This morning’s storytime was all about families. The books I chose were Marvelous Maravilloso; Me and My Beautiful Family by Carrie Lara, and The Family Book by Todd Parr.
This session’s opening song is The Animals on the Farm, and we finished it with Mrs. Duck, who brought us the letter F, and pictures of things that begin with letter F. Then, we discovered that Mrs. Duck had brought her whole family with her—all five of them! I shared a picture of my family, and then we read Marvelous Maravilloso. Next, we sang Every Family’s Special, a song I got from my coworker. I took a cue from The Cardigan newsletter and added in an element of keeping a steady beat to this. While the kids and adults patted their legs, I played the uke and we sang:
Every Family is Special (Tune: Ten Little Indians)
Some have fathers, Some have mothers,
Some have sisters, Some have brothers
In some houses There are others,
Every family’s special!
Next, I did the flannel Sweet Babies that I got from Fun With Friends at Storytime
One little baby, so sweet and new,
here’s another one and now there are two!
Two sweet babies, happy as can be,
here’s another one and now there are three!
Three sweet babies wishing for some more,
here’s another one and now there are four!
Four sweet babies happy and alive,
here’s one more and now there are five!
Five sweet babies have had a lot of fun,
now they need a nap…5, 4, 3, 2, 1
And none!
(take off babies as you count down)
The fingerplay A House for Me was next.
This is a nest for Mr. Bluebird (cup hands together)
This is a hive for Mrs. Bee (make a fist)
This is a hole for bunny rabbit (make a circle with thumb and forefinger)
And this is a house for me
(place fingertips together to form a roof peak over head).
Credit: No Time For Flashcards
The Family Book was next. I love the bright, colorful pages, and the kids really responded to some of the pages (they thought the clean and messy families were hilarious for some reason). I had the kids practice using high voices and low voices and then we did These are Grandma’s Glasses.
Recite first verse in a high pitched voice:
These are Grandma’s glasses (Make glasses over eyes with fingers)
This is Grandma’s hat (Place hands on top of head)
And this is the way she folds her hands (Clasp hands together)
And lays them in her lap (Place hands in lap).
Recite second verse in a deep voice:
These are Grandpa’s glasses
(Make bigger glasses shapes over eyes with fingers)
This is Grandpa’s hat (Place hands over head to form a large hat)
And this is the way he folds his arms (Cross arms)
And takes a little nap (Place head on arms as if sleeping).
Credit: No Time For Flashcards
Again with the funny! Everyone thought Grandpa going to sleep on his arms was worth a good giggle.
To continue the practice of keeping a steady beat, I handed out rhythm sticks and put up the flannel Daddy Wore a Red Tie. All it is is a man’s face, and you change the color of tie underneath.
Daddy wore a red tie, red tie, red tie
Daddy wore a red tie all day long!
We tapped our sticks on the floor, on themselves, rubbed them, hammered one end, and tapped them over our heads, changing the activity for each verse of the chant.
We kept the rhythm sticks and tapped them to the song Tell Me What You Like to Do.
(Tune: The Muffin Man)
Tell me what you like to do
Like to do, like to do.
Tell me what you like to do
With your family
Edward likes to rake the leaves
Rake the leaves, rake the leaves.
Edward likes to rake the leaves
With his family.
(Let children volunteer what they like to do.)
The kids got really into this. Fair warning, you have to think fast on your feet to fit what they tell you into a suitable rhythm.
The Librarian Is on The Loose 