Preschool Story Time 10/7/14

I'm going through my backlog of story times to put on the blog, so this one was from ages ago. Still good to have a record, though...

Opening Song: Oh Hey, Oh Hi, Hello

Book: Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

This was a good one to start with. The kids thought it was funny and I liked playing up my grumpy voice. 

Flannelboard Song: B-I-N-G-O

Book: Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

I thought this would be a nice tie-in to grumpy bird, what with the whole grumpy theme going in this book, too, but it turned out to be too much of the same thing. Both good books, I think, just maybe not at the same Story Time. 

Dance: Silly Dance Contest

I sing this Jim Gill song a cappella, since I never play recorded music in Story Time. It works well to sing it, and I can modify the verses: jump, spin, clap, stomp, stretch, dancing slowly, dancing fast. I always thought it was weird that he didn't end with fast dancing on the recording, as that's always the favorite. 

Dance/Settle: Jump Up, Turn Around

Another Jim Gill classic that I love singing. I do the regular verse, then we do it with our hands in the air, our eyes closed, and holding our breath. I end by doing the regular verse very slowly then speeding it up verse by verse and ending with "Jump up, turn around, clap your hands, sit back down!" so it's a great settling down rhyme as well. 

Flannel Story: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

I told this story to my Toddler group, too, and maybe it was just my crowds that day (I have both story times on the same day), but it seemed too complex for the Toddlers and too easy for the Preschoolers. I will have to try it again, because it's such a favorite story of mine. 

Dance: Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes

Book: Rrralph by Lois Ehlert

I thought this book was funny, but I wasn't sure it would work as a read-a-loud. Maybe I cursed myself with my second guessing, but it went right over my kids' heads. Perhaps I didn't read it right....? I think this book could be very successful if done properly, i.e., not by me. :-)

Fingerplay: I Wiggle wiggle wiggle*

Flannelboard/Stuffed Animal Story: Bear's Picture

I use flannel pieces and my stuffed animal menagerie to retell a version of Frank Asch's Bread and Honey. It brought down the house with my first grade class visit, but I think the final silly picture may have been too absurd or too scary for the littler ones. 

Closing Song: We wave goodbye like this

All in all, a "meh" story time. The kids were great listeners even when they weren't quite connecting to the material, so the session wasn't a total disaster. 

* I Wiggle wiggle wiggle
I wiggle wiggle wiggle my fingers
I wiggle wiggle wiggle my toes
I wiggle wiggle wiggle my shoulders
I wiggle wiggle wiggle my nose
I wiggle up at the ceiling
I wiggle down at the ground
I wiggle in a circle
And I put my hands down.