Storytime: Preschool Planters & Seeds

Week two of our Preschool Planters mini storytime session. This week we focused on seeds. I was hoping for A Seed is Sleepy to be available, but it was not. That nonfiction series written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long is just so delightful. I used another nonfiction book and it worked out great!

Here's our storytime agenda:

Welcome
SONG: Can’t Wait to Celebrate by Jim Gill
Storytime Reminders

Flannel: Bookworm, Bookworm, where should we look?

Behind the books ... two bookworm and three popcorn kernels (aka seeds).
 
Morning has come (clap, clap)
Night is away (clap, clap)
Rise with the sun and welcome the day!
Last week we learned sun and day. This week we added the ASL work for morning. We sang this one twice through with patrons invited to join in whenever they felt comfortable.

BOOK: Seeds by Marissa Kirkman (Pebble [Little Capstone], 2020)

After talking about seeds, we need a garden. Sometimes people build their own gardens. They need to use a hammer, or a saw or sandpaper. Let's build a garden with one of our favorite tool songs:
SONG: Hammer and Saw by Jim Gill

BOOK: Let’s Go Nuts! Seeds We Eat by April Pulley Sayre (Beach Lane Books, 2013)

This foodie trio of books is so much fun! And this book fit the theme perfect!

It led well into a surprise flannel with our "seeds" on the board. The seeds are popcorn kernels.

We counted down with our fingers, shook our bodies during sizzling, and clapped our hands at POP!

I slapped a flannel popcorn piece on top of the kernel when they clapped. I don't know who was more excited for this little rhyme - me or the audience.

Three little kernels sizzling in the pot, All of a sudden, one went POP!
     TWO little kernels sizzling in the pot, All of a sudden, one went POP!
          ONE little kernel sizzling in the pot, All of a sudden, one went POP!

 

After counting down from three to one, let's count more! Our song goes from one to five. (It actually mentions 6, 8, 10 as well but I didn't remember or bring that up during our transition.) We did a little finger wiggling and arm stretching, then hid our hands behind our backs while I started the music.

SONG: One from the Left by Jim Gill

BOOK: How Does a Seed Grow? By Sue Kim, photos by Tilde (Little Simon, 2010)

This particular book is a staff book because it is a "toy book". The pages foldout as you read the book to show photographs of how plants get roots and sprouts, then shows a kiddo holding that vegetable or fruit. When we read about the roots, I stretch my free hand down. When we read about the sprouts, I stretch my free hand up.

Fingerplay: Little Seed
Little seed in the ground             [Crouch down on the floor, hands covering heads.]
Sitting so still                                  [Stay crouching.]
Little seed, will you sprout?
Yes, I will!                                [Jump up!]

Announcements: 
Craft Instructions: planting seeds indoors

1 cup (peat pot)

+ dirt chunk (aka expanded peat pellet)

+ a pinch of little seeds (Bee Friendly Mix Wildflower Seeds)

+ a pinch of bigger seeds (Sunshine Variety Mix Sunflower Seeds)

SONG: Goodbye Rap by Miss Carole x 2

I always play this rap twice because it's so short and fun. 

Storytime: Preschool Planters & Green

Preschool Planters is a mini storytime session I inherited and done for many years. It's something I look forward to every Spring. The theme for this year's week one was green for Spring and growing things. This was a day I walked in feeling like I had everything all lined up and ... I didn't. I forgot to cue a song on my playlist and forgot two slides for the storytime screen. It all worked out and the adults got a little chuckle when I said, "I guess it's not a ready day for me today!"

Here's our storytime agenda:

Welcome
SONG: Can’t Wait to Celebrate by Jim Gill
Storytime Reminders

Flannel: Bookworm, Bookworm, where should we look?

Behind the books was one bookworm, an avocado, a kiwi, greenbeans, and a green bell pepper.
 
Morning has come (clap, clap)
Night is away (clap, clap)
Rise with the sun and welcome the day!
We learned the ASL word for sun and day. Next week we'll add another sign.

BOOK:   How’s the Weather in Spring? By Jenna Lee Gleisner (Cherry Lake Pub, 2014)
 
Fingerplay: What the Robin Told 
The wind told the grasses, 
And the grasses told the trees. 
The trees told the flowers, 
And the flowers told the bees. 
The bees told the robin, (bird sign)
And the robin sang out clear, 
“Wake up! Wake up! Spring is here.” 

This is the slide I didn't have ... but that's okay since it's a familiar one to me and I have my agenda printed out in case I get lost. This is one we did together with ASL words. I really enjoy this Spring poem.
 
BOOK:   Green on Green by Dianne White, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Beach Lane Books, 2020)
While reading this book, it can be fairly easy to add ASL color words as you go.

SONG: Green Grass Grew All Around by Greg & Steve
 
BOOK: A Green, Green Garden by Mercer Mayer (Harper, 2011)
 
Fingerplay: Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest
They grew and they grew and they did not stop
Until one day the pod went POP!
 
Flannel: Pea Soup
One little pea jumped into the pot and waited for the soup to get hot
Two little peas jumped into the pot and waited for the soup to get hot
Three little peas jumped into the pot and waited for the soup to get hot
Four little peas jumped into the pot and waited for the soup to get hot
Five little peas jumped into the pot and waited for the soup to get hot
Finally, the soup got so hot, all the peas jumped out of the pot!

We also added ASL words to this rhyme as well - counting 1-5, jumping, waiting, & hot.
 
Announcements: 
Craft Instructions: brown construction paper that they colored with crayons to make gardens
SONG: Goodbye Rap by Miss Carole

I always play this rap twice because it's so short and fun.