Preschool Storytime: Rain, Rain Go Away!

Hey guys! I know it has been awhile since I have discussed library stuff with you peeps, but it has been a crazy few weeks. I am hosting next book club and wanted to get ahead on the book. So NOW I am finally starting Georgia’s Hex Hall. 

I want to talk about my Preschool Storytime today, which went….meh. The theme I chose was to read and sing about rain and clouds. I thought it would be fun, but again it went meh. My kids were not at all focused and wanted to chat the entire time. I could not get them calm even after doing several songs and motions. Just not in the cards I guess? Well here was my plan for today’s storytime, but again kids were not into most of these. 

Welcome/Intro: Rain, Rain Go Away. (Child’s Name) wants to play today.
 *I actually loved this. I saw it on someone’s blog (blanking on it right now) and thought it would be great to have as an introduction to me and learn the kid’s names. I used a duck puppet and went around to each child. Then we all sang to that child to make them feel special. It went very well.

Book: “Rain Drop Plop” by Wendy Lewison 
*I loved this book and this was the one book that I could keep kids interested in. I did lots of counting with them on each page and it rhymed. The pictures were quite vibrant and fun, so I totally approve. 

Song: If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops, oh what a rain that would be! Standing outside with my mouth open wide, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah. If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops, oh what a rain that would be!

*I thought the kids would love this song, but they kind of just stared at me as we sang. I did get at least one kid to do the ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah...tongue out and everything. I will have to scrap this one for the future.

Book: “Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car” by John Burningham

*This book is a classic and I saw this on Storytime Katie's blog. She said it went very well with her group, but my group was just not in the mood. At this point, I should have just scrapped everything else and gone straight to the craft.

Felt Board: Itsy Bitsy Spider

*Luckily, the kids knew all the fingers so I did not have to explain that. What worked for me was that I did the feltboard once and then did the fingers with them. I felt this helped those children who perhaps did not grow up with these nursery rhymes. Our storytimes can be dynamic. Between stay-at-home moms, babysitters, and mentors helping families, we get a variety of children with very different backgrounds and experiences. 

Book: “Little Cloud” by Eric Carle

*I thought this one was going to be a hit. All the different shapes Little Cloud makes and connecting cloud shapes we see with the object Little Cloud turns into. Yet, no dice. The kids were almost beyond help. One child started to talk to the rest, while another kept saying how he didn't like the book. Oh well. I am still learning. 

Song/Motion: The Puddle Song (Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Jump, jump, jump in puddles jumping all day long

Jumping’s what we do when we sing the Puddle Song.(Spinning and stomp)

*I had to do this one. Fortunately, the kids got tired out which was my secret plan (mwhahaha). In trying to keep the kids engaged, I asked them for further opinions, but apparently no one had anything additional to jumping or stomping. 

Craft: I used this craft to help the children connect to the Little Cloud book. I had the kids create their own cloud scene including rain. With blue card stock paper the kids can glue on cotton balls for clouds and pom poms for rain, or anything in between.  

Supplies:Blue cardstock paper, glue sticks, bowls of pom-poms and white cotton balls, dye cuts of colorful umbrellas, and markers. 

*This craft was a hit! The lone hit of the day. The kids got super creative with the pom-poms and cotton balls. So many colors were represented and one little girl attempted a scene from Mary Poppins. I had to make the one and most important rule...no cotton ball fuzzies on the glue sticks. I said very clearly and specifically that all glue must go on the paper and not on the object. This is because the glue sticks are literally the only ones we have and I couldn't have the kids destroying them with fuzzies. Thank goodness they listened and I had no problems with fuzzies. That all being said, I loved this craft and the kids did too. 

Talk to you peeps soon with hopefully a Reading Across America with YA soon.