Who doesn’t like ice cream? No one in my storytime sessions, that’s for sure. We had an enthusiastic bunch for this sweet theme. August was a great time for me to do it, since it’s still summery but since our Summer Reading Program was over I didn’t need to tie it to the overall SRP theme.
As usual, I planned more than I had time for, so I cut my two flannel rhymes, but I will include them here for you. This storytime week I also did my monthly Stories and Stations evening program for ages 0-5, which is a shortened version of my daytime program with the addition of stations. It was fun to come up with an ice cream sensory bin, and of course, I had to do a little “research” at our local ice cream shop!
Early Development Tip: Scientific studies have shown that children develop best when they have a strong, positive relationship with a nurturing adult. This helps not only their physical development but their intellectual development as well. Hugs and kisses can be just as important as flash cards in getting a child ready for success in school. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
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: Summertime is a great time for a sweet, cold treat – ice cream! What’s YOUR favorite flavor?
Let’s do a little rhyme about ice cream in a bowl. Can you make a bowl shape with your arms? [Most of them used both arms to make a circle in front of them.] Wow, that’s a big bowl – you must be hungry for ice cream!
Action Rhyme: Ice Cream in a Bowl‡
Ice cream, ice cream, in a bowl (make a circle with arms)
Ice cream, ice cream, nice and cold (shiver)
Ice cream, ice cream, what a treat (clap three times)
Ice cream, ice cream, good to eat (rub tummy)
Source: The Learning Curve via Pinterest
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*‡
My coworker and I presented this title several weeks ago at our library’s end-of-summer ice cream social, and we decided to do it again for storytime! She came in as my guest and did most of the reading, and I did a lot of the “reactions” like the dino growls and played my ukulele during the song bits. We based our rendition on the book trailer music, and I used the chords A and E7 back and forth (sorry, no official song sheet!) It was so fun, and we had everyone singing and dancing by the end.
Read: Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin & Tom Lichtenheld‡
A very sweet book with a cool collage illustration style with cut out photographs mixed with the art. It has a lot of opportunities for making “emotion” faces and talking about our feelings.
Backup Read: Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
I went to the ice cream shop and I got all my favorites on a cone! How many scoops of ice cream did I get?
I did this one the first session and almost ran out of time at the end, so I scrapped it the second and third times. It is cute, though, and gives some opportunity to talk about ice cream flavors and colors. I start with four scoops since five seems like an extreme amount of ice cream! Flannel printout from Literary Hoots.
Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Ice Cream Incident
Four scoops of ice cream with sprinkles on top
I licked one scoop and it went PLOP! (count down to zero)
No scoops of ice cream on my cone
I’m still hungry, so I’m going home
Source: King County (WA) Library System
Who is this? Bunny might like some ice cream, too!
I was thinking about all this ice cream that sadly fell on the ground, and thought that maybe some animals would be super happy to find a treat like that. I picked out four animal puppets and kind of matched their color to the color of ice cream they eat, though you could definitely use any animal. There’s also that element of matching a color with a flavor for more conversation opportunities. Again, I was worried about time, so didn’t actually do this one, unfortunately.
Puppet/Counting Rhyme: Lucky Day!
Four scoops of ice cream sitting on the ground
Along comes a bunny, sniffing around
“I think strawberries are such a treat!”
What color ice cream will she eat? PINK!
additional verses:
frog… cool mint / bear… chocolate / chipmunk… vanilla
Source: original (Ms. Emily Library)
This was a good time to say this week’s early literacy tip.
Tickle: You Be the Ice Cream
You be the ice cream (nuzzle baby, say, “mmm”)
I’ll be the freezer (give baby a shivery hug)
You be the lemon (kiss baby’s cheek, make a sour face)
And I’ll be the squeezer (give a little squeeze)
You be the hot dog (squirt some mustard on)
And I’ll be the bun (give a cozy hug)
You be the baby (give a little bounce)
And we’ll have some fun! (give a hug and a tickle!)
Source: Jbrary
Time to get our ribbons out! Can you pretend your ribbons are ice cream cones?
I chose ribbons this week because that’s what the librarian used in the video for On Top of My Sundae. I explained a little by saying you can pretend your ice cream is a bit melty and dripping. For this rhyme, I changed the last line from “put your ice cream on the ground” since no one wants their ice cream on the ground!
Ribbon Chant: Ice Cream UP‡
Ice cream up! Ice cream down!
Hold your ice cream and turn around
Ice cream up! Ice cream down!
Wave your ice cream all around
Source: One Little Librarian via Librionyian
An ice cream sundae can be a fancy treat – it has sauce like hot fudge or caramel, maybe some nuts or sprinkles, whipped cream, and – a cherry on top! But what happened here?
Ribbon Song: On Top of My Sundae‡
(tune of On Top of Old Smokey)
On top of my sundae All covered in sauce
I lost my poor cherry It really got lost
It rolled off of the table And onto the floor
And then my poor cherry It rolled out the door
It rolled into the garden And under a bush
And then my poor cherry It turned into mush
So if you like your sundaes All covered in sauce
Hold on to your cherry Or it will be lost!
Source: Sno-Isle (WA) Libraries
To make a milkshake, you mix milk with cream – ice cream!
Ribbon Song: The Milkshake Song‡
You take a little milk – pour some milk!
And you take a little cream – pour some cream!
You stir it all up, You shake it and you’ll sing…
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Songs for Wiggleworms via Jbrary
I think the best way to enjoy ice cream is outside on a nice sunny day.
Ukulele/Ribbon Song: Mr. Sun‡
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*‡
Craft: Ice Cream Scene
I die cut circles in pastel colored construction paper and also cut brown cones and gray bowls. Kids could construct their ideal ice cream, adding extras like cherries or sprinkles with crayons.
And I remembered to take a picture of the setup, too!
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*‡
‡ For our evening Stories and Stations version of this program, we did only the activities above with a double dagger ‡ (instead of Wake Up Feet, we do Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop). After collecting our ribbons and before Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we released to stations! I put out toys and puzzles on the rug, and set stations up at the tables around the outside of the room.
Art Station: Ice Cream Scene – plus paint!
I went a little more involved with this art station, adding paint and cardboard paint stamps to the supplies. I think the older kids enjoyed the ability to use different art supplies. I made the cardboard stamps by die-cutting some cardboard circles and adding a little handle. This craft was inspired by The Artful Parent.
Gross Motor Station: Beanbag Toss
Not themed, but an additional fun station. Though I noticed only when setting up that our bean bags are kept in an old ice cream tub!
Fine Motor Station: Craft Stick Sort
Another unthemed station that I’ve used many times!
Sensory Station: Pom Pom Ice Cream Sensory Bins
Definitely themed, and a lot of fun to create! I scavenged all our pom poms from the library craft supply, and added paper ice cream cones, ice cream cups (donated by our local ice cream shop, where I did some additional “research,”) ice cream scoops and a couple measuring cups.
Toys and Puzzles
Our regular baby toys and puzzles, as well as soft food, babies in a basket, and lacing cards came out as another option for play. I didn’t capture a picture of this one.
After 20 minutes of free station time, I ring our bell to gather everyone again in the storytime room. Everyone helps put away the toys and puzzles before we end with our last two songs.
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Pick Me! – Max Amato
Should I Share My Ice Cream? – Mo Willems
The Ice Cream Vanishes – Julia Sarcone-Roach
Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck – Sorche Fairbank & Terry Runyan
The Little Ice Cream Truck – Margery Cuyler & Bob Kolar
The Nice Dream Truck – Beth Ferry & Brigette Barrager
I Want Ice Cream! – Elisabetta Pica & Silvia Borando
What Can You Do with a Paleta? – Carmen Tafolla & Magaly Morales
This storytime was presented in-person on 8/25, 8/26, & 8/27/26.
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
