It's A Monster Mash! - A Storytime Outline

It's Halloween week! It's when I can legitimately justify me dressing up in costume for my storytime programs. This year I was Little Bo Peep who has lost her sheep in the storytime room. I had "hidden" three sheep in the storytime room and needed the toddlers and preschoolers hep find them for me because we were going to hear stories about monsters and we needed them safe and sound in my basket. The children did a wonderful job at finding the sheep and giving them love. They especially loved it when they discover that there was an ity bity sheep sitting on the brim of my big straw hat and they had to retrieve it for me.

Most of the children dressed up in their own costumes. We had cowboys and cowgirls, Darth Vader, the Tooth Fairy, Spider Man, and etc. For the those who didn't have a costume I let them wear a Halloween headband (a flower, cat, monster, pirate, etc.) that I have on hand for this very reason.

All in all this was a wonderful storytime!

T = Toddler Storytime
P = Preschool Storytime

BOOKS
Glad Monster, Sad Monster: A Book About Feelings written and illus. by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda (T) 
The families enjoyed this book and did a wonderful job at saying all the colors of each monster.

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli written by Barbara Jean Hicks and illus. by Sue Hendra (T, P)
This was a fun book to read. The preschoolers had fun saying they don't like broccoli or any other vegetable that they don't like to eat.

Don't Squish the Sasquatch! written by Kent Redeker and illus. by Bob Staake (P)
The children weren't as thrilled with this book as I thought they would be. They helped my say the refrain "Don't Squish the Sasquatch!" once and that was it.

Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster written by Laura Numeroff and illus. by Nate Evans
The children thought that this book was funny, and couldn't believe that someone would have a monster for a pet. I loved how I could tie-in my costume to the step about not letting your monster count sheep cause it could make him hungry!

SONGS & RHYMES

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.

Five Crazy Monsters Jumping on the Bed (T, P) 
Five crazy monsters jumping on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monsters jumping on the bed."

Continue to countdown to one monster:

One crazy monster jumping on the bed.
It fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monsters jumping on the bed."
Source: Storytiming

I'm A Little Monster (T, P)
I'm a little monster yellow and bright,
I won't give anyone a fright.
I love polka dots but I have none
So step right up and give me a [color] one!

I'm a little monster yellow and bright,
I won't give anyone a fright.
I love polka dots but I have some
So step right up and give me a [color] one!

Continue until you go through all the colors 
Source: Sarah on comment page of The Wielded-Pen-Children's Corner 

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.

ACTIVITIES
Egg Shakers (T)
I love it when you hear the toddlers go "yay!" when I pull out the bin that holds the egg shakers.

FLANNEL BOARDS
Five Crazy Monsters Jumping on the Bed (T, P)
The monsters I made for this flannel board was inspired by the monsters I found on the blog Totally Tots (they are so adorable!). The children loved the visual aid and did great reciting the rhyme.

Polka Dotty Monster (T, P)
I was inspired by the felt monsters found on the blog Nifty Thrifty & Thriving, I made a large monster that needed to be decorated with polka dots, eyeballs, and teeth. He's a lovely monster that isn't scary looking. The just the right time for storytime. I want to thank Sarah for sharing the  rhyme "I'm A Little Monster" on my Flannel Friday post for this little guy! The rhyme worked out perfectly!

CRAFTS
Create Your Own Monster (T)
I used different size circles to cut colorful construction paper along with printed eyeballs. The toddlers had to glue everything together to make their monster.

Fuzzy Pet Monsters (P)
The parents laughed when I showed them the craft since we had just finished reading Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster. The children had so much fun making their pet monsters. Some even got named!

PICTURES



Five Crazy Monsters Jumping on the Bed flannel board,
Toddler and Preschool Storytimes,
created by Dorothy WP-C

Polka Dotty Monster flannel board,

Toddler and Preschool storytimes,

created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012 



Create Your Own Monster, Toddler Storytime craft,
created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012



Fuzzy Pet Monsters, Preschool Storytime craft,
created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012

MORE BOOKS
Go Away Big Green Monster! written and illus. by Ed Emberley (T, P)
Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters: A Lullaby written by Jane Yolen and illus. by Kelly Murphy (T, P)
Monster Mess! written by Margery Cuyler and illus. by S.D. Schindler (P)
Monster Baby written by Dian Curtis Regan and illus. by Doug Cushman (P)
Mostly Monsterly written by Tammi Sauer and illus. by Scott Magoon (P)
The Tickle Monster is Coming! written by James Otis Thach and illus. by David Barneda (P)
My Monster Mama Loves Me So written by Laura Leuck and illus. by Mark Buehner (P)
Jeremy Draws a Monster written and illus. by Peter McCarty (P)
There Was An Old Monster! written and illus. by Rebecca, Adrian, and Ed Emberley (P, SA)
If You're A Monster and You Know It written and illus. by Ed Emberley (P, SA)
Monster Manners written by Bethany Roberts and illus by Andrews Glass (P, SA)