At the Beach Storytime
Scott Bahlmann
This week is Water Week. Since we live in a desert, that means we think about the water we use. Do you know a place with lots of water? Today we're going to do stories and activities about the beach! But first we have to get there.
Opening: Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi
Book: How Will We Get to the Beach? - Brigitte Luciani
(A nice progressive story in which each mode of transportation would mean leaving one item behind, until the solution comes along!)
Flannel board : Mrs. Armitage and the Big Wave
from the book by Quentin Blake
(A fun story that adapted for flannel board very well, do to it's 'add things on' format. I used a smaller whiteboard so that when the wave came I could manipulate it for the 'surfing'.)
Mrs. Armitage and her dog Breakspear went to the beach one day.
“What we have to do, Breakspear,” Said Mrs. Armitage, “is to swim out to sea and wait for the Big Wave.”
But while they were waiting Mrs. Armitage could see that Breakspear’s little legs were getting tired.
“What we need here,” said Mrs. Armitage, “is something to keep a faithful dog afloat.” So she got an inflatable desert island and they went on waiting for the Big Wave.
Then she adds an umbrella, a selection of snacks, a magaphone and horn, a sturdy boat hook and finally the big wave comes! But little Miranda needs some help, and Mrs. Armitage has everything she needs for a rescue.
Book: Pig Kahuna - Jennifer Sattler
(Fergus isn't as excited about the water as Mrs. Armitage, lets see what he does with a surfboard! Very cute, simple story.)
Song: Dancing in the Sand
from the CD The Sea, Beach, and Summer Stuff by Geof Johnson
(Fun song, where you isolate certain parts of the body for dancing: head, arms, hips, feet...and then you put them all together!)
Book: I Spy Under the Sea – Edward Gibbs
(Not as great as the other Gibbs I spy book, but still good, and very appropriate for the theme.)
Activity: Five Little Fishes
(variation of Five Little Monkeys)
(After the story time the shark chomped on willing children's fingers.)
Five little fishes swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark, you cant catch me! You can't catch me!
Along comes Mr. Shark swimming very slowly....Chomp!
(Count down remaining fish. When all the fish were gone, I asked if the shark was going to eat them! The kids all shouted NO! That's right, sharks don't like to eat people. Then we said bye to the shark and he swam away.)
Book: Beach Day - Karen Roosa
(The alligators get distracted on the way to the beach, and when they get there the sun's gone down and everyone has left. But they still have a good time! Great ending to the storytime.)
Activity: Bubbles
(with the music I Love the Beach from the CD The Sea, Beach, and Summer Stuff by Geof Johnson)