Toddlers - Farm

Well, it was a surprise storytime for me because a co-worker was sick. It was easy to do farm again with different books.

Here is what I did:

Songs:
Open Shut them
Old MacDonald with puppets
One from the left
Shake your sillies out
If you're happy and you know it
I know a Chicken with shakers

Books:
Z-z-z-oink! by Most
 - went over well.
Hurry Hurry by Bunting
-not as well but okay

Flannel-
Baa Baa Black Sheep

Went pretty well. Kids were all over by the end. I like doing One from the left at the end.

Preschool - Farm

As always one of my favs!

Books:
Click Clack Moo Cows that Type by Cronin
Book Book Book by Bruss
Sheep Can't Sleep by Beaumont with puppets
Mrs. Wish Washy's Farm by Cowley

Songs
Old MacDonald with puppets
I know a chicken with shakers
If you're happy and you know it
Hello and good bye songs (farmer in the dell tune)
One from the left by Gill
Mrs. Wishy Washy by The Learning station

I had a couple of older kids because school is out which was good because The Learning Station song is pretty difficult. I like it a lot so I did it anyway. The puppet shows went well. The books were okay. The kids didn't get the joke at the end of Book Book Book but the parents liked it.

Craft was paper corn cobs with gluing on popcorn (unpopped).

Preschool - Balloons

We are switching for the month of July so I have 3 PSSTs to do this month. I started with balloons!

This was a small group when I started only 3 kids so I opted for a long first book:

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm by Nolen. I have loved this book since my kids were little but it is very long and you can't skip very well so I tried it. It went pretty well. The 3 I started with were attentive and like it. The younger ones that came in late not so much. Of  course, they came in during the middle of it, so that would be part of it. Since I did such a long story first I did 2 short ones after that. Perfectly Percy by Schmid and It's Tough to Lose your Balloon by Krosckza.

Songs:
Up Up and Away by the 5th dimension with scarves -
- They liked this one very much and danced with the scarves the whole song.

List of Dances - I need to find the original disc mine is skipping.

Finger Play - One from the left by Jim Gill
  - This is a new cd for Gill called Vote for Jim Gill. I like it and the kids did too.

Action song -
If you're happy and you know it

Flannel -
 Pete the Clown and his 5 balloons

Craft - hot air balloon out of a paper plate

This was  a great storytime! Nice one to start with. Next week Farms!

Dogs - Toddlers

Today I had a good group but a little subdued. That is why I was able to do 3 books.

Books:
Oh No George! by Haughton
The Doghouse by Thomas
Hop is Up! by Dempsey

Songs:
Open Shut Them
BINGO with Flannels
If your happy and you know it (with if you are a dog and you know it)
Shake your Sillies out
Bean Bag Rock with beanbags

Forgot to bring my goodbye song so I made one up on the spot
 -something like It's time to say good bye...It's time to say good bye....It's time to say good bye to storytime today (to farmer in the dell)

Thoughts
This one was so subdued compared to my last few that I wasn't mentally prepared. I should have done more but I finished early instead. No big deal.

Toddlers...Food

Today I did food as my theme.

Here is the plan I did:

Open Shut Them

Chips and Salsa by Reynolds
 - this one seemed a little long but they were pretty attentive. I made it a bit interactive by shouting OLE!

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
If you're Happy and You know it (ending with If you want to hear a story sit right down)

Pigs Love Potatoes by Anika Denise

Song on Uke - I am hungry (from Jbrary)

fingerplay
5 Little Hotdogs - Jbrary

Draw and sing
Aiken Drum - I forgot the tune at first but I got it eventually

Shaker song
I know a Chicken - by Laurie Berkner
 - they love this one so much I am thinking about making it an every week thing

What a miracle  by Hap Palmer

My early literacy tip today was on play.

Gardens for preschool

I almost forgot to tell you about this one. I went to my favorite preschool for the last outreach visit of the school year.

I did a song I really like called Curious Garden by Ellen Arrow. The kids really liked it and the hand motions are a little tough. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqAv8Aw2J7c

It is based on the book Curious Garden by Peter Brown so I read the book first and then did the song.

Also read:
Carrot Soup by Segal
Who's Garden is It? by Hobberman

Also sang
Can you plant a bean? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCKEdDEr82k
May there always be sunshine


It was a great storytime to end the week. (and the school year) :-)

Bugs for toddlers

A small group, so I was able to do 3 books. The little boy from last week that was very disruptive was there again. I waited until I had the caregiver's attention and then said the rules (they were late last week). I specifically said, stay out of my stuff. (but a little nicer) It didn't help. The caregiver (maybe a grandmother) just watched as he tried to get into my stuff. I didn't let him but she did. If it continues I might have to speak to her.

Here's what I did:

Books:

Tiny Little Fly by Rosen

Can you make a scary face? by Thomas
 - not as big a hit as usual most likely due to the small group

In the Tall Tall Grass by Fleming

Songs:

Itsy Bitsy Spider with puppets
 - I had a bunch of insect puppets so I sent them all up the spout and back down. They liked it.
Ants go marching with instruments

All in all this wasn't bad. I think compared to last week, which was total chaos, it was pretty good.