Monday, October 25, 2021

Slithery, Slippery Snakes - Family Storytime


I was not the one who actually presented this storytime, but I did plan it and left it for my boss to use when she covered my storytime while I was on vacation. The whole snake thing has been a running joke for a couple of months now, and it was a theme I had not done before, so I figured why not, plus I found a couple of cute songs/rhymes to go with it.



The whole thing started because we have a mouse problem, which led to someone saying we needed a library cat. But some staff and patrons are allergic to cats, so I suggested a library snake instead, knowing my manager absolutely hates snakes. We exchanged emails back and forth one day, ending with her pulling the boss card, and me reminding her she was going to be gone for 10 days for her honeymoon, during which time I would be in charge. Then, I quickly threw up a snake display, which ironically proved to be the most successful display I've done in the last year! See, the public wants a library snake!

In the end she pawned it off on an unsuspecting staff member from another location who is currently in library school and only too happy for the experience, so I guess the joke was on me 🤷.

I pulled several books for her to choose from, intending for the presenter to pick 2-3 that they liked, but since that information was not passed along to the inexperienced person who ended up doing the storytime, she read ALL of them. And I don't know what order she did them, or what songs and rhymes were done when, so I'm just going to list all the books, and then all the songs.

Snake storytime


Hide and Snake
by Keith Baker is a search and find story. The snake is exploring around the house, and the reader/audience has to try and find it on each spread. Text is fairly sparse, and it provides good practice in recognizing patterns.



Snake storytime

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh is a classic. The snake is hungry and begins collecting mice in a glass jar for his dinner, counting them as he goes. But, the clever mice outsmart him and the snake learns a lesson about being greedy. As the mice escape, they "uncount" themselves.




Snake storytime



The Greedy Python
by Richard Buckley & Eric Carle is another story featuring a greedy snake. This python eats everything he comes across, until his stomach can't hold them. I normally don't use early readers for storytime because they are so small, but I really liked it and the illustrations were simple and bold, and the font very large.




Snake storytime


I Saw Anaconda
by Jane Clarke & Emma Dodd is a super fun book with a rhyming story that builds, in the vein of "I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly". Plus, it has bright, engaging illustrations and flaps to lift. Read it or sing it.






I made the program sheets for the caregivers that included our regular hello song, this month's warm-up song (Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes), the lead-in song and good-bye song, plus the following theme-specific songs/rhymes:

Oh, I Wish I Was a Silly Slippery Snake
(to the tune of "If You're Happy & You Know It")

Oh, I wish I was a silly, slippery snake - Hiss, Hiss!
Oh, I wish I was a silly, slippery snake - Hiss, Hiss!
I'd slither across the floor, then I'd slip under the door,
Oh, I wish I was a silly, slippery snake - Hiss, Hiss!



Snake storytime, snake rhyme

Six Silly Snakes

One silly snake, alone and blue,
Called for a friend: "Hiss!", and then there were two.

Two silly snakes, fast as can be,
Called for a friend: "Hiss! Hiss!", and then there were three.

Three silly snakes, slithering by the door,
Called for a friend: "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!", and then there were four.

Four silly snakes, happy and alive,
Called for a friend: "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!", and then there were five.

Five silly snakes, doing silly tricks,
Called for a friend: "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!", and then there were six.

Six silly snakes, tired of all the fun,
Said time for a nap: "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"
And then there were none!

I found clip-art for snakes that were on the cute side, cut them out and laminated to use on my magnet board to accompany the rhyme while the kids would count on their fingers.


Craft 

I found a free printable spiral snake online (forgot where) that the kids could color, cut out, and hang. I also gave them two googly eyes to glue on if they wanted. 

snake craft, snake storytime

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