Dance Storytime

 

 What better way to welcome in the colder weather than with a dance party?

So, this week's theme - DANCE!

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, Open shut them

Open shut them, Open shut them,
Give a little clap, clap, clap

Put them in your lap, lap, lap!

Creep them, crawl them,

Creep them, crawl them,

Right up to your chin, chin, chin!

Open wide your little mouth,

But do not let them in!

Thelma Thumb

Thelma Thumb is up! (thumb up)

Thelma Thumb is down! (thumb down)

Thelma Thumb is dancing all around the town! (thumbs wiggle all around)

Dance her on your shoulders (thumbs on shoulders)

Dance her on your head (thumbs on head)

Dance her on your knees (thumbs on knees)

And tuck her into bed (fold thumb in and cover with other fingers)

- We repeated this song several times, with just one thumb, then the other thumb, finally BOTH! 

One Little Chicken: a Counting Book by David Elliott

This was a good first book- fun with counting and then got everyone up and dancing at the end!

Shake my sillies out
Gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out

Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,

Shake, shake, shake my sillies out

And wiggle my waggles away!

…clap crazies out

… jump jiggles out

… yawn sleepies out

…stretch stretchies out

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

And eyes, and ears, and mouth,
And nose.

 Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes.

Five Dancing Ballerinas

Five dancing ballerinas

Prancing on their toes

They twirl and spin and jump

Then off the stage one goes.

…4, 3, 2, 1…

 I used clipart for this one- and changed some of the colors so that all ballerinas were a different color. We were able to talk about the colors they were wearing as well as counting them.

Can you make a scary face? by Jan Thomas

I LOVE this book- and am always thrilled when I can find a way to use it in storytime. Dance was perfect as the children are to do the chicken dance in the middle of the book!

Hokey Pokey

You put your right foot in,
You put your right foot out;
You put your right foot in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

…left foot

…right arm

…left arm

…whole body

Tootie Ta

A-tootie-ta, a-tootie-ta-ta

A-tootie-ta, a-tootie-ta-ta (circle)

(call and response, repeating a-tootie-ta after every movement))

…Arms up

…wrists together

…elbows in

…knees bent

…head back

…tongue out

The Animal Bop Won't Stop by Jan Ormerod

Another great book. Kids get up and dance- just like animals!

Dancing Animals

(tune: Mulberry Bush)

This is the way the horses prance, horses prance, horses prance,

This is the way the horses prance,

Dancing in the morning.

…ducks waddle

…bunnies hop

Other great books to use for the dance theme:

Andreae, G. Giraffes can’t dance

Bird, B. Giant Dance Party

Craig, L. Dancing Feet

Cronin, D. Wiggle

Graves, K. Frank was a monster who wanted to dance

Wahl, J. Bear Dance

Wilson, K. Hilda must be dancing