Storytime Recap: Dinosaurs

I was in the mood to introduce some dinosaurs with the recent news that Brontosaurus (formerly part of the Apatosaurus family) would officially be its own dinosaur again. I saw some new faces in the crowd this morning, but they learned quickly to sing along with our welcome song "Clap Everybody and Say Hello." I could tell we had a talkative bunch today, so I began by asking, "Who likes dinosaurs?" Predictably everyone put their hand up and wanted to let me know which was their favorite dinosaur. After some sharing, I xplained that dinosaurs are extinct and what that means. Then we read Edwina : The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems.

Next I asked the kids what they would do if they had a dinosaur, which led to more sharing. Letting children share their thoughts and opinions in front of others helps boost their confidence. Then we listened to and sang along with Raffi's "If I Had a Dinosaur"

If I had a dinosaur, Just think what we could do. He could lift me off the floor And take me to the zoo.

And if I had a dinosaur, Just think what we could see. We could look inside the clouds Above my balcony.

And if I had a dinosaur, Just think where we could go. All the way to grandma's house To play her piano.

If you sing about dinosaurs, you must then dance like dinosaurs. Up next was the story Dancing with the Dinosaurs by Jane Clarke. As I read I asked the kids to imitate the dino dances they saw, which was a nice bit of movement for an energetic group.

To keep us in motion, we did an action rhyme about dinosaur movements. We did this twice so everyone had a chance to master the actions and participate.

Spread your arms, way out wide, Fly like a Pteranodon, soar and glide.

Bend to the floor, head down low, Move like Stegosaurus, long ago.

Reach up tall, try to be As tall as Brontosaurus eating on a tree.

Using your claws, grumble and growl Just like Tyrannosaurus on the prowl

Then I told everyone I had a new book to share with them about a hungry dinosaur looking for an egg, Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg! by Steven Weinberg. A great way to finish storytime, this was a quick read with plenty of repetition and a funny twist at the end.

With storytime at an end, we watched a movie and found out what happened on the day When Dinosaurs Came with Everything based on the book by Elise Broach.

Finally, everyone got a stamp of a Brontosaurus on the way out.