Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont

This is a super-simple storytime that works well for preschool storytime or toddler storytime. I had the materials for Rover's doghouse on hand and modified the story to fit the puppets at my branch. I ended the story with a dragon, because we don't own a skunk puppet and it still turned out fine!

Puppets:
dog
cat
beaver
frog
bird
mouse
dragon

Props:
a dog house (though you could easily tell this without a doghouse and stack the animals in your lap)
I used my favorite theater supply--a cardboard tri-fold display to make Rover's doghouse.

Let children help you with the repeating, "move over, rover." I even have my children roll their hands as we say it.

This story basically tells itself, and the children love seeing the animals stack up in Rover's house.

Give it a try!

We're Going to the Story Time Farm!

Super-simple puppet song for toddlers.

Puppets:
various animals

Props:
none

We're Going to the Story Time Farm
[tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush]

We're going to the story time farm,
story time farm, story time farm;
we're going to the story time farm,
listen carefully . . .
SHHHH

Then, I make an animal sound while holding the puppet inside my tote bag where the children can't see it. I have them guess the animals.

Continue until they're disinterested.

Good Bye!

I found the list online for all of those silly kid's goodbyes because I'm tired of the same old line: "See you later, alligator!" Using what I found as a template, I got out some puppets and taught some new goodbyes to my toddlers. This is easy, fun, and uses puppets you may have on hand.

See you later, alligator.
After while crocodile.
In an hour, little flower. (I have a plush and bendable flower.)
Or maybe two, kangaroo!
Adios, hippos!
Bye-bye, butterfly!

Simple.

Zoo Ah-choooo Pre-K

I adapted Peter Mandel's Zoo Ah-choooo! as a short puppet skit for a recent animal-themed preschool storytime. I used puppets we have here at my branch and tweaked it a bit for the audience. In all, it worked out great and was fun.

Puppets:
zebra
elephant
lion
monkey
penguin
bat
hippo

Props:
None
(Though you could use a bottle marked "medicine" to give the animals.



It was a slooow day at the City Zoo. All of the animals were sleepy and slow. Not much was happening. A slooow day.
When, all of a sudden, there was a long LOUD sound.
It was a ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Where did it come from? I think it was . . . zebra. What did he do? He went AH-CHOOOO! Zebra sneezed—just one sneeze.
But, African elephant heard the sound. She raised her trunk . . . RRRrrr-eeeEEE-ahh-PHOO! Elephant sneeze! Stand back. A tree was down; a fence was flat.
The ZOO-AH-CHOOOO! WAS CATCHING. 
Lion, lazing in the sun, felt a tickle in his whiskers. The zookeeper came running with nose drops and tissue, but it was too late. R-R-R-ROAR-AH-CHOO!  Lion covered everyone in dust.
Zookeeper tried to wash zebra with spray cleaner.
Even monkey woke up and found his washcloth to scrub.
Over in the ice pond, penguin felt a tickle in his beak.  ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Even bat, deep asleep in her cave, was awakened by the urge to . . . ah-choooo! (very quiet bat sneeze.)
What was the zookeeper to do? He called the Animal Doctor! The doctor made a fizzy solution for all the animals to drink. No more ZOO-AH-CHOOOO.
All was quiet again at the City Zoo.
It was a slooow day. Not much happening. Until—what was that? Not a sneeze. Not a burp. A hippo’s YAWN. Just one. (But it might be catching.) Did anyone hear it? Did the elephant? Did the penguin? Did you?! (OH NO!)