SENSEational Story Time: Let's Build!

Inspired by our STEM sensory story time on engineering at the Michigan Science Center last month (blog post coming soon!), I decided to continue that theme with our SENSEational Story Time families this month. We talked about "engineering" and building with a variety of things, including cats!

Here's the plan:

Welcome Song: "The Story Time Ball"

Tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each child)
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
The story time ball rolls back and forth,
Let's see who it found. Hi ______!
Now roll it back to me.
(Keep rolling back and forth until each child has said their name.)


Yoga pose: "Bridge" (We also included an adapted "bridge" pose for those with mobile disabilities: raising arms up)

Active rhyme: "Building a Skyscraper"

Brick by brick
by brick by brick.
My building's so high,
it's scraping the sky.
(Place fists one on top of the other, going higher each time.)

Brick by brick
by brick by brick.
My building will sway
when the wind blows this way.
(Sway left, then right.)

Brick by brick
by brick by brick.
Now I'm ready to stop
and a flag goes on top.
(Open one fist and wave hand left and right.)
(source: Reed, Polly. 1001 Rhymes & Fingerplays)


Story with interactive flannel activity: Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani

Each child was given a flannel kitty to add to the flannel board while reading the story. They loved stacking those kitties!

Stretch band rhyme: "Cranes"

Cranes reach up,
(reach up)
cranes reach down.
(reach down)
Cranes reach out,
(reach straight out)
and all around.
(reach around in a circle)
(source: Jbrary)


Sensory story: What To Do With a Box by Jane Yolen and Chris Sheban
I saved a nice box from my last big collection order for this one! Each child was invited to come inside the box, draw the sun and the egret flying by, "race around the dirt track," have tea, and feel the breeze on the "river" while I fanned them with a small handheld fan.

Parachute activity: "London Bridge"

London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
my fair lady.
(walk in circle holding parachute, "fall down," walk in circle -- kids with mobile disabilities can sit underneath)

Take the bricks and build her up,
build her up, build her up.
Take the bricks and build her up,
my fair lady.
(walk in circle holding parachute, raise it up, walk in circle)
(adaptation of classic song)


Goodbye song and stretch: "Tickle the Clouds"

Tickle the clouds.
Tickle your toes.
Turn around and tickle your nose.
Reach down low.
Reach up high.
Story time's over.
Wave goodbye!


Play time:
We got out the big cardboard blocks and built, of course! We made buildings, bridges, trucks, and many other cool things.