Our theme for this last week was homes and Miss T planned a fabulous storytime for us. The younger siblings in my group were super squirrelly this week, which was a bummer because this was a great storytime! I should have made an announcement at the beginning that parents should please take upset or distracted children out for a little break. That may have helped. Oh, well! Here's what I did:
Opening Song: My Hands Say Hello. This has been a big hit with the kids and they were singing it along with me this week!
Memory Box: This week's Memory Box item was a possum from the book Purple Little Bird by Greg Foley.
Book: A New House for Mouse by Petr Horacek. I love this cute story and the colorful illustrations, but in retrospect it was very similar to Purple Little Bird (which had our Memory Box item), so I probably should have chosen something else. Both books were a tad long with all the super squirrelly little sibs in the room, too.
Felt: A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman. This rhyming book is really fun, but a bit long for storytime. Miss T turned a few verses into a felt story.
Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. This group definitely needed to stand up and stretch, so I threw in one of my favorite songs. I always do it slow, fast, and then SUPERFAST!!!! And to sit back down...
Rhyme: Handy Spandy
Handy spandy sugar and candy,
We all jump IN!
Handy spandy sugar and candy,
We all jump OUT!
Handy spandy sugar and candy,
We all jump UP!
Handy spandy sugar and candy,
We all SIT DOWN!
Book: Purple Little Bird by Greg Foley. This is a very colorful story and I think the illustrations are super cute. This book has possums in it, which were our Memory Box item this week.
Felt: Mr. Pine's Purple House by Leonard Kessler. Another story about a purple house! This storytime really made me want a purple house of my own...
Felt Activity: Miss T made felt pieces for all different kinds of homes (houses, apartments, mobile homes, barns, nests, etc.) and I passed them out to the kids. As I called for different types of homes, we built our neighborhood.
Closing Song: Do You Know What Time It Is? Since we use this song for baby storytime, toddler storytime, and preschool storytime, it's a very familiar song for most of our kids!
Craft: H is for Home.
Alternate Books: If you don't like or don't have any of the books I used, here are some others you might try!
Building a House by Byron Barton
Do Lions Live on Lily Pads? by Melanie Walsh (I had this one pulled, but ran out of time!)
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson
In a People House by Dr. Seuss
Look Inside a Pueblo by Jenny Moss (or other Pebble Plus Look Inside books)