Children`s Programming

Transcription

Children`s Programming
Children’s Programming
M o n t h l y
volume 1 number 7
P ro g r a m s & IDE AS for Pr eschool T HRO UGH gra de 3
Puddle
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ALA Editions purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.
from the
editor
contents
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
3
Diane Briggs
Welcome to Children’s Programming
Monthly, a compilation of ideas culled
from bestselling ALA Editions programming books. In this issue Spring
has sprung, and programs from five
ALA Editions authors make the most
of rainy-day storytimes. Kids will come
away croaking like frogs, shaking their
rainsticks, and singing newly learned
songs to chase away the clouds.
All of the books listed are still available,
many in new hardcover or paperback
editions, including some in Spanish.
For more information about the ALA
resources named in this issue, visit the
ALA Store (alastore.ala.org) or call toll
free 866-746-7252.
Stephanie Zvirin
[email protected]
Spring Fling
7
Kathy MacMillan
Parley Garfield and
the Frogs
13
Margaret Read MacDonald
Rain
16
Judy Nichols
Craft a Rain Stick
21
Caroline Feller Bauer
Puddlejumpers
24
Kathy MacMillan
Children’s Programming Monthly
(ISSN 2156-8685) is published 13 times a year by the
American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St, Chicago,
IL. 60611. It is managed by ALA Editions.
To subscribe, visit the ALA Store, alastore.ala.org, or call
866-746-7252. Subscription Rates: $50 per year; $10 per
single copy. Address editorial correspondence to Stephanie
Zvirin, Editor ([email protected]).
Vol. 1 / No. 7 (ISBN 978-0-8389-5824-7)
Publisher: J. Michael Jeffers
Product Manager: Patrick Hogan
Editor: Stephanie Zvirin
DESIGN: Karen Sheets de Gracia
COMPOSITION: Patricia Galarza-Hernandez
Illustrations: ©Andere/Shutterstock, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 American Library Association.
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the
American Library Association.
a program to share?
Do you have a program or activity you would like to share—
a storytime, a puppet play, a flannelboard, even an annotated
list of picture books your storytime audiences love? For
submission guidelines visit http://www.alaeditions.org/cpm/
submission/guidelines. Questions? Contact Stephanie Zvirin at
[email protected] or call 1-800-545-2433 x 5107.
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 2
Diane Briggs
It’s Raining,
It’s Pouring
S
tart your program with a simple song. If your audience knows the
words, invite them to sing along. Then sing it once again more
slowly. If the song is new, help them learn it. “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”
is short and easy to teach. Or try adapting a familiar tune, such as “Frère
Jacques” or “I’m a Little Teapot,” to your rainy-day theme.
Excerpted from 52 Programs
for Preschoolers.
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It’s raining, its pouring
BOOK SUGGESTIONS
Arnosky, Jim. Rabbits and Raindrops. Penguin, 1997.
Carlson, Nancy. What If It Never Stops Raining? Penguin, 1992.
Clark, Jane. Stuck in the Mud. Walker, 2008.
Ehlert, Lois. Planting a Rainbow. Harcourt, 1998.
Ginsburg, Mirra. Mushroom in the Rain. Simon and Schuster, 1987.
Hubbel, Patricia. Hurray for Spring. Northword, 2005.
Larkin, Patricia. Rainy Day. Dial, 2007.
London, Jonathan. Puddles. Penguin, 1997.
FINGERPLAYS
Raindrops
Ten little raindrops, dancing on the walk.
(Tap your fingers on the floor)
Pitter patter, pitter patter, that’s the way they talk.
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky,
(Make a large circle with your fingers)
And away all the raindrops fly, fly, fly.
(Make your fingers hurry away behind your back)
Pitter Patter
Pitter, patter falls the rain,
(Flutter your fingers downward)
On the roof and window pane.
(Touch your fingers together overhead
to make a roof; then press your palms
against a pretend window)
Softly, softly, it comes down,
(Flutter your fingers downward)
And makes a stream that runs around.
(Make a winding motion with your fingers)
Flowers lift their heads and say:
(Cup your hands and stretch your arms upward)
“A nice cool drink for us today.”
Eensy-weensy Spider
Eensy-weensy spider went up the water spout.
(Wiggle your fingers upward)
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It’s raining, its pouring
Down came the rain and washed the spider out,
(Flutter your fingers downward, and then sweep your arms outward)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
(Circle your arms overhead)
And the eensy-weensy spider went up the spout again.
(Wiggle your fingers upward)
SONG
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
It’s raining, it’s pouring,
The old man is snoring.
He bumped his head
And he went to bed
And he couldn’t get up in the morning.
CRAFT
Rainbow Window Decoration
Supplies: Cotton or quilt stuffing, poster board, crayons, washable markers,
glitter, string, glue, a hole punch
Precut rainbow shapes out of poster
board and draw two semicircles on
them. Let children color their rainbows
and help them add multicolored glitter.
They can glue cotton clouds to the ends.
When they are finished, punch a hole
in the top for them and tie on a string.
Suggest that they hang their rainbows
in a window at home.
Recorded music
(from Rob Reid’s Children’s Jukebox)
“After It Rains.” Berkner, Laurie, Under a Shady Tree.
“I’m a Little Raindrop.” Rymer, Brady, I Found It!
“It’s Raining.” Mayer, Hans, Just a Little Hug.
“It’s Raining, It’s Pouring (Big Thunder, Dark Cloud).” Grunsky, Jack, Sing and
Dance; Grunsky, Jack, World Safari.
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It’s raining, its pouring
“Little Raindrop.” Roberts, Justin, Great Big Sun.
“Mushroom Umbrellas.” Walker, Mary Lu, The Frog’s Party.
“Puddles.” Diamond, Charlotte, My Bear Gruff.
“Rain Rain.” Silberg, “Miss Jackie,” The Complete Sniggles, Squirrels, and
Chicken Pox; Silberg, “Miss Jackie,” Sing about Martin.
“The Rain Song.” Mr. Al and Stephen Fite, Back to School Again.
“Raining Cats and Dogs.” LaFond, Lois, One World.
“Rainstorm.” Strausman, Paul, Blue Jay, Blue Jay!
“Rainy Day.” Milkshake, Bottle of Sunshine.
“Rainy Day.” Rudnick, Ben, Emily Songs.
“Rhythm of the Rain.” Bartles, Joanie, Put On Your Dancing Shoes.
“Robin in the Rain.” Raffi, Singable Songs for the Very Young.
“Rubber Boots and Raincoats.” Kaldor, Connie, A Poodle in Paris.
“Shango.” Barchas, Sarah, Bridges Across the World.
“Splash!” Peterson, Carole, Sticky Bubble Gum.
“What Do You Do on a Rainy Day?” Rosen, Gary, Tot Rock.
“Where Do the Animals Go When It Rains?” Buchman, Rachel, Baby and Me.
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Spring Fling
Kathy MacMillan
W
hat do caterpillars, skunks,
bears, rabbits, mice, and
little girls have in common? They
all enjoy the coming of spring in the
picture books gathered together on
page eight.
Excerpted from A Box Full of Tales.
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spring fling
Books
_ = material especially useful with toddlers
Alarcon, Francisco X. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems. Children’s
Book Press, 2005
_ Birdsall, Jean. Flora’s Windy Day. Clarion, 2010
Cain, Sheridan. The Crunching Munching Caterpillar.
Tiger Tales, 2000.
_ Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Philomel, 1969.
_ Carr, Jan. Splish, Splash, Spring Holiday House, 2001.
_ Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Wake Up, It’s Spring! HarperCollins, 2004.
_ Glaser, Linda. It’s Spring! Millbrook Press, 2002.
Iwamura, Kazuo. Horray for Spring! North South, 2009.
_ Na, IL Sung. Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons.
Knopf, 2011.
Newman, Lesléa. Skunk’s Spring Surprise. Harcourt, 2007.
_ Raczka, Bob. Spring Things. Albert Whitman, 2007.
Ray, Mary Lynn. Mud. Harcourt Brace, 1996.
_ Rockwell, Anne. My Spring Robin. Macmillan, 1989.
Schnur, Steven. Spring Thaw. Viking, 2000
Schulman, Janet. Countdown to Spring! An Animal Counting Book. Knopf, 2004.
_ Thompson, Lauren. Mouse’s First Spring. Simon and Schuster, 2005.
_ Walters, Catherine. When Will It Be Spring? Dutton, 1997.
Wilson, Karma. Bear Wants More. Simon and Schuster, 2003.
Recorded Music
“Caterpillar—Cocoon—Butterfly” from Animal Walks by Georgiana Stewart.
Kimbo Educational, 1987.
“The Bunny Hop” from Disney’s Dance Along, Volume 1. Walt Disney Records,
1997.
_ “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Musical Scarves and Activities by Georgiana
Stewart. Kimbo Educational, 2002.
“Five Little Butterflies” from Run, Jump, Skip, and Sing by Barney. Koch
Records, 2003.
_ “When the Pod Went Pop!” from Sing a Song of Seasons by Rachel
Buchman. Rounder Kids, 1997.
_ “Hop Like a Bunny” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine
Bueffel. Kimbo Educational, 1999.
_ “I Fly My Kite” from We’ve Got Harmony! Kimbo Educational, 2006.
“Mr. Rabbit” from Wiggles, Jiggles, and Giggles by Stephen Fite. Melody
House, 2000.
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spring fling
Fingerplays/Songs
“Caterpillar, Caterpillar”
Caterpillar, caterpillar, turn around.
Caterpillar, caterpillar, on the ground.
Caterpillar, caterpillar, climb up high.
Soon you’ll be a butterfly!
“If I Were a Butterfly”
If I were a butterfly,
I would flutter way up high.
I’d flutter left and flutter right,
Flutter flutter through the night.
I’d swoop up high,
Then swoop down low,
Then swoop down to the floor just so.
“This Is the Way . . .”
(To the tune of “Here We Go ’Round the Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way the sun does shine,
Sun does shine, sun does shine.
This is the way the sun does shine,
In the spring time.
. . . rain does fall
. . . flowers grow
. . . bunnies hop
. . . birdies fly
. . . caterpillars crawl
“Baby Bumblebee”
(Adapted from a traditional song)
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Ouch! It stung me.
I’m letting go my baby bumblebee.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m letting go my baby bumblebee.
And I’m never bringing one home again!
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spring fling
“In the Spring”
In the spring the sun does shine,
The birds fly to and fro.
The frogs say “Ribbit” in the pond,
And the flowers grow!
“I’m a Little Seed”
(To the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little seed, growing in the ground.
I huddle up and I don’t make a sound.
If the rain falls and the sun shines just so,
I push my leaves up to say hello!
“The Wind”
(To the tune of “Spider on the Floor”)
The wind is blowing my head, blowing my head.
The wind is blowing my head, blowing my head.
Oh, I really dread the wind blowing my head.
The wind is blowing my head, blowing my head.
The wind is blowing my hands . . . help me if you can . . .
The wind is blowing my knees . . . it’s quite a strong breeze . . .
The wind is blowing my feet . . . isn’t it neat . . .
The wind is blowing my bottom . . . don’t think that I forgot ’em . . .
The wind is blowing all of me . . . I’m sure that you can see . . .
Props
_ A Flannelboard Rhyme
“Five Little Flowers”
Pieces needed: 5 flowers
5 little flowers grew by my door.
I picked one for my mother, and then there were 4.
4 little flowers pretty as can be.
I picked one for my father, and then there were 3.
3 little flowers, what could I do?
I picked one for my sister, and then there were 2.
2 little flowers out in the sun.
I picked one for my brother, and then there was 1.
1 little flower, isn’t this fun?
I picked one for you, and then there were none.
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spring fling
_ A Puppet Play
“Rabbit’s Flowers”
Pieces needed:
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5 artificial flowers in yellow and 4 other colors
2 rabbit puppets
a bee puppet
a mouse puppet
a cat puppet
a dog puppet
a bear puppet
One day Rabbit picked 5 flowers for his mother. (Name the colors). He hopped
home to give them to his mother, but on the way he met Bee. “Bzzzz,” said Bee,
“what a pretty yellow flower. It’s the same color as pollen, and that’s my favorite thing in the world. Could I have it, please?” “Well, OK,” said Rabbit. So he
gave the flower to Bee. “Thank you!” said Bee.
“At least I still have 4 flowers to give to my mother,” Rabbit thought, and he
hopped toward home.
Continue pattern, with rabbit giving flowers away to the following:
Mouse: “That flower is my favorite color.”
Cat: “Today is my birthday.”
Dog: “We’re best friends.”
Bear: “I just woke up from my
long winter’s nap—is that a present for me?”
When Rabbit arrived home, he
had no flowers for his mother. He
was very sad. He decided to draw a
picture of a flower for her instead.
And do you know what? She loved
it, and she hung it right up on the
refrigerator!
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spring fling
Crafts
Lunch Bag Kites
Materials:
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1 lunch bag for each child
strips of crepe streamers
yarn
stickers
crayons
gluesticks
a hole punch
reinforcement circles
Directions:
1. Punch a hole on each side of the bag, about half an inch from the edge.
2. Place a reinforcement circle on each of the holes.
3. Tie a piece of yarn to each of the holes, then tie the ends of the strings
together to form the kite handle.
4. Decorate the bag with stickers and crayons.
5.Attach lengths of crepe streamers to the ends of the bag.
6. To fly the kite, open the bag completely, hold the kite handle, and run.
The wind will catch the bag and make it fly up.
Sandwich-Bag Butterflies
Materials:
□□ 1 plastic sandwich bag for each child
□□ small squares of tissue paper in various colors
□□ 1 pipe cleaner for each child
Directions:
1.Fill the sandwich bag with pieces of tissue
paper.
2.Close the bag and pinch the middle of it. Twist
the pipe cleaner around the middle of the bag
and twist the ends up to look like antennae.
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Margaret Read MacDonald
Parley Garfield
and the Frogs
I
n a note that accompanied
the original publication
of the following story,
MacDonald wrote, “Each
family has its own stock of
tales. This one has been a long
time favorite in my family.”
Perhaps the children (or
grown-ups) in your audience
have a best-loved story to
suggest. Use their ideas as
a springboard to more taletelling opportunities.
Excerpted from Twenty
Tellable Tales.
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parley Garfield and the frogs
Story
Now when my grandpa, Parley Garfield, was a boy he had to cross the crick to
see my grandma every night. Most times in the summer when the cricks run
dry he could just walk across on the flat rocks. But in the spring when the hard
rains came that crick would flood. Then he’d come down to the edge of the crick
and he wouldn’t know whether or not it was too deep to wade through. Now
there was a family of frogs that lived at the place where the crick pooled there.
And they’d come along and help him out.
Grandpa’d call out to the frogs:
“How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?”
Now the little ones at the edge of the crick they’d call back:
“Ankledeep!, Ankledeep!, Ankledeep!”
So Grandpa’d take off his shoes and wade in a bit. Out a little further the frogs
grew a little bigger.
Grandpa’d call to them: “How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?”
And that bunch of frogs would call right back:
“Kneedeep!, Kneedeep!, Kneedeep!”
So Grandpa, he’d roll up his pants legs and wade in a little more.
Then he’d call to the big old frogs way out toward the middle.
“How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?”
They’d holler back: “Bellydeep!, Bellydeep!, Bellydeep!”
Grandpa wanted to see grandma awfully bad. So he’d just wade right on in up
to his belly and get all wet. Then he’d stop.
And Grandpa’d call out to that old Grandaddy Bullfrog lived right out in the
middle of the pond: “How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?, How DEEP is it?
And that old Grandaddy Bullfrog’d bellow back: “YOU BETTER GO ROUND!,
YOU BETTER GO ROUND!, YOU BETTER GO ROUND!”
Then Grandpa knew he’d have to go round and find another place to ford the
crick that night if he wanted to see Grandma at all.
I’ve heard my grandpa tell that story many a time.
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parley Garfield and the frogs
MacDonald’s Notes on Telling
When telling to pre-schoolers and early primary children, I encourage them to
join me on the frogs’ calls throughout the story. I make Grandpa’s call to the
frogs repetitive by using the chant “How DEEP is it?” every time. I also let the
children join in on the chant.
After the brief tale-telling, let the group make the frogs’ calls with you. With
older groups you can divide into four parts and form a frogs’ chorus. Cue each
group in one at a time starting with the “Ankledeepers.”
With a little practice you can make the frog’s calls sound much like real
frogs calling. The “Ankledeep!” should be high and sharp. Hold the “Aaannn...”
sound making it slightly nasal, then flip off into a quick “kledeep!” Lower your
voice for each water level. “Bellydeep” should be resonant. “You better go
ROUND” should ring! I’ve included musical notation you might find helpful.
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Judy Nichols
Rain
R
ainbows, rain clouds, raincoats, rainwater,
rainstorms, galoshes, umbrellas, flowers,
and frogs . . . there’s plenty to talk about when
the subject is rain. Nichols’ books, activities,
and crafts are ideal for pumping up enthusiasm
about all things spring.
Excerpted from Storytime for Two-Year-Olds.
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Rain
Books
10 Little Rubber Ducks
(HarperCollins, 2005)
ERIC CARLE
Chimp and Zee and the Big Storm
(Penguin, 2002)
LAURENCE ANHOLT
The Day the Rains Fell
(Transworld, 2010)
ANNE FAUNDEZ
Duck Tents (Holt, 2009)
LYNNE BERRY
In the Rain with Baby Duck
(Candlewick, 1995)
AMY HEST
It’s Quacking Time
(Candlewick, 2005)
MARTIN WADDELL
Rain Feet (Scholastic, 1994)
ANGELA JOHNSON
Rainbow of My Own (Viking, 1968)
DON FREEMAN
The Rainy Day (Usborne, 2005)
(Spanish: Un dia de lluvia)
ANNA MILBOURNE and SARAH
GILL
Umbrella (Penguin, 1958)
TARO YASHIMA
Up the Mountain (DK, 2000)
CHARLOTTE AGELL
Waiting Out the Storm
(Candlewick, 2010)
JOANN EARLY MACKEN
Water, Water
ELOISE GREENFIELD
Rain (Greenwillow, 1991)
ROBERT KALAN
Rhythms, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Walking in the Rain
(Tune: “London Bridge”)
Let’s go walking in the rain,
In the rain, in the rain.
Let’s go walking in the rain,
Early in the morning.
Repeat with
• jump puddles in our boots
• walk under umbrellas
• feel the raindrops, splash, splash, splash
• see the rainbow, shining bright
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Rain
Busy Windshield Wipers
(Hold your arms up in front of your body and move them from side to side)
Busy windshield wipers go
A-dash, a-dash, a-dash.
Wiping all the drops away
Splash, splash, splash.
Parents’ Follow-Up Ideas
Playing in water is educational for toddlers. The kitchen sink, the bathtub, or a
wading pool are good places for water play. However, remember to stay close by
your children even when they are playing in a small amount of water.
Sponges, plastic containers (some with holes), measuring cups, eyedroppers,
funnels, and jar lids and other unbreakable items make good water toys. For
some extra fun add a squirt of shaving cream or food coloring. When clean-up
time comes, toddlers can be good helpers.
Water-play times also offer great opportunities for language building. Pour,
spill, sprinkle, splash, spurt, squirt, dribble, flow, flood, trickle, and spray
all describe different ways that water behaves. Each word sounds like what it
describes. Use the words to increase your children’s vocabulary and to broaden
the way they think about water.
Craft
A Rainbow
You will need:
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a paper plate
a craft stick
colored paper streamers
tape or a stapler
scissors
a marker
Cut a pie-shaped wedge from the paper plate and draw a face near the outer
edge. Attach colored streamers along the outer edge, and staple the inner edge
to the stick. When your child holds the stick, the rainbow colors will move over
and around him or her like a flexible rainbow!
A Giant Ballpoint Pen
Pry the ball off a clean, empty roll-on deodorant bottle. Fill it with tempera
paint, and push the ball back on. Presto: you have a giant ballpoint pen that
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Rain
paints. Cover a table with newspaper and let children create pictures on shelf
paper or paper sacks.
Songs
(from Rob Reid’s Children’s Jukebox)
Weather
“ Don’t Blame the Weatherman.” Daddy A Go Go, Mojo A Go Go.
“It’s a Rainy Day.” Diamond, Charlotte, My Bear Gruff.
“It’s a Very Good Day.” Stotts, Stuart, and Tom Pease, Celebrate: A Song
Resource.
“It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.” Simmons, Al, Something Fishy at Camp
Wiganishie.
“Raindrops and Lemon Drops.” Scruggs, Joe, Traffic Jams.
“Weather Song.” Feldman, Jean, Dr. Jean and Friends.
“What’s the Weather Outside?” Fite, Stephen, Havin’ Fun and Feelin’ Groovy.
Clouds
“The Clouds.” Beall, Pamela, and Susan Nipp, Wee
Sing for Baby.
“Clouds.” Moos, Anna, When I Was a Child.
“A Corner of a Cloud.” Ode, Eric, Grandpa’s Truck.
“I Want to Be a Cloud.” Kaldor, Connie, A Duck in
New York City.
“In the Clouds.” Berkner, Laurie, Buzz
Buzz.
“Puffy Clouds.” Foote, Norman, If the
Shoe Fits.
Rain
“Ain’t Gonna Rain No More.” Rosenthal, Phil, Turkey in the Straw. (Same song
as “It Ain’t Gonna Rain.”)
“Ame, Ame (Rain Song).” Beall, Pamela, and Susan Nipp, Wee Sing around the
World.
“Clean Rain.” Raffi, Evergreen, Everblue.
“The Clouds Are Sleeping Over.” Lonnquist, Ken, Sci-Fi Hi-Fi.
“Ducks Like Rain.” Raffi, Rise and Shine.
“I Love to Walk in the Rain.” Muldaur, Maria, Animal Crackers in My Soup.
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Rain
“It Ain’t Gonna Rain.” Penner, Fred, Rhyme a Word or Two. (Same song as
“Ain’t Gonna Rain No More.”)
“Japanese Rain Song.” Barchas, Sarah, Bridges across the World.
“Leaky Umbrella.” Gill, Jim, Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other
Contagious Tunes.
“Let It Rain.” Cosgrove, Jim, Bop Bop Dinosaur.
“Puddle Stomping!” Moo, Anna, Moochas Gracias.
“Rain.” Kaye, Mary, Mouse Jamboree.
“Rain, Rain, Go Away.” Beall, Pamela, and Susan Nipp, Wee Sing Children’s
Songs and Fingerplays.
“Rain Song.” Colleen and Uncle Squaty, 1, 2, 3, Four-Ever Friends.
“Rainbow in the Sky.” Byers, Kathy, Do You Wish You Could Fly?
“Raining like Magic.” Raffi, Let’s Play.
“Showers in the Rain.” Allard, Peter and Ellen, Raise the Children.
“There Is Thunder.” Beall, Pamela, and Susan Nipp, Wee Sing Children’s Songs
and Fingerplays.
“Under a Big Bright Yellow Umbrella.” Yosi, Under a Big Bright Yellow
Umbrella.
“Water in the Rain Clouds.” Silberg, “Miss Jackie,” The Complete Sniggles,
Squirrels, and Chicken Pox; Silberg, “Miss Jackie,” Sing about Martin.
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Caroline Feller Bauer
Craft a
Rain Stick
B
y adding a personal, often humorous note to the instructions
for each activity she suggests, Bauer warmly welcomes other
storyteller’s into her special world of programming. The following
excerpt is a classic example of why her books have endured
through the years.
Excerpted from Leading Kids to Books through Crafts.
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craft a rain stick
craft
The first rain stick I made used a tube mailer from the post office and a pound
of nails. I spent time pounding the nails into the tube to catch beans and cause
a racket as they tumbled through. I had fun making it, but I’m not sure how
many children I could supervise while they played with hammer and nails.
After I showed my rain stick at a series of seminars, I received a number of
suggestions about how to make a better, simpler rain stick. I’ve experimented
with a variety of these ideas, and here is my favorite rain stick.
Supplies:
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One empty potato chip can with a plastic reusable cover for each rain stick
1/2 cup dry beans for each rain stick
Paints or sticky-backed paper to decorate the can
10"-long piece of aluminum foil for each rain stick
Collect enough cans for your group, but don’t feel compelled to eat 30 cans
of potato chips! Instead, display a sign on your bulletin board asking for empty
cans. They will come. In fact, years later people will still be sending you cans.
Tennis ball cans work. So do empty paper towel tubes, but you will have to tape
both ends after you have filled the tubes.
Any type of beans work: split peas, red beans, lima beans, rice, popcorn kernels. Many packaged food items will work. Experiment with what kind of bean
you prefer.
Preparation
Beans
Crumpled
aluminum
foil
1.) Tell children to
crush the aluminum
foil gently and stuff
it lengthwise into the
tube. Have them drop
a handful of beans into
the can and close the
tube or can at both
ends.
2.) Now the rain
stick is ready
to decorate on
the outside with
contact paper or
paint.
Easy? Yes. And surprisingly good enough to eat. I took my potato chip rain
stick all the way around the world to show and tell at an international school in
Surabaya, Indonesia. I carefully laid out my materials to present to the children
the next day. In the morning I found that the top of the rain stick had been
gnawed through, and there were fewer beans and more holes in the foil. An
Indonesian mouse had enjoyed a rain stick meal!
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 22
craft a rain stick
Share a book
Bauer, Caroline Feller. Rainy Day. Harper, 1986.
Stories, poems, and activities featuring rain.
Branley, Franklyn M. Down Comes the Rain. Harper, 1997.
This simple story from the Let’s Read and Find Out series explains the
phenomenon of rain.
Crum, Shutta. Thunder -Boomer! Clarion, 2009.
Sound effects make this story about a family’s outing cut short by a storm
perfect for reading aloud.
Gammel, Stephen. Mudkin. Carolrhoda, 2011.
A delerious romp in ishy, squishy mud.
Gibbons, Gail. Hurricanes. Holiday, 2010.
In a picture book best used with small groups, Gibbons lays out simple
facts about hurricanes in a way that informs without scaring.
Hesse, Karen. Come On, Rain! Scholastic, 1999.
A little girl prays for rain to end a long hot spell in the city.
Lloyd, Jennifer. Ella’s Umbrella. Simply Read Books, 2010
Ella has an extraordinary collection of umbrellas.
Martin, Bill, Jr. Listen to the Rain. Holt, 1988.
Mood poem to share aloud.
Polacco, Patricia. Thunder Cake. Penguin, 1997.
Baking Thunder Cake with Grandmother helps a child forget her fear of
stormy weather.
Rockwell, Anne. Clouds. HarperCollins, 2008.
A Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out selection, with information and activites keyed
to preschoolers and kindergartners.
Tafuri, Nancy. The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book. Simon and
Schuster, 2009.
One by one, woodland critters seek shelter from a storm.
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 23
Kathy MacMillan
Puddlejumpers
P
uddle jumping is one of the pleasures of childhood.
Activities in the following storytime program have the
benefit of keeping clothes clean and dry while capturing the
fun of getting muddy and wet.
Excerpted from A
Box Full of Tales.
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7
alastore.ala.org / 24
puddlejumpers
Books
_ = material especially useful with toddlers
Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. Dial, 1981.
Bridges, Margaret Park. I Love the Rain. Chronicle, 2005.
Dragonwagon, Crescent. And Then It Rained . . . And Then the Sun Came Out.
Atheneum, 2003.
Evans, Lezlie. Rain Song. Houghton
Mifflin, 1995.
Gorbachev, Valeri. One Rainy Day.
Philomel, 2002.
_ Inkpen, Mick. Kipper’s Rainy Day.
Harcourt, 1991.
_ Lewison, Wendy Cheyette. Raindrop,
Plop! Viking, 2004.
London, Jonathan. Puddles. Viking,
1997.
_ Ray, Mary Lyn. Red Rubber Boot
Day. Harcourt, 2000.
Sheth, Kashmira. Monsoon Afternoon. Peachtree, 2008.
Stojic, Manya. Rain. Crown 2000.
_ Verboven, Agnes. Ducks Like to Swim by Orchard Books, 1996.
Recorded Music
“Leaky Umbrella” from Jim Gill Sings The Sneezing Song and Other
Contagious Tunes by Jim Gill. Jim Gill Music, 1993.
_ “Rock and Roll Freeze Dance” from “So Big”: Activity Songs for Little
Ones by Hap Palmer. Hap-Pal Music, 1994. (Make this a “rain dance” by
spraying the kids with a water bottle each time they freeze.)
_ “The Eensy Weensy Spider” from Mainly Mother Goose by Sharon, Lois,
and Bram. Elephant Records, 1984.
Fingerplays/Songs
“Thunderstorm”
The rain falls from the sky:
Splash splash splash!
The thunder rushes by:
Crash crash crash!
Now lightning, my oh my!
Flash flash flash!
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 25
puddlejumpers
“If It’s Raining . . .”
(To the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If it’s raining and you know it, hold up your umbrella.
If it’s raining and you know it, hold up your umbrella.
If it’s raining and you know it, then your umbrella will show it.
If it’s raining and you know it, hold up your umbrella.
. . . put on your raincoat
. . . put on your boots
. . . splash in the puddles
“Puddle Song”
(To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Splash, splash, splash in puddles,
Splashing all day long.
Splashing’s what we do when we
Sing this splashing song.
Jump . . .
Spin . . .
Hop . . .
Clap . . .
Stomp . . .
“You Are My Sunshine”
(Adapted from a traditional song)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away.
“The Wheels on the Bus (on a Rainy Day)”
(Adapted from a traditional song)
The wheels on the bus go splash splash splash,
Splash splash splash, splash splash splash.
The wheels on the bus go splash splash splash,
On a rainy day.
The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish . . .
The lights on the bus go on and off . . .
The people on the bus go grumble grumble grumble . . .
The wheels on the bus go splash splash splash . . .
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 26
puddlejumpers
“Rain Is Falling”
(To the tune of “Frère Jacques”)
Rain is falling, rain is falling,
On the ground, on the ground,
Watering the flowers, watering the flowers,
All around, all around.
flannelboard fun
_ Flannelboard Rhyme
“Counting Raindrops”
Pieces needed:
A sun, cloud, 10 raindrops
A great big cloud was in the sky.
He covered the sun, and by and by,
He sent the raindrops down below.
Raindrops falling to and fro.
How many raindrops can we count?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
_ Flannelboard Activity
“Colors in the Rain”
Pieces needed: Five umbrellas–orange,
blue, green, yellow, and red.
I took a walk out in the rain
And saw umbrella colors.
What colors do you see?
Orange, blue, green, yellow, and red!
Can you count them? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
_
Crafts
Puddlejumper Picture
Materials:
□□ 1 piece of construction paper for each child
□□ 1 circle cut from aluminum foil for each child
□□ cupcake liners precut into halves
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 27
puddlejumpers
□□
□□
□□
□□
□□
chenille stems
die-cuts of children
glue
crayons
glitter
Directions:
1.Glue the aluminum foil circle onto the paper to represent a puddle.
2.Glue the die-cut of the child onto the paper.
3.Make an umbrella from half of a cupcake liner and use a curved length of
chenille stem for the handle. Glue onto the picture.
4. Use glitter to represent rain.
5. Decorate with crayons as desired.
Parents’ Follow-Up Ideas
Direct parents to some of your favorite activity websites where they can find
more rainy-day boredom busters. Here are a few places they can start looking:
www.familyfun.go.com/spring/spring-crafts/
www.bhg.com/crafts/kids/rainy-day/
www.parents.com/fun/activities/rainy-day/5-fun-rainy-day-toddleractivities/
Children’s Programming Monthly Vol. 1 / no. 7 alastore.ala.org / 28
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