Outreach Round-Up, 11/14/12 - 11/21/12

Public School Pre-K: Wednesday, 11/14
Books: The Grumpalump, The Day Ray Got Away, I'm Flying
Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, Hat Coat Pants and Shoes, These Are My Glasses
Game: Balloon Guessing Game (see here for details)
Notes: The theme was balloons. I'm Flying was an unexpected hit - not with everybody, but the kids who were into it were riveted.  I made up motions to go with The Grumpalump and it was hugely successful. The kids also had no idea it was a balloon until the end.

Public School Pre-K: Wednesday, 11/14
Books: The Grumpalump, The Day Ray Got Away 
Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, These Are My Glasses
Game: Balloon Guessing Game (see here for details)
Notes: This group was late coming back from PE, so we got cut short. Next time, though, I'll be  there in the morning, so it should be easier to get in a full session. 

Catholic School Pre-K: Thursday, 11/15
Books: The Grumpalump, Balloons Balloons Balloons, Molly Who Flew Away, Sally's Great Balloon Adventure
Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, Shake My Sillies Out,  These Are My Glasses 
Flannel Board: Five Balloons (to be featured on an upcoming Flannel Friday, hopefully!)

Catholic School 5th Grade: Thursday, 11/15 
Books: Frankenstein, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Notes: These books were not that funny to this age group. The choices were too juvenile, even if it might have made a nice lesson in parody.

Catholic School Kindergarten: Friday, 11/16 
Book: Little Bear
Song: Hat. Coat, Pants and Shoes
Notes: None of these kids knew of Little Bear, but by the end, they were in love. Birthday Soup was the favorite story of the session.

Catholic School 1st Grade: Friday, 11/16 
Book: I am the Turkey

Rec. Center Cooperative Play Program: Wednesday, 11/21
Books: When Autumn Falls, Growing Vegetable Soup, Little Red Hen, Thank You Thanksgiving
Songs: I Like Soup (based on Laurie Berkner's "I Feel Crazy"), Sing a Happy Song, Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon, If You're Thankful and You Know It, The Wheels on the Bus    
Rhymes: Corn Grows Tall, Two Little Turkeys
Notes: The kids loved singing about what they would put in soup. The funniest food ingredient they named was donuts. The funniest non-food ingredient was fire.  Two Little Turkeys was based on Two Little Blackbirds, but when the turkeys ran away, I said "gobble gobble gobble" and the kids just cracked up.

Drop-In Story Time, 11/20/12 (Thanksgiving Theme)

Friday's preschool story time was one of my best ever, and this Drop-In story time was one of the worst in history. I am stating right now that next year, I will not do a Thanksgiving story time for this age group. The books do not engage the kids or  the nannies, and no one wants to sing Over the River and Through the Woods. It's just not a toddler-friendly theme. In any case, here is what I presented to the large and restless Tuesday morning crowd.

Book: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
I was disappointed that the adults wouldn't help me say "And Bear says thanks" each time it came up.

Rhyme: We Are Thankful

Book: The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
I think the kids in my neighborhood are the only ones in the world who don't like Todd Parr, but they really do not. The books are too simple for the preschoolers and too sophisticated for the toddlers.

Song: Let's Be Thankful 
I found this song, which goes to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, here, and played it on the ukulele.


Let’s be thankful for this day,
For our friends and for our play.
Let’s be thankful; let’s be glad,
For the food and things we have.
Let’s give thanks for you and me,
And our home and family.


Song: If You're Thankful and You Know It
I was so desperate to regain control that I mentally rearranged the entire story time on the spot and stuck this song in there immediately. I did as many motions as I could think of while I decided what to do next.

Rhyme: Mr. Turkey
In the end, I decided to proceed with the turkey songs and ditch the rest of my books. Then we just sang favorites until story time was over.

Rhyme: Four Little Turkeys
I borrowed the text from Five Silly Turkeys, decreased the number of turkeys from five to four, and shared it on the flannel board. 

Flannel Board Song: We Eat Turkey

Flannel Board Song: Five Little Pumpkins Round
I was so glad I'd brought my pumpkins into the story room. They always love this one. 

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Song: Rum Sum Sum

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Song: Chickadee

One thing I will say about this story time is that a lot of kids did the motions to every song from Rum Sum Sum to the end, many more than I've ever noticed before. I'll call the story time a success on that front, but I will stick to a family theme this time next year!

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.