SENSEational Story Time: "Let's Go!"

It has been an exciting and busy school year so far! Our SENSEational Story Times started up again (after a summer break) on the third Saturday morning in September. I love to start sensory story times in the fall with one of our favorite themes: "Things that go!" We learned about the many different ways we can go places (i.e. the school bus!) and then had fun playing with some of these modes of transportation in gluten-free play dough. Here's the plan:

1. Hello! (Welcome families and talk about what SENSEational Story Time is all about, including an explanation of the visual schedule and letting folks know it's okay to take an "over-stimulation break" and come back in when ready.)


2. 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.)

3. Mindfulness exercise: "Hot Air Balloon" breath 

Stand tall or sit up.

Place your hands on your stomach.

Breathe in and feel your stomach rise (blow the balloon up, up, up).

Breathe out and feel your stomach (the balloon) go in.

Repeat and then relax and release the balloon.

4. Flannel rhyme: "Clickety Clack"

Clickety-clack, clickety clack,

Here comes the train on the railroad track!

Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,

Here comes Engine number one.

Clickety-clew, clickety-clew, 

Here comes Coal Car number two.

Clickety-clee, clickety-clee,

Here comes Box Car number three.

Clickety-clore, clickety-clore,

Here comes Tank Car number four.

Clickety-clive, clickety-clive,

Here comes Coach Car number five.

Clickety-clicks, clickedty-clicks,

Here's the Caboose, that's number six.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,

There goes the train on the railroad track!

Choo-chooooooo!

(source: Mel's Desk)

5. Story: The Bridge is Up! by Babs Bell

Sometimes we have to stop and wait for a bit when we are going places! I love this cumulative tale (and great life lesson in patience and waiting our turn), repeating the line "so everyone has to wait" as each vehicle gets to the bridge. We created our own waiting experience after reading the story. I gave each child a circle-shaped bean bag (steering wheel) and had two caregivers hold up our brown paper "bridge" as each child steered their vehicle to the line while I read it again. When the bridge goes down, the caregivers placed our paper bridge on the floor for each child to "drive" across.

 

6. Stretch band rhyme: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Row, row, row your boat

gently down the stream,

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

life is but a dream.

(repeat, pulling back and forth on our stretch band "oars" to row our boat)

7. Flannel Story: My Bus by Bryon Barton 

I gave each child a flannel dog or cat to add to our bus as the story goes.

8. Parachute activity: "Wheels on the Bus"

(Kids can sit under the parachute or hold the parachute to experience.)

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

round and round, round and round.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

all over town.

(parachute goes around)

The doors on the bus go open and shut...

(parachute goes in and out)

The windows on the bus go up and down...

(parachute goes up and down)

The people on the bus go bumpity bump...

(Shake that parachute!)

9. 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!

10. Play time activity: We played with toy cars and trucks in the gluten-free play dough roads we rolled out. We love this wheat & gluten-free dough from Lakeshore! (Note: unfortunately, this item may have just been discontinued at Lakeshore but you can get a similar product at Discount School Supply.)