Books We Shared

Charlie Rides by Bob Bianchini is about a boy enjoying all kinds of vehicles with his Dad!

It’s unclear whether the protagonist of Love is a Truck by Amy Novesky and Sara Gillingham is a boy or a girl–but it’s not important. What is clear is that the child in the story LOVES trucks and the text is so exuberant in its appreciation of trucks that the truck becomes a metaphor for love itself…

But enough of the English-major-rambling. Let’s talk about our Letter of the Day!

Letter of the Day

Our Letter of the Day was T–T for trains, transportation, trucks, tigers and more! We talk about words that start with T and make a big T in the air.

Flannel Boards We Shared

Down at the Station

(Tune: Little Bunny Foo Foo)

Down at the station early in the morning
See the little puffer trains all in a row
See the engine driver turn the little handle
Toot toot, choo choo, off we go!

(remove one train, and count, then sing again until there are no more trains)

(Source: A popular song written by Lee Ricks and Slim Gaillard in 1948)

Nine Little Dump Trucks

One little, two little, three little dump trucks
Four little, five little, six little dump trucks
Seven little, eight little, nine little drump trucks
On their way to the garbage dump!

Now they have to empty their load (tilt sideways)

And now nine little, eight little, seven little dump trucks
Six little, five little, four little dump trucks
Three little, two little, one little dump truck
All have left the garbage dump!

Action Songs & Bounces We Shared

We learned the sign language for various different vehicles while I told a little story. Before I said the words in bold, I showed the sign language and waited to see if the audience would guess it first.
(spoken)

I’m going to the grocery store.
I’m gonna hop on my… BIKE! (move hands like pedaling a bicycle)

 

But now I need to go somewhere a little bit farther.
I know! I’ll take my… MOTORCYLE! (move hands like revving up the motor with the handlebars)

 

Now I have to go far out of town.
I’m gonna have to take the… CAR! (move hands like operating a steering wheel)

 

Next week, I have to go out of state to visit my grandma.
I’ll take a… TRAIN! (with two fingers on each hand, cross them like an X)

 

And next month, when I go visit my aunt who lives in another country,
I’m gonna take a… PLANE! (lower your middle and ring finger and soar your hand through the sky)

(I made this up but was inspired by an idea I read in Baby Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker)

Green Says Go

(I used scarves for this activity, holding them up in the air)

Green says, “Go!” (march quickly)
Go! Go! Go!
Yellow says, “Slow!” (march slowly)
Slow…slow…slow
And red says, “Stop!” (stop and freeze)
Go! Go! Go! (march fast)
Slow…slow…slow (march slowly)
and STOP! (stop)

Credit: Toddler Storytime: http://storytimethemes.blogspot.com/2010/01/green-says-go.html

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, open shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open shut them, open shut them.
Place them on your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, crawl them
Creep them, crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth… Buuuuuuuuuuut…
Do not let them in!

Engine, Engine

from
Songs & games for toddlers featuring Bob McGrath & Katharine Smithrim

Engine, engine number 9
Coming down Chicago Line
If the train goes off its track
Do you want your money back?
Yes? (sway to the side)
No? (sway to the other side)
Maybe so? (sway back and forth)

Goodbye Friends (song in sign)

Click here for video:  Goodbye Friends

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

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

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

Video We Watched

After we sang “Wheels on the Bus” we watched a video about a frustrated pigeon trying to drive a bus. I told the kids that sometimes we have to tell our friends no, for their safety, and we all had fun telling the pigeon NO! This is an animated version of the book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.

Continue the Fun

Here are some more books about cars, trains, trucks and planes to check out at your Pasadena Public Library Branch: