Preschool Storytime: Let's Be Friends!

This Preschool Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 5, 2018.

Each Preschool Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing – were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Reading:

My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Groovy Joe: Dinosaurs and Ice Cream by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

If You're Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it,
clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it,
clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it,
then your face will surely show it.
If you're happy and you know it,
clap your hands.

additional verses:
...blow a kiss!
...wave to a friend!
...give a hug!

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us today?

Today's green box held plastic balls and our play parachute!

A little slow-mo video!

Rhyme:

Open, Shut Them!

Open, shut them,

Open, shut them,
Give a little clap, clap, clap!

Open, shut them,

Open, shut them,

Lay them in your lap, lap, lap!

Waving, waving, waving, waving,

High up in the sky, sky, sky.

Wave to me...I'll wave to you.

Now let's all say goodbye, bye, bye.

We always say this rhyme at least twice, increasing the speed with each repetition!

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Toddler Storytime: "Friends!"

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 6, 2017.


Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing – were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Reading:

Lily & Bear by Lisa Stubbs

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

If You're Happy and You Know It
Today we focused on things we can do with friends, such as:
If you're happy and you know it, wave hello!...give a hug...blow a kiss...

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us today?

Today our Green Box held two activities to enjoy outside with friends: the parachute and sidewalk chalk.

Talking:
We took a few moments during storytime so that the adults could talk with their little ones about FRIENDS.  The adults were encouraged to ask such questions as, "What are the names of some of your friends?", "What do you and your friend like to do together?", and "Where do you like to play with your friends?"  Equally important as asking the questions is listening to their responses and encouraging a conversation!  Children this age often have plenty to talk about...we just need to be patient and purposeful in conversing with them!

Playing:

For this rhyme, children were encouraged to count out five bee stick puppets with their adults.  We said this rhyme rather slowly, since we were working on counting and holding an increasing number of bees in our hands!

One Little Bee

One little bee flew and flew.
He met a friend, and that made two.
Two little bees, busy as could be,
Along came another and that made three.
Three little bees, wanted one more,
Soon found another and that made four.
Four little bees, going to the hive,
Invited little sister, and that made five.
The sun is out, it's time to play,

Off you go, bees.  Buzz, buzz away!

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Friends!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 16, 2015.

Reading:

My Friend & I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together the happier we'll be!
'Cause your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together the happier we'll be!

You can make up your own verses for this song!  Talk with your child and think up other things that friends can do together!  Here are a few suggestions:
The more we... 
play together
dance together
read together
swim together

Talking: 

Friends Photos
 Parents/caregivers were encouraged to talk with their child about one or more pictures made available to them.  The pictures are shown below.  Suggested starter questions included: "What are the friends doing in this picture?"  "How many friends can you find in the picture?"  "Do you have a (dog, swingset, sand bucket, magnifying glass, etc.)?

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us to play?

In the green box today was our...
Writing practice:  

Sidewalk Chalk!!!

Playing: 

Circle Beach Ball!

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all five of the early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing – were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Toddler Storytime - Let's Be Friends!

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Thursday, September 20, 2012.

I love using this theme for the first storytime each fall!
Books:
"Buzz, Buzz, Buzz," Went Bumblebee by Colin West

 My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough


Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson

Songs:

The More We Get Together

(tune: "Did You Ever See A Lassie?")

The more we get together, together, together,

The more we get together, the happier we'll be.

'Cause your friends are my friends

and my friends are your friends.

The more we get together, the happier we'll be.

(Children are invited to suggest other things that friends can do together (e.g. play, sing, clap, jump)

First We Wave Our Hands Up High

(tune: "London Bridge")

First we wave our hands up high, hands up high, hands up high.

First we wave our hands up high.  Then we clap them!

Then we shake our hands down low, hands down low, hands down low.

Then we shake our hands down low.  Then we hide them!

Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

Activities:

Our Hands Say Hello

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.

Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!

One Little Bee

One little bee flew and flew.
He/She met a friend, and that made two.
Two little bees, busy as could be.
Along came another and that made three.
Three little bees, wanted one more,
Soon found another and that made four.
Four little bees, going to the hive.
Invited little brother/sister, and that made five.
The sun is out, it's time to play,

Off you go, bees.  Buzz, buzz away!

(Children can act this out by standing up and "flying" to their friends at the appropriate time.  In Storytime the children held paper bees suspended from fishing line.  When it was their turn they stood up and "flew" and "buzzed" to meet their friends.)

Two Little Friends

Two little friends are better than one.  (show 2 fingers, then 1 finger)

And three are better than two! (show 3 fingers)

And four little friends are better still. (show 4 fingers)

Just think what they could do!

(After reciting this rhyme, the children can take turns saying saying they would do with their friends)