Storytime

Storytime: Letter I

Books

“Big Smelly Bear” by Britta Teckentrup
“Bunnies on Ice” by Johanna Wright
“I Like Ice Cream” by Robin Pickering

ABC Magnets

I

I like to start and end the Alphabet program by singing our ABCs. To start I put out all of the letter magnets and have the children tell me what letter is missing, that becomes our letter of the day. After we go through the letter and some words that start with it I invite each child up to take two letters off the board and put it into my bag. At first all the children like to swarm up and will grab as many letters as they possibly can, but after a few weeks they begin to understand that they must wait until they hear their name called. To help them stick with two letters only I count out loud (this program maxes out at 12 children so I know I will have enough letters). The children get very excited when it is their turn, plus this helps them learn patience and how to take turns!

I Have an Itch

We pretended that we had an itch on different body parts, sometimes the kids had to itch their own itch but other times the adults did it for them!

I have an itch,
it’s on my head!

(repeat with other body parts)

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Ice Cream Colors

Before I added each scoop to the flannel board I asked the kids what color the ice cream was and if they could guess the flavor, some flavors were difficult (purple anyone?).

We have ice cream, the best in town,
Let us begin with chocolate brown.
Now, lets scoop us some bubble-gum pink,
It is sweet and yummy, the best, some think.
Here is ice minty and green,
It is the creamiest I have ever seen.
Yellow ice cream is lemony and tart,
We like its taste from the very start.
Scoops of blueberry would make my day,
Look at all this ice cream, hip, hip hurray!
Red ice cream is a strawberry delight,
All these scoops are a heavenly sight.
Vanilla white is a popular flavor,
It tastes very good to an ice-cream craver.
Purple ice cream really gives me a kick,
Good and yummy till the very last lick.
Ice cream, ice cream, what a cool sensation,
We love ice cream in any combination.

Source: Step By Step

Too Many Scoops

1 scoop, 2 scoops, 3 scoops, 4 (pretend to scoop out ice cream)
5 scoops, 6 scoops, 7 scoops, more
8 scoops, 9 scoops, 10 scoops, wait
I think I’m going to have a tummy ache! (hold stomach)

Here’s a Hill

Here’s a hill
(tilt one arm)
And here’s a hill
(tilt other arm)
All covered with snow
(flutter hands down)
I’ll put on my coat
(pretend to put on jacket)
And jump on my sled
(bounce)
And zoom, down the hill I go
(clap and slid hands)

Snowflakes, Snowflakes (Tune: Twinkle Twinkle)

Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around
Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground
Snowflakes, snowflakes in the air
Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere
Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around
Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground.

Marching Around the Alphabet by Hap Palmer

This song has become a story time favorite! Every week the children line up on the outside of the alphabet rug and start to march with their adult. When the whistle blows the children stop, bend down and point out which letter they are standing on. I like to participate as well and sometimes I will ask a child what letter they stopped on and the color of the square.

Parachute

The children all grab on and we make some waves (fast, slow, big, small) then I ask the parents to hold on to the parachute. The adults lower the parachute and then pop it into the air, the children then go under (lots of happy squeals) and we gently shake the parachute over their heads. We do this 3 or 4 times, there is always one child that doesn’t want to come out but the parents are pretty good about it. Next I have the children hold on again and place foam letters on the parachute. We shake the parachute and watch the letters fly (again lots of happy squeals)!

ABCs

Craft

I always tell the parents to please do not do the craft for their child, feel free to help them use the glue stick but if they want to put an eye where the foot should be well then that’s just artistic license!

How it Went: I didn’t love the books for this storytime but I really enjoyed the songs, flannel board and craft. Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the books the kids loved it (especially the craft).

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