Preschool Storytime Ideas
Opossums
One of the more misunderstood but common backyard animals is the opossum. If you do storytimes focusing on a different animal each week, the opossum can be a new theme that captures the attention of the children, especially if you are studying marsupials. For a craft activity, find a possum coloring sheet here, or have the kids make their own pouch for holding treasures.
SONGS / FINGERPLAYS
POSSUM (sung to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Mr. Moon, what do you see? (point up, then put hand above eyes and look around)
Three little possums hanging in a tree. (hold up three fingers pointing down)
Shiny black eyes in the night (make small circle with fingers and hold up to eyes)
With whiskers and snouts of white (put hands away from face, then bring one hand forward and into point in front of nose)
Hairless tails and bodies gray (show “tail” and move hands from top of body to bottom)
But one little possum just ran away. (slap hands against legs quickly)
POSSUM CHANT
What do I see outside my house? (put hand above eyes, look around)
Is it a bird? Is it a mouse? (make appropriate sounds)
No, it’s a possum, possum, possum. (slap legs each time you say possum)
No, it’s a possum, yes sirree! (clap hands three times on “yes sirree!”)
What do I hear going pitter-pat? (put hand to ear)
Is it a dog? Is it a cat? (make appropriate sounds)
No, it’s a possum, possum, possum. No, it’s a possum, yes sirree! What do I know is up in a tree? (tap head on side)
Is it you? Is it me? (point to kids, point to self)
No, it’s a possum, possum, possum. No, it’s a possum, yes sirree!
BOOKS
Christelow, Eileen. OLIVE AND THE MAGIC HAT. Olive and Otis Opossum discover a magic hat.
Cushman, Doug. POSSUM STEW. Gator and Bear get back at Possum by saying they are going to make him into a stew.
Downing, Johnette. WHY THE POSSUM HAS A LARGE GRIN. Possum is the trickster in this tale involving Deer and a persimmon tree.
Fox, Mem. POSSUM MAGIC. Grampa Poss and Hush try out various foods in Australia.
Hunter, Anne. POSSUM’S HARVEST MOON. Possum invites the local animals to a party to celebrate the Harvest Moon.
Hunter, Anne. POSSUM AND THE PEEPER. Possum is awakened from his winter nap by a Peep! – who is making that sound? The audience will call out the repeated Peep!
Kasza, Keiko. DON’T LAUGH, JOE. Mother tries to teach Joe to play dead without laughing.
Morrison, Yvonne. TOWN POSSUM, OUTBACK POSSUM. Jacko visits his cousin in the city in this Australian spoof of “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.”
Punnett, Dick. COUNT THE POSSUMS. A “Talk-along” book, where the reader supplies the missing rhyming word as Mama Possum counts her babies who were blown around by a hurricane.
Salley, Coleen. EPOSSUMDONAS PLAYS POSSUM. Can Possum play dead to escape the jaws of the Louisiana Werewolf?
Van Laan, Nancy. POSSUM COME A KNOCKING. A cumulative rhyme about a possum at the front door.