Preschool Storytime - Balloons

Opening

The More We Get Together (And Read Together): Storytime Welcome Song by Jbrary

The more we get together, together, together 

The more we get together
The happier we'll be For your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends The more we get together The happier we'll be The more we read together, together, together the more we read together the happier we'll be. Read big books and small books Read short books and tall books The more we read together the happier we'll be.

Books
Don't Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup

Buzzy's Balloon by Harriet Ziefert

Come Back, Ben by Ann Hassett and John Hassett

Music
Going to Kentucky by Carole Peterson from Baloney 
Put Your Finger in the Air by Carole Peterson from Baloney 

Ten Little Fingers: Storytime Song by Jbrary - We have used this song every week of storytime this fall and it is so popular.  Sometimes we count our own fingers or someone elses' fingers.  I have volunteers whose fingers I will count. This song has been such a great discovery. 

I have 1, I have 2, I have 3 little fingers
I have 4, I have 5, I have 6 little fingers
I have 7, I have 8, I have 9 little fingers
10 little fingers on my hands

They can wiggle, they can wiggle, they can wiggle In the morning
They can wiggle, they can wiggle, they can wiggle In the evening
They can wiggle, they can wiggle, they can wiggle In the moonlight
10 little fingers on my hands

Verses: They can clap, they can jump, they can tickle, they can dance

Scarves 
Wind, Oh Wind - King County Library System

wind oh wind oh wind oh wind I say
what are you blowing away today?
Scarves scarves scarves I say
I’m blowing the scarves away

Jack in the box sits so still
Will he come out
Yes he will

Felt Board
My felt board inspiration came from Flannel Friday: The Great Hot Air Balloon Race on the blog by Storytime Katie.  The basics and the visuals really helped me create a new board and colored die.  I was disappointed that the page Destination Storytime isn't available to for me to learn more about the original idea. For this felt board you need several colored balloons.  You need a colored die or in my case I used my Tune Cube, and covered the sides with correspondingly colored construction paper. Tell the children a story about a balloon race and tell them they get to decide who wins the race.  Have each child throw the die to see what color is shown and which balloon gets to move. 

Closing
We Clap Our Hands Like This - Tune Farmer in the Dell. Borrowed from Opening/Closing Songs on Storytime Katie who borrowed it from Rhymes for Toddlers on Sunflower Storytime.

We clap our hands like this
We clap out hands like this
We clap our hands with all of our friends
We clap our hands like this.

We blow a kiss like this
We blow a kiss like this
We blow a kiss with all of our friends
We blow a kiss like this.

We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye to all our friends
We wave goodbye like this.

Craft
I somehow didn't take a picture of the today's final activity. We did a craft using small paper plates as the balloon and an Ellison die cut box (maybe #21?).  You color the plate and then give each child a pre-folded box.  You can glue or staple the edge of the plate between the top tabs so that the plate stands up. This way the plate looks like the balloon and the box looks like the basket.

Laura
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