School Age Storytime: Apples & Pumpkins

 

A storytime for K-2nd grade celebrating the season

emphasizing empathy & compassion 

Participatory Storytelling/Props:  The Little Red House with No Doors & No Windows, a Chimney On Top & a Star in the Middle (Tip: instantly turn flannel pieces into hanging signs for kids to wear using plastic paper protector sleeves with stiff paper inserts & yarn ribbon to hang around each child's neck, act out the wind blowing the trees and the “plop” of an apple falling in the farmer’s backyard. Prop: real apple & knife to slice horizontally.)

Book: One Green Apple by Eve Bunting --This beautiful (and beautifully illustrated) story emphasizes understanding and compassion as Farah, a new student from an unnamed country, goes with her class on a field trip to an apple orchard (defined) and finds that though she is different and doesn’t know the language, she can be accepted and will find friends here.

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray – A splendid modern environmental myth in which a man, saddened by the thought that the field across from his house is about to be sold, sells everything he has, buys seeds, grows pumpkins, and then sends them all around the world (by planes, trucks, ships, and even flying carpets) to get enough money to buy the field and save it.  

Participatory Storytelling/Props: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything based on the story by Linda Williams (1st grade only, Kdg no time)  props for children to use - shoes, pants, shirt, hat, gloves, pumpkin head, scarecrow)

Booktalked:

Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  -- Told in the first person by the pumpkin, mouse, squirrel, slug, fly, black rot, bread mold, sow bug, Penicillium, earthworm, yeast cell, slime mold, soil, and seed, this is science “on the hoof.”  Wonderful writing & delightfully yucky photographs complete this unforgettable tour through the life cycle of a pumpkin that kids will find completely enGROSSing!  (Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell is a less-detailed version for a younger crowd. Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller makes a great fictional companion story.)

Book (K-2): Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (also published as Moonbear’s Bargain)  Bear wants to fly & Little Bird wishes he was big -- clever problem solving).

See more ideas at: 

https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Apples

https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Pumpkins

Bedm K-1 11/1/2024

Halloween 2022 -- Bedminster Library/Nicole Paolino's class

Song: I am the Great Pumpkin (lyrics and many other ideas at: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/halloween-hootenany-interactive-program.html)

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Finger Puppets:  Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

Storytelling (props for children to use - shoes, pants, shirt, hat, gloves, pumpkin head, scarecrow): The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Action Song; Scarecrow, Scarecrow Turn Around

Storytelling (puppets or hanging signs): One Dark Night by Edna Mitchell Preston

Action Song: Two Little Ghosts

Participatory Pop-Up Book: In a Dark Dark Wood by David A. Carter

Song: How to Make a Ghost Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

Song/Movement: Hookey Spooky (Tune: Hokey Pokey”)

Song/Flannel: Old McDonald had a Haunted House

Action Song: The Witch on Halloween

Close with "Sing" 

skipped: 

Shakey Eggs to “Dem Bones” (track #16 on Spooky Favorites) & Monster Mash (recording unavailable)

 *****

Nicole Paolino's class (Pumpkins/Halloween) (virtual special needs):

Book (K-2): Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (also published as Moonbear’s Bargain)  (“have you ever wished you were big, or could fly?”..we tried flying with bear in the book -- clever problem solving).

Song: I am the Great Pumpkin (lyrics and many other ideas at: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/halloween-hootenany-interactive-program.html)

Participatory Storytelling (Puppets/Props): Big Pumpkin

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Finger Puppets:  Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray – A splendid modern environmental myth in which a man, saddened by the thought that the field across from his house is about to be sold, sells everything he has, buys seeds, grows pumpkins, and then sends them all around the world (by planes, trucks, ships, and even flying carpets) to get enough money to buy the field and save it.  (10.14 – omitted in kindergarten, did action song “Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate” instead.)

Participatory Pop-Up Book: In a Dark Dark Wood by David A. Carter

Storytelling (props for children to use - shoes, pants, shirt, hat, gloves, pumpkin head, scarecrow): The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Song/Movement: Scarecrow, scarecrow, turn around (Scarecrow puppet)

Singable Book: There was an Old Monster by Ed Emberley (prefer If You Are a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca & Ed Emberley) -- great art inspiration idea!

 

Action Song: "Horns, Fangs, Knees and Paws...Eyes and Ears and Tail and Claws" (Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes variation)

Fold Out Prop: 10 Trick or Treaters (tune: “10 Little Indians”)

Book: Pumpkin Heads – Wendell Minor – clever and unusual ways to carve a pumpkin

More pumpkin ideas:https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Pumpkins
More monster ideas: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Monsters

School Age Storytime : Pumpkins

A K-4 storytime combining the joy of storytelling, an environmental fable, some truly enGROSSing science, and a great ghost story or tale of creative problem-solving 
(order of books varied in some groups)

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field – Mary Lyn Ray (Modern environmental fable/fairytale about a man who saves a field from development by growing pumpkins and sending them around the world.) (omitted for Kindergarten)

Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  -- Told in the first person by the pumpkin, mouse, squirrel, slug, fly, black rot, bread mold, sow bug, Penicillium, earthworm, yeast cell, slime mold, soil, and seed, this is science “on the hoof.”  Wonderful writing & delightfully yucky photographs complete this unforgettable tour through the life cycle of a pumpkin that kids will find completely enGROSSing!  Booktalked: Living Sunlight by Molly Bang 572.46 BAN (an unforgetable look at photosynthesis and the interconnected web of all life on earth told by the sun.)

Book (K-2): Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (also published as Moonbear’s Bargain)  (“have you ever wished you were big, or could fly?”..we tried flying with bear in the book -- clever problem solving). (3rd-4th grade): The Perfect Pumpkin Pie – Denys Cazet (when Old Mr. Wilkerson dies while eating pie, he returns as a  grumpy ghost with a roving eyedetermined to find a perfect pie – have poster for his chant -- could use puppets & ping pong & tennis ball “eye” props.)

Bedm. K-4, 10/2017

STEAM Storytime–Rotten Pumpkin

S.T.E.A.M. Storytime (ages 3-6 & grades K-4) Problem solving, creative dramatics, and the  cycle of life – all celebrated with the orange icon of the fall season! 

Book: Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (also published as Moonbear’s Bargain)  (“have you ever wished you were big, or could fly?”..we tried flying with bear in the book -- clever problem solving).

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  -- Told in the first person by the pumpkin, mouse, squirrel, slug, fly, black rot, bread mold, sow bug, Penicillium, earthworm, yeast cell, slime mold, soil, and seed, this is science “on the hoof.”  Wonderful writing & delightfully yucky photographs complete this unforgettable tour through the life cycle of a pumpkin that kids will find completely enGROSSing!

Book: Pumpkin Heads – Wendell Minor – great inspiration for unusual jack-o-lanterns.

Craft: Create either cute or gross pumpkins inspired by the books above.  Materials: orange construction paper, scrap construction paper, goggly eyes, markers, stamp pads & cotton balls (to create simulated “rot”)

Music playing: Andrew Gold’s Halloween Howls

BWL 10.17

Ideas for Halloween engineering projects: http://leftbraincraftbrain.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=0a09c8844ba8f0936c20bd791130d6b6.195

School Age Storytime: Apples &Pumpkins

 

A storytime for K-4th grade celebrating the season emphasizing empathy & compassion, with a great (un-common core) non-fiction component showing the many de-composers (animals, insects, molds and slimes) that make up the life cycle of a pumpkin.

 

Participatory Storytelling/Props:  The Little Red House with No Doors & No Windows, a Chimney On Top & a Star in the Middle (Tip: instantly turn flannel pieces into hanging signs for kids to wear using plastic paper protector sleeves with stiff paper inserts & yarn ribbon to hang around each child's neck, prop: real apple & knife to slice horizontally.)

Book: One Green Apple by Eve Bunting --This beautiful (and beautifully illustrated) story emphasizes understanding and compassion as Farah, a new student from an unnamed country, goes with her class on a field trip to an apple orchard and finds that though she is different and doesn’t know the language, she can be accepted and will find friends here.

 

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  -- Told in the first person by the pumpkin, mouse, squirrel, slug, fly, black rot, bread mold, sow bug, Penicillium, earthworm, yeast cell, slime mold, soil, and seed, this is science “on the hoof.”  Wonderful writing & delightfully yucky photographs complete this unforgettable tour through the life cycle of a pumpkin that kids will find completely enGROSSing!
(Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell -- less-detailed version for a younger crowd. Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller makes a great fictional companion story.)

Participatory Storytelling/Props: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything based on the story by Linda Williams

 

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray – A splendid modern environmental myth in which a man, saddened by the thought that the field across from his house is about to be sold, sells everything he has, buys seeds, grows pumpkins, and then sends them all around the world (by planes, trucks, ships, and even flying carpets) to get enough money to buy the field and save it.  (10.14 – omitted in kindergarten, did action song “Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate” instead.)

Other possibilities – no time in a 40 minute program:

• Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (Bear figures out how he can help Bird feel big & Bird helps Bear figure out how to fly In this tale emphasizing creative problem solving)
• Sophie’s Squash – Pat Zietlow Miller (girl adopts squash as her doll, then sees it start to change until it is reborn the following year – twin squash!)
• The Perfect Pumpkin Pie – Denys Cazet (a not-too-scary ghost story with a great refrain – good to make the refrain into a poster and chant it together!)
• Pumpkin Heads – Wendall Minor (quick book celebrating creative pumpkin carving – great lead-in to a craft)

See also the songs & stories in: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search?q=pumpkins

*Other great resources for Rotten Pumpkin:
Rotten Pumpkin Curriculum Guide
Rotten Pumpkin Activities
Rotten Pumpkin Play
Ingram review of Rotten Pumpkin
Interview with the creators of Rotten Pumpkin

10/18 Bedm.

Apples & Pumpkins -- combined both because we didn't have time for two separate fall storytimes this year...had used One Green Apple in Back to School program a few weeks before

Storytelling: Little Red House
(Kdg) Book: One Red Apple – Harriet Ziefert
Singable Book(K only): Ten Red Apples – Pat Hutchins (numeracy: 1-10 numerals, one-to-one correspondence, subtraction, animal identification, animal sounds)

(Kdg) Book : Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch
Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field – Mary Lyn Ray
Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman

(Kdg) Book: Pumpkin Circle 635.32 LEVENSON -- didn't keep interest, try Pumpkin Jack next time
(1st-2nd grade) Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  completely enGROSSing! 

Pre-School Storytime/Craft: Pumpkins

(A seasonal storytime touching on how pumpkins grow
plus participatory storytelling and some creative problem-solving!)

Opening Music: "Scratch Scratch in the Pumpkin Patch" from Imagination Generation: Songs of Creativity by David Kisor or “Dem Bones” & others from Spooky Tunes

Action Song: I am the Great Pumpkin Tune: “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”
I am the Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin
I am the Great Pumpkin, Come sing with Me.
For Your Friends are my friends and my friends are your friends,
I am the Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin
I am the Great Pumpkin, Come sing with me.
(variation: dance, skip, hop, clap jump, etc.)

Book: It’s Pumpkin Time – Zoe Hall (beautiful story of growing a pumpkin)
Alt:   Pumpkin Cat – Anne Mortimer (beautiful illustrations!) – both good – let kids vote “dog” or “cat” pumpkin book.

Action Song: I am a Pumpkin Big and Round (action) Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”
I am a pumpkin big and round
Once upon a time I grew on the ground
Now I have a mouth, two ears and a nose,
What are they for, do you suppose?
With a candle inside, shining bright,
I’ll be a Jack O’Lantern on Halloween Night!

Book:  Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (also published as Moonbear’s Bargain)  (“have you ever wished you were big, or could fly?”..we tried flying with bear in the book -- clever problem solving).  alts: Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin – Mary Serfozo (tiger looking for perfect pumpkin in the fun rhyming text) or  Mystery Vine –Cathryn Falwell

Fingerplay:  I made a Jack O’Lantern on Halloween night
I made a Jack-o-lantern on Halloween Night
He has three crooked teeth, but he won’t bite
He has two round eyes, but he cannot see.
He’s a Jolly Jack O’Lantern, as happy as can be.

and/or Song: I am a Jack O’Lantern -- Look at me! Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”
I am a Jack O’Lantern -- Look at me!
I’m as happy as I can be.
Put a candle inside and light the light.
I’ll scare you on Halloween Night! Boo—oo—oo!

Flannel storytelling or Participatory storytelling with children & puppets: Big Pumpkin – Erica Silverman (I use tune from old Scholastic recording, feel free to contact me if you want to learn it.)

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field --  Mary Lyn Ray (wonderful fantasy about a man who sows pumpkins then sends them all around the world to raise money to save a field -- best for ages 4+)  booktalked this 2017 to allow time for a craft

Glove: Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late.”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s Run, Let’s Run!”
The fifth one said, “It’s Halloween Fun.”
Then “WHOOOOOO!!!!!” went the wind
And OUT (clap) went the lights.
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Flannel storytelling or Participatory storytelling with children & puppets/props:  The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything -- Linda Williams – skipped 2017

Book: Pumpkin Heads – Wendell Minor – clever and unusual ways to carve a pumpkin

BIG vegetables: Reading Rainbow: June 29, 1999 -- see how a man grows enormous pumpkins  -- skipped 2017

Shakey Eggs to "Roll that Pumpkin Down to Town" from album Elmo Says BOO! (unavailable 2016), used “Dem Bones” from Spooky Tunes instead.

Hand stamping to “The Addams Family” on Halloween Howls.

Craft: Make your own personable pumpkin!

Multi-eyed pumpkins (and spider) gave us a chance to do counting practice
and discuss which had more and fewer eyes!

Fun with fan-folding! – and a family of pumpkins….

Clever use of recycled materials –
child used the outlines of previously die-cut letters to spell “pumpkin”

 

Additional titles: Sophie's Squash -- Pat Zietlow Miller
Counting Book: Ten Orange Pumpkins – Stephen Savage (numeracy: count with numeral cards, fingers)
Pumpkin Time! -- Erzsi Deak (2014) Evy ignores all the unusual things around her as she tends her pumpkin patch through the seasons in this hilarious book.
Flannel: Easy as Pie

BWL 10.13, 10.14, 10.16, 10.17