Animals in Winter

Here's a calm and quiet storytime.  It leaves the teachers and children happy.  Keep calm and hibernate on! 

Books Shared or Recommended:
A Den is a Bed for a Bear by Baines
Animals in Winter by Rustad
Bear Snores On by Wilson
Hibernation by Hall
Old Bear by Henkes
Sleepy Bear by Dabcovich
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Na
Time to Sleep by Fleming

It is so cold outside that we find snowflakes in the storytime apron.  It's winter!  We can go inside our warm houses and schools when the temperatures drop down below freezing, but what do animals do in the Winter? 

We find a white rabbit in the next pocket.  She can hop around in the snow and look for food.  Some animals stay where they are during the Winter because they have warm furry coats.

 

Then out hops a bird.  Some animals migrate many miles to get to sunnier, warmer winter homes.  Animals like birds and whales and deer migrate.

 

Some animals stay where they are and hibernate during winter.  Look, here's a bear sleeping in a lair.

 

Frogs and turtles hibernate.

Even some snakes hibernate!

 

Look here's a bat.  They hibernate up-side down.

 

Here's a book about Animals in Winter: 

 

The children really love the photos of real animals in this quick read.

Then, here's a hibernation song sung to the tune of "Alouette":

Song: “Hibernation” (Tune: “Alouette”)

Chorus:

Hibernation, time for hibernation,
Hibernation, time to go to sleep.

In the winter, where's the bear?

Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. Oh!

 

Chorus

In the winter, where's the frog?

Sleeping by a pond or log.
Where's the frog? Pond or log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. Oh!

 

Chorus

In the winter, where's the snake?
In the mud beneath beneath the lake.
Where's the snake? In the lake.
Where's the frog? Pond or log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. Oh!

 

Chorus

In the winter, where’ the bat?
In a cave is where it’s at.
Where’s the bat? A cave it’s at.
Where's the snake? In the lake.
Where's the frog? Pond or log.
Where's the bear? Log or lair. Oh!

 

I'd like to make another verse about a mouse in a field by a house...or a turtle friend in the stream til winter's end...but let's see if we get to that this year or next.

Then we either read Time to Sleep (longer)

 

or Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit (shorter), depending on time.

 

 

 

Then it's time for our visitor and the children help to tell this story of a little Bear who is sleeping and then has a busy day.  The parts in italics are sung.

 

 

 

 

 Have a little run bear
Spoken: Once upon a time there was a little bear who was sleeping in his bed.

            Have a lit-tle sleep bear, sleep bear, sleep bear

           Have a lit-tle sleep bear, sleep bear, sleep (Hold hands under chin as if to sleep)

The next day, the sun came out and the bear woke up and stretched.

            Have a little stretch bear, stretch bear, stretch bear

            Have a little stretch bear, stretch bear, stretch (Pretend to stretch)

And since it was a nice sunny day, the bear decided to go for a walk.

            Have a little walk bear, walk bear, etc..... (Pretend to walk)

But this was a very active little bear and soon he became bored with walking and decided to run.

            Have a little run bear....... (Run)

And after all the running he was so hot and sweaty. Before him was a big cool lake, So what do you think he did? Yes he jumped in and swam!

            Have a little swim bear..... (Pretend to swim)

And after he swam, he climbed out of the water and he was all drippy wet. And do you know how bears dry themselves off when they're wet? Yes, they shake!

            Have a little shake bear.... (Shake)

And after all that shaking he looked up and saw a taaaaall tree. And you know how much bears like to climb trees!

             Have a little climb bear..... (Hands climb one over the other)

And when that bear got to the top, do you know what he saw? Some golden, sweet, delicious HONEY! And you know how much bears like honey!

            Have a little taste bear...... (Pretend to taste)

But you know, wherever there is honey, there are also BEES! And those bees did not like that bear messing with their honey. And you know what bees do when they get angry!

           Have a little sting bear, sting bear...... (A bee stings your nose!)

And the bear said, "OUCH!"

(Do all of this next part fast and frantic)

Have a little climb bear, climb bear.....
Have a little swim bear....
Have a little shake bear....
Have a little run bear....
Have a little walk bear....

And the bear got inside and said, Mommy, mommy, I went for a walk and ran

and swam in a lake and shook myself off, and climbed
a tall tree, tasted some honey and a BEE stung me on the nose! And mommy
said, "Awwww"

              Have a little hug bear, hug bear, hug bear

              Have a little hug bear, hug bear, hug. (Hug yourself)

Then the little bear layed down for a long winter's sleep.

 

              Have a little sleep bear, sleep bear, sleep bear.

              Have a little sleep bear, sleep bear, sleep.  (Hold hands under chin as if to sleep)

 

 

Then little Bear gets to sing the Goodbye song.