Preschool Storytime
Opening: Big Books
Book: Splish Splash by Smee
*I was worried this book would be too simple for the preschoolers, but they really got into it! Especially making the waves with their arms! It never hurts when you use puppets, which were a huge hit!
Fingerplay: Old MacDonald Had a Pond (With puppets)
Old MacDonald had a pond ee-i ee-i-oh!
And on that pond he had a turtle ee-i ee-i-oh!!
With a snap snap here and a snap snap there!
here a snap, there a snap, everywhere a snap snap
Old MacDonald had a pond ee-i ee-i-oh!
(repeat with fish/splash, duck/quack, frog/hop)
*I apologize, but I believe I found this in an office book we have for storytime use. I was really excited to use this with the kids, but it confused them when we sang this. All of the kids didn't like that I changed the song to Old MacDonald had a pond. I think they liked the traditional version of him having a farm.
Book: Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Cabrera (with puppets)
*This is my favorite go-to book for anything water related, and the kids loved it! I had my volunteer pop up the puppets behind me when I read each verse, and the kids went crazy helping me make all the animal noises.
Fingerplay: Ten Little Froggies (Only do five and use five green and specked frogs prop)
One little froggie goes hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop so...
Two little froggies go hop, hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop
Three little froggies go hop, hop, hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop. soo
Continue in this manner and end as follows
Ten little froggies go hop, hop, hop, hop hop
Drop! time to stop
Hop each time you count the froggies...and when you get to ten hop ten
times and count on fingers...fall gently down to floor
*This is my new favorite fingerplay for frogs! I only did this through five, but the kids would have kept on hopping until ten if I had let them! We used five green and speckled frogs and put them up on the puppet stage. I had my volunteers just pull a random number of frogs down, and the kids went crazy telling me the frogs were gone! Then we stopped jumping and counted our frogs, then resumed jumping until all the frogs were gone. I found this fabulous fingerplay here. I can't wait to use this one again!
Fingerplay/Flannel: Five Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea
*I love doing this fingerplay with my alligator puppet and five fish, but we ran out of time for it today.
Book: Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark
*I love this book so much! A co-worker made props to go along with this book, so as I read along, all the fish popped up behind me, including the big, bad SHARK!!! At the end of this book the shark's teeth fall out, so of course I had to throw out paper shark teeth on the kids! I am always worried they will get tired of this book, but thankfully they never do!
Fingerplay: Ocean Animal Movement Cards
*I love using ocean animal movement cards, but I had way too much planned for today. Hopefully next time!
Action: Fishing Skit
*This is by far my favorite part of storytime! I take my trusty fishing pole that a co-worker left for us to use, and told the kids to let me know when they see a big fish behind me. I had two volunteers behind our puppet stage, and they would pop up the fish when I had my back turned. Thankfully, the kids started hollering like crazy that the fish was there. Of course, when I turned around, he was gone! Then I put my fishing pole in the water, and I will catch all sorts of crazy stuff! Anything from a (clean) sock, a (puppet) skunk, big sunglasses, etc. At last, I end up catching a tiny, baby fish that the kids haven't seen, and while my back is turned, up pop the big fish I have been after. Then I turn around and see them for the first time. The kids usually end up shouting so loudly that the whole library hears and that's exactly why I do it!
Extra Books:
Down by the Cool of the Pool
Wide-Mouthed Frog (Office pop-up book)
Splash, Splash by Jeff Sheppard
Splish Splash by Smee
Our craft today was a shark! The kids glued down the shark, his mouth and teeth. I found this fabulous idea here.
Time for Two’s Storytime
Opening: Big Books
Fingerplay: If You Want to Hear a Story
Book: Splash Splash by Smee
*The two's loved this book, especially making the waves with their arms! The puppets were a huge hit!
(tune: the Wheels on the Bus)
The turtle in the pond goes snap snap snap
snap snap snap
snap snap snap
The turtle in the pond goes snap snap snap
all morning long
Repeat with Frog/hop, Duck/quack, fish/splash
*This was a really fun fingerplay to do with the two's and they enjoyed doing the motions with me. I found this fingerplay here.
Book: Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Cabrera
*The two's didn’t enjoy this book as much as they normally do. It seemed that not singing the song the correct way throughout the book confused them.
Fingerplay: Ten Little Froggies (Only do five and use five green and speckled frogs prop)
One little froggie goes hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop so...
Two little froggies go hop, hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop
Three little froggies go hop, hop, hop
Along comes another and they just can't stop. soo
Continue in this manner and end as follows
Ten little froggies go hop, hop, hop, hop hop
Drop! time to stop
Hop each time you count the froggies...and when you get to ten hop ten
times and count on fingers...fall gently down to floor
*This is my new favorite fingerplay for frogs! I only did this through five, but the kids would have kept on hopping until then if I had let them! We used five green and speckled frogs and put them up on the puppet stage. I had my volunteers just pull a random number of frogs down, and the kids went crazy telling me the frogs were gone! Then we stopped jumping and counted our frogs, then resumed jumping until all the frogs were gone. I found this fabulous fingerplay here. I can't wait to use this one again!
Fingerplay: Five Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea
*I love doing this fingerplay with my alligator puppet and five fish, but we ran out of time for it today.
Book: Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark
*I love this book so much! A co-worker made props to go along with this book, so as I read along, all the fish popped up behind me, including the big, bad SHARK!!! At the end of this book the shark's teeth fall out, so of course I had to throw out paper shark teeth on the kids! Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to read this book, way too much planned.
Dancing: Boat Dancing
Action: Fishing Skit
*This is by far my favorite part of storytime! I take my trusty fishing pole that a co-worker left for us to use, and told the kids to let me know when they see a big fish behind me. I had two volunteers behind our puppet stage, and they would pop up the fish when I had my back turned. Thankfully, the kids started hollering like crazy that the fish was there. Of course, when I turned around, he was gone! Then I put my fishing pole in the water, and I will catch all sorts of crazy stuff! Anything from a (clean) sock, a (puppet) skunk, big sunglasses, etc. At last, I end up catching a tiny, baby fish that the kids haven't seen, and while my back is turned, up pop the big fish I have been after. Then I turn around and see them for the first time. The kids usually end up shouting so loudly that the whole library hears and that's exactly why I do it!
Extra Books:
Down by the Cool of the Pool
I Spy Under the Sea
Papa’s Seahorse Search
Quack! Quack! Can You Say It Too?
Splish Splash by Smee
Our craft today was a shark! The kids glued down the shark, his mouth and teeth. I found this fabulous idea here.
