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

E is for Egg: 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: The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend or P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis

 

Action Rhyme: “5 Eggs and 5 Eggs” [NOTE: before doing rhyme, hold up and count 5 fingers on one hand, count 5 fingers on other hand, ten count all ten together]

 

5 eggs and 5 eggs—that makes 10.

Sitting on top is the mother hen.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! What do I see?

10 fluffy chicks, as cute as can be.

 

Song: “Dance, Freeze, Melt” by The Learning Groove from Rockin’ Red [no egg tie-in, just a favorite]

Book: Run, Sea Turtle, Run! A Hatchling’s Journey (JNF)

Book: The Egg Book (DK)

Show: Humboldt penguin (17 hours to hatch!), Tawny owl (55 hours to hatch!), Common frog, Common toad (eggs in STRINGS!--page 58), Fish eggs page 66–Horn shark!

 

Activity: Show actual size graphics of elephant bird egg [up to 13”—birds went extinct around 400 years ago] , ostrich egg [largest egg for a living bird—6”], and chicken egg. Have kids hold up their hands with their fingers splayed out—ask them to estimate if they think their hand could completely cover the chicken egg, the ostrich egg, and the elephant bird egg. Could a grown-up’s hand? “I’ll tape these on the wall after storytime—you can go measure your hands and see if your estimates were right!”

 

 

Song with Shaker Eggs: “I Know a Chicken” by Laurie Berkner

 

Closing Song: Elephant! Eel! Elevator?

Action Rhyme: “5 Eggs and 5 Eggs” [NOTE: before doing rhyme, hold up and count 5 fingers on one hand, count 5 fingers on other hand, then count all ten together]

5 eggs and 5 eggs—that makes 10.

Sitting on top is the mother hen.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! What do I see?

10 fluffy chicks, as cute as can be.

Song: “Dance, Freeze, Melt” by The Learning Groove from Rockin’ Red [no egg tie-in, just a favorite]

Activity: Show actual size graphics of elephant bird egg [up to 13”—birds went extinct around 400 years ago] , ostrich egg [largest egg for a living bird—6”], and chicken egg. Have kids hold up their hands with their fingers splayed out—ask them to estimate if they think their hand could completely cover the chicken egg, the ostrich egg, and the elephant bird egg. Could a grown-up’s hand? “I’ll tape these on the wall after storytime—you can go measure your hands and see if your estimates were right!” Egg graphics [pdf]

Book: Hatch, Little Egg by Edouard Manceau or What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward

[NOTE: if reading Hatch, Little Egg, afterwards, talk about which kinds of animals DO hatch from eggs--show images of snake hatching from egg, frog spawn, father penguin keeping egg warm from children's nonfiction books]

Song with Shaker Eggs: “I Know a Chicken” by Laurie Berkner

Book: What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward

Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with E." Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: Eleven Elephants! [STAMPEDE!] Eel! Elevator!