Grumpy Preschool Storytime

Grumpiness is an emotion many children (and grownups) all too well. Here's a preschool storytime designed to explore all the wonders of being in a BAD mood!

Opening Song: Open Them Shut Them (click on the link for a video of how I do it).

Opening Rhyme: Itsy Bitsy Spider (with audiation)

When I do rhymes that pretty much everyone already knows, I always like to change it up a bit. In this rhyme, you sing  the Itsy Bitsy Spider multiple times in different ways, and also doing it with just the movement and singing the song in our head instead of out loud!

Opening Activity: We spelled the word "GRUMPY" in felt letters on the flannel board, and also learned the ASL sign for "GRUMPY!" It's a fun one, 'cause you get to make a grumpy face while you're doing it.

Book #1: Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps by Sophy Henn

The image of the grumpy panda on the cover of this book really does beautifully express all the glory of grumpiness. This is a good book to use for a conversation about what kinds of things make someone grumpy, and what kinds of things can cheer you up! Those things aren't the same for everyone! 







Action Song: If You're Happy and You Know It (with Feelings!)

We did the traditional song with a twist! I hid pictures of kids feeling different emotions in my Dr. Seuss pencil box, and before each verse I pulled a picture out and had the kids decide which emotion they were feeling. It was tricky! But really great for vocabulary building and describing emotions! We then sang the verse with that emotion, and decided together on an action that matched it. For example: "If you're sad and you know it, cry a lot!"

Book #2: The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland

No one can figure out why bear is so cranky! Wouldn't it cheer him up if he had stripes like zebra, or a main like lion, or... I love that everyone is so well-meaning but doesn't see the real problem with why bear is cranky. And sheep is adorable. Pretty straightforward book with a funny story -- we did a lot of predicting about whether or not the animals' strategies would really help Bear be less cranky!





Action Rhyme: Bananas Unite!

This is a staple for me at storytime. The kids now all know how to become bananas when I say "Bananas Unite!" Great for building routines (and getting out wiggles)!

Book #3: Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer

Super short, super simple. I like to end storytime with a really fast book. The pictures in this book are perfect! All three of the books I used today were really great for conversations about grumpiness -- what puts you in a grumpy mood, and what gets you out. For penguin, a bath gets him out of his grumpy mood!

Goodbye Song:

I am switching up my goodbye song this year! They LOVE it. I may never go back.



See ya later alligator,
In awhile, crocodile!
Give a hug ladybug,
Blow a kiss jellyfish.

--Sara