Sensory Story Time: Fruits and Veggies

The Library offers sensory story time (almost) every month, and last month's theme was fruits and veggies! Seven kids and three adults attended, with the kids ranging in age from 3 years old to 6 or 7 years old. 

 

The plan: 

1. Hello! I introduced the theme and the structure of this story time, including explaining how the visual schedule worked. We practiced signing “all done” so we knew how to do it at the end of each activity. 

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: Tap and Wiggle from the Mindful Kids card set by Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun 

4. Active Rhyme: Bananas Unite (source: Jbrary) 

Bananas unite! 

Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas 

Chop bananas, chop chop bananas  

Mash bananas, mash mash bananas  

Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas   

Go Bananas! 

 

5. Story: Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

In this book, a piranha named Brian tries to persuade other piranhas to try different fruits and vegetables. In response to each fruit Brian offers, the other piranhas say “no, we eat [body part].” I asked the kids to point to or move the body part on each page. 

6. Sensory Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree (with stretch bands) 

Way up high in the apple tree, (pull the stretch band up) 

two little apples smiling at me.  

I shook that tree as hard as I could, (quickly pull the stretch band in and out) 

and down came the apples. (clap hands) 

Mmmm... they were good! (rub your tummy) 

7.  Picture book with sensory experiences: Veg Patch Party by Clare Foges and Al Murphy 

In this book, vegetables on a farm have a party after the animals go to sleep. Certain vegetables are featured, so I brought in as many of those vegetables as I could. This included potatoes, parsnips, carrots, peas, and brussels sprouts. The kids were familiar with potatoes and carrots, but many had never seen a parsnip before.  

8. Parachute activity: "Fruit Salad Salsa" by Laurie Berkner. I played the song out loud and we walked and moved the parachute to match the lyrics. 

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! 

Arts and Crafts: Carrot with handprint stalk. I provided white construction paper with a carrot outline, orange and yellow dot markers, and green finger paint.  

Sensory Activity: Fruit matching game. I buried plastic fruit counters in lentils and provided tongs for the kids to use for pulling out the fruit and match them to the pictures on the trays. 

 

Outreach Story Time: Thanksgiving and Food

We’re once again offering sensory story time at Wing Lake Developmental Center monthly! It’s a good Friday when we get to visit, especially when we see our regulars. They asked for November’s theme to be related to Thanksgiving, food, and families.


1. Hello (Talk about the visual schedule.)

2. Talk about theme: Today, we are talking about a holiday coming up this month when we get together with our family and friends: Thanksgiving! What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? What food do you look forward to at dinner time?


3. Story: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro

We used props with this book! We have an Old Lady puppet that you can put things in, so we printed out and laminated the objects in the book for the puppet to “eat” while reading the book.


4. Flannel Rhyme: Two Little Turkeys

Two little turkeys sitting on a hill
One named Jack, one named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill

Unfortunately, we forgot the flannel board, but we each held a felt turkey and moved them behind our backs and back in front.


5. Story with Sensory Experiences: Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre

This is a great story to use for sensory experiences because all you need are vegetables! There are a lot of different veggies in this book, so we tried to find some that had different textures and smells. We ended up with Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, corn on the cob (still in the husk), onion, kale, and asparagus.

 

6. Goodbye Song: If You’re Thankful and You Know It

If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands
Additional verses: stomp your feet, shout “hooray”, do all three

7. Craft Activity: Dot marker turkeys. We provided turkey outlines printed on cardstock and dot markers for students to use after story time. Staff members took extra turkeys to give to students who couldn't attend story time.

A game changer for our outreach sensory story time visits is using a document camera for the books instead of an iPad. We're not limited to what's available as an e-book, and there's less room for error. We just hook up the document camera to the school's projector using an HDMI cable and we're good to go!

Welcome new Blogger, Lauren!

Welcome to the Blog, Lauren!

Hello! My name is Lauren Catoni-Ellis. I’ve been a librarian since 2017, but I’ve been working in libraries since 2015. I’ve been involved in accessible library services since 2020 when I became responsible for the Universal Access Collection at Troy Public Library. In 2022, I became the Youth Services Assistant Department Head at Bloomfield Township Public Library and currently oversee the Accessibility Support Collection that Jen started. I’ve been passionate about disability advocacy in and out of libraries for a long time, and I strive to make the world a more accessible place in all areas of life.

 

I’m excited to share my sensory story time plans and experiences on this blog! I am involved in the Library’s monthly sensory story time as well as the Library’s visits to a local school for students with severe cognitive impairments and severe multiple impairments. I have also collaborated with the local high school on library visits from students in the special education program.

 

In my spare time, I enjoy reading (of course!), watching Star Trek, and spending time with my wife and cats.