Posts Tagged ‘chants’

Squeak Went the Door is a Fun Halloween felt board story for preschool and kindergarten

Posted on October 30th, 2013 by Carolyn Hart

Squeak Went the Door a fun Halloween flannel board story for preschool and kindergarten




My copy of Squeak Went the Door makes no attribution – it is printed on three pages that have been stapled together. I have had it for 30+ years.

This is a fun Halloween flannel board story I used to tell at Girl Guide and Brownie Halloween events. The felt pieces I use are very plain – I should probably add some glitter glue and trim. Predictable text and a hint of suspense make this fun for prek and kindergarten.

Download a PDF copy

image of PDF icon  Squeak Went the Door

A repetitive, predictable Halloween story that is great for a felt board.

Storytime Standouts Fall printables for preschool and kindergartenYou will also be interested in our Halloween and Fall printables for preschool and kindergarten.

Squeak Went the Door

There was an old, old lady who lived all alone in the woods, and who wanted someone to come and visit her. While she waited, she spun cloth.
Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

Then, one dark, dark night when the old lady was sitting spinning, she heard a knock at the door, and she said, “Come in.”

S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came two black, black boots. They walked across the floor and then set themselves down.

The old lady thought, “Oh, how strange to see those black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

Soon the old lady heard another knock at the door, and she said, “Come in.”

S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came two short, short legs. They ran across the floor and then set themselves down on the black, black boots.

The old lady thought, “Oh, how strange to see those short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

Before long the old lady heard another knock at the door, and she said, “Come in.”

S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came a wee, wee waist. It came, bending up and down and set itself down on the short, short legs.

The old lady thought, “Oh, how strange to see that wee, wee waist on the short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

And while the old lady was looking, she heard another knock at the door, and she said, “Come in.”

S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came two broad, broad shoulders. They lifted themselves across the room and set themselves down on the wee, wee waist.

And she thought, oh how strange to see the broad, broad shoulders on the wee, wee waist on the short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

And as she was spinning, she heard still another knock at the door, and she said, “Come in.”

S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came two thin, thin arms and hung themselves over the broad, broad shoulders, and she thought, ” Oh, how strange to see those thin, thin arms on the broad, broad shoulders, on that wee, wee waist on the short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

Now the little old woman was feeling just a tiny bit nervous. However, after the next loud knock she bravely said, “Come in.” S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in came two fat, fat hands. They danced across the room and set themselves on the thin, thin arms and she thought, “Oh, how strange to see those fat, fat hands on the thin, thin arms on the broad, broad shoulders, on that wee, wee waist on the short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Children But still she sat (fold hands)
And still she spun, (roll hands)
And still she waited
For someone to come.

Now, the little old woman was beginning to be a little more afraid. When she heard another knock at her door, she nervously said, “Come in.” S-Q-U-E-A-K went the door and in rolled a round, round head. It set itself down on those broad, broad shoulders and she thought, “Oh, how strange to see that round, round head on the fat, fat hands on the thin, thin arms on the broad, broad shoulders, on that wee, wee waist on the short, short legs on the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

So she said, “Where did you get such black, black boots?”
“Much walking, much walking, ” it answered.
“Then where di d you get such short, short legs?”
“Much running, much running, ” was the reply.
“Where did you get such a wee, wee waist?”
“Much bending, much bending.”
“How did you get such broad, broad shoulders?”
“Much lifting, much lifting.”
“Where did you get such thin, thin arms?”
“Much carrying, much carrying.”
“Where did you get such fat, fat hands?”
“Much working, much working.”
“And where did you get such a round, round head?”
“From a pumpkin shell, a pumpkin shell.”
“What did you come for?”
“to visit YOU!!”

And that is the story of the man with the round, round head, the fat, fat hands, the thin, thin arms, the broad, broad shoulders, the wee, wee waist, the short, short legs, the black, black boots on the cold, cold floor.”

Original Source Unknown

Spring Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten

Posted on April 3rd, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Storytime Standouts shares free printables for preschool and kindergarten

Easter and Spring theme free printables for children that you can download and use at home or in a classroom right away.



Step 1 – Make sure you have Adobe Reader. If you don’t have it, please click on the ‘Get Adobe Reader’ button to install it for free.image for Adobe Reader


Step 2 – Pin this page, bookmark this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook.


Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free printable Easter and Spring theme printables for kids.
Be Sure to Read About Spring Too!



Elsewhere on this page

It is Spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.- Rainer Maria Rilke

Free Printable Spring and Easter Theme Writing Paper
Some of our Most Popular Spring and Easter Theme Posts
Free Printable Spring and Easter Theme Rhymes, Chants and Fingerplays
Free Printable Spring Picture Dictionary




Spring and Easter Theme Interlined Writing Paper for Preschool and Kindergarten

These are just a few of many free printable writing paper downloads available on this site. Please be sure to check out our Writing Paper for Kids page for many more.

Free printable kindergarten Spring Writing Paper for homeschool and classroom

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids- Spring

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.


image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Spring Flowers

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Seedling in Flowerpot

Plant theme interlined paper for beginning writers.


Free printable Pussy Willow Writing Paper for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Pussy Willow

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Smiling Flowers

Garden theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Free printable Easter interlined paper for homeschool and classroom

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Easter

Easter theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Easter Basket

Easter theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Some related themes to explore

Explore all St. Patrick's Day Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click Here to Explore All Easter Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click to explore all Gardening Theme Printables and Picture Books

Click to Explore Green Theme Printables and Picture Books



Some of our Most Popular Spring and Easter Theme Posts

Hover over the photo for a description. Click on the photo to link to the post.

Five Little Ducks illustrated by Ivan BatesSplish Splash SpringEaster egg letter matchAlphabet Go Go Go Stop Learning GameSpring theme picture books Highlight Alliteration, Rhyming, Onomatopoeia and Repetition




Free printable Five Little Easter Eggs for preschool

Spring and Easter Poems, Songs, Chants for Preschool and Kindergarten

Adapt these Spring and Easter theme chants and poems as felt board activities and/or use them at preschool or kindergarten circle time.





Spring Poems for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Pussy Willow Poem

image of PDF icon  Springtime Fingerplay and Song

image of PDF icon  Little Rabbit

image of PDF icon  The Rain

image of PDF icon  I Love the Flowers

image of PDF icon  Tulips

image of PDF icon  A Little Seed

Free printable chant about planting a seed. Great for preschool, kindergarten and homeschool.

image of PDF icon  Little Peter Rabbit

image of PDF icon  Five Little Ducks

image of PDF icon  Little Robin Red Breast

Easter Poems for Preschool and Kindergarten

image of PDF icon  Five Little Easter Eggs

image of PDF icon  Easter Bunny

image of PDF icon  Five Brown Eggs

image of PDF icon  Easter Everywhere

For the Five Little Easter Eggs chant, ask your child, “What color is left over after Mommy, Daddy, Brother and Sister eat their eggs?”

Easter Crossword Puzzle for Children –

image of PDF icon  Easter Crossword


Free printable Spring Picture Dictionary printable for children

Picture Dictionaries for Easter and Spring

– Easter and Spring pictures together with words

Our free vocabulary printables are great and so versatile. Print onto cardstock. Laminate if you wish. Then, cut apart and create a matching activity or encourage your child to “read” the words (using picture clues). As well, beginning writers love to practice printing the words.

You can create your own categorized picture dictionary if you print more than one. We have many available. Check out our Picture Dictionaries page.

image of PDF icon  Spring Picture Dictionary

Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

image of PDF icon  Easter Picture Dictionary

Helpful for children who want to read and write about Easter, this picture dictionary is also suitable for English Language Learners.

Free printable planting a flower garden sequencing activity for preschool

Gardening Sequencing activity –

Sequencing activities are great for building comprehension skills

image of PDF icon  Planting a Flower Garden Sequencing Activity

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Spring and Easter for Preschool and Kindergarten on Pinterest.

We would love to hear about great Easter and Spring resources, please let us know what you have discovered!

Enjoy our Free Spring Theme Printables for Kids

Valentine’s Day Printables for Preschool, Homeschool and Kindergarten

Posted on January 17th, 2011 by Carolyn Hart

Free Valentine’s Day printables for children, their teachers and parents. Today we’ll highlight the printables alongside some great picture books for Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day picture books and free printables for homeschool, preschool, kindergarten from Storytime Standouts

Young children, parents and teachers are sure to enjoy these free Valentine’s Day theme printables.

* Two kinds of free printable Valentine’s Day writing paper for kids
* A Valentine’s Day picture dictionary for children who are beginning to read and write
* Five Little Valentines – a rhyme that could be perfect for your Valentine’s Day preschool circle time , adapt it as a felt board story
* Counting Valentines – a Valentine’s Day song, sung to a familiar tune, also great for Valentine’s Day circle time
* Making a Valentine – a Valentine’s Day sequencing activity. This could also be used as a matching game.
* Make New Friends – a song sheet

Five Fun Picture Books for Valentine’s Day

Storytime Standouts reviews Valentine's theme picture book The Day it Rained HeartsThe Day it Rained Hearts written and illustrated by Felicia Bond
Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins

You are no doubt familiar with Felicia Bond’s lively illustrations in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Here she tells the story of Cornelia Augusta, a girl who is caught in a rather unusual rainstorm.

On The Day It Rained Hearts Cornelia collected hearts of all different shapes and sizes and then set to work making Valentines for her special friends. Before setting to work, she thinks carefully about each individual and she creates cards and gifts that suit each perfectly.

She found seven that were more or less alike and strung them together with a needle and thread.”I know just the right person for this one,” she thought.

The Day it Rained Hearts encourages thoughtfulness and creativity. A lovely choice for your young Valentine or for sharing at a February storytime.

Extension activities could include a search for hidden hearts, comparing and categorizing hearts and creating Valentine’s Day cards and gifts.

32 pages, Ages 3 to 5

The Day It Rained Hearts at Amazon.com

The Day It Rained Hearts at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts writes about Lilly's Chocolate Heart by Kevin HenkesLilly’s Chocolate Heart written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins

Lilly is a beloved picturebook character. Best known for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse , she also appears in Lilly’s Big Day, Chester’s Day, Wemberly Worried and Julius The Baby of the World.

Before going to bed on Valentine’s Day, Lilly must decide what to do with her one remaining foil-wrapped Valentine’s Day chocolate.

“Lilly wanted to find the perfect place to keep the heart. She looked under her bed, but it was too dusty. She looked inside her dresser, but it was too messy.

Those who know Lilly, will agree that she is exhuberant and sometimes just a little bit impulsive so finding the perfect place for the precious chocolate is quite a challenge.

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart will be a delicious treat for Lilly fans who will no doubt notice her purple plastic purse hanging from a dresser drawer handle and a painting of the purse that hangs on a wall.

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart at Amazon.com

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts writes about Love is You and Me. by Monica SheehanLove is You & Me. written and illustrated by Monica Sheehan
Picture book about love published by Simon and Schuster

Just in time for February 14th, Monica Sheehan’s celebration of love arrives on bookshelves. Intended for very young children, my copy is in a boardbook format. Fun, breezy illustrations introduce a handsome mouse and his dashing canine friend. They adore spending time together; driving in a convertable, sharing a milkshake, holding hands. riding a roller coaster. Whether doing something exciting or nothing at all, true friends know, “Whever we go love will always be…because…love is you and me.

A perfect book to share for Valentine’s Day, Love is You & Me. (Monica Sheehan’s warmhearted follow-up to be happy!) delivers a reassuring message that will be enjoyed equally by young children and all those who care deeply for them.

Love is You & Me. at Amazon.com

Love is You & Me. at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts shares free Valentine's Day printables and writes about You by Stephen Michael KingYou written and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Picture book about friendship published by Greenwillow Books

Light and breezy, You: A Story of Love and Friendship has got it right. The world is more colourful, more musical and more exciting when shared with a true friend.

In this picture book about friendship, happy and engaging illustrations invite us to watch as a friends work together to transform a drab birdhouse into a bright and inviting home. When the work is done, they joyfully play music together and manage to endure the highs and lows that life brings.

The world is an exciting place, with ups, downs, around and arounds, and far-far-aways. But the most exciting place in my world is with… you.

Well-suited to very young children, You is a picture book about friendship and love. It would be a a great story to share before a parent or friend leaves on a trip.

Be sure to visit the author’s website (link above) and read about Stephen Michael King’s experience as a hearing impaired child and his path to becoming an author-illustrator.

You: A Story of Love and Friendship at Amazon.com

You: A Story of Love and Friendship at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts writes about Valentine's Day including Zero Kisses for MeZero Kisses for Me written by Manuela Monari and illustrated by Virginie Soumagnac
Picture book about affection and independence published by Tundra Books

I have the good fortune to share read alouds with children regularly in my classes. I always look for engaging stories that will hook my students. Sometimes I am lucky enough to find a book that doesn’t just hook the kids – some books have children talking about the story a week later and begging for a reread. Zero Kisses for Me is one of those delightful books that children love to see, listen to and cheer about.

Life is tough when you’re always being kissed.” When you’re kissed before you go out in the rain and when you’re kissed and called, “Honeybunch” or “Flower Bud.” By the end of the day, you can be “tired of being everybody’s tootsy-wootsy… huggy-bear… kissy-snooks.” You might even demand, “No more mush!” And, you might exclaim, “BLEAH” – the perfect word to make a story memorable and a great word for young children to hear and relish.

Fun illustrations add to the atmosphere in Zero Kisses for Me and convey the little bear’s determination and frustration beautifully. A great read aloud for boys and girls, aged four to six, especially those who enjoy many, many kisses each and every day. Although not a Valentine’s Day book, this would be a terrific choice to reach for on February 14th.

Zero Kisses for Me at Amazon.com

Zero Kisses for Me at Amazon.ca


Storytime Standouts Has Free Valentine's Day Printables for Kindergarten, Homeschool and Preschool

Storytime Standouts Has Free Valentines Day Printables for Preschool, Kindergarten and Homeschool

Our early learning printables, including our Valentine’s Day theme printables for preschool, homeschool and kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.

Valentine’s Day Circle Time Rhymes and Chants for Preschool or Kindergarten ~

Free Valentine's Day chant for preschool, Counting Valentines

image of PDF icon  Counting Valentines

Free printable fingerplay for a Valentine's Day circle time or storytime.

Free printable Five Little Valentines chant for preschool

image of PDF icon  Five Little Valentines

Use as a chant or felt board story

image of PDF icon  Make New Friends

Make New Friends is a traditional song that can be sung as a round

Free Valentine’s Day Printables for Young Readers and Writers ~

Free Valentine's Day picture dictionary for children and ESL

image of PDF icon  Valentine's Day Picture Dictionary

Free printable Valentine's Day picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.



Free printable Valentine's Day Writing Paper for kids

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

image of PDF icon  Writing paper for kids - Valentine's Day Swirling Hearts

Valentine's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Free printable Making a Valentine Sequencing Activity for Preschool and Kindergarten

Free Printable Valentine’s Day Sequencing Activity

image of PDF icon  Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity

Cut this Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity apart and have children put it together in the correct order or print two and use as a matching game.

Free Valentine’s Day Printables for Older Children ~

image of PDF icon  Valentine's Day Crossword Puzzle

Free printable Valentine's Day crossword puzzle for children.

Storytime Standouts offered printables for Valentine's Day

Storytime Standouts is on Pinterest

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Valentine’s Day for Kids on Pinterest.

More News

Learn to Read Printables, Games and Activities for Parents and Teachers

Unlimited Squirrels in I Lost My Tooth!

Unlimited Squirrels in I Lost My Tooth!

Unlimited Squirrels in I Lost My Tooth! written and illustrated ...

Phonemic Awareness

Bolstering Phonemic Awareness, Getting Ready to Read While in the Car

Bolstering Phonemic Awareness, Getting Ready to Read While in the Car

Some of the keys to learning to read are noticing ...

Terrific Chapter Books for Middle Grades and Teens

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, a SLJ Top 100 Novel

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, a SLJ Top 100 Novel

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Series for ...

Translate »