Winter animals storytime

Today's storytime is all about animals in winter; animals that like the cold weather and animals that sleep all winter.

Open Shut Them

Open shut them, Open shut them,

Give a little clap clap clap!

Open shut them, Open shut them,

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!

Falling, falling, falling, falling

Almost to the ground, ground, ground

Slowly pick them up again and turn them round and round, round, round.

Faster, faster, faster, faster,

Faster, faster, clap, clap, clap

Slower, slower, slower, slower,

Put them in your lap, lap, lap

Ten on the sled by Kim Norman

This is a really great book for this theme. It is to the "tune" of Ten on the Bed and has all kinds of winter animals throughout with the Caribou "singing" the chorus.

Something in the snow

There’s something in the snow,
 now what can it be?
There’s something in the snow
that I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound…Ah-ooooo!
A wolf is what I found! Ah-ooooooo!

...Grrr, Grrr, Grr/ polar bear
...Arrrf, Arrrf, Arrrf/ seal
Whoo, Whoo, Whoo/ snowy owl

…waddle, waddle/ penguin

For this activity, I used made the sounds of the animals and then showed the children pictures of the animals and we made the sound again, all together.

Bear Snores on by Karma Wilson

I am a big fan of Karma Wilson, and especially her Bear books. For this one, I used puppets and retold a story, very loosely based on the book. 

Where is Bear?

(echo song to tune of: Where Is Thumbkin)
Where is bear?

Where is bear?
Here I am.
Here I am.
How are you this winter?

How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.

Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep.
Go to sleep.

…box turtle

…hedgehog

Egg Shaker Song- If you’re happy and you know it

If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake

If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake.

If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.

If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake.

…tap your knees

…touch your toes

…beep your nose

… do all four

Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Hibernation Song

(Tune: Wheels on the Bus)
The bears in the cave sleep all the time, sleep all the time,

Sleep all the time.

The bears in the cave sleep all the time, winter’s coming soon!

…squirrels in the trees get lots of nuts

…frogs and toads go deep in mud

…ducks and the geese go flying south

…people in the town wear hats and gloves

Two little penguins

Two little penguins sitting on the ice (hold up two fingers)
One bows once, the other bows twice (made index fingers bow)
Waddle little penguins. Waddle away. (put fingers behind back)
Come back penguins. Time to play! (bring fingers to the front)

Polar bear

Polar bear, polar bear, turn around

Polar bear, polar bear, touch the ground

Polar bear, polar bear, reach up high

Polar bear, polar bear, touch the sky

Polar bear, polar bear, bend down low

Polar bear, polar bear, touch your toes

Polar bear, polar bear, slap your knees

Polar bear, polar bear, sit down please

Goodbye Song

(tune: She’ll be coming around the mountain)

Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"

Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"
Now it's time to say goodbye,
Wave your hands,
Wink your eye,
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"

More winter animal books to use/ check out:

 Baker, K. No two alike

Berkes, M. Over in the arctic

Denslow, S. In the snow

Dodd, E. I am small

Gershator, P. When it starts to snow

Judge, L. Red Sled

Messner, K. Over and under the snow

Na, Il. Snow rabbit, spring rabbit

Wolff, A. Baby Bear counts one

Yolen, J. Sleep, black bear, sleep