ANIMAL
- ANIMALS - STORIES FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN
(excerpts
from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure
to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material
is not in the public domain)
1)
Judy Nichols' STORYTIMES FOR TWO YEAR OLDS
has saved many a hide. Second edition is out. Look for it in your
library's reference section but they may have hidden it behind
the desk. Also look in STORIES TO PLAY WITH.
This age group loves fingerplays which they can do over and over
and Over And Over... Anything with animals in it would be fair
game. Animal theme also invites participation with animal noises,
although a firm Start/Stop signal will be needed. (and you may
wish for earplugs) I'm allergic to puppets but have reluctantly
learned that these micro listeners do respond well to visuals.
Got any stuffed animals? Cut-out pictures? Wave them around in
some of the stories. They'll need at least one stretch/wiggle
break, with controlled whole body movement. Make up your own motions
to: The elephant sways from side to side, he's very tall and very
wide; he has no fingers, he has no toes, but goodness gracious
what a nose. Or sing My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean (make that My
Bunny for this occasion), with audience going up or down (you'll
have to signal them) on each B-word. Rather than Stand/Sit, I
find it's less chaotic if you can get them to kneel and go from
vertical thighs to sitting on feet.
Remember: that which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
2) If 40 minutes of storytelling sounds intimidating--and it does,
why not add your own simple craft. Paste pictures of zoo animals
on paper bags. Hand out 1 bag and 1 crayon per child for coloring.
Collect the crayons back. (Now admitedly this is going to take
a little time and effort, maybe you'll even need a helper.) Then
tell a story with lots of animals in it and lots of sounds to
make. I suggest this be the last story or the sack puppets will
interrupt all the other stories. Alternate idea, let the kids
keep the crayon or put it in a box as they leave. Lots of finger
plays, simple songs about zoo animals. 5 monkeys jumping on a
bed, 5 monkeys teasing Mr. Alligator are 2 good ones. Song: I
had a little monkey. His name was sleazy Jim. I put him in the
bath tub to teach him how to swim. He drank up all the water.
He ate up all the soap. Now every time he tries to talk, there's
a bubble in his throat.
Riddle story. Put pictures on a card. Hold card so the picture
faces you. Give clues about the animal until the children guess
it. Hold up next card. Or have a guessing bag with small stuffed
animals inside and do the same type of guessing.
I had a picture story I used to tell many years ago. It went something
like this. The duck said "Dum, dum, dum." The kitty
said Bow Wow, The dog said quack, etc. Mix up all the sounds for
the pictures. (Put the words on the back of each picture so you
keep it straight.) Now the townspeople didn't know what to do.
Should they feed the train or take a ride on the kitten or . ..
. etc. Can you help them put everything back together right? Now
go through the pictures again and let children tell you the right
sounds. You could use a snake, monkey, gorilla, etc. and other
zoo animals that have an easy to make sound.
3) Do some paper folder or tearing stories as well as "get
the wiggles out". Even a draw and tell might do. I find if
I do something like Rainhat, I make up extra rainhats to hand
out to the little ones, as they can't make them. (WAIT until the
END to do this, of course.) Sometimes older kids and parents want
to learn and they can stay to learn how to paper fold. I'm facing
a telling with 1-8 year olds this summer - and have urged (OK,
I BEGGED) the library to make sure that the ages are taken off
the flyers, and that FAMILY storytelling be emphasized. For if
parents and OLDER kids are there, the younger children respond
to the group reactions and attention. Try to get in some lines
for the adults too so they'll "attend" and help you
engage their youngsters.
4) Anything with a puppet in your hand will work and just shorten
it and shorten it again. Frog and Snake Child with puppets.The
puppets bounce around. I too had that opportunity this year, all
year. They loved at two years old the monster puppet that said
I'm Big and the little peeper eyes or small animal puppet that
says in a tiny little voice, I'm little.They have this conversation
the puppets with opposites. I'm sad, I'm happy, I'm noisy, I'm
quiet, I'm crooked, I'm straight etc. Then I'm hungry, I'm gone.
Someone on storytell sent this to me and it was a real winner.
They liked to watch me do Mr. Wiggle Mr. Waggle and did some of
it. But having a puppet in your hand just made such a difference.40
minutes is toooo long. 15 minutes tops. Also I stood them up and
sang, If you're a butterfly and you know it flap your wings,(x3)
then your face will surely show it, etc. If you're a bumble bee
and you know it buzz around, etc. If you're a duck and you know
it go quack quack etc. always end with then your face will surely
show it, if you're a duck and you know it go quack quack. This
gets the wiggles out.Another thing as they're sitting, Clap, Clap
Clap your hands as slo-ow-ow-ly as you can, Clap Clap clap your
hands as quickly as you can, point point point your finger as
sl-ow-ow-ow-ly as you can, point etc. as quickly, shake your hands,
tap your head etc.they think when it goes really fast it's so
funny. Hope these help.
5) I have a small grant to do storytelling at two Head Starts,
so I do this for an hour usually three times a week during the
school year. The most important thing is to have an agreement
with the director or talk to her well before the event and ask
that the teachers sit with their classes and help them to participate.
The children will get lots more out of the stories, and you will
have much more fun that way. At the beginning , if the teachers
are not sitting with the children, just say, "Teachers, please
sit with your classes and help them to participate." By the
way, the teachers would each love to have a handout on rhymes
or songs or what ever you might have. When you ask the teachers
to sit with their class, tell them you will give them a handout
at the end of the story time. This really gets their participation!
Also, you might ask the teachers if they know any zoo animal songs
or rhymes- they love to show off what the children can do, and
this is a perfect wiggle break. I have zoo animal masks, and the
children love to come one at a time , put one on, and have the
other children guess what animal they are. Of course , they all
roar like a lion for the lion mask, etc. I have a magic story
bag which contains my puppets, and I let the children guess what
I am going to get out of it. This works well to get their attention
as I begin a story. I have to say I did four weeks of stories
on zoo animals in April this year!
(This
web page updated 12/2/05)
