I’ve been having such a blast covering family story times at my branch, and this time I decided to push myself a little bit outside my comfort zone and bring out the egg shakers!
I normally shy away from props in my programs – having to pass them out and gather them up takes eats into our already limited programming time, especially with a large group. We have a pretty manageable group size at the moment, though, so I took a chance.
I needn’t have worried about using the shakers, as the program went swimmingly! From my limited experience as a prop user, I’d suggest not jumping into using things like rhythm sticks and shakers until you’ve had a chance to get a feeling for the size and energy of your group. If you’ve got 50 participants squeezed into your programming space and it takes a while to transition between activities, you’ll want to consider the logistics of fairly and efficiently distributing props, while also ensuring everyone has the space to safely and comfortably use the materials.
I’d also suggest bringing out the props towards the end of your program – after the excitement of shaking shakers or banging rhythm sticks, your audience might be reluctant to settle down for a book or felt story. Our shaker songs were the last element in our program, after which we sang our goodbye song and had stamps.
We have a large programming room and very involved caregivers, both of which make using props an enjoyable experience for everyone!
Here’s what we did today:
Hello Song: Hello, Friends
Book 1: DINOSAUR DANCE
Hand Songs/Rhymes: Open Shut Them / Rolly Polly / The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Book 2: BOTTOMS UP!
Movement Songs: Zoom Zoom Zoom / The Elevator Song
Shaker Songs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / The Walrus Washes His Winter Coat
Goodbye Song: Goodbye, Friends
Does anyone regularly use props like shakers in their story times? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!