Moms Club Story Time, 6/29/15

My June story time for the Moms Club got rained out earlier in the month, but we had a beautiful day for this rescheduled date. We had a great turn-out; our only complication was that the pavilion where we met was also being used by a local kids' tennis club. Thankfully, we were able to sneak in just after their snack time and before parents started coming to pick up their kids, so we didn't disturb them too much, and they didn't get in our way. (I do wish there was a way to know when that pavilion is being used. I don't think it can be reserved, so we are always guessing!)

The kids in attendance ranged in age from 1 month to 4 years, and I aimed for the middle of that age range, since most of the kids hovered between 18 months and 2 years. This is what I performed:

Hello Song with ukulele: Hello, how are you?

Song: If You'd Like to Read a Book

Book: Stanley the Farmer by William Bee
We have had this book for months, and I've been itching to spread the word about Stanley to my mom friends. I don't think anyone is as excited about this series as I am, but I was glad to be able to share it!

Flannel Board Song: Stanley's Tractor 
I used clipart from the publisher's website to make flannel board pieces to accompany Stanley the Farmer, then wrote up some lyrics to the tune Mary Wore Her Red Dress and shared it on my homemade handheld flannel board. The kids were probably the most interested in this one, and Little Miss Muffet only cried a little bit when I said she couldn't hold Stanley until we got home.

Book: Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
The oldest kids in the group liked this one a lot, and one little boy eagerly called out the names of the animals.

Song with Ukulele: Five Rowers in a Boat 
I learned this one for ukulele after hearing it on Spotify. The original song starts with eight rowers, but I cut it down to five for the sake of everyone's sanity.

Flannel Board Rhyme: Seven Snazzy Aunties
This rhyme used to work for me a few years ago, but at this story time, as in others toward the end of my time at the library, it was met with silence. I am not using it anymore. Really this time.

Book: The Bus is for Us by Michael Rosen
I don't like this quite as much as The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom, but I wanted to try it out since it's new. The kids seemed fairly into it, though I think it was too basic for the preschoolers and one book too many for the little guys.

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Song with Ukulele: ABCs
This was going to be my usual medley but the tennis kids returned to the pavilion just as the ABCs were coming to an end, so I cut us off and went right into the goodbye song.

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This 

I will have two more programs to post about in the month of July. This Friday, I'm doing a school-aged nature story time for the summer camp where my mom works, and later in the month, I'm hosting a ukulele sing-along for the Moms Club. I look forward to sharing those plans here on the blog!