House Storytime

1 Bread and Butter Chant
2 Sammy Snail Rhyme
3 Who's That Scratching At My Door by Amanda Leslie
4 Washing Machine Song
5 Who Lives Here? Felt Story
6 Here is the Beehive Finger Rhyme
7 Have you Heard the Mouse? Song
8 My Turtle Rhyme
9 Jack in the Box Song
10 Paki Paki Song
11 Build A House Felt Story
12 Whose House? by Janette Rowe
13 My Pigeon House Song

1
Bread and Butter

This chant goes in the rhythm of a clap on both knees, then a normal clap. This rhythm continues throughout the rhyme except when “saying” hello or goodbye

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As quietly as we can
Hello
Quietly

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As loudly as we can
Hello
Loudly

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As slowly as we can
Hello
Slowly

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As fast as we can
Hello
Fast

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As high as we can
Hello
In high voice

Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let’s say Hello
As low as we can
Hello
In a very low voice

2
Sammy Snail

You can use a snail puppet for this or get children to make their hand into a fist and use their thumb for the turtle's head

Sammy snail is slowly moving
Start moving hand from right to left
See him slide across the garden path
He leaves a silver path behind him
We all know when he has passed

Sammy snail is never worried
Though he wanders far and wide
For on his back his house he carries
And when he’s tired he pops inside
Pull thumb back into fist

4
Washing Machine

Washing Machine

I’m a washing machine
I get all the clothes clean
Live in the laundry, wash all day
I’m a washing machine

First you lift up my lid
Then put the dirty clothes in
Then you add a cup of soap
And press me here to begin

And we go swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes

Swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes clean

When they’ve had a good wash
I let some fresh water in
I rinse all the soap out
And I get myself in a spin

And we go swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes

Swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes clean

Now you lift up the lid
Because my job now is done
So put the clothes in a basket
And hang them out in the sun

And we go swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes

Swish swash
Swish swash
Washing all the dirty clothes
Washing all the dirty clothes clean

5
Who Lives Here?

This is a felt story that has a lot of different animal houses - nest, chicken coop, kennel, basket, stable, cave ete. I ask the kids who lives in this house and if they need extra help, I make the noise of the animal

6
Here Is The Beehive

Here is the beehive
Cup hands together
But where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees...
Peer into hands
Watch them fly out of their hive
1,2,3,4,5 Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Count off fingers one by one and wiggle them around on Bzzzzzzzzz

7
Have You Heard The Mouse?

Use your extended pointer finger to be the mouse

Have you heard the mouse,
Creeping around the house?
Creep finger around in front of you
Creep, creep, creep, creep, Ekkkkk!
Run mouse away under arm on Ekkk!

Have you heard the mouse,
Creeping around the house?
Creep finger around in front of you
Creep, creep, creep, creep, Ekkkkk!
Run mouse away under arm on Ekkk!

8
My Turtle

This is my turtle
Hold fist in front of you
He lives in a shell
He likes his home very well
Pat hand
He pokes his head out when he wants to eat
Push thumb out of fist
And pulls it back in when he wants to sleep
Pull thumb back in

9
Jack In The Box

Crouch down on the ground
Jack in the box, Jack in the box
Quiet and still.
Will you come out?
Will you come out?
Yes I will!
Jump up

What can you do?
My head is nodding, nodding, nodding
Nod
My head is nodding just like this.

Crouch down on the ground again
Jack in the box, Jack in the box
Quiet and still.
Will you come out?
Will you come out?
Yes I will!
Jump up

What can you do?
My feet are stamping, stamping, stamping
Stamp
My feet are stamping, just like this.

Crouch down on the ground again
Jack in the box, Jack in the box
Quiet and still.
Will you come out?
Will you come out?
Yes I will!
Jump up

What can you do?
My eyes are blinking, blinking, blinking
Blink
My eyes are blinking, just like this.

Crouch down on the ground again
Jack in the box, Jack in the box
Quiet and still.
Will you come out?
Will you come out?
Yes I will!
Jump up

What can you do?
My hands are clapping, clapping, clapping.
Clap
My hands are clapping, just like this.

10
Paki Paki

This song is in Te Reo Maori - the indigenous language of New Zealand. Vaguely phonetic spelling follows the words - let me know if you need more help

Pakipaki pakipaki (Pah-key-pah-key)
Clap
Pakipaki pakipaki
Clap
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

Pakipaki pakipaki
Clap
Pakipaki pakipaki
Clap
Tamariki ma

Kanikani Kanikani (Cun-e-Cun-e)
Dance
Kanikani Kanikani
Dance
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

Kanikani Kanikani
Dance
Kanikani Kanikani
Dance
Tamariki ma

Hurihuri Hurihuri (Who-Re-Who-Re)
Turn around
Hurihuri Hurihuri
Turn around
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

Huirhuri Hurihuri
Turn around
Hurihuri Hurihuri
Turn around
Tamariki ma

E Peke E Peke (Eh-P-kay)
Jump
E Peke E Peke
Jump
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

E Peke E Peke
Jump
E Peke E Peke
Jump
Tamariki ma

E Oma E Oma (Eh-oh-ma)
Run on the spot
E Oma E Oma
Run on the spot
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

E Oma E Oma
Run on the spot
E Oma E Oma
Run on the spot
Tamariki ma

E Hula E Hula (Eh-Who-La)
Hula dance
E Hula E Hula
Hula Dance
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

E Hula E Hula
Hula dance
E Hula E Hula
Hula Dance
Tamariki ma

Takahia Takahia (Tucker-higher)
Stamp
Takahia Takahia
Stamp
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

Takahia Takahia
Stamp
Takahia Takahia
Stamp
Tamariki ma

E Haka E Haka (Eh-Ha-Car)
Stamp and pat chest with both hands
E Haka E Haka
Stamp and pat chest with both hands
Tamariki ma (Tum-A-Reiki-Ma)

E Haka E Haka
Stamp and pat chest with both hands
E Haka E Haka
Stamp and pat chest with both hands
Tamariki ma

11
Build A House

We made a felt board of a basic house, square, roof, doors, windows and just asked the kids what goes next and how many windows should we have etc. It was very simple but they loved it

12
My Pigeon House

I give the children scarves to wave to this

My pigeon house
I open wide
Move scarf in broad strokes
And I set my pigeons free
They fly so high
Lift scarf up high
Til they reach the sky
Then they sit on the tallest tree
Wiggle scarf on it's highest point
And when they return to their merry, merry nest
They shut their eyes and they say goodnight
Bring scarf down low and wave around ground
Coo-ru, coo-ru, coo-ru, coo-ru
Coo-ru, coo-ru, coo-ru
Gradually slow down speed of scarf waving