Monsters: Preschool Storytime

Today we shared stories about monsters to get ready for Halloween!

Books We Shared

Our first story, Quit Calling Me a Monster! by Jory John and Bob Shea, is about a monster who would appreciate it very much if people would start calling him by his proper name. Is that really too much to ask?

Our second book, Unlike Other Monsters by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Colin Jack, was about how friendship can sometimes feel like a very heavy “label” when it doesn’t really have to be. It’s a great book but I think it would work better for primary grade kids. It was a bit long for preschool.

In our third book, Even Monsters Need to Sleep by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, a monster’s dad tells him all the ways that other monsters go to sleep.

Flannel Board Counting Songs

Five Little Monsters Underneath the Bed

I found the template for these monsters here. Then I took a classic song I saw and changed it up a little bit to reflect the idea of monsters under the bed:

FIVE little monsters underneath the bed
One stood up and bumped his head; (stand and point to head)
Mother called the doctor (make pretend phone with hand)
And the doctor said:
No more monsters underneath the bed! (shake finger)

Ten Little Monsters

One little, two little,
Three little monsters
Four little, five little,
Six little monsters
Seven little, eight little,
Nine little monsters
Ten of them can’t scare me!

(https://sunflowerstorytime.com/2015/10/27/monsters/)

Video We Shared

We watched a beautiful animated version of Where the Wild Things Are, based on the book by Maurice Sendak.

Songs and Rhymes We Shared

Games Monsters Play

This is a Sesame Street song, but we no longer have a CD recording of it.

Stand up on your feet.
Paws up on your head.
If you don’t have paws,
Use your hands instead…..
That’s what monsters do.
And you….can be a monster too!
Flap your wings like this.
Flap them once again.
Oh! You don’t have wings?
Flap your elbows then…..
That’s what monsters do.
And you…can be a monster too!
Growl and show your fangs.
That’s real scary too.
If you don’t have fangs,
Teeth will have to do….
That’s what monsters do.
And you….can be a monster too!

(https://sunflowerstorytime.com/2015/10/27/monsters/)

Music from CDs We Shared

I love to sing and dance to music. Here’s the song and CD recording that we sang as our opening song for today’s storytime.

“Clap Your Hands” and “I was a bird” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

Clap Your Hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands

Stomp your feet, Stomp your feet
Everybody stomp your feet
Stomp your feet, stomp your feet, stomp your feet, stomp your feet,
Everybody stomp your feet

Wave hello, wave hello,
Everybody wave hello
Wave hello, wave hello, wave hello, wave hello,
Everybody wave hello

Brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Everybody brush your teeth
Brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth
Everybody brush your teeth

Touch your nose, touch your nose
Everybody touch your nose
Touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose
Everybody touch your nose

Clap Your Hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands
Everybody clap your hands

I Was a Bird
If I was a bird,
I’d flap my wings all day (flap arms)
If I was a bird,
I’d flap my wings all day (flap arms)
Flap my wings all day (flap arms)
If I was a bird

If I was an elephant
I’d swing my trunk all day (swing arm)
If I was an elephant
I’d swing my trunk all day (swing arm)
Swing my trunk all day (swing arm)
If I was an elephant

If I was a kangaroo,
I’d hop and hop all day (jump)
If I was a kangaroo,
I’d hop and hop all day (jump)
hop and hop all day (jump)
If I was a kangaroo

If I was a monkey
I’d swing from branch to branch (reach out with arms)
If I was a monkey
I’d swing from branch to branch (reach out with arms)
Swing from branch to branch (reach out with arms)
If I was a monkey

If I was a snake
I’d slither in the grass all day (put hands together and wave your “snake” slowly side to side)
If I was a snake
I’d slither in the grass all day (put hands together and wave your “snake” slowly side to side)
Slither in the grass all day (put hands together and wave your “snake” slowly side to side)
If I was a snake

If I was a cheetah
I’d run really fast all day (run in place)
If I was a cheetah
I’d run really fast all day (run in place)
Run really fast all day (run in place)
If I was a cheetah

“The Itsy Bitsy Spider” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Blueffel

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout (dance fingers up slowly)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out (bring fingers down and then down again emphatically)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (lift hands above head in a round sun shape)
So the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again (dance fingers up slowly)