Flannel and magnet activities are a staple of storytimes–especially my virtual storytimes! While I’ve always enjoyed these activities, we typically had very large in-person storytime audiences. I’ve never had the best vision, and I was always the kid (and adult) who was stuck in the back of a crowded room and who couldn’t see the tiny shapes on a flannel board or magnet board. I have some tricks to still make flannel and magnet activities work in a large crowd–mostly giant magnet and flannel pieces on a board I’m holding up high–but I like the intimacy of a virtual storytime where everyone can see everything I am doing.
While I love the cuteness of a high quality flannel set (Mister Keith is the flannel making king), I personally lean more towards magnet sets. I can stumble my way through making a nice flannel set I am happy with, but more often I try to find high quality images to create my own magnet sets. These can be printed over and over and laminated for reuse. Magnets stick a bit better for me (on a cookie sheet I hold up) are are generally less likely to fall off than flannel board pieces.
Looking for more flannel and magnet activities for your storytimes? Your one stop shop is Flannel Friday. Their Pinterest boards are regularly updated and filled with a world of cuteness.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Flannel and Magnet Activities
Animal Guessing Game (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
B-I-N-G-O
There was a farmer who had a dog
And BINGO was his name-o
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And BINGO was his name-o
The Bridge Is Up
A book retelling of The Bridge Is Up by Babs Bell.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?, a spooky book adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Retelling of the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Count the Balloons (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Red Balloons, red balloons, how many do we see?
Red balloons, red balloons, count them now with me!
Dear Zoo
Retelling of the book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.
Dinosaur Behind a Door
Dinosaur, dinosaur playing hide and seek!
Are you behind the yellow door?
Let’s take a peak!
Dog’s Colorful Day
Retelling of the book Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd.
Down Around the Corner
Down around the corner at the bakery shop
Were five yummy/fancy cupcakes with sprinkles on top.
Along comes a….
With a dollar to pay.
She picks out a cupcake and takes it away.
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Pink Animals: pig, flamingo, blobfish, axolotl, dragon
Fancy Animals: poodle, unicorn, dragon, ballerina hippo, peacock
Fancy Nancy Playing Hide and Seek
Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy
Playing hide and seek.
Are you behind the __ teacup?
Let’s take a peek!
Fancy Words (Fancy Nancy)
Paired Words:
- Hello – Bonjour
- Great – Fantastique
- Sad – Crestfallen
- Pretty – Glamorous
- Thank You – Merci
- Goodbye – Au Revoir
Five Fancy Peacocks
One fancy peacock feeling mighty fine
Spreading his tail in the bright sunshine.
Another peacock has come to play.
Now two fancy peacocks have a great day.
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
Five Ferocious Lions
Deep in the jungle, what did I hear?
Five ferocious lions roaring loud and clear.
ROAR! said the lions.
SCAT! said I.
And one ferocious lion ran away…
Goodbye!
4, 3, 2, 1…
Five in the Bed
There were five in the bed,
And the little llama said
“Roll over! Roll over!”
And they all rolled over
And one fell out.
Five Little Bats
Five little bats sleeping in a tree
Hanging upside down
Where no one else can see.
The sun sets and the moon shines bright,
And one little bat flies out of sight.
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day.
Over the hill and far away.
Mother duck said
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!
But only four little ducks came back.
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Eggs
Give it a whack, (clap)
Hear it crack, (hand behind ear)
Drop it in the middle, (pat hands on your lap)
One egg frying on the griddle.
Five Little Fishies
Five little fishies, swimming in the sea
Teasing Baby Shark – “You Can’t Catch Me!”
Along comes Baby Shark, as quiet as can be…
And SNAPS that fishy right out of the sea!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Owls
Five little owls sitting in a tree
Shouting “hoo, hoo, hoo”
As loud as can be!
One flew away,
And then there were…
1, 2, 3, 4!
Five Little Penguins
Five little penguins playing in the snow,
Slipping and sliding to and fro.
One looked up and yelled “Oh no!”
“I see a great big ball of snow!”
Rolling down the hill it stopped with a splat,
All that’s left is a fuzzy hat.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Five big snowballs wearing fuzzy hats,
Rolled back home dressed just like that!
Five Little Pigeons
Five little pigeons jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head!
The driver called the doctor, and the doctor said
No more pigeons jumping on the bed!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Pigeons Sitting in a Tree
Five little pigeons sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three four!
Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean
Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest pigs you’ve ever seen.
Wanted to go outside and play.
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud.
Landed with a great big THUD
Now there are four pigs so squeaky clean.
Five Sharks in the Bathtub
Five sharks in the bathtub,
Going for a swim.
Knock, knock.
Splash, splash.
Come on in!
Froggy Gets Dressed
Retelling of the book Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.
Get Dressed Fancy (Fancy Nancy)
It’s time to put our dress on,
Dress on,
Dress on,
It’s time to put our dress on 1, 2, 3!
Continue with: shoes, gloves, glasses, crown
Now that we’re all dressed!
Now that we’re all dressed!
Now that we’re all dressed!
Let’s be FANCY!
Go Away Big Green Monster
Retelling of book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly.
Goodnight Moon
Retelling of the book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
The Great Big Enormous Turnip
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Retelling of the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff.
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean
Retelling of the book I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Retelling of the book Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino.
The Little Old Lady Who Was NOT Afraid of Anything
Retelling of the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.
L-L-A-M-A
There was a llama who wore pajamas,
And Llama was his name-o!
L-L-A-M-A
L-L-A-M-A
L-L-A-M-A
And Llama was his name-o!
Llama Llama Playing Hide and Seek
Little Llama, Little Llama
Playing hide and seek.
Are you behind the __ bed?
Let’s take a peek!
Letter Matching (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Oh, have you seen the letter W
The letter W, the letter W
Oh, have you seen the letter W?
It makes the sound wuh-wuh-wuh
Little Blue Truck
A retelling of the book Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle.
Little Crab, Little Crab
Little crab, little crab,
Where do you hide?
Are you in the…shell?
Let’s look inside!
Little Fox, Little Fox
Little fox, little fox
Are you in the YELLOW box?
Little Monster, Little Monster
Little monster, little monster
Playing hide and seek!
Are you behind the __ door?
Let’s take a peak!
Little Mouse, Little Mouse
Little mouse, little mouse,
Are you in the….
RED house?
Little Snail, Little Snail
Little snail, little snail,
Are you in the _ pail?
Little Spider, Little Spider
Little spider, little spider,
Playing hide and seek!
Is spider behind the __ leaf?
Let’s take a peak!
Magic Butterflies
Five fuzzy caterpillars spinning cocoons
Hoping spring will come real soon!
With a little bit of magic
And the warm sunshine–
Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly!
Make a Pig
Marco the Polar Bear
Marco the polar bear
As white as the snow
Sat on the ice
Where the cold waters flow
“Lunch! I need lunch!” he said.
“I’ll make a wish!”
He stuck out his paw
And came up with a fish!
What color is it?
Move Over, Rover
Retelling of the book Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont.
My Heart Is a Zoo
Sometimes my heart wants to clap like a seal.
Sometimes my heart wants to hop like a bunny.
Sometimes my heart wants to jump like a frog.
Sometimes my heart wants to roar like a lion.
Sometimes my heart wants to fly like a blue jay.
N-A-N-C-Y
I know a girl who is so fancy,
Nancy is her name-o!
N-A-N-C-Y
N-A-N-C-Y
N-A-N-C-Y
And Nancy is her name-o!
Old Brass Wagon
Circle to the side, old brass wagon.
Circle to the side, old brass wagon.
Circle to the side, old brass wagon.
Now there’s one my darling!
Continue with:
Oval to the side
Square in the middle
Triangle up high
Rectangle down low
Heart to the back
We’ll stop at six my darling!
One Dinosaur Went Out to Play
One dinosaur went out to play,
On a giant fern one day.
She had such enormous fun,
That she called for a friend to come…
OH DINOSAUR!!
One Elephant in the Bathtub
One elephant in the bathtub,
Going for a swim,
Knock, knock (clap)
Splash, splash (slap knees)
Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3 – all fell in!
One Elephant in the Bathtub (Elephant & Piggie)
One elephant in the bathtub,
Going for a swim!
Knock, knock! (clap, clap)
Splash, splash! (slap legs)
Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
One Red Sock
Retelling of the book One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler.
Our Friend Rocky Has Some Tools
Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O.
And with those tools he had a hammer, E-I-E-I-O.
With a bang, bang here and a bang, bang there.
Here a bang, there a bang, everywhere a bang, bang.
Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O!
Continue with:
Saw…see-saw
Wrench…turn-turn
Screwdriver…twist-twist
Pliers…pinch-pinch
Drill…zzzz-zzzz
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat Playing Hide and Seek
Pete the Cat, Pete the Cat,
Playing hide and seek.
Is Pete behind the __ shoe?
Let’s take a peek!
Pigeon Playing Hide and Seek
Pigeon, Pigeon playing hide and seek
Are you behind the yummy cookie?
Let’s take a peek!
Piggie, Are You in a Book?
Piggie, piggie, where so you hide?
Are you in the __ book?
Let’s look inside!
Pinkalicious, Where Do You Hide?
Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious,
Where do you hide?
Are you in the pink __?
Let’s look inside!
PIZZA (BINGO)
There was a treat that’s good to eat
And pizza is its name-o!
P-I-Z-Z-A
P-I-Z-Z-A
P-I-Z-Z-A
And pizza is its name-o!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
A retelling of Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (book)
Retelling of the book Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (rhyme)
Oh where oh where have my underwear gone,
Oh where or where can they be?
I’ve looked up high, and I’ve looked down low.
Did someone hide them from me?
Red Truck, Red Truck
A transportation adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Six Little Valentines
Six little Valentines were sent to my house,
The first one said, “I love you, From Mouse.”
Five little Valentines in my mailbox,
The second one said, “Be mine, Love Fox.”
Four little Valentines full of love,
The third one said, “You are sweet, From Dove.”
Three little Valentines just for me.
The fourth one said, “Bee my honey, Love Bee.”
Two little Valentines mailed with care.
The fifth one said, “Here’s a hug, From Bear.”
The last little Valentine, from my friend Jay.
This one said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Snowball Hide and Seek
Snowball, snowball
Cold and round!
Behind which mitten,
Can you be found?
Tickle Monster
Retelling of the book Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau.
Tip Tip Dig Dig
Retelling of the book Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia.
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Retelling of the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Walking Through The Jungle
Walking through the jungle,
What do I see?
I think it was a….elephant!
Trumpeting at me!
We’re Going on a Bug Hunt
We’re going on a bug hunt!
We’re gonna catch a bug one!
What a sunny day.
Are you ready?
Okay!
Oh my! A ladybug!
A red and black ladybug.
Crawling on a leaf.
Crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Continue with:
Bumblebee…buzzing through the air
Grasshopper…hopping through the grass
Dragonfly…darting across the sky
Butterfly…fluttering through the air
Spider…spinning its web
Time to go home…Goodbye!
Who Stole the Cookies
Cat stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Who me?
Let’s see!
Couldn’t be!
Then who?
Zuma, Are You in a Boat?
Zuma, Zuma, where so you hide?
Are you in the __ boat?
Let’s look inside!
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