This Tuesday we explored books about pumpkins and all things Halloween! 

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We started by following Batty (our library bat) into the storyhour room!  At the conclusion of storytime, each of the children picked a “felt” pumpkin from the library’s pumpkin patch and placed it onto the felt board!  The end result?  A colorful, exuberant NEW pumpkin patch!  Well not ALL of the pumpkins made it onto the board but it was still heaps of fun!  Special thanks to Shauna Redmond, our virtual services librarian, for creating a gorgeous storytime pumpkin set, complete with baby pumpkins dressed in costume and a librarian reading a Halloween picture book!

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In between we shared the following stories, songs and activities!


Stories

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duck-and-goose

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During our infant storytime, we read Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin.  In Tad Hill’s story, Duck and Goose go on a quest to find a pumpkin.  They look everywhere – under a log, way up high in a tree, under the water…where oh where can they find a pumpkin???  The pumpkin patch, of course!!!  A great story that keeps the little ones guessing. We also shared a board book by Salina Yoon (one of my favorite authors) titled Where’s Boo?  Boo the cat is hidden, but where?  Behind the jack-o-lantern?  No!  Behind the cookie jar?  No! Where is that cat?  Another great guessing story with simple text and colorful illustrations.

During toddler storytime, we shared It’s Halloween Night by Jennifer O’Connell.  In this story, we get a set of clues to help us solve the mystery of the Halloween costumes.   There’s a ghost, a witch, a vampire, a princess and more.  We also read Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin and Where’s Boo?  (see above paragraph).  I love these two books so much that I had to share them with the toddler crowd as well.  There is no harm re-reading your favorites is there?  And there’s definitely no harm in reading the same book over and over to your child.  You may get bored but the benefits your child receives are significant.  Click  on the link to learn more: Reading is Fundamental.


Flannelboard Story

INFANT STORYTIME

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The Itsy Bitsy Spider (using our flannel glove)

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout,

Down came the rain and washed the spider out!

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,

So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again!

TODDLER STORYTIME

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Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,

The first one said, “Oh my it’s getting late!”

The second one said, “There are bats in the air!”

The third one said, “But we don’t care!”

The fourth one said, “It’s time to have some fun!”

The fifth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!”

Then WHOOSH went the wind and OUT (clap)

Went the lights and the four little pumpkins

Rolled out of sight…(roll hands and remove pumpkins)


 brown-bat-brown-bat

wn Bat, Brown Bat, What do You See?

Brown bat, brown bat, what do you see?

Brown bat, brown bat, what do you see?

I see a red leaf looking at me.

Red leaf, read leaf, what do you see?

I see a white ghost looking at me.

White ghost, white ghost, what do you see?

I see an orange pumpkin looking at me.

Orange pumpkin, orange pumpkin,

What do you see?

I see a yellow moon looking at me.

Yellow moon, yellow moon, what do you see?

I see a black cat looking at me.

Black cat, black cat, what do you see?

I see children looking at me!

Credit:  Mel’s Desk


Finger Puppet Story

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Jack

I made a jack-o-lantern

His smile was BIG and WIDE.

I put him in the window,

So he could look outside,

And people smiled to see him…

So I learned this from my Jack,

If you just smile at people,

People smile right back!


Rhymes & Songs We Shared

We have a lot of fun doing action rhymes at storytime!  Here are the ones we shared without musical accompaniment.

INFANT STORYTIME

Welcome Song  (tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here let’s have some fun.
First we clap our hands just so
Then we bend and touch our toes
Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here let’s have some fun.

Dickery Dickery Dare (tune :  Hickory Dickory Dock)

DickeryDickery, dickery dare, (bounce baby on lap)
The pig flew up in the air. (lift baby up in air)
The man in brown
Soon brought him down! (bring baby back down to lap)
Dickery, dickery, dare. (bounce baby on lap)

The Grand Old Duke of York (See video of Grand Old Duke of York)

The grand old Duke of York (bounce baby on lap)
He had 10,000 men, (bounce baby on lap)
He marched them up to the top of the hill (lift baby up in the air)
And he marched them down again. (bring baby down onto lap)
When they’re up, they’re up (lift baby up in the air)
And when they’re down, they’re down, (bring baby down onto lap)
And when they’re only halfway up, (bring baby halfway up)
They’re neither up nor down. (lift baby up and bring baby down again)

One Little Nose

One little nose (touch baby’s nose)
Two little feet (touch baby’s feet)
Three little tickles on your tummy so sweet (tickle baby’s tummy)
Four little kisses on five little toes (kiss baby four times)
Then one more kiss for you sweet little nose.  (kiss baby’s nose)

Mr. Moon (See video of Mr. Moon)

Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon, you’re out too soon,
The sun is still in the sky,
So go back to your bed and cover up your head,
And wait ’til the day goes by.

TODDLER STORYTIME

Welcome Song

(to tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here let’s have some fun.
First we clap our hands just so
Then we bend and touch our toes
Welcome, welcome everyone
Now we’re here let’s have some fun.

Open Shut Them (See a video of Open Shut Them)

Open, shut them. (hands palms out with fingers stretched, then close into fists)
Open shut them. (hands palms out with fingers stretched, then close into fists)
Give a little clap, clap, clap. (clap hands on each clap)
Open, shut them. (hands palms out with fingers stretched, then close into fists)
Open shut them. (hands palms out with fingers stretched, then close into fists)
Place them on your lap-lap-lap.  (pat lap three times)
Creep them, crawl them (creep fingers up from lap towards chin)
Creep them, crawl them (creep fingers up from lap towards chin)
Right up to your chin-chin-chin (tap fingers on chin)
Open up your little mouth (open mouth wide)
BUT DO NOT LET THEM IN! (say quickly and hide hands behind back).

INFANT & TODDLER STORYTIMES

Goodbye Friends (in sign)

Goodbye friends, goodbye friends, goodbye friends,

It’s time to say goodbye…

(For infants we replace friends with “babies”)

 


Music We Shared

Singing is a great way to share words and rhythms with your baby.  While you don’t need a music cd to do this, we do share some songs from cds in our storytimes.

INFANT & TODDLER STORYTIMES

wee-sing

Ladies Ride”, “Trit Trot” & “Trot, Trot, Trot” from Wee Sing for Baby

“My Little Hands”

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“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

songs for wiggleworms
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

“I’m a Little Teapot &  Two Little Blackbirds”

SALLY
“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Kathy Reid-Naiman

toddlers on parade
Roll Your Hands”  Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett & Elaine Bueffel

 

Film We Watched in Toddler Storytime

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 Continue the Fun

Want more stories about Halloween and pumpkins?  Check out these books at your Pasadena Public Library Branch.

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