We had lots of fun  during our preschool storytime last Saturday!  We read books about bears, listened to a little flannel story about 10 teddy bears, sang songs and partook in some finger plays.  All that and a video too.  Here is a listing of what we shared.

Books We Shared

In Ciara Gavin’s picture book, Bear Likes Jam, we see a bear who likes jam soooo much that he doesn’t eat his vegetables!  Oddly he lives with a Mama Duck and her baby ducks and they are all trying to get him to eat a more balanced diet.  When the baby ducks decide to make a game out of meal time (using a little jam as bait), Bear plays along and eats his vegetables with just a bit of jam on the side.  A great book for fussy eaters who might need a little coaxing to eat those healthy greens.  Plus, who doesn’t like jam?

The Three Bears by Bryon Barton is a retelling of the classic tale:  Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  All of the same elements of the story are there:  Goldilocks, the three bowls of porridge, the three rocking chairs and the three beds, along with the three bears of course (Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear).  This version has some simple, colorful visuals and a modern twist to the story, making it a great read aloud (or read together) for preschoolers or any adult who remembers this story from childhood.

Flannel Boards We Shared

10 Little Teddy Bears Sleeping in the Bed

“Ten Teddy Bears Sleeping in the Bed”
Ten little teddy bears sleeping in the bed,
Five at the foot and five at the head.
One little teddy said, “This bed is TOO full!”
So he grabbed the blanket and started to pull.
He pulled and he pulled and he pulled some more,
Until two little teddies went BOOM to the floor!
(Make pulling motions with PULL and clap with the BOOM)

(Count down until…)

One little teddy bear sleeping in the bed,
Zero at the foot and one at the head.
This little teddy said, “This is not right!
I don’t want to sleep alone tonight!”

So…
One little teddy bear sleeping in the bed,
Zero at the foot and one at the head.
This teddy said, “This bed is NOT full!”
So he put out his paw and started to pull.
He pulled and he pulled and he pulled some more,
Until four little teddies climbed up from the floor!

(Count up until…)

Ten little teddy bears sleeping in the bed,
Five at the foot and five at the head.
One little teddy said, “This is JUST right!”
So ten little teddy bears said, “Good Night!”
Susan Pflug, Copyright 1990
Credit:  SurLaLune Storytime

Rhymes & Songs & Fingerplays We Shared

We share a lot of songs & rhymes during storytime!  You’ll find lyrics/words to those songs & rhymes (without music) here.

Welcome Song (song)
(to the 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 (fingerplay)

Click her for video:  Open Shut Them

Open shut them, open shut them (open hands wide, close them tight)
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap 3x)
Open shut them, open shut them (open hands wide, close them tight)
Place them on your lap, lap, lap (bounce hands on lap)
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them (crawl fingers up to chin)
Right up to your chinny, chin chin (tap chin with fingers)
Open up your little mouth BUT (open mouth)
Do not let them in! (quickly place hands behind your back)

This is Big, Big, Big

This is big big big
Hold arms out to side

This is small small small
Cup hands together

This is short short short
Hold hands with palms facing each other

This is tall tall tall
Reach one hand above head

This is fast fast fast
Circle fists quickly

This is slow slow slow
Circle fists slowly

This is yes yes yes
Nod

This is no no no
Shake head

Credit:  Mel’s Desk

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (song)

Click here for video with hand motions:  Twinkle Twinkle
Video credit: Salem Public Library

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are…

You are My Sunshine (song)

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
And I love you more every day…

“Goodbye Friends” (in sign)

Click here for video:  Goodbye Friends 

Goodbye friends, goodbye friends
Goodbye friends, it’s time to say goodbye.

Now it’s Time to Say Goodbye (tune:  Mary Had a Little Lamb)

Now it’s time to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye,
Not it’s time to say goodbye, we’ll see you all next week!

Music from CDs We Shared

Children love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the songs/bounces on CD that we used in storytime.

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

Clap everybody and say hello, (clap hands)
Clap everybody and say hello,
Clap everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Stamp everybody and say hello, (stomp feet)
Stamp everybody and say hello,
Stamp everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Wiggle everybody and say hello, (wiggle baby)
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Jump everybody and say hello, (lift baby up high)
Jump everybody and say hello,
Jump everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Sing everybody and say hello, (wave hi)
Sing everybody and say hello,
Sing everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

“Wheels on the Bus” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music 

(With shaker eggs…)

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!
The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish, swish swish swish,  swish, swish, swish,
The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!
Repeat with:
The horn on bus goes beep beep beep, beep beep beep, beep beep beep…
The driver on the bus says move on back, move on back, move on back…
The babies on the bus go wah wah wah, wah wah wah, wah wah wah…
The fox on the bus says I won’t go, I won’t go, I won’t go…
The mamas and the daddies say shhh shhh shhh…
The mamas and the daddies say I love you, I love you, I love you…
The people on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down…
The wheels on bus go round and round, round and round, round and round…

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammet & Elaine Bueffel

Click here for video:  Itsy Bitsy Spider

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.

Video We Watched

Bear Snores On

Extend the Fun at Home