Baby Bloomers, Crawlers & Totally Tots- Colors!!

This week we were all about colors and improvisation on my part.  One my books didn't work, some of the rhymes weren't going to well, the matching game I had planned turned to be a mad dash to the flannel board~ so I improvised and changed things up and it turned out to be okay.  Here was the plan:

Opening Song-

Everybody say one, story time has just began

Everybody say two, shake your shoulders show your shoes

Everybody say three, listen very carefully

Everybody say four, and put your bottoms on the floor

Baby Bloomers have been chanting "The More We Get Together" as our opening song. 

Wiggles

A wiggle, wiggle here

A wiggle, wiggle there.

Wiggle your hands up in the air

Wiggle our shoulders and wiggle your hips,

Wiggle your knees and move your lips,

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

And wiggle and bend

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,

And this is the end!

Book: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

 

I tried this book with our Crawlers & Totally Tots on Tuesday and it just didn't seem to get their attention.  I loved the illustrations and thought it would be fun to spot all the different objects and animals within the different colors.  

Book: Little Green Peas by Keith Baker

I decided to use this book with Thursday's Totally Tots and they loved it!  We had so  much fun checking out all the different things the "little green peas" were up to throughout the different colors. 

 

Book: Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier

 This book worked well with all the groups, they all loved checking the different colors and objects. 

Moving Rhyme: I See Colors   

I see blue, I see blue,

In our room, in our room

Quickly, can you find it,

Quickly, can you find it?

Zoom, zoom, zoom

Zoom, zoom, zoom

Repeat with different colors

I used flannel  shaped mittens in different colors for the kids to hold and put on our flannel board.  

Song: Shake Your Sillies with scarves. This is always a hit with these groups.   

 

Nursery Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock

Song: Two Little Black Birds- using penguin props

 

Song: Walking, Walking

Book: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

 

All the groups seemed to enjoyed counting the spots on the dog and saying that it was a silly dog. 

Book: Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

 

I used flannel pieces (cat, white mice, colored mice, and flannel) to tell this story with Thursday's Totally Tots.  I wasn't sure if the kids were going to be interested on the story but they were all seated and focused on the flannel board.

 

Movement Rhyme: Colored Shoes

Stomping in my red shoes, red shoes, red shoes

Stomping in my red shoes, here at storytime.

Running in my blue shoes, blue shoes, blue shoes,

Running in my blue shoes, here at storytime.

Sliding in my green shoes, green shoes, green shoes

Sliding in my green shoes, here at storytime.

Twirling in my pink shoes, pink shoes, pink shoes

Twirling in my pink shoes, here at storytime.

Sitting in my white shoes, white shoes, white shoes

Sitting in my white shoes, here at storytime.

This rhyme worked for Tuesday's Totally Tots and allowed the group to move and run around the room while checking colors.

Bubble Time with Bubble song

Goodbye Song- We Wave Goodbye Like This

We wave goodbye like this,

We wave goodbye like this,

to all our friends.

We clap our hands like this,

We clap our hands like this,

with all our friends.

Story time has ended.

Baby Bloomers, Crawlers, & Totally Tots- Noise & Quiet Story Time

Week two of story time and we are starting to get our groove back.  This week we were all in sync and the kids loved the books.  We had a blast dancing to our super fast version of  Heads & Shoulders and Shake Your Sillies. 

Our Crawlers & Totally Tots share the same opening song:

Opening Song-

Everybody say one, story time has just began

Everybody say two, shake your shoulders show your shoes

Everybody say three, listen very carefully

Everybody say four, and put your bottoms on the floor

All the groups enjoy the Wiggles, this week I added shakers & bells to add some "noise" to our movement.

Wiggles

A wiggle, wiggle here

A wiggle, wiggle there.

Wiggle your hands up in the air

Wiggle our shoulders and wiggle your hips,

Wiggle your knees and move your lips,

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

And wiggle and bend

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,

And this is the end!

Book: Meeow and the Pots and Pans by Sebastien Braun

 

I love this book.  The text is ideal for engaging little kids about what objects around the kitchen, like the word colander, what is a colander?  You get very funny answers. It is full of color and action.  We started sharing our favorite foods, since we thought Meeow was going to bake a cake, at the end we decided he should cook Chicken Nuggets & Mac & Cheese~ needless to say we were all very hungry by the end of story time. 

Rhyme: Two Little Eyes to Look Around

Two little eyes to look around

Two little ears to hear a sound

One little nose to smell what’s sweet

One little mouse that likes to eat!

Nursery Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle We never got around chanting our Nursery Rhyme this week.

Song: Walking, Walking

Book: Pots & Pans by Patricia Hubbell

 

This is the perfect book for these groups~ the rhyming leads itself to almost singing as you are reading.  Toddlers loved finding the hidden kitty and items throughout the book. 

Rhyme: Make a Noise

Make a noise like a rooster

Make a noise like a hen

Make a noise like a chick

Make a noise like an unhatched egg

Good! And now you are ready to listen.

Book: Clap Hands by Helen Oxenbury

 

Song: Heads & Shoulders~ super fast version

Our babies enjoyed a few small books, and Peek-a-Boo (with scarves) & Clapping songs. We also used our bells and shakers to play along with the rhymes.

Book: Quiet Loud by Leslie Patricelli,  Honk Honk! Baa Baa! by Petr Horacek, and Bedtime for Chickies by Janee Trasler, plus Clap your Hands by Helen Oxenbury

Bubble Time

Playtime activity: Flannel quiet & noise~ I have different pictures (dog, cat, crying baby, train, truck, etc) and we all took turns putting the pieces on the flannel board and saying what sound our object/animal/person does.

Goodbye song:  We Wave Goodbye Like This

We wave goodbye like this,

We wave goodbye like this,

to all our friends.

We clap our hands like this,

We clap our hands like this,

with all our friends.

Story time has ended.

Bedtime Stories- January

Last fall I started a new program Bedtime Stories aka Pajama Time.  The kids loved it. I loved it! Where else would I get the chance to wear my pajamas and lay around listening to lullabies.  I invite the kids to come wearing their PJ's and to bring their favorite stuff animal/buddy. I have blankets and some large bean bags that are great for laying around.  We do a couple of rhymes, two-three books, and watch a book on our Tumble books subscription. We end with soft lullabies and a little start machine that reflects stars on our ceiling. 

Here was the plan for January

Opening Song

Everybody say one, story time has just began

Everybody say two, shake your shoulders show your shoes

Everybody say three, listen very carefully

Everybody say four, and put your bottoms on the floor

Wiggles

A wiggle, wiggle here

A wiggle, wiggle there.

Wiggle your hands up in the air

Wiggle our shoulders and wiggle your hips,

Wiggle your knees and move your lips,

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

And wiggle and bend

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,

And this is the end!

Our first book was Baby Bear’s Big Dreams by Jane Yolen

This was a successful rhyme last month and one that allowed the kids to shake off some of their energy.

Twinkle Here and There

Twinkle standing up (wiggle fingers)

Twinkle sitting down (sit while wiggling fingers

Twinkle while you’re hoping

Around and around and around

Twinkle at the ceiling (wiggle fingers high)

Twinkle at the door (wiggle fingers towards door)

Twinkle at each other (wiggle fingers at each other)

And twinkle on the floor (sit and wiggle fingers)

Our next book was Back to Bed, Ed! By Sebastien Braun

Our last book was Moon Glowing by Elizabeth Partridge

I have also been using our Tumble books subscription, this month we watched Ish by Peter Reynolds

We end the night with soft lullabies and starts on our ceiling . 

Goodbye song 

Goodnight to you. Goodnight to me.
Now close your eyes and go to sleep.
Goodnight.
Sleep tight.
Sweet dreams tonight.
Goodnight.

How did it go?  Again, it is  our first week of story times and our kids have been all stuck inside due to the cold weather.  We had lots of running around, silly giggling, and dancing.  I abandoned the last book and decided to move on with our Tumble book and songs.  I have to confess that I love this energy~ it helps me make it through long days~. I believe that serving these children and their families is an honor and a privilege. I am fortunate to have the most amazing job in the world. 

Week One of Winter Story Time- Snow

As promised, here is week one of Winter Story Time, and of course I had to do Snow even though it seems our snow might be melting away this weekend. 

I started the week on Tuesday with our Crawlers (between 1-2 years old) and our Totally Tots (2-3 years old).  Today was reserved for our youngest patrons Baby Bloomers (birth to 1 year old) and a second offering of Totally Tots.  For the most part the program is very similar for all three groups. I change the opening song for our Baby Bloomers to The More You Get Together and have some bouncy rhymes versus the more action oriented ones.  I also change the songs to ensure babies and parents have a chance to engage together. 

 Here was the plan

Opening Song- I use this song for both groups.

Everybody say one, story time has just began

Everybody say two, shake your shoulders show your shoes

Everybody say three, listen very carefully

Everybody say four, and put your bottoms on the floor

Wiggles

A wiggle, wiggle here

A wiggle, wiggle there.

Wiggle your hands up in the air

Wiggle our shoulders and wiggle your hips,

Wiggle your knees and move your lips,

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

And wiggle and bend

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,

And this is the end!

Book: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Rhyme:

Snow is falling down, shhh

Snow is falling down, shhh

Softly, softly, very softly

Snow is falling down, shhh

Two Little Eyes to Look Around

Two little eyes to look around

Two little ears to hear a sound

One little nose to smell what’s sweet

One little mouth that likes to eat!

Nursery Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song: Walking, Walking

Book: Snow! Snow! Snow! By Lee Harper

Hand Motion rhyme:

This Is Big

This is big big big 

This is small small small

This is short short short

This is tall tall tall 

This is fast fast fast

This is slow slow slow

This is yes yes yes

This is no no no

Song: Reach for the Ceiling

Book: Snow by Manya Stojic

Movement Rhyme: Your Little Hands I skipped this rhyme with all the groups, there was to much energy in the room.

Take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap

Take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap

Take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap

Clap, clap, clap  with your hands.

Take your little toes and go tap, tap, tap…

Tap, tap, tap with your toes.

Take your little ears and go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle….

Take your little eyes and go blink, blink, blink…

Take your little arms and go roll, roll, roll…

Credit: Little Hands Fingerplays & Action Songs

Bubble Time with Bubbles song

Goodbye song:  We Wave Goodbye Like This

We wave goodbye like this,

We wave goodbye like this,

to all our friends.

We clap our hands like this,

We clap our hands like this,

with all our friends.

Story time has ended.

How did it go?  Well, it was our first week and we had some new faces and lots of seasoned story time kiddies but the fact that most of us have been coupe inside home for a few weeks due to the cold weather meant that we all had lots of energy.  I decided that we were going to dance and sing and "wiggle" our energy out instead of reading all three books.  I had also planned a small craft for our toddlers and that took away our regular play time at the end of story time. All in all a great first week.