Funny Kindergarten Read Alouds for Circle Time
Reading aloud is my most favorite thing to do with kindergarteners. And, circle time is usually the first opportunity I have each day to share a story with students. Have you ever read a funny book to a group of kindergarteners? Picking the just-right kindergarten read-alouds for circle time can be challenging. But, I’ve got some tips and suggestions to help.
What Makes a Good Kindergarten Read-Aloud for Circle Time
All books are not created equal when it comes to finding the best books to share at circle time. You want to seek out books that have the following features.
- Short Enough for the Attention Span of Kindergarteners
- Big Bold Pictures So Everyone Can See
- Repetitive Text So Students Can Join In
- Character Voices to Grab Attention
- Sections to Act Out to Invite Participation
- Rhythm and Rhyme to Build Listening Skills
- Class Favorites for Building a Love Around Books
Let’s look at some examples that fit these criteria.
Funny Kindergarten Read-Alouds
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Warning…Crash, Splash, Moo! by Bob Shea is not the one to read if you are trying to quiet the kids. This is one that will stir all their sillies. This is one that will make them laugh. This is one that will make them say, “Read it again!” It is game show meets book and your kids get to be the contestants.
Throughout the book, the kids have to guess crash, splash, or moo. And, yes, the children will scream it out. You could even have kids hold word cards up to practice word recognition or even write their answer on a mini whiteboard.
Oh, and the kids get a golden banana for each correct answer. Get ready to read, laugh, and read again in Crash, Splash, or Moo!
Bear Moves by Ben Bailey Smith will get kids moving and grooving during circle time. Children will love to imitate Bear’s moves on the classroom dance floor. It would be fun to make a tinfoil disco ball for your reading area when you enjoy this book.
How to Eat Pizza by Jon Burgerman starts out with a slice of pizza asking the question, “How do you eat pizza?” and that leads to first picking the right slice. Perhaps you like chili flakes or basil on your piece. But, when “the” slice of pizza determines we are about to eat him, he tries to sway us to try another slice. My kids were totally amused by the “crusty bottom” pages.
Potato Pants by Laurie Keller is another funny one. Potato is so excited to get to the store and buy the stripey-ness pair of pants, but his plan is foiled when he sees Eggplant enter the store. Will Potato get his pants?
Hannah’s Tall Order An A to Z Sandwich by Linda Vander Heyden may have you starting out hungry. But, by the end of the story, I don’t think you’ll want this tall sandwich.
Many of Julia Donaldson’s books make good read-alouds. Try, The Cook and the King. The king is searching for the best cook. Could Wobbly Bob be the one to solve the dilemma?
I Am a Tiger by Karl Newson Mouse is sure he is a tiger. He does his best to convince everyone else of this belief too. It is laugh out funny but also sends a gentle message that we can be what we want to be. We just have to believe and not let others try to convince us otherwise.
Muncha Muncha Muncha by Candace Fleming is full of sound effects begging the students to chime in. The farmer is dreaming of his harvest but three hungry bunnies are headed to the garden. Uh-oh!
It’s giraffe against giraffe inNeck & Neck by Elise Parsley. Well, we should say a giraffe who thinks it is up against another giraffe. But, who or what is the other giraffe? Things aren’t always what they appear to be.
Archie The Daredevil Penguin by Andy Rash is the story of Archie who needs to get to the iceberg for a fish fry but he’s scared to swim over. So, he tries many different ways to get there other than swimming. All his crazy stunts have other penguins believing he is so daring, but really he’s just avoiding the thing that scares him.
But, Archie discovers he can swim and there is no need to be scared. Swimming can actually be quite enjoyable.
I think my kids poured over the endpapers comparing the front and back just as much as they enjoyed the story inside.
The Hugely-Wugely Spider by Ethan Berlin starts with the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, the Mitsy-Bitsy Spider, the Litsy-Plitsy Spider and Witsy-Ditsy Spider climbing the waterspout. But, Hugely-Wugely Spider was too big to climb the spout.
So, Hugely-Wugely really helps out when the rains starts to come and the spiders could use a little help. The kids will be giggling throughout the book and singing along.
Give Me Back My Bones by Kim Norman is packed with fun learning. “Now I need my gnaw bone, my chicken-chomping saw bone.
I’ll starve without my jawbone. I miss my mandible!”
It’s a fun book for Talk Like a Pirate, a skeleton book for the Halloween season, or a book for studying the human body. Heck, just read it anytime. Oh, did I mention the book cover turns into a poster of the human skeleton!
Mr. Nogginbody Gets a Hammer by David Shannon makes a great read-aloud. It’s funny, clever, and a conversation starter. Mr. Nogginbody snags his sock on a nail which leads to a trip to the hardware store for a hammer. Well, Mr. Nogginbody thinks he can solve some other “nail” problems with the hammer. But, just because it looks like a nail, doesn’t mean it is.
Circle Time Read-Alouds for Kindergarten Printable List
Grab a printable book list of the titles shared above and get reading.
More Kindergarten Reads
Favorite Books for 5 Year-Olds
Kindergarten Chapter Book Read-Alouds (Month by Month Guide)
Easy Readers That Aren’t Boring
Books for Advanced Readers in Kindergarten and First Grade
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