Preschool Story Time - Cats!

Here at the Village, we are no strangers to using cats in our story times.  With a perfect plethora of material, the options are endless.  Quite frankly, I had little time to prepare for this one - but no matter!  What I lacked in planning I made up for in execution!  Here I will show what my plan actually was, then add some alternatives pulled from other story times we have done at Library Village.  I hope you enjoy them!

So What's it Like to be a Cat? - Karla Kuskin

In this darling book written in verse, a young boy asks his cat "What's it like to be a cat?"  The boy continues to interview his cat and discovers what his days are like.

Finger Play - a Kitten

A kitten is fast asleep under a chair (hide thumb under one hand).   

And Donald can’t find her anywhere!

He’s looked everywhere (Fingers circle eyes to look).   

Under a table (look under one hand).   

Under a bed (look under the other hand) 

He looked in a corner and then Donald said: “Come Kitty, Come Kitty (hands up to mouth) 

This milk is for you! (cup hands like a bowl) 

And out came the kitty calling “Mew Mew” (thumb walks across lap)

 


Or if you prefer, Miss Kristie completely rocked it with her Hey Diddle Diddle Felt Set:

 Click HERE for more on the Hey Diddle Diddle Set!

The Three Little Kittens - Galdone

This is an absolute classic nursery rhyme.  Paul Galdone has renewed many classic rhymes and tales with his fresh illustrations.  With this particular book, you can do the text a number of ways.  You can read it, of course, you can sing it, or you can do it as a felt set or finger play.  Check out some YouTube videos on how the tune goes.  It is really quite simple.  Truth be told, I learned a completely different tune growing up, so I left a lot of mom's baffled.  Luckily I could switch over to the 'right' tune so I could have moms sing along with me.

Activity - Matching Mittens

This activity couldn't come at a better time as we finish the The Little Kittens book and song!  Because imitation is the best form of compliment, I humbly snitched this idea from Storytime Katie.  I even used her photo from her blog because, quite frankly, I didn't improve any on this activity!!  Storytime Katie is the best and I thank her for providing me with some of 'my' best ideas.   Please visit Storytime Katie's Blog for more.

For this game, I handed out one of each of the mittens (mine were laminated paper mittens actually) and had the mitten mates on the clothes line behind me.  One by one (and not in any order), I pointed to one and asked who had the matching mitten?  Then the child could come up and place the mitten under the clothes pin with its mate.  The preschoolers had a really great time with this activity.

Pete The Cat - Eric Litwin

Alternate Felt Set for Pete The Cat!

This is the full set for Pete The Cat - I Love My White Shoes that I made quite a long time ago.  With so many kids in story time, he needed so many shoes so everyone could participate.

BUT -  I also made another Pete set with a standing Pete.  There are fewer shoes, but more options to use Pete with his other picture books:

Click HERE  for more on this set!


Did you hear the one about Grumpy Cat!  Immortalized in felt!

Click HERE for how I used this piece in story time.

Cat Secrets - Jeff Czekaj

I am a huge fan of Jan Thomas and really enjoy books where the characters appear to speak right to the reader.  Cat Secrets is written in the same vein.  The little listeners leave the book feeling like they tricked the cat into spilling all of their secrets.  Fun!

Craft - 3 Little Kittens Puppets

This is just a sample of the die-cuts I had available for the children to create their own Three Little Kittens puppet set.  I let them decorate them any way they wanted.  They made as many as they wanted too.  I wanted to encourage story retelling.  Definitely not a fancy craft, but sometimes the easy ones for us are the most enjoyable ones for the little ones.

Thanks for stopping by!

Story Time Crafts - Dyed Pasta!

Miss Sue and I have both jumped into the world of dyed pasta for various children's programs, and it is always a hit! Dying pasta is inexpensive, easy to do, and really spices up those boring old macaroni necklaces!

Let's break it down - You'll need:
Pasta - any variety (not cooked)
Rubbing alcohol
Food coloring
Large plastic storage bags (like Ziploc)
A liquid measuring cup
A 1 cup measuring cup

These directions come from Real Life at Home, and are very easy to follow!

Pasta and measuring cup at the ready!

 

Either gel or liquid food coloring works just fine.

Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol into your gallon bag, and add several drops of food coloring.

Swish the bag around to mix well.

 

Step 2: Measure 1 to 2 cups of dry pasta and add to the bag.

(I used 1 cup for the elbows because they're smaller, and 2 cups for the rigatoni)



Swish some more to cover the pasta in dye!

 

Step 3: Zip up the bag (push the extra air out first) and lay it flat. Try to make sure the pasta is in a single layer.

I laid my bags in foil-lined pans, just in case any liquid leaked out (None did!).

 



Step 4: Flip the bags over about every half hour or so until they've reached the desired color. This is not an exact science - the world will not end if you don't flip them at exactly the 30 minute mark. (Or, say, if you happen to be a very sleepy, pregnant librarian who fell asleep after only flipping them once, and realized it the next morning. Whoops!)

 

 I made 6 different colors in about 30 minutes. Pink, orange, and yellow all dyed the fastest (within 2 to 3 hours), while blue and purple took quite a while longer (purple takes FOREVER).  Green was somewhere in the middle.

 

Step 5: Line those same pans with paper towels or newspaper, and dump your finished pasta onto them to dry. They will probably need to dry overnight.

 

Miss Sue and I each did this at home on our own time, but you could definitely do it at the library if you have somewhere to lay the bags where no one will mess with them. It sound messy but it really isn't at all.  You could even recruit some teen volunteers to help. It's kind of a fun science experiment!

 

 Think of all you can do with that glorious dyed pasta!

 

Rainbow necklaces!

This is great for practicing fine motor skills with preschoolers and Kindergartners!

 



It's also WONDERFUL for sensory play with babies and toddlers! Just make sure they don't eat it :o)

 

Now don't you want to go dye some pasta before your next story time? Try it out and let us know how it goes!

 

-Miss Kristen



Flannel Friday - A Cowboy Dresses Himself With Care

I just posted my Horsie Story Time, but I had to contribute my Cowboy to Flannel Friday!  Click HERE for the full story time and my best craft EVER!  But for now....

Dress The Cowboy

I found the following poem on THIS WEBSITE.  Actually there are tons of resources out there for a Western story time, and I really recommend this site.  Seeing that they suggested to make the pieces out of felt, that is exactly what I did.  This is in my EARLY days of felting as you can see by my use of markers instead of puffy paint.  I suggest you read the poem aloud and wait for responses from the group.  They will love participating!

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care.

He starts with long, red ______(UNDERWEAR).

Out in the desert, you don't want to get hurt, 

So the cowboy wears a strong wool ______(SHIRT).

Deserts and prairies are the cowboy's scenes;

To protect his legs, he wears sturdy blue______(JEANS).

The cowboy bent, and ran, and knelt.

To keep his pants up, he wore a leather ______(BELT).

The coyote howls, the old owl hoots.

On his feet, he wears leather ______(BOOTS).

It isn't yellow, so it's not a banana;

Around his neck, he wears a soft ______(BANDANA).

A cowboy is a cowboy, and that is that!

On top of his head, he wore a ten-gallon ______(HAT).

He's all dressed from head to feet,

And now our cowboy can't be beat! 

And here he is dressed! I let the kids each have a piece and let them place the pieces on the cowboy when we got to their piece.  They loved it.  I even left the pieces up for after story time play.

I think kids love to play dress up, and felt is a great medium.  I want to thank Brooke from Reading With Red for hosting Flannel Friday this week.   If you need more information on how you can get involved with the Flannel Friday community, CLICK HERE. Or you can find Flannel Friday on their Facebook page, by following #FlannelStorytime on Twitter or on Pinterest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Preschool Story Time: Giddy-up Horsie!

Here was a theme idea totally based on the craft I had found on Pinterest.  I was so enamored with it, I decided to have a Western theme and bring in the Cowboys and Horses!

Do Cowboys Ride Bikes - Tucker

Written in verse, this book explains some of the things cowboys do and do not do.  It is a good book for new vocabulary and discussion.

Felt Activity - Dress The Cowboy

I found the following poem on THIS WEBSITE.  Actually there are tons of resources out there for a Western story time, and I really recommend this site.  Seeing that they suggested to make the pieces out of felt, that is exactly what I did.  This is in my EARLY days of felting as you can see by my use of markers instead of puffy paint.  I suggest you read the poem aloud and wait for responses from the group.  They will love participating!

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care.

He starts with long, red ______(UNDERWEAR).

Out in the desert, you don't want to get hurt, 

So the cowboy wears a strong wool ______(SHIRT).

Deserts and prairies are the cowboy's scenes;

To protect his legs, he wears sturdy blue______(JEANS).

The cowboy bent, and ran, and knelt.

To keep his pants up, he wore a leather ______(BELT).

The coyote howls, the old owl hoots.

On his feet, he wears leather ______(BOOTS).

It isn't yellow, so it's not a banana;

Around his neck, he wears a soft ______(BANDANA).

A cowboy is a cowboy, and that is that!

On top of his head, he wore a ten-gallon ______(HAT).

He's all dressed from head to feet,

And now our cowboy can't be beat! 

And here he is dressed! I let the kids each have a piece and let them place the pieces on the cowboy when we got to their piece.  They loved it.  I even left the pieces up for after story time play.

Horseplay - Wilson

All the horses want to do is horseplay all night long!  What is the farmer to do?  This is a fun book that keeps the kids wondering what those crazy horses are up to!


Song and Action Rhyme

She’ll be comin’ round the mountain!

She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes.  She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes.  She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ round the mountain,  she’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes.

She’ll be riding six white horses when she comes…..

And We’ll all come out to meet her when she comes…..

Action Rhyme: 10 Little Cowboys

10 little cowboys standing in a row. (Stand up straight)

When they see a pretty girl, they bow like so.(hand behind back and bow)

They ride to the left, they ride to the right, (pretend you are on a horse. Gallop one way, then the other)

and then they shut their eyes and they say good night! (Fold arms and pretend to sleep)

Let's Sing a Lullaby of Brave Little Cowboy - Thomas

Jan Thomas books are hysterical!  I always look forward to using these books in story time.  But remember to go big for maximum laughs!


I couldn't wait to get to my craft, but I had plenty of books ready in case I had an especially attentive crowd.  Here are my extra picks:

Giddy-Up Cowgirl-Krosoczka

Clip-Clop - Smee

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain - Sturges

Craft - Stick Horses

This took effort but OH MY so worth it!  I did this theme in January so I was able to ask the moms to bring in Christmas Paper Rolls that they had left over from Christmas.  Once I gathered enough, all I needed was brown paper bags for the heads (stuffing was newspaper shreds), markers, colored paper for the ears, yarn for the hair, eyes and masking tape.
The best part was, I used our jingle bells on hand as 'spurs'!  I put a set on each little leg and off we went on a horse parade around the library.  It was so fun!!  Giddy-up!!

The craft made the whole theme worth it.  Usually I do not advocate stuffing together books for the sake of a theme, but horses was a good choice.  Now I am thinking up other ideas for the craft.  Unicorns anyone?

Thanks for stopping by!

Preschool Story Time - Bikes!

In line with Bike Safety Month, I did a story time on bikes!  We have some incredible rail-trails here in the mid-west, and I have been turned on to biking ever since I discovered them.  Biking is something I love to do, so I thought it would be great to do a story time about it.

The Best Bike Ride Ever - James Primos

Bonny O'Boy REALLY wants a bike!  That's all she could say for a week until her parents bought her one.  Bonny then goes on a fantastical adventure on her new bike as she learns about riding and bike safety first hand.

Show and tell - Biking Safety

Encouraged by a former supervisor, I learned that show and tell works great in story time.  I have brought in some instruments from around the world, tools, and even a squash!  This break from books and songs is more conversational and the kids seem to really like it.  This time, I brought all of my cycling gear.  My gloves, funny shorts, jersey, ID bracelet, water bottle, click shoes, sunglasses, water bottle, and my helmet.  We talked about what all of this gear is for and how together it all keeps me safe.  When you do a show and tell, be prepared that kids want to touch everything, so make sure to bring in things that can safely be out of your hands for a moment, or be ready to show them HOW to touch.   The moms were thankful I talked about bike helmets because some of them struggle to get their kids to wear them.

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike - Chris Rashka

This book is super short, but a perfect little book about learning how to ride a bicycle, safety, and persistence.  You are sure to recognize Chris Raschka's drawings.

Finger plays and Song

My Bicycle--finger play
One wheel, two wheels on the ground
(revolve hand in forward circle)
My feet make the pedal go round and round
(pedal with feet)
Handle bars help me steer so straight
(pretend to steer)
Down the sidewalk and through the gate!

Song:

My Bike--song (sung to "The Farmer in the Dell")

Pedal round and round,
(roll hands around each other)
Pedal round and round,
I steer my bike
(pretend to steer bike)
To where I like.
Pedal round and round.

Go! Go! Go! - David Goldin

Check out this funny bicycle race!  The words "Go - Go - Go" are repeated throughout - the perfect opportunity for audience participation and word recognition.

Duck on a Bike - David Shannon

This was a quick, alternate book I used because I had some really interested listeners!  It isn't a very long book, but the kids love the expressions on the animals as Duck glides around the farm on his bike.


I also used this book for a StoryWalk. What is a StoryWalk you ask?  Well, I think it is a great way to encourage family reading outside of the library!  Click HERE for more about StoryWalks.

Craft

I have to explain my crafts this week.  At the time of this session, I had a lot of 5 year olds ready for Kindergarten who had their younger siblings with them.  So I had two crafts available.  One could be done at home with guidance, and one in house.

First up for the older kids, we had a TANGRAM.  I used this image I found below to create shapes on colored paper that could be used to finish the puzzle.

These were easier to scan from white paper, but I did have them on colors.  The older sibs could take them home or do them in house.  I supplied glue as well if they wanted to keep it as a finished picture.  Scissor practice before Kindergarten is ALWAYS a good idea in my book.  In fact, scissor use is a common answer when asking Kindergarten teachers what the one skill they wish incoming students had. 

We also used dotters to decorate a bicycle helmet!  Have you ever used dotters for crafts?  Safe, clean, and totally fun times in the library.  They can be expensive but will last a long time if you take care of them.

The littles just love this way of using 'paint' and the parents appreciate the light cleanup.

Well, that  is it for Bicycle Month!  Hope you enjoyed this story time - I think I hear the trails calling me right now - Be Safe! and Thanks for stopping by!!