We’re back doing outdoor summer programming! I love outdoor programming. It’s novel and fun and just seems more sensory than indoor programs. I started doing outdoor programs in 2013, when our regular indoor summer storytimes always seemed to be full, and we were getting interest from daycares bringing 5-10 kids. That would have wiped out most of one class’s registered openings, so we decided to offer a once a week outdoor class with no registration and no limit to accommodate them. The regular programmers were super busy, so I took that on as the manager. It was my first foray into programming for little ones (previously I’d been the Teen Services Librarian), and I really fell in love with it. Of course, I came back to it after a break when the pandemic hit and the safest way to offer programs was outdoors in 2021.
This year we’re all about the CSLP 2022 theme, Oceans of Possibilities. I have a weekly sub-theme and am presenting an outdoor program for the littles three days a week. Monday is Book Babies, for ages 0-2 (which we didn’t have the first week since our big Kick-Off party was Monday). Tuesday is Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5, and Wednesday is Family Time, for ages 0-3.5. I’m welcoming siblings as well, so we’ve had a few older kids join us, too. The program is basically the same for each age group, but I might adjust my book selection for the older or younger group.
For each session, we’re doing about 15-20 minutes of storytime rhymes, songs, and a book, then there is 20 minutes of free play at our seven sensory stations. We end with bubbles and a goodbye song. I’ve never done stations like this before, so it was a lot of planning (and anxiety – “will this work!?”). My goal is to give kids and grownups some ideas of things they could do at home, plus give the kids (and caregivers) an opportunity to socialize with others. Many of them were born during or right before the pandemic started and have not had a chance at “normal” socialization. They’re very much still learning about sharing, appropriate interactions, friendship. I’m happy to report that stations were a total hit our first week, with lots of “This is such a great idea!” “You’re so well organized!” “I could totally do this at home” comments from caregivers. So gratifying!
Our first week is all about Ocean Life – fish, crabs, sea turtles, octopuses, etc. I’d planned a “paint with water” activity as one of the stations, but we had overcast skies and that works best on a hot, sunny day to dry out the concrete, so I switched it with a sponge play activity I’d originally planned for later in the summer.
I’m relying heavily on repetition this year, with only one themed song and a themed book changing each week. Our other songs and rhymes will be repeated, to ground us in consistency. Additionally, two stations are repeated each week, with three others rotating and two additional ones unique each week. I’ll indicate each below.
Early Literacy Tip: My goal is for your children to have positive experiences and thoughts about the library and reading, so if you’re having a rough day or not having fun, it’s completely okay to step away for a bit to calm yourself and come back when you’re ready. If you need to leave early for any reason, that’s fine, too. That goes for reading at home, too. It’s better to take breaks and come back when the mood is right rather than force a child to sit through a book when they’re not enjoying it.
In our winter/spring indoor programs, I’d been doing a song where each child was named in a verse of the song. Due to spacing and distancing concerns, I only had 7 kids then. Now that we’re outside, I’m having 15-20 kids, so this welcome song, which lets me do three names each verse, goes a little faster!
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (repeated)
(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! (repeat as needed)
(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”)
Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated)
(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
(This week we also “jumped” and “twirled” – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting)
Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme:
Our summer theme this year is “Oceans of Possibilities!” This week we’re looking at what lives in the ocean. Can anyone think of something that lives in the ocean? (hopefully “fish” is mentioned!) Here’s a song about some of those animals!
Every single time I try to sing this melody the way Caspar Babypants does, but it always seems to come out more like Michael Finnigan (the way Jbrary does it). I keep trying!
Themed Song: All the Fish
All the fish are swimming in the water, (hands zig-zag in front of you)
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water,
Bubble, bubble, bubble, POP! (corkscrew fingers up then CLAP)
Additional verses:
All the crabs are snapping in the water… (pinch with hands as pincers)
All the sharks are chomping in the water… (arms snap together vertically like jaws)
Source: adapted from Jbrary, Caspar Babypants, from the album “I Found You”
Transition Song: If You’re Ready for a Story
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you’re ready for a story, if you’re ready for a story,
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap)
Source: Miss Keithia (my predecessor)
Themed Book:
Little White Fish by Guido van Genechten
OR
Hooray For Fish by Lucy Cousins
I ended up only doing Little White Fish, but had Hooray for Fish as a backup.
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me.
Repeated Song: The Ocean Song
(tune of The Elevator Song)
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand!
There are lots of big ships but very little land
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor
And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the…
waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
And we turn… a-… round!
Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it.
Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing
Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe.
Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations
I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station.
Repeated Stations:
Kinetic Sand (Dry)
I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after that this one should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this station.
Pouring Station (Wet)
I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week.
Rotating Stations:
Craft Stick Sort (Dry)
I noticed in my storage bin that I had these boxes of dot painters that have small holes already in the top. I colored a ring around each hole a different rainbow color and added colored craft sticks for a fine motor and color identification station.
Beanbag Sort (Dry)
We had these beanbags from Lakeshore Learning that are different colors and shapes. They’re a super easy station where kids can play and sort with them in several ways.
Ocean Boulder Leap (Action)
This started out in my head as a lily pad leap, but adapted to the ocean theme. We had the rubber dots from an active play set and I cut out some crab graphics to tape on for flavor.
Unique Stations:
Sponge Play (Wet)
Based on this Pinterest idea from Little Lifelong Learners, I just had sponges in bins of water for little ones to play with. Of course, I have to do some theme stuff, so in addition to simple shapes (sticks, triangles, circles), I cut out some ocean animals as well. These sponges will be reused in a craft later in the summer. This was the only station I snapped a picture of outdoors – but I’ll be sure to do more pictures in upcoming posts.
Finger Painting (Art/Messy)
I simply put out pieces of paper in our messy trays with finger paints in recycled plastic containers. There was a rinse station nearby with a couple buckets of water and towels for cleaning up hands. All of my craft stations this summer are simple process-focused art with different media.
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group!
Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia
From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
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!)
Source: King County Library System
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
In the Sea by David Elliott & Holly Meade
The Old Boat by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey
Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone & Clare Beaton
Ocean Counting by Janet Lawler & Brian Skerry
Little White Fish Deep Beneath the Sea by Guido van Genechten
Little White Fish and His Daddy by Guido van Genechten
Oscar the Octopus by Matthew Van Fleet
Dolphin Baby! by Nicola Davies & Brita Granström
This storytime was presented in-person on 6/7/22 & 6/8/22.
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 
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