Mmmmm. Breakfast (and breakfast food) might be my favorite meal of the day. And there are some fun and cute books out there about breakfast items.
This was my first back-to-virtual-only program after a summer and fall of outdoor in-person sessions. I missed seeing the families in person and sometimes wonder what the actual impact of virtual programming is, but the days were getting colder and we were not doing indoor in-person programs at the library.
You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.
Early Literacy Tip: As you go about your day, stop for a moment and listen to the sounds around you. Ask your children what they hear. Talk about what you hear. Try to imitate the sounds. Even little activities like this one help your children develop phonological awareness – the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch)
Source: Jbrary
Intro: My favorite meal of the day is breakfast! What are some things that you like to eat for breakfast? Discuss and suggest. I added flannel parts from Flip Flap Jack to the board (randomly, not to build the “man”) as I talked through (realizing that probably the most common and favorite food for kids is probably cereal, which is not part of the flannel…) In the future, I might add things like eggs and cereal (hot or cold) to my set just so they are represented. Our rhymes and songs started with toast!
Chant: Bread and Butter
Bread and butter,
marmalade and jam
Let’s say “Breakfast”
as quiet as we can – “Breakfast!”
Other verses:
Loud, Slow, Fast, High, Low
(you can change the word as well as the adverb)
Source: traditional
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster
I’m toast in the toaster,
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock,
UP I pop!
Source: Jbrary
Read: Early One Morning by Mem Fox & Christine Davenier
Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Five fat sausages (show five fingers)
frying in a pan (lay fingers in the flat opposite hand)
The grease got hot (wiggle the “sausage” fingers)
and one went BAM! (clap!)
(count down)
No fat sausages frying in a pan.
The grease got hot and the pan went BAM!
Source: Jbrary
Action Rhyme: Mixing Pancakes
(mime actions)
Mixin’ pancakes, stirrin’ pancakes
Pour ’em in the pan
Frying’ pancakes, flippin’ pancakes
Catch ’em if you can!
Source: Adapted from poet Christina Rossetti via Jbrary
Read: Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
For this one, I chose the names of five of my regular in-person kids to pick a doughnut. And I had to include my favorite kind of doughnut in the flannel – jelly-filled!
Flannel Song: Five Colored Doughnuts
Down around the corner at the bakery shop
There were five little donuts with frosting on top
Along came [name], hungry for a treat,
And s/he picked the [color] one to take home and eat!
(count down)
Source: Literary Hoots
Breathing Break: “Soup” Breathing – Which became “Oatmeal Breathing!”
Instead of using a bowl of soup as we have been in the last couple of weeks, today we imagined our favorite hot cereal in our bowls in front of them. I suggested oatmeal, porridge, cream of wheat, and grits! You could also go into what kinds of toppings and mix-ins they like, if you wanted to prolong the discussion. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot cereal. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners
One more repeated activity. This has always been a favorite song!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Source: Jbrary
This was another instance where I had two versions of the flannel props. I’d originally planned this theme earlier in the fall, when I would be doing it outdoors in person, but moved things around so it was my first virtual-only theme in November. One set is actually made of flannel, that I purchased from Storytelling Fun. It is nice to have a detailed felt set, but I was disappointed that the the images, which seemed to be ink-jet printed onto white felt, seemed very pixelated. I also made a larger paper version that was photocopied from the book by Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis, who wrote the song. I colored and laminated it, and it turned out pretty well, so I’ll have to make a reason to use it at some point.
Flannel Song: Flip Flap Jack
Intro:
There was a man made of food (Made of food?) Made of food!
There was a man made of food and his name was Flip Flap Jack!
Chorus:
And he danced upon the table, the table, the table.
He danced upon the table, and his name was Flip Flap Jack!
Verses:
His head was a pancake (A pancake?) A pancake!
His head was a pancake and his name was Flip Flap Jack
His hair was made of whipped cream (whipped cream?) Whipped cream!
His hair was made of whipped cream and his name was Flip Flap Jack
(Do two verses between each chorus repetition, and repeat the intro at the very end as an outro)
His eyes were blueberries / His nose was a strawberry / His mouth was a sausage / His ears were oranges / His body was a waffle / His arms were two bananas /His legs were made of bacon / His feet were made of French toast /His bellybutton was a raspberry
Source: Gail Benton and Trisha Waichulaitis from the book Ready to Go Storytimes: Fingerplays, Scripts, Patterns, Music and More. To get the tune in my head and an idea of movements, I used this video from Klamath County Library (OR).
Craft: Paper Plate Pancake
This was a take on a craft I saw on the What Happens in Storytime blog. The kids got a paper plate, three light brown circles, three yellow squares, some brown yarn, and red and blue pom poms. They could then build their pancake breakfast however they liked. In the instructions, I noted that kids could glue down their creations if they wanted to make “art,” but they could also leave the pieces loose and treat it like play food, taking orders from different family members and extending the activity to do some dramatic play.
I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio & Eric Wight
Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison & Brianne Farley
Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen
Pancakes with Grandma by Kathryn Smith & Seb Braun
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Source: King County Library System
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented virtually on 11/2/21.
Storytime Handout:
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 