Early Head Start and Head Start Outreach - Space

I did a repeat of my space program but for Head Start I added Mousetronaught by Kelly.

It went well.

Toddler Storytime - Dance

I did my dance theme but with a few new books.

The books I used were:

Wiggle by Cronin
Bear Can Dance by Bloom
Dancing Feet by Knopf

Here is my last Dance storytime: http://storytimewhoopdeedo.blogspot.com/2015/07/toddlertime-dance.html

I did the Chicken Dance which I find very fun but the kids were a bit clueless. The parents really loved it!

Here is a video of my doing the Hokey Pokey with my ukulele:

Space - toddler storytime

I did a new one today.

Everyone really liked it.

Books
Dinosaur Rocket by Dale
This is a new book that just struck me as a great storytime book. It is large and colorful and the story is short enough for my 1.5 year olds and interactive.

Higher Higher by Patricelli
This one has very few words so I had the kids "help" me. Went okay.

Flannels
If you're going to the moon Where your suit (http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/?p=1967)

A Circle in the Sky A colleague made this flannel from the book by Wilson.

 I tied it into my Early Literacy Tip of using shapes to learn letters. Then we did YMCA. It was fun!

Songs:
Open shut them
Rocketship Run by Berkner
With shakers
YMCA by the Village People
Shake your Sillies out by Raffi
If you're Happy and You know it
What a Miracle by Palmer

Finger Play
Zoom Zoom Zoom (Jbrary)

All in all a great storytime and I wasn't even feeling very well. I did more songs from CDs and had the kids say more words from the books. I might do it for my outreach next week.

Valentine's Day Toddler storytime

Today I did Valentine's/Love, it went well. Here is the run down of what I did:

Opening song: Open Shut them

Book #1 - Plant a Kiss by Willis
This is a very cute book. I wish it was a little bigger.

Song: Shake your sillies out by Raffi

Book #2 - What a Wonderful World by Hopgood
I sang this one but I wish I hadn't since my voice was a little ragged.

Flannel/Ukulele Song: You're my Rainbow (love me Tender) https://storytimeukulele.wordpress.com/2016/01/21/love-me-tender-variations/

Book #3 - How do you Hug a Porcupine? by Isop
I shortened this book a bit for my young audience and since I did it went over well.

Song: Skidamarink with motions https://sites.google.com/site/playbasedlearning/about-me
Song: If your happy and you know it

Book #4 - Sweet Heart by Carr
I don't usually do 4 books but some were still listening (most were not) so I figured this short one might be okay. By the end of the book, more were listening.

Song with instruments: Love in your Pocket by Harper
You really just need a good beat and this song has that.

Closing song: What a miracle. I didn't ask them to return the instruments after the previous song but maybe I should have had them hand them back because it was just too loud. Only one kid did the motions with me.

Circus theme - Toddler Storytime

Today I did a new theme, "Circus!"

Books I used:
Little Monkey Says Goodnight by Paul
Song of the Circus by Duncan

Finger play:

Silly Clowns   

Five silly clowns, jumping all around,

 Jump so high, then touch the ground.

One silly clown said, "I can't stay," 

So he turned around and hopped away.

Repeat with four, three, two, one.

Songs - 

Shake your sillies out

Happy and you know it

Open Shut them

What a miracle

Draw and Tell:

At the Circus

Activity:

Parachute

Impressions: a larger group than I had for a while and it went pretty well. A new theme is always difficult the first time but it went okay. The stories for this theme are either long or very, very short. I chose two long ones and a short draw and tell. The littlest children  had trouble with the long stories but everyone really liked the parachute!