Animal's Christmas

Christmas? It's Christmas! Jump for Joy! 
Let's CELEBRATE! 


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 cold outside! Everyone come on in, dinner is just about ready.
(it's probably a good idea to gather up the bells here as you chat about yummy foods and traditions)
We love having everyone over for . . .


KNOCK KNOCK
(knock on something)

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


I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson 
OPL Link
(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!
Oh well, we can still tell stories
How about some of our favorite Christmas songs and stories?

Did you know that baby Jesus was born in a stable? Do you know what a stable is? It's a place where animals 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
OPL Link

Now it's time to hold your baby in your lap. Rock back and forth. 

Softly,

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

Keep  hugging that little loved one and hum along . . . 
(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 Let's Play Music Class)

In a humble manger
whooooo ooo oooo

Lies a little stranger
whooooo ooo oooo(repeat)

That gives me the warm happy shivers. Like angels singing.

Keep singing my little angels and have a safe and happy holiday.
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More: 

Bear's First Christmas by Robert Kinerk

Thankful are We

A Gobbeldy Gobble Gathering of Fabulous Thanksgiving Tales & Songs that are Just Right for a Storytime


The Holidays are here! It's a time to get together with the whole family! Let's get a move on it, time to go.

Hand out jingle bells for this little song. Let the kids keep the beat and really make it sound like a sleigh ride. Gather up the bells after the song is done, otherwise you will NOT get a moment's quite :)




Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Marie Child
I like to just sing this one, Here is a link to the music

Over the river and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow, oh!

Over the river and through the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh, hear the bell ring,
"Ting-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the wood,
Trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Here we are! Grandpa's house. Is everyone here yet? Is it time to eat yet?


Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley
Discreetly knock on some wood, the chair if you are sitting on one.



Oh no! Not again! Don't answer the door!
Why hello, it's an old lady, and she's got a pie! Come on in...




I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
I have the Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly stuffed doll that I got from Mimi's Motifs. I quickly adapted it over for this Thanksgiving storytelling by creating some felt 'foods' to go along with Alison Jackson's great adaptation.

p.s. if you ever happen to be in the Orem Public Library, come to the children's desk, ask for me and you can see all my 'toys' irl! Warning, you might get more than you expected ;) I can get a bit enthusiastic when I talk about story and laptime!


When I bring her out from 'knocking on the door' she is carrying the pie, which, before you know it, she has swallowed whole!!


Well, there's no food left here, not even a pot to cook it in. Shall we go next door to the Tappletons and see if they have any food to share?


Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' by Eileen Spinelli
This is a great story to just tell, put some effort into memorizing this story and tell it with expression! I guarantee that if you do, the pictures the kids create in thier own heads will stay with them a lot longer. Oh, little p.s. Yes, I put the books on display for kids to check out too.


Well, that's great for the Tappletons' it sure sounds like they are enjoying being together and eating their liverwurst and pickles. Talking about non-traditional Thanksgiving foods...


Pizza Pickle Pumpernickle
by Lori Bonner

Pizza, pickle pumpernickle
My little girl shall have a tickle
One for her nose,
One for her toes,
And one for her tummy where the pizza goes
~and TICKLE

... additional verses: boy, mom, dad. etc.


I don't know about you, but I would still like a turkey.
Let's see what we can do about finding a nice fat turkey.
Start handing out the rhythm sticks, two per child


 We're Going on a Turkey Hunt
Amy's short Turkey version of We're Going on a Bear Hunt

We're going on a turkey hunt
We're going to find a fat one,
We're not afraid!
~tap sticks slowly to each beat of the words

We're going on a turkey hunt
We're going to find a fat one
We're not afraid
 ~pick up the beat, go faster

We're going on a turkey hunt
We're going to find a fat one
We're not afraid 
~fast fast fast fast!!!

We're going on a turkey hunt
We're going to find a fat one,
We're not afraid!
~ slow down

I'm not afraid
Oh, but I AM tired
Whew, Let's rest
~and stop! Put one stick on each shoulder to 'rest'

Repeat, change it up, have fun!


Whew, still no turkeys! I wonder where they could be? Let's put our sticks together, lay them down by your side, now don't pick them up or touch them until I tell you.


Run Turkey Run by Diane Mayr
OPL Link


Where ARE those turkeys?
Do you have any idea where they could have gone?


Five Fat Turkeys Are We

 Five fat turkeys are we,
~ five fingers up

We slept all night in a tree.
~ hands under cheek, like you are sleeping

When the cook came around,
~ chop, chop, chop one hand into palm of other

We couldn't be found,
~ Shrug shoulders, shake head 'no'

And that's why we're here you see.
~ hands out, palms up

Five fat turkeys are we, 
~ five fingers up again

We're certain you all will agree.
~ nod head, 'yes'

That it certainly pays,
~ rub fingers against thumb in a 'moola/money' gesture

On Thanksgiving Day,
~ hands to hips

To sleep in the tallest tree.
~ ASL for tree (elbow in hand, arm stands up like a tree)


Well, I guess that explains why we didn't find a turkey!
Oh dear, Oh my, I'm So Hungry!



I'm So Hungry
(Thank you Kathe H for teaching this one to me!)

I'm so hungry,
I'm so hungry
~ rub tummy

Yes I am,
Yes I am
I could eat a Lion...
without even tryin'
~ shrug shoulders

Yum Yum Yum
~ rub tummy

Now you can pick kids to tell you an animal and just make up silly nonsense rhyming words.


Oh, I'm STILL so hungry!


If All the Raindrops

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.

...if all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes
...if all the sunbeams were bubblegum and icecream


Well, I guess there's nothing left for it, we'll just have to head back home.
Load up everyone. We rode in on our horses and in our sleigh...


Horsey Horsey
This works well as a round if you are telling to the older children. I would not combine a round with the rhythm sticks though ;)

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 we go traveling through the town
I like to hear old Dobbin's Clip Clop
As I watch the wheels go 'round.
_____________________

I like to have the kids use the sticks again for 'Horsey, Horsey' but if you've got lots of younger or very active children you might want to just forget that and pick up the sticks now.
_____________________



Well, like the Tappletons' discovered, it's not the turkey or the trimmings that make Thanksgiving, it's the people you spend the day with that truly make Thanksgiving a day of thanks.
Be safe and have fun and I'll see you next time kiddos!

__________________________


Still have a few minutes left over? Or just want to try something different?
Here are a few old favorites that you can use as alternatives and substitutes

Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley
instead of, or after I'm so Hungry

She'll be Coming 'round the Mountain adapted by Tom & Debbie Birdseye
instead of, or after Over the River and Through the Wood

 Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Marie Child,
Illustrated by a personal FAVORITE illustrator: David Catrow
read this version with it's great more modern illustrations of one crazy trip to Grandfather's house!

The Old Gray Mare

The old gray mare
She ain't what she used to be
Ain't what she used to be
The old gray mare she ain't what she used to be
Many long years ago

Many long years ago
Many long years ago
The old gray mare she ain't what she used to be
Many long years ago

The old gray mare
She kicked on the whiffletree
Kicked on the whiffletree
Kicked on the whiffletree
Many long years ago

Many long years ago
Many long years ago
The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be
Many long years ago

One Little Two Little Three Little Indians

One little, two little, three little Indians
Four little, five little, six little Indians,
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians
Ten little Indian boys