Butterfly Storytime!

Sometimes you just have to visit those springtime classics.

Opening Song: If you’re Happy and You know it! (Clap, Stomp, Shout Hurray)

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, If you’re Ready for a Story,

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

Sit Down Song:

The more we read together, together, together

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be,

‘Cause my books are your books and your books are my books,

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be.

Book One: The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen



Song:
Bugs 

Sung to: "Frere Jacques"

Big bugs, small bugs, big bugs, small bugs,
See them crawl on the wall?
Creepy, creepy, crawling, never, never falling.
Bug, bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs.

Book Two: The Furry Caterpillar by Felicia Law; Ill by Claire Philpott and Karen Radford




Song:
A Butterfly is on my toe 
Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell"

A butterfly is on my toe,
A butterfly is on my toe,
Hi-ho, just watch me blow.
A butterfly is on my toe

Other verses: A fly is on my nose ,my head, my ear, my elbow, my knee,
etc..

Book Three: Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley



Songs:

Hunting Bugs 

Sung to: "A- Hunting we will go"

A-hunting we will go
A -hunting we will go
We'll catch a (insert any insect here)
and put it in a box
(loudly) and then we'll let it go!

Insect Song 
Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus"

The firefly at night goes blink blink blink
Blink blink blink blink blink blink
The firefly at night goes blink blink blink
All around the town
The bees in the flowers go buzz buzz buzz....
The ants in the grass go march march march...
The crickets in the leaves go chirp chirp chirp...
The caterpillar in the field goes creep creep creep....

Can you move with me? 
Sung to: "Do Your Ears Hang Low"

Can you wiggle like a worm?
Can you squiggle? Can you squirm?
Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly?
Can you crawl upon the ground
Like a beetle that is round?
Can you move with me?

Can you flip? Can you flop?
Can you give a little hop?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you give a little shake?
Can you dance like bee
Who is buzzing round a tree?
Can you move with me?

The Life Of A Butterfly  added 5-19-02 Original Author Unknown
Sung to: "Skip to My Lou"

I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
What'll I be, my darlin'?

A chrysalis, now sleep like me.....
What'll I be, my darlin'?

A butterfly, come fly with me...
Come fly with me my darlin'.

Closing Song:
The More we get together

Recommended Reads:
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr and Lois Ehlert
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Bob and Otto by Robert and Nick Bruel

Todays Craft comes from Mama.Papa.Bubba:

April Showers Bring May Flowers Storytime!

Goodbye April, Hello May!

Opening Song: If you’re Happy and You know it! (Clap, Stomp, Shout Hurray)

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, If you’re Ready for a Story,

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

Sit Down Song:

The more we read together, together, together

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be,

‘Cause my books are your books and your books are my books,

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be.

Book One: Rain by Manya Stojic



Songs:

Look Out the Window  Sung to: "Frere Jacques"

What's the weather, what's the weather,
On this (Monday), On this (Monday)?
Let's look out the window,
Let's look out the window?
It is (Sunny), It is (Sunny).
Replace ( ) for the appropriate word.

Zim-bam, Zim-bam 
Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-bee,
Rain is falling on the tree.
zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-by,
Rain is falling from the sky.
Zim-bam, zim-bam, zim-bam-boo,
Rain is falling on us too

Book Two: Are You Ready to Play Outside by Mo Willems




Song:

Umbrellas Fingerplay 

(Use fingers or make umbrella puppets)

Five umbrellas stood by the back door,
The red one went outside, then there were four.
Four umbrellas pretty as can be,
The blue one went outside, then there were three.
Three umbrellas with nothing to do,
The green one went outside, then there was one.
Just one umbrella alone in the hall,
The purple one went outside, and that was all!

Rain is Falling on You 
Sung to: "Happy Birthday"

Rain is falling on you,
Rain is falling on me,
Rain is falling on everyone,
Rain is falling, YIPPEE!!!

Ava's Poppy by Marcus Pfister

Flower Garden 

Sung to: "The Farmer In The Dell"

The farmer plants the seeds
The Farmer plants the seeds
Hi, Ho and Cheery O
The farmer plants the seeds.

(Use the following verses.)
The sun begins to shine
The rain begins to fall
The plants begin to grow
The flowers smile at us

Hello Spring Time! 

Sung to: "Good Night Ladies"

Hello spring time
Hello spring time
Hello spring time
We're glad spring time is here.

Hello flowers
Hello flowers
Hello flowers
We're glad spring time is here!

Hello green grass... We're glad spring time is here.
Hello birds... We're glad spring time is here.
(To finish song, repeat first verse after you have said hello to all the spring things the children can think of.)

Song: Rainy Pokey

 Put your Umbrella in,

But your umbrella out,

Put your Umbrella in and Shake it all about,

You do the Rainy Pokey and you turn yourself around,

That's what it's all about!

"SPLASH!"

(Other verses: rain boots, rain coat, rain hat, whole self!)

Goodbye song: The More we get together

Craft today inspired by Starting a Preschool:

We'll be making fingerprint raindrop and flower pictures.

Just us Chickens Story Time

In honor of all those Easter Eggs we'll be dying this week...

Opening Song: If you’re Happy and You know it! (Clap, Stomp, Shout Hurray)

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

If you’re Ready for a Story, If you’re Ready for a Story,

If you’re Ready for a Story, Clap your hands!

Sit Down Song:

The more we read together, together, together

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be,

‘Cause my books are your books and your books are my books,

The More we read together, the happier we’ll be.

Book 1: Tough Chicks by Cece Meng; Ill by Melissa Suber

Song: Five And Five Eggs  

Five and five eggs
Hold up hands
That makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen
Fold one hand over the other
Crackle crackle crackle
Clap hands three times
What do I see
Fingers around eyes
Ten fluffy chickens
As yellow as can be
 Hold up ten fingers.

Book 2: Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Song: Farm Sounds 

(Sung to: "Wheels on the bus")

The cow in barn goes moo, moo, moo,
Moo, moo, moo. Moo, moo, moo,
repeat
All around the farm.
The pig in the pen goes oink, oink, oink,...........
The hens in the coop go cluck..........
The lambs on the hill go baa,........
The ducks on the pond go quack......

Book 3:

I'm not reading by Jonathan Allen

Songs: 

If I Were a Farmer

(Sung to: "Did you ever see a lassie?")

Oh, if I were a farmer, a farmer, a farmer
Oh, if I were a farmer, what would I do?
I wake up with the rooster
Each morning, each morning
I’d wake up with the rooster, that's what I'd do.
Continue using:
I would feed the baby chickens
I would gather eggs for breakfast

Over In The Barnyard

(Sung to: "Down By The Station")

Over in the barnyard
Early in the morning,
See the yellow chickies
Standing in a row.
See the busy farmer
Giving them breakfast.
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.
Off they go.
(Substitute other barnyard animals.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-O

And on this farm he had a chick

Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-O

With a peep peep, here and a peep peep there.

Here a peep, there a peep, everywhere a peep, peep.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-

And: The Chicken Dance!

This week's Craft comes from I Heart Crafty things:

Cupcake Liner Chicks

Other Recommended Reads:
Chicks Run Wild by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; Ill by Ward Jenkins
Chicken Butt by Erica S Perl; Illustrated by Henry Cole
Five Little Chicks by Nancy Tarfuri

First Day of Spring Storytime!

The first day of spring, March 20th, falls on Storytime day this year, and I'm shocked that while I've done many Spring-y themes over the years, I have never done a Spring Storytime!

Opening Song:
If you're happy and you know it (clap your hands, stomp your feet, shout hurray, do all three!)

If you're ready for a story clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're ready for a story clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're ready for a story, if you're ready for a story,
If you're ready for a story, clap your hands. (clap clap)

Sit down song:

The more we read together, together, together, 

the more we read together, the happier we'll be,
'Cause your books are my books are your books and
your books are my books, 
The more we read together, the happier we'll be.

First Story: 
Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
(Despite 'summer' being in the title, this story is much more about the changes in the springtime.)


Song:

Plants  (Original Author Unknown)

Sung to: "The Farmer In The Dell"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

The farmer plants the seeds
The farmer plants the seeds
Hi, Ho and Cherry O
The farmer plants the seeds

Other Verses:
The rain begins to fall...
The sun begins to shine...
The plants begin to grow...
The buds all open up...
The flowers smile at me...

Second Story:

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na

(This one is a little more about fall than spring, but I want to use it to talk about the seasons changing, plus Il Sung Na's pictures are to die for)

Song:

Hello Spring Time! 

Submitted by: Judy Lambert to www.preschooleducation.com

Sung to: "Good Night Ladies"

Hello spring time
Hello spring time
Hello spring time
We're glad spring time is here.

Hello flowers
Hello flowers
Hello flowers
We're glad spring time is here!

Hello green grass... We're glad spring time is here.
Hello birds... We're glad spring time is here.
(To finish song, repeat first verse after you have said hello to all the spring things the children can think of.)

Third Story:

Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand

Songs:

I'll Plant A Little Seed

Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "I'm A Little Teapot"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!
I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!

Little Ducks Song
Original Author Unknown
Sung to: "London Bridge"-Found at www.preschooleducation.com

Little ducks go quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack -
Little ducks go quack quack quack
In the springtime.
(ask the kids what sounds that springtime animals make and have them in the verses!)

Spring Morning 

Sung To: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"

This is the way the bunny hops, bunny hops, bunny hops,
This is the way the bunny hops,
On a spring time morning.

This is the way the blue bird flies...
This is the way the little chick walks......
This is the way the little duck swims......
This is the way the little lamb runs.....
This is the way the children play.....

Closing Song:

The More we Get Together

Today's Craft from 3dinosaurs.com

http://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/torn-paper-flowers/

I love this craft because it's open-ended, which encourages creativity. It uses left over paper, only requires glue and paper, and still uses fine motor without using scissors (which I love, but we can use new skills)

Other Recommended Stories:

The Twelve Days of Springtime by Deborah Lee Rose; Illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis

Hurray for Spring by Patricia Hubbell; Ill by Taia Morley

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson