Welcome Song: Clap and Sing Hello (to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
We clap and sing hello,
We clap and sing hello,
With our friends at story time,
We clap and sing hello!
We wave and sing hello // We stomp and sing hello
Source: Storytime Katie
Song: Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands, clap them now with me.
Clap your hands, let me see, clap them now with me.
Wiggle your feet // Stretch your arms // Zip your lips
Book: Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk; illustrations by Michael Slack
A new pirasaur learns the ropes on his pirate ship. I love the rhyming verses and the female T-Rex captain.
Song: Row Row Row Your Boat
I do three verses of this classic:
Row row row your boat (the traditional way) //
Rock rock rock your boat, sway from side to side
Merrily merrily merrily merrily what a bumpy ride (bump hands on lap) //
Row row row your boat, gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile (crocodile snap with arms)
Don’t forget to scream (*AH*)
Song/Rhythm Sticks: This is the Way We Tap Our Sticks (to the tune of Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we tap our sticks,
Tap our sticks, tap our sticks,
This is the way we tap our sticks,
So early in the morning.
Scrape our sticks // Hammer our sticks // Tap them soft // Tap them loud // Drum the floor
Source: 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children by Abigail Flesch Connors
Song/Rhythm Sticks: The Wheels on the Bus
Source: Jbrary
Song/Rhythm Sticks: Tick Tock Goes the Clock
Tick tock, tick tock goes the clock, (swish sticks back and forth)
Waiting for someone to knock, (tap sticks together)
My oh my,
It’s a cat! (hold sticks to face like whiskers)
Bunny (hold sticks to head like ears) // Duck (hold sticks at mouth like a duck bill) //
Walrus (hold sticks at mouth like tusks) // Alien (hold sticks to head like antennae)
Source: Jbrary
Book: Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort
Another rhyming book. Silly story about a pirate crew searching for the mythical golden underpants.
Egg Shakers: Shake It by Sally’s Music Circle
Flannel: Five Pirates Heading Out to Shore
Five pirates heading out to shore,
One jumped overboard and now there are four.
Four pirates heading out to sea,
One stole all the captain’s gold and now there are three.
Three pirates with nothing to do,
One was made to walk the plank and now there are two.
Two pirates having lots of fun,
One drank all the first mate’s juice and now there is one.
One pirate sitting in the sun,
He decides to abandon ship and now there are none.
Source: King County Library System
Book: Pirate Nap by Danna Smith; illustrated by Valerie Petrone
Another rhyming story about two little pirates avoiding nap time. My group had started to “abandon ship” by this point … But Baby Shark tends to rein them back in.
Song: Baby Shark
Baby shark do do do do do do (shark mouth with two fingers)
Baby shark do do do do do do
Baby shark do do do do do do
Baby shark
Other verses:
Mama Shark (shark mouth with hands connected at the wrists)
Daddy Shark (shark mouth with whole arms)
Grandma Shark (shark mouth like mama shark but with fists)
Grandpa Shark (shark mouth like daddy shark but with fists)
Shark attack (snap arms overhead)
Swim away (swimming motion with arms)
Safe at last (jazz hands)
Source: Adapted from Kindergarten Nation
Closing Song: It’s Time to Say Goodbye to All Our Friends (to the tune of She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain When She Comes)
It’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!” (tap knees)
It’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!”
It’s time to say goodbye,
Wave your hands and wink your eye, (wave, wink)
Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our friends, “Goodbye!”
Source: Sunflower Storytime