Monsters Preschool Story Time

Having preschool story time ON Halloween is pretty much my favorite thing ever.  I encourage everyone to come in costume, and I get to dress like a fairy, and there's pretty much nothing better in the world.  I don't like to do traditional "Halloween" theme story times, just 'cause I know there are some people who don't celebrate (insert holiday here), so I usually do something peripherally related.  Today, MONSTERS!!

Opening Song:  Open Them Shut Them (From now on I'll just link to this, instead of opening it.  Feel free to click if you want to see my version of this popular story time song!)

Opening Nursery Rhyme: Hello Friends (with Sign Language!)

Today, instead of a new nursery rhyme, we're going to learn a new hello song.  Thanks to Jbrary, Emily and I found this adorable hello song using sign language.  If it goes well, I might start using it every time :)



Opening Discussion: MONSTERS!

A fairly simple opening for me -- I want to get to the books!  We'll spell the word "MONSTERS" together with flannel letters :)

Book #1: Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

I realized during story time today that I'm reading ALL new monster books!  This one is super cute -- monster can't decide what to dress up as, and it's fun to guess what he might end up with!







 

Action Rhyme/Game: Bananas Unite!

A nice silly song to use between books :) We did it twice today, and the second time we did it veeeery quietly (until we got to the end, of course).

Bananas unite!
Peel bananas, peel peel bananas! (x2)
Chop bananas, chop chop bananas! (x2)
Eat bananas, eat eat bananas! (x2)
GO bananas, go go bananas! (x2)
Bananas Unite!



Book #2: Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

 Teehee, not Frankenstein but Crankenstein!  Teehee.  The kids all got to make Crankenstein's sound (which is "MEHHRRRRRR!").  The Dan Santat illustrations in this book are hilarious, and perfectly over the top and larger the life for story time.








Action Rhyme: There's a spider on the floor! (Thank you KCLS!)

To the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It:

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for anymore than a spider on the floor,
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor!

Oh, no! It's on my toe!
There's a spider on my toe, on my toe,
There's a spider on my toe, on my toe,
I think I better go I have a spider on my toe,
There's a spider on my toe, on my toe!

Oh, no! It's on my knee!
There's a spider on my knee...I think I better flee
There's a spider on my thigh...I think I'm going to cry
There's a spider on my hip...I think I'm going to flip
There's a spider on my stomach...he's just a big ole lummock
There's a spider on my neck...I feel like such a wreck
There's a spider on my face...oh what a big disgrace
There's a spider on my head...I'm filled with such dread
BUT, it jumped off!
There's a spider on the floor...



Book #3: Yeti, Turn Out the Light by Greg Long and Chris Edmundson

This book is hilarious.  We had a conversation about what a yeti is beforehand, which was fantastic (one little girl: "IT LIVES IN ANTARCTICA!!!"), and I got to teach them the word abominable.  This book reminds me of another story time favorite -- The Foggy Foggy Forest, 'cause you get to guess what adorable animal is making the shape of the scary shadows.






COSTUME PARADE:  We paraded through the library in our costumes to show them off to all the staff before we opened :)

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Clouds

Tickle the clouds
Tickle your toes
Turn around
Tickle your nose!
Reach for the ground
Reach up high!
Story time is over,
Wave goodbye!

I got this rhyme from this awesome Jbrary video: Jbrary Goodbye Songs.  HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEN!

--Sara