I spent the last week or so working on a new storytime article for LibrarySparks magazine (we’re already working on the March 2013 issue!). The issue theme revolves around medieval times, so I thought I’d concentrate on dragons. Featured picture books include The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle, Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin (a book that’s been on recent NY Times bestseller lists), The Boy from the Dragon Palace by Margaret Read MacDonald, and Me and My Dragon by David Biedrzycki. I also had fun creating three new dragon activities to accompany the picture books. As a preview to the article, here’s two of them.

“The Fire-Breathing Dragon” by Rob Reid
(Sung to the tune of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”)

The fire-breathing dragon flew up a mountain top,    (Flap arms for a flying motion.)

Down came the rain and put its fire out,                    (Wiggle fingers downward to simulate rain.)

A big bolt of lightning fried that dragon’s brain,       (Hold out hands and fling fingers to simulate lighting.)

But that fire-breathing dragon is happy once again.   (Open mouth and make a breathy sound to simulate fire.)

(You may have to explain to younger children that the lightning re-ignited the dragon’s fire.)

“We’re Going on a Dragon Hunt” by Rob Reid

Teach your audience this refrain:

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Be very, very careful!

Let’s go on a dragon hunt.

First, we need to put on our armor.

Put on the lower part.                         (Mime as if you were putting on pants.)

Now put on the upper part.                 (Mime putting on the top half of armor.)

Now put on your helmet.                    (Mime putting on helmet.)

Grab your sword and your shield.      (Mime this.)

Walk over to your horses.                   (Move awkwardly as if wearing armor. Make clanking noises with each step.)

Get up on your horse.                         (Swing legs as if climbing on a horse.)

Lower the drawbridge!

Let’s go!                                              (Slap legs as if your horse was moving.)

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Be very, very careful!

We’re riding through the fields.         (Continue slapping legs.)

We’re riding through the woods.        (Continue slapping legs.)

We’re at the foot of a mountain.

Dismount!                                           (Mime getting down from a horse.)

Let’s climb.                                         (Mime climbing a steep mountain. Make noises to indicate

hard work.)

We’re near the top.                             (Leader raises hand to signal stop moving.)

Here’s a cave.                                      (Leader points.)

Let’s go in. Be very quiet.                  (Tiptoe in place and whisper the refrain.)

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Dragons fly and they breathe fire,

Be very, very careful!

There’s something big and dark in the corner.

I see a little flame over there.

DRAGON! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!    (Slap legs as if running. Move awkwardly as if wearing heavy armor.)

Out of the cave!                                            (Continue slapping legs.)

Down the mountain.                                     (Slap legs and make “whoa” type noises.)

Up on your horses!                                      (Swing legs up as if climbing on a horse.)

Ride!                                                               (Slap legs and continue until you reach the moat.)

Through the forests!

Through the fields!

Here we are at the castle.

Oh, no! The drawbridge is up.

We’ll have to swim in the moat.

Throw down your swords and shields.           (Mime throwing them down.)

Take off your helmets.                                    (Mime removing helmets.)

Take off your upper parts.                              (Mime removing upper part of armor.)

Take off your lower parts.                              (Mime removing lower half of armor.)

Jump in the moat and swim.                           (Make splashing noises and swimming motions.)

Everyone out and into this side door!                        (Slap legs as if running.)

OK, who didn’t lower the drawbridge?         (Leader looks angry and then frightened.)

OH NO, IT WAS THE….                              (Leader points upward and pauses, letting the kids shout…)

DRAGON!

He’s moved into the castle!                            (Leader slaps forehead.)

I think we’ll have to move to another castle. (Everyone tiptoe out of the story program area.)

Storytelling Note: The above is a basic outline of the movement activity. Feel free to embellish it in your own style. Also, neither activity was overly hard to write. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to create your own original fingerplays, rhymes, and activities. I jotted the words down on paper, rewrote them several times, found some nearby kids to do them with me, rewrote some more, and voila! Fun actitivies.