Monthly Archives: December 2017

“Bears” preschool storytime

Opening Song
I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my ears. I wiggle my nose.
I wiggle my shoulders. I wiggle my chin.
I stretch my arms wide and pull them back in.
I wiggle my elbows. I wiggle my knees.
I hop like a bunny. I smile and say, “Cheese!”
Now I have no more wiggles left in me
And I sit on the floor as still as can be.
Source: Storytime with Jason

Book – There’s a Bear on my Chair by Ross Collins

Felt Board – A-hunting We Will Go
A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go!
We’ll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we’ll let him go.
mouse…put her in a house
frog…put him on a log
goat…put her in a boat
bear…put him in a chair
owl … put her in a towel
Source: King County Library System

Book – Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson

Song-Preschool of Rock’s “Growing Bigger

This is Big
This is big, big, big.
(Stretch hands far to side)
This is small, small, small.
(Cup hands together over lap)
This is short, short, short.
(Hold palms horizontally, close)
This is tall, tall, tall.
(Hold palms horizontally, far apart)
This is fast, fast, fast. (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow. (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes. (nod)
This is no, no, no! (shake head)
Source: Mel’s Desk and (shameless self-promotion) Storyblocks

Book – Can You Growl like a Bear? by John Butler

Song: Caspar Babypants’ “Stompy the Bear” with felt board

Where is Bear?
Where is bear? Where is bear?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
“WAKE UP BEAR”
Source: Storytime Katie

Here is a Cave
Here is a cave (Make a cave out of one hand)
Inside is a bear.
(Put your thumb into the cave)
Now he comes out
To get some fresh air. (Take thumb out)
He stays out all summer
In sunshine and heat.
He hunts in the forest
For berries to eat.
When snow starts to fall
He hurries inside
His warm little cave
And there he will hide.
(Put thumb back into the cave)
Snow covers the cave
Like a fluffy white rug.
Inside the bear sleeps
All cozy and snug.
(Place your other hand over the cave)
Source: Preschool Express

Goodbye
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as high as we can
Good-bye! (in high, squeaky voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as low as we can
Good-bye! (in a deep voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as fast as we can
Good-bye! (very quick)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as slow as we can
Good-bye! (very slowly and drawn out)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as quiet as we can
Good-bye! (in a whisper)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as loud as we can
GOOD-BYE! (yelling)
Source: Jbrary

Early literacy tip: Exploring emotions through stories and books is a safe way to process potentially fearful situations and feelings. Kids can feel safe when reading these stories with trusted adults while at the same time still developing the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to navigate unknown situations.

Other books that could work for this theme
The Red Fruit by Lee Gee Eun

Creative Commons License
Yogibrarian is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

“Hot Chocolate and a Movie” little ones event

For the past few years, December has been a notoriously low attendance month for our little ones events. I decided instead of putting together the normal STEM-type events with multiple stations and activities when only three families show up, I would take it easy on me and hold a hot chocolate and a movie event. And 50 people showed up! Gotta love the library world!

We had a hot chocolate station with marshmallows, coconut, candy canes, cinnamon, and sprinkles. I showed the movie A Stranger in the Woods, but the kids weren’t impressed. I may show Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas at our repeat events. (Emmet Otter is the least Christmas-y of all the Christmas movies. I am also biased because it it is my personal favorite holiday movie.) I also covered the floor in poly-fill type pillow stuffing to look like snow so we, of course, had an epic snowball fight.


I love the little boy licking his lips in the background!

Creative Commons License
Yogibrarian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

“My Tail’s Not Tired” bedtime yoga storytime

Opening – How I explain the rules of yoga storytime: stay on your mat, and keep your hands to yourself.
(Skip to my Lou –  from Jim Gill)
Clapping hands, one and two
Clapping hands, one and two
But if my hands were covered in glue
I’d stick to the glue, my darling
(hands in Anjali mudra, or prayer position)

Extend and Stretch
Frere Jacques
Extend and stretch (sit in sukasana – easy seated pose, or crisscross applesauce- and do seated side bends)
Extend and stretch
Twist and turn (seated twists)
Twist and turn
This is yoga, (hands overhead on “this,” then bring to prayer position on “yoga”)
This is yoga
Om sweet om, (hands in prayer, bow forward)
Om sweet om
Source: I got this from Kids Yoga Guide teacher training, but here is another from Be Grace Yoga 

Sleeping Bunnies
See the little bunnies sleeping
Til it’s nearly noon?
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
Oh so still
Are they ill?
Wake up, little bunnies!
Hop, little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop, little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop, little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop, little bunnies, ‘til I say stop
Source: Russ (The original is not his, but I love his extra verses.)

Crown, Heart, Tail. I saw this when I observed a Kids Crave Yoga class. Ask the kids where their head or crown is. Then where is their heart. Then tail (or where their tail would be). Repeat. Shake up the order: Heart, tail, crown. Tail, tail, crown, heart. Go faster and faster, and then slow it down. I love that these movements correspond to the 1st, 4th, and 7th chakras.

Open the Book
Arms, legs, both
Close the book. Open the book. Turn the page.
Start seated with arms stretched out in front of you, palms touching. To “open the book,” stretch the arms wide. To close it, bring them back together. To “turn the page,” open just the right arm and close it, then the left arm and close it. Repeat “turning pages” until the kids giggle. Repeat the whole sequence using legs instead of arms. Then try arms and legs together. 

Book – Even Monsters Need to Sleep by Lisa Wheeler
-Boing/jump – Chair pose/ utkatasana and jump
-bottom wiggle – downward facing dog/adho mukha svanasana with wiggle
-tail – gate pose/ parighasana swinging from one side to other
– roly poly back – rock n roll pose
-voice/roar – lion’s breath/simhasana – Not too many; lion’s breath is VERY warming and energizing!
– fly like jet plane – warrior III/virabhadrasana III both sides

 

Forward folds
Forward folds are very calming and grounding. Here we moved from standing to sitting to folding in ourselves for even more of a centering effect.
– uttanasana
– paschimottanasana
– baddha konasana with fold

Savasana
Song: Kira Willey’s “When You Sleep” 

Peace begins with me
Hold both hands overhead. On the word “peace,” touch the thumbs and pinky fingers together. On the word “begins,” touch the thumbs and ring fingers. On the word “with,” touch the thumbs and middle fingers. On the word “me,” touch the thumbs and pointers. Repeat this four times, the first time loudly and hands overhead. The second time, bring the hands down a little and speak a little softer. The third time, bring hands lower and whisper. The last time, bring hands to knees and speak words silently to self.
Source: Kids Yoga Guide Teacher Training

Namaste!

Creative Commons License
Yogibrarian is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.