Dance Preschool Storytime

I used to do a dance or ballet themed preschool storytime when we had the ballet dancers come and perform, but they haven't come in a few years, so it had been awhile!  Dance is a great theme for movement activities, and there are some awesome books as well!

Opening Song: Open Them Shut Them (click on the link for a video of how I do it).  I also the DANCE version after we did it the usual way, courtesy of Intellidance!

Opening Activity: Before we started reading books, I pull out felt letters (spelling DANCE, today) out of my magical Dr. Seuss pencil box.  We also learned the ASL for "dance", which is a fun one and easy to remember.  Before we started reading books, we also did a little bit of review of other ASL we had learned so far this season.  We've done hat, chicken, book, spring, and slow!

Book One: Brontorina by James Howe, illustrated by Randy Cecil

Before we started reading, I had the kids try to figure out what two words were combined to create the main character's name, "Brontorina"!  This was tricky -- people were guessing "dinosaur" and "dancer"?  When I said that it was "Brontosaurus" and "ballerina", I heard a bunch of "ooooooooh!" from the audience :) 

Movement Activity: Walking walking

This one is pretty self explanatory, to the tune of "Frere Jacques!"  

Walking, walking

Walking, walking

Hop hop hop!  Hop  hop hop!

Running running running, 

Running running running,

Now we stop!  Now we stop!

Tiptoe, tiptoe

Tiptoe, tiptoe

Jump jump jump! Jump jump jump!

Swimming swimming swimming,

Swimming swimming swimming,

Now we stop!  Now we stop!

Book Two: Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

The entire book is in rhyming couplets, so a few times throughout the book I had the kids guess what the rhyme would be.  At the end, we talked about whether or not the title was true! CAN giraffes dance?

Dance Activity with Scarves: I passed out scarves to everyone, and we danced to "Freeze!" from the Kids in Motion CD by Greg & Steve!  It is SO 80s.  I love it. This video isn't for the same song, but you just kinda have to watch it because it's amazing.

Book Three: Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski

It was a liiiittle tricky to get the kids to settle down again for a book after the fun of dancing, so next time I'd probably switch this book and the dancing activity.  But, I had the kids use their fingers to act out the waggle dance that bees do to communicate, and explained that this book is non-fiction, which means that it's not a story, it's TRUE!  Bees are super fascinating, and it's hard to find good non-fiction to read in storytime.  This one works.

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

--Sara