Off We Go! Drop-In Story Time, 9/6/13
Song with Ukulele: Down by the Station
The verses of this song that I sang at this story time came from the book version by Jennifer Vetter. I asked the kids to name each mode of transportation before we sang each verse.
Book: Window Music by Anastasia Suen
I stopped using this book for a while, but it was the right amount of text for this antsy group, so I gave it another shot. The kids seemed interested in it, and I did my best to help them understand that the "window music" was the scenery going by outside the rain.
Rhyme: Here is the Engine
This is a decent fingerplay, and a great alternative to songs when you don't want to sing the entire story time.
Book: The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom
I opted for this book over School Bus by Donald Crews because I hoped the interactive element might engage the kids a bit more (and I already had a . Some of the kids did answer me when I asked if each vehicle was a bus, but most were a bit young for that.
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
This song brought down the house, partly because I haven't been using it.
Book: Harbor by Donald Crews
I found this Donald Crews gem in the non-fiction section and decided to try it out instead of Sail Away. I think I'd go back to Sail Away next time, but this was a nice opportunity to introduce some new vocabulary, and a couple of the preschool boys crept up to the front of the room to get a closer look at the pictures.
Song: Sailing Out to Sea in My Number One Sailboat
This song bombed because the kids didn't know their numbers. Most of the time, two- and three-year-olds eagerly shout out the numbers with me, but this was a younger crowd than normal.
Book: I Love Planes by Philemon Sturges
This went over well, probably because it wasn't very wordy and it had some rhyming. I like the moment near the end when it is revealed that the boy's mother is in space.
Song: Moon Moon Moon
Song: Mr. Sun
Songs with Ukulele: ABCs / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep
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.