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