Hugs is a great generic theme to use the week of Valentine’s Day without explicitly dealing with the holiday. Most toddlers are very hug-positive, though it’s also a great opportunity to introduce the idea of consent and that perhaps not everyone likes hugs, or there may be times they prefer not to hug. I also love that we can do lots of self-hugs, which are always available!
See another version of this theme from 2021.
Early Development Tip: (two tips again today!) Rhymes can boost memory retention. The repetition and predictability of rhyming words allow children to anticipate what’s coming next, helping them build vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Help your child understand that their bodies are their own and that they have the right to make decisions about their body. This includes letting your child decide if they would like to offer or receive a hug or kiss from family members or friends rather than making them. Learn more about discussing consent with young children here: https://tinyurl.com/mr2mt6k4
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet*
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: There are lots of ways to tell someone you love them. We can use our words – let’s say “I love you!”. We can sign it with our hands – do you know the ASL sign? [demo] We can write it on a card. OR you might ask if you can give them a hug. Sometimes you don’t feel like giving a hug, or you might not feel comfortable with a hug. That’s okay! It’s always okay to say, “I don’t feel like a hug right now.” And your friends may also feel that way, so it’s always a good idea to ask before giving hugs.
Let’s practice giving ourselves a hug!
Action Rhyme: Up and Down
Put your arms up, Put your arms down
Put them in the middle, Move them all around
One arm to the left, One arm to the right
Give yourself a hug, And hold on tight!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
A perfect book for toddlers about celebrating different kinds of hugs, including respecting others’ wishes not to hug. It’s short and to the point and very cute.
Read: Will Ladybug Hug? by Hilary Leung
I used this one for my evening session of this program, which is open to older kids (up to age 5.) I tend to have an older crowd, so I try to choose books that are just a little bit longer and more story-driven than the ones I choose for the littles. This one also shows different kinds of affection as well as big hugs for Mama.
Backup Reads: Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson
There’s a missing word in this rhyme, can you guess it?
Flannel Rhyme: Looking for a …
I’m looking for something warm and snug
You open your arms and give a great big…
…rug? NO! …bug? NO! …mug? NO! …plug? NO! …pug? NO! …slug? EW, NO! …hug? YES!
Source: Pasadena Public Library
There are lots of ways to hug. Here are a few for inspiration from The Catalogue of Hugs by Joshua David Stein, Augustus Heeren Stein & Elizabeth Lilly. [show 3-4 examples]
Such a cute book, but I didn’t want to use it for my read aloud, so I shoehorned a couple pages in here!
Bounce: Bounce, Tickle, Hug
I bounce you here, I bounce you there
I bounce you, bounce you everywhere
I tickle you here, I tickle you there
I tickle you, tickle you everywhere
I hug you here, I hug you there
I hug you, hug you everywhere
Source: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library
In creating the rhyme sheet for this one, I had to look hard to find an example of heart hands that are made like the rhyme. Most show the bottom of the heart made with the thumbs!
Did you know you can make a heart shape with your hands? Here’s how:
Fingerplay: Make a Heart
I put my hands together (hands palm-to-palm)
This is how I start
I curve my fingers right around (curl fingertips)
And I can make a heart!
Source: Verona Story Time
Make your heart hands when we say “love!”
I skipped this for time for the second program.
Action Song: Love, Love, Love
(tune of Three Blind Mice)
Love, love, love, Love, love, love (make heart hands)
See how it grows, see how it grows
I love my friends and they love me
We love others and then, you see
There’s more than enough for my family
It’s love, love, love
Source: Preschool Education
Here’s an old song about loving someone sooo much!
Not directly a hug song, but I always get so much enthusiasm from the adults for this. I think many of them forgot about the song but remembered it from their childhoods. I hope they sing it with their kids now they are reminded!
Action Song: Skinnamarink
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening, underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
Source: traditional Find hand motions at this video from Jbrary.
Okay, it’s time to get out our scarves! Can you shake out your scarf and make sure it’s working right?
This is a good one to get us comfortable using our scarves.
Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary
Can you pretend your scarf is a loving ladybug? She wants to hug you!
This was of most relevance after reading Will Ladybug Hug, but it worked fine for the other program, too.
Scarf Rhyme: Ladybug, Ladybug
Ladybug, ladybug, Fly out of the farm
And land right on my little arm
Ladybug, ladybug Fly out of the tree,
And land right on my little knee
Ladybug, ladybug Fly out of your bed
And land right on my little head
Ladybug, ladybug Fly out of the rose
And land right on my little nose
Source: Storytime Secrets
Now your scarf is a teddy bear – or your favorite stuffy or lovey! Can you give him a cuddle and a hug?
Scarf Song: Hug Your Bear
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Hug, hug, hug your bear
Squeeze him very tight
Hold him high and help him fly (toss scarf)
Then hug with all your might
Source: Jbrary
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: Stamped Hearts Craft
A second craft using hearts in two weeks! Oh, well, ’tis the season. My colleague planned this one – we used toilet paper tubes that were bent into a heart shape as well as pieces of celery to stamp hearts on pink paper. They turned out super sweet!
Here’s what the toilet paper tubes looked like – I forgot to take a picture of the setup as a whole. They aren’t hard to bend, but they generally only look good from one end. We also used our art smocks, which are always nice to have on hand whenever paint is out.
Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Kitty’s Cuddles – Jane Cabrera
How to Hug – Maryann Macdonald & Jana Christy
Hug Machine – Scott Campbell
Don’t Hug Doug – Carrie Finison & Daniel Wiseman
I Hug – David McPhail
Group Hug – Jean Reidy & Joey Chou
Hug Me, Please! – Przemysław Wechterowicz & Emilia Dziubak
10 Hugs and Kisses – Nicola Slater & Chronicle Books
How To Send A Hug – Hayley Rocco & John Rocco
Hugs are (Not) for Everybody – Ella Russell & Udayana Lugo
I Need A Hug – Aaron Blabey
So Many Cuddles – Ruth Austin & Clare Owen
The Hug – Eoin McLaughlin & Polly Dunbar
The Perfect Hug – Joanna Walsh & Judi Abbot
The Very Best Hug – Smriti Prasadam-Halls & Alison Brown
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug – Jonathan Stutzman
This storytime was presented in-person on 2/18 & 2/19/26.
Storytime Handout:
*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.
† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 