I Love You! - A Storytime Outline

Valentine's Day is tomorrow! Due to winter weather I only had one toddler in Toddler Storytime and eight Preschooler, which is quite small for my growing group. However(!), we still had a lot of fun! I Love how Preschool children understand the concept of Valentine's Day, and how they love to make crafts and Valentine cards!


T= Toddler Storytime
P = Preschool Storytime

BOOKS

Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine written by Sarah Weeks and illus. by Fumi Kosaka (T)
This is such an adorable book! I love how it rhymes, and the I think the mixture of familiar and not-so-familiar animals is a great combo!

All Kinds of Kisses written and illus. by Nancy Tafuri (T)
A new book for our library and the moment I saw it on my cart I knew it was perfect for Toddler Storytime! Kids will love to make the animal noises! Love it!

The Day It Rained Hearts written and illus. by Felicia Bond (P)
This is a great classic for me. I really would love to have this in a big book format so that the pictures are bigger for the huge storytime crowd (if I get one!)!

Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! written by Kyle Mewburn and illus. by Ali Teo and John O'Reilly (P)
This is funny story, and some children can relate! I read this book at my first Valentine's Day storytime many moons ago!

Falling for Rapunzel written by Leah Wilcox and illus. by Lydia Monks (P)
Hilarious rhyming story! Children are now familiar with the Rapunzel story thanks to the Disney movie Tangled.

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.

Little Heart (P)
I have a little heart (place hand over heart)
And it goes thump, thump, thump (pat chest three times)
It keeps right on beating,
When I jump, jump, jump (jump three times!)
I get a special feeling, when I look at you (point to the children!)
It makes me want to give you a hug or two! (hug yourself!)
Source: The Best Kids Book Site via Storytime Katie

Skidamarink (P)
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)
And underneath the moon (release arms and make another big circle above your heard)

Skidamarink a dink dink.
Skidarmarink a doo.
I love You!
(repeat if wanted)
Source: Sunflower Stortyime

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

Heart Matching (T, P)
I created ten hearts and decorated them with stripes and dots then cut them in half to be "broken" hearts. The children got the other side and they took turns putting their half on the board and matching it to the corresponding piece. You could see some of the younger preschoolers' gears turning as they figure out which half matched there's it was perfect! The game was inspired by Busy Crafting Mommy.

CRAFT

"I Love You This Much" Hands (T, P)
I saw this on Pinterest and knew instantly that I wanted to use this as a new form of Valentine's Day gift for the kids. The preschoolers loved it and took extra time to color their hands (created with an awesome die cut shape). If there was more time to the program I would have had them trace and cut out their own handprint, but alas not today. Unlike the inspiration, I just printed off "I Love You" and "This Much" and had the kids glue them onto their shapes. It was perfect! Craft inspired A Day In My Life.

Craft Extra: I had made hearts from red construction paper to use as a special name tag. The children were encouraged to take the left overs to make more Valentine cards at home so that I didn't have lots left over!

SPECIAL ACTIVITY

Egg Shakers (T)
The one toddler that came today :: loves :: the egg shakers. The moment he had them in his hands he did everything from shaking them to the sky then down to our toes and with arms stretched out. He smiled so big too! Awesome for a brand new 2-year-old!

PICTURE
Heart Matching done by the Preschool Storytime group!

Matching Hearts, Preschool Storytime
Created by Dorothy WP-CC, 2012

MORE BOOKS

Valentine Mice! written by Bethany Roberts and illus. by Doug Cushman (T)
Valentine Surprise written by Corinne Demas and illus. by R.W. Alley (T, P)
Sweet Hearts written by Jan Carr and illus. by Dorothy Donohue (T, P)
10 Valentine Friends written by Janet Schulman and illus. by Linda Davick (P)
The Ballad of Valentine written by Alison Jackson and illus. by Tricia Tusa (P)
Homemade Love written by Bell Hooks and illus. by Shane W. Evans (P)