Sensory Storytime: 11/16/19 – Colors

Sensory Storytime: 11/16/19 – Colors

This will be my second sensory-friendly storytime. These are smaller storytimes for children with sensory issues or who are on the autism spectrum. They are meant to be calmer with less stimulation.

I start out this storytime by telling my small group that there are no rules. They can get up, play with my fidget toys, whatever they need to do. I am going to just go along with the storytime and anyone can join in when they want to. This format seemed to work well last time.

• Introduction
• SING – Welcome, Welcome Everyone
  • A nice slow welcome rhyme.

Welcome, welcome everyone.
Now you’re here, we’ll have some fun.
First we’ll clap our hands just so.
Then we’ll bend and touch our toes.
Welcome, welcome everyone.
Now you’re here, we’ll have some fun!

• PASS OUT/ASL – Color Palette / Rainbow
  • I printed an artists color palette for the kids to hold and point to the colors we focus on today. I also am going to teach them the ASL sign for “rainbow.”
• BOOK – Tap The Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
  • This book is very interactive. In fact, I am going to bring copies for each of my families to touch and run and blow on, just like the book tells us to. That way each child has a book they can interact with and touch.
• SING – Rainbow Song
  • I may use the ASL color signs but I’m not sure yet. We may just sing the rhyme and point to the colors on our color palettes.

Red and orange, green and blue, shiny yellow, purple too!
These are the colors that we know, way up high in the great rainbow.
Red and orange, green and blue, shiny yellow, purple too!
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/colors/songs.htm

• BOOK/Prop – White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker
  • I use this one a lot. Mostly because I have the props already created. I have buckets of “paint” to go along with the story and my felt rabbits change color as we go.
• STRETCH – Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
  • We always need a good stretch and this one never disappointing.
• BOOK – Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
  • I already have the magnet board prop for this one as well. If the kids want to help me put up my dots of paint, they can.
• SONG/FINGER PLAY – One Little Red Fish
  • I printed out colored fish for this one and we will put them up as we do the rhyme. We can also do it as a finger play.

One little red fish, (hold up one finger)
Swimming in the water (put palms together and move them like a fish swimming)
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
One little red fish,
Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble – POP! (clap hands on POP!)

• The More We Get Together
  • A nice slow one to end with.

• The more we get together
  Together, together
  The more we get together
  The happier we’ll be
  ‘Cause your friends are my friends
  And my friends are your friends
  The more we get together
  The happier we’ll be

• Social Hour
  • A chance for some socialization after storytime.
• 

How’d it go:

Well, we only had one child show up for this one, so it was a nice cozy storytime. I did drop Dog’s Colorful Day because I think three stories was too ambitious. But we had fun and got some positive feedback from the family.

That’s all for now!

-M-

Family Storytime – 11/16/19 – Rabbits

Family Storytime – 11/16/19 – Rabbits

Why rabbits? I have no idea. I was just in a rabbit mood.

• Song – Top of the Morning
  • This is a fun tune and great for waking up and doing a little stretching. It’s called Top of the Morning.
• Hello Rhyme – Say Hello
  • This is a great rhyme for saying hello because we get to do it in so many fun ways!
• Song/Stretch – Can’t Sit Still! by Greg & Steve
  • Greg and Steve is my jam now. Ha!
• ASL – RAIN / WIND / UMBRELLA
  • I always teach three or four signs based on our theme in my family storytimes. Check out Signing Savvy or Baby Sign Language to learn these signs.
• Book – Big Bunny by Rowboat Watkins
  • I thought this one was awesome and I cannot wait to try it out!
• Rhyme – Bunny Ears
  • This maybe a little young for the group but it is a nice easy movement rhyme.

Bunny ears up (arms up)
Bunny ears down (arms down)
Bunny ears wiggling (wiggle arms)
All around! (tickle baby)

• Activity/Song – Party Freeze Dance Song
  • My little one loves this song, so I figured I’d give it a try for this crew.
• Rhyme – Little Bunny in a Hat
  • This can be a finger play or a prop. It’s really fun if you can actually make the bunny come out of a hat.

Little bunny in a hat
Sitting so still
Will it come out?
Yes it will!
It looks to the left
It looks to the right
It looks straight ahead
And pops out of sight.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL2WpC8dDRc)

• Flannel/Prop –  Have you ever seen a bunny
  • I created colored bunnies for a magnet board.

Have you ever seen a RED bunny,
A RED bunny, a RED bunny,
Have you every seen a RED bunny,
Go hop, hop, hop, hop.

(Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green)
https://klmpeace.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/the-giant-carrot-flannel-friday/ 

• Book – Bunny Fun by Sarah Weeks
  • Sarah Weeks is one of my favorite picture book authors for reading aloud. Great rhyme and interactive stories. For this one I am going to have the kids yell out “Bunny Fun!”
• Rhyme –  Hop with me
  • This one can be a lap bounce or an action rhyme.

Hop, hop, hop along
Or bounce on someone’s knee
Higher and higher and higher and higher
Bunny-hop with me!
Hop Like a Bunny

• Song/Shakers – Dance, Dance, Dance by Joanie Bartels
  • We always have to break out our shakers at some point!
• Rhyme – If You’re Happy and You Know It
  • I’ll include this one if we have time but with my speaker, I want to wrap up a little quicker than normal.
• Rhyme – Say Goodbye
  • This is the same rhyme we started with, so the new guys are familiar with it by the end of storytime.
• Song – Clean It Up! by The Laurie Berkner Band
  • Everyone helps put our shakers away.
• Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell my Friends by Music Together
  • I always put this one on as I go to open the door. Its a nice, slow, peaceful song to wind down on.

How’d it go:

Haha! I don’t think everyone found Big Bunny as funny as I did, but I got a kick out of it and I used a puppet to practice my, no where near talented, ventriloquist skills. I had fun, so hopefully everyone else did too!

That’s all for now!

-M-

 

 

Baby Storytime: 11/4/19

Baby Storytime: 11/4/19

• Hello Rhyme – Welcome, Welcome Everyone
  • This is a slow easy hello rhyme

Welcome, welcome everyone.
Now you’re here, we’ll have some fun.
First we’ll clap our hands just so.
Then we’ll bend and touch our toes.
Welcome, welcome everyone.
Now you’re here, we’ll have some fun!

• ASL – RUN / WALK / PLAY
  • For my babies I teach them three vocabulary words in American Sign Language each week. We do a lot of repeats and stick to the easy movement signs. I generally use Baby Sign Language.com to check my signs.
• Song –  Reach for the Ceiling by Toddlers on Parade
  • Another slow song but with some good stretches for baby.
• Board Book – Baby Play by Skye Silver
  • I thought this was a great greyscale board book with just a pop of color. A lot of times babies respond to faces, so I thought this one would be fun. I pass out these books to encourage one-on-one reading.
• Rhyme – Rolling, Rolling Little Hands

Rolling, rolling little hands
Rolling down the street
Rolling slowly
Rolling faster
Rolling, rolling little hands.
Tapping, tapping little toes
Clapping, clapping little hands
Hugging, hugging little arms…hugging tight, hugging tighter
(https://www.pawlingfreelibrary.org/children/wigglerhymes/)

• Song –  Hokey Pokey by It’s Toddler Time
  • Sometimes we just need to get our wiggles out with a little hokey pokey–baby style!
• Finger Play/Flannel – Five Little Babies
  • I wrote this one and I can never tell if it works until I actually do it. So we will see! Start with all your fingers down and raise them one at a time.

Five little babies, sitting oh so sweet.
Now ones standing on her feet!
Four little babies, sitting oh so sweet.
Now two are standing on their feet!
Three little babies, sitting oh so sweet.
Now three are standing on their feet!
Two little babies, sitting oh so sweet.
Now four are standing on their feet!
One little baby, sitting oh so sweet.
Now all five babies are on their feet!

• Rhyme/Scarves – All around the mulberry bush
  • I thought we’d break out our scarves here and whenever the weasel goes “pop,” we’ll toss our scarves.

All around the Mulberry Bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock,
Pop! goes the weasel.

Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! goes the weasel.

• Book – Babies on the Go by Linda Ashman
  • This one is a nice rhyming book with lots of cute animal babies and their grownups.
• Lift – Tick Tock
  • Time to work those arm muscles! You know babies growing when this gets harder!

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock, now it’s one o’clock.
Cuckoo! (Lift baby into the air)
Continue with two and three o’clock.

• Bounce – Tiny Little Babies Love Bouncing
  • Tiny little babies do love bouncing you know!

Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’
Tiny little babies love bouncin’, yeah
Tiny little babies love bouncin’, bouncin’
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ so
Bounce to the left, bounce to the right
Now hug that baby nice and tight!
https://klmpeace.wordpress.com/

• Song/Shakers – The Locomotion by Joanie Bartels
  • Time to break out those shakers!
• Song/Bubbles – Bubble Bath by Joanie Bartels
  • Bubbles are great because when we track the bubbles with our eyes, we are actually strengthening the eye muscles we later use when we learn to read.
• Goodbye Rhyme – Now it’s Time to Say Goodbye

Now it’s time to say goodbye,
Say goodbye,
Say goodbye,
Now it’s time to say goodbye,
I’ll see you all next week.

• Song – Clean It Up by Laurie Berkner
• Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell by K. Guilmartin

How’d it go:

I felt a little out of it today, so I kept messing up my rhymes but we all laughed about it, so it was fine. We got our bubbles in and that is always a fan favorite!

That’s all for now!

-M-

Baby Storytime: 10/28/19 – October fun

Baby Storytime: 10/28/19 – October fun

• Hello Rhyme – Wake Up Feet
  • This is a fun movement rhyme for the babies.

Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.
(Also: hands, ears, knees, fingers, hips, etc.)

• ASL – SCARRED / PUMPKIN / SPIDER
  • For my babies I teach them three vocabulary words in American Sign Language each week. We do a lot of repeats and stick to the easy movement signs. I generally use Baby Sign Language.com to check my signs.
• Song –  Up, Down, Turn Around by It’s Toddler Time 
  • We’ll adapt this one a little bit for the babies. We will do a lift for up and down and for turn around, we will roll our hands.
• Board Book – Teeny Tiny Ghost by Rachel Matson
  • I pass this one out to encourage one-on-one reading. This one is perfect for the week of Halloween without saying Halloween, so I don’t have to bill the storytime as a Halloween storytime.
• Rhyme – Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)

• Song –  Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes by It’s Toddler Time
  • We did this one last week but repetition is good for the little ones.
• Finger Play/Flannel – Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late”
The second one said, “There’s a chill in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run, let’s run!”
The fifth one said, “Isn’t playing fun?”

• Rhyme – Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Everyone knows this one and it’s perfect for the theme.
• Book – Pumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary SerfozoWe technically don’t have this one in the catalog but I couldn’t resist doing it!
• Lift – Up, Up, Up

Up, up, up (lift baby up)
Down, down, down (bring baby back down)
Up, down, up, down (up and down motion)
And tickles all around (tickle baby)

• Bounce – This is the way the pumpkin rides
  • This is the classic bounce but with a creepy twist.

This is the way the pumpkin rides,
Pumpkin rides, pumpkin rides,
This is the way the pumpkin rides.
On its way to town.
This is the way the mummy rides,
Mummy rides, mummy rides,
This is the way the mummy rides.
On his way to town.
This is the way the goblin rides,
Goblin rides, goblin rides,
This is the way the goblin rides.
On his way to town.
This is the way the witch rides,
Witch rides, witch rides,
This is the way the witch rides.
On her way to town.

• Song/Shakers – Monster Mash by Kidz-Bop
  • Shaker time!
• Song/Bubbles – Splish Splash by Mr. AI
  • Bubbles are great because when we track the bubbles with our eyes, we are actually strengthening the eye muscles we later use when we learn to read.
• Goodbye Rhyme – Our Hands Say Thank You

Our hands say thank you with
A clap, clap, clap;
Our feet say thank you with a
Tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap!
Tap, tap, tap!
We roll our hands around, and say,
“Good-bye.”
(https://anneslibrarylife.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/baby-storytime-scarves/)

• Song – Clean It Up by Laurie Berkner
• Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell by K. Guilmartin

How’d it go:

We started out as a small group and ended as a really big group. But fun was had and even if it got a little steamy by the end, we were all warmed up and ready to meet the rest of the day!

That’s all for now!

-M-

Baby Storytime: 10/21/19 – Farms

Baby Storytime: 10/21/19 – Farms

• Hello Rhyme – Wake Up Feet
  • This is a fun movement rhyme for the babies.

Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.
(Also: hands, ears, knees, fingers, hips, etc.)

• ASL – COW / PIG / DUCK
  • For my babies I teach them three vocabulary words in American Sign Language each week. We do a lot of repeats and stick to the easy movement signs. I generally use Baby Sign Language.com to check my signs.
• Song –  Hello! by Mr. David
  • I thought this might work for the babies. We’ll have to adapt it a little but it should still be a fun one.
• Board Book – Farm the Farm by Sarah Lynne Reul
  • This is a funny one about taking care of animals on a farm. It’s one of the ones where the book asks you to do the movements and there’s a flip the flap element, so everyone can enjoy.
• Rhyme – When Cows Wake Up in the Morning
  • I generally use puppets or sign language for this one.

When cows get up in the morning, they always say hello.
When cows get up in the morning, they always say hello.
And what do they say? Mooooooooo
And that is what they say.
(Ducks, Pigs, etc.)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYp0RlHdjNU)

• Song –  If your happy and you know it by It’s Toddler Time
  • This is a slower version of the song, so it works well with babies.
• Puppet/Rhyme – Whose in the Barnyard
  • For this one I have six barns with animals behind them. I say the sounds and we see whose in our barnyard.

An oink, a moo A cockledoo
Who’s in the barnyard playing peekaboo?

• Rhyme/Flannel – Five Little Piggies
  • I found this one online.

Five little piggies rolling in the mud,
Squishy, squashy, squishy, squashy, Oh what fun!
Along came the farmer, and took one to the tub,
And that left 4 little piggies rolling in the mud.
Four little piggies, rolling in the mud, … Etc.
(https://www.jocolibrary.org/kids/storytime-blog/farms-preschool-storytime)

• Book – This is the Farmer by Nancy Tafuri
  • I love Tafuri’s books. Big words and big pictures are great for the little ones.
• Lift – Tick Tock, Tick Tock

ick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock, now it’s one o’clock.
Cuckoo! (Lift baby into the air)
Continue with two and three o’clock.

• Bounce – Giddy-up, Giddy-up

Giddy-up, giddy up ride to town (bounce babies on knees)
Giddy-up, giddy-up up and down (lift baby up and down)
Giddy-up fast (bounce quickly)
Giddy up slow (bounce slowly)
Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, whoa! (dip baby backwards gently)

• Song/Shakers – Happy Feet by Dancin’ Magic
  • We break out our shaky eggs and dance, dance, dance.
• Song/Bubbles – Bubble Bath by Laurie Berkner
  • Bubbles are great because when we track the bubbles with our eyes, we are actually strengthening the eye muscles we later use when we learn to read.
• Goodbye Rhyme – Our Hands Say Thank You

Our hands say thank you with
A clap, clap, clap;
Our feet say thank you with a
Tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap!
Tap, tap, tap!
We roll our hands around, and say,
“Good-bye.”
(https://anneslibrarylife.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/baby-storytime-scarves/)

• Song – Clean It Up by Laurie Berkner
• Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell by K. Guilmartin

How’d it go:

Everyone loves farm animal sounds, so of course we all had a blast! That Tafuri book ends weird if you don’t know it’s coming but other than that, no issues.

That’s all for now!

-M-