I knew I wanted to highlight animal movement during my outdoor storytime this summer, and Head to Toe was one of the first books on my list that I thought would translate well with a big, spread-out crowd. Not a lot of visuals for this blog post, but we were moving around a LOT! Families seemed to enjoy this one, especially our bubble song at the end.
You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.
Early Literacy Tip: Crafts are great ways to allow your child to practice their creativity, work with different materials, strengthen their finger grip, and improve hand/eye coordination. All of these will help prepare them for school and learning to write later on!
Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello!
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Credit: Glenside Public Library District
Our new warm-up for the last few weeks of the summer session.
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch)
Credit: Jbrary
Read: We’ve All Got Bellybuttons! by David Martin & Randy Cecil
I’d always done this one as “bubble bubble POP” with increasing numbers of fish, but the splash made more sense when ducks, frogs, and children! (I also think Caspar Babypants does it like this!)
Action Song: All the Fish Are Swimming
All the fish are swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble…SPLASH
Additional verses:
All the ducks are quacking…
All the frogs are jumping…
All the children are splashing…
Credit: King County Library System
Fingerplay: Up the Hill
Here goes a turtle up a hill, creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy (crawl up arm)
Here goes a rabbit up the hill, boing, boing, boing, boing (bounce up arm)
Here goes an elephant up the hill, thud, thud, thud, thud (clap up arm)
Here goes a snake up the hill, slither, slither, slither, slither (slither up arm)
Here comes a rock down the hill, boom, boom, boom, boom, CRASH!
(bounce down, clap hands for crash)
Credit: Storytime Katie
Read: From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
This is such a silly and fun song!
Action Song: Noisy Animals Eating
(tune of Row Your Boat)
See the hippopotamus, eating fruits and weeds
Take a bite … chew it up …
Then spit out all the seeds!
Additional verses:
See the very tall giraffe…
See the wrinkly elephant…
Credit: King County Library System
Fingerplay: Little Turtle
There was a little turtle, he lived in a box
He swam in a puddle, he climbed on rocks
He snapped at a mosquito (hand “bites”)
He snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow,
And he snapped at me!
He caught the mosquito (clap)
He caught the flea (clap)
He caught the minnow (clap)
But he didn’t catch me! (shake finger “no”)
Credit: Jbrary
Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing
Our breathwork visualization for the last few weeks of the summer session. We inhale while tracing up a finger, pause at the top, then exhale while tracing down, and pause at the bottom. Repeat for all five fingers. At the end, I let them know this is a great way to get calm, get centered or focused, and get ready for the next thing. I also remind them they can take a ten finger break if they need to, and it’s always available for them whenever they need it.
One more repeated activity. This has always been a favorite song!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Credit: Jbrary
Everyone loves bubbles! The wind was a little stronger than I’d anticipated, so I had to move quite a bit to the side to get the bubbles anywhere near the kids. They went chasing after them, so I’m glad we had a large lawn area!
Bubble Song: There Are Bubbles in the Air
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
There are bubbles in the air, in the air (x2)
There are bubbles in the air, there are bubbles everywhere!
There are bubbles in the air, in the air
Additional verses:
There are bubbles way up high… in the sky
There are bubbles way down low… that tickle your toes
Credit: Jbrary
I had this song in my back pocket, but the bubble time was so chaotic I didn’t do any more than the Bubbles in the Air song. I’m choosing to just play recorded music in the future anytime I do bubbles!
Bubble Song: My Bubbles
(tune of My Bonnie)
My bubbles flew over the ocean,
My bubbles flew over the sea,
My bubbles flew over the rainbow,
Oh come back, my bubbles, to me.
Come back, come back, oh come back my bubbles to me!
Credit: Storytime Katie
Craft: Tissue Paper Turtle
The most difficult thing about this craft was sorting through our box full of tissue paper squares to find the “turtle” colored ones. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to reach in and grab a variety of colors, but other times you really need just greens! This craft was inspired by The Adventures Start Here blog.
I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Wiggle by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin
Everyone is Yawning by Anita Bijsterbosch
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett & Kevin Cornell
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Credit: King County Library System
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 7/20/21.
Storytime Handout:
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 