These are the plans that I used for my first week of Passport Pals at the library where I work.  Passport Pals is a geography based storytime for children ages 5 and under. For this first week, I wanted to introduce the kids to our great big, wonderful world!

Each week of Passport Pals, I start with the same song. I sing the words to the tune of “Here we go round the Mulberry Bush” and have the kids do the actions with me. The last verse is always “sit right down”, so the kids sit down on the floor and we are ready to begin storytime.

Also each week I have a suitcase that I decorated just for Passport Pals and I include items in this suitcase that go along with the topic for the week. The kids really enjoy watching me pull each item out from the suitcase and then trying to figure out how the items relate to the topic of the day.

Every week, we sing the “Continent Cheer” from Intelli-tunes Geography, Geology and Meteorology cd. I made a poster that helps with the words. The kids really enjoy this song – especially when they get to hop like a kangaroo!  It is also fun to hear 3 year olds shout out the word “Continent” at the end!

I also hand out “passport pages” each week with a statement of what we talked about and a place to stamp them.  The first week they come, kids are given a “passport” that they can easily add extra pages to.

With that background, you should be able to understand the following lesson plans.

 “Around the World”

Welcome Song —  (to the tune of “Here we go round the Mulberry Bush”)

“Come everybody and clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands, come everybody and clap your hands on the way to Passport Pals,

Come everybody and jump up high . . .

Come everybody and swing your arms . . .

Come everybody and turn around . . . .

Come everybody and sit right down . . .”

Suitcase — globe, map, explorer hat

Explain globe/map, put on the hat.

Song: “Continent Cheer” (Geography, Geology & Meteorology #3)

Read “How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World” by Marjorie Priceman.

Apple Finger Play (Let kids hold “apples” stand them up on each number – stand up when pointed at)

“One little, two little, 3 little apples,

Four little, five little, six little apples,

Seven little, eight little, nine little apples,

All for an apple pie.”

Try this song several times, getting faster each time.

Read “At the Same Moment Around the World” by Clotilde Perrin

Song — Hello to All the Children of the World – Wee Sing #1

Read “Good Night, World” by Willa Perlman. (Maybe practice saying Goodnight in different languages)

Make Passports/Hand out passports/explain