V is for Vegetables: 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

Sorting Activity: "Making Vegetable Soup" [have pot and various plastic food items, ask group to name each item and decide whether it is a vegetable--if so, it belongs in the soup!]

Book: That's Not Bunny! by Chris Barton [Talk about how hawks are birds of prey. What does that mean? What do they eat? Have kids do "SWOOSH"es]

Action Rhyme: "Five Fat Peas" [version via Anna]
Five fat peas in a peapod pressed (crouch, hold up fist)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (pop fingers up)
They grew and they grew and they did not stop (both arms up, slowly stand as you 'grow')

Until one day, the pod went POP! (clap!)

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

Book: A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas

Song, a cappella, with magnet board: "Monster's on my Veggies" [tune:"BINGO"]

I want to make a salad, but a monster's on my lettuce!

Monster, YOU GET OFF! [shaking fist]

Monster, YOU GET OFF!

Monster, YOU GET OFF!

Get off of my lettuce! [repeat with carrots, onion, celery--graphics here]

Book [standing]: Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres

Song: "A Little Bit Up and a Little Bit Down" by Michael and Jello [tie in to Up, Down, and Around]

Movement [standing, if time]: Before storytime ends, let's form some vegetables with our bodies! First, we'll be a tiny little round pea. Now, a large round head of lettuce. Let's stand up and be a tall stalk of celery with a few little leaves at the top. Now, let's be broccoli...]

Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with V. Possibles before opening to children...Vampire! Visitor! [Why, hello, come in, good to see you...]

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Alternatives to Swap In:

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

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]

Little Baby 'Gator

Little baby gator 
swimming through the swamp-- 
[hands together, swim gator-like]
eating lots of fish with a CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP! 
[chomp hands open and closed]
Along came a hunter with a great big net...
[pretend to raise net]
gator went SPLASH [loud clap]
and the hunter got wet! 
[shake hands and self]

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[Reptile facts: Reptiles lay eggs. Reptiles either have four legs or...no legs at all!

Reptiles have ear holes instead of ears.]