Time for Stories: Scarecrows Storytime Plan

2nd October 2007

posted in programming, picture books, children's literature, storytelling |

Theme: Fall Scarecrows
Planned by: Laura Baas
Ages:Preschool (adapt as necessary)
Length: 30 minutes Created: 09/20/07

Introduction and Song: 5 minutes

Introduction: Scarecrows may look funny, but they have a very important job indeed. They’re meant to scare off the crows (and other birds and animals) so that the crop does not get eaten up before harvest time. But scarecrows can also be a lot of fun when they’re used as characters in songs and stories, some of which we’re going to do today. How many of you know/have heard of…(begin song here)

Scarecrow Songs (use either one):

1. Jingle Jangle Scarecrow (Tune: the itsy bitsy spider)

Tips: possibly use pictures or props to help children with the words), have the children all kneel and place their heads on the floor, covering their eyes & sing quietly):

Verse 1: When all the birds are sleeping and the sun has gone to bed… Up… jumps the scarecrow and this is what he said “I’m a jingle-jangle scare crow, (stretch way up tall) with a flippy-floppy hat, (use hand movements for hat) I shake my feet like this (shake feet alternately) and I shake my hands like that. (shake hands)”

Verse 2: When all the cows were sleeping and the sun was behind a cloud. Up jumped a scarecrow and shouted very LOUD! “I’m a Jingle Jangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat. I can shake my arms like this! And shake my arms like that!”

2. Scarecrow, Scarecrow

Scarecrow, Scarecrow, turn around Scarecrow, Scarecrow, touch the ground Scarecrow, Scarecrow, reach up high Scarecrow, Scarecrow touch the sky Scarecrow, Scarecrow bend down low scarecrow, Scarecrow touch your toe.

Books (20 minutes), Fingerplay after 10 minutes

Books (first three livelier and last three more reflective, select two of each):

Nothing At All by Denys Cazet: The rooster cry rouses all of the animals who respond ludicrously. Animal responses in bold print or italics invite children to assume the different roles. The repeated question of what the scarecrow in the meadow has to say about all the confusion is “Nothing at all” until the end when a mouse gets into its pants. Rhyme and repetitive language make this a hit beginning story for young audiences.
Barn Dance! by Bill Martin, John Archambault, and Ted Rand: A boy sneaks out to the barn to watch the animals get together and dance to the scarecrow’s fiddle music. A fun book!
The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown: Chicken wants Scarecrow’s straw hat but Scarecrow wants to trade his hat for a walking stick. Chicken does not own a walking stick but does not let that stop her in this humorous tale where she uses creative solutions to obtain her goal.

Fingerplay inserted in-between livelier books and quieter books

Scarecrow Fingerplay (tune: I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a scary scarecrow made of straw,
(stand tall, and stretch out arms)
Listening for the crows to caw.
(cup hands to ears)
I watch the field all day and all night, too.
(hand to brow, searching motion)
If a crow comes by, I just say “Boo!”
(hands on your hips and shout Boo)

The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown and David Diaz: Old man scarecrow is teaching his son the family business and although the scarecrow boy is eager to ply his trade, his father tells him that he must wait until he grows in order to be able to scare a crow. Nonetheless, the scarecrow boy decides not to listen and to try anyway. It takes him multiple attempts and a near fatal mishap, but, after many tries, he finally drive the crows away from the fields in this warm coming-of-age tale.
Scarecrow Peteby Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good: In which a scarecrow passes on to a little boy a love of reading.
The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston and Maggie Kneen: In which all the creatures are afraid of the scarecrow until the snow falls and the scarecrow transforms into looking like a jolly snowman. The animals come to recognize the scarecrow’s good nature and, when the snow melts, the animals are no longer afraid of its appearance.

Closing Song and Remarks (5 minutes):

Scarecrow Rhyme

The floppy, floppy scarecrow guards his field all day, he waves his floppy __(arms)___ to scare the crows away!
—Substitute legs, head, hands, etc. for the floppy part of the scarecrow

Conclusion: Speaking of going away, it’s time for our stories to end for today. Thanks for coming and joining the scarecrows and me for today’s stories. Please have fun using books for all kinds of learning and adventure. Don’t forget to check out some of these books or other ones on your way out. See you next time.

Time Fillers: Anything (book or song) not already used above

Scarecrow (tune: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around”)
Scarecrow, Scarecrow, turn around.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, jump up and down
Scarecrow, scarecrow, arms up high
Scarecrow, Scarecrow, wink one eye
Scarecrow, scarecrow, bend your knee
Scarecrow, scarecrow, flap in the breeze
Scarecrow, scarecrow, climb into bed
Scarecrow, scarecrow, rest your head

Five Crows All Shiny Black (Tune: Five Green And Speckled Frogs)
Five crows all shiny black,
Sat on a scarecrow’s back,
Eating some most delicious corn … yum yum!
Scarecrow winked and shouted “Boo!”
Scared one crow and away he flew,
Now there are four black shiny crows, caw caw!
(continue until 0 crows remain)

Craft: Search the web for a “simple scarecrow craft” such as the one found at Enchanted Learning, Alphabet Soup, or other similar website. For example, one craft that I found at an Enchanted Learning page provides a scarecrow and clothes templates that kids can color and glue together (a simpler version is having kids draw their own clothes onto the scarecrow template).

Possible Books For Display (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):

Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant and Lauren Stringer (PB)
The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown and David Diaz (PB)
Scarecrow Pete by Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good (PB)
The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston and Maggie Kneen (PB)
Jeb Scarecrow’s Pumpkin Patch by Jana Dillon (PB)
The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown (PB)
Waltz of the Scarecrows by Constance W. McGeorge (Author), Constance McGeorge (Author), and Mary Whyte (Illustrator) (PB)
The Scarecrow and the Spider by Todd Aaron Smith (PB with Christian message)
The Scarecrow Who Wanted a Hug by Guido Visconti and Giovanna Osellame (PB)
The Scarebird by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis (PB)

Non-Picture Books for Display

I’m a Dingle Dangle Scarecrow by Annie Kubler (BB)
The Lazy Scarecrow: Red Level by Jillian Powell and Jayne Coughlin (ER)
Sam the Scarecrow by Sharon Gordon and Don Silverstein (ER)
Oh, No, Scarecrow! (level 1) by Michael Rex (ER)
The Scarecrow’s New Clothes by Lisa Thiesing (Illustrator) (ER)
The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman and Peter Bailey(CB: Grades 4-6)
GooseBumps: Scarecrow Walks At Midnight: Scarecrow Walks At Midnight by R L Stine (Author) (CB: Grades 4-6)
Witch Hazel by Alice Schertle, Margot Tomes (CB)
Any of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books (CB)
Any of Barbara Euphan Todd’s Worzel Gummidge books (CB)