(This is a long program, I use different elements depending
on ages in the group and other programs I've done recently. )
Entry music: “Laughter in the Rain” from Neil Sedaka’s Waking Up is Hard to Do, “Robin in the Rain” on Raffi’s Singable Songs, and/or “Eeensy Weensy Spider” from Joe Scrugg’s Deep in the Jungle.
Rainstorm Action (directions below) (listening to directions, kinesthetic learning)
Optional: Poem “Rhyme” p.18 from Sunflakes: Poems for Children selected by Lilian Moore (sometimes storms scary? Discuss feelings.) or Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin (gorgeous writing and illustrations) or Raindrops Roll – April Pulley Sayre 551.48 SAY
Book: In the Rain with Baby Duck – Amy Hest (young duck doesn’t like the rain) (can booktalk: Lucky Ducklings: A True Rescue Story -- Eva Moore (reminscent of Make Way for Ducklings -- Robert McCloskey)
Song/Puppets+mama: 5 Little Ducks went out to play…Five little ducks went out to play, upon a wet and rainy day, mama duck called “quack quack quack,” but only 4 little ducks came back! (used number cards – numeracy, subtraction by one)….finish with mama duck called “quack quack quack, quack quack quack!!!” and 5 little ducks came swimming back! ("Sometimes moms have to shout a bit to get children's attention, mentioned song "Nick of Time" on Tom Chapin's album Family Tree.)
Book: Red Rubber Boot Day – Mary Lyn Ray (younger groups) or Blue on Blue --Dianne White or I Love the Rain – Margaret Park Bridges (older) (skipped 2016, no time)or Are You Ready to Play Outside? -- Mo Willems.(used 2017)
Song/Action: This is the way…to play outside in the rain…put on our galoshes, ….raincoat,…umbrella…splash in puddles…walk in gutters…catch a raindrop (on tongue)…come inside.
Non-Fiction: All the Water in the World – George Ella Lyon (older groups, gorgeous introduction to the rain cycle)
“sometimes problem, not enough rain …here’s a story from desert Hopi Indians…” (Also could be used for Earthday/Environment programs.) Booktalked The Mud Family by Betsy James.
Participation story: Rainstick Story (script below -- rainstick, frog, owl, wolf puppets)
Book/Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider – Iza Trapani (expansion of classic song) and/or
Song/Puppet: The Big Fat Spider (itsy-bitsy in a big fat voice!)
Optional Video/DVD: Henry & Mudge Puddle Trouble or The Napping House or Reading Rainbow: The Piggy in the Puddle or Make Way for Ducklings
Action Song: “Ants Go Marching” with shakey eggs
Closing Song: Raffi’s “Mr. Sun” http://www.songlyrics.com/raffi/mr-sun-lyrics/
Hand stamping, “Eeensy Weensy Spider” from Joe Scrugg’s Deep in the Jungle.
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The leader explains that a rain storm is coming but not to worry because it won't last long. If we listen, we can hear it come and go. (full directions in Judy Freeman’s 2009 Winners Handbook )
Rules:
- Sit at all times.
- No talking
- Use your mind’s eye to hear, see, smell, taste & feel the rainstorm
- Look for my hand signals.
Even louder: cup ear
Silence a group: hold out hand palm to floor & push it to one side
Divide the auditorium into 4 groups: left, left center, right center, right
Leader will start the action, then start the next group & so forth, while all the previous groups continue the action until instructed to begin the next one.
The leader does intones “Rainstorm” than does each of the following actions, and continues doing it until it has propagated across the room:
- Rub hands together
- Snap fingers (best if this is random rather than synchronized)
- Clap hands (varying the sound & rhythm) (get them to get louder & louder)
- Slap thighs
- Stomp feet
- Slap thighs
- Clap hands
- Snap fingers
- Rub hands
- Hands on lap
The Frog: A Rainstick Story (adapted from a Hopi Indian tale – source unknown.)
Many years ago, there was a drought. No rain had fallen for many weeks. The rivers were dry. The animals had no water to drink. A little frog sitting on the bank of the dry river bed thought to himself.
“I wonder if the rain clouds have fallen asleep and forgotten to make it rain. Perhaps if I make a lot of noise I could wake him up.” He began to croak: “Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit.”
The other frogs heard him. “Why are making so much noise?” The little frog answered, “I think the rain clouds have fallen asleep and forgotten to make it rain. I’m making a lot of noise so that they will wake up.”
“We would like to help,” said the other frogs. And they began to croak. {Children in audience} “Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit.”
An owl flew over the dry river bed and heard the frogs croaking. “Why are you making so much noise?” the owl called to them. After the frogs explained the owl said, “I would like to help.” He began to hoot “Hoot. Hoot. Hoot.”
Other owls said they would help too. They all began to hoot. {Children in audience} “Hoot. Hoot. Hoot.”
A wolf in the desert heard the noise and called to the owls, “Why are you making so much noise?” The owls explained the situation.
The wolf said, “I would like to help.” He began to howl, “Ow-oo, Ow-oo, Ow-oo.” Other wolves said they would like to help. {children in audience} “Ow-oo, Ow-oo, Ow-oo.”
Soon it began to rain. {Use rain stick} It rained, and rained and rained.
One little frog can make a big difference. “Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit.”
optional craft: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/music/rainstick/
Additional books to use (also could add “mud” to storytime:
Water is Water – Miranda Paul 551.48 PAU
Float – Daniel Miyares
Raindrops Roll – April Pulley Sayre 551.48 SAY
Mud – Mary Lyn Ray -- at the end of winter, earth warms, ground turns to mud and the earth starts to green…
stunning new book Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre (551.48 SAY), another beautiful title Downpour by Emily Martin.
3.13
4.14 "April Showers"
4.15
4.17 with Rainstick craft (paper towel roll tubes, construction paper, markers, wide masking tape, scissors, aluminum foil, rice)
Using masking tape and a scrap of paper (so rice won’t stick), seal up one end of tube.
Form foil into a loose “snake” & insert inside tube.
Pour in 1/8 c. rice.
Seal other end.
Tape child-decorated 8.5x11 paper around for decoration.
Additional possibilities:
Wordless Book: Chalk -- Bill Thomson (splendid imaginative story of three children who find magical sidewalk chalk on a rainy day and conjure up sunshine, butterflies, and a T-Rex! It is fun to ask the kids to think up possible solutions to having a T-Rex on the loose!) (2017 saved for imagination)
Flannel: It Looked Like Spilt Milk from the book by Charles Green Shaw (easy to make pieces cut from white felt) (imagination) (saved for Imagination 2016)
“sometimes best thing on a rainy day is a nap!”
Storytelling/Prop: Napping House (based on story by Audrey Wood -- bed made from lap-sized box covered with felt and held on lap plus puppets:granny, child, dog, cat, mouse, flannel flea) <– 2016 storyplay, 2017 skipped so had time for craft
Song: “It’s Raining It’s Pouring” It’s raining, it’s pouring / The old man is snoring / He went to bed / And bumped his head / And couldn’t wake up till morning.
