dancing

Elephant and Piggie Storytime!

I LOVE Elephant and Piggie!!! I really wanted to do a special storytime for my community. I even tried to get the Piggie and Elephant costumes, but the costumes were not available for my Friday. However, I decided to still rock it.

Outfit

My super awesome t-shirt. REPRESENTING!

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Crafts

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Elephant and Piggie paperbag puppets. Templates are found at Three Little Birds.

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This was an leftover craft from one of my coworker’s storytimes. It actually worked perfectly for this storytime. I think it was slightly more popular than the paperbag puppets.

Photo Opportunities

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We have an awesome volunteer who can free hand images. She was able to create our own photo op from a pinterest picture that I found. I would still be trying to outline the first character.

I made the pig nose and elephant nose out of cardboard. The glasses are out of pipe cleaners.

Line-Up

Opening

If you’re an elephant and you know it, shake your ears…
If you’re an elephant and you know it, blow your nose…
If you’re a pig and you know it, say oink, oink…
If you’re a pig and you know it, wiggle your tail…

First Book

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First Activity

Form banana, form form banana. (Arms above head in banana shape.)
Form banana, form form banana.
Peel banana, peel, peel banana. (One arm down.)
Peel banana, peel, peel banana. (Other arm down.)
Go bananas! Go, go bananas! (Jump up and go bananas.)
Go bananas! Go, go bananas!

Form an orange, form, form an orange. (Lift arms above head.)
Form an orange, form, form an orange.
Peel an orange, peel, peel an orange. (Lower one arm.)
Peel an orange, peel, peel an orange. (Lower other arm.)
Squeeze an orange, squeeze, squeeze an orange. (Squeeze your body)
Squeeze an orange, squeeze, squeeze an orange.

Form potato, form, form potato. (Form potato by raising arms above head.)
Form potato, form, form potato.
Peel potato, peel, peel potato. (Lower one arm.)
Peel potato, peel, peel potato. (Lower other arm.)
Mash potato, mash, mash potato. (Stomp, jump on floor for these verses.)
Mash potato, mash, mash potato.

Form banana, form form banana. (Arms above head in banana shape.)
Form banana, form form banana.
Peel banana, peel, peel banana. (One arm down.)
Peel banana, peel, peel banana. (Other arm down.)
Go bananas! Go, go bananas! (Jump up and go bananas.)
Go bananas! Go, go bananas!

This is the video that I followed.

Second Book

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I incorporated an activity while reading this book. I had props (map, bags, sunglasses, umbrella, and a pirate hat) that I would pull out during the story.

Third Book

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Final Activity

Since Piggie and Elephant look at the stars, I thought it was only appropriate that we did something with stars. I gave each child two stars and then we sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I then found music and we danced with our stars.

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Observations

I would definitely do this storytime again. However, I would probably recommend preschool and older. I had some wee little ones in my storytime who had some serious wiggles. Regardless, this was a blast.

Fall 2014–Preschool

Opening Song

If You Want to Hear a Story
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!

Props

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A basket of leaves!

Books

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Aw, Nuts by Rob McClurkan
Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

Rhyme

Autumn Leaves
Tune: London Bridge

Autumn Leaves are falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
Autumn Leaves are falling down,
Red, yellow, orange, and brown.
Source: Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker

Action Rhymes

Grey Squirrel

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Wrinkle up your funny nose
Hold a nut between your toes
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Source:Kidz Sparkz

Scamper Little Squirrel

Scamper, scamper little squirrel, (run in place)
Up the tree, (reach up high)
And down again. (touch the ground).
Grab an acorn. (pretend to grab something with one hand.)
Grab that peanut. (pretend to grab something with your other hand).
Stuff them in your puffy cheeks. (Point to your cheeks as you puff them out).
Swish your tail. (wiggle your bottom).
Look around. (look around with one hand above eyes).
Coast is clear, scamper up that tree again. (run in place).
Source: Artsy Toddler Storytimes by Carol Garnett Hopkins

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball (make a big circle overhead)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Source:SurLaLune Storytime

I’m a Little Pumpkin
tune: I’m a Little Tea Pot

I’m a little pumpkin orange and round.  (hold arms in circle)
Here is my stem, (place fist upon head)
There is the ground (point down)
When I get all cup up. (“cut palm with opposite hand)
Don’t you shout! (shake head and point finger)
Just open me up (open top of head)
And scoop me out! (scoop out tummy)
source:m/rcpl Family Zone

Flannel Boards

Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

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This flannel board has been done many different ways. I decided to add my own twist and make the tree a Wisconsin one. This template was also nice in that when the leaves fell down it actually looked like a pile of leaves around the base of the tree.

Little Acorn, Little Acorn

Little acorn, little acorn where are you hiding?
Are you hiding behind the _______ squirrel.

Source: I did my own version of the little mouse flannel board.

photo 3   photo 4 (1)

Take Home Craft

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Dance Song

The Twist by Chubby Checker

Closing Goodbye Song

We Wave Goodbye Like This
Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”

We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends.
We wave goodbye like this.

Observations

My preschool storytime was completely different from my toddler session. While the toddlers were having none of it, the preschoolers were completely focused. It might be that I waited to do the rhyme “Autumn Leaves” at the end of storytime.

The books went really well. The kids liked to guess where the squirrel was going next in his pursuit of the perfect acorn in Aw, Nuts! The kids also chuckled through Pumpkin Trouble. To help make the story even more fun, I covered my mouth so it sounded like my voice was echoing when duck was talking.

The flannel boards were also fun. I do think the parents got the Wisconsin themes just a tad better than the kids. I heard quite a few chuckles, but the kids were still able to tell me that the leaves were wrong. I did do the Little Acorn flannel with the preschoolers. They enjoyed it as much as my two-year-olds.

My grand finale included singing “Autumn Leaves” and throwing the leaves. The preschoolers received an A+++ for helping me clean up afterwards.

Fall 2014–Toddlers

Opening Song

If You Want to Hear a Story
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story,
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!

Props

photo 2

A basket of leaves!

Books

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Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
The Busy Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri

Rhyme

Autumn Leaves
Tune: London Bridge

Autumn Leaves are falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
Autumn Leaves are falling down,
Red, yellow, orange, and brown.
Source: Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker

Action Rhymes

Grey Squirrel

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Wrinkle up your funny nose
Hold a nut between your toes
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail!
Source:Kidz Sparkz

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball (make a big circle overhead)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Source:SurLaLune Storytime

The leaves are falling down today

The leaves are falling down today, hurrah, hurrah!
(flutter hands downward).
The leaves are falling down today, hurrah, hurrah!
The leave are falling to the ground,
(touch the ground).
Where I can Jump and play around. (jump).
Oh, the leaves are falling down, to the ground, where I can…
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
source: Artsy Toddler Storytimes by Carol Garnett Hopkins

Flannel Board

Little Acorn, Little Acorn

Little acorn, little acorn where are you hiding?
Are you hiding behind the _______ squirrel.

Source: I did my own version of the little mouse flannel board.

photo 3   photo 4 (1)

Take Home Craft

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Dance Song

The Twist by Chubby Checker

Closing Goodbye Song

We Wave Goodbye Like This
Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”

We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends.
We wave goodbye like this.

Observations

Alright, I learned a valuable lesson with this storytime. DO NOT throw leaves at the beginning of the storytime, as two-year-olds will think that the leaves are way cooler than anything you planned.

I opened my storytime with the rhyme “Autumn Leaves” and threw my pile of leaves the second time I sung it. This of course led the kids to wanting to play in it. I made my second rookie mistake by thinking that I could read the book while the leaves where still on the floor. After the first book I had all the kids help me clean up my leaves. This actually went really well. Almost all of my kids wanted to help me clean up the leaves.

The books were more meh. The leaves completely overshadowed my storytime. I did have one little girl who was attentively listening and I had her help me tap for Tap the Magic Tree. Busy Squirrel crashed and burned. I stopped half-way through and said that the busy squirrel was busy because he was trying to find his acorn. This is where I was able to redeem my storytime.

The kids became completely quiet for the Little Acorn flannel board. We did the rhyme twice through since the kids really liked it. I then said that it wasn’t fair that only one squirrel had the acorn and gave each squirrel their own acorn.  I received a few aaahhhhs from the parents when all the squirrels had their acorns.

Dancing

Opening Song

“Let’s All Clap”

Let’s all clap cause _____ is here,
____ is here, _____ is here
Let’s all clap cause _____ is here.
____ is here today!
(insert child’s name)

 

Traditional Rhyme

“If You’re Bouncy”

If you’re bouncy and you know it, give a bounce.
If you’re bouncy and you know it, give a bounce.
If your bouncy and you know it, give a bounce, then your bounce will surely show it,
If you’re bouncy and you know it, give a bounce.

If you’re wiggly…
If you’re cuddly…

Source:Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Bounces, Rhymes, Tickles and More by Kathy MacMillan & Christine Kirker

 

Book

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Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont

 

Sensory Time

Parents/Guardians danced with their baby to the “Baby” from the cd, Jazz Pour Le Bebes.

 

Fun Rhyme With Fact

“Clapping”

Clapping Little,
Clapping Big,
Clap in a circle, rig-a-jig, jig
Clap with a smile,
Clap with a frown,
Clapping up and down.
Clap all night,
Clap all day,
Clap for my baby,
Hip-hip-hooray!

Fact: Clapping rhymes stimulate the nerves of the palms. This will eventually help develop muscles that will later be used for writing.

Source:Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Boucnes, Rhymes, Tickles and More by Kathy Macmillan & Chrstine Kirker

 

Book Bounding

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Counting Kisses by Karen Katz

This is essentially my closing of storytime. I read the story and the parents/guardians give their babies the designated number of kisses.

 

Playtime

 

Observations

This was a really fun baby storytime. All the parents/guardians enjoyed the “If you’re bouncy rhyme.” We ended up repeating it several times.

The book was actually a hit with the babies. The babies actually all stopped and listened to me read the story. I think all the adults (myself included) were surprised, since the book is a tad bit longer.

The dancing was so much fun. I mentioned that parents/guardians should stop every few moments to allow their babies to mentally process the movements and keep them stimulated. Constant swaying and movement will actually make their baby tune out to their surroundings.