Family Story Time, 9/22/21 (Farm Theme)

After almost a two-year hiatus, I'm back to doing story time once again. This time around, I'm performing story times in my basement every other Wednesday, and I've invited four other families to join me. We kicked off the season with a very small group: my five kids, ages 7, 5, 3, 18 months and 18 months, and one other family with a 3-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy. (The age range for the story time has been advertised as 5 and under, but my big kids will always happily participate when the group is small). I decided to start with a favorite September theme, the farm. 

Opening Song (with ukulele): Story Time is Starting, Clap Your Hands 

Book: Early One Morning by Mem Fox, illustrated by Christine Davenier
This book relies a little too heavily on the illustrations for me, and I did prompt the kids early on to realize that the boy is looking for eggs. Once we established that fact, they were very happy to let me know that of course gates, trucks, cows, sheep, etc. do not lay them. My older girls also thought the little boy was cute.

Song with Puppets: When Cows Get Up in the Morning
We sang this song with the Melissa & Doug puppets of a a horse, a pig, a sheep, and a cow. I intentionally ended with the cow to transition into the next book. 

Book: Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
For this book, I introduced the refrain of "Click clack moo, clickety clack moo, click clack moo" before I started reading and had everyone practice so they'd be ready to join in when it occurred in the story. It worked great!

Song: Milkshake Song 
I learned this song from Songs for Wiggleworms. My two oldest daughters demonstrated the movements for us. On the way home, my friend texted that her son fell asleep in the car and it was probably this song that did it. Haha.

Book: Stanley the Farmer by William Bee
This is one of my favorite Stanley books. I made sure to point out our family favorite, Little Woo, on every page. 

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down on My Little Red Tractor 
I took the words I normally use for Bumpin' Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon, and just changed wagon to tractor in every verse. Piggyback songs are great for new audiences - it makes it so easy for them to join in with the singing.  

Book: Barn at Night by Michelle Houts and Jen Betton
We ended with this gentle book about what happens in a barn at night. The 2-year-old boy had a lot to say about the pictures, and everyone loved the horses.

Song: Goodnight 

We sang Laurie Berkner's "Goodnight" to each of the animal puppets I introduced at the beginning, bringing the story time full circle.

Closing Song (with ukulele): Story Time is Over, Clap Your Hands 

Family Story Time, 9/23/19 (Farm Theme)

I offered story time twice a month from the end of September to mid-December, but between morning sickness (I'm expecting twins in March) and homeschooling, I never got around to posting the plans. Here's what we did at my first fall story time back in September, when the theme was farms.

Opening Song:  Story Time is Starting

Song with finger puppets: Over in the Barnyard

Book: This is the Farmer by Nancy Tafuri

Song: The Milkshake Song

Book: Big Fat Hen by Kevin Henkes

Action Rhyme: Five Eggs and Five Eggs

Song: Stop and Go

Book: Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down on My Little Red Tractor

Book: Moo Moo Brown Cow Have You Any Milk? by Phillis Gershator, illustrated by Giselle Potter

Song with finger puppets: Goodnight

Closing Song: Story Time is Over

Down on the Farm Preschool Story Time, 3/22/13

Down on the Farm Preschool Story Time, 3/22/13

This story time has been great the past few weeks, but this particular session was a bit more subdued and it was hard to tell whether the kids were having any fun. I also should have chosen different books - I was trying to get some new ones into my repertoire, but the old favorites would have worked  a lot better.

Book: I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman
A couple of kindergarteners came with younger siblings and they were able to anticipate each rhyming color in this cumulative story. I worried that the ending, which relies heavily on the illustration to make its point, would be too subtle for a read-aloud, and I was pretty much right. It ends on an odd and unsatisfying note and the kids picked up on that.

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake
They got surprisingly into this rhyme - I so wish I knew ten more like it! 

Book: Pip's Trip by Janet Stoeke
This is basically an easy reader in picture book format, and as such, it wasn't as good a read-aloud as I imagined.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out

Nursery Rhyme Flannel Board: To Market, To Market 
I used the farm animal flannel board  pieces I use for Old MacDonald and had the kids help me make silly rhymes with each animal's name to match the pattern and rhythm of "To Market, To Market". While I thought "jiggety jenguin" and "jiggety jelephant" were hilarious, the kids did not.
Book: Dance by the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder
This book was a dud, which shocked me. I think the older siblings thought it was babyish, and the little ones took their cues from them. I have had great luck with this one with three-year-olds in the past!

Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Shoes
A little girl whose class I regularly visit requested this song - it wound up being the highlight of the session!

Craft: Farmer Finger Puppets
I printed out clip art farmers, had the kids  color and cut them out. Then we taped them to old marker caps and turned them into finger puppets. Sounds easy, but attaching the puppets to marker caps stumped even the parents!

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.

Down on the Farm Drop-In Story Time, 3/22/13

Down on the Farm Drop-In Story Time, 3/22/13

Book: Who Am I? Farm Animals
The thing I love most about this book is the suggestions for ways the kids can move. Unfortunately, there were so many people at story time on Friday morning, I had to skip that part so none of the kids would hurt themselves!

Rhyme with Stick Puppets: I Went to Visit the Farm One Day


Book: Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
This would have been better as the first book. The rhythm and rhyme are spot-on, though, and the large-sized board book actually made it possible to share with a large group.

Flannel Board Song: The Farmer in the Dell
"The cheese stands alone" is my favorite line from any children's song. I'm always bummed when we get to that part, and I'm the only one who laughs.

Book: Moo Moo Brown Cow by Jakki Wood
This would be the perfect toddler lap time book, but I didn't have toddler lap time this week, so I tried it here instead. The adults didn't really count with me as they normally do, and  that seemed to keep the kids from being that interested either.

Letter of the Day: M

• Song with Puppets: I’m a Little Monkey
• Song: Moon Moon Moon
• Song with ukulele: Muffin Man
• Flannel Board Rhyme: Down Around the Corner (with muffins)

Song with ukulele: ABCs / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big
The kids love this rhyme. I might start using it every week. 

Song: Monkeys on the Bed

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It 

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.

Down on the Farm Baby Lap Time, 3/21/13

 Down on the Farm Baby Lap Time, 3/21/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: I Love You a Bushel and a Peck illustrated by Rosemary Wells
I opted not to sing this one, and I have no idea whether people even realized it was a song. My grandma used to sing this to me when I was little, and I always got a kick out of it. Alas, I think these folks just thought it was a poorly written picture book.

Song with Stick Puppets: Baa Baa Black Sheep
I did this song stick puppets and changed the color of the sheep each time through. This particular group of babies LOVED puppets.

Rhyme with Puppet: Dickery, Dickery Dare
This was surprisingly well-received and at least one person in the room besides me seemed to know it. 

Book: Animal Sounds by Aurelius Battaglia
I know these types of books seem lame to adults, but the babies were wide-eyed the whole time.

Song with Puppets: All the Cows Say...

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: Row Your Boat

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

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.

Down on the Farm Drop-In Story Time, 3/19/13

 Down on the Farm Drop-In Story Time, 3/19/13

Song with Puppets: When Cows Get Up in the Morning

Book: Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails by Nancy Tafuri
This book has perfect illustrations for large groups, but the guessing game aspect didn't quite catch on.

Song: Over in the Barnyard
The actions to this one didn't seem to click with the kids. I might work on simplifying them for future uses.

Book: Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig and Marc Brown
This book is always hit or miss. This week it was miss.



Rhyme with Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle

Book: Cows in the Kitchen by June Crebbin
I was so glad I had a book to sing, because they were so restless, and this engaged everyone again. Most of the adults sang along, and I saw some kids giggling.

Letter of the Day: L

• Rhyme: Blue is the Lake
• Song with Flannel Board: Mary Had a Little Lamb
• Rhyme  with Puppet: Ladybug

Song: Hands up High

Song: Chickadee

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It 


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.

Toddler Lap Time, 11/9/12

This toddler lap time session was much better than Thursday's, but I still had the feeling I was just bombing. This stuff would all work for the big drop-in story times, though, so I can definitely reuse it.

Rhyme: This is Big Big Big

Book: Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails by Nancy Tafuri

Flannel Board: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Song with Puppets: When Cows Get Up in the Morning

Song: Way Up in the Sky
 

Book: Rise and Shine by Nancy White Carlstrom

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Flannel Board: The Farmer in the Dell

Book: When the Rooster Crowed by Patricia Lillie

Song: Head and Shoulders, Baby 

Songs with Shaker Eggs: 

• Shake Your Sillies Out 
• Can You Shake Your Egg With Me? 
• Shaking Your Shaker

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.

Preschool Story Time, 9/19

I am very late posting this, so no time for commentary today! The only thing I will say is that I forgot the clock in the story time room is fast and went over my usual half hour by a few minutes. I also don't recommend the farm theme for preschoolers. It went okay, but they were somewhat beyond making animal sounds.

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?
 
Song: If You'd Like to Read a Book

Book: My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor (2011)

Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm (a cappella, with puppets)

Book: Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown (2011)

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Song: Hands Are For Clapping 

Flannel Board Song: A-P-P-L-E

There is a fruit  

that's good to eat 

and apple is its name-oh!

A-P-P-L-E

A-P-P-L-E

A-P-P-L-E

And apple is its name-oh!

Flannel Board Rhyme: Five Little Apples

Song: Tommy Thumb

Song: The Wheels on the Bus (Raffi)

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: Chickadee

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This


A full description of this, and all my weekly story time programs can be found here.