Reach for the Stars
by Catherine Clyde
Books to Share
- I Like Stars by Margaret Wise Brown.
- Mole Sisters and the Moonlit Night by Roslyn Schwartz.
- Mooncake by Frank Asch.
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Iza Trapani.
- Twinkly Night by Helen Stephens.
- Star Shapes by Peter Malone.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers.
- Little Star by Sarah Wilson.
- What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees by Nancy Tafuri.
- “Ring Around the Rocket Ship” from I’m a Little Teapot!: Presenting Preschool Storytime by Jane Cobb.
- “Stretch” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” from 2’s Experience: Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes.
Rhymes and Poetry
“Sleeping Outdoors” by Marchette Chute in The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars collected by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.
Star Light, Star Bright
Star light, star bright.
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may,
I wish I might,
Have this wish,
I wish tonight.
“There was an Old Woman” from I’m a Little Teapot!: Presenting Preschool Storytime by Jane Cobb.
Starry, Starry Night
- Black construction paper
- Gold or silver and colored self-adhesive stars
- White chalk
In advance, cut sheets of self-sticking stars into smaller segments so that each child may have his or her own sheet. Provide each child with a full or half sheet of black construction paper and a piece of chalk. Show the children how to draw on the paper with the chalk, creating such things as stick figures, houses, a moon, or trees. Then hand out the stars and let each child add them to their pictures.
Games and Activities
In advance, cut out 6-inch star shapes from yellow construction paper and tape them to the floor with double-sided tape. Choose music, such as Lullaby Classics by Baby Einstein, to accompany this activity. During the program, turn the music on and have the children dance among the stars by stepping on them, stepping over them, hopping on them, hopping over them, sitting on them, and running over them.
Either make or purchase a bubble mix in advance. To make bubble mix, mix ¼ cup blue dishwashing liquid, 1-cup water, 1-teaspoon salt, and 1-teaspoon glycerin. Combine well but gently. Do not stir too much and do not shake. Store in a sealed container. Gather bubble wands, or make some from pipe cleaners or from yarn tied to 2 straws. Tell the children to blow the bubbles up to the stars.
If you have public performance rights, show these videos and DVDs, or segments of them, to the children. Otherwise, display them for home use.
- Baby Galileo: Discovering the Sky. (30 minutes)
- “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on 25 Fun Songs for Kids. (25 minutes)
- I’m a Little Teapot!: Presenting Preschool Storytime by Jane Cobb.
- Lullaby Classics by Baby Einstein.
- The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.
- 2’s Experience: Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes.