Here’s another Book Babies plan! During the summer I was outside for my toddler classes, so this was the only indoor program I did in June and July. Here’s the plan from July, 2023. I do the same themeless plan three weeks each month at a time, to get the caregivers familiar and comfortable with the songs and rhymes. I usually switch to a different prop each month, and change out songs and rhymes a few at a time, so there are always a few familiars in the lineup.
The books featured in the photos below are just some of the board books made available for individual reading.
See all the Book Babies plans here.
Early Literacy Tip: Pairing directional words with motions that match while singing and rhyming helps babies better understand their meanings in a fun way. The purposeful gestures we use in “I’m Riding on My Bicycle” and “The ‘Chute Is on My Head” help baby learn new words.
Here is our room setup, with the parachute out for babies to lay on/sit on, with a few chairs for those who prefer them to the floor. My pink short chair is perfect for this – I can move easily from it to the floor if I want to demo one way or another. I wish our parachute was colorful – I think the original idea was that you can write on it. There are some names on there from years ago that are probably grown with their own children by now.
For this and the next song, I use puppets to greet everyone.
Welcome/Puppet Song: Hello, Everybody
(tune of Skip to My Lou)
Hello, everybody and how are you?
Hello, everybody and how are you?
Hello, everybody and how are you?
How are you today?
Hello, [name 1], how are you?
Hello, [name 2], how are you?
Hello, [name 3], how are you?
How are you today?
I finally changed up this hello animal puppet song! I do still start with the dog Scout, then bring out two other random animals.
Song: The Dog Says Hello
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The dog says hello, The dog says hello
Woof, woof, Woof-woof, woof-woof
The dog says hello!
Repeat with any other animals; try using puppets!
Source: adapted from the traditional
I sing this to the tune of Where Has My Little Dog Gone, and none of the videos I’ve seen of these words do. But I can’t not hear it to this tune! Do what works for you.
Body Song: Where Are Baby’s Fingers?
(tune of Where Has My Little Dog Gone)
Where, oh where are baby’s fingers?
Where, oh where are their toes?
Where, oh where, is baby’s belly button?
‘Round and round it goes!
(make circle around belly)
Where, oh where are baby’s ears?
Where, oh where is their nose?
Where, oh where, is baby’s belly button?
Round and round it goes!
Source: Jbrary
I thought it was very cool to learn (and share with my families) that this rhyme was published in a book for children in 1893. There are a few slightly different versions, but this is the one we did.
Fingerplay Rhyme: Here Is a Ball for Baby
Here’s a ball for baby (touch ten fingers together in a ball)
Big and soft and round
Here is baby’s hammer (pound fist into palm)
See how it can pound
Here are baby’s soldiers (hold fingers up)
Standing in a row
Here is baby’s music (clap hands)
Clapping, clapping so
Here is baby’s trumpet (hands to mouth like a trumpet)
Tootle-doo-doooo!
And here’s baby’s favorite game,
Peek-a-boo! (cover face with hands, then remove)
Source: Washington County (OR) Cooperative Library Services
Bounce: A Smooth Road
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary
Bounce/Lift: Acka Backa
Acka backa soda cracker
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker
Up goes you! (lift)
Acka backa soda cracker
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker
I love you! (hug)
Source: traditional
After some bouncing and lifting, we slow it down a bit with a lullaby. This is such a sweet one.
Ukulele Lullaby: Rockabye You
Rockabye you high, Rockabye you low
Rockabye you close, Rockabye you slow
Rockabye you high, Rockabye you low
Rockabye you everywhere we go
Rockabye the sun, Rockabye the moon
Rockabye the sweet flowers growing in June
Rockabye you love, My turtle dove
Rockabye you everywhere I go
Source: Kathy Reid-Naiman
Download a ukulele songsheet for Rockabye You
I place a book on each wedge on the parachute , so I encourage grownups to take a few minutes to grab a book that is nearby and looks interesting, and to interact with the book however they’d like with their baby. They can read the text, but they don’t have to – they can describe the pictures, colors, or even just let their baby practice turning pages. We generally do this for 2-3 minutes, or until the group as a whole seems to be nearing a stopping point.
Read: choose a board book that’s nearby and looks interesting to you!
Pictured:
Who Is Making a Mess? – Maria D’Haene & Charlie Eve Ryan
Sonrisas for Baby – Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez
Peek-a-You! – Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney
Before doing this rhyme, I shared our early development tip. I found this song on this blog post that shared this short video of a caregiver singing the song a capella and the baby doing the motion themselves and giving a joyful scream. It’s so cute. The official recorded version is a little long, so I do the chorus, then two verses back to back, then the chorus, then the last two verses. It’s very fun!
Song: I’m Riding on My Bicycle
(Lay baby on their back, and cycle their legs like they’re riding a bike!)
I’m riding on my bicycle,
I’m riding on my bicycle,
I’m riding on my bicycle,
All around the town!
Verses:
My bike goes up, up, up… My bike goes down, down down… (legs go up or down)
My bike goes slow… My bike goes fast… (cycle fast and slow)
My bike goes twist… My bike goes turn… (cross legs both ways)
My bell goes ding-a-ling-a-ling! (tickle!)
Source: Nancy Kopman (this link is to the full song)
Prop Songs & Rhymes
Each month is a new prop. This month we moved our books and played with the parachute.
Parachute Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Source: traditional
Since this rhyme has some ups and downs, I thought it might work well for the parachute. Instead of clapping the numbers as we normally would, we made the sound of the clock with our voices.
Parachute Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory, dickory dock,
the mouse ran up the clock
the clock struck one (ding!)
the mouse ran down, hickory dickory dock!
…two… the mouse said, boo!
…three… the mouse said, whee!
…four… the mouse said, no more!
Source: Jbrary
Parachute Song: The ‘Chute Is on My Head
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The ‘chute is on my head
The ‘chute is on my head
Hi-ho the dairy-o,
The ‘chute is on my head!
additional verses:
The ‘chute goes up and down…
The ‘chute goes fast and slow…
Source: Laughter and Literacy
Parachute Song: Peek a Boo
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Peek a boo, peek a boo
I see you, I see you
I see your button nose, I see your tiny toes
I see you, peek a boo!
Source: Jbrary
To adapt this for babies, we bounce or clap rather than scraping our hands past each other, and walk fingers up and down baby’s body, arms, or legs for the “if you want to take a trip” part.
Lifting Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Zoom, zoom, zoom, We’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, We’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom, zoom, zoom, We’re going to the moon
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off!
Source: Jbrary
I find it really helpful to finish with a rhyme that definitively says that storytime is over. This one is short and sweet.
Goodbye Rhyme: Hands Up High
Hands up high! (Put your hands in air)
Now give a big sigh (sigh and bring hands down)
Our storytime’s over
So wave bye-bye (wave)
Source: Pasadena Public Library
And that’s it! We don’t have time for free play at the end, but I encouraged grownups to take a little time in the children’s department to play and socialize together.
Suggested books are a little different on my handout since at my library board books are not able to be held if they’re checked out. My handout says:
Check out our board book selections – they cannot be held or requested, so see what’s available anytime you visit the library! Here are some other titles that *can* be requested:
Say Hello Like This – Mary Murphy
Wee Rhymes: Baby’s First Poetry Book – Jane Yolen & Jane Dyer
The Babies on the Bus – Karen Katz
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe – Jane Cabrera
Mine, Mine, Mine, Yours – Kimberly Gee
Boop! – Bea Birdsong & Linzie Hunter
Welcome to the World – Julia Donaldson & Helen Oxenbury
This storytime was presented in-person on 7/6, 7/13, 7/20, & 7/27/23.
Storytime Handout:
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 