Tune Cube

Howdy
When I was unemployed I spent a lot of time wistfully reading library blogs and pinning  storytime ideas on Pinterest.  I now have a job and the time to create the wonderful things I've been reading about and seeing online.  A post I bookmarked ages ago was Early Literacy Storytime: Song Cube from the Blog Mel's Desk.  She says "Inspiration for this idea came from Andrea’s (RovingFiddlehead KitLit) Song Spinner and the “Storytime 911 Shuffle Mix” at Storytiming." I have no idea where the original idea for this storytime song and rhyme randomizer came from but some of these posts starting showing up in blogs well over 5 years ago. I think it's about time I got with the program. Ta Da!  I made my own Tune Cube or Song Cube or however you like to call this large single dye covered in song and rhyme prompts. Basically you use it in storytime to introduce a new  activity in an exciting way that also helps involve the kids even more.  You can  encourage  the   children to guess what side the box might land on. You can see if they remember what you did last week.  I purposefully labeled my Tune Cube so that each side had  a  prominent  color so we could cram another concept into the play. Storytimes start up again after Labor Day so I will report back on the response I get from the kids and their parents. 

My Song Box or Tune Cube feature the following songs:

I'm a Little Teapot (with a clever addition I learned online)

I'm a little teapot short and stout.
Here is my handle.

Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout!
Just tip me over
And pour me out 

I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true.
Here's an example of what I can do.
I can turn my handle to a spout.
Just tip me over and pour me out

Itsy Bitsy Spider (repeat with a great big hairy spider and baby spider)
The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again

Alphabet Song

♫ A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P
Q, R, S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, and Z
Now I know my ABCs.
Next time won't you sing with me? ♫

Soap

I love this song.  It earworms me all the time.  I did rearrange the lyrics so that they rhyme. 

oh soap soap

you gotta wash your hands with soap soap

you gotta wash your face with soap soap

you gotta wash your nose with soap soap soap

oh soap soap

you gotta wash your tummy with soap soap

you gotta wash your knees with soap soap

you gotta wash your toes with soap soap soap

Five Little Peas 
Five little peas in a pea pod pressed. 
          (hold fists in front of you with your knuckles pressed                together)
1 grew, 2 grew and so did all the rest 
          (on one hand pull one finger out of the fist at a time as             you count up)
They grew and they grew 
         (begin to pull hands apart)
And they did not stop 
         (hands are as wide apart as possible now)
Until one day, that pod went, Pop! 
        (Clap hands loudly)

This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home.

Laura

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