Story Time: Elevator Escapades!
Story Time: Elevator Escapades!
“There’s an alligator in the elevator! Ahhh!” Riding in an elevator can be a great counting activity for your child, but it’s even more fun when you and your child engage your imaginations and “guess” where you might end up or who you might meet on each floor. Try some of the songs below as you have fun pushing the buttons on an elevator, imaginary or real.
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Ages 2-5
Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play
Tip
There are so many wonderful benefits to reading interactive stories with your kids. In addition to the entertainment you can get from them, they can make your reading time more productive, create cherished memories, and even help teach your kids to read.
Activity
Next time, when your child feels too energized for reading, try and interactive book such as “Press Here” or “The Button Book,” and do the actions indicated in the books. This will make story time extra fun for your preschooler. Find more interactive books at this link.
Books Presented
Lift by Minh Lê
Iris loves to push the elevator buttons in her apartment building, but when it’s time to share the fun with a new member of the family, she’s pretty put out. That is, until the sudden appearance of a mysterious new button opens up entire realms of possibility, places where she can escape and explore on her own.
Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Using no special effects other than the reader’s imagination, a series of dots multiplies, grows, or changes color by pressing, tilting, or blowing on the previous page.
Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Action: Elevator Song
Oh the city is great and the city is grand
There’s a whole lot of people
on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the 57th floor
and this is what we do when we go out the door.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down,
take the elevator up, take the elevator down
Take the elevator up and the elevator down
and we turn around.
– Jbrary.com
Parachute Song: Let’s Go Riding on an Elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator,
Elevator, elevator,
Let’s go riding on an elevator,
Come along with me!
(gather children at the edges of a parachute, and swish back and forth gently)
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor,
(hold parachute near floor, then raise up in steps with each floor until high overhead)
And…. down-down-down-down-down.
(pull parachute down over heads of children as they duck under parachute)
Elevator, elevator,
Let’s go riding on an elevator,
Come along with me!
(gather children at the edges of a parachute, and swish back and forth gently)
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor,
(hold parachute near floor, then raise up in steps with each floor until high overhead)
And…. down-down-down-down-down.
(pull parachute down over heads of children as they duck under parachute)
-Kcls.org
There’s an Alligator in the Elevator
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
Alligator (clap clap) please push (clap clap)
Number (clap clap) one.
I’m going up to the first floor.
Would you care to join me for some fun?
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
Alligator (clap clap) please push (clap clap)
Number (clap clap) two.
I’m going up to the second floor.
Gee, I’d like to make friends with you.
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
Alligator (clap clap) please push (clap clap)
Number (clap clap) three.
I’m going up to the third floor.
Would you care to have some lunch with me?
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
Alligator (clap clap) please push (clap clap)
Number (clap clap) four.
I’m going up to the fourth floor.
Tell me what are your big teeth for?
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
Alligator (clap clap) please push (clap clap)
Number (clap clap) five.
I’m going up to the fifth floor.
And I’d like to make it there alive.
There’s an alligator in the elevator.
I can’t believe what I see.
There’s an alligator in the elevator
And it’s making eyes at me.
– Rick Charette
Crafts and Activities
Coloring Page
Print out this coloring page!
Try this craft from Toddler Approved - or pick up our ready-made kit today.
Additional Books
The Button Book by Sally Nicholls
Follow a group of animal friends as they discover a collection of mysterious buttons, all of which do different things!
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author’s quilt painting of the same name.
Little Elephant, Big City by Mike Curato
Elliot the little elephant has a hard time with a lot of things in the city he loves until he meets Mouse, who is even smaller–and hungrier.
Curious George in the Big City by Margret and H. A. Rey
When they go to the city to see the sights, Curious George gets separated from his friend and has many adventures before they are reunited.
