Family Storytime: Outer Space

Outer space is always a fun theme that both the kids and I love. There's tons of books and activity ideas and it was special this time because we celebrated the anniversary of the moon landing.

After we followed along to our opening bean bag song, we read Mousetronaut by Astronaut Mark Kelly. I have read this book before and everytime I read it, it keeps the kids attentive throughout the whole story even though it is on the longer side. The illustrations of the mice going up into space are so cute and funny!

Once we got through with our first book, we used the flannelboard and each put up a different colored spaceship on the moon. Of course we had to count the spaceships too.

Our next book was Green Wilma,Frog in Space by Tedd Arnold. This was a silly, rhyming story that also kept everyone's attention.

For our next activity, I put up Earth on the flannelboard and we talked a little bit about our planet. Then, each child was able to put up a star on the flannelboard. They really enjoy having their moment of putting something up on the board, so I always try to incorporate that into storytime.

Our last book was a short, but sweet book called I Wish I Were an Alien by Vivian French. I've also used this book before because it is short, rhyming, and tells a story of a boy who would like to be an alien and of an alien who would like to be a boy.

Once we were done with our last book, we started with our space scene craft. First, everyone glued their moon, earth, rocket, and astronaut onto their construction paper. These were made by using coffee filters for both the moon and earth and clipart/diecuts for the rest. Once everyone glued their pieces on and added star stickers, it was time to color their moon and earth using markers and then lightly spraying them with water to make the colors blend together. This craft turned out perfect and the kids loved piecing it all together.

 

Other Books:

Sidney, Stella, and the Moon Emma Yarlett

Astro Bunnies Christine Loomis

The Way Back Home Oliver Jeffers

Sheep Blast Off! Nancy Shaw

Other Activities:

-One Little Rocket Came Out to Play Flannel

-If You're Happy and You Know It

-Shake Your Sillies Out

Family Storytime: Shapes

The theme of shapes is always a great option for storytimes because there are so much books and activity ideas to go along with it and of course it's also a great concept theme.

There are some really great picture books on shapes that have cute stories to them, but tend to be on the long side for a storytime group. I ended up choosing three short stories to read, did two shape activities, and provided a shape craft.

We read Shapes that Roll by Karen Nagel, Perfect Square by Michael Hall, and Round by Joyce Sidman. The group particularly loved the illustrations in Nagel's book and noticed Square's facial expressions in Hall's book. I was really pushing their attention spans by the third book, but they did notice the roundness of the moon in the last book we read together. 

For our activities that broke up our reading, I handed out different shapes and had each of the kids feed the "Shape Monster." They had a good time and they each had an opportunity to get in front of the group. The last activity we did was a flannel based on the book, Shape by Shape. They had fun guessing what the shapes will make at the end of the flannel story. A dinosaur of course!

Each of the kids made a rocket craft using triangles, circles, rectangles, and squares. I think this reinforced the idea that all the books had, being that shapes are all around us. Of course they each got a space sticker to complete their craft. 

Here are a list of some books and activities for a shape storytime:
 

Love, Triangle Marcie Colleen

Perhaps Guido Van Genechten

Apples and Robins Lucie Felix

Round Joyce Sidman

Bear in a Square Stella Blackstone

Shapes that Roll Karen Nagel

Perfect Square Michael Hall

Shapes are Everywhere! Charles Ghigna

Dinosaur Shapes Paul Stickland

Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming

Circle Square Moose by Kelly Bingham

Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

Square by Mac Barnett

Sweet Shapes by Juana Medina

City Shapes by Diana Murray

Seaver the Weaver by Paul Czajak

Round Is a Tortilla by Roseanne Grennfield Thong

Other Activities:

Shape Monster (feed the monster shapes)

Shape Chant (movement activity)

Different colored squares

Blast Off color rockets to go with craft

Red Square, Red Square, What Do You See?

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

Funny Shape Family Cut and Tell

If You're Happy and You Know It

Matching Shape Cookies

Shape by Shape Flannel Dinosaur

 

Preschool Picasso: Outer Space

I was browsing my Pinterest board on all things related to the library, and came across quite a few good craft ideas I pinned on outer space. So became our theme.

After reading quite a few space picture books, I decided to read Man on the Moon: A Day in the Life of Bob by Simon Bartram. I chose this one because it covered the space theme rather well and because I had planned to use a moon craft. I also liked the illustrations and the book wasn't too short or too long.

Adding a book to read during both Preschool Picasso and Toddler Art has been a good thing, and not just for the obvious reason of encouraging reading. I find that I am having to explain how to do the crafts less and less to those who come in a little later because they are usually here by the time the story ends. 

After reading our book, we went on to our first craft. We made the sun using a variety of paint colors and plastic wrap. This was a win-win for everyone. The kids enjoyed the craft and cleanup was not bad at all. 

Each were given black construction paper that had a white circle glued on it with red, yellow, and orange paint squirted onto it. The kids had to use the plastic wrap on top to squish the paint all over the white circle to make the sun. We talked about how hot the sun is, how the paint feels under the plastic wrap, and how the different colors blended. We used q-tips to make sun beams coming out and some used them to spread their paint on the circle. 

I also had enough supplies for the parents to do this one and they enjoyed it as well. It also encouraged their kids to work on their own while mimicking their parent.

For our second craft, it was time to make the moon using white paint and water bottles. The group liked this one just as much, but really enjoyed the stickers to put in the background. Lay out a bunch of stickers and don't expect any strays after a program because kids LOVE stickers! Despite the sticker excitement, everyone shared so sweetly!

To make the moon, black construction paper was handed out that had a circle drawn on it with white crayon. They had to use the white paint to paint the moon and then added craters using the tops of water bottles and stampers. The white paint had flour added to it to add a different texture to it and make the moon look more 3D.  

To infinity and beyond!