Colors Count Too

Counting Colors! 

(updated 2016)

Color me PINK and PURPLE and BLUE and RED and YELLOW and GREEN and  . . . 




Do you know your colors?
hmmmm, let's see if you can help me find Mr. Ladybug's friend . . .



Ladybug Under a Rug
(a "do you know your basic colors" activity)
 
Hide one ladybug under a rug before storytime.
Depending on the age group, leave a bump under the empty rugs to fool the older kids.

Hold up the second ladybug up, and tell the kids his friend is hiding, and can they help you find the other ladybug--what color of rug do you think he's hiding under?

Have you ever had one 'One of THOSE days?'
No? 
(or course the kids will say no -- But the adults . . . :)

You are SO lucky!

But Dog here, he's had one of  THOSE days --let's see how it went--

Dog's Colorful Day  
by Emma Dodd
OPL Link












Paper is way too fragile for my energetic Lap and Storytimes. Felt is so much more durable--and it sticks relatively well to flannel boards. Flannel idea courtesy of Utah State Library Workshop



 Alternately, put the felt or flannel dots on YOURSELF! Wear white ;) -- a great idea from our volunteer storyteller, Amy C. Just don't jump at the end, you just do the counting, otherwise the dots would come off!




 Okay everyone, let's count the spots on Dog!
Stand up and let's jump for every spot.
 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10!


Uh-oh, it's bath time, we've got to count backwards!

Everyone TURN AROUND--- 

and . . . 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - until there's only ONE spot left, the black one on Dog's ear.
 (dialogue idea courtesy of Orem Library's fabulous volunteer storyteller Amy C)



Everyone put your hand binoculars on --we're going to go looking for colors . . .


Teddy Bear Teddy Bear - Color Find
(form two circles with your hands and put them to your eyes)

Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Touch your head,
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Find some . . . RED!
(let the kids start to guess it before giving it away)

Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Give a wink,
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Find some . . . PINK!

Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Squeeze some glue,
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Find some . . . BLUE!

Okay -- one last round

Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Sit on the ground.
(another idea from our storyteller Amy C)



Do you like to paint with colors? 
What's your favorite color to paint with?

and when you paint -- do you ever have to STOP painting--
because you have to put your paints away . . . 

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More
by Karen Beaumont
OPL Link












uh-oh! I bet none of you would EVER do that . . .
Right?





Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes 
by Eric Litwin
OPL Link


Sing it with gusto!










________________

MORE . . . 

Where is the Green Sheep 
by Mem Fox
Hide the last little green sheep on your BACK. Don't read the last page, just shut the book, and start turning and looking around for it--the kids will LOVE this game of 'they see it, you don't' 

Yes this is another idea I learned from the great Librarians of Utah! Nothing beats a great get together with fellow Storytime enthusiasts:) 

Mix It Up
by Herve Tulle














Have an active storytime group? Need to keep their attention? Use Amy C's line:
"It only works if you watch"

The Snowball  
by Jennifer Armstrong
OPL Link
(great seasonal variation / add in counting or colors when you do a repeat telling)







And some MORE

Dino-Monsters, a colorific telling (I have drawings of a 'close relative', at least in the looks department, of these dinos, ie; yellingdactyl - pterodactyl etc. I found this idea in a copyshop’s files. Each is on a different colored cardstock... you will really want to abridge this if you've got a very young crowd)




Oh, first, who do we have… we have oh, could it be…

It’s an AnGREENosaurus 

This one is okay to be around if it’s in a good mood, but watch out if he gets angry or pouts, he can get pretty scary then. Just the littlest things will set this dinomonster off, things like when he thinks his mother is picking on him, or making him actually clean his room before he can go out and play! The angry-green-osaurus doesn’t ever have much fun, he’s too busy complaining. Do you know this dinosaur monster? Have you seen him?

Oh, dear… I see another dinomonster...
 
It’s the TurquoiseTattleochtodon

Better known as the Whineosaurus, this dinomonster is always pulling on her mother’s sleeve trying to tell her all about how all the other dinos are misbehaving or getting into trouble, they won’t share, they are calling me names, he hit me, or just telling everyone around how no one wants to play with her. Well, no wonder. Do you know a Tattleochtodon?

Duck everyone! There she goes, oh, now she’s gone again, but you can still hear her for miles and miles it’s the…

Yellow Yellingdactyl!

You almost always know where a yellingdactyl is, she flies in and out and in and out, around and around, always yelling. It’s easy to find this dinomonster, never a quiet moment, well until she gets in trouble. A yellingdactyl is known for it’s ability to wreck havoc on fragile lamps and other breakables that it bumps when it’s flying around and not paying attention to where it’s going.

Oh, what,
(someone is tugging on your sleeve for your attention)please wait. Yes, I know, but it’s just not your turn yet. Hm? You don’t care whose turn it is? Oh folks, we have a slight interruption. I think we have found the…

Blue But-inbrontosaurus

I better hurry and tell you about this dino, he tends to interrupt a lot. Whenever this bronto’s parents are on the phone, it’s just too much, this monster insists on butting in and talking so loud that no one else can be heard. It’s been known to take over whole conversations. You know, tt makes you wish that but-inbrontosaurus would just butt out.

Excuse me, please, I know you had to wait, but…. what, why, I never…Here we go, yet another terrible dinomonster, here, let me introduce you to…

Rudeosaurus Red Rex

This guy always wants to be the center of attention. A lot like our last dinomonster. The Rudeosaurus Rex never asks for permission, never says please or thank you. As a matter of fact, rudeosaurus pushes and shoves. He even burps real loud and he thinks it’s funny. There are no manners to be found in this monster. He better be careful or he will find that he has no friends at all. Have you seen Rudeosaurus Rex around your house?

Shhh, be careful what you say around our next dinomonster, this is the…

Purple Poutasaurus 

The poutasuarus gets her feelings hurt at every turn. She feels bad because she thinks she can’t draw very well. She is always discouraged and blue about something. No fun to be around at all. Poor poutasaurus, she’s not looking too well, such a sad frowning face she has. I don’t think she is ever happy. Have you seen a poutasaurus?

Hmm, where could this next dinomonster be? I wonder where she is? Hmm, must be running late again. Oh, finally, here she is…

Oh, dear, it’s Pink Pokeyceratops

What a slowpoke! Always late, always making people wait. Pokeyceratops is so slow that she is always behind. She likes to sleep late, ‘just one more minute mom, please’. She is the last one to breakfast, the last one out the door, and even then, she has to go back in while everyone waits because she forgot to brush her teeth. Poor pkeyceratops, we almost missed her on our hunt she was so slow.

Wow, what a sorry lot of dinomonsters today! Oh, look, there’s one last one, oh this one does not look like the others at all. Wow, this one is looking pretty good, I don’t know that I can even call it a monster, this one is, well too happy…

It’s a Hip-Hip Hooray HappyORANGEosaurus!

Wow, this is the best dinosaur anyone could possibly meet. This Happy-orange-osaurus has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, never greedy, always courteous and sociable. This is the kind of dino you want for a friend. Even when this dino is happy and loud, Happyosaurus is always thinking of others that are around, never whiny never stingy or pouty. The Happyosaurus is so much fun to be with that I think we might just have to keep him around.

(a coloring handout is a great way to keep the Happy-orange-osaurus with you all day)''



---------
Special thanks to Annie E. of the Salt Lake County Library System (Millcreek Branch) and the Utah State Library (go Colleen!!!) for the awesome 'Storytime Spice-ups' workshop last month! I gathered a LOT of ideas from the sharing opportunity that Annie instigated. You will see some of these ideas--inspired by my fellow librarians--start to crop up in my posts over the next little while. WAY TO GO UTAH LIBRARIANS, YOU ROCK!

Color

Wide as a Rainbow with lots of Splashing Colors!


Welcome to Laptime! Are you ready to learn all about colors?

I see someone is wearing Orange today.
And someone is wearing Blue.
Is anyone wearing Green? There you are, green!
How about Pink, Purple, Brown?
And there it is, I see Red!
~just name a variety of colors that kids are wearing, there is no particular colors you need to find, have fun welcoming everyone in.


Mary Wore A Red Dress
Slap thighs to the beat

Mary wore a red dress, red dress, red dress
Mary wore red dress all day long

Mary wore a red hat, red hat, red hat,
Mary wore a red hat all day long

Mary wore her red shoes, red shoes, red shoes,
Mary wore red shoes all day long

Mary wore her red gloves, red gloves, red gloves,
Mary wore her red gloves all day long

Mary was a red bird, red bird, red bird,
Mary was a red bird all day long

______________

Alternate idea:
substitute kids names and a color they are wearing
______________


What colors do you like best? Do you know how to sign the colors?
~take children through the ASL signs for the colors


Brown Bear Brown Bear What do You See? by Bill Martin


What else has lots of colors?
I know one of my favorite things.
It's big, it's huge, it's a...


RAINBOW!


Hmm, I think we need to MAKE a rainbow

And guess what, you are in luck today!
I just happen to have the finest of rainbow-making ingredients with me
~rummage around in 'mystery' box, oops, there you can see a bit of ribbon- hide it quick!

Wait! Stop!

BEFORE we can MAKE a rainbow, we need to remember what the COLORS are!


Do You Know the Colors of the Rainbow?
from Rachel Coleman's Signing Time - Use the ASL signs for each color

Do you know the colors of the rainbow
Do you know the colors of the rainbow
There's Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple and Blue


Did you know that there is a tiny rainbow in every bubble. You just have to very very gently, try to catch one...

Here I get a Bubble Making Machine and start them up...
available for 10$ or less every summer at Target, or just use regular bubbles from a bottle

While the bubble machine is starting up sing:


One Bubble, Two Bubbles, Three Bubbles

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles top
Four bubbles, five bubbles, six bubbles hop
Seven bubbles, eight bubbles, nine bubbles pop
Ten bubbles floating down, time to stop!


Look! There's a bubble! I got one!
I'm thinking that we need rainbows that last longer, those bubbles pop way too fast.

Do you know what else makes rainbows, big huge rainbows?

Rain! You are right!

I think we need a rainstorm! Let's make a rainstorm right here, right now!
...Follow me, do as I am doing


Making a Rainstorm

Tap fingers together

Do I hear the pitter patter of some raindrops?
Listen closely

Clap softly

Oh, I do think it is going to rain

Clap loudly

It IS raining!

Slap thighs

Wow, it's really getting wet out there

Stomp feet

My, oh my, I'm glad I'm not outside right now!

~now reverse, add a commentary as you go:
until...

Tapping fingertips together, and...
stop


Oh, Oh,
reach into box, hold the suspense...

Look! We've got rainbows!
hand out rainbow ribbon sticks to all the children


I see Yellow,
I see Red
I see Orange
I see Blue
I see Purple
and I see GREEN!

All the colors of a rainbow!

Here they are! Our very own rainbows!


Rainbow Ribbons

Play some classical music and lead the children in a twirling swirling ribbon dance



(each ribbon is made of 2 popsicle sticks with a long ribbon that is glued between the sticks)

____________________

Storytime Book Ideas:


Spicy Hot Colors by Sherry Shahan
~get into the rhythm! This is a fun one to hand out shakers with

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh

Springtime and Garden Fun

Up's a Daisy it's a Spring Time, Garden Time, Fun Time Laptime


Wow, it’s that wonderful time of year when it's impossible to stay indoors! Let's head out to the garden! I want to plant a rainbow...




Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
 OPL Link

~I like to add the ASL signs for each color as I go


What is your favorite color?

Have you seen if there is a flower that blooms in your color? 




Oh, shall we work in our garden? Let's go out and plant some seeds!


My Garden

Here is my garden
~your hand is out and open, palm up
I’ll rake it with care
~rake with other hand
And then some seeds we’ll plant in there
~drop seeds
The sun will shine
~arms up to make a sun
And then my garden will grow big and tall
~stretch up, arms overhead way up and out



I’m a little Black Seed
(sung to I’m a Little Teapot rhyme)

I’m a little black seed
~pretend to hold a little seed

Plant me in a row
~pretend to drop seeds in a row

Water me, feed me.
~suit actions to words

Watch me grow,
~hand up to brow, watching

From little seedling, to flower and fruit
~how small seed , to sprout -fingers show height, flower -hands frame face like a flower, to fruit -hold round fruit in hands

I’m a happy little plant
~smile 

From tip to root.
~point from head to feet



Now our seeds need some very important things, the first one is water...
(Follow me, do as I am doing)



Tap fingers together

Do I hear the pitter patter of some raindrops? Listen closely

Clap softly

Oh, I do think it is going to rain

Clap loudly

It IS raining!

Slap thighs

Wow, it's really getting wet out there

Stomp feet

My, oh my, I'm glad I'm not outside right now!

~now reverse, add a commentary as you go:

until...
Tapping fingertips together, and stop


What a beautiful rainstorm that was! You know, sometimes rainstorms turn into thunderstorms! Let's make a THUNDERSTORM!


Thunderstorm

Boom Bang Boom Bang
~clap hands
Rumpety, lumpety bump!
~roll hands
Zoom Zam Zoom Zam!
~stomp feet
Rustles and bustles
~swish hands together
And swishes and zings!
~rub thighs and slap

What wonderful noises
A thunderstorm brings!


Is the thunderstorm is over? It is still raining though. A nice soft rain, why don't we go outside!


 
Rain Song by Lezlie Evans
OPL Link









The Rain
(Pitter Patter Raindrops)

Pitter Patter raindrops,
falling from the sky;
~fingers flutter down like rain 

Here is my umbrella,
~cup one hand over pointer finger

To keep me nice and dry
~hold ‘umbrella’ over head

When rain is over
And the sun begins to glow
~make sun circle over head

Little flowers start to bud
~cup hands together 

And grow, grow, grow
~spreads hand apart, slowly rising


Enough rain! Now our little seeds need some sun!


Mr. Sun
(Raffi sings this one too)

Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun,
~arms up, rock in time to the rhythm 

Please shine down on me.
~fingers tap shoulders

Oh Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun,
~arms up again

Hiding behind a tree
~ASL sign for 'tree'
 

These little children are asking you,
~gesture towards children 

To please come down
~motion coming down

so they can play with you,
~sign ASL sign for ‘Play’
 

Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun, 
~arms up again 

Please shine down on me.
~arms cross in front of self, ASL for ‘Love’



Guess what comes out with the sun after all that rain? Snails and worms!


Slowly Slowly

Slowly, Slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail
~start s-l-o-w-l-y creeping fingers up from ankles of your child

Slowly, Slowly, very slowly up the wooden rail
~fingers slowly up to head, light and tickly at the neck

(take a deep slow anticipatory breath, arms up, fingers ready... let your body language tell the kids something is up!)

Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse
~quickly tickle child all over

Quickly, quickly, very quickly all around the house
keep tickling like a mouse running around


What do you think comes out looking for those snails and worms? ... BIRDS!


Five Little Robins

Five Little Robins up in a tree
~hold up all five fingers

Father,
~touch your thumb, or do this with your baby’s hand

Mother,
~touch pointer

And babies three~touch other 3 fingers, 1, 2 , 3

Father caught a bug 
~hold up thumb

Mother caught a worm 
~hold up pointer

Well, this one got a bug
~point to middle finger

And this one got a worm
~point to ring finger 

But, this one said, “Now it’s my turn”
~hold up pinkie



There Were Five in the Nest

There were five in the nest,
At the little one's request,

Move over! Move over!
They all moved over and one fell out.

Four little...
Three little...
Two little...
One little...

...then, I'm lonely, come back here ;)


It's a good thing they all just fell down to the tree branch!



Little Green by Keith Baker
OPL Link - great to use Ribbon Streamers to 'paint' pictures in the air


oh, LOOK! With all this sunshine our flowers are coming up...





The Flower

Here's a green leaf
~interweave fingers of both hands, fold fingers in, knuckles up 

And here's a green leaf
~pinky fingers come up to make a tent/leaf

That you see makes two
~thumbs come up 

Here is a bud that makes a flower,
~loosen fingers so they bulge up

Watch it bloom for you.
~flip hand over to show all fingers, 'blossoming'



There are some daffodils! Do you see them?
(it would be very good to have a picture of some daffodils, if not a few of the real thing here)



Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward
OPL Link
Sing this and 'play' with it. These littles are usually done by now and will probably zone out if you try to read this in a traditional manner. Or, just save this title for a storytime and move along to the following fingerplay!

What a LOT of bugs there are in our Garden!


Down in the Garden
(sung to ‘Down by the Station’)

Down in the garden, early in the morning
See the yellow daffodils all in a row
~1,2,3

See them all lift their heads and give their horns a blow
~hands up for a horn 

Toot toot, toot toot, there they go.


Do you think if you used a daffodil flower for a horn it would really make a sound? No? I think you are right ;)

Now parents, do you have your child in your lap? Are you all cozy, warmed by the sun and having a good time?

Can you feel your heart beating softly, gently?
(tap, tap tap - in a slow regular 'heart' beat)

Now I want you to rock, back and forth, back and forth
(stay in a slow rythm in time to your heart beat)


May there Always be Sunshine 
(Hold child in your lap. Find the beat of your heart. Rock back and forth in time to your heartbeat as you sing)

May there always be sunshine,
May there always be blue skies,
May there always be momma,
May there always be me.

May there always be sunshine,
May there always be blue skies,
May there always be daddy,
May there always be me.


Now go out, enjoy some of that sunshine, be safe and I’ll see you next time! Love ya!

_____________________________________

More rain, bugs and gardening  . . . 
just in case you want to convert this to a storytime length program ;)


Rain

Rain is raining all around
~fingers show rain coming down
It rains on field and tree
It rains on umbrellas here
And on the ships at sea


 And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
 OPL Link
Okay -- so a deceptively simple and quiet book --but, if you tell it right, with a lot of suspense alternating with some snatches of playfulness--you will knock this one out of the park!



Similarly, a great book to alternate with the above is, 
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
OPL Link

 
Big Bug Surprise by Julia Gran
OPL Link

 




Outrageous 3-D Big Bugs by Boyd



Can't Bug Me!
(a slightly altered version from Let's Play Music. Seriously, if you have preschool-age kids you should look into these classes, There is SO MUCH MORE to this song. It's one of the best things I ever did for my daughter. p.s. No, I do not teach LPM, I have no affiliation with them, we've just taken the classes and have loved it.)


I like bugs.
~hands on hips

Every kind of bug I see!
I like the big ones
~hands out to show 'big'

and the bad ones
~scary fingers and a scary face

and the fuzzy purple flat ones!
~rub hands together for 'fuzzy'

People think they're yucky.
~hands to hips again

But I just don't agree!
~one finger up, shake it in a 'no-no'

No you can't bug me!
~ arms up and out 'yeah!'



Baby Bumblebee


I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, 
Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
Ouch, he stung me! 

repeat with . . .
 . . . I'm squishing up baby bumblebee
 . . . I'm wiping off a baby bumblebee
 . . . I'm licking off a baby bumblebee

My mommy won't be proud of me!
(with a wink and a smile)



Baby Butterfly
(from Let's Play Music)

I'm bringing home a baby butterfly now, 
that bumblebee didn't like me somehow,
(shake finger in a no-no)


So I'm bringing home a baby butterfly now, 
Won't my daddy be so very proud of me now!
 


Spring Bees 
~Classical Music Puppet Show from Let's Play Music classes



Oats and Beans and Barley Grow 
~ here is the whole original song from Kididdles

First the Gardner sows the seeds
Then he stands around and takes his ease
Stamps his feet and claps his hands
Then turns around to view his lands


Need even more rain??




If All the Raindrops 
NEIHS midi music

If all the raindrops
were lemondrops and gum drops
oh what a rain that would be.

I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
ah, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
~head back, mouth open wide, sing 'ah, ah, ah..' to the tune

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops
oh what a rain that would be.


..and for snow/winter days

If all the snowflakes
were candy bars and milk shakes
Oh what a world this would be

I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
ah, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
~head back, mouth open wide, sing 'ah, ah, ah..' to the tune

If all the snowflakes were
candy bars and milk shakes
oh what a world this would be.

If all the sunbeams
were bubblegum and ice cream
oh what a rain that would be
~head back, mouth open wide, sing 'ah, ah, ah..' to the tune

If all the sunbeams
were bubblegum and ice cream
oh what a world it would be


Okay, all that rain needs a RAINBOW!!!

 
Rainbow Song 
 ~ song from www.Signingtime.com 's Rachel Coleman, this CD

 ...Do you know the colors of our rainbow