Teeth Storytime
Scott Bahlmann
Opening: Shake My Sillies Out – Raffi
Book: Snip Snap! What’s that! – Mara Bergman
(A fun, only slightly scary book that empowers the kids at the end.)
Activity: Time to be Happy
Is it time to be serious?
No, no no! (shake head side to side)
Is it time to be happy?
Yes, let's go! (Smile big and laugh!)
(We repeated this a couple of times, talking more quietly and laughing more loudly.)
(I was trying desperately to find something to fit here, and the night before storytime I went to bed all a flustered that my attempts at 'the old lady who swallowed a fly' were failing [I really wanted to do something with The Bears Toothache by Mcphail, but couldn't get a copy of it]. So I woke up and this came to me. It was simple and fun and a perfect transition to the next story!)
Book: Augustus and His Smile – Catherine Rayner
(Augustus never really shows his teeth, but we talked about smiling right before, so it worked all right...and I love the pictures!)
Flannel Board: Tooth Fairy
(I asked the kids if they knew what happened when their tooth falls out, someone in each group was able to introduce the tooth fairy that way. I really had no idea what I was doing during the creation of the tooth fairy puppet, but it worked out! I think the parents were more tickled by her voice than the kids were.)
Look and see, look and see,
Can you find the tooth for me?
Is it under the Red pillow?
(repeat with different colors, ending on the pillow with the tooth under it!)
Book: I’m a Shark – Bob Shea
(I was determined to not make this a dentist storytime, so even one reference to a sharks teeth in this book was enough for me! Bob Shea is always great)
Activity: Brush Your Teeth -
from the CD Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi
(I guided the kids through different brushing [using our fingers] during the song, up and down, back and forth, in circles, all the way in the back! And we showed our pretty smiles at the end.)
Book: Pony Brushes His Teeth – Michael Dahl
(A good introduction to tooth care while keeping it fun. Dad's expression at the end is great!)
Activity: Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree
(inspired by these monkeys, I made a visual to go along with the song. Used the crocodile puppet I've got on hand.)
Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Alligator
Can’t catch me….you can’t catch me
Along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
And snapped that monkey out that tree
(repeat with decreasing numbers. )
(end with)
No more monkeys swinging in a tree!