Green Storytime (Week of Saint Patrick’s Day)
Books:
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
I Spy book (I just found a page that had green objects, and we played, “Can you find something green on this page?)
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Where is the green Sheep? By Mem Fox
Opening Activity: Stretch! Quick touch your toes, your shoulders, head, nose, et.
Sing: Welcome Song: If you are ready for a story, clap your hands!
Parent Welcome: Thank you for joining us in Storytime today! Every child, like adults, has a bad day, so if you child is needing a break, please step outside the room with them so they can calm down and not disrupt the other children. However, when your child is ready, please rejoin us again! Also, pretend there is an invisible circle around my easel. This is where I have lots of our props. If your child goes inside this circle, please gently pull them back so they do not block the view for the other children. Let’s get started!
Read: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
(I read the first few pages up until the train goes into the dark, and then I skipped to the end where Sam offers the green eggs and ham in the water. This cuts down on the length of the story!)
Possible aside for parents: Dr. Seuss uses lots of rhymes in his books! Rhymes help children distinguish similar words based on their sounds, an important skill when they begin to sound out words and read on their own! (For additional possible Storytime asides for parents, visit Library Bonanza!)
Write: I wrote a “G” on the whiteboard, as well as the word Green, and we talked how the letter G looks. We talked about what sound the letter G makes. We then put together two half circles to make the letter G.
(Image credit: Supercharged Storytimes)
Read: Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Fingerplays:
Two little black birds sitting in the snow
Patty Cake
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
Play:
I used a random I Spy book that had lots of fun objects and asked the kids to find the green wheel, the green block, and the green fish, etc. They loved this!
Sing:
Popcorn kernels with scarves
Read: Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox
Extension activity:
Where is the Green Sheep was our last book. After we read it, I hid a green colored sheep that I had colored in the room, had the kids close their eyes, and then when I was ready, they looked for it. It was great fun. The child who found it was able then to hide it for the others.
Craft:
I had sheep coloring sheets available with green crayons, just like the one we used to play “Where is the Green Sheep?” You can download the sheep I drew for this activity here: Where is the Green Sheep Template
Additional Activity Idea:
Use three cups that are clear. One cup has water with blue food coloring. The second up has water with yellow food coloring. Pour the blue and yellow water together into a third cup to make the color green!
How it went:
This is a very fun Storytime. I had all ages of kids, 1-year-old to 4-year-olds, and the program just kept moving. The kids loved the “I Spy” book, and they loved the Where is the Green Sheep book, and then looking for the green sheep around the room after we had finished reading. They were engaged with the stories, and the other activities kept them moving.
Downloads: