Thursday, October 17, 2013

Toddler Story Time - Happy Birthday!


My birthday was this past weekend so I couldn't think of anything better than to celebrate with a birthday story time!

Books I read...

If You Give a Pig a Party By Laura Numeroff

Love these books!  If you give a pig a party, be prepared to buy more than just balloons!  The noise level in the room was a bit high during this story, so I hurried up through part of it.  But, many of kids enjoyed this silly tale.

Brownie and Pearl Step Out By Cynthia Rylant

This is the second time I have used this series of books during story time.  The illustrations are super cute and the stories are just the right length.  Brownie overcomes her shyness to have a great time at a party (Thanks to the help of her cat Pearl!). 

Where is Baby's Birthday Cake?  By Karen Katz

Thank goodness I picked a board book to end this story time!  We partied right up to the third book.  A longer book would not have worked.  I even had a special helper lift the flaps in the book for me! 

How it went...

The action rhyme A Birthday started this party off right.  (Thanks to Storytime Katie!  There are so many wonderful ideas on her blog!).  This great rhyme had us baking our birthday cake! 
A Birthday
Today is everyone's birthday
Let's make us a cake  (form cake with hands)
Mix and stir, stir and mix  (stir)
Then into the oven to bake  (push hands out)
Here's our cake so nice and round  (make a circle)
We frost it green and white  (spread frosting)
We put five candles on it  (hold up hand)
To make a birthday bright!

Another great birthday action rhyme is Make a Wish.  (Thanks Upper Arlington Public Library!)  This rhyme was nice and short for toddlers.  We did it a couple times.  I love to repeat the shorter rhymes.  They are able to be much more successful the second (or third) time.  And they really enjoyed blowing out their "candles"!
Make a Wish
Big birthday cake  (make huge circle with arms)
Ice cream in a dish  (cup hands)
Here are the candles  (wiggle fingers on one hand)
Now make a wish!  (blow and make fingers into a fist)

It was Mouse's birthday during Flannel Time this week.  What does a mouse want for her birthday?  Why cheese of course!  Check out the complete flannel story here!  
 
The last action rhyme of the morning was Five Birthday Candles.  (A birthday high five to Perry Public Library for another great idea!)  The little ones were already familiar with blowing out pretend candles so this went really well. 
Five Birthday Candles
Five birthday candles  (hold up five fingers)
Wish there were more
Blow one out  (blow quickly)
Then there are four
Four birthday candles
Pretty as can be
Blow one out  (blow quickly)
Then there are three
Three birthday candles
Mother bought them new
Blow one out  (blow quickly)
Then there are two
Two birthday candles
Birthday cakes are fun
Blow one out  (blow quickly)
Then there was one
One birthday candle
A birthday wish in fun
Blow it out  (blow slowly)
Then there are none
 
We finished story time with a lively rendition of If You're Happy and You Know It.  We went through a few different verses and blew out our "candles" one more time just for fun. 

This group was full of birthday energy! Maybe it was from blowing out so many candles?   It got a little loud here and there, but it is so much fun watching them enjoying themselves! 
 
 
 

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