C is for Construction: Storytime Plan

Opening Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It" [standing up] with whispered added verse "If it's storytime and you know it, say Shhhh..."

Letter of the Day

Book: Construction by Sally Sutton 
[Have group repeat each repeating phrase. "Hoist the wood!" "Hoist the wood!"]

OR

Book: Dalmatian in a Digger by Rebecca Elliott

Action Song (seated): "Bumpity Bumpity" 
(to the tune of "Ten Little Bubbles." 2x, second time superfast)

Bumpity-bumpity comes the dump truck [stomp feet to bumpity-bumpitys]
Bumpity-bumpity comes the dump truck,
Bumpity-bumpity comes the dump truck,
DUUUMMMMMP out the load!


Song: Dance, Freeze, Melt by The Learning Groove from their album Rockin' Red

Book (sung): Old MacDonald Had a Truck by Steve Goetz

Action Song a cappella: "I Can Work with One Hammer"

Action Rhyme (if time): "Five Little Nails"
Five little nails standing straight and steady--                                                                           Here I come with my hammer ready!                                                                                         BAM! BAM! BAM! One nail goes down.                                                                                     Now there are four nails left to pound.

Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with "C". Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: Car! [beep! Beep!] Cookie! [nom nom nom]

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Reorder/omit elements as audience age demands

Alternative Action Song (standing): "The Vehicles at the Site"

(To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")

The backhoe scoops the dirt.
The backhoe scoops the dirt.
Hey-ho! Look at it go!
The backhoe scoops the dirt.

 The dozer pushes dirt…

The dump truck dumps the dirt…

The mixer spins around…

The crane moves up and down…

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Tool Chant
[Show four tools and count them out loud together. (Saw, hammer, screwdriver, level, etc)]

I have four tools.
Show me four [kids hold up four fingers].
[OR: "How many?" "Four!" with group answering with number]
What's this called and what's it for?

I have three tools.
Show me three.
Tell me, what could this one be?

I have two tools.
Show me two.
Tell me, what does this one do?

I have one tool.
Show me one.

How does this one get things done?

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Alternative book: Backhoe Joe by Lori Alexander
Alternative book: Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia

C is for Clothing (or G is for Getting Dressed; W is for What we Wear)

Opening Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It" [standing up] with whispered added verse "If it's storytime and you know it, say Shhhh..."

Letter of the Day

Talk: "Does anyone here like to pick out what they wear themselves? [discuss answers] This story is about a girl who likes to choose her own clothes, too..."

Book: Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine [have group seated-stomp indignantly and say "AND! MY! RED! HAT!" each time--as well as "No"]

















Action Rhyme: "Hat, Sweater, Pants and Shoes"
[tune: "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".  Slow run-through, then speedy run-through. "What if it was summer? Would we be wearing a sweater then?" "Hat, t-shirt, shorts and shoes"]

Hat, sweater, pants and shoes, pants and shoes,
Hat, sweater, pants and shoes, pants and shoes,
and socks and shirt and underwear, too--
Hat, sweater, pants and shoes, pants and shoes

Song: Dance, Freeze, Melt by The Learning Groove from their album Rockin' Red

Clothing Box: Draw out items from box full of clothes. Put them on wrong body parts/or put them on incorrectly; use wrong names for them; have kids correct. Maybe preface each time I draw out a piece of clothing with rhyme: "I LOVE my clothes! And I know JUST where this goes!"

OR

Matching Activity with Magnet Board: "Sock Match" 

Book: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (or I Love My White Shoes) by Eric Litwin

[Before sharing title, point to buttons on cover. Ask "What are these called? What do they do?" Teach group the song, to say "Goodness, no!" after "Did Pete cry?", and to clap once after each "POP!"]

Action Song with Scarves: "The Walrus Washes his Winter Coat"

Recorded Song with Scarves: "Freeze Dance" by Hap Palmer

Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with "C". Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: Car! [beep! Beep!] Cookie! [nom nom nom]
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Add-ins and swaps: 

"If You Are Wearing Red" (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
[First ask kids to look down at what they're wearing today. What colors do they see? Look all over--]

If you are wearing red, shake your head,
If you are wearing red, shake your head,
If you are wearing red,
Then it's time to shake your head.
If you are wearing red, shake your head.
(Blue, touch your shoe

Pink, blink and blink.

Black, pat your back

Yellow, shake like JELL-O

Purple, make a circle [with hands]
Green, move like a machine [robot]
Gray, shout "Hooray!"
White, say goodnight)

Activity/Guessing Game: "Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Behind the ______ Hat?" ["Little Mouse" variation]

Song: "The Silly Hat Song"

Books: Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera; Finders, Keepers by Keiko Kasza; I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen; Let's Play In the Forest While the Wolf is Not Around by Claudia Rueda; Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London

If NOT doing Clothing Box activity: Where Do Pants Go? by Rebecca Van Slyke
[have kids stand and mime putting clothes on different wrong parts of their bodies, and fill in the blanks for body parts]

Coach MacDonald Had a Team

Coach MacDonald had a team
(GO TEAM, GO TEAM, GO!)
and when they practiced they would STRETCH
(GO TEAM, GO TEAM, GO!)--
with a stretch stretch here
and a stretch stretch there,
here a stretch, there a stretch,
everywhere a stretch, stretch,
Coach MacDonald had a team
(GO TEAM, GO TEAM, GO!)

and when they practiced they would JUMP (JOG...SQUAT...BEND...others?)