Storytime: Elephants

Opening Songs  

Book
Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

Counting Rhyme:
1 elephant in the bathtub for a swim.
Knock, Knock [clap hands for each knock] .
Splash, Splash [pat lap for each splash]
Come on in! [wave hand invitingly]
Repeat: 2…, 3…, 4…,
5 elephants in the bathtub for a swim.
Knock, Knock [clap hands for each knock]
Splash, Splash [pat lap for each splash].
And they all fell in!

(credit: from memory; first line: the extraordinary, Mrs. Lancaster)

Book
What to do if an Elephant stands on Your Foot by Michelle Robinson

Movement Song:
An elephant has a great big trunk (swing arm)
That goes swinging to and fro.
And he has tiny, tiny eyes (make binoculars with hands).
That show him where to go.
His great big ears go flopping, (put hands by ears to be elephant ears)
Flopping all around,
While his great big feet go stomping, (stamp feet)
STOMPING on the ground!

(Credit: Adapted from KidSparkz)

Book
Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow

Rhyme

Two big elephants were sitting on a hill

One named Jack and the other named Jill

Run away, Jack! Run away, Jill!

Come back, Jack! Come back, Jill!

Music & Movement
Eleanor the Elegant Elephant by Caspar Babypants– available on Youtube

Closing Song : The More We Get Together
(Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, together, together, (sign for together)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

‘Cause your friends (optional point out, then sign for friends)
Are my friends (optional point to self, then sign for friends)
And my friends (etc)
Are your friends (etc)

The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

Craft
Paper Elephant

Baby Storytime: Elephants

Welcome Song

Sign Language
3-5 signs; Repetition, Positivity, & Consistency; approximations
Learn: Elephant

Book
Always by Emma Dodd

Lapsit Rhyme: Up the Hill

Here goes a turtle up a hill (crawl up arm)

creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy

Here goes a rabbit up a hill (bounce up arm)

boing, boing, boing, boing

Here goes a snake up the hill (slide up arm)

slither, slither, slither, slither

Here goes an elephant up the hill (clap up the arm)

thud, thud, thud, thud

Here comes an elephant down the hill (bounce down arm)

boom, boom, boom, boom, CRASH! (clap hands for crash)

(Credit: adapted by Storytime Katie

Book
Saffy and Ollie by Paola Opal

Counting Rhyme:
1 elephant in the bathtub for a swim

Knock, knock, (clap hands for each knock)

Splash, splash (pat lap for each splash

Come on in! (wave hand invitingly)

Repeat: 2…, 3…, 4…,

5 elephants in the bathtub for a swim.

Knock, Knock (clap hands for each knock)

Splash, Splash (pat lap for each splash)

And they all fell in!
(Credit: Verona Storytime Blog)

Book
A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

Egg Song
Do Your Ears Hang Low by Patty Shukla – available on Youtube

Closing Songs
Bubble Song & Goodbye Song

Storytime: Airplanes

Opening Songs  

Books
First Flight by David McPhail

Counting Rhyme: Five Little Airplanes
Five little airplanes fly around
Zoom…zoom…zoom
One decided to touch down.
Now…

Repeat with:
Four… Three… Two…

One little airplane flies around
Zoom… zoom… zoom
It decides to touch down.
Now no little airplanes fly around!

Book
Airport by Byron Barton

Action Song: The Wings on the Airplane (Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)
The wings on the airplane fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly, fly, Fly, fly, fly
The wings on the airplane fly, fly, fly
All through the sky.

Repeat with:
The door on the airplane opens and shuts
The bags on the airplane stow up high
The people on the airplane buckle seat belts
The wings on the airplane fly, fly, fly

Book
Hello Airplane! by Bill Cotter

Music & Movement
The Airplane Song by Laurie Berkner – available on Youtube

Closing Song : The More We Get Together
(Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, together, together, (sign for together)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

‘Cause your friends (optional point out, then sign for friends)
Are my friends (optional point to self, then sign for friends)
And my friends (etc)
Are your friends (etc)

The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

Craft
Painting Airplane Cloud Silhouettes

Baby Storytime: Airplanes

Welcome Song

Sign Language
3-5 signs; Repetition, Positivity, & Consistency; approximations
Learn: Hurry Repeat: Sorry

Book
Planes by Byron Barton

Counting Rhyme: Six Little Airplanes
Six little airplanes fly around
Zoom…zoom…zoom
One decided to touch down.
Now…

Repeat with:
Five… Four… Three… Two…

One little airplane flies around
Zoom… zoom… zoom
It decides to touch down.
Now no little airplanes fly around!

Book
Flight 1-2-3 by Maria van Lieshout

Action Song:
Head & Shoulders baby 1, 2, 3 Head & Shoulders baby 1, 2, 3
Head & Shoulders baby 1, 2, 3
Head & Shoulders, Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders baby 1, 2, 3

Knees and toes baby 1, 2, 3 (3x)
Knees and toes, (3x) baby 1, 2, 3

Back and tummy baby 1,2,3 (3x)
Back and tummy, (3x) baby 1,2,3
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book
That’s Not My Plane… by Fiona Watt

Egg Song
Bird in an Airplane Suit by Caspar Babypants – available on Youtube

Closing Songs
Bubble Song & Goodbye Song

Storytime: Jungle

Opening Songs  

Books
A Mighty Bitey Creature by Ronda Armitage

Color/Counting Rhyme: Six Little Cookies
[can use almost any puppet to eat cookies, we used an Alligator]
Six little cookies, made with honey from a hive.
Gator ate the [insert color] one, then there were five.
Five little cookies, with frosting galore.
Gator ate the [insert color] one, then there were four.
Four little cookies, Two and two you see
Gator ate the [insert color] one, then there were three.
Three little cookies, But before I knew,
Gator ate the [insert color] one, then there were two.
Two little cookies, Oh what fun,
Gator ate the [insert color] one, then there was one
One little cookie, We’re almost done,
Gator ate the last [insert color], then there were none!
(credit: from memory; first line: the extraordinary, Mrs. Lancaster)

Book
“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” Said the Sloth by Eric Carle

Movement Song: If You’re A Jungle Animal And You Know It
If you’re a parrot and you know it flap your wings (2x)
If you’re a parrot and you know it and you really want to show it.
If you’re a parrot and you know it flap your wings.
Repeat with:
Elephant, Stomp your feet
Snake, Slither around (hiss and make “snake” with hands)
Lion, Give a roar
Do all four (Flap flap, Stomp stomp, “Hiss” “Roar”)
(modified from: If You’re Happy And You Know It: Jungle Edition by James Warhola)

Book
Rainforest Romp by Tony Mitton

Music & Movement
Disco Hippo by Caspar Babypants – available on Youtube

Closing Song : The More We Get Together
(Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, together, together, (sign for together)
The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

‘Cause your friends (optional point out, then sign for friends)
Are my friends (optional point to self, then sign for friends)
And my friends (etc)
Are your friends (etc)

The more we get, (sign for more)
Together, (sign for together)
The happier we’ll be. (sign for happy)

Craft
Pipe Cleaner Snake: A Fine Motor Beading Craft

Baby Storytime: Jungle

Welcome Song

Sign Language
3-5 signs; Repetition, Positivity, & Consistency; approximations
Learn: Sorry

Book
Wild Baby by Cori Doerrfeld

Puppet Rhyme: Five Little Cookies [use alligator to eat cookies]
Five little cookies, with frosting galore.
Gator ate the blue one, then there were four.
Four little cookies, Two and two you see
Gator ate the green one, then there were three.
Three little cookies, But before I knew,
Gator ate the red one, then there were two.
Two little cookies, Oh what fun,
Gator ate the orange one, then there was one
One little cookie, We’re almost done,
Gator ate the last one, then there were none!

Book
Jungle Night by Sandra Boynton

Movement Rhyme: Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey see, monkey do
Little monkey at the zoo
Monkey, monkey in the tree
Can you __________ like me?
(jump around, swing your arms, scratch an itch, eat a banana, make a sound)
(Credit: Perry Public Library)

Book
Jungle Gym by Jennifer Sattler

Egg Song
Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) by Laurie Berkner – available on Youtube

Closing Songs
Bubble Song & Goodbye Song