Chickens! - A Storytime Outline

Salutations and Happy Almost-Fall!

This fall season I have the privilege of working at one of my library system's smaller branches, and having weekly evening Family Storytimes.Oh, the excitement! Oh, the nervousness! Sure I've done Family Storytime (aka School Age Storytime), but many years and moons have past since then. Plus, I have to mention that the program was preplanned by someone else, and I just did it with my usual excitement and vibrato. And I can't really count my summer preschool storytime, where I get older siblings and kindergarten groups, because those programs were always designed for... well,  preschoolers! So, here I go! Three months of Family Storytime! Whoo hoo!

BOOKS
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza written by Philemon Sturges and illus. by Amy Walrod
I started with the longest story first. It took a little bit for the children to catch on to the saying "Not I," but they finally did and it worked out great.

Hungry Hen written by Richard Waring and illus. by Caroline Jayne Church
I love this story, especially if you are a expressive reader. 

Chickens to the Rescue written and illus. by John Himmelman 
This was a simple book, and the children got onto yelling "Chickens to the rescue!" I also asked about problems and solutions.  The children thought it was funny how the chickens would cook in the kitchen and do homework and make a mess while doing so. 

 

SONGS & RHYMES 
My Hands Say Hello 

My hands say hello, (wave hands)

My hands say hello,

Everytime I see my friends,

My hands say hello.

Additional lyrics:

Feet (stomp feet)

Nose (wiggle or tap nose)

Ears (wiggle ears) 

Tongue (stick that tongue out!) 

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes 
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Eyes and ears
Mouth and nose
Head, shouldersm knees and toes
Knees and toes
Note: For this age group you have to do normal speed, fast, super fast, super super fast and super super super fast!

The Hens in the Coop 
Tune: The Wheels on the Bus 
The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck
Cluck, cluck, cluck
Cluck, cluck, cluck
The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck
All around the farm .

Other words:
The chicks in the yard go cheep, cheep, cheep
The rooster on the fence goes cock-a-doodle-dooo (you can just use one cock-a-doodle-doo for each line)
Source: HCPL

Little Chick, Little Chick 
 Little chick, little chick
Come out and play
What color barn are you in today?
Source: Storytimes and More

Touch Your Nose 
Touch your nose,
Touch your chin,

That's the way this game begins.
Find your eyes,
Touch your knees,

Now pretend you're going to sneeze!

AA-CHOOOO!

Touch your hair,

Touch one ear,

Touch your two red lips right here,

Can you blow a kiss good-bye? (blow a kiss!)

Touch your elbow where it bends

Can you touch your other elbow?

And that's the way this touch game ends.

ACTIVITIES 
Little Chick, Little Chick Guessing Game
See below about the flannel board.

FLANNEL BOARD 
Little Chick, Little Chick Guessing Game
I found this almost to the last minute. I rediscovered some felt chickens that I made a few years ago that were perfect for this game. I quickly used a barn die cut to create my different color barns to use. It was that simple. The children loved it, but they were too excited to say the rhyme before guessing the color. They also were so smart they guessed all three barns that the chickens were behind.

"Little Chick, Little Chick" flannel board, Family Storytime,
created by Dorothy, WPCC 2014.

 CRAFT 
Clucking Chicken Cups 
I struggled to find a craft that the children would like, especially the older ones. This was just the ticket! I found idea through several pins on Pinterest. When it came to gluing the googly eyes and the paper beak, I recommend applying the glue to the cup itself first then a little to each item so that you know you're making a good sticky connections.The children liked it. The parents liked it. My fellow library workers... LOVED it! I hadn't seen them laugh so much. It was great! Source: Fancy Shanty

Clucking Chicken Cup, Family Storytime Craft,
created by Dorothy, WPCC 2014.

Chicken Life Cycle Activity Page 
I also had an activity page that I discovered online over at www.sparklebox.co.uk. The children could color them after their craft or take it home where they have more craft supplies. PDF LINK.

EDUCATIONAL MOMENT 
Clucking Chicken Cup 
I briefly explained the children how sound worked with the cup, and how the cup is needed so that we could hear the sound. A better explanation can be found over at Science Bob. Hey! I think I just did my first STEM element, right!?

Feelings - A Storytime Outline

Salutations! Do you have one of those days where you have you've lacked preparation for your storytime and you feeling unsure, worried, frustrated, tired, and almost to the point of giving up? I'm sure all Children's Librarians do. I was like that the other evening in the few hours before my second Family Storytime program. Last minute decisions and a throwing-hands-up "It will be what it will be" moment got me going, however. And you know what.... this program was AWESOME!

At the beginning of the program I ask the children what they knew about feelings/emotions, and had them help identify the emoticons I had taped to our wall. They did an extremely good job, especially on the ones that could have had multiple answers. What was great, and completely unintentional, but these faces kept on falling off the wall (oh, scotch tape on painted brick walls) during the program, which made the children laugh so hard! Music to my ears!

I felt HAPPY at the end of this program!

BOOKS 
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day written by Jamie Lee Curtis and illus. by Laura Cornell 
I love this book! Not only was it perfect for starting the program, but it also let the children to say that sometimes they felt the same way. 
 
Mouse Was Mad written by Linda Urban and illus. by Henry Cole 
The children really liked this book. I tried to have them sit very, very, very still like the mouse, but it was rather hard. They did their best, which is all that mattered.
 
Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy written and illus. by Scott Menchin 
I'm so happy that I came across this book! It was perfect for the group. The children were in awe at how many things made Sweet Pea happy! 


"I'm Not Scared!" written and illus. by Jonathan Allen 
A "classic" go to for a program about emotions or feelings. 

SONGS & RHYMES
If You're Happy and You Know It 
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands
Clap, clap
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands
Clap, clap
If you're happy and you know it then your hands (or face) will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands

Other lyrics we came up with:
Mad... stomp your feet
Sad... sign like this (Note: we did the ASL sign for sad, but you can also do "wipe your eyes")
Scared... make a face like this (make a scared face!)
Surprised... make a face like this (make a surprised face!)
Happy... say ya-hoo! (make sure you jump in the air!

Bananas Unite
Watch the video linked before for the actions! 
Banana Unite!
Peel, bananas, peel, peel, bananas,
Peel, bananas, peel, peel, bananas

Chop, bananas, chop, chop, bananas,
Chop, bananas, chop, chop, bananas,

Mash, bananas, mash, mash, bananas,
Mash, bananas, mash, mash, bananas,

Eat, bananas, eat, eat, bananas,
Eat, bananas, eat, eat, bananas,

Go, bananas, go, go, bananas,
Go, bananas, go, go, bananas,
Source: Jbrary 
Note: For this group, I went over the actions, and made sure they knew what to do with going bananas. We did three time, each time a little faster. This group loves doing speedy stuff! 

Skidamarink
Skidamarink a dink dink. (put right elbow in left hand and wiggle fingers)
Skidamarink a doo. (put left elbow in right hand and wiggle fingers)
I love you. (point to eyes, hug yourself, and point to others)

Skidamarink a dink dink.
Skidamrink a doo.
I love you.

I love you in the morning. (make a big circle over your head like the sun)
And in the afternoon. (hold arms in circle in front of you)
I love you in the even. (move arms in circle down)
Underneath the moon (release arms and make another big circle above your heard)
Note: Even one of the mom's started singing this. Love! 

ACTIVITIES 
Emotions Identification aka Feeling Faces
I really wanted to create my own Feeling Faces after seeing them over on Miss Mary Liberry, but I discovered at the last minute that I had no clothespins! So, instead, I made larger faces and taped them to the wall. I asked the children tell me what the feelings each face was expressing, and when they got it right I taped the feeling's name underneath. Some of the faces were could have had multiple answers, such as the "confused" face, which the could have also looked liked a "thinking" face. The children loved it and they had some really good answers and even expanded with stories of why the face could be feeling like it is.

Feeling Faces, Family Storytime,
created by Dorothy WPCC, 2014

ASL Signs 
Laced throughout the program I shared with the children different ASL signs for emotions, such as "happy," "sad," and "mad." They did a great job making the signs! My "go-to" source for ASL instruction is ASL University.

CRAFT
Today I Feel...
This was the perfect craft. It's simple, but still allowed the children to think about emotions and work on their drawing skills. Oh! I can't forget to mention their identification and deciding skills! Basically, ladies and gents, this helps encourage the children to share how they are feeling.
Source: The Loudest Librarian!

Today I Feel craft, Family Storytime,
created by Dorothy WPCC, 2014.

EDUCATIONAL MOMENT
Echoes 
During the story Mouse Was Mad a boy had asked what an echo was. So we paused the story so that I could explain what it was and, for the most part, how it worked.

MORE BOOKS
What Are You So Grumpy About? written and illus. by Tom Lichtenheld  

I'm Not written by Pam Smallcomb and illus. by Robert Weinstock