Welcome to my storytime journey. Like others before me I want to share what I have done and hopefully inspire you for your own storytimes.
StoriesFlannel board stories are some of my favorite things to do during storytime. Since my storytimes tend to be smaller groups I love having children come up and help me manipulate the pieces. It gives them the opportunity to not only listen to a story but interact with it in a tactile way. Given the curious nature of little hands I have altered my approach in creating my flannels. I almost never glue anything now, but rather sew them for added strength.
Below are the flannel boards that I have created. When possible I will include a PDF of the words. If not, I will provide the title and author of the book that was my inspiration.
The flannel board cabinet at work can be a treasure trove of flannels from years gone by. “Five Little Sailboats” is one we use at least once a year. We’ve had it so long no one know where it came from. All we have written down is the name Denise Fromm. The pieces we had were getting rather shabby so I made some new boats to go with the rhyme. Chenille stems work well as mast and to give the boat structure so it doesn’t flop around when putting it up on the flannel board. Having flags in different colors gives it a bit of visual interest. You could also the the boats in a game of which one got taken away.
Five little sailboats went out on the sea. The first one said, “It looks like rain to me!” The second one said, “I can feel the waves are fast.” The third on said, “The wind’s shaking my mast.” The fourth one said, “Let’s head back into the bay.” The fifth one said, “Follow me!” as he swayed. So the five little sailboats quick as can be, Sailed back to the shore and to safety.
Finger Tales by Joan Hilyer Phelps has had quite a few gems in it. “Little Rocket’s Trip” is great for a solar system/space theme. The pieces can be made on a large scale to make it easier for kids to see. This little poem is great to use with toddler and preschool aged children.
A little rocket Roared off one day On a trip into space, So far away.
While zooming about He saw some stars Then he circled around The planet Mars. He saw planet Saturn, And the man on the moon, Then he saw planet Earth, And back home he zoomed!
The new year is a great time to consider the passing of time. For several years running now I have focused on stories that show the passing of time through the days of the week as well as the months of the year. Nancy Tafuri’s book “All Year Long” is unfortunately out of print. I bought a used copy through Amazon to use because I like its simplicity. I often see the rhyme below, Cheer the Year, used with the first two verses. Somewhere along the way I saw the other two verses but couldn’t find the author when I went back to look for it again.
Books
All Year Long by Nancy Tafuri Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak Hap-pea All Year by Keith Baker The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant The Turning of the Year by Bill Martin Jr.
Cheer, cheer, cheer the year sway w/arms up A new one’s just begun. Celebrate with all your friends, Let’s go have some fun!
Clap, clap, clap your hands, A brand new year is here. Learning, laughing, singing, clapping, Through another year.
Stamp, stamp, stamp your feet, A brand new year is here. Learning, laughing, singing, clapping, Through another year.
Pat, Pat, Pat your hair, A brand new year is here. Learning, laughing, singing, clapping, Through another year.
Fireworks On New Year’s Day 5 little children waiting to see, Fireworks on this New Year’s Eve. One saw the fireworks and what did she say? “Happy New Year to you this day!”
4…3…2…1…
Music
Can’t Wait to Celebrate by Jim Gill
Dance along and Jim Gill celebrates
The Countdown by Jim Gill
I recently saw a new album released my Jim Gill titled “Jim Gill’s Most Celebrated Songs Volume 3.” In it he included this song after a librarian once asked him to perform “Jumping and Counting” backwards in honor of New Year’s Eve. He couldn’t perform the song backward at the time but we on to create this song. After counting down from 10 you either jump, spin, or dance.
Storytime Shenanigans 