Family Storytime – 3/23/19 – Dance
Song – Top of the Morning
This is a fun tune and great for waking up and doing a little stretching. It’s called Top of the Morning.
Hello Rhyme – Everybody Count!
I love a good song where we can shout! It’s actually almost a rap really.
Everybody count one, ONE! Storytime has just begun, Everybody count two, TWO! Shake your shoulders, show your shoes, Everybody count three, THREE! Listen very carefully, Everybody count four, FOUR! And put your bottoms on the floor.
Stretch –Hokey Pokey
This is a great stretch to get up warmed up for the rest of storytime.
ASL – DANCE / FUN / MUSIC
I always teach my group a few American Sign Language signs to go with every theme. This is great to help frustrated little ones communicate but it also helps make our world a better place by fostering communication with each other. We have a large deaf community near my library so learning just a few signs are great! I usually use Signing Savvy or Baby Sign Language.
Book – Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
This is such a fun book. I love that the Giraffe finds his groove by the end. We also have a 4 foot Giraffe in the library and I’m totally breaking that out!
Rhyme – Dance Your Fingers Up
This is a fun finger play. Instead of dancing our whole bodies we are dancing our fingers.
Dance your fingers up, dance your fingers down Dance them to the side and dance them all around. Dance them on our shoulders, dance them on your head. Dance them on your tummy, and put them all to bed!
Song/Freeze Dance – The Chicken Dance
Oh yes, this is happening. I am going to play the chicken dance and every once in awhile I will pause it and we will freeze in place.
Book – Dancing Feet! By Lindsey Craig
I was ify about this one because I only wanted to do two books, but I just had to add it. I plan on making the kids do each of the animal dance moves I create as I read the story.
Finger Play – Five Little Dancers
I’ve seen this one online with flannel but we are going to try it using our fingers as dancers.
Five little dancers Prancing on their toes They twirl and spin and jump Then off the stage one goes.
4 little dancers… 3 little dancers… 2 little dancers…
One little dancer Prancing on her toes She twirls and spins and jumps Then off the stage she goes.
No more dancers! Our hands are our lap. But wait! Let’s not forget to clap!
Rhyme/Puppet – Dancing Sheep
This is a long, movement intensive rhyme for me, but it is so cute that I just have to give it a try!
Shhh! It’s time to go to sleep (put finger to mouth, pretend to sleep) But into my bedroom one sheep creeps. (creep fingers)
“Don’t go to bed,” the one sheep said. “I would rather dance instead!”
Soon he was… Dancing on the ceiling! (move hands above head He was dancing on the floor! (move hands on floor He was dancing on the window! (move hands to one side) He was dancing on the door! (move hands to other side)
He kept on…
Dancing on the ceiling! (sing faster) He was dancing on the floor! He was dancing on the window! He was dancing on the door! (repeat several times getting faster each time through)
“Stop that dancing, silly sheep. It is time to go to sleep!”
Soon the sheep lay on the floor. Soon the sheep began to snore.
So I started … Dancing on the ceiling! I was dancing on the floor! I was dancing on the window! I was dancing on the door!
Book – Wiggle by Doreen Cronin
I love this book. I found it while weeding the other day and this is basically why I am doing this theme. We are going to wiggle our butts off because wiggling is dancing too!
Rhyme – Can You Move With Me
I did this one a long time ago and it’s cute. I can’t remember who I got it from. This is one of my backup rhymes so we will see if there is time.
Can you wiggle like a worm, Can you squiggle, can you squirm? Can you flutter, can you fly, Like a gentle butterfly? Can you crawl upon the ground Like a beetle that is round? Can you move with me?
Can you flip? Can you flop? Can you give a little hop? Can you slither like a snake? Can you give a little shake? Can you dance like a bee who is buzzing in a tree? Can you move with me?
Song/Shakers – Can’t Stop the Feeling by Trolls
Yes, I know I do this song a lot, but it is the perfect shaker song! Oh and sooo perfect with the dance theme.
Movement Exercise – If You’re Happy and You Know It
I tell the kids that I want to know how happy they are.
Goodbye Rhyme – See You Later Alligator!
How cute is this one… to the tune of Clementine
See you later, alligator (Wave goodbye) In a while, crocodile Give a hug, ladybug (Hug yourself) Blow a kiss, jellyfish (Blow a kiss) See you soon, big baboon Out the door, dinosaur (March) Take care, polar bear Wave goodbye, butterfly (Wave goodbye)
Song – Clean It Up! by The Laurie Berkner Band
Everyone helps put our shakers away
Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell my Friends by Music Together
I always put this one on as I go to open the door. Its a nice, slow, peaceful song to wind down on.
How’d it go:
I made it! I have a bit of a head-cold, so just getting to the end was an achievement. I cut out one of my rhymes and I sort of wished I cut out the dancing sheep rhyme because they were just too — me — singing intensive and my poor throat was not happy. Other than that, this was a fun theme and one I will keep in my back pocket for the future.
That’s all for now!
-M-