“Groundhog Day–Shadowplay!” Story/Craft Program (Ages 3-9)

 

(Long program but full of action songs and activities, may wish to pick and choose depending on ages attending & whether doing crafts or not.)

Display: Books about Groundhog Day, Shadows, 535.4

Optional video playing as kids enter: Robert Louis Stevenson’s “My Shadow” story section and/or hand shadow section (played this in 2016) from Reading Rainbow DVD “My Shadow” or "My Shadow" from the album A Child's Garden of Songs: The Poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson in Song (very nice rendition).

Opening: Talk about Groundhog Day, showing pix of groundhog in Groundhog Day by Lynn Peppas (394.261 Peppas) or from other sources.

Read: Go to Sleep Groundhog by Judy Cox – created a season/holiday “clock” to accompany story  -- in 2016 replaced by Grumpy Groundhog by Maureen Wright

optional Flannel: Ground Hog Day – Gregory Groundhog Looks for His Shadow based on the book Gregory’s Shadow by Don Freeman

Sing: one or two of these groundhog songs:
1. Groundhog Day  (to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin? / Frere Jacques", source unknown)

Where is groundhog? Where is groundhog?   (Thumb behind back)
Here I am! Here I am!   (Bring thumb forward)
Shadows on this sunny day,   (wiggle thumb)
Frighten groundhogs all away.   (Thumb behind back)
Winter will stay! Winter will stay!

Where is groundhog? Where is groundhog?   (Thumb behind back)
Here I am! Here I am!   (Bring thumb forward)
My, oh my, a cloudy day.   (Wiggle thumb)
I will stay outside to play.   (Move thumb around)
Spring is near! Spring is near!

2. Shadow Time  (to the tune of "The Itsy-bitsy Spider", source unknown)
The furry little groundhog
Goes in his hole to sleep,
Through the cold winter's
Snow and ice so deep,
In February
He stretches to and fro,
Will the furry little groundhog
Get scared by his shadow?

3. I'm a Little Groundhog (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot", source unknown)
I'm a little groundhog, it's my day.
Wake and stretch, go out and play.
Down in my burrow, down so deep,
Time to wake, from my long winter's sleep. I'm a little groundhog short and stout,
February second I will come out.
If I see my shadow they will shout,
"Six weeks more winter without doubt!"

4.  Little Groundhog --Jean Warren  (Tune: "Kookaburra" from
www.preschoolexpress.com/pattern_station03/groundhog_activities_feb03.shtml)
Little Groundhog sits in his home all day.
Wishing that winter would go away.
Go - ice and snow. Go - winds that blow
Let Little Groundhog play.
Little Groundhog sits in the sun all day.
Wishing his shadow would go away.
Go - ice and snow Go - shadows that show
Let Little Groundhog stay.

2017, started here:

Read: I have a Friend by Keiko Narahashi (great figurative language)  or My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson (clever classic poem)
(Science snippet: talk about when shadows are short and long -- midday & ends of day because of the position of the sun.)

Action Song: Shadow Song by Carol Simon Levin (Tune: " Mary Had a Little Lamb”  suit actions to words)

It was a very sunny day, sunny day, sunny day.
It was a very sunny day, when my shadow came to play.
And everywhere that I did go, I did go, I did go,
Everywhere that I did go, my shadow followed too.
It followed me when I ran fast, I ran fast.
It followed me when I ran fast, for that's what shadows do.
   It followed me when I climbed high…
   It followed me when I dug in the sand…
   It followed me when I skipped rope…
It started out pretty short, pretty short, pretty short.
It started out pretty short, in the early afternoon.
Later it grew very long, very long, very long,
Later it grew very long, at the end of day.
When nighttime came, my shadow was gone, (sharply clap hands together)shadow was gone, shadow was gone.
When nighttime came, my shadow was gone -- it had gone away.



Read: Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch Action Songs: 

I Am Your Shadow by Carol Simon Levin (Tune: “I'm A Little Teapot”)

I am your shadow, short and fat,
Lift up your hand, I can do that,
Lift up your foot, I'll do that too,
I do anything that you do.
I am your shadow, long and thin,
Put your finger to your chin,
Then watch me, I do that too,
I do anything that you do!
or
Did You Ever See A Shadow?  by Carol Simon Levin (Tune: "Did You Ever See A Lassie", suit actions to words)

Did you ever see a shadow, a shadow, a shadow?
Did you ever see a shadow, swing this way and that?
Swing this way and that way and this way and that way.
Did you ever see a shadow, swing this way and that?
Continue with other actions e.g. Jump… Dance…Clap …
or

You are My Shadow by Anne Harris, Wichita Public Library (tune: “You are my Sunshine”)

You are my shadow, my only shadow.

Whenever I jump, then you jump too.

Whenever there’s sun, you are right by me.

Oh, clouds (or night) don’t take my shadow away.

Continue with other actions e.g. run, dance, wiggle

Read: selections from Guess Whose Shadow? – Stephen Swinburne (younger) or What’s That Shadow – 535.4HAR  (interactive – read some of the rhymes aloud w/o showing pix to emphasize listening skills)

 

Read: Shadows are About – Ann Whitford Paul (splendid action words)

Action Song: Dancing with my Shadow on  Musical Games by Don Cooper

Read (if kids have interest): Shadowville by Michael Bartolos or Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta 

Action Song:  Be My Shadow by Carol Simon Levin (Tune: "Be My Echo" from Sesame Street --action song, words in italics are echoed by children)

Be my shadow, sing after me
Do what I do, care-ful-ly
Reach high, high, high (high, high, high)
Bend low, low, low (low, low,low)
Run fast, fast, fast (fast, fast, fast)
Walk slow, slow, slow (slow, slow, slow)
Walk along a tight rope (walk along a tight rope)
Skipping to and fro (skipping to and fro)

Be my shadow (be my shadow)
Do what I do (do what I do)
Follow the leader and sing after me (sing after me)

Climb up stairs (climb up stairs)
Turn around (turn around)
Reach arms to the sky (arms to the sky)
Now touch the ground (touch the ground)
Walk on your tippy toes (walk on your tippy toes)
Then upon your knees (then upon your knees)

You've been my shadow (been my shadow)
You did what I did (did what I did)
You followed the leader and sang after (sang after) me!

Show: DVD Reading Rainbow: finger shadow demo. segment (through curtain fall)  left projector on so kids could try themselves (repeatedly ran this segment with no audio the rest of the program - kids could make hand shadows and watch their puppets dance on the lighted screen as well.)  In 2016 showed DVD Go to Sleep Groundhog.

Optional: Add more science by including the sun rotational segment from the DVD.

Craft Stations (some years):

• Shadow Puppets – (materials: cardstock, scissors, hole punches, paper fasteners, pipe cleaners, scotch tape, chopsticks or popsicle sticks) resource book: Making Shadow Puppets 791.53 BRYANT  (2017)
• Silhouette heads (materials: overhead projector, 11x17 black paper, 11x17 construction paper for backing, pencil, scissors, glue sticks, chair to sit in, tape to hold black paper on wall)
• Making silhouettes pictures  – cut their own action shadows (materials: scissors, black paper, construction paper, gluesticks, pencils) -- related book: Nighttime Ninja by Barbara Dacosta
• Hand Shadows handout (use projector left up after DVD) http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4753864/how+to+hand+shadow+like+a+boss/ or http://www.neatorama.com/2008/01/23/manual-of-hand-shadow-puppetry/#!tB24N or http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/storydetails.cfm?TopicID=279 or http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12962/12962-h/12962-h.htm
• Groundhog visor (printouts from http://www.daniellesplace.com/imagesApat/groundhog-hat-pat2.gif, scissors, markers, tape)

Optional: Played this while stations and for dancing:

 
2/14 2/16
Handout available here: http://tinyurl.com/csl-singalong-shadowplay

2017 storytime/craft – week after Groundhog Day – showing DVD Reading Rainbow “My Shadow” as kids arriving, then opened program  by showing picture of Groundhog and asking about the holiday but didn’t read any Groundhog books or sing any Groundhog songs, skipped directly to the book I Have a Friend.

Other possible titles:
The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers
Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia & Lauren O’Hara (2017) – for school age audiences

Flannel (not the most interesting): The Shadows Run Free

Pre-School Storytime: Button Up for Winter Weather!

 

Bundle up with this program for warming up on a cold winter’s day
(and we’ve had a lot of them this year!)

Fun interactive program of stories and songs for ages 3-6

incorporating early literacy and numeracy skills, sequencing, vocabulary (unusual animals),

following directions, learning left & right,

plus an indoor snowball fight to use up some cooped-up energy!

 

Entrance Music: “Belly Button” by Joe Scruggs on his album: Late Last Night

Book: Froggy Gets Dressed – Jonathon London (kids act out motions and shout out “FROGGY...Have you forgotten something?”) (Alt. for young kids: Bear Gets Dressed: A Guessing Game Story – Harriet Ziefert, Other great underwear-themed titles: Bear in Long Underwear -- Todd H. Doodler, Naked by Michael Ian Black (kids LOVED, ended with this book in 2015- use again in 2018))

Action/Sign Language Song: When It’s Cold Outside from “Pick Me Up: Fun Songs for Learning Signs”) or  Action Song: This is the Way… (sequencing: getting dressed) (Tune: “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we put on our coat,
Put on our coat, put on our coat,
This is the way we put on our coat,
To play outside in the snow.
Continue with other articles of clothing…

Froggy clearly had trouble wearing clothes – so do these animals…Flannel: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing – Judi Barrett (Cut out from a book whose spine had broken -- made it easy for us to as a Q&A: animal identification, reasoning—why wearing clothing would be a problem for the animal, vocabulary development – animal names, “suspenders”)

Action Song: We Dress Like That (mention concept of "piggy-back songs" Source Unknown, Tune: “Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes”—repeated several times)
Boots, jacket, scarf and hat, scarf and hat.
Boots, jacket, scarf and hat, scarf and hat.
In wintertime we dress like that,
Boots, jacket, scarf and hat, scarf and hat.

Here’s another animal looking for something warm to wear…but she makes some mistakes...
Book: A Hat for Minerva Louse – Janet Morgan Stoeke  (Other mitten possibilities: The Mitten by Jan Brett (http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-storytimetheatercraft-jan-bretts.html, One Mitten by Kristine O'Connell George)

Glove Puppet/Numeral Cards: Five Little Snowmen all in a Row (numeracy)
Five little snowmen all in a row,
Each with a hat and a big red bow.
Out came the sun and it stayed all day.
And one of those snowmen melted away. 4,3,2,1…

Action Song: I’m a Little Snowman (Sung to: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little snowman, short and fat
Here is my broomstick, here is my hat
When the sun comes out, I’ll melt away
Drip, drip, drip, I’m a puddle today!

Singable Book: Frosty the Snowman – Steve Nelson
Snowmen don’t need coats to go outside, but people do!

Flannel/Song: In the Freezer (Song on Joe Scrugg’s “Traffic Jams”) lyrics to this and additional winter songs here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/01/singalong-winters-day.html

Book: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat – Simms Tabeck (folk tale with great cut-out reveals; briefly mention Caldecott Award) (Optional, show another version of same tale: Something from Nothing – Phoebe Gilman)

Another Joe who has a problem with buttons...
Action: Hi, My Name is Joe & I work in a button Factory (traditional, left-right identification)
Hi my name is Joe & I work in a button factory.
One day, my boss said “Joe, are you busy?”
“I said “no”” – so he said “Turn this button with your right hand” (do this)
Repeat: left hand, right foot, left foot, head…finally
I said YES!!!!!!”

1/2015: Or flannel/prop song (to tune: “Mary Had Little Lamb”) (memory-sequencing)
Joseph had an overcoat, overcoat, over coat…it got old and worn.
So he made a little jacket etc. ..continue thru button…lost button…then he made this little song….

1/2015: A few more buttons...
Book: Press Here – Herve Tullet (kids press the dots and are thrilled with the changes, cause & effect, numeracy, left-right identification, patterns)

along with a cat... YouTube Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons – Eric Litwin  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7va0beuK58

1/2016 – no other “snow” storytime, so instead showed Snow by Uri Shulevitz on Live Oak PPR DVD Favorite Fables Collection.

Close with Activity: indoor snowball fight using plastic bag snowballs, to the music “Sleigh Ride”, track #5 on album 20th Century Masters: Season's Greetings- The Millennium Collection
Making snowballs for the program:
1) Gather a white plastic grocery bag into a long, skinny tube-like length with the handles on one end.
2) Fold the length in half, then in half again.
3) Wind a rubber band around the middle until it is tight.
4) Trim both ends to remove any folded areas.
5) Make 2 or 3 vertical cuts in both ends.
6) Then fluff out pieces
Idea courtesy of:  Susan Dailey, librarian, speaker and author of "A Storytime Year" 

Hand Stamping Music: “Belly Button” by Joe Scruggs on his album: Late Last Night

Another great title (longer): The Trouble With Trolls - Eve Bunting

See also carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-storytimetheatercraft-jan-bretts.html &
carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/01/let-it-snow-winter-storytimecraft-ages.html

1/13
1/15  long, so didn't do everything above.
1/16  combined snow and bundle up so didn’t do Press Here or Youtube of Pete the Cat and his Groovy Buttons

1/17  Story/Craft:  (abridged version also done for PJ time)
Book:  Froggy Gets Dressed by Jack London
Action/Sign Language Song: When It’s Cold Outside from “Pick Me Up
Acting Out with Puppets – Jan Brett’s The Mitten carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-storytimetheatercraft-jan-bretts.html
Book: A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Flannel: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing
Action Song: Boots, Jacket, Scarft & Hat
Book: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Tabeck (Caldecott—> Mock Caldecott tomorrow), mentioned folk tale, other versions including Something for Nothing by Phoebe Gilman (good for close read together, mice making things from scrap cloth)
Action: “Hi My Name is Joe & I Work in a Button Factory”
Book: Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Flannel/Song: Joe Scrugg’s “In the Freezer”
carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/01/singalong-winters-day.html
Craft: Make creative snow creatures in the spirit of Ehlert’s book (flat cardboards, white paper & scissors to cut out, gluesticks, markers, stickers, shapes, and other stuff to decorate) Also had take home cut out puzzle of the pieces to make “Something from Nothing.” This is similar: storytiming.com/2011/07/15/flannel-friday-something-for-nothing-or-joseph-had-an-overcoat/

DVD: Raymond Brigg’s The Snowman playing while crafting.

The Good for Nothing Button
by Mo Willems
Yellow Bird shares an ordinary button that does nothing with Red Bird and Blue Bird, and they are delighted to find that pressing it makes them happy, which is something.

“Let it Snow” Winter Storytime/Craft (Ages 3-9)

 

“Whether or not there is snow outside, we can have some winter fun inside with fun stories and songs, plus an indoor snowball fight and a snowman craft.”
I also do this as a straight preschool storytime without accompanying craft.

Though we have already had way too much winter weather,
this storytime was planned a long time ago!

Book: The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats  (This classic Caldecott-winning title offers opportunities to mimic Peter (e.g. toes in, toes out), ask questions (what could be making that third line in the snow?)
STEM opportunity – discuss what happened to the snowball in Peter’s pocket? (warm house -- melted – pocket would be wet, later it would be dry – “evaporation” – faster if you put coat in the drier)
Alts: Snow – Uri Shulevitz  (often use this video at end of program) or Blizzard -- John Rocco (especially with school age groups)

Snowflake Rhyme  (5 snowflakes, 1 sun, numeral cards) (source unknown) (numeration practice -- have kid volunteers select the correct numeral cards as we add the snowflakes)

 

One little snowflake with nothing to do.

Along came another and then there were two.
Two little snowflakes laughing with me…three.
Three little snowflakes looking for some more…four.
Four little snowflakes dancing a jive…five.
Five little snowflakes having so much fun.
Out came the sun, and Then there were none!

and/or  Snowflakes Falling Action Song: (Tune: "London Bridge," source unknown)

Snowflakes falling from the sky,
from the sky, from the sky,
Snowflakes falling from the sky
To the ground below.
Watch them as they dance and whirl,
dance and whirl, dance and whirl,
Watch them as they dance and whirl
-- Soft white winter snow.

Book: Snowballs – Lois Ehlert  (a perfect inspiration for creative crafts, also makes a good book for early literacy -- can use spelling to guess identity of each snow creature: m-o-m, b-o-y, c-a-t, etc.) <– skipped in 2017 used for “Bundle Up” 
2017 substituted Toys Meet Snow – Emily Jenkins

Glove Puppet: 5 little Snowmen All in a Row (source unknown, used numeral cards)

Five little snowmen all in a row
Each with a hat and a big red bow
Out came the sun and it stayed all day
And one of the snowmen melted away.  4. 3. 2. 1…

Action Song: I’m a Little Snowman (to “I’m a Little Teapot”, suit actions to words)
I’m a little snowman, short and fat
Here is my broomstick, here is my hat.
When the sun comes out, I’ll melt away
Drip drip drip I’m a puddle today!

Book: Snowmen at Night – Caralyn Buehner
(Alts. Sneezy the Snowman – Wright, All You Need for a Snowman – Alice Schertle)

Booktalked DVD: Raymond Brigg's The Snowman (wonderful wordless video with beautiful soundtrack) -- also on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTaq20TN4ao  or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmzZKfse7_c

Flannel Snowman/Bunny Puppet: Chubby Little Snowman (source unknown)

A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose.
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose?
That chubby little bunny
Looking for his lunch
Ate that little snowman’s nose
Nibble, Nibble, Crunch!

Book/Song: Frosty the Snowman – Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins


Song/Flannel: In the Freezer –  by Joe Scruggs  Song on Joe Scrugg’s “Traffic Jams”
Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woEPJhmQous (used with Snowballs-Ehlert for “Bundle Up” storytime 2017)

There was snow on the ground
But it was a sunny day.
We knew that our snowman
Was going to melt away.
So we asked our Mom
And though it did not please her,
She said we could keep
Our snowman in the freezer.

Chorus:He’s in the freezer,
He’s our snowman.
He’s in the freezer,
Getting a frost tan.
He’s in the freezer,
Keeps as cold as he can.
He doesn’t go to school,
He just keeps cool,
In the freezer –

We feed him bits of frost
And lots of ice cubes.
We show him to our friends
When we come home from school.
We watch him as he sits
Next to the frozen squash,
‘Til Dad shuts the door and says,
“It’s starting to defrost. Chorus

One night at suppertime
My Mom said it was sad
As she told us of the ice cream
That we could have had.
Our snowman was taking up
All the room it seems,
And she didn’t have a place
To put our ice cream. 

Final Chorus:He’s on the sidewalk
And he’s melting fast.
You know a snowman
Was not meant to last.
It won’t be long now
Before he melts away
And we’re having ice cream
For dessert today!
It’s in the freezer!


VHS/DVD: Snow - Uri Shulevitz or The Snowy Day -- Ezra Jack Keats

Activity: Snowball fight using plastic bag snowballs, to the music “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson (on album Season’s Greetings)
Making snowballs for the program:
1) Gather a white plastic grocery bag into a long, skinny tube-like length with the handles on one end.
2) Fold the length in half, then in half again.
3) Wind a rubber band around the middle until it is tight.
4) Cut open both ends to remove any folded areas.
5) Then fluff out pieces
Idea courtesy of:  Susan Dailey, librarian, speaker and author of "A Storytime Year"

Additional book possibilities:
Snow -- Manya Stojic
Stranger in the Woods -- Sams
Rabbit's Snow Dance – Bruchac

Crafts:

Snow creatures (inspired by Ehlert’s book) – Materials: White & colored construction paper, markers, scissors, glue, pompoms, buttons, feathers, etc.

Cut out paper snowflakes http://thechocolatemuffintree.blogspot.com/2012/12/making-giant-snowflakes.html (could use large tissue paper) (booktalked Snowflake Bentley – another Caldecott)
 
Another possibility: If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy & Greg Newbold

1/13, 1/15 (storytime w/o craft), 1/17 – storytime/snowball fight/snowball&snowflake making craft

See also carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-storytimetheatercraft-jan-bretts.html & http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/01/pre-school-storytime-button-up-for.html

http://www.hbook.com/2015/01/choosing-books/snowy-days/