Story Time Theme: Growing a Garden

I have been very remiss in posting for the past week, but I’m back and have a great new story time theme, plus a lot of program updates from the past week.  This week we talked about growing a garden during story time and read some really fun and interactive stories.

Opening

• Traditional: Put Your Hands Up In the Air & Open Shut Them
• Yoga: Warm-up (Rock n Roll, Zip up Spine, Deep Breaths, Cat/Cow, pounce from child pose (lunge forward, Dog)

Book 1: There’s a Billy Goat in the Garden by, Laurel Dee Gugler

** This has great repetition that the kids can help with throughout!  They loved yelling “he won’t come out!”

Transition

• Traditional: 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
• Yoga: Sun Salutations (Mountain, Reach Up, Touch the Ground, Hands at Knees (flat back), Plank Pose, Downward Facing Dog, Walk Toward Hands, Repeat)

 Book 2: What Does Bunny See?  by, Linda Sue Park

** A great book to discuss rhyming and colors – perfect for toddlers!

 Transition (changes weekly)

• Traditional: Drivin’ in My Car
• Yoga: Integration Series (Child Pose/Seed Pose, Pat dirt, Tap fingers for rain, Rub your hands for warm sunshine, Slowly grow upwards, Count to 3 and pop up, Tree Pose (both sides), Wind whooshing sounds and move upper body)

Book 3:  Up, Down, and Around by, Katherine Ayres

  ** We had so much fun with this story because every time the story said up, we all stood up and reached up our hands, every time it said down, we’d sit down and touch the ground, and of course we went around and around too!

Closing

• Traditional: Shake Your Sillies Out Puppet Show
• Yoga: Cool-down (Bridge, Happy Baby Pose, Star Pose/Deep Breaths)
  • Asian Dreamland (Putumayo Kids)
  • Namaste

I’ve got a really great group of kids (and adults) in both my traditional toddler story time and my yoga story time this session.  Next week will be our last week for this session and I’ll have a pretty long break before we start back up at the end of June.  I’m excited for the break and to get some new ideas hatching during that time and finalizing the last few details for the summer that I can’t ignore any longer now that it’s officially May!