The midwest got a pretty big snow storm just recently and we’re getting more tomorrow! So I’m planning a storytime all about coziness and comforting things to share with our preschoolers. This storytime includes some of my favorite books and activities to do in storytime, so it’s bound to be fun!
Here’s the full storytime script below:
Opening Song: I’ll use our usual opening song, and to get started.
Transition: Our theme today is Coziness! Sometimes coziness is something physical, like wearing a warm hat or snuggling up under a blanket or how your belly is warm after drinking a big cup of hot cocoa. But sometimes it can be a feeling – like how you feel when your grownup hugs you or when a friend gives you a gift. Our storytime today is all about the feeling of coziness and our first book is about how 3 kittens feel cozy and loved after their mom makes something special for them.
Opening Question: What do you do to feel cozy?
Sign of the Day: Comfortable/Cozy
Book: Knitty Kitty by David Elliott
I love this sweet little book! I usually point out the kittens wandering off after they get their knitted gift and tell the kids “I wonder where they’re taking their scarf/mittens/etc” so when the snowman appears with all the knitted presents the kids point and tell me where they went.
Transition: That was so sweet! Do you feel cozy when you snuggle with your grownup? I bet so! Now, let’s learn a song about something that keeps our hands cozy during winter – Mittens!
Thumbs in the thumb-place, Fingers all together! This is the song we sing in mitten-weather. It doesn’t matter if they’re wool or leather. Thumbs in the thumb-place, Fingers all together!
Transition: Clothes like mittens can be so cozy in the cold weather! Can you think of other clothes that keep us cozy? That’s right! Well, our next book is all about clothes you wear in the winter time! Let’s see!
Book:Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
A classic, for sure! This one is so much fun to really play up. I like to give the mom a silly voice as she calls for Froggy and flop my feet around as Froggy hops back to his house. The ending always has the kids laughing SO hard!
Transition: That was such a silly book! Maybe just as silly as our next song! It’s about a silly hat and it goes like this!
Song: The Silly Hat Song (Tune: This Old Man)
On my head, I wear my hat It is such a silly hat That my head wiggle waggles to and fro Where else can my silly hat go?
Repeat with suggestions for where the hat will land next!
Transition: Good job with that silly hat! Now let’s do a quick rhyme about something cozy that I always need before a good night’s sleep! A teddy bear!
Rhyme: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your knees Teddy bear, teddy bear, sit down please!
Transition: Great job! Now let’s enjoy our last story! I’m not going to use a book for this one, but instead will tell it with our felt board. The story is all about a young boy named William who is settling in for a cozy night’s sleep. Let’s see what happens!
Felt Story:William’s Winter Nap by Linda Ashman
I made this felt story and love the way it turned out! The animals all fit in the bed under the blanket and at the end of the story, the smaller blanket goes over William. The kids usually love the interactiveness of it!
Transition: Let’s bring out our scarves and we’ll do a couple songs. The first one is about some bunnies who are settling down for a cozy nap. We’re all going to pretend our scarves are blankets and we’re the bunnies! So let’s settle down to sleep. After the first part of the song, we’re going to wake up and HOP!
Scarves: I will pass out the scarves and then do two songs with them: Sleeping Bunnies (w/Ukulele) & Little Snowflake Falling Down. I don’t have a video of me doing the Sleeping Bunnies song, but click here to visit where I learned to play it! Then we’ll do Little Snowflakes Falling Down and dance like snowflakes!
Little Snowflakes Falling Down (tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) Little snowflakes falling down. Swirling, twirling to the ground. Little snowflakes on my nose, On my chin and on my toes! Little snowflakes falling down. Swirling, twirling to the ground.
Transition: Thanks so much for spending a little time of your day with me! Now we’re ready to sing goodbye and move on to our craft!
Closing: We’ll close out with our usual goodbye song and then go on to craft time!
Librarian Ginny 