Storytime: Clifford

Opening Song: Hello, Friends

Hello, friends x3
It’s time to say hello

from Jbrary

Rhyme: Clifford, Clifford, Where is Your Bone?

Clifford, Clifford, where is your bone? 
Did someone put it in your [color] home?

from Librerin

This rhyme could 100% be done as a flannel board, but I adapted a bit to save time on prep. We have this fun toy with 6 doors in different colors that lock, and there’s a space behind the doors. I put different Little People animals behind 5 of the doors, and a plastic bone from the Shelby’s Snack Shack game behind the sixth. I then said the rhyme, and invited kids to volunteer to open the door that matches the color I said with the matching key. (The volunteer portion only worked because of the size of my group. If you get more than 6 kids, I would do a flannel board or just open the doors yourself.) The volunteer then pulled out whatever was inside the door and told us what they’d found; if it was one of the animals, I then followed up by asking, “what sound does that animal make?” This was a really fun activity, and it’s definitely a method I’ll bring back for other rhymes like this.

Song: CLIFFORD

There was a girl who had a dog
And his name was Clifford
C-L-I-F-F
C-L-I-F-F
C-L-I-F-F
O-R-D, that’s Clifford

written by me; tune of BINGO

While you 100% could do like BINGO with this song and replace letters with clapping, I think it works better as one you just sing straight through, once alone to introduce the families, and the again together. The clapping is a little complicated when you’re just learning the new words to a familiar song for the first time.

Book: Clifford’s Pals by Norman Bridwell

Movement Activity: Obedience School/Clifford Says.  We played this like Simon Says, but acting like dogs–Clifford said to bark and wag our tails!

Song: If You Like Clifford and You Know It

If you like Clifford and you know it, clap your hands.
If you like Clifford and you know it, clap your hands.
If you like Clifford and you know it, and you really want to show it, 
If you like Clifford and you know it, clap your hands

Have the kids supply other movements

written by me; tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It

Rhyme: Clifford’s Ears

Clifford’s ears go flip, flap, flop
Flip, flap, flop, flip, flap, flop
Clifford’s ears go flip, flap, flop
As he runs around

Other verses:
Tail goes waggity-wag
Feet go stomp, stomp, stomp
Tongue goes *panting noises*

written by me; tune of Wheels on the Bus

Activity: Clifford coloring page