Story Time Theme: Chicks

My story time kids seem to have a little spring fever recently so getting them to sit quietly (just to read the stories) has been difficult.  But they have absolutely loved singing and dancing and can’t get enough of the 5 Little Monkeys!  I think next week we’ll add some bubbles to the program with my new bubble blower from Gymboree!  The kids love bubbles and it should get them moving around quite a bit!

My spring time themes continue this week with three stories all about chicks!  I was having a little trouble from parents (they are constantly answering my questions before allowing their kids the time to process and answer on their own), so I let them know that little ones need about 5 – 7 seconds to process a question and answer, making parents more aware of what they were doing.  I think it helped most of the parents, but I still had a couple who just wanted to answer for their kids!  Oh well, there’s always next week.

I think my favorite book this week was Hoppity Skip Little Chick, but the kids really loved making the animal sounds in This Little Chick – a perfect early literacy skill to practice with toddlers!

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)

Puppet: Meet Willy (monkey) and give high fives!

Early Literacy Tip/Story Stretcher: You may not live on a farm, but teaching kids vocabulary words now will help them when they are ready to read!

ASL Sign: Chicken – same as “Bird” use forefinger and thumb near mouth to create a beak

Book One

• Traditional: This Little Chick by John Lawrence
• Yoga: Hoppity Skip Little Chick by Jo Brown

Transition

• Traditional (fine motor skills): 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 3x)

Book Two

• Traditional: Wee Little Chick by John Butler
• Yoga: This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Transition (changes weekly)

• Traditional: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
• Yoga Focus: Animals (Butterfly, Frog, Lion, Whale, Dragon)

Book Three

• Traditional: Here a Chick, Where a Chick? by Suse MacDonald
• Yoga: Wee Little Chick by John Butler

Closing

• Traditional: Shake Your Sillies Out Puppet Show
• Yoga: Cool-down (Bridge, Happy Baby Pose, Star Pose/Deep Breaths)
  • “Cradle Spell of Dunvegan”(Putumayo Presents: Dreamland, World Lullabies & Soothing Songs)
  • Namaste