Animal's Christmas

Christmas? It's Christmas! Jump for Joy! It's time to CELEBRATE! A Storytime for all.


Hello everyone! Are you ready for Christmas?

I am!


Jingle Bells
(Hand out bells for the kids to jingle along)

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Chorus
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
(repeat Chorus)


Wow, it's kind of cold outside! Everyone come on in, dinner is just about ready.

Do you have Christmas dinner with your family?

We love having all our family together for the holidays.
(it's probably a good idea to gather up the bells here as you chat about foods and traditions)


KNOCK KNOCK
(knock on some wood)

Oh, my who could be at the door? Well, hello there, it's an old lady and she's got a pie...


I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
(Taking a bit a creative license, using this book as inspiration, I' ve turned this picture book into a flannel Holiday story. Just substitute 'Holiday Pie for Thanksgiving Pie')


Oh my. There's no food left! Well, it will take just a few minutes to get some more food ready. Let's tell some of our favorite Christmas stories and sing some of your favorite Christmas songs while we wait.

Did you know that baby Jesus was born in a stable? Do you know what a stable is? It's almost like a barn, where the animals all live. What kind of animals do you think were in the stable the night Jesus was born?

Well, we know that there was probably a Donkey! Do you think there would have been maybe a cow or ox? A lamb? Oh, and I'm pretty sure that there would have been a mouse or two as well!


(I like to have puppets or stuffed animals for this part. Have them peek out of a box to give hints as to what animals you are thinking of. Hand out the animals for a child to hold while we sing this next song. If the kids are really young, it's a great idea to ask them what sounds the animals make. Maybe introduce the clapping rythms as the children tell you the sounds they make.)


Barnyard
- this is another song we learned in Let's Play Music - I cannot recommend taking these classes enough, if you have preshool-aged kids it's the best!

(this song works great with a hand clapping beat)

Barnyard Barnyard
All around the barnyard
Here the cows say
Moo Moo
~clap clap
(repeat)
All around the barnyard
Moo Moo
~clap clap
Animals are talking
Moo Moo
~clap clap
Even though it sounds like
Moo Moo
~clap clap

Just a lot of squawking!
~shrug shoulders, hands up

Bababababababa ba
~pat your legs fast, then move back into clapping beat 'Barnyard, Barnyard'

________________________

Now do it again, but with each of the other animals and their sounds
- oh, in the music classes you use different rhythms for the sounds, like...

Squeaky squeaky squeak squeak (mouse)
~clappy, clappy, clap clap

Hee Haw, Hee Haw (donkey)
~clap clap clap clap

Ba Ba Ba-ba-ba (lamb)
~clap clap clappy clap
________________________


Do you think there were hens and roosters too? I have a story of one little rooster, little Harold by name, and he lived in Bethlehem too...


Cock-a-Doodle Christmas by Will Hillenbrand


You know it really was a special day when Jesus was born. Not everyone knew who he was. Shepherds were told by angels. Wise men came looking for him, following a new star. Can you imagine what they were thinking?

Now all you mom's (and dad's) hold your baby in your laps and start rocking back and forth. That's the way.

Softly,

gently, slowly.
(start humming the tune. Hum it all the way through)

Will you join me? Hug your little loved one and hum along with me. Keep rocking, back and forth.
(after the first bit, go ahead and sing to the humming - This is such a calming, peaceful thing to end with. The mom's will not be able to help going home with the tune stuck in their heads and the kids will ask for mom to hold them and rock them and do it again at home.)


In a Humble Manger
(This is a very soft, lyrical song that I heard in Lexy's Let's Play Music Class)

In a humble manger
whooooo ooo oooo

Lies a little stranger
whooooo ooo oooo(repeat)

That just gives me the warm shivers. To think that the angels were in the heavens singing. You know everytime I hear little voices singing it will remind me of angels.

So keep singing my angels and I'll see you after Christmas.
_________________________
More...
Bear's First Christmas by Robert Kinerk