Halloween (Black and Orange) Storytime

This session I am focusing on colors each week. I got this idea from Storytime Katie and her series of color storytimes, as well as my slight obsession with Rainbow order.

I would love to have started with 'Red' because: Rainbow Order, but alas, this week Storytime falls on October 30 so it had to be Black and Orange!

·       I sang 5 Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree.

I have a lot of late arrivals so I thought I would start on time, if possible, with a song like this and do the introductory "opening" song second once most of the people arrived. Unfortunately, this morning people were very very late so it didn't even work. Sigh.

·       I did Willoughby Wallaby Woo so I could learn and sing each of the Children's names.

·       Showed the sign for "Orange", What is Orange? Who is wearing Orange?

I went through our flannel board files and pulled out any orange items which is kind of alarming and not something I'd do if anyone was watching, because Ahghhgh! What a mess?! But anyway while safely alone I had picked all the orange items out and put them on the top of the board so we talked about what they all were. My favorite was an orange mitten which a child said was for getting things out of the oven!

·       Showed sign for "Black". What is black? Who is wearing black?

Also showed black items taken from all different flannel story files.

·       Read It's Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall

·       Sang Grey Squirrel

·       Performed Five Little Pumpkins fingerplay

·       Talked about Spiders. What is a Spider's house? Who is afraid of spiders? What  do we know about Spiders?

·       Sang Itsy Bitsy Spider

·       Flannel Board "Five Spiders on a Web"

·       Sang Mary Had a Little Lamb

·       Read Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

·       Sang Baa Baa Black Sheep

·       Flannel Board "Here is a Pumpkin"

·       Sang Little Green Frog

·       Next we danced to The Monster Mash

·       Then we did a Jack O'Lantern Craft

·       and it was Playtime!!

Song - Itsy Bitsy Spider

This is another classic I learned as a little girl. I strongly believe the song is "Itsy Bitsy" and reject any publication that tries to pass that eensy weensy business off. However, if YOU learned it another way forgive my prejudice and sing away.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the spout again!

Flannel Board - Five Spiders on a Web

This adorable Flannel story came with my job! I don't know who made it, but its so cute! Look at those spiders! The web is made on a square of white flannel which is pasted to a piece of cardboard to give it structure.

Here is the poem:

Five little spiders lying on a cord.
Swish went the wind, then there were four.

Four little spiders pretty as could be.
Swish went the wind, then there were three.

Three little spiders all black and new.
Swish went the wind, then there were two.

Two little spiders, shining in the sun.
Swish went the wind, then there was one.

One little spider left all alone.
I gave him a poke and sent him home.

Flannel Board - Here is a Pumpkin

This one came with my job. I don't know who made it but I love it.

Here is a pumpkin who's happy,
Here is a pumpkin who sighs.
Here is a pumpkin who's sleepy,
And here is a pumpkin who cries.

Here is a pumpkin who's angry,
Here is a pumpkin who's sad.
Here is a pumpkkin who's noisy,
And here is a pumpkin who's glad.

Cathy B. Griffin

Song - Little Green Frog

I learned this song at 4-H and sang it at Summer camp too!

For this song you make a silly, exagerated sound.  The "mmmm" is a deep grunt and for the "ahh" you open your mouth big and wide, stick out your tongue and grunt simultaneously. Children LOVE this song. Even babies will immitate those crazy frog grunts.

Mmmmm-Ahhh went the little green frog one day.
Mmmmm-Ahhh went the little green frog.
Mmmmm-Ahhh went the little green frog one day.
Mmmmm-Ahhh
Mmmmm-Ahhh
Mmmmm-Ahhh-Ahhh-Ahhhh!

Frogs are supposed to go La-di-da di-da di-da
La-di-da di-da di-da
La-di-da di-da di-da
Frogs are supposed to go La-di-da di-da di-da

But this one went Mmmmm-Ahhhhh!!

Song - Baa Baa Black Sheep

From my childhood.

Baa baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir! Yes sir!
Three bags full!

One for my master,
One for my dame.
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.

Baa baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, Yes sir.
Three bags full!

Song - Mary Had a Little Lamb

I learned this as a little one, as most people do I'm sure.

Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb,
Little lamn.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went,
Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
School one day,
School one day.
It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play,
Laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.

Finger play - Five Little Pumpkins

By Raffi

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate [Show five fingers]

The first one said [Show one finger]
"Oh my its getting late!" [Hands to cheeks showing dismay]

The second one said [show two fingers]
"There are witches in the air!" [Look up with dismay]

The third one said [Show three fingers]
"But we don't care" [act brave, cross arms or wag finger]

The fourth one said [Show four fingers]
"Let's run and run and run!" [Pantomime running with fists]

The fifth one said [Show five fingers]
"I'm ready for some fun!"

"Oooooooooo" went the wind [make it spooky]
and OUT went the light [clap, snap or make a quick fist]

and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! [Roll fists in front of you]

Action Song - Grey Squirrel

I learned this song in 4-H as a child

Grey Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

Shake you bushy tail!

Grey Squirrel 

Grey Squirrel

Shake your bushy tail!

Wrinkle up your little nose,

stick it down between your toes.

Grey Squirrel 

Grey Squirrel 

Shake your bushy tail!

Have children shake their booties and act out the nose bit while singing it standing up.

Song - Willoughby Wallaby Woo

By Raffi

Willougby Wallaby Woo
An Elephant sat on you!
Willoughby Wallaby Wee
And Elephant sat on me!

Repeat from here with all the children's names. If you come to an odd number, throw in any silly verse like

Willoughby Wallaby Wibrary
An Elephant sat on the Library

or

Willoughby Wallaby Wallofus
And elephant sat on All of us!

Song - Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree

I learned this song at a Childcare Seminar. 

5 Little Monkeys sitting in a tree [Show five fingers]

Teasin' Mr. Alligator 

"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!" [Put hands up by ears and act out teasing motion]

Along comes Mr. Alligator - quiet as can be... [Make a swimming motion with two clasped hands]

AND SNAPS that monkey right outta that tree! [Clap hands from top to bottom like an alligator's mouth]

Repeat until there are no monkeys left.

Doom!

So, I started a rad blog. 

Then I started an online training course, and thought I was busy. Too busy to blog in fact. 

But I did save all my storytime plans from the session so I could blog them for you later. 

I saved them all! 

On a flashdrive. 

And yesterday I deleted them all by accident.

I’m kind of ticked about this.

Here are some photos I took of the storytime stuff so I could blog about them.

Well, tomorrow is another day. I will try again once storytime break is over!