Stories in the Stars - A Storytime Outline

I fell in love with the storytime theme "Stories in the Stars" from the blog A Bad Case of Books because it sounded so fantastical and lovely. I had to do a storytime. There weren't a lot of books that were specifically about stars that would be for the children who attended my storytimes so I had to flush out a little and include the moon. To create the perfect ambiance for my families, I taped die cut stars all over the storytime room walls, cabinet, and doors. I also included a smiling crescent moon on my flannel board. Everyone loved it!

Everyone enjoyed the books, but the toddlers loved the flannel board activity and egg shakers. The preschoolers loved singing the song "If You're Gong to the Moon" because after going through the original lyrics the children got to create their own. We ended up singing about wear our pants and underwear before going to the moon. So silly!

BOOKS

When the Moon Smiled: A Bedtime Counting Book written and illus. by Petr Horcek (T)
The toddlers and parents really enjoyed this book. The little ones that it was silly too! 

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon written and illus. by Dan Yaccarino (T)

Papa, please get the moon for me written and illus. by Eric Carle (P)
When we got to the page that I had to unfold the book to show how long Papa's ladder was the children were in AWE!

The Way Back Home written and illus. by Oilver Jeffers (P)

The Moon written by Robert Louis Stevenson and illus. by Tracey Campbell Peasrson (P)

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

Open, shut them

Lay them in your lap.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (T, P)
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Four Little Stars (T, P)

Four little stars winking at me.
One shot off and then there were three!
Three little stars with nothing to do.
One shot off, and then there were two!
Two little stars afraid of the sun.
One shot off, and then there was one!
One little star alone is no fun.
It shot off, and then there were non!
Source: PreschoolEducation.com via What Happens In Storytime...

If You're Going to the Moon (P)
Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It
If you're going to the moon, wear your boots (stomp your feet!)
If you're going to the moon, wear your boots
If you're gong to the moon, this is what you have to do,
If you're going to the moon, where your boots.

Other Lyrics:
... wear your glove (clap your hands)
... wear your helmet (point to your head)
Source: Sunflower Storytime 

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 bends

And that's the way this touch game ends.

ACTIVITIES

Egg Shakers (T)

Need I say more?

Catch A Star (P)

This activity was at the very end of the Preschool Storytime. The children had to "catch" a star from the room decorations. These stars were used for their craft. They LOVED it!

FLANNEL BOARD

Storytime's Starry, Starry Night (T)
The Toddlers got to create a lovely starry night sky scene with felt stars and planets. (Sorry, I can't find my picture of it!) 

CRAFTS

Starry Night Skies (T, P)

All of the children got to create their own starry night sky picture with special construction paper crayons (whoever thought up these crayons is a genius!) and to glue on their own stars. For the preschool group I added the element of glitter. Once they were done coloring they came to my table where they squiggled on some glue and we placed the paper into a box lid that lined with aluminum foil and had a thin layer of multi-colored glitter. This method with the box lid and foil liner worked amazingly well and resulted with no mess what.so.ever!

PICTURES

Toddler Storytime Craft, created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2013 

Preschool Storytime Craft with glitter
, created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2013