Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Storytime Songs & Rhymes


“If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands

 (Repeat w/ stomp your feet, shout hooray, & do all three)


“Open, Shut Them”

Open, shut them

Open, shut them

Give a little clap, clap, clap

Open, shut them

Open, shut them

Put them in your lap, lap, lap

Creep them, crawl them

Creep them, crawl them

Right up to your chin, chin, chin

Open up your little mouth but…

Do not let them in!


“Sticky Bubble Gum”

Sticky, sticky, sticky, sticky bubble gum, bubble gum, bubble gum

Sticky, sticky, sticky, sticky bubble gum

It sticks right to my (face, knees, feet, ears, eyes, nose)

One, two, three…  POP!


“Five Little Ducks”

Five little ducks went out one day

Over the hills and far away

Mama Duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!”

But only four little ducks came back

(Repeat until “no little ducks come wandering back”)

Sad Mama Duck went out one day

Over the hills and far away

Mama Duck cried, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!”

And all five ducks came wandering back


“Peanut Butter Sandwich”

A peanut butter sandwich made with jam

One for me and one for David Anram

A peanut butter sandwich made with jam

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!


“Pot of Tea”

Here’s a cup

And here’s a cup

And here’s a pot of tea

Pour a cup

And pour a cup

And have a sip with me!


“Two Little Blackbirds”

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill

One named Jack, the other named Jill

Fly away Jack, Fly away Jill

Come back Jack, come back Jill

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud

One named Quiet, the other named Loud

Fly away Quiet, fly away Loud

Come back Quiet, come back Loud

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow

One named Fast, the other named Slow

Fly away Fast, fly away Slow

Come back Fast, come back Slow


“The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”

The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain

And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again

(Repeat with “great, big spider” and “teensy-weensy spider,” using appropriate big and small voices)

I Feel Silly -- July 14, 2015

I love to read books that make me laugh!

Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Join Silly Sally as she meets new friends on her way to town...  Traveling backward and upside down!








I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
A bear almost gives up a search for his lost hat...  Until he remembers something important!








We created some fabulous silly hats during craft time!
Thank you to Wild Thing for modeling some of our stylish headgear for the blog.


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Count Me In -- July 7, 2015

Let's look at some of Miss Dinah's favorite counting books:

More Than One by Miriam Schlein
Can one ever be more than one?  How about a pair of shoes? Or a dozen eggs? Can you think of any other examples?






Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
How many kisses does a crying baby need? Let's count them from one to ten!









We created a numbers matching activity at craft time!
Hooray!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Stars and Stripes -- June 30, 2015

Mouse's First Summer by Lauren Thompson
Join Mouse as he experiences summer for the first time...  Green grass, blue sky and juicy watermelon are all a part of this special time of year!








Red, White, and Boom! by Lee Wardlaw
Parades, beach picnics, and fireworks in the park are some of the ways we celebrate the Fourth of July!








I feel like the Statue of Liberty in my crown of red, white and blue!
Yay, Craft Time!


Friday, June 26, 2015

Things That Go -- June 23, 2015

Freight Train by Donald Crews
Let's join this colorful train on a journey through tunnels, by cities and over trestles!







Who Is Driving? by Leo Timmers
Try to guess who is driving each of the seven vehicles...  And who will get to their destination first!






We celebrated Things That Go by making these
super-cool door hangers at Craft Time!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Para los Ninos: Math at Home -- June 16, 2015

Thanks to Ms. Rosa and Ms. Dani for joining us from the Children's Museum to talk about easy ways to incorporate math into our learning every day!

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much, he makes up a song about them. As the buttons pop off one by one, he still finds a reason to sing...









Then it was time for some fun math activities...

First we made pattern bracelets with Fruit Loops!

Then we had fun counting ice cream scoops...

And coloring our own to take home!






Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Big Daddy -- June 9, 2015

Let's get ready for Father's Day!

Bertie: Just Like Daddy by Marcus Pfister
Bertie wants to drink coffee, shave and stay awake during nap time, just like his daddy!








I Love My Daddy by Giles Andrae
A father and child enjoy special time together.









We made fabulous Father's Day cards to give to a special guy!
Thank you thenshemade.com for the great idea.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

How Do You Feel? -- June 2, 2015

We continue to explore opposites with hard and soft!

Spiky, Slimy, Smooth: What is Texture? by Jane Brocket
Fuzzy slippers, sticky jam and spiky cacti all feel very differently. Let's learn about texture with this "clever concept" book!









The Woods by Paul Hoppe
A soft, stuffed bunny has a very comforting presence at bedtime...  But what will happen when this little boy can't find his bunny, and he has to go on a quest to find him in the spooky, dark woods?







We had fun at Craft Time with this super-cool sorting activity!









Tuesday, May 19, 2015

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello -- May 19, 2015

Time to learn more opposites!  This week we looked at "hello" and "goodbye."


Hello, Hello! by Miriam Schlein
How do lions say hello?  How about zebras?  Or penguins?  Learn how different animals greet each other in this sweet picture book.









Say Hello by Rachel Isadora
A little girl named Carmelita takes a walk in her neighborhood, saying "hello" in many different languages.








Say "hello" to Craft Time with these
awesome waving hands!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Big and Little -- May 12, 2015

We love to explore opposites...  Let's take a look at big and little!

Little Mouse by Alison Murray
A little girl explains how she does not always fit her nickname, little mouse, but it is perfect for when she is cuddling with her mother.







Big Hugs, Little Hugs by Felicia Bond
Elephants give big hugs, ants offer little ones...  Let's see how many different ways you can give -- or get -- a hug!








Check out the fish we made at Craft Time.
Big and Little!

I hope the Little is faster than Big!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Mommy Love -- May 5, 2015

So many reasons to celebrate:  May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month and this Sunday is Mother's Day!  Let's read about Mommies!

Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho
This mommy tries to keep the animals quiet, so as not to wake her sleeping baby.  Can the mosquito, the water buffalo and the lizard learn to "hush"?








Mommy's Best Kisses by Margaret Anastas
Animal mommies lovingly kiss their little ones!











Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Para los Ninos: Family Communication -- April 28, 2014

We were so happy to have Miss Holly visit us from the Children's Museum today!  She spoke with us about Family Communication...  Here were her tips for caregivers:

  • Learn to Listen -- Pay attention when your child speaks and listen without interrupting!
  • Be an Active Listener --  Make eye contact and ask questions.
  • Take Time to Talk -- Talk in the car, during mealtimes and schedule family meetings.
  • Talk Less and Listen More -- Don't hurry your child along or finish their sentences.  
  • Model Good Communication Skills -- Communicate frequently, openly, clearly and directly.
  • Respond Honestly and Plainly -- Use "I" statements and communicate your own wants and needs.
Then we read...

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
If you give a mouse a cookie, he's probably going to want some milk to go with it.  And then he's probably going to need a napkin, or perhaps a mirror to check for a milk mustache...  Cause and effect takes us through this day with mouse, and it all began with one little cookie!








Miss Holly brought us four really cool activities to explore.  First, we wrote letters to someone special, then we were Copy Cats, using blocks to create shapes and then replicating those with the kiddos.  Next we tried Story Can, where we used objects to retell If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  And finally...

We made family mottos, complete with pictures!
Additional information is available at http://www.cmhouston.org/family-communication.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Every Day is Earth Day -- April 21, 2015

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
Tap the tree and see how it transforms as the seasons change!









The Earth Book by Todd Parr
Turn off the lights and close the refrigerator door...  Explore ways to show you love the Earth each and every day.








It's fun to recycle old magazines...
And turn their pages into beautiful butterflies!
Thank you to the Mama's Little Muse blog for this great idea.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Ups and Downs -- April 14, 2015

Let's take a look at the opposites UP and DOWN!

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli
When a little girl asks her father to push her on the swing, she is not satisfied with meeting a giraffe or seeing a mountaintop.  How high will she fly before she comes back down to Earth?







Up, Down and Around by Katherine Ayers
Corn grows up, onions grow down and tomato vines wind around and around!  Let's explore the garden and see what else grows up, down and around...








It's craft time!  Let's make a see-saw that goes up and down!
Thanks to Batman and his friend for demonstrating...

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Wild Rumpus Day -- April 7, 2015



In honor of the Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Julia Ideson Building through May 2nd, we had a Wild Rumpus at storytime today!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to where the wild things are and becomes their king.







Let the Wild Rumpus begin!



We made our very own King or
Queen of the Wild Things crowns...

We colored Wild Things...

And created Wild Thing puppets!







Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Para los Ninos: Taking Time, Taking Turns -- March 31, 2015

Miss Tiffany visited us from the Children's Museum with important information about spending quality time with our kiddos.  She shared several strategies with us:


  • Games -- Playing board games together teaches taking turns and cooperative strategies!
  • Projects -- A family work project (making gifts, for example) can be satisfying if everyone has a task and takes pride in a job well done.
  • Community Service -- Pick a worthy organization in need such as a hospital, retirement home, homeless shelter or neighborhood center and find out how you and your child can serve them.
  • Mealtimes -- Eat together without interruption.  Share how your day went!
  • Plan a weekend or family trip -- Members of the family offer ideas of what they would like to do and a plan for the whole family comes together.
  • Birthday or other celebrations -- Family traditions and rituals are important for bringing families closer.
  • Experience your world -- Vary your time together and include experiences that support what your child is learning in school, i.e.: the zoo, the supermarket or the children's museum.

How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani
Roxanne is headed to the beach with a turtle, an umbrella, a book, a ball and her baby.  But the car won't start and whenever Roxanne comes up with a new way to travel to the beach, she discovers she must leave something behind!







Little Cloud by Eric Carle
A little cloud becomes all sorts of things -- a sheep, an airplane, trees, a clown wearing a hat -- before joining the other clouds and raining!









Miss Tiffany always brings the best crafts!  First we made a collage with contact paper, similar to the collages Eric Carle uses to illustrate his books:



And then we decorated picture frames to give to someone special:



Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Hop into a Story -- March 24, 2015

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
As he hops along, a little rabbit wonders what it would be like to be green as grass or tall as fir trees...








The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas
The Easter Bunny and his special assistant demonstrate how to make Easter eggs.  But guess what happens when Skunk gets excited?








Bounce into craft time with these
adorable long-eared bunnies!
Hop along!