Family Storytime: Music

This was a nice storytime that had a good blend of reading and music. I was able to read four short books because we had a smaller group due to the Independence Day holiday coming up and they were outgoing for a small group.

I read Groovy Joe Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin. They liked this book and thought it was funny when Groovy Joe would sing.

Next, we used scarves and followed along to a song on the cd "Ribbons & Rhythms Movement Activities for Learning." I chose track 1 because it was short and had actions for them to follow along to with the beat of the music.

Our next book was Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig. The group enjoyed guessing which animal was dancing on each page and gave an interactive feel.

For our next music activity, I brought out the instruments and we followed along with a song I found on Youtube that was just the right amount of length and not too difficult. We used maracas, tambourines, and other shakers to this song.

Next up was Pigs Rock by Melanie Davis Jones. The group liked the illustrations of this book. And our last book was AHop is Up by Kristy Dempsey. This was a quick movement book to end our music storytime.

For our craft, the kids had to glue their cardboard guitars together and decorate them. All of them had rubberbands on them so the kids could play their craft.

Other Books:

Rappy the Raptor Dan Gutman

The Nuts Sing and Dance in Your Polka-Dot Pants Eric Litwin

Kat Writes a Song Greg Foley

Play this Book Jessica Young

Other Activities:

-If You're Happy and You Know It

-*Shake My Sillies Out

-*The Jingle Song

(move shaker egg or jingle bells to the directions in the lyrics)

We jingle up high,

We jingle down low,

We jingle fast,

We jingle slow,

We jingle to the ceiling,

We jingle to the ground,

We jingle and we jangle

As we dance all around!

Brain Breaks Action Songs: Let's Move! happy Dance, Chili Chili

Family Storytime: Black History Month

Our idea behind a Black History Month was to focus on black authors and illustrators and there were themes within the theme based on books we pulled. I chose to focus on a movement and music theme.

I had a bigger turnout than usual and it was a good group. I started off storytime with our bean bag song and then I sang/read Happy! by Pharrell Williams. We all had a good time and I played the Kidz Bop version afterwards and we danced using our scarves. The kids really liked this and I was happy to have a bigger group so that everyone wouldn't be shy.

Our next book was I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison and most of the kids followed along to the movements throughout the book. Once we read this book, we sang If You're Happy and You Know It. I had the color square movement flannel ready, but I thought the kids would lose interest and would like to sing our usual song instead.

Our last book was Rap a Tap Tap by Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon. I handed out egg shakers for them to shake when we got to the "tap tap" of the book. The kids got a little carried away with these and they became more of a distraction, so I think I will stick with the scarves in the future and save these for a less structured program or song.

For our craft, the group cut out clouds and glued on cotton balls. They colored their clouds however they liked and added what there dream was if a parent helped.

This was a harder theme to come up with activities, but with these I always try to use universal activities that would go with any theme. I liked how the theme ended up being musical based and based on the books pulled, another great theme would be a storytime on how we are all the same since many books had that message.

I played some Bob Marley lyllaby music during their craft time.

Other Books:

One Love by Bob Marley

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

That is My Dream! Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands Kadir Nelson

Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins

Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed (longer side)

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs