Specs
Age group: toddlers (24 - 36 months)
Group Size: about 8-10 kids and one parent/caregiver per toddler
Time: 10:30am to 11:15am
Parent/Caregiver Handouts
One of my colleagues told me that one of the ways we can encourage parents to participate is to give them printouts of the songs and rhymes we use. This way, they can participate with the child beside them, or on their lap, and the handout close by. Here are the ones we used for this storytime:
Toddler Storytime Rhymes and Songs
Halloween Spiders Theme Rhymes and Songs
The Plan
Hello Good Morning
Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes
London Bridge is Falling Down
Book: Happy Halloween, Witch's Cat by Harriet Muncaster
Finger Play: Great Big Hairy Spider
Song: There's a Spider on the Floor (with bean bags)
Finger Play: Pumpkin Pumpkin
Activity: Boiling Pot
Activity: Spider Location Game
Boardbook: Eensy Weensy Spider
Craft: Spider Hat
Colouring Sheet
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Hello Good Morning
(Tune: La Cucaracha)
Hello good morning, hello good morning
how is everyone today?
CHA CHA CHA
Hello good morning, hello good morning
I am so glad you came to play
CHA CHA CHA
The sun is shining, the birds are singing
What a way to start the day
CHA CHA CHA
If we keep singing, hello good morning
We'll be happy come what may
CHA CHA CHA
Welcome to storytime!
This song comes from Miss Karen and the Hello Music Kids.
Head and shoulders Knees and Toes
Head and shoulders
knees and toes
knees and toes
Head and shoulders
knees and toes
knees and toes
And eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose
head and shoulders
knees and toes
knees and toes!
I used this version of the song. The linked video is long, but listen to the first minute or so for how to sing it, and how to do the actions.
London Bridge Is Falling Down
London bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down
My sweet baby
Now come and take a walk around
walk around, walk around
Come and take a walk around
My sweet baby
Time to sit and read a book,
read a book, read a book
Time to sit and read a book
My sweet baby!
Book: Happy Halloween, Witch's Cat by Harriet Muncaster
This is a nice, simple, interactive book that keeps toddlers guessing whether the next costume will be the one the main character chooses to wear for Halloween.
Finger Play: Great Big Hairy Spider
The Great Big Hairy Spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the Great Big Hairy Spider went up the spout again.
I asked the toddlers to stand up and spread their arms wide as they "climbed" up the water spout. I read somewhere that toddlers will find it easier to do these larger motions themselves than the ones done with the hands, which require finer motor skills.
Song: There's a Spider on the Floor (with bean bags)
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for anything more, than a spider on the floor.
There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Now the spider's on my leg, on my leg...
Oh, I wish I had some Raid for this spider on my leg!...
Now the spider's on my chest, on my chest!...
Oh, I'd squish him in my vest, if it didn't make a mess!...
Now the spider's on my neck, on my neck!...
Oh, I'm gonna be a wreck, I've got a spider on my neck!...
Now the spider's on my face, on my face!...
Oh, what a big disgrace, I've got a spider on my face!...
But he jumps out!
Now there's a spider on the floor, on the floor...
When I asked them to pick up their "spiders", some of them were confused. I should have asked them to choose a bean bag first, and then to imagine that they were spiders. Whoops!
Finger Play: Pumpkin Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin bread! (hold hands flat together, one palm up, one palm down)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin head! (point to your head)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin pie! (hold hands in a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin eye! (curve hands around eyes)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin cake! (hold hands flat, one palm up, one palm down five inches above the other)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin shake! (hold fists up close to ears and shake hard)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin stew! (pretend to stir stew)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin BOO!
I found this chant on JBrary's youtube page. Check out this video to see how the chant is done.
Activity: Boiling Pot
Boiling pot
Boiling pot
What will we put in the witches pot?
We’ll put some _______ in the witch’s pot.
(Repeat)
In this activity, I put stuff in a bag and asked the toddlers to pick something, name it, and then drop it in the pot (black hat, in this case).
Activity: Spider Location Game
My friend and colleague made a giant spiderweb on the carpet using masking tape. The original plan was to have each child go into the spider web, one at a time, while everyone else is clapping. The child in the spiderweb has to find a coloured pompom spider while crawling or walking only on the masking tape. When he or she finds a pompom spider, the kids outside of the spiderweb have to yell out the colour of the pompom spider three times, and that's the only way one can escape the spiderweb. The escapee then chooses someone else from outside the spiderweb to go in.
However, this was a little complicated for the toddlers, so we modified the game and asked them to find a pompom spider and place it in the center of the spiderweb. For a more interactive activity, ask them the colour of the pompom spider before they place it in the center of the spiderweb.
Boardbook: Eensy Weensy Spider by Heather Collins
We have a collection of board books, all with the same title. This is a great opportunity for toddlers to learn how to follow the story, flip pages, listen to instructions and answer questions.
Craft: Spider Hat
Materials:
-black bristol board cut lengthwise into 1.5" wide strips
-googly eyes (various sizes)
-green strips of paper
-glue and tape
Colouring Sheet
We didn't get a chance to do the parachute activity today, but never fear! They still received their Halloween themed colouring sheet (pictures were found on the internet).
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Credits: I took the songs and rhymes from a variety of sources, some from work, and others from different parts of the internet. I will try to give credit where it is due, so if something is yours and I haven't credited you, please let me know and I will link back to you. Thank you!
