Cool Winter Fun - A Storytime Outline

In 2011, when I did this storytime, it was actually cold outside! It was perfect! Side note, in 2010 when I did a similar theme it was 70-80 degrees. Not as a much fun! The children had a great time at this program. My favorite part was doing the song "The Mitten in the Snow" because of the flannel board I created.

T = Toddler Storytime
P = Preschool Storytime

BOOKS

No Two Alike written and illus. by Keith Baker (T)
One of the library's newer books. I love the illustrations!

Frozen Noses written by Jan Carr and illus. by Dorothy Donohue (T)
Having fun in the snow and getting frozen noses!

A Hat for Minerva Louise written and illus. by Janet Morgan Stoeke (T)
Oh, Minerva Louise, I love you! The parents liked this one too!

Snow Dance written by Lezlie Evans and illus. by Cynthia Jabar (P)
I loved this rhyming story. Who doesn't like dancing in the snow (or the rain!)?

Froggy Gets Dressed written by Jonathan London and illus. by Frank Remkiewicz (P)
This is always a crowd-pleaser. The children had fun guessing what he had forgotten to put on. 

Snow written and illus. by Manya Stojic
The snow is coming! I love this book from the words to the illustrations!

SONGS & RHYMES

Opening Rhyme: Open, Shut Them (T, P) 
(follow actions)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap
Creep them, creep them up to your chin
Open your mouth wide, but don't put your fingers in!
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a big clap
Open, shut them
Lay them in your lap.

Boots and Parka, Scarf and Hat (T, P)
tune: Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
(touch the areas that you wear these items of clothing!)
Boots and parka, scarf and hat (feet, arms, neck, and head)
Scarf and hat
Boots and parka, scarf and hat
Scarf and hat
In wintertime we dress like that!
Boots and parka, scarf and hat
Scarf and hat!
Source: Mel's Desk 

The Mitten in the Snow (P)
The mitten in the snow
The mitten in the snow
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A mole squeezes in
A mole squeeze in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

A rabbit squeezes in
A rabbit squeezes in
Help us please so we won't freeze!
The mitten in the snow.

Continue with the other animals:
Hedgehog
Owl
Badger
Fox
Bear (yes, even a bear!)
Mouse

The bear says, "A-choo!"
The bear says, "A-choo!"
All the animals fly out of
The mitten in the snow!
Source: Mrs. Jones Room

Closing Rhyme: Touch Your Nose (T, P)
(follow actions)

Touch your nose

Touch your chin

That's the way this game begins

Touch your eyes

Touch your knees

Now pretend you're going to sneeze!

Aaachooooo!

Touch your hair

Touch one ear

Touch your two red lips right here

Touch your elbow where it ends

And that's the way this touch game ends.

FLANNEL BOARD

The Mitten in the Snow (P)
It was a lot of fun to get all those animals "into" the mitten. When it came to when the animals flying out I just pulled the full mitten away from the board (the animals stayed put ... ah, the power of felt!) and I shook it! The animals really did go flying!

Hidden Snowball Guessing Game (T, P)
See the Activity below.

CRAFT

Mitten Decoration (T)
I made lots and lots of construction mittens with the die cut machine. The children glued them onto onto another sheet of construction paper and had to decorate them with cotton balls and crayons.

Snow Guessing Page (P)
This was inspired by our activity. Each child got a pair of mittens, a length of yarn (remember the old days when your mittens were like that?), a snowball and some glitter glue! On a piece of construction paper, the had put the snow then cover it with one of the mittens. The mittens were only glued on at the bottom so that they could be flappy. Then they decorated to their hearts content with the glitter glue, a rare treat! Once it was done the children could ask someone behind which mitten the snowball was. All you had to do was pull down the flap to find out!

ACTIVITY

Hidden Snowball Guessing Game (T, P)
This was inspired by Anne from So Tomorrow. The children had to guess which mitten a couple of snowballs were hiding behind. It was a huge hit, especially with the preschool children. Sometimes someone would find one by accident, but that made it fun for the parents and let us all laugh in silliness!

We said this rhyme a couple before we got caught up in the fun!

Snowball, snowball,
Cold and round,
Behind which mitten
Can you be found?!

PICTURES

The Mitten in the Snow flannel board
Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2011

Hidden Snowball Guessing Game,
Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2011

EXTRA BOOKS

Red Sled written by Patricia Thomas and illus. by Chris. L. Demarest
I discovered this book after the storytime and wish that I had it for the Toddler Storytime. Next time I will use it! It's so cute!