditional

London Bridge

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

--Traditional

To end the parachute session, I instructed the classes to let go on the count of three. Not everyone listened or wanted to let go, but we eventually got the parachute reigned in.

*This was my very first time using the parachute in storytime EVER. I learned some very valuable lessons:

1. Don't use with groups of 20 or more children. I tried to do this with the preschoolers (a class of over 40 children) and it got out of hand FAST.

2. Start with the slow activities and build up. I wanted them to be excited, but once I introduced the faster activities, I couldn't get them to slow down again.

3. Stay away from asking the toddlers to go under the parachute, at least until they've had a few sessions of practice.

A big thanks goes out to MLCS Kids for their parachute ideas!  

Craft

There was no craft today. Instead, we played with the parachute. 

Texas Library Association Conference 2012 - Wednesday

8:30 AM: General Session with Brad Meltzer. I'll admit that I'm not a morning person, and I dragged my feet there. I was tired, cranky, and wanted more breakfast, but as soon as Brad began to talk, all of that fell away. He's a prolific speaker who has seen and accomplished things I would never have dreamed of doing, and he is filled to the brim with love for librarians.

My tweets from the session:

Meltzer: Helping 1 person will change the world. Thank the person who helped you.

Meltzer: We may never know the extent of our legacy, but as librarians we change countless lives.

Meltzer asks: What's going to be in your obituary? Start thinking about your legacy.

10:30 AM: Toddlers, Touch Technology, and Family Learning. The El Paso Community College at Northwest shared how they accomplished setting up a technology-based storytime that uses iPads, SMART Tables, Early Learning Stations, and more.

I was hoping that the session might include a section on which apps they use, but since most of the content had to be written by themselves, they were unable to give us a list. They did say that each app they wrote is developmentally appropriate for 3 years to 5 years.

12:00 PM: After a brief stop to pick up more freebies at the exhibits, I grab lunch at the Phoenicia Cafe around the corner. Delicious! On the way there and back, I take the opportunity to stroll through The Discovery Green some more. I can't get over how beautiful it is!

1:00 PM: Every Child Ready to Read Updated. A look at the updated Every Child Ready to Read initiative from the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. The speaker, Viki Ash, helped to develop the program.

Judy Blume (left)

2:00 PM: My originally scheduled session was rescheduled to a different day, so I popped in to an interview with children's and young adult rock star, Judy Blume. Can you believe that it's been 40 years since the publication of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing? Neither can I. But Judy is still going strong, working on a movie and also writing a new book. She discussed her writing process, her efforts to combat censorship, and tips for aspiring authors.

"Start on the day that something different happens." On how to start writing a new book.

"If I die on a first draft, no one will be able to tell what I was working on." On her writing process.

"You only write because you can't help yourself." On why she writes.

"If you're not totally consumed by them, then forget it!" On her characters.

She explains that there is never such a thing as a "safe" book. There will always be someone who objects, and if that person is vocal enough, they will put their fear into the hearts of others. She advises, "Don't decide you don't like a book unless you've read it!"

If kids stumble across material they're not ready to read, they will gloss over the parts they don't understand or invent an easier explanation. The worst that can happen is they will begin asking questions, and parents should see this as a good opportunity to discuss these issues with their children.

3:30 PM: I had a few minutes between sessions, so I dashed down to the exhibits (I'm a galley junkie, what can I say). As I was wandering around, I turned a corner and almost walked smack into John Green. No, I didn't say hi, since I was too busy recovering from a temporary swoon.

4:00 PM: Graphic Novels for Elementary Children. I was pretty disappointed in this session. The presenter was a children's graphic novel writer who spent most of the time discussing is own work.

6:00 PM: Two of my fellow coworkers and I headed out to eat dinner at the House of Blues in Houston. The food was fantastic, and I'm glad to know we have one in Dallas, too!

8:00 PM: President's All-Conference Party. This was a 1920s-themed extravaganza complete with gambling and The Charleston. No one from our group won anything in the raffles, but we still had a good time!

Texas Library Association Conference 2012 - Tuesday

10:30 AM: Picked up badge at the convention center. On the way back, I explored the Discovery Green, a beautiful park.

11:00 AM: Met coworker in lobby to get lunch and head to our 1:00 PM pre-conference session.

12:00 PM: Done with lunch, we decide to check out Houston Public Library's Central location. Their teen and children's sections are on the fourth floor. The teen librarians were eager to give us a tour. The section is for teens ages 13 to 18, and parents and siblings are only allowed to drop off or pick up teens. Other adults can come to browse the shelves, but they can't stay to hang out. The section is equipped with several computers with internet access, along with PlayStation 3s, Wiis, and Xbox 360s. The teens choose which games they'd like to play and the staff check out a controller to them. The staff member puts the game into the system, which is in a locked container. It's clear that the section is well looked after by the teen room staff. Great job, guys!

The children's section has quite a few programs that would be fun to try, such as a school-age LEGO program and Baby Yoga.

1:00 PM: Genealogy and Local History Primer: Databases, Websites, and Finding Aids. We heard about using Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library Edition, the efforts FamilySearch.org has taken to preserve family history and provide access to families around the world, the 1940s census, and genealogy apps for smartphones.

6:30 PM: Walked over to the convention center for the opening dinner and to walk around the exhibits. We grabbed armloads of galleys, posters, and other odds and ends, and thankfully some free bags. Can't wait to see the looks on the kids' faces when they see what books I have for summer reading prizes!

Flannel Friday - Mother's Day

Happy (early) Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! This week's Flannel Friday entry is for you!

M-O-M-M-Y

Sung to: "Bingo"
I have a very cool friend
And Mommy is her name-o.
M-O-M-M-Y, M-O-M-M-Y, M-O-M-M-Y,
And Mommy is her name-o

--PreschoolEducation

I used the Accucut machine to cut out two of each letter and glued them together for added strength (thanks, Dorothy, for the idea!). That middle M came out darker in the picture than I would have liked; it's a very pretty shade of dark purple.

Kay Leigh will be hosting this week's roundup at Storytime ABCs. Peruse our pictures on our Pinterest page and hang out with us on Facebook. Can't wait to see you there!

Wee Read - Bathtime

Early Literacy Tip: Sing, sing, sing! Turn mundane tasks, such as grocery shopping, getting dressed, or taking a bath, into a song or rhyme.

Books

Bathing by Liesbet Slegers 

Pig Takes a Bath by Michael Dahl 

Spot at Home by Eric Hill 

Read-together book 

Special Songs/Rhymes

Two Little Hands

Sung to: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Two little hands go clap clap clap

Two little feet go tap tap tap

Two little hands go thump thump thump (on the ground)

Two little feet go jump jump jump

One little body turns around

One little child sits right down.

--District 196

Wash the Dishes

--from Lapsit Services for the Very Young II by Linda L. Ernst. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2001.

Five Little Piggies

Five little piggies rolling in the mud.

Squishy, squashy, felt so good!

Then along came the farmer,

who took one for a bath.

Continue to one little piggy

-- PreschoolEducation.com

Wash your dirty hands (with scarves)

Sung to: The Farmer in the Dell
Wash your dirty hands, wash your dirty hands
Rub and scrub and rub and scrub and wash your dirty hands

--Kids Count in Public Libraries

Peek-a-Boo (with scarves)

Tune: Are You Sleeping?

Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo

I see you, I see you

I see your button nose,

I see your tiny toes.

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

--Jim Thomas 

Storytime - Messy and Clean

Books

Maisy Takes a Bath by Lucy Cousins

Toddler

Pig Takes a Bath by Michael Dahl

Toddler

Bath Time by Eileen Spinelli

Toddler and Preschool

Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup

Preschool

Songs/Rhymes
Wash your dirty hands 
Sung to: The Farmer in the Dell
Wash your dirty hands, wash your dirty hands
Rub and scrub and rub and scrub and wash your dirty hands

We substituted other body parts for hands. 
--Kids Count in Public Libraries

Activities

Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean 
Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a great big THUD
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs. 
--Mel’s Desk

Five Little Piggies

Five little piggies rolling in the mud.

Squishy, squashy, felt so good!

Then along came the farmer,

who took one for a bath.

Continue to one little piggy

-- PreschoolEducation.com

T-U-B

The preschoolers helped me spell out the word TUB. We then tried other letters to find rhymes. 

Crafts

Toddler 

Tub, duck, and bubbles. Glue duck onto tub, cover in bubbles. Thanks to Storytime Katie for the idea!

Preschool 

Take-home tub activity sheet from TeAchnology.

Wee Read - Rainy Day

Early Literacy Tip: Always talk to your baby. Talk about your day, narrate as you’re completing a task, or discuss future plans.

Books

Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson

Baby Giggles by Rachel Hale

Duckie's Splash by Frances Barry

Read-Together Book

Songs/Rhymes

The Great Big Spider

This song is the same as the "Itsy Bitsy Spider", just replace "itsy bitsy" with "great big" and make the motions bigger. This makes it easier for the babies to participate, since they don't yet have the fine motor skills necessary for the itsy bitsy version.

--from Lapsit Services for the Very Young II by Linda L. Ernst. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2001.

Rain on the Rooftops

-- from Babies in the Library by Jane Marino. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2003.

Five Little Ducks (felt board)

Five little ducks went out one day,

Over the hills and far away.

Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!”

But only four little ducks came back.

--Traditional

I Hear Thunder

--from Lapsit Services for the Very Young II by Linda L. Ernst. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2001.

The Rain is Falling Down

--from Lapsit Services for the Very Young II by Linda L. Ernst. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2001.

Storytime - I Like Me!

Books

I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson

Toddler and Preschool

It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr

Toddler and Preschool

Incredible Me! by Kathi Appelt

Preschool

Songs/Rhymes

You Are Special

Sung to: "Good Night Ladies"
You are special!
Very, very special!
You are special!
There's no one just like you!

--PreschoolEducation

If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it,

And you really want to show it,

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands.

Repeat with stomp your feet, shout hooray, do all three.

--Traditional

Head and Shoulders

Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes

Head and shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose

Head and shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes!

-- Traditional

Activities

I showed the preschoolers how to spell ME, and when we came across it in a book, they would shout it out.

Craft

Both groups put together Me Books. I used a three hole punch and gave each child a piece of string to bind the books together. 

Toddler

We used pages from DLTK Kids for their book.

 

Preschool

Their pages came from A to Z Teacher Stuff.

Wee Read - Birds

Early Literacy Tip: Teach your baby your native language first, and encourage him or her to speak it with you. This will help your baby learn other languages in the future.

Books

Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

Look at the Baby by Kelly Johnson

 

Five Little Ducks by Juliet Williams

Read-Together

Special Songs/Rhymes

Clap Hands, Clap Hands

--from Babies in the Library by Jane Marino. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2003.

Owl in the Tree (with owl puppet)Sung to: “Skip to My Lou”

Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Hoo, hoo, hoo, my darling.

--Sunflower Storytime

Five Little Owls

Five little owls sitting in a tree
One flew away!

How many do you see?
One, two, three, four.

Four little owls sitting in a tree
One flew away!

How many do you see?
One, two, three.

Three little owls… etc.

--Sunflower Storytime

Blue Bird, Blue Bird

Blue bird, blue bird

On my window,

Blue bird, blue bird

On my window.

Blue bird, blue bird

On my window,

Oh, Mommy, I’m tired.

--Jim Thomas