Preschool Storytime Ideas
The Garbage Man
Many preschoolers have seen a garbage truck at their curb and are fascinated by the big machines. Perhaps you can get a local garbage truck to visit the storytime. Check here for craft project ideas such as a recycled art collage, newspaper hats, or other crafts that “reuse” household items.
Odanaka, Barbara. SMASH! MASH! CRASH! THERE GOES THE TRASH! A rhyming story of the garbage truck on his route around the town.
Zimmerman, Andrea. TRASHY TOWN. Mr. Gillie the garbage man picks up the trash, watched by two mice. Lots of repetition make this book a storytime favorite.
Leedy, Loreen. THE GREAT TRASH BASH. The animals figure out a way to reduce the trash by recycling.
Wallace, Nancy. RECYCLE EVERY DAY! Minna’s family helps her make a poster on recycling.
McMullan, Kate. I STINK! A garbage truck devours something for each letter of the alphabet!
Zion, Gene. DEAR GARBAGE MAN. Stan the new garbage man wants to save everything he finds in the garbage heap, showing how easy it is to reuse things.
Eick, Jean. GARBAGE TRUCKS. With just two sentences per page, and clear color photos, this simple nonfiction look at garbage trucks is perfect for storytime.
Bourgeois, Paulette. GARBAGE COLLECTORS. Part of the In My Neighborhood series, Sam and Mabel drive the garbage truck around town.
SONGS
LITTER (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
- If you see a piece of litter pick it up (pick it up!)
- If you see a piece of litter pick it up
- We will make the world look better
- If we pick up all the litter
- If you see a piece of litter pick it up
DIGGING IN THE DIRT
- Ten little doggies went out one day (hold 10 fingers up)
- To dig in the dirt and play, play, play. (pretend to dig like a dog)
- Five were spotted and five were not, (hold up one hand at a time)
- And at dinner time they ate a lot! (pretend to eat)
DOWN AT THE DUMP (tune of Down by the Station)
- Down at the dump early in the morning,
- See the dump trucks standing in a row.
- See them dump the garbage
- In a great big pile,
- Dump, dump, dump, dump,
- Watch them go.
FIVE LITTLE GARBAGE TRUCKS
- Five little garbage trucks, painted green,
- Picking up trash to keep the town clean.
- They work and they work until they fill up —
- Now one of the garbage truck drives to the dump!