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 WorkshopAlternately, 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 . . .
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:)
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!
