Once a month, my library presents STEAM Storytime in place of Preschool Storytime. Here’s a recent plan centered on constructive block play.
Sing: Hi, Hello & How Are You?
Welcome/Intro
Welcome to STEAM Storytime! Today we’re focusing on Engineering. Research shows that constructive play (creating and building with different types of materials) supports children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development. And so we’re going to share some stories, sing some songs, and then… we’re going to PLAY WITH BLOCKS!
Sing: If You’re Happy and You Know It…*
Sing: If You’re Ready for a Story…*
Read: Rex Wrecks It! by Ben Clanton
Sing: We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner
Rhyme: Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Turn Around…
Dinosaur, dinosaur, turn around.
Dinosaur, dinosaur, stomp the ground!
Dinosaur, dinosaur, show your claws.
Dinosaur, dinosaur, chomp your jaws!
Dinosaur, dinosaur, turn around.
Dinosaur, dinosaur, please sit down.
Rhyme: One Block, Two Blocks (Flannel)
We did this rhyme a few times through and I built something different on the board each time. We ended by building a space rocket!
Sing: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom with Extra Verses
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
We’re going to the moon!
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
We’re going to the moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my roket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
We’re going to the moon!
In 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
BLASTOFF!Repeat: fun to the sun, far to the stars
CREDIT: JBRARY
Sing: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Speaking of stars…
Set Expectations
We talked about how Gizmo, Sprinkles and Wild felt when Rex kept ruining their hard work and set some ground rules for building and breaking. Namely, you have to ask permission before breaking what someone else built!
Sing: Joanie Works With One Hammer by the Wiggles
I played a Wiggles song for the audience up front while I quickly set up the blocks in the back of the room.
Stay and Play with Blocks
I brought out all the different kinds of blocks I could find: wooden blocks, Keva planks, blue blocks, sensory blocks, soft and safe building blocks, Mega Bloks. And of course I let the kids play with the flannel blocks from earlier in our storytime!
For the most part, the kids didn’t combine different kinds of blocks, except for the Keva planks:
The wood blocks were very fun to stack…
… and then made the most satisfying crashing sound knocking down!
Products Mentioned:
Blue Blocks: https://imaginationplayground.com/medium-blue-blocks/
Keva Planks: https://www.kevaplanks.com/
Mega Bloks: https://www.amazon.com/Mega-Bloks-80-Piece-Building-Classic/dp/B007GE75HY
Sensory Blocks: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/infants-toddlers/sensory-development/see-inside-sensory-blocks/p/AA823/
Soft and Safe Building Blocks: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/infants-toddlers/gross-motor-skills/soft-safe-building-blocks/p/RR794/
*Please visit this page to learn more about my regular storytime songs and routines.
Storytime in the Stacks 