Animal Behavior

In the Garden: Who’s Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George

Print different animal tracks from the internet and have the children guess what animal made them.

Animal Communication

The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming

Assign an animal to pairs of children at storytime. Then have them make the sound of that animal and find their pair. Chaos ensues but everyone has fun mooing and quacking and roaring.

Wind/Air Movement

The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins

Give the kids straws and various objects (rocks, leaves, spoons, Kleenex, feathers, LEGOs, etc.) and have them try and blow the objects across the table. Before starting, you can have the children predict which objects they will be able to move.

Weather

Thundercake by Patricia Polacco

Make thunder using brown paper bags. Explain that the force of the bag popping and the air moving away in waves and the sound it creates is similar to how thunder is produced. When lightening strikes, the energy heats the air that it passes through. This warm air expands and produces waves of air resulting in the sound we know as thunder.

Flight

Planes Fly by George Ella Lyon

Make a very simple origami plane and practice flying the plane.  Children may have questions about force, lift and gravity.

Sound

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis

Use plastic eggs and put various objects inside. Make two eggs noisemakers for each object you use. Then pass them out and have the children find the musical partner. This encourages good listening as they must listen carefully to find the person whose egg is making the same sound.

Sense of Smell

 Skunkdog by Emily Jenkins

Use glass jars or some type of container, cotton balls, and various essential oils to make smelling jars. Pass them around after reading the story and let children guess the scent.

Seeds/Growing Plants

The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall

Read the book the surprise garden and have the children plant various seeds in cups and containers. Do not tell  them what they have just planted. Take care of the seedlings that grow and check them each week at storytime. After 4 weeks, re-read the book and see what plants have grown from your surprise garden.

Animal Life Cycle

My First Day by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Baby dolls with their blankets, diapers and bottles to play with will help children answer questions about new human babies.

Floating and Sinking

WHAT FLOATS IN A MOAT?   BY LYNNE BERRY

With a small tub of water and several items to put in the water, make predictions of which will float and which will sink.