Fall Storytime 9/22/15 and 9/23/15

Books read: 
Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson
Fall Leaves Fall by Zoe Hall

ASL Sign of the Week: Fall

Autumn Leaves (to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb, modified from Sunflower Storytime)
Autumn leaves are falling down, (wave hands towards floor)
Falling down, falling down,
Autumn leaves are falling down,
All over town.
Other actions can include spinning, dancing, flying, etc.

Way up high in the apple tree (modified from Literary Commentary)
Way up high in the apple tree, (lift arms)
10 little apples smiled at me!
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (shake back and forth)
Down came the apple, (wave hands towards ground)
Boy was it good!

The Freeze by Greg and Steve (on Kids in Motion)

Boing, boing, squeak (modified from Storytime Katie)
Boing, boing, squeak! Boing, boing, squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house, he's been there for a week.
He bounces in the kitchen, he bounces in the den,
He bounces very fast, as he counts to 10.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

One bright leaf (adapted from Storytime Underground)
One bright leaf, waiting for the wind to blow,
Wave it high, wave it low,
Throw it high!
Where did it go?

We wave our leaves (adapted from "We Hit the Floor Together" by Abby Librarian)
We wave our leaves together, together,
We wave our leaves together, together,
We wave our leaves together,
Because it's fun to do!

Two little blackbirds (found at multiple sources)
Two little blackbirds, sitting on a hill,
One named Jack, the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack! Fly away Jill!
Come back Jack! Come back Jill!
Other pairs can include: soft/loud, fast/slow, high/low.

Craft: We decorated a leaf template with torn paper.

Literacy tip of the week: Songs like "The Freeze" are a great way to teach self regulation. This will come in handy when your child is learning to read!

Trees Storytime 10/7/14 and 10/8/14

Book read: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Other book suggestions: 
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
A Tree for Me by Nancy VanLaan
Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

A Tree is a Home (from Holiday Zone)
A tree may be a home for a bird (flap arms like a bird)
A tree may be a home for a bee (buzz hand like a bee)
A tree may be a home for a snake (slither like a snake)
A tree may be a home for a monkey (swing arms)
I would if a tree would make a good home for me? (point to self)

The Trees are Growing High (To the tune of 'The Farmer in the Dell", from Storytime Secrets )
The trees are growing high, (raise arms overhead)
The trees are growing high.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing high.
(Other verses: The threes are growing roots, The trees are growing leaves)

Leaves (from Step by Step Childcare)
Little leaves fall gently down,
Red and yellow, orange and brown (flutter hands down)
Whirling, whirling around and around (turn around)
Quietly without a sound (finger to lips)
Falling softly to the ground (begin to fall slowly)
Down and down and down and down. (lie on floor)

If You're a Tree and You Know It
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high. (reach high)
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high.
If you're a tree and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high. 

Other verses included: Touch your roots (touch toes), and Wave Your Leaves (wave arms)

Here We Go Round the Apple Tree (done with parachute, adapted from King County Library)
Here we go round the apple tree, apple tree. apple tree
Here we go round the apple tree so early in the morning.

This is the way we shake off the apples, shake off the apples, shake off the apples
This is the way we shake off the apples so early in the morning.

This is the way the leaves fall down, leaves fall down, leaves fall down,
This is the way the leaves fall down, so early in the morning.

Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree

Literacy tip of the week: Interactive stories (like "Tap the Magic Tree") are a great way to encourage your child's participation and engagement with books!