Tag: preschool circle time

The Best Picture Books for Magical Story Times in Early Childhood — A Storykate Guide

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

You are sitting in front of a group of preschoolers, book in hand. You may wonder whether this will be the story that captures their imagination. I know, I’ve been this teacher.

After years of working with young children in early childhood settings across Australia, I’ve learned something important: the right picture book doesn’t just entertain. It teaches, connects, and opens up a whole world of learning.

That’s why I put together the Storykate Booklist. It is a curated collection of the very best picture books for storytime with preschool children. The list is complete with activity extensions and learning prompts for each one.

Here’s a taste of what’s inside.

Why Picture Books Are So Powerful in Early Childhood

Picture books are far more than bedtime entertainment. I believe they have to be chosen thoughtfully and shared intentionally.

  • Great books build language and literacy through rich vocabulary, rhyme, and repetitive text – think of Outcome 5 or language domain
  • They develop emotional intelligence by exploring feelings, empathy, and relationships
  • Books spark curiosity and inquiry: a great story always leads to great questions
  • Books support cognitive development through sequencing, prediction, and problem-solving- think of the learning outcome 4
  • Create community: shared stories build connection between children and educators – links well to Outcome 2

The books I’ve selected aren’t just popular. Every book has been read many times in real early childhood settings. They are genuinely engaging, captivating, and rich with learning potential.

A sneak peek at some favourites

🐛 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

A timeless classic that teaches numbers, days of the week, healthy eating, and the life cycle of a butterfly: all through gorgeous collage illustrations. Perfect for extending into felt board stories, garden observations, and lifecycle puzzles.

🦁 The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Children love this one for its rhyming patterns, imaginative storytelling, and lessons in courage and problem-solving. A brilliant book for extending into puppet making, dramatic play, and drawing fantastical creatures.

🐨 Possum Magic by Mem Fox

A quintessentially Australian story that introduces children to native animals, iconic Australian foods, and the beauty of our landscape. Wonderful for map activities, food tasting, and connecting children to Country.

🐻 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Repetitive, rhythmic, and irresistible for young children. This one extends beautifully into obstacle courses, sound walks, bush walks, and collaborative storytelling.

🌈 The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

A stunning story about sharing, kindness, and the true meaning of friendship — with shimmering illustrations that children absolutely love. Perfect for process art, sensory play, and acts of kindness challenges.

🧙 Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Friendship, teamwork, and bravery: all wrapped up in a magical rhyming adventure. Children love the dramatic play extensions: making potions, building brooms, and re-enacting the story.

What Makes My Booklist Different

There are plenty of “best books for kids” lists on the internet. But this one was built by an experienced early childhood educator.

Every book recommendation includes:

✅ Why this book / the specific learning value it offers
✅ Prompts and extensions / hands-on activities to extend the story into play, inquiry, and deeper learning
✅ Australian context / including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and Australian wildlife
✅ Diversity and inclusion / books that reflect the beautiful diversity of Australian families and communities

This is the kind of resource I wish I’d had when I started out in childcare in 2007…

Who Is This Resource For?

This booklist is perfect for you , if you are

  • 👩‍🏫 Early childhood educator looking for fresh storytime inspiration
  • 📚 Certificate III and Diploma ECE student building your professional practice
  • 🏠 Family day care educator creating meaningful learning experiences at home
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Parent who want to extend their child’s love of books beyond the page

Get the Full Storykate Booklist

The sneak peek above is just a small taste of what’s inside. The full Storykate Booklist includes over 35 carefully selected picture books — each with detailed learning rationales and rich activity extensions across literacy, maths, science, dramatic play, art, and more.

It’s a resource you’ll come back to again and again throughout your early childhood career.

👉 Download the full Storykate Booklist here

https://payhip.com/b/FYsab

The Montessori Silence Game

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Most children are taught how to speak. Very few are taught how to listen.

The ability to listen is an essential skill. Maria Montessori, who developed the game known as “Silence”, understood the need to slow down, to listen carefully, and to pause. She worked with children who had hearing impairments and first used this practice with them. She would stand at the back of the classroom and quietly say the name of one child, then another. When a child heard their name, they were asked to walk towards the teacher. For children who were almost deaf, this was an extremely challenging exercise.

Later, Montessori introduced the Silence game in a classroom of typically developing children. She met a mother with a baby and asked for her help. The mother agreed. Montessori brought the infant into the room and showed the baby to the children.

“Look how calmly the baby is lying,” she said. “Can you stay just as calm?”

To her surprise, the children became quiet almost immediately. She noticed how much they enjoyed playing Silence. From that moment on, Silence became an essential part of the Montessori kindergarten program.

Why is this game valuable for children?

The game develops a child’s listening skills and their linguistic intelligence. It supports self-regulation and calm attention. Children learn to notice and distinguish sounds, to regulate the volume of their own voice, and to practise self-control. When Silence is experienced together, it also creates a shared sense of connection. Montessori believed that the Silence game supported children’s spiritual development.

If you would like to explore Montessori theory and other key educational theories in more depth, you can find them explained clearly in my theory pack here:


https://payhip.com/b/Z9a2T

How to play

Invite the children to sit on the floor. Suggest that they keep still and play a quiet game together. Silence does not need to be enforced; it settles on its own. Explain that when we sit calmly and remain quiet, we can hear things that are impossible to notice when we are shouting or talking.

For example, the sound of cars, leaves rustling, an aeroplane engine, the wind, neighbours’ voices, or a washing machine running.

Stay in silence for one minute. Then, in a whisper, ask the children what they heard. Which sounds caught their attention? Were they loud or quiet? Pleasant or irritating?

5 Props That Transform Circle Time

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Hey educators! Circle time doesn’t need to feel like “sit and listen.” With the right props, it becomes playful, hands-on, and meaningful. Here are five of my favourites that I use and demo often on Storykate YouTube.

1. Felt Balls – rhythm, counting, and calm

Children love the texture and weight of felt balls. They’re perfect for passing games, counting songs, and even simple mindfulness. Watch how I use them in action in my video on Circle Time with Props.

👉 Want ready-to-go ideas? Try my Circle Time Props Bundle with printable games and guides.

2. Scarves – movement and imagination

Scarves bring music alive. Float them like waves, hide behind them for peek-a-boo, or toss them high to practise gross motor skills. I show simple scarf games in this circle time playlist.

3. Puppets – your best co-teacher

A puppet instantly draws every eye in the circle. They’re perfect for storytelling, managing transitions, or introducing tricky topics. My favourite baby wombat puppet makes a regular appearance on Storykate videos.

👉 Looking for inspiration? Check out my course Teaching with puppets

4. Rhythm Sticks – beat and focus

With sticks, children can keep a steady beat, copy patterns, or invent their own music. They’re brilliant for building listening and coordination. I share rhythm stick routines in my music and movement videos.

I tried them with pre-service teachers last month and it was also a big hit!

5. Story Baskets – books that come alive

A story basket filled with objects from the book makes every child lean in. Instead of just listening, they get to hold the story. For ideas, see my video on Story Baskets for Early Learning.

👉 You’ll also find Story Baskets printables in my store, ready to use with your favourite books.

Why props matter

Props aren’t extras – they’re invitations. They make circle time interactive, inclusive, and joyful. When children have something to hold, wave, or share, they’re not just sitting in a group – they’re part of it.

💡 Want more? Head over to my chanenl for practical strategies and demonstrations!

https://www.youtube.com/@Storykate

5 Group Time Mistakes and How to Fix Them

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Are your group times feeling chaotic, with children losing focus or not responding? You might be making one of five common mistakes that most educators do not even realise they are making. By the end of this read, you will have simple ways to turn group time from messy to purposeful.

I am an early childhood teacher with 17 years of experience. Below are the typical pitfalls I see, plus quick fixes you can try this week.

1. Talking too much

When we talk for too long, attention drops. Working memory and self-regulation are still developing in early childhood, so long explanations are hard to hold.

Fix: keep instructions short and clear. Speak in small chunks, then do something. Use call and response, songs, props, and quick games. Aim for a talk burst, then action. The neuroscience backs it up!

2. Not reading the room

If you miss the early signs, things unravel. Staring into space, fidgeting, side chats, gentle kicks and pinches under the radar are all signals.

Fix: Be flexible. If focus dips, switch gears. Add a 30-second movement break, change position, hand out a prop, or shift to a whole-body activity. If the whole group has tuned out, it is fine to stop and return later.

3. Explaining without engagement

Explaining complex ideas without involving children leads to tuned-out faces. Prior knowledge matters.

Fix: start with what they already know. Co-create a quick mind map in children’s words, use real objects, and build meaning together. Turn explaining into doing with simple choices, partner talk, or a game that uses the idea.

4. A rigid plan

An ideal script that never bends can work against you.

Fix: plan to pivot. Have a Plan A, Plan B, and one fast reset. Change the order, shorten an activity, or swap it out. The aim is not to finish the script; it is to keep learning alive.

5. Going too long

Even strong sessions fail if they run past children’s attention span.

Fix: keep it short. As a guide, 5 to 7 minutes for toddlers, 8 to 10 minutes for kinder age groups, then move on. End while it is still working.

Quick checklist for tomorrow

  • One clear purpose for the session. What book or concept are you focusing on?
  • A short opener that gets everyone doing something, e.g. Acknowledgement of Country, the familiar song.
  • Two interactive moments planned in advance
  • A 30-second movement break in your back pocket
  • A simple close, for example, a song cue or reflection question

A 10-minute plan you can steal

1 minute welcome with a song
2 minutes prop reveal and quick prediction (I use baskets and story bags)
2 minutes discussion about the prop
30-second reset movement, touch your nose, touch your toes
3-minute story, song, or problem to solve, shared discussion
90 seconds reflection, then a clear close – transition to the next activity

I know five – an easy ball game for preschoolers

~ storykate ~ Leave a comment

I Know Five… 🎾🗣️🎶
A flexible, fast-paced game that gets kids thinking, talking, and moving!

How to play:

  • Stand in a circle with a bouncy ball.
  • One child bounces the ball as they say:
    “I know five…” (e.g. girls’ names, fruits, animals, cities, colours)
    Then they list five things, bouncing the ball once for each word:
    “I know five fruits: apple, pear, mango, banana, kiwi!” 🍎🍐🥭🍌🥝
  • The ball is passed to the next child, who chooses a new category.
  • No repeats — the challenge grows as the game goes on!

Why it’s great:
✅ Builds vocabulary and memory
✅ Encourages clear speech and turn-taking
✅ Adds movement for active learners
✅ Easy to adapt for any age group or theme

You can play indoors or outdoors — no setup needed, just a ball and imagination!