Storytime Theme: Picnic

Picnics are a fun way to interact with nature! Or if nature won’t cooperate, an indoor picnic on the living room floor works just as well (and you won’t get any ants!) Check out this storytime theme: picnic for a great list of titles to share on your picnic blanket!

Opening & Closing

Opening: “Put Your Hands Up In the Air”

Closing: “Shake My Sillies Out” Puppet Show

Books

• The Beastly Feast by Bruce Goldstone
• We’re Going On a Picnic by Pat Hutchins
• Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson

Transitions

Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Woolly (monkey puppet)

Flannel Board: “Butterfly Flannel Board”
The first to come to the garden bed
is a lovely butterfly of brilliant RED

Then in comes another and that makes two
Fly right in, my friend of BLUE

This garden is fine, the best I’ve seen
says the butterfly of the softest GREEN

Our garden needs a sunny fellow
Fly in butterfly, with wings of YELLOW

Little friend of PURPLE, fly in too
the garden is waiting for a color like you

Hello ORANGE, we’ve waited so long
fly in, right where you belong

Butterflies, Butterflies, you’re such a sight
Flying together with such delight!

Flannelboard Rhyme: “Find the Caterpillar”
Knock, Knock, Knock
Little caterpillar, little caterpillar
Are you behind the ______ Butterfly?

Music: “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” Greg & Steve, Shake, Rattle & Roll (with rhythm sticks)

Wiggle Song: “Fruit Salad”
Watermelon, Watermelon, (big circle with hands)
Pa-pay-a, pap-ay-a, (chop air in front of body on each syllable)
Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down like rocking a baby)
Fruuuuit Salad, fruuuuit salad! (dance it out!)
Pomegranate, Pomegranate, Pomegranate
Cle-men-tine, Cle-men-tine, Cle-men-tine
Pineapple, pineapple,
Fruit salad, fruit salad,

Caregiver Tips

Early Literacy Tip: “Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.” – Mem Fox

Resource Share: We have music CDs for kids that you can check out just like a book – they are great for car trips and vacations!

Additional Titles:

• Ants by Valerie Bodden
• Ants by Melissa Stewart
• The Best Picnic Ever by Clare Jarrett
• Picnic by Mick Inkpen
• Picnic!: A Day in the Park by Joan Holub
• Picnic Farm by Christine Morton-Shaw 
• Pignic by Matt Phelan

Check out my extensive list of storytime themes and fun books to share with PreK kids.