The Fabulous: Storytime Showcase

Storytime Showcase on Thursday was absolutely terrific. 6 presenters from the west side demonstrated a few of their storytime staples, one after the other. Each uses song, storytelling, and creative dramatics and relies on lots of audience participation. I wish we'd hade more time for this one--it could easily have been a double session. There was SOOOOO much in this one that we can be incorporating into preschool storytime and play and learn! I wish each presenter had had more time. Consider me extremely excited & enthused.

Angela Nolet has a neat imagination game that she uses to get kids settled and ready to “play” that she calls “What shall we be today?” She also does terrifically hammed up tellings of the “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” and “The 3 Billy Goats Gruff” (with extreme voices, naturally) using “my words, your listening skills, and your imaginations.” “Can you stir the porridge?” (Stir.) “Do we go inside other peoples’ houses without asking?” (Exaggerated head shaking.) “Can you take a big bite?” (Bite.) “Too hot.” (Fan self,) “Too cold.” (Shiver…Brrr.!) “Does Goldilocks have good manners or bad manners?” “ Bad manners!” “ She SLURPS the porridge.” “She sinks into Mama Bear’s chair.” (Sink, arms in the air.) “She rocks (everyone rock forward and back) in Baby Bear’s chair ‘til she BREAKS it!” And so on.

Angela also tells “5 Little Monkeys” using the Folkmanis crocodile and Eileen Christelow’s 5 Little Monkey puppets. I’ve never tried this with PUPPETS before, but I’ve got the crocodile and monkeys… Angela’s handout is here: http://nwcentral.org/?q=node/1547

Mr. Jim’s presentation (while not appropriate for baby lapsit in either Sonia’s or my estimation) was fabulous for preschoolers—he does a great “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” in ASL. Which he follows with the “no words” version.

Jennifer Fenton from the Washington State Library is a big fan of storytelling and performed a lovely scarf story from one of Anne Pellowski’s collections and used a set of nesting dolls to retell “The Turnip.” I simply MUST find a set of matrushki to do this with. Her handout is here: http://nwcentral.org/?q=node/1578

Jenn Sullivan from Snohomish did a neat version of our heart/star song:
Put your heart on your chest, on your chest.
Put your heart on your chest, on your chest.
Put your heart on your chest, that’s where it fits the best.
Put your heart on your chest, on your chest.
On your knee…that’s a silly place to be.
On your elbow/calf/thigh. etc.
I can’t wait to start using this one—it’s got so many more body parts. It’s a great vocabulary builder. I’m thinking it might fit into our upcoming STARS Flannel Board workshop.

Using die cuts which she gives to each child, Jennifer also does a variation of the Hokey Pokey—“You put your turtle in, you put your turtle out… you put your turtle high/low…to & fro…

To the tune of “Row, Row, Row your Boat” she sings “Pass, Pass, Pass the Pail, all around the ring, when the pail stops by you, do a special thing” and the child draws an action from the pail (to be read by parent or storyteller) like “pat your head & rub your tummy.” Each child gets a turn. This could be adapted for afterschool specials…or even teen programs.

Jenn also did an amazing feltboard for “Flip Flap Jack” (this one’s similar to Aiken Drum, but uses foods more familiar to children). She has everyone clap on each syllable of the chorus “Flip Flap Jack” so you’re using song, rhythm, and movement.

Jenn’s handout is here: http://nwcentral.org/?q=node/1548

Josephine from Ellensburg did a really neat re-telling of Ellen Walsh’s MOUSE COUNT using a clear jar, pom-pom mice, and a snake sock puppet. When the mice count themselves out, she tosses them to various members of the audience. She finishes with the snake saying “I can’t eat mice? I’ll have to eat little children instead” to much delighted shrieking and giggling. She also does Audrey Wood’s PIGGIES as a terrific fingerplay. Her handout is here: http://nwcentral.org/files/WLA%202009%20Storytime%20Showcase.txt

Jan from Sno-Isle reads MEAN SOUP by Betsy Everett (one of Ruth’s and my favorites) with a kettle and passes the pot around for kids to scream into, stick out their tongue into it, and bang on it with a spoon.

Jan also has kids act out THE GIANT HUG and has the kids play post office afterwards. They have different stations where they “cancel stamps” (we all know how much preschoolers love stamping), “sort the mail” into the appropriate box based on color, and “deliver” to the appropriate house based on color and or letter and or shape. This would be a terrific activity for our play & learn…

Jan also has the kids “go fishing.” She places fabric on the floor for the fish pond, has the kids color & decorate fish shapes (craft!), then attach a large paperclip to the shapes (this IS a skill), and then they fish for their own fish in the pond using a fishing pole made out of a bamboo rod with a magnet tied to it with a piece of brightly colored yarn.

Jan also does a very interactive version of “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” which she conducts with a fly swatter… Each child is given a laminated clip art picture of an animal and has to “act” (or make the appropriate noise) like that animal when it comes up in the song. Everyone joins in on the “perhaps she’ll die” chorus.

Can't wait to try some of these in my storytimes & play & learns!