Storytime plan: Gardens and Flowers

Storytime Solidarity action rhymes:

These rhymes were created by members of the Storytime Solidarity team.

• Five Ants Marching Up a Tree
• A Bee Eats Pollen
• Where Did My Caterpillar Go?
• Baby Cicadas.

These rhymes have been recorded by members of the Storytime Solidarity team:

• Flowerbuds
• Here is the beehive

Other action rhymes:

• Five Fat Peas

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed

One grew, two grew, so did all the rest

They grew and grew

And did not stop,

Until one day

The pod went POP!

I did consider changing the word ‘fat’, however, let’s reclaim this as a non-pejorative descriptor. See our Bodies Are Cool post.

• Round and round the garden

Round and round the garden

Like a teddy bear

One step, two steps

Tickle you under there!

• Dig a Little Hole

This is a cute action rhyme about the plant life cycle.

Credit: SurLaLune Storytime.

There’s also a couple of Ladybird / Ladybug rhymes I have used.

• Ladybird, ladybird

Found online at the Idaho Commission for Libraries. NB: the link opens a PDF.

• I’m a Little Ladybird

Credit: Susan M Paprocki. Found online at ArtFelt. NB: the link opens a PDF.

Flannel Boards:

• Apple Tree

  A flannel board song shared with Storytime Solidarity, by Flannel Board Fun.

• There’s Something In My Garden

This is an adaptable rhyme, and you can add creatures local to you.

I’ve added a verse with a piwakawaka / fantail, into my set.

There’s something in my garden

Now what can it be?

There’s something in my garden

That I can’t really see.

Hear its funny sound…

CHEET-CHEET-CHEET

A FANTAIL (PIWAKAWAKA) is what I found!

CHEET-CHEET-CHEET

Adapted from: SurLaLune storytime.

• Five Little Flowers

Adventures in Storytime also has a great collection of Five Little Flowers flannel boards you could try out.

Suggested Songs:

• Dingle Dangle Scarecrow

There are many versions of this around, including this extended version by Tessa Rose.

• Little Seed

NB: this can be done as an action song, using the whole body to be a seed; or an action rhyme, using the hands.

Little seed, little seed, in the ground [make fist with hands]

Little seed, little seed, small and round

Little seed, little seed, grow up tall [slowly open hands, wriggling fingers as they reach up]

Little seed, little seed, the leaves now fall [flower fingers down]

From: Moving to Learn by Robyn Crowe and Gill Connell.

Need to liven it all up? Then check out songs 123 Andrés has shared with us, including:

• El Girasol (The Sunflower)
• La Hormiguita (Spanish – The Little Ant).