Last week, I kicked off a series of blog posts in which I'll be sharing story time starters for preschoolers inspired by the Fizz, Boom, READ! summer reading theme. Last week's post began with the basics - the five senses. This week, I'm moving on to the concept of temperature, with a specific focus on the differences between hot and cold.
Miss Katie's Recommended Books
- Temperature by Kay Manolis
This basic non-fiction title explains the concepts of hot and cold using photos and basic child-directed text. Depending on the age of the preschoolers, it might be necessary to pick and choose sections of the book to read. (An alternative to this book for libraries with older/deeper collections might be Temperature and You by Betsy and Giulio Maestro, but this title is out of print and not even listed on Goodreads!) - Hot Air (The Mostly True Story of the First Hot Air Balloon Ride) by Marjorie Priceman
Join the animals who were lucky enough to take the first-ever hot air balloon ride in 1783. Parts of the story have been fictionalized, but it's an excellent read-aloud, and the illustrations invite all kinds of commentary and discussion from the kids. Depending on the age of the kids, you might even get into a discussion about the inner workings of hot air balloons. - Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
In the heat of the summer, this chilly tale will be most welcome at story time! Kids will enjoy seeing the various ways the townspeople in the story keep warm, and they will get the giggles as the icicle on the nose of the statue in the heart of town gets longer and longer as the cold snap wears on.
Other Possible Books
- Heat Wave by Eileen Spinelli
- Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English
- Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
- There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro
- Cold Little Duck Duck Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (any version)
- Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling
- Ten-Gallon Bart Beats the Heat by Susan Stevens Crummel
- Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
- Stanley Goes for a Drive by Craig Frazier
Rhymes and Songs
- Rhyme: Frozen is the Lake
I wrote this simple fingerplay based on Blue is the Lake. If you repost it, please provide credit and a link to this blog. - Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Shoes
This song is all about what keeps us warm in Winter. You can also change the words to Visor, Tee Shirt, Shorts, and Shoes for a warm-weather -focused verse. I wrote this one as well, so please credit me if you repost or print. - Song: Pigs in the Mud
This song is about pigs keeping themselves cool by rolling in the mud.
Games
- Hot or Cold? Sorting Game
Have the kids help sort objects into hot and cold categories. Kim at Destination Storytime has a great post about this type of activity, complete with a photo of the flannel board pieces she created. For those who prefer clipart, there is a great set of cards of hot and cold objects available here. - Hot Potato
Quickly pass around a ball, bean bag, or other object while music plays in the background. ("Hot Potato" by the Wiggles would be a fun choice.) Stop the music periodically - the child holding the "potato" when the music stops is out. This is a good game to play at the end of the story time, so that kids who are "out" can either head to their parents or transition to any coloring activity or craft you might have planned. - Getting Warmer
Hide an object in the story room. Ask the children to begin searching for it. Let them know when they are "colder" or "warmer" as they get closer to or further from the hiding place. (This would work best with a group of ten kids or less who are not new to story time and whose names you know.)
Visit These Blogs for More Ideas
- In the Children's Room: Theme Thursday: Baby It's Cold Outside
- Storytime Katie: Winter
- Mrs. Andre's Library: Summer Theme Story Time
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