Before going over what I did in my virtual story time, I thought I would share a "behind-the-scenes" video of my set-up (thanks to a suggestion from my coworker, Ms. Liz!).
My theme for this story time is "Look Up!" This is a variation on a previous sensory story time done in person. Here's the plan:
1. Hello and talk about things we see when we look up (birds, trees, the clouds in the sky, balloons, etc.).
2. List supplies needed for story time and show contents of Sensory Story Time supply bags, which can be requested for curbside pickup or placed on our hold shelves to pick up when visiting the Library in person. Here are the sensory items provided in this kit: scarf, feather, pipe cleaner, plastic egg, and bubbles.
3. Welcome Song: "Story Time Ball Song" (I recorded this separately, on the floor with our large, plush Big Bird!) Viewers can do this with any ball they have at home (which is noted on the supply bag and at the beginning of story time. They can roll the ball back and forth with their grownup(s), siblings, or stuffed friend on the floor or over a table to each other.
tune: "Wheels on the Bus"
(Roll ball back and forth to each other)
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.)
4. Mindfulness exercise: "Balloon breath" (This breathing exercise can be down while seated or lying down.)
5. Story with sensory experiences: Hooray for Birds! by Lucy Cousins
Before reading, I thanked Candlewick Press for allowing me to share this story with our community in an unlisted video that families could view at a time convenient for them. Please see the SLJ Covid-19 Publisher Information Directory to find out the latest on publishers' shared reading guidelines.
As I read the story, I prompted viewers to join me in these sensory experiences:
Page spread with rooster - say "Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Next page spread with two birds flying - flap your arm "wings" like the birds are flapping their wings
Page with bird hopping - stand up and hop or bounce up and down in your seat
Page with woodpecker - make pecking noise by knocking on seat or table
Page with duck (or swan?) - look up as you stretch your neck nice and tall
Page with parrot - say "hello darling."
Page spread with starlings - grab your scarf from the supply bag and swoop it up, down, and around, just like the starlings
Page with bird scratching its feet - use your fingers to scratch the ground or the air
Page with bird catching fly - open your mouth and try to catch the fly
Page with flamingo - stand up on one leg or lift one foot while seated
Page with hen - say "cluck, cluck" and pull out your plastic egg from the supply egg - how does the egg feel?
Page with bird and snake - pull out your pipe cleaner from the supply bag (which they were instructed beforehand to bend/curve like a snake), set it down on the floor or table, catch up the snake and stretch our your wings
Page spread with birds singing - repeating various bird songs and sounds
Page with penguins - let's waddle side to side in our seats
Page with ostrich running - let's pat our hands on our laps to make a running sound
Page spread with peacock - reach into supply bag and pull out your feather (how does it feel?). Hold it up as you puff out your chest like the peacock
Page with birds cuddling - cuddle up with your grownup or reach around to your back with both arms criss-crossing and give yourself a big cuddle hug!
And of course, don't forget to whoo along with the owl at the end!
6. Flannel rhyme: "Five Little Birds"
There was one little bird in the one little tree.
He was so alone and didn't want to be,
So he flew far away, over the sea
And brought back a friend to live in the tree.
Now there are two little birds in the one little tree...
Now there are three little birds...
Now there are four little birds...
Now there are five little birds in the one little tree.
They were not alone anymore, they were family!
(source unknown)
7. Sensory tool rhyme: "Bubbles" (using bubbles supplied in kit)
tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Bubbles floating all around
Bubbles fat and bubbles round (look at all those bubbles!)
Bubbles on my toes and nose
Blow a bubble, up it goes! (blow bubbles and look up!)
Bubbles floating all around
B..u..b..b..l..e..s f..a..l..l..i..n..g ... to....the....ground (follow bubbles as they slowly fall to the ground)
(source unknown)
8. Goodbye 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!
9. Goodbye and supply suggestions to make discovery bin at home with bird seed, sticks and leaves from the backyard, and cutting up the pipe cleaner from the kit to make "worms" to find in the bin, pulling them out with large tweezers at home (or making these craft stick tweezers) like a bird might with its beak.
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