26 Sep Hello and Goodbye Storytime
Storytime at Home: Hello and Goodbye
Hi all, Jan, Children’s Librarian, here, or as you may know me, Miss Jan. I’m getting ready to retire!
I love public libraries, and value their contribution to the community. Working with kids is interesting and important, and I’ve dedicated my professional career to helping little kids be ready to learn to read – as well as helping older kids and all the many other tasks we do in the Children’s Room.
I’ve been working at this library for a very long time, and have worked with a vast number of kind, smart, fun people. There have also been countless kids and families I’ve been so glad to know!
I’m going to miss all of it so much, but luckily a retired librarian becomes a library patron!
I’ve seen a lot of change because the library, like many other places, is a place of constant change, often accelerating change. For perspective, there was a card catalog and a Commodore 64 with floppy disks for kids when I started in 1986.
I always say I didn’t need to change jobs because my job was always changing – and no two days were ever exactly the same.
There are so many things I do at work on a regular basis. One of my favorites is storytime! I have done at least 2500 storytimes here at PGTPL. Can that be right? It is.
So it seems appropriate to finish up with a kid-centric storytime wrap-up. I’ve gathered a dozen activities for a drop-in “You Pick” on Friday, September 29, 1-3p, right in our temporary Children’s Room. You’re invited to stop by with your child for a few minutes so they can pick an activity from past storytimes – The Silly Dance Contest, “Robot Robot, Are You Under the Blue Dot?,” The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and other fun things. You can also make a bookmark with rubber stamps, and leave a note or picture sharing something fun you remember. If you’re an adult or older child who loved storytime, you’re welcome too.
If you’re not able to join us at the library, here’s a version of storytime you can do at home.
Storytime at Home: Hello and Goodbye
There are good YouTube versions of all these stories and fingerplays if you want them.
Suggested Books to Share
These books have a theme of change: click on the book to see them in our catalog or you can find versions of these online.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
Hello Fingerplay: Bread and Butter
Clap your hands and tap your legs for this fingerplay about opposites. It also works well for saying hello or goodbye in various languages.
Repeating a song or chant with slight changes helps kids get to know it, and kids love repetition – which gives them time to understand and connect ideas. Let your child pick some opposites to try!
Bread and butter, bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say hello as quietly as we can. Hello
Bread and butter, bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say hello as loudly as we can. Hello
Bread and butter, bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say hello as slowly as we can. Hello
Bread and butter, bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say hello as quickly as we can. Hello
Song: Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
This song is great for developing listening skills as well as big muscle skills. Start slowly and repeat faster and faster until you’re all laughing!
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
And eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Another Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
What are other ways of feeling? You can sing verses for them too.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it,
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
Scarf Play
You can do these with whatever you have on hand: scarves, crepe paper, napkins, or even tissues!
- Toss and catch
- Twirl
- Spinning clock
- Lazy River
- Hat
- Over shoulder
- Wiggling worm
- Windshield wipers
- Switch hands
- Open and close the window
- Flap and freeze
Ending: Song: Quiet or Silly?
You can finish with a quiet song:
may there always be blue skies,
may there always be stories,
may there always be friends.
…or a silly one: Silly Dance Contest.
If you’d like to extend your storytime at home you could pair it with Three rounds of mouse in the house: https://www.facebook.com/PGTPL/videos/three-rounds-of-mouse-in-the-house/429469861543577/
More Books to Share:
The Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, il Christopher Raschka
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld
Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora
Hello Day, Lobel
