Look Who’s Linking and Liking!
A recent sweep of the web reveals lots of enthusiastic programmers making use of rhymes, flannelboards, and story ideas from storytimestuff.net, Storytime Magic, Kindergarten Magic, and Multicultural Storytime Magic! Check out the links below to see how they put our ideas into action!
Away We Go Storytime at Sunflower Storytime, featuring “Vehicle Guessing Game” and “Helicopter” Sign Language Rhyme from Storytime Magic.
My Family/Mi Familia Storytime at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission/Texas Reading Club, featuring “Some Families” from Storytime Magic.
Dinosaurs Roar! Storytime at Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Dinosaur Romp” and “I’m a T-Rex” from Kindergarten Magic.
“Five Little Stars and the Moon Too” at Read Rabbit Read, from Storytime Magic.
“Five Toothbrushes” at What Happens in Storytime…, from Storytime Magic and Children’s Programming Monthly 1:5.
Colors of My World Storytime at Sunflower Storytime, featuring “Dog’s Colorful Day” Flannelboard from Storytime Magic.
Pumpkin Storytime at Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Where is My Pumpkin?” Flannelboard from Kindergarten Magic.
Hats! Hats! Hats! Storytime at What Happens in Storytime…, featuring “Milo’s Hats” flannelboard from Storytime Magic.
Outer Space Storytime from Falling Flannelboards, featuring “Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Space Shuttle from Kindergarten Magic.
Have you used our rhymes, flannelboard patterns, or other storytime ideas in your storytimes? Tell us about it! Comment on this post to share, or send us an email at storytimestuff@gmail.com. Everyone who shares will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of one of our books (winner’s choice!). And if you send us a picture of how you used the item in your programs, we’ll put your name in the drawing twice!
Five Fun Uses for Paper Plates in Your Programs
If you’ve got a stack of paper plates, you’ve got a creative storytime prop! Go beyond mask crafts with these fun ideas.
1) Stick Puppet Theater:
Fold plate in half and cut a slit in the center of the fold. Then open the plate and decorate your stage. Poke the stick of your stick puppet down through the fold and manipulate the puppet from the back.
2) Peek-a-Boo Plates:
Use the plate to hide your face throughout this rhyme.
Peek-a-boo, I see you
Now I don’t, and now I do.
I slip behind and there I hide.
Now I pop up grinning wide.
Now I’m gone and now I’m here.
One side, other side, far and near.
I love to hide and so do you
But I love most to say PEEK-A-BOO!
3) Hats:
After reading Hats Hats Hats by Ann Morris (Mulberry, 1993), discuss how people around the world carry things on their heads. Then say the following rhyme. Invite a child to the front to help you act it out. Place a paper plate on the child’s head and fill it with plastic food as you say the rhyme. Or get everyone in on the fun by passing out plates to each child, along with a packet of pictures of the food. Ask the children to place the plates on their heads, then add the correct food when it is said in the rhyme.
Going to the Market
I’m going to the market, I’m going just like that.
I will buy potatoes and put them in my hat.
(Repeat with tomatoes, apples, mangos, grapes, bananas, cheese, bread and other foods as desired.)
4) Steering Wheels:
Pass out a paper plate to each child, then have the kids line up and hold their paper plates like steering wheels. Play “Car Car” from Travelin’ Magic by Joanie Bartels (BMG, 1989) and let the kids act out driving, honking their horns, and the other verses of the song.
5) Find that Plate:
Mark the plates with animals, letters, or colors and when you say the animal sound, word (beginning letter sound), or color, invite the children to find the appropriate plate.
Storytime Stuff 