Sensory Storytime: We LOVE Fall!

My library has a partnership with a local school that specializes only in Special Education. I visit once a month and do storytimes for several classes. We struggle to get attendees for sensory-oriented events at the library, so this has been a great opportunity to provide sensory storytimes for more children in our community.

Each storytime lasts about 25 minutes, and every class is a unique experience. I try to do my best to adapt on the fly to the skills, abilities, and moods of the students in the class. I have found that music is very popular and helps refocus the students' attention.

There are a few things I keep the same every visit to build familiarity with and for the enjoyment of the students:

We do the same opening and closing song every visit- this wonderful song from our friends at Jbrary! It provides a nice bookend effect and uses simple sign language.

We always sing If you're happy and you know it, using this version where we clap our hands, stomp our feet, and shout "Hooray!"

Finally, somewhere near the end of the 25 minute storytime, I break out the bubble machine and we pop and sing along with Pop the Bubbles by Patty Shukla- this is usually the high point of the storytime!

With those repeating elements, this is what our storytime outline looked like today:

• We sang Hello Friends (see above.)
• We read Fall is Here by Frankie Jones
• We sang If You're Happy and You Know It (see above.)
• I passed around giant pine cones that smelled delightfully like cinnamon and let the kids pet the soft squirrel puppet I brought with me. (Always be on the lookout for objects that may be choking hazards.)
• We read The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tarfuri. (I skipped a few pages of this repeating storyline to better keep their attention.)
• I threw a bunch of artificial fall leaves in the air, and then we sang these words to the tune of Frere Jacques, with falling hand motions and wiggling fingers:

Leaves are falling, Leaves are falling
To the ground, to the ground
Look at all the colors, look at all the colors!
Red, yellow, brown!

• We read I DARE YOU! by Nicole Maubert.  (I skipped a few pages to keep their attention. I also let "daring" students experience the touch-and-feel elements. They enjoyed seeing themselves in the mirror at the end.) 

• Then we did the delightful and classic fingerplay 5 Little Pumpkins. I made this a little less Halloween-oriented to suit the setting:  

Five Little Pumpkins sitting on the gate (hold up five fingers)
The first one said, "Oh my! It's getting late." (hold up one finger, then point to your watch)
The second one said, "There are bats in the air!" (hold up two fingers, then make them fly around like a bat)
The third one said, "But we don't care." (hold up three fingers, then put your arms akimbo and shake your head)
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!" (hold up four fingers, make running motions)
The fifth one said, "This is so much FUN!" (hold up five fingers, throw your arms up into the air on "FUN")
WOOOOOOO went the wind, (sway hands back and forth)
and OUT went the lights (clap on "OUT")
and the five little pumpkins (hold up five fingers)
rolled out of sight. (make a rolling motion with your fists)

• We sang and popped along with Pop the Bubbles (see above.)
• We sang Goodbye Friends (see above.)
• I gave the teacher packets of 3 Fall coloring pages for each student, including a half sheet of library info for the parents.  

And that's it! I hope this is useful. Sensory Storytimes are fun for everyone!