Storytelling Workshops - First Workshop

There's More than One Way to Spin a Tale
Part One

What an inspiration our fabulous volunteer storytellers are!

Checklist:
Invitations went out
RSVP's were collected
Books were pulled for display
Snacks were prepared (Fruit, Cookies and fresh Lemon water)
Program was printed
Nametags prepared
Display put up

And we are ready to go

The following are a few video selections of our storytellers showing the the rest of us a little of what they do in story or laptime for variety, because, as we all know - there is more than one way to tell a tale!

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

Rhythm Sticks

Making Rhythm Sticks

I've cut 3/4" dowels into 12" lengths (8" is a nice size too) for rhythm sticks.

Sand the tops and bottoms, store'em in a drawstring bag and you're good to go!



________________________________

Introducing Rhythm Sticks to a Storytime

After handing out 2 sticks to each child
~they will immediately start clicking them together, no prompting is necessary
do this little rhythym stick game...

All right kids, you all sound great!
Everyone, let's see how good your listening ears are.
Can you all put your sticks on your shoulders until I tell you?

Now let's see if you can make your sticks sound fast and loud!
~ clickclickclickclickclickclick Great job.

Now, can you make them sound soft and quiet?
~ taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap

Oh, very good, I can tell you all have your listening ears on today

Now, put your hands together, sticks together too and move them in a big circle.
~vroomvroomvroomvroom

Excellent circle-making everyone! Sticks to shoulders again.

Are you ready? Let's do it again, can you keep up with me?
Listen closely, and go!


You can do this several times, try to trick them, play with it, let them really have some fun with the sticks, when it looks like everyone is under control, move into your story or song. At the end, have the kids put the sticks together, hold them up over thier heads and you can easily gather them up.

p.s. I can't take credit for these ideas alone - Thanks Kathe & Brenda for all the inspiration and help!
_____________________________

Ideas for Rhythm Sticks

Songs:

Wheels on the Bus / Counting
Count to the tune of 'Wheels on the Bus'

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10!


Horsey Horsey 
This can be sung in a round if you've got older kids

Horsey horsey on your way
We've been together for many a day
So let your tail go swish
And your wheels go 'round
Giddy-up we're homeward bound

I like to take the horse and the buggy
As I go travling through the town
I like to hear old Dobbin's clip clop
As the wheels go 'round and 'round


Clickety Clack
Take turns moving sticks over your head, to the side, around and around

Clickety clickety clack
Clickety clickety clack
Clickety clickety
Clickety clickety
clickety clack


The Hammer Song
only hit sticks together when you say 'bang'. Put sticks on your shoulders in between

Bang bang bang bang
Watch me hammering

Bang bang bang bang
Pounding nails in

Bang bang bang bang
I try to pound them straight

Bang bang bang bang
Don't want to make mistakes

Bang bang bang bang
You know it feels so great

Bang bang bang bang
To make things out of wood

Bang bang bang bang
Watch me hammering

Bang bang bang bang


In the Jungle
- this is another song we learned in Let's Play Music - I highly recommend these preschool music classes. It's unbeatable for teaching pitch, rhythm, beginning music and it's FUN!

elephant - whole note
BOOM BOOM

lion -half note
PUH PUH PUH PUH

monkey -quarter note
EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE

cicada -eighth note
CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA
...get your creative mind going, think horses, trains, and anything with a rhythmic sound you can use, I'm sure you can come up with way more ideas than you can shake a 'rythym' stick at


Let's Make Rain
~For Storytime and older have groups of kids (and the parents) create a rain and thunderstorm!

Start with snapping fingers
~this group snaps the entire time
Now add clapping
Then add slapping legs
Now add stomping feet
Finally add rythm sticks!

~the accumulated sound is really neat!

Okay, time to take it back down

Stop the rhythm sticks
Stop the stomping
Stop the slapping
Stop the clapping
Stop the snapping

~and the storm is gone :)

B I N G O
NIEHS midi music

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!

And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!

And Bingo was his name-o!

..and continue until it's all claps instead of the letters
__________________________________________

Picture Books:

Rain Song by Lezlie Evans
OPL Link

I Saw An Ant on a Railroad Track by Joshua Prince

OPL Link

Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter
OPL Link






 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
 OPL Link







 



 
Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming
 OPL Link






Tanka Tanka Skunk by Steve Webb
 

Music & Rhythm

Rock'n Rollin, Dancin', Hoppin', Swaying saying this is our Dance baby!

One of my favorite days of the month, is the day our ‘music/dance storyteller, Ariane' comes for storytime.

Unique and fun, it's always a joy to watch as the kids dance, move and explore combinations of poses. All to the beat of incredibly varied music. No children's stuff here, but classical, jazz, and a whole world of international music.

Here is some music to try out:

Shanachie's Dance My Children, Dance

Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery

Mozart's Magic Fantasy

Georgiane Stewart's Multicultural Rhythm Stick Fun


If these titles are not to be found, try all kinds of music, variety is the key. You will be amazed at how children respond to the differences in music.

Now, go put on some music and start dancing away with the nearest youngster you've got.


Bonus: A few titles I like for this theme:

Finger Band
to the tune of 'Here we go 'round the Mulberry Bush'

The finger band is coming to town, coming to town, coming to town
fingers behind back, speaking softly, gradually getting louder as fingers are brought to the front
The finger band is coming to town so early in the morning.

This is the way they march & march, march & march, march & march
march around!
This is the way they march & march so early in the morning.

This is the way they wear their hats...
hands on head to show hats

This is the way they play their drums...
beating motion with hands - sound effects good too

The finger band is going away, going away, going away
fingers gradually go around to your back, singing softer and softer
The finger band is going away so early in the morning.


Hear How the Bells Ring
rock back and forth to the rhythm or use rhythm sticks, a bell, a xylophone, or let your imagination loose!

Ding Dong
Ding Dong

Hear how the bells in the steeple ring
Hear how the bells in the steeple ring
Hear how the bells in the steeple ring

ding a ding a ding a ding dong
ding a ding a ding a ding dong


May There Always be Sunshine
sway or rock with baby on your lap to the rhythm

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

note: This originated as a Soviet Russian song, written for children. It was created in 1962, music was composed by Arkady Ostrovsky and the lyrics were written by Lev Oshanin. A Russian writer Korney Chukovsky later wrote in his book that the base of the song were four lines (which became a refrain of the song), composed by a boy of age four in 1928. ~ wikipedia