Hi Guys, I’ve got a double whammy this weekend. Family storytime in the morning and a special storytime I am doing with Maryland DCDL in the afternoon. I’ll post about that one separately. This week my theme is Dinosaurs! I can’t believe I’ve never done a dinosaur themed storytime before!
Here’s what I planned:
SONG – Top of the Morning
This is a fun tune and great for waking up and doing a little stretching. It’s called Top of the Morning.
HELLO RHYME – Say Hello
This is a great rhyme for saying hello because we get to do it in so many fun ways!
MOVEMENT SONG – Skidamarink
An easy song almost everyone is familiar with, with easy movements to get that blood pumping!
Then we get into our theme:
ASL – DINOSAUR / BIG / SMALL / TALL / SHORT
I also teach my group a few American Sign Language signs to go with every theme. This is great to help frustrated little ones communicate but it also helps make our world a better place by fostering communication with each other. We have a large deaf community near my library so learning just a few signs are great! I usually use Signing Savvy or Baby Sign Language.
Stretch – This is Big Big Big…
This is a great one because we can practice the signs we just learned.
This is big big big Hold (arms out to side) This is small small small (cup hands together) This is short short short (hold hands with palms facing each other) This is tall tall tall (reach one hand above head) This is fast fast fast (circle fists quickly) This is slow slow slow (circle fists slowly) This is yes yes yes (nod) This is no no no (shake head)
Book – Crunch: The Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap & Greg Pizzoli
I LOVE this book! I bought it to read to my daughter and you know I have to use it for storytime. It’s so interactive for the kids too, which is great.
Song – We are the dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner
Can you even do a dinosaur themed storytime without this song?
Prop – 10 Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland
We don’t have this book in our system but I thought it was great for the rhyme and counting elements. So I “stole” ten dinosaur toys from our discovery room and am going to use them as props along with a flipchart for this one.
Book – Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezr
a Stein
This is just a short cute one.
Puppet Rhyme – Oh, Diiiiinosaur!
I got this one from Librarian is on the Loose. This was fun and interactive, which I am all for.
Shaker Song – Dinosaur Rock by Dancin’ Magic
An upbeat shaker song because we can have a storytime without some shakers.
Finally, we finish up with:
Movement Exercise – If You’re Happy and You Know It
I tell the kids that I want to know how happy they are.
Rhyme – Say Goodbye
This is the same rhyme we started with, so the new guys are familiar with it by the end of storytime.
Song – Clean It Up! by The Laurie Berkner Band
Everyone helps put our shakers away
Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell my Friends by Music Together
I always put this one on as I go to open the door. Its a nice, slow, peaceful song to wind down on.
How’d it go: This was a really fun one. I mean dinosaurs, yea. I think I’d like to make a flannel board next time but overall, a fun storytime!
That’s all for now!
-M-