Storytime

Storytime: Pumpkins

Books

“Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins” by Dianne Ochiltree
“Apples and Pumpkins” by Anne Rockwell
“Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin” by Mary Serfozo

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the floor)
How’d you get so big and round? (make circle with arms)
Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball (make circle with arms)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the floor)
How’d you get so big and round? (make circle with arms)

Way Up High

Way up high in the apple tree
Two little apples smiled at me (hold up 2 fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (pretend to hold tree and shake)
Down came the apples (wiggle fingers down)
And mmmm they sure were good (rub stomach)

Five Little Pumpkins

I cannot take credit for this amazing flannel board, my wonder co-worker is an artist and she created it for me. She used DLTK’s Crafts for Kids for her outline and inspiration.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (hold up 5 fingers)
The first one said “Oh my it’s getting late” (put hands on cheeks)
The second one said “There are witches in the air” (point and look up)
The third on said “But we don’t care” (shake finger side to side)
The fourth one said “Let’s run and run and run” (move arms)
The fifth one said “I’m ready for some fun” (punch air with fist)
Whoooo went the wind (move hands to side)
And out went the lights (clap)
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight (roll arms)

Roly-Poly Pumpkn (Tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Oh, the roly-poly pumpkin went rolling down the hill (roll arms)
Once it started rolling, it couldn’t keep still
It rolled and it rolled until it bumped into a rock
Then the roly-poly pumpkin rolled to a stop (clap)

 

How it Went: I held a plush pumpkin on my lap while children entered the storytime. I had several squeals and one parent who said pumpkin is now her child’s favorite word. I was happy to hear such enthusiasm about a theme and we hadn’t even started yet! To prevent a mad rush I walked around the room and let each child touch the pumpkin. Most of the parents (and some children) already knew the 5 little pumpkins song! This was the most behaved storytime I’ve had in a long time. Children sat very quietly and still to hear all about pumpkins. I actually wish I had another book to read!

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