Story Window Storytime Blog: Songs & Fingerplays

Peek inside for storytime ideas! Wilmette Librarians share suggestions for age-appropriate books, rhymes, songs, and crafts.

February 23, 2010

"Here Is a House"

Here is a house built up high (raise hands to make a peaked roof)
With two big chimneys reaching for the sky (raise two fists high)
Here is a window (make a square with your hands)
Here is the door (knock)
If we look inside (peek)
We see a mouse on the floor (make your hand into a scampering mouse)

Posted by Lisa at 11:38 AM | TrackBack

December 26, 2007

Apple Rhymes

1. Way up high in the apple tree (stretch way up)
Two red apples smiled at me. (hold up two fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (shaking motion)
Down came the apples -- (downward motion)
Mm, they were good! (rub stomach)

2. This is the tree with leaves so green. (hold arms out, wiggle fingers)
These are the apples that grow in between. (hold up fists)
When the wind blows, the apples will fall. (blowing and falling motions)
Here is a basket to gather them all! (hold arms in a circle)

Posted by Lisa at 2:09 PM | TrackBack

This Is the Way We Make the Pizza

(To the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Here are some verses. You can, of course, improvise as you like!)

1. This is the way we mix the dough, mix the dough, mix the dough
This is the way we mix the dough to make a pizza pie.
2. This is the way we knead the dough...
3. This is the way we roll the dough...
4. This is the way we toss the dough...
5. This is the way we spread the sauce...
6. This is the way we sprinkle the cheese...
7. This is the way our pizza bakes, pizza bakes, pizza bakes
Take it out and eat a slice, our yummy pizza pie!

Posted by Lisa at 2:08 PM | TrackBack

Thanksgiving Songs and Rhymes

- "If You're Thankful and You Know It" - Sing it just like the old favorite, but in the third verse sing, "If you're thankful and you know it, say 'thank you!'"

- Rhyme #1
I am a turkey, big and fat (make a big stomach with your arms)
I spread my tail (spread arms), and I walk like that (waddle side to side)
Each day's corn I will not miss (rub stomach)
And when I talk (point to mouth), I sound like this: (point to ear)
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

- Rhyme #2
The turkey is a funny bird (hook thumbs and spread fingers like a turkey)
His head goes wobble wobble (wobble your head)
And all he knows is just one word (hold up one finger)
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Posted by Lisa at 2:07 PM | TrackBack

Five Little Snowmen

5 little snowmen all in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
Each with a hat (put hands on head)
And a big red bow (make a bow-tying motion at your neck)
Up came the sun and it stayed all day (raise arms in a circle)
And one little snowman melted away (hold up index finger and "melt" it away)
(Etc.)

We also use a flannelboard for this rhyme. Each of our five snowmen has a different hat. After each verse, I ask the children which snowman I should melt, and then we count the snowmen that remain.

Posted by Lisa at 2:04 PM | TrackBack

Here Is the Beehive

Here is the beehive, but where are the bees? [make a fist, with your thumb tucked inside]
Hidden inside where no one can see.
Watch them now come out of the hive.
Five bees: one-two-three-four-five! [unfurl your fingers, one by one]
Fly away bees! BZZZZZ! [fly your fingers around]

Posted by Lisa at 2:04 PM | TrackBack

Wide-Eyed Owl

There's a wide-eyed owl (circle your eyes with your hands)
With a pointed nose (make a beak with your fingers)
Two pointed ears (make ears with your fingers)
And claws for toes (wiggle your "claws")
He lives way up (point way up)
In the tree (way, way up)
And when he looks at you (point to children)
He flaps his wings (flap your wings)
And says, "Whoo! Whoo!" (keep flappin' till the owls come home)

Posted by Lisa at 2:03 PM | TrackBack

Cookie Rhymes

Making Cookies
I am making cookie dough. (hold out arms in a circle, like a bowl)
Round and round the beaters go. (roll hands)
Add some flour from a cup. (shake a pretend cup)
Stir and stir the batter up. (stirring motion)
Roll them, cut them nice and neat. (rolling pin motion)
Put them on a cookie sheet. (place pretend cookies)
Bake them, count them 1-2-3. (counting motion)
Serve them to my friends for tea. (take a bite!)

Five Little Cookies
(I made five pretend cookies of different colors. At each verse, I asked the kids to fill in the color, and then we counted the remaining cookies.)

Five little cookies with frosting galore.
Mother ate the _____ one, and then there were four.

Four little cookies, two and two you see.
Father ate the _____ one, and then there were three.

Three little cookies, but before I knew,
Sister ate the _____ one, and then there were two.

Two little cookies, oh, what fun.
Brother ate the _____ one, and then there was one.

One little cookie, watch me run.
I ate the _____ one, and then there was none.

For our project, we glued pretend cookies (gingerbread men, hearts, etc.) to a paper plate and decorated them with glitter crayons!

Posted by Lisa at 2:03 PM | TrackBack

Garbage Truck Rhymes

GARBAGE! (act it out as you go)

Pick up garbage, and throw it in the bin!
Push it down, and stomp it in!
Carry the cans to the street
for the garbage trucks to eat.
When the truck comes roaring by,
workers lift the cans up high.
Garbage falls into the back.
Crush it, mash it, smash it flat!
Set the cans down with a thump.
Now drive that garbage to the dump!

FIVE LITTLE GARBAGE TRUCKS

Five little garbage trucks, painted green,
Picking up trash to keep the town clean.
They work and they work until they fill up --
Now one of the garbage truck drives to the dump!

(You can do it as an action rhyme, or make flannel board trucks as I did. I gave each truck a different colored symbol, so that at the end of each verse the kids could tell me which one to drive to the dump.)

Posted by Lisa at 2:02 PM | TrackBack

Garden Rhymes

Tulips
Ten little tulips, bright and gay (hold up 10 fingers)
Let us water them each day ("sprinkle" fingers)
Watch them open in the bright sunlight (cup hands, then open them)
And watch them close when it is night (close hands again)

A Little Sun
A little sun (raise arms in a circle over head)
A little rain ("sprinkle" fingers)
Now pull up all the weeds (pretend to pull weeds from floor)
Our flowers grow (straighten and stretch arms)
All in a row (keep "growing")

Dig, Dig, Dig
I dig, dig, dig (digging motion)
And I plant some seeds. (planting motion)
I rake, rake, rake (raking motion)
And I pull some weeds. (pulling motion)
I wait and watch (hands on hips)
And soon I know, (point to self)
My garden sprouts (hands low, palms down)
And starts to grow. (raise hands toward ceiling)
From teeny, tiny seeds (pinch thumbs and index fingers as if holding a seed)

Posted by Lisa at 2:01 PM | TrackBack

Let's Be Firefighters! (Action Rhyme)

Listen to the firebell, clang clang clang! (Cup hand to ear)
Then slide down the pole as fast as you can. (Pretend to grip a pole and slide to the ground)

Put your boots on your feet (Pretend to put on boots -- stomp!)
and your helmet on your head. (Put hands on head)
Now jump into your fire engine red! (Jump!)

Drive, drive, drive to the scene of the fire. ("Driving" motion)
Make the lights flash 'round (Spin hand around above head)
and the sirens cry, "WEE-OOO WEE-OOO WEE-OOO!" (Cup hands to mouth)

Now climb up the ladder (Climbing motion)
And reel out the hose ("Roll" hands)
Turn on the water, and out the fire goes: (Pretend to spray a hose)
"WHOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHH!"

Is the fire out yet? If so, great! If not, keep spraying...

Posted by Lisa at 2:00 PM | TrackBack

Caterpillars Are Wiggling Around

(to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus")

1. (Your scarf is a leaf. Spread it on the ground, and climb onto it. Now wriggle!)
The caterpillars are wiggling around, wiggling around, wiggling around,
The caterpillars are wiggling around, all around the garden.

2. (Your scarf is your chrysalis. Pull it over your head and body.)
The caterpillars are going to sleep, going to sleep, going to sleep,
The caterpillars are going to sleep, all around the garden.

3. (Your scarf is your wings! Fly around.)
The butterflies are flying around, flying around, flying around,
The butterflies are flying around, all around the garden.

Posted by Lisa at 1:59 PM | TrackBack

Did You Ever See a Sailboat?

(To the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Did you ever see a sailboat, a sailboat, a sailboat,
Did you ever see a sailboat waving its sail?
Wave this way, and that way, and this way, and that way.
Did you every see a sailboat waving its sail?

Posted by Lisa at 1:54 PM | TrackBack

Ten Warm Mittens (Flannel board / counting rhyme)

(have the kids choose which color of mitten to remove from the board each time)

10 warm mittens, hanging on the line
The ________ one blows away, and that leaves 9

9 warm mittens, each without a mate
A squirrel takes the ________ one, and that leaves 8

8 warm mittens, three less than eleven
The ________ one falls into the snow, and that leaves 7

7 warm mittens, which one should I pick?
I pick the ________ one, and that leaves 6

6 warm mittens, put one on to try
You take the ________ one, and that leaves 5

5 warm mittens, just outside the door
A bunny needs the ________ one, and that leaves 4

4 warm mittens, two for you and two for me
I lose the ________ one skiing, and that leaves 3

3 warm mittens, fluffy and new
The ________ one falls into the mud, and that leaves 2

2 warm mittens, drying in the sun
A bird snatches the ________ one, and that leaves 1

1 warm mitten, what good is only one?
A mouse wants the ________ one for a bed, and that leaves none!

Posted by Lisa at 1:52 PM | TrackBack

October 26, 2006

HALLOWEEN ACTION RHYME

Children in a storytime for 3 1/2 to 5 year olds enjoyed this Halloween fingerplay:

PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN SITTING ON A WALL.
PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN TIP & FALL.
PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN ROLLING DOWN THE STREET
PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN--"TRICK OR TREAT!"

Do these motions while saying the rhyme:

Make a fist with one hand; this is the pumpkin.
Extend other arm to create a wall, place pumpkin on wall.
Rock pumpkin back & forth; let pumpkin fall to floor.
Roll both forearms over each other-faster & faster.
Throw arms up in the air, and shout "TRICK OR TREAT!"

Children liked the rolling pumpkin and shouting "Trick or Treat!"

Posted by Kathleen at 9:54 AM

July 20, 2006

Sing, Sing a Song!

I'm not exactly American Idol material, but I like to use lots of songs in storytime. The point is not how well you can sing, but how much fun you have while doing it.

The following songs are tried-and-true favorites that you can find on CD at the Library. With the exception of the "warming up" songs, we do all of these a cappella or, if I'm feeling ambitious, the Autoharp.

Warming Up

"Warm-up" can be translated to "wear-out." We often do one of these while waiting for a quorum.

"Bodies 1-2-3," by Peter T. Allard and Ellen Allard, from Sing it! say it! stamp it! sway it! Vol. 2
"Can't Wait to Celebrate," by Jim Gill, from Jim Gill's irrational anthem: and more salutes to nonsense

Getting Ready to Listen

"Open, Shut Them", by Learning Station, from Where is thumbkin?

Taking a Break from Books

"Spider on the Floor," by Raffi, from Singable songs for the very young — fun to do with a spider puppet, which occasionally hops onto a child
"Shake My Sillies Out," by Raffi, from More singable songs and several other recordings
"Two Little Blackbirds," by Carole Peterson, from Sticky Bubblegum: and other tasty tunes — this one always seems to surprise and delight little boys in particular, probably because you're supposed to sing loud in parts
"Pig on Her Head," by Laurie Berkner, from Buzz Buzz — every child can choose an animal for his or her verse

Saying Goodbye (or, more accurately, Going to the Craft Table)

"Reach for the Sky", by Pamela Beall and Susan Nipp, found on Wee Sing: children's songs and fingerplays

Posted by Lisa at 3:28 PM

Mon–Fri	9 am–9 pm
Sat	9 am–5 pm
Sun	1–9 pm