Wee Read - Colors

Early Literacy Tip: Choose books with familiar items (shoes, toys, pets) and familiar routines (bedtime, bath time, meals).

Books

Baby Colors by Rachael Hale

How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges

I Love Colors by Margaret Miller (read together book)

Songs/Rhymes

Roll Roll Sugarbabies

Roll, roll sugarbabies (arms roll)
Roll, roll sugarbabies.
Push, pull,
Clap, clap, clap!

--Rain Makes Applesauce

Wave Your Scarf (with scarves)

Wave your scarf, one, two, three

Wave your scarf, just like me!

(repeat with roll and throw)

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

Wind, Oh Wind (with scarves)

­-- Mother Goose on the Loose by Betsy Diamant-Cohen. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2006.

Mix a Pancake (with scarves)

Mix a pancake, stir a pancake

Pop it in a pan.

Fry a pancake, toss a pancake,

Catch it if you can!

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

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

Good Morning, Mrs. Perky Bird (with crow puppet)

Sung to: “Short’nin’ Bread”

--Mother Goose on the Loose by Betsy Diamant-Cohen. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2006.

This is the Way

This is the way we

Bounce, bounce, bounce.

Bounce, bounce, bounce.

Bounce, bounce, bounce.

This is the way we bounce, bounce, bounce

Early in the morning. Wheeee!

--Manly Library

Storytime - Who Hibernates?

Toddler

Books: Sleepy Bear by Lydia Dabcovich and Forever Friends by Carin Berger.

Songs / Rhymes: “Good Morning”, “Hello, How Are You?”, “Open, Shut Them”, “The Leaves are Falling Down”, and “The More We Get Together”.

Preschool

Books: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming and Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows.

Songs / Rhymes: “Good Morning”, “Hello, How Are You?”, “Open, Shut Them”, “The Leaves are Falling Down”, and “The More We Get Together”.

The Leaves are Falling Down

Sung to: "The Farmer in the Dell"
The leaves are falling down,
The leaves are falling down.
Red, yellow, green, and brown,
The leaves are falling down.

--PreschoolEducation
*I threw fake leaves in the air while singing this song. When the song was over, the children helped “rake” them up and put them back in the bag.

Craft

Pine Cone Bird Feeders. Materials: pine cones, yarn, Sunbutter (a peanut-free alternative to peanut butter), birdseed, small paper bags, and popsicle sticks. A piece of yarn was tied to each pine cone by a volunteer. The children spread the imitation peanut butter on to the pine cones with their popsicle sticks. When their cones were covered, I gave them a paper bag with birdseed inside. The children placed their cone in the bag and shook, making sure the birdseed covered the cone.

This craft was a community service project for the Spring Creek Forest. The pine cone bird feeders were given to them to place on their trees for their annual For the Birds event. The children were eager to help feed the birds for the winter. Each child who participated received a sticker for helping with the project.

Wee Read - Monster Mash

Early Literacy Tip: Summarize the book if it has too many words, or just talk about the pictures. Most toddler books have no plot, so it’s not necessary to read from cover to cover.

Books
Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen
That's Not My Monster by Fiona Watt
What Do You Do? by Mandy Stanley

Songs/Rhymes

If You’re a Monster
Sung to: "If You're Happy and You Know It"
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms.
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms.
If you're a monster and you know then your arms will surely show it.
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms.
Continue with:
...show your claws
...gnash your teeth
...stomp your feet
...growl out loud

--PreschoolEducation

The Great Big Spider (with spider puppet)

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

*This song is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". but instead of singing the words "itsy bitsy", insert "great big".

There’s a Spider on the Floor (with spider puppet)

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor. x2

There's a spider on the floor,

There's a spider on the floor,

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

There’s a spider on my leg, and he’s really really big…
There’s a spider on my tummy, and he feels kind of funny…
There’s a spider on my head, oh, my face is really red…
But he jumps off!
There’s a spider on the floor…

--Mel’s Desk

Five Crazy Monsters (with monster finger puppets)

Five crazy monsters jumping on the bed.

One fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

“No more monsters jumping on the bed.”

--Storytiming

Horns & Fangs

Sung to: "Head and Shoulders"
Horns and fangs, knees and claws,
knees and claws.
Horns and fangs, knees and claws,

Knees and claws.
Eyes and ears and tail and paws.

Horns and fangs, knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

--PreschoolEducation

Storytime - My Favorite Things

Toddler

Books: Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas and “The Little Red Hen” on the felt board (template is from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra).

Songs / Rhymes: “Good Morning”, “Hello, How Are You?”, “Open, Shut Them”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, “The Hokey Pokey”, “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” on the felt board, “Come Under My Umbrella” with the parachute, “Row Boat, Row Boat” with the parachute, “Ring Around the Rosie” with the parachute, and “The More We Get Together”.

Craft: There was no craft today. We played with the parachute instead.

Preschool
Books: Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas and Hungry Hen by Richard Waring on the felt board.

Songs / Rhymes: “Welcome to the Library”, “Hello, How Are You?”, “Hi There, So Glad You Came”, “Open, Shut Them”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, “Head and Shoulders”, “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from the Tree”, “I Wiggle My Fingers”, “Come Under My Umbrella” with the parachute, “Row Boat, Row Boat” with the parachute, “London Bridge” with the parachute, and “The More We Get Together”.

Craft: There was no craft today. We played with the parachute instead.


Songs

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head!

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Continue to one little monkey

--Traditional

Five Little Monkeys Swinging From a Tree

Five little monkeys swinging from a tree,

Teasing Mr. Crocodile, “You can’t catch me!”

When along comes Mr. Crocodile

AAAAAAAAAND SNAP!

Four little monkeys, etc…

--Traditional

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

Row Boat, Row Boat (parachute)

Row boat, row boat go so fast (shake the chute fast).

Row boat, row boat go so slow (wave the chute slowly).

Row boat, row boat the waves are getting worse (shake fast again).

Row boat, row boat put it in reverse (stop the chute by pulling towards you).

--Delectable Dabbling

Ring Around the Rosie (parachute)

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 (parachute)

London Bridge is falling down.

Falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

--Traditional