Tag: animals

Storytime: Eggs

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Eggs are so intriguing! What’s inside? Who lays eggs? We explored eggs and the animals that lay them this week in storytime. (You could also do some breakfast-y type things, but I didn’t go that route.)

This was also a theme that lent itself very well to flannels. I made two new flannels and reused an old one for this theme!

Early Literacy Tip: Children are so curious about the world around them. Take advantage of this curiosity to help them develop background knowledge. When we talk with our children about things that interest them and when we share books to broaden their knowledge, all this learning they have about the world, big ideas and little facts, will help them later understand what they read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* I’ve actually stopped doing this one in general, but keep it in my flip display of rhyme and song lyrics so I can use it as a backup at any time.

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: (point out eggs on the flannelboard) Oh, my, what are these? Eggs! A lot of animals are born from eggs. I wonder what is inside these eggs?

This is an old standby – I use it a lot!
Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five eggs and five eggs, And that makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen
Cackle, cackle, cackle, And what do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be
Source: Mel’s Desk

Flannel from Sunflower Storytime, now defunct. You can download it here.

ten fluffy chicks thumbnail, with a graphic of two clutches of five eggs with a brown hen on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Tickle: Chicken in the Barnyard (TT) (TB) (FT)
Chicken in the barnyard (circle baby’s hand or tummy)
Staying out of trouble
Along comes a turkey (move fingers up arm or chest)
Gobble, gobble, gobble! (tickle under arm or chin)
Source: Jen in the Library

chicken in the barnyard thumbnail, with a graphic of a small yellow chick running away from a turkey. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri (TT)
This one was nice and simple, but I wished there were turtle eggs or something that was non-avian.

whose chick are you book cover

Read: Egg by Kevin Henkes (TB) (FT)
The surprise factor was fun! I also appreciated how there were opportunities to talk about emotions. The last (twist) page didn’t quite hit home for my group, but overall the book worked.

egg book cover

Do you know a famous rhyme about a big egg who sits on a wall?
A bit of a mash-up: I did the full body movement I found on the intellidance video, while giving the option to rock in a lap as well. I didn’t do the “and crack” she does at the end, but launched straight to “Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle…” My flannel is double sided, so a quick flip shows Humpty cracked.
Action Rhyme: Rock on the Wall (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rock and rock and rock on the wall (rock side to side)
Rock and rock and hope we don’t fall…
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (bounce up and down)
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! (tilt back or thru legs)
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men (bounce or rock fast!)
Couldn’t put Humpty together again
Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle
Humpty Dumpty needed a cuddle (give baby a big hug)
Source: Felt-tastic Flannelboard Funtime & Intellidance (see it here as a lap rhyme, and here as a full body action rhyme)

flannel of rock on the wall, with a piece of dark red felt with brown bricks. Two eggs are superimposed, one sitting at the top of the wall with a smile and a big red bowtie, the second on its side at the bottom of the wall frowning, with cracks and tie askew.

rock on the wall thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon humpty dumpty sitting on the wall and another at the bottom, cracked. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I worked HARD on this flannel, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. To get the heathered look on the duck and duckling, I started with a heathered gray felt and painted it with watercolors. It worked, though it took a long time to dry! I also painted the duck egg a light blue/teal. I wanted all three eggs to look different, and the ducks to be a little more realistic.
Wow, here are some more eggs! They look different, don’t they?
Flannel Story: Three Eggs in a Basket (TT) (TB) (FT)
There were three eggs in a basket.
The first egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out came a little chick.
The second egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! A duckling popped out.
The third egg began to rock back and forth. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out popped a little turtle! (Did you know turtles came from eggs?)
Along came a mother hen. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
Along came a mamma duck. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
Along came a mamma turtle. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby?
All of the mothers have found all of their babies! Yay!
Source: Librarian Is on the Loose

flannel for three eggs in a basket, showing a simple brown basket with three eggs - a brown one with a yellow chick showing on top, a larger blue egg with a duckling, and a round white egg with a turtle. ARound the basket are a large brown/gray duck, brown hen, and green turtle.

Turtles aren’t the only reptiles that hatch from eggs. Did you know dinosaurs also hatched from eggs?
Action Rhyme: Inside Her Eggshell (TT) (TB) (FT)
Inside her egg shell, white and round
Baby dinosaur is safe and sound
But she wants to come out into the light
So she pushes and shoves with all her might
Her shell soon cracks and creaks and pops
One big jump and out she pops!
Source: Yogibrarian

inside her eggshell thumbnail, with a graphic of a dinosaur sitting in a cracked egg. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Activity: Dino Eggs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Can you find any eggs around our room? See if you can find an egg and bring it to your grownup. Then we’ll see what’s inside!
I “hid” plastic eggs with felt dinosaurs made from our die cutter around the room. There aren’t many places to hide things, so this was mostly on top of the chairs that remain at the tables, and a couple in the windowsills. The kids loved finding eggs and bringing them up to the mini-flannelboard (we use with outreach) that was low enough for them to reach (mine is up higher). After the scrum of kids retreated, we counted how many dinos they found.
Source: Falling Flannelboards

Now let’s come up and pick out an egg shaker!

Couldn’t do an egg program without some egg shaking!
Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg shakers up, egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed!
Source: Jbrary

egg shakers up thumbnail, with a graphic of four different colored egg shapes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one actually didn’t work that well. The kids were confused about rolling the egg on the floor, even though I was demoing. I nixed it for the third group.
Shaker Rhyme: Little Egg (TT) (TB)
Once there was a little egg that jumped down to the floor
It started rolling all around then rolled right out the door
Little egg, roll, roll, roll, Roll all around
Little egg roll, roll, roll, All across the ground
Source: Jen in the Library

little egg thumbnail, with a graphic of a grassy hill with a gray egg rolling down it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was a backup and came in handy when I didn’t do the Little Egg rhyme.
Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker (FT)
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

shake your shaker thumbnail, with a graphic of three different colored egg shapes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We ended with a recorded song.
Recorded Song: I Know a Chicken (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Whaddaya Think Of That?

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: Egg Babies (TB) (FT)
Inspiration for this craft came from Krokotak, but I wanted the option to choose what egg baby was inside your egg. I used Canva to find outline images of animals that hatch from eggs, and sized them and an egg shape to fit. There were enough egg babies for each child to choose several, and they could switch them out in their egg or glue one down.

Download the egg template here. Download egg babies here.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
An Egg Is Quiet – Dianna Aston & Sylvia Long
Guess What Is Growing Inside this Egg – Mia Posada
Egg – Amy Sky Koster & Lisel Jane Ashlock
Hatch! – Roxie Munro
Where Are the Eggs? – Grace Lin
Tillie Lays an Egg – Terry Golson & Ben Fink
First the Egg – Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Hello, I’m Here! – Helen Frost & Rick Leider
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur – Kallie George & Oriol Vidal
Mother Bruce – Ryan T. Higgins

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/25, 3/26, & 3/27/24.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Color Wheel – Green

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Welcome back to me catching up on programs from a few weeks ago! Here is our LAST in the Color Wheel series, and possibly the easiest one to plan: Green. This has been a great series, and it largely allowed for broad options in choosing rhymes, songs, and books (except purple!) Green is no exception, and I had, in fact, done “green” storytimes in the past as a March theme. I did a few new-to-me activities as well as a couple old favorites. I was even inspired to make up a new rhyme!

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstorm objects/animals/plants that are generally the color in question and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s my list for green!

Frogs
Turtles
Peas
Plants/Trees
Broccoli/other veg
Alligator/Crocodile
Kiwi
Caterpillar
Snake
Grass
Avocado
Lime

Early Development Tip: Take advantage of the many opportunities during the day to give words to feelings—your child’s feelings and your own. This can be done when the child is playing, making transitions from one activity to another, or while looking at the facial expressions of characters as you read books together. Your child is not only learning vocabulary, but also learning how to identify different feelings which helps with self-regulation.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! Today’s color is green! Green is made when we mix yellow and blue together. Can you think of anything that is green? Write answers on whiteboard in green pen. Is anyone wearing green today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I did this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Green, green is the color I see
If you’re wearing green, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your green and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: What Does Little Crocodile Say? by Eva Montanari (TT) (FT)
This was an absolute hit. I asked the group to help me tell the story by helping me make the noises. Everyone participated! The little ones enjoyed that, and the grown-ups also had fun with the story – lots of “awwws” on the last reveal.

What does little crocodile say book cover

Read: Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan (TB)
Although this is a lovely book, with simple and repetitive words, it was just a little too conceptual for my group. I tried pointing out that the seasons were changing, and everyone liked the cute pictures of the turtles playing in the snow, but I’m not sure they really got that concept of the time passing.

turtle walk book cover

The order of activities depended on which book we read – we followed it with the rhyme matching, then did the other.

This was very fun. I did it as shown in the KCPL video first, with just hand motions, then got out my crocodile puppet, which they loved! I offered to let them pet the croc after, and a few were very excited and few hung back.
Action Rhyme: The Hungry Crocodile (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here comes the hungry crocodile
With his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp
In the swamp swamp swamp
So swim fast, fish
Birds, fly away
Move along, turtles and crabs
Hurry on your way
For here comes the hungry crocodile
With his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp
In the swamp swamp swamp
Source: King County (WA) Library System

the hungry crocodile thumbnail, with a graphic of a green cartoon croc. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a rhyme about a hungry turtle.
Fingerplay: There Was a Little Turtle (TT) (TB) (FT)
There was a little turtle (make fist)
who lived in a box (cover fist with arm)
he swam in the puddles (fist wiggles like swimming)
he climbed on the rocks (fist climbs up opposite arm)
He snapped at a mosquito, (pinch with thumb and fingers at each “snap”)
he snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow,
he snapped at me!
He caught that mosquito, (clap each “caught”)
He caught that flea
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

there was a little turtle thumbnail, with a graphic of a green turtle with a brown and green shell. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

And don’t forget about the green frog!
Fingerplay: Mr. Bullfrog (TT)
Here is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
Sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water… (lift fist, building anticipation)
KERPLOP! (clap hands together)
Source: Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends

Mr. Bullfrog thumbnail, with a graphic of a realistic looking clipart bullfrog on a rock. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Rhyme: Funny, Funny, Froggy (TB) (FT)
Funny, funny froggy, Hop, hop hop!
Funny, funny froggy, Stop, stop, stop!
Funny, funny froggy, Jump with me
Funny, funny froggy, Now go free!
Source: adapted from Books and Bibliotheks

Funny funny froggy thumbnail, with a graphic of a silly cartoon frog with its tongue sticking out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We passed out scarves. I’ve done this rhyme several times without in the past, but it lends itself very well to scarf play!
Now let’s think about some green plants. Can we pretend to be trees?
Scarf Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (crouch, with scarf scrunched)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (stand up)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake arms and scarf)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (stretch tall)
Source: Jbrary

Be a seed thumbnail, with a graphic of an acorn and a tree. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Again, I don’t think this was originally meant to be used with scarves, but it works well. For bees buzzing, we shook our scarves.
What makes trees green? Their leaves! Demo: We’re going to have a big leaf, little ladybug, and then the bees are going to come buzzing around. Can you buzz like a bee?
Scarf Song: A Big Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Ram Sam Sam)
A big green leaf, a big green leaf (hold scarf apart)
Little ladybug (pinch fingers/scarf close)
On a big green leaf (x2)

A bumblebee- BZZ! (tickle or wave scarf around)
A bumblebee- BZZ!
And a little ladybug On a big green leaf (x2)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

a big green leaf thumbnail, with a graphic of a green leaf with a small ladybug crawling on it, and a black and yellow bumblebee flying opposite. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We waved the scarves rhythmically until we we came to the body part, then put the scarves there. I moved from place to place where food might go – head, chest, lap, then feet.
There are also a lot of green plants that are good to eat, and good for your body. This is a silly song about green zucchini!
Scarf Song: Green Zucchini (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Alouette)
Green zucchini, I like green zucchini
Green zucchini, That’s what I like best
Do you like it on your head?
Yes, I like it on my head!
On your head? On my head! Ooooooh!
Source: Jbrary

green zucchini thumbnail, with a graphic of two zucchini, one whole and one partially sliced into medallions. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We’d done the lemonade chant a couple weeks ago for the “Yellow” theme, and looking at my “list of green things” and saying broccoli out loud, it just fit. Our scarves were just accessories for this. I held mine loosely between fingers while clapping.
And one more rhyme about good green things to eat! We pretended to be a big tree earlier. Have you ever eaten a tree? Or something that LOOKS like a tree – broccoli!
Chant: Broccoli (TB)
Broccoli (clap, clap, clap!)
Peas and beans (clap, clap, clap!)
All these greens (clap, clap, clap!)
Taste good to me! (clap, clap, clap!)
Broccoli, peas and beans
All these greens taste good to me
Turn around, Jump up and down
Sit down to lunch and Go to town! Nom, nom!
Source: original, adapted from the traditional “Lemonade” clapping game

broccoli thumbnail, with a graphic of a dinner plate featuring broccoli, peas, and green beans. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: Green Finger Paint Art (TB) (FT)
Everyone got a blob of blue and a blob of yellow paint to mix up, then paint whatever they liked! You can see a bit of blue toward the back of the croc that didn’t get blended.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Where Is the Green Sheep? – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Our Green City – Tanya Lloyd Kyi & Colleen Larmour
A New Green Day – Antoinette Portis
Is This Your Class Pet? – Troy Cummings
Eco Girl – Ken Wilson-Max
The Swamp Where Gator Hides – Marianne Berkes & Roberta Baird
A Good Place – Lucy Cousins
Green on Green – Dianne White & Felicita Sala
In the Tall, Tall Grass – Denise Fleming

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/4, 3/5, & 3/6/24.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Color Wheel – Pink

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Okay, so I know that pink isn’t officially on the color wheel (and according to Pink Is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward isn’t even a color but just a “tint”), but I had plenty of ideas for pink and I was able to schedule it during the week of Valentine’s Day, so it got added to our color wheel!

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstorm objects/animals/plants that are generally the color in question and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s this week’s list:

Pigs
Flamingos
Strawberry ice cream
Watermelon
Axolotl
Blobfish
Shrimp
Radish
Flowers
Hearts
Bubblegum
Worms
Ballet costumes/tutus

This was an odd week for me – I ended up getting a cold and stayed home on Monday and Tuesday, and thankfully my colleagues covered for me. So I only presented the program once on Wednesday. I realize that presenting three times really does help me get a good feel for what works best and how to adjust a bit here and there. Doing just one didn’t really do that for me, so it would be interesting to see how different groups react to some of the activities. I know a few things my colleagues weren’t familiar with just got skipped, which is fine! It all worked out in the end.

Early Development Tip: The song Sticky Bubblegum incorporates cross-lateral movement (crossing the midline of the body, which promotes brain/body development and gross motor skills), body part identification, pretend/imaginative play, vocabulary, and listening and doing.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was thighs & heads.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! Today’s color is pink! Can you think of anything that is pink? Write answers on whiteboard in red pen. Is anyone wearing pink today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Pink, pink is the color I see
If you’re wearing pink, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your pink and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I believe that both of my colleagues chose this book to read. My Wednesday group was a little young, so I chose it, too. It’s silly and very short, with very bold graphics, so a great storytime choice.
Read: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli (TT) (TB) (FT)

the watermelon seed book cover

I’d planned to read this one to my slightly older group on Tuesday. It’s a bit longer, but has lots of animals in it, plus a seek and find feature. But because I was out sick, it didn’t get a reading.
Read: Pinky Got Out! by Michael Portis & Lori Richmond

Pinky got out book cover

Can you pretend you have a great big watermelon in your arms?
Action Song: Watermelon (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watermelon, Watermelon,
On the vine, On the vine,
Sweet and pink and yummy, Sweet and pink and yummy,
Please be mine! Please be mine!

Watermelon, Watermelon,
Thump, thump, thump, Thump, thump, thump,
I think you are ready, I think you are ready
Big and plump! Big and plump!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Watermelon thumbnail, with a graphic of a whole watermelon and a slice of watermelon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do a silly fingerplay about a small pink animal who lives in the soil and likes to wiggle around. What is it? An earthworm! But oh, no, these worms have lost their wiggle!
Fingerplay: The Worm Wiggle (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here are some worms who are, oh, so sad (limp fingers)
They’ve lost all the wiggles that they once had
They wonder if you, just for today
Would lend them your wiggles so they can play?
Wiggle them up and wiggle them down
Wiggle the worms around and around
Wiggle them high and wiggle them low
Wiggle them fast and wiggle them slow
Wiggle them over your shoes and your socks
Then wiggle them back into their box (fold into other hand)
Source: Storytime with Miss Tara

the worm wiggle thumbnail, with a graphic of five worms wiggling in various ways. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I really wanted a flamingo rhyme, but couldn’t find one other than “If You’re a Flamingo and You Know It.” So I wrote this one to be a little shorter but still action based. (It might work a little better if we had read the flamingo book and knew some facts about flamingos)
I can think of two other animals that are pink. Can you think of one with wings?
Action Rhyme: Pink Flamingo (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m a pink flamingo, flapping to the coast (flap arms)
I stand on one leg, straight as a post (stand on one leg)
I wade in the water and search for a bite (hand nibbles downward)
These pink shrimp taste just right (rub tummy)
When the day is over and the sun gets low
I tuck my head under my wing and sleep just so
(cover head with arm, AND stand on one leg if you can!)
Source: original

Pink flamingo thumbnail, with a graphic of three flamingos, one flying, one bending down while standing on one leg, and one with their head tucked backward in sleep (also on one leg). click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Maybe you’ve done this nursery rhyme on your toes before, but let’s try it on our fingers.
Fingerplay Rhyme: This Little Piggy (TT) (TB) (FT)
(wiggle each toe or finger on one side, starting with the thumb)
This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
And this little piggy had none
And this little piggy cried “wee wee wee” all the way home (tickle!)

(now try on the other hand or foot, starting with the pinky)
This little piggy had a rub-a-dub-dub
And this little piggy had a scrub-a-dub-dub
This little pig-a-wig ran upstairs
And this little pig-a-wig cried out ‘BEARS!’
Down came the jar with a big slam bam (clap or pat foot)
And this little piggy had all the jam
Source: traditional, second verse found with King County (WA) Library System

This little piggy thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon pig and a spilled jar of purple jam. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I would have done this one with the Tuesday group, but my colleague decided to nix it for This Little Piggy. I have used this in the past, but I don’t think I’ve ever blogged about it before! I got the flannel printout pieces from the now-defunct Sunflower Storytime. Since they don’t have it online anymore, I feel okay posting it here for you. (If you are the Sunflower original and want me to desist, please just let me know!) The flannel is fun because it’s reversable – the pigs flip and the dirty side shows!
The other animal I am thinking of is pink – lives on a farm, likes to take mud baths, says OINK!
Counting Song: Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean
(tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs)
Five pigs so squeaky clean,
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play, Oink! Oink! (clap, clap)
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a great big thud
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs (count down)
Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer online)

Download Sunflower Storytime’s flannelboard template here.

flannelboard pieces for Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean - five printed and laminated ovals containing a cartoon pig in each. The first two have brown splotches on them, the last three are clean pink. The dirty pigs face right and the clean pigs face left.

five pigs so squeaky clean thumbnail, with a graphic of five pigs: three clean and two dirty. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Not sure if this got done on Monday, but it was crossed off my Tuesday sheet!
Song: Sticky Bubble Gum (TT) (FT)
(Spoken intro)
Did you bring your bubble gum?
What about pretend bubble gum?
Can you find some pretend bubble gum in your pocket? Reach in and get it out.
Unwrap it, and stick the wrapper back in your pocket – we don’t want to litter!
Is your gum pink like mine is?
Let’s pop it in and start chewing
Is it soft and squishy? Is it yummy?
Let’s blow an imaginary bubble – show me with your hands as you blow it
Bigger, bigger – oh, no it popped!
There’s sticky bubble gum everywhere. Pull it off your forehead, nose, chin…
Now squish it all together in a big sticky ball of bubble gum.
And SMASH IT!
Oh, no, it’s so sticky that my hands are stuck together.
The only way I know to get them unstuck is to sing the sticky bubblegum song.
(Singing)
Sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Bubble gum, Bubble gum
Sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Sticking your hands to your knees! and UN-STICK!
Source: Carole Peterson (see her perform this, including the guided intro, at https://vimeo.com/95412823)

Sticky bubblegum thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of lips blowing a pink bubble. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What color is a hug? Hugs aren’t really a color, but when people think of love, a lot of times they think of pink! Pink can be a love color.
Action Rhyme: Up and Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
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) Library (storytime page no longer functional)

up and down thumbnail, with a graphic of a boy and a girl giving themselves a hug. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I like making up Down By the Bay rhymes! Here are the ones I came up with that have to do with the pink things we talked about today.
Silly Song: Down By the Bay (PINK Edition!) (TT) (TB) (FT)
Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home, I dare not go
For if I do, my mother will say:
“Did you ever see a pig wearing a fancy wig,
Down by the bay?”

Additional verses:
…flamingo doing the limbo…
…worm watering his fern…
…slug giving another slug a hug…
…have a time you couldn’t make a rhyme…
Source: adapted from the traditional

Download a ukulele songsheet for Down By the Bay!

Thumbnail of "Down By the Bay" ukulele song sheet

down by the bay pink edition thumbnail, with a graphic of a pig wearing a curly blonde wig, two slugs crisscrossed with pink hearts above them, a pink worm holding a watering can by a potted fern, and a flamingo behind a limbo stick. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: Pink Hearts (FT)
Very simple – I used our die-cutter to make big pink hearts that they could decorate with crayons or dot markers. I didn’t make a sample, but pictured below is a sample I made for an “I Love Me” program, just to see the shape of the heart.

Craft showing a pink scalloped heart shape with the name EMILY written vertically down the middle, with "I like my smile" "My hands let me be creative" "I am friendly" "I am kind" also written on it, decorated with hearts, stars, stickers, and jewels.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
On Account of the Gum – Adam Rex
Pink Is Not a Color – Lindsay Ward
Pig Takes a Bath – Michael Dahl & Oriol Vidal
Have You Ever Seen a Flower – Shawn Harris
Pink is for Everybody! – Ella Russell & Udayana Lugo
How to Say Hello to a Worm – Kari Percival
Fussy Flamingo – Shelly Vaughan James & Matthew Rivera
The Book Hog – Greg Pizzoli
I Love My Tutu Too! – Ross Burach
Ice Cream Face – Heidi Woodward Sheffield

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/12, 2/13, & 2/14/24.

Storytime Handout:

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Color Wheel – Orange

Posted on by msemilylibrary

We are trucking along on our color series and this week’s session was our first secondary color, orange. There were plenty of books and rhyme ideas, and I even had to cut a rhyme about carrots in the end. I’m very pleased that I was able to work in using our parachute for this session, too.

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstorm what is orange and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s this week’s list:

Pumpkins
Oranges
Carrots
Basketball
Goldfish
Tigers
Orange tabby cats
Monarch butterflies
Traffic cones
Fall leaves

Early Development Tip: Your child may enjoy flap books. It’s a kind of peek-a-boo game using a book! Developing an enjoyment of books goes a long way for them later when they need persistence to stick with learning to read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was thighs & heads.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is orange! Can you think of anything that is orange? Write answers on whiteboard in orange pen. Is anyone wearing orange today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Orange, orange is the color I see
If you’re wearing orange, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your orange and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I was surprised that this didn’t really go over as well with the 1-2 year olds. The flaps just didn’t hold their attention – maybe it was just a bad day no matter what book. But I chose not to revisit this one for my other two sessions.
Read: Where is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin (TT)

where is tippy toes book cover

This one went much better. I was kind of amazed how quiet and attentive they were, especially after the opening lines that include a “Shhh!” I made a little joke about tigers being orange, but this tiger was a little more yellow that I’d hoped, and the adults got a chuckle out of that.
Read: Don’t Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup (TB) (FT)

don't wake up the tiger book cover

This one I only did after reading Tippy Toes, so needed a little transition.
Tippy Toes is an orange cat – but there’s a BIG cat who is also orange – a TIGER! What kind of markings does a tiger have? What about their friends the leopards?
Tickle Song: Spots, Spots, Spots (TT)
(tune of the baseball organ build up)
Spots, spots, spots, spots,
Spots, spots, spots, spots
A leopard has lots of spots
What a lot of spots he got!
A tiger’s stripes are always nice…
But a leopard has lots of
Spots, spots, spots, spots,
Spots, spots, spots, spots… (tickle!)
Source: Jbrary

Spots, spots, spots thumbnail, with a graphic of a tiger and leopard dancing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF.

Action Rhyme: Tiger, Tiger (TB) (FT)
Tiger, tiger, turn around
Tiger, tiger, touch the ground
Tiger, tiger, reach up high
Tiger, tiger, touch the sky
Tiger, tiger, find your nose
Tiger, tiger, touch your toes
Tiger, tiger, touch your knees
Tiger, tiger, sit down please
Source: Storytime Jennifer

tiger, tiger thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon tiger. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, look at this! This is a beautiful bug who has lovely orange wings – a monarch butterfly. But it doesn’t start life with wings. I used a caterpillar and butterfly felt from other sets I’ve made.
Fingerplay: My Friend Caterpillar (TT) (TB) (FT)
My friend caterpillar (fingers crawl up arm)
Made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
And quickly flew away (flap hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

flannel pieces of an orange monarch butterfly and a yellow, black, and white monarch caterpillar

my friend caterpillar thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree branch with a caterpillar on the leaf, a cocoon hanging from the branch, and a monarch butterfly flying away. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, our butterfly has landed on this large, round, vegetable in the garden. What is it? A pumpkin!
I really enjoy this one. The dynamic speed with the rolling arms (as well as the cadence of the song) really hooks the littles.
Action Song: Roly Poly Pumpkin (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Oh, the roly-poly pumpkin (roll arms, gradually speed up)
Went rolling down the hill
Once it started rolling
It couldn’t keep still
It rolled and rolled
Until it bumped into a rock (clap)
Then the roly-poly pumpkin (roll slowly)
Rolled to a stop (hands spread)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

roly poly pumpkin thumbnail, with a graphic of a small smiling pumpkin tumbling down a brown hill. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out the parachute! I have one more song about a pumpkin. Can we walk in a circle?
Parachute Song: Ring Around the Pumpkin (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Ring around the Rosies)
Ring around the pumpkin
Orange, big, and round
Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds
We all fall down!
Source: The Lion is a Bookworm Blog

ring around the pumpkin thumbnail, with a graphic of a large orange pumpkin. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Something else that is round and orange is a basketball. Can you pretend to bounce like a basketball?
We bounced up and down once by ourselves, then I added two small foam basketballs to the parachute to bounce!
Parachute Rhyme: Bouncing Ball (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m bouncing, bouncing everywhere,
I’m bouncing, bouncing like a ball,
I bounce and bounce until I fall! (drop to the floor)
Source: Librionyian

bouncing ball thumbnail, with a graphic of a basketball with cartoon motion lines indicating a bounce. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

For the coup de grâce on our parachute, I threw in some fake autumn leaves.
Parachute Song: Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of London Bridge)
Autumn leaves are falling down
Falling down, falling down
Autumn leaves are falling down
All around the town

The wind will blow them round and round…
Source: King County (WA) Library System

autumn leaves thumbnail, with a graphic of orange leaves swirling in lines indicating wind. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This is a great way to put the parachute away.
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to my Lou)
(kids go under the parachute and adults raise and lower)
Up, up, up it goes,
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky
Count to 3 and watch it fly
Spoken:
Up on one…
Down on two…
Up on three…
and FLY! (adults let go and leader pulls ‘chute in to themselves)
Source: Gymboree

Parachute fly thumbnail, with a graphic of an overhead view of children holding on to a colorful parachute with balls bouncing on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: Color Mixing (TB) (FT)
Here’s a fun and no-mess way to explore color mixing. Start with a heavy duty zip-top bag (I practiced with gallon size, but ended up buying quart size.) Did you know you can remove the white write-on labels using hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol!? I added a dollop of red and a dollop of yellow to each bag, squeezed out the air and taped them down to the tables using clear packing tape. I also printed out half-sheets of the various “orange” things we talked about. The pictures are black and white outlines so that that they could move the paint around to “color” them in or “find” them under the paint. The kids moved the paint around in the bag to mix up the paints and make orange. You might experiment with your paint – I found that I needed more yellow and less red to get a good orange color. Afterward, I told everyone they could take their bag of paint home (plus the image papers) if they wanted. A few did, but not the majority!

Download a template for the background images here.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Creepy Carrots! – Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
Leaf Jumpers – Carole Gerber & Leslie Evans
Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch – Mary Peterson & Jennifer Rofé
I’m a Little Pumpkin – Hannah Eliot & Anna Daviscourt
Señorita Mariposa – Ben Gundersheimer & Marcos Almada Rivero
It’s a Tiger! – David LaRochelle & Jeremy Tankard
Dino-Basketball – Lisa Wheeler & Barry Gott
Orange Pear Apple Bear – Emily Gravett
An Orange in January – Dianna Hutts Aston & Julie Maren
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild – Peter Brown

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/5, 2/6, & 2/7/24.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Color Wheel – Yellow

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put on my easel for grown-ups to follow along. I tape them in a stack to the top and flip them as we progress. I usually try to do a cute graphic for visual interest (all made in Canva). I’ll include these today – click on the thumbnail to download a full sized non-branded PDF. If you like them, let me know!

Our third color of this series is Yellow. I was really happy with this plan – it was fun, it flowed smoothly, and was well received.

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstormed what is yellow (usually or always) and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s that list for yellow:

Bananas
Corn
Ducks
Chicks
Lemons
Dandelions
Sun/sunshine/Moon/Stars
School bus
Noodles
Sunflower
Pineapple
Bees
Cheese
Crown/gold
Bulldozers/construction equipment
Taxicabs

Last time, I felt that my transitions didn’t flow very well, so I made an intentional effort to work on those more this week. It paid off and I felt a lot more confident in moving from one song to another.

Early Development Tip: Rhymes, songs, and books often have vocabulary that we use more rarely in conversation. Sharing these withyour little one expands their vocabulary, and putting an action to the words (“mashing” or “chopping” bananas,for example) further reinforces the meaning behind the word.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Hello Friends rhyme sheet. Includes a smiling rainbow and two yellow ducks at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was thighs & heads.

Wake Up Feet thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of baby-sized shoes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Toast in the Toaster thumbnail, with a graphic of a toaster with a piece of bread hovering above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is yellow! Can you think of anything that is yellow? Write items on whiteboard in yellow pen. Is anyone wearing yellow today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Yellow, yellow is the color I see
If you’re wearing yellow, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your yellow and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

This worked really well, with the anticipation of guessing and seeing what vehicle was teased.
Read: The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom (TT) (FT)

book cover of The Bus For Us

I have to keep reminding myself that toddler humor is not that advanced. On the surface, this seemed like a great book – funny, but short and not a ton of text. Unfortunately, they just didn’t really get it.
Read: Counting to Bananas by Carrie Tillotson & Estrela Lourenço (TB)

Book cover of Counting to Bananas

What kind of fruit is yellow?
In the first group, I got “lemon!” I gave some more clues to get us to banana.
Chant: Bananas Unite! (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bananas……unite!
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas (x2)
(arms begin above head, and peel down one after the other)
Chop bananas, chop chop bananas (x2)
(make a chopping motion with one hand on the palm of the other)
Mash bananas, mash mash bananas (x2)
(smoosh the palms of the hands together)
Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas (x2)
(bring hands up to mouth as if eating)
Goooooooooo BANANAS! (arms go wild!)
Source: Jbrary

Bananas unite thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling banana. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Bzzz, bzzz – what’s that I hear? Some bees! Bees make honey. Who likes to eat golden yellow honey? Bears.
Tickle Rhyme: Bears Eat Honey (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bears eat honey
They think it’s yummy
In their tummy
But…
The bees don’t think it’s funny!
(Buzz, buzz, buzz!) (tickle)
Source: King County Library System via Storytime Katie

Bears eat honey thumbnail, with a graphic of a bear with a paw in a honeypot, surrounded by bees. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What’s another animal that is yellow? Quack, quack!
Action Rhyme: Yellow Duck (TT)
When a yellow duck walks down the street
Quack goes his bill and waddle go his feet
He comes to a puddle and with a bound
In goes the yellow duck and swims around!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Yellow duck thumbnail, with a graphic of a duck walking and a duck swimming. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I used the flannelboard set I originally got from Sunflower Storytime. It’s no longer published, so you can download it here.
Look at these – what are they? Eggs. Eggs aren’t yellow, are they?
Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five eggs and five eggs, And that makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen
Cackle, cackle, cackle, And what do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be
Source: Mel’s Desk

Ten Fluffy chicks thumbnail, with a graphic of the flannelboard hen and 2 clutches of 5 eggs. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do a rhyme about a vehicle that is usually yellow. It’s a taxi cab! You might use a taxi cab when you are visiting a big city and need a way to get around.
For the Toddler Time (youngest) group, we just clapped and patted. For the other two groups, we passed out our “rhythm sticks” (aka unsharpened pencils) and tapped the rhythm.
Action Rhyme/Rhythm Stick Song: Taxi Cab (TT) (TB) (FT)
(in the style of Pat-a-Cake)
Taxi cab, taxi cab (pat and clap)
Driving day and night
We’ll visit the city And see all the sights!
We’ll roll… (roll arms)
And we’ll STOP! (two hands up)
(repeat a couple of times, varying how long you “roll” – this is the taxi being in traffic!)
We’ll get out and look around (return to pat and clap)
We’ll hail another cab
And be homeward bound – TAXI! (lift arm)
Source: original

Taxi cab thumbnail, with a graphic of a taxi at the top and a child sitting on their grownups shoulder's raising their hand at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A vehicle that’s usually painted yellow is a – school bus!
Rhythm Stick Song: The Wheels on the Bus (TT) (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the bus go round and round (circle sticks)
Round and round, Round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish (wiper motion)
The doors on the bus go open and shut (open/close sticks)
The driver on the bus says “Move on back” (sticks to shoulders)
The kids on the bus go up and down (bounce sticks)
Source: traditional, rhythm stick adaptations via Jbrary

Wheels on the bus thumbnail, with a graphic of diverse children in a yellow school bus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a fun clapping rhyme we can do with our sticks.
This is a traditional clapping game, and like all traditional games, there are endless variations. Many of them end with kicking a boyfriend out of town, but I went with a can instead!
Clapping Game/Rhythm Sticks: Lemonade (TB) (FT)
Lemonade (clap, clap, clap!)
Crunchy ice (clap, clap, clap!)
Sip it once (clap, clap, clap!)
Sip it twice (clap, clap, clap!)
Lemonade, Crunchy ice,
Sip it once, Sip it twice
Turn around, Touch the ground
Now kick that can right out of town –
and FREEZE!
Source: traditional – these girls are adorable demonstrating

Lemonade thumbnail, with a graphic of a glass of lemonade at the top and a smiling lemon at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

So this one we’ll do at the end of each color session, too – so there are some familiarity bookending this series. I have rainbow colored scarves, and pass them out for everyone to wave around while we sing.
Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky
Red and pink and green and blue
Yellow, orange, and purple, too
Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System

Rainbow colors thumbnail, with a graphic of pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple paint splotches. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

zoom zoom zoom thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocket ship. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Craft: Yellow Abstract Art (TB) (FT)
Another process art craft to focus more on creativity than on a finished product. I provide some art supplies and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided yellow crayons, yellow paper shapes, glue sticks, yellow dot markers, and yellow stickers.

Yellow abstract art - showing a figure made of a cut paper shapes (squares and triangles) holding a crayon drawn banana next to a bunch of bananas, covered in yellow dots.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

See you later thumbnail, with a graphic of a green alligator, brown crocodile, ladybug, and jellyfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
A Seed Grows – Antoinette Portis
Thank You, Bees – Toni Yuly
Pineapple Princess – Sabina Hahn
5 Little Ducks – Denise Fleming
Five Fuzzy Chicks – Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson
B Is for Baby – Atinuke & Angela Brooksbank
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Beehive – Jorey Hurley
Truck Full of Ducks – Ross Burach
Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas – Aaron Blabey

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/22, 1/23, & 1/24/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Mistaken Identity!

Posted on by msemilylibrary

So, yes, this is a kind of weird storytime theme. But- when you look at the literature, there’s actually a lot of picture books that incorporate a character being mistaken for someone/something else – a classic example is the wolf dressed as granny in Little Red Riding Hood. So really, the hard part is explaining what it is and finding some good extension activities to incorporate into the program.

Once upon a time I did this theme on Facebook live early in the pandemic, but three years later I wanted to revisit it. I ended up using the same two books as read alouds, but changed out and added some rhymes and songs.

Early Literacy Tip: Moving to music, dancing, swaying, running, and jumping help young children feel rhythm and begin to understand how their bodies work. Such movements also help them gain muscle control and improve balance. All of this contributes to a child’s gross motor development.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was thighs & heads.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: It was a case of mistaken identity! Wait, what does that mean? It means that a person or an animal is mistaken for something they’re not. Maybe they were in disguise, or maybe someone just didn’t see them well and made a mistake! There are lots of fun books about mistaken identity, and I thought it would be fun for us to pretend to be other things today, too. Let’s start by pretending to be a teapot!

Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Then I shout:
“Tip me over and Pour me out!”
Source: traditional

Action Rhyme: Animal Movement (TT) (TB) (FT)
Can you hop like a rabbit?
Can you jump like frog?
Can you waddle like a duck?
Can you run like a dog?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you swim like a fish?
Can you sit down now and
Be as still as this?
Source: adapted from Jen in the Library

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I thought that my younger class (1-2s) would like the pop up element of this book, but they were just as distracted as usual. Oh, well.
Read: The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner & Jonathan Lambert (TT)

book cover for the wide mouthed frog

This one went over a little better!
Read: Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld (TB) (FT)

book cover for duck rabbit

I thought I was pretty clever to adapt this classic song for Duck! Rabbit! Additionally, I had a bunny and duck puppet to put on for each of those parts of the song, which the littles loved. Everyone loves puppets! For the group that didn’t read that title, we instead did the green frog and bear verses, and skipped the sniff sniff verse.
Action Song: Sniff Sniff (TT) (TB) (FT)
Sniff, sniff went the little white rabbit one day,
Sniff, sniff went the little white rabbit
Sniff, sniff went the little white rabbit one day,
And they all went sniff, sniff, sniff!
But… We know ducks go (clap) quacky, quacky, quack!
Quacky, quacky, quack! Quacky, quacky, quack!
We know ducks go Quacky, quacky, quack!
They don’t go sniff, sniff, sniff!

Additional Verses:
Grrr, grrr went the big brown bear one day… (make claws)
But… We know bears go huggy, huggy, hug (hug self)

Mm-ah went the little green frog one day… (stick out tongue)
But… We know frogs go sha-na-na-na-na… (wave arms)
Source: Jbrary (v 1 original)

At this point we handed out shaker eggs, and pretended they were various things like popcorn and milkshakes. Anything to relate to the theme, right?

Shaker Rhyme: Shake It On Your Shoe (TT) (TB) (FT)
1, 2 Shake it on your shoe
3, 4 Shake it on the floor
5, 6 Stir and mix
7, 8 Stand up straight
9, 10 Wave to your friends!
Source: Jbrary

Shaker Rhyme: Pop, Pop, Pop (TT) (TB)
Pop, pop, pop, Put the corn in the pot
Pop, pop, pop, Shake it ’til it’s hot
Pop, pop, pop, Lift the lid and what have you got?
Popcorn!
Source: Jbrary

Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker (TT) (FT)
(tune of London Bridge)
Shake your shakers in the air, Shake it here, shake it there
Shake your shakers in the air, Shake your shakers!

Additional verses:
Shake it high and shake it low, Shake it yes, shake it no…
Shake it up and shake it down, Shake your shaker on the ground…
Shake it near and shake it far, Drive your shaker like a car…
Shake it fast and shake it slow, Shake it stop, shake it go…
Source: Jbrary

Shaker Song: Milkshake Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
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! (x2)
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Songs for Wiggleworms

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Magic Crayon Resist Painting (TB) (FT)
This was a suggestion from Mandy on the Storytime Solidarity Facebook group, and it was a very fun and easy craft. I encouraged the group to draw as much as possible on their sheet of white construction paper with the white crayons provided, then they could use watercolor paints to “reveal” their drawings like magic! On my picture, it is hard to see. Based on that experiment, I really encouraged everyone to load up their brushes with a lot of paint to make it darker than I did.

craft showing white crayon drawings revealed by pastel watercolors.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
I’m a Unicorn – Helen Yoon
Kitty – Rebecca Jordan-Glum
Wolfie the Bunny – Ame Dyckman & Zachariah OHora
Little Red Riding Hood – Saviour Pirotta & Olivia Beckman
Bad Dog – Mike Boldt
Niblet & Ralph – Zachariah OHora
Mother Bruce – Ryan T. Higgins
I Am a Tiger – Karl Newson & Ross Collins
Vampenguin – Lucy Ruth Cummins
Where’s Walrus – Stephen Savage

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/6, 11/7, & 11/8/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout including suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Cats & Bats

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Coming closer to the end of October, I chose a theme that incorporated some classic Halloween animals, without being overtly Halloweeny. The rhyming was incidental but welcome!

I thought that I had a book (or could find a book) that incorporated both animals in a story, but alas, no luck. There was a title I got hopeful about, Oscar and the Bat: A Book About Sound by Geoff Waring, but unfortunately it was developmentally a little beyond my group. And Bat Wings! Cat Wings? by Laura Gehl isn’t a story about cats with bat wings as I anticipated. Instead, I used a nonfiction title to show some photographs of bats, and read Denise Fleming’s Mama Cat Has Three Kittens to great success.

Early Literacy Tip: Encourage and support your child’s pretend play – they are developing their symbolic thinking. This helps them to visualize what is not present, helps with problem solving, and with reading where pictures and text represent real things.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was arms & chins.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: Today we are talking about two nocturnal animals – animals that (mostly) sleep during the day and are active at night, just like the owl that we learned about last week. But this week we’re talking cats and bats! Does anyone have a pet cat at home? Do they like to sleep during the day? Does anyone have a pet bat at home? Bats are mostly wild animals. Has anyone seen a bat in person or up close before? I showed some of the pictures from the nonfiction title, including a bat eating some fruit, bats roosting in a cave, and a bat flying with their wingspan clearly showing.

Share: Bats by Julie Murray

Bats book cover

Let’s do some rhymes about bats and cats! Bats like to sleep upside down, right? So here are our bats! (point index fingers downward)
Fingerplay: Two Little Friends (TT) (TB) (FT)
Two little bats hanging in a cave
One named Dora, and one named Dave
Fly away, Dora, Fly away, Dave
Come back, Dora, Come back, Dave!

Now cats – cats have two pointy ears, can you make two pointy ears?
(put fingers in V shape)
Two little cats prowling under the moon
One named Jasper, and one named June
Jump away, Jasper, Jump away, June (I jumped my finger-cats as well as jumping my body!)
Jump back, Jasper, Jump back, June!
Source: verse 1-Door2Door Librarian, Verse 2-original

I think I need a stretch. Will you stretch with me?
Action Rhyme: My Kitten Stretches (TB) (FT)
My kitten stretches one paw high
With the other she’ll touch the sky
Then say “meow” and turn around
Then fold her paws and sit right down
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

A simple but very funny story that worked very well for all of my sessions.
Read: Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming (TT) (TB) (FT)

Mama Cat has Three Kittens book cover

Time for scarves! Some of these were a bit of a stretch with the scarves, but it worked.

Action/Scarf Song: The Old Gray Cat (TT) (TB) (FT)
The old gray cat is sleeping, Sleeping, sleeping
The old gray cat is sleeping in the house

The little mice are creeping…
The little mice are nibbling…
The old gray cat is creeping…
The little mice are hiding…
So the old gray cat is sleeping…
Source: King County (WA) Library System

We held our scarves with two corners upside down, then held them in the middle to fly them around.
Scarf Song: Bats Are Sleeping (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Bats are sleeping, Bats are sleeping
Upside down, upside down
Sleeping in the morning sun
Waiting for the night to come
Then they’ll fly around, Then they’ll fly around
Source: Child Care Lounge

Whenever we say the word “pounce” throw your scarf up in the air and try to catch it! Let’s practice: 1, 2, 3, POUNCE!
Scarf Rhyme: Kitty Cat POUNCE (TT) (TB) (FT)
Kitty cat, kitty cat sneaks out of the house
Kitty cat, kitty cat creeps up to a mouse And… POUNCE!

Kitty cat, kitty cat creeps up to a bird
Kitty cat, kitty cat is not even heard And… POUNCE!

But the mouse ran, and the bird flew away,
So kitty cat found a ball of yarn to play And… POUNCE!
Source: Literary Hoots

I have three colors of scarves – red, yellow, and blue. I asked the kids to take a look at their scarf and notice what color it is before we did this. I did the first part of the rhyme for each color. But when it was time to put them away, everyone came up at once so I ended up just saying, Let’s bring our bats back to the cave to roost! I put the colored bats on the board as a visual cue.
Scarf or Flannel Rhyme: Color Bats (TT) (TB) (FT)
The sun is setting, the moon’s rising high
Now all the red bats start to fly! (wave red scarf, or add red bats)

(repeat, changing colors)
The moon has gone, the sky’s getting light
And all the red bats say goodnight! (put away red scarves)
Source: Abby the Librarian

Color bats flannel - three yellow bats, three red, and three blue bats on a black background.

Didn’t end up using this one, but I reworded a couple of parts to make it flow a little better, so I’ll post it here!
Fingerplay Rhyme: Five Little Bats
(wiggle each finger)
Five little bats hanging in a cave
First one said, “Tonight I’m feeling brave”
Second one said, “There are mosquitoes in the air”
Third one said, “Let’s eat them here and there”
Fourth one said, “I’m ready to see the sky”
Fifth one said, “Let’s fly, fly, fly”
Then WHOOSH went the wind And out went the light (clap!)
And the five little bats flew off in the night (hook thumbs together and flap hands)
Source: adapted from Esther Storytimes

I made this flannel last year for a pumpkin storytime, and since it included both a cat and a bat thought it would be a nice closer.
Felt Rhyme: Orange Pumpkin (TT) (TB) (FT)
Orange pumpkin, Orange pumpkin
What do you see?
I see a red leaf looking at me!

Continue with:
Red leaf > Black cat > Gray owl > Brown bat > Yellow moon > Orange Jack-o-Lantern
Source: original

Flannel with various items: orange pumpkin, Red leaf, Black cat, Gray owl, Brown bat, Yellow crescent moon, and an inset shows that the orange pumpkin can be flipped over to reveal a Jack-o-Lantern face on the back (yellow eyes and mouth)

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Cut Out Cats and Clothespin Bats (TB) (FT)
We have a die cut for the clothespin bats, and I’ve used the adorable cut out cat craft from Literary Hoots (I think originally from Storytime Katie) before at another library. This is the first time I’ve put out scissors for a craft at this library. Mostly the adults did the cutting, but this was during a fall break so I actually had some older siblings who did their own cutting. I let everyone know they could do both crafts if they wanted, but if they choose just one, that’s fine, too. The clothespin bats were just gluing the cardstock to the pins and drawing a chalk face on. Because the directions to make the cats are a little more involved than just looking at a sample, I made tent cards with the how-to to put on each table. (Photos on the instructions from Literary Hoots.)

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Baby Bat’s Lullaby – Jacquelyn Mitchard & Julia Noonan
How to Be a Cat – Nikki McClure
Fiona the Fruit Bat – Dan Riskin & Rachel Qiuqi
Atticus Caticus – Sarah Maizes & Kara Kramer
Bats at the Library – Brian Lies
Bat Wings! Cat Wings? – Laura Gehl & Monique Felix
Cat’s Very Good Day – Kristen Tracy & David Small
Little Lost Bat – Sandra Markle & Alan Marks
Gato Guapo – Anika Aldamuy Denise & Zara González Hoang
Little Bat Up All Day – Brian Lies
Cookie’s Week – Cindy Ward & Tomie dePaola

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/23, 10/24, & 10/25/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Owls

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Here’s another theme with an animal that just feels autumnal, even though yes, of course, owls are around all year. Perhaps it’s their big eyes and the way they show up in Halloween illustrations. In any case, it was very fun to flap our wings and hoot a lot this week. I even heard from a grown-up the following week that their child had been singing “If You Want to Be an Owl” on repeat – yes!

I read the book Owl Babies for two groups, and I wasn’t sure how it would go over. It’s a little longer than the books I usually do, and I’d read mixed reviews on storytime blogs where it worked for some people and didn’t for others. My kids LOVED it. The room was quieter than it ever is, and their eyes were glued to the illustrations. Perhaps I should try more plot-driven titles with a bit of suspense?

Early Literacy Tip: When we say rhymes, play rhyming games with children, and point out the rhyming words, it helps them hear the smaller sounds in words which will help them later when they try to sound out words to read.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was hips & noses.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)

Intro: (With owl felt) Whooo is this? Do you know what he says? Today we are going to talk about owls. They have sharp beaks – that is their nose & mouth, and very sharp claws or talons. They sleep during the day and hunt for food at night.

Rhyme: The Owl (TT) (TB) (FT)
There’s a wide eyed owl (circle fingers around eyes)
With a pointed nose, (forefinger makes a v at end of nose)
Two pointed ears, (point fingers up on top of head)
and claws for toes, (curl fingers like claws)
When he sits up in the tree (point up)
and he looks at you, (point out)
he flaps his wings, (fold arms and flap)
and he says “Whoo, Whoo”
Source: Johnson County Library (Kansas)

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

This is a pretty cool book – there are just four words per page, and it reads a little like a palindrome – once you get to the middle, the words are repeated in backwards order, giving it a slightly different meaning and making the story circular.
Read: Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin & Rob Dunlavey (TT)

Book cover for Owl Sees Owl

As mentioned above, this one mesmerized both groups I read it too. They helped me by joining in with Bill’s plaintive, “I want my mommy!” which I did in a higher-pitched voice.
Read: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson (TB) (FT)

book cover for Owl Babies

Okay, let’s pretend to be owls!
Action Song: If You Want to Be an Owl (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie)
If you want to be an owl, an owl, an owl
If you want to be an owl, then flap your wings
Flap this way and that way, and that way and this way
If you want to be an owl, then flap your wings

Additional verses:
…blink your eyes!
…say hoot-hoot!
Source: original

Fingerplay: Owl’s Eyes (TT) (TB)
Owl’s eyes open wide at night (circle eyes with fingers)
He looks to the left, he looks to the right
He turns his head around and around
And then he makes a most curious sound!
Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

What do you think owls see when they are flying around? The sun? No, the stars!
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle (TT) (TB) (FT)
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Source: traditional

I’ve had good luck with flannels that work like the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” This is my take on what the Hoot Owls sees in the tree, using flannels from a variety of other sets.
Flannel Rhyme: What Do You See? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl, what do you see?
I see a brown squirrel in the old tree

Brown squirrel-red apple
Red apple – green worm
Green worm – orange leaf
Orange leaf – black crow
Black crow – yellow moon (above tree)
Yellow moon – Hoot owl hooting at me (Hoo, hoo!)
Source: original

Flannel tree with various flannel items in the canopy - black crow, brown squirrel, orange leaf, red apple, green inchworm, and gray owl. A yellow crescent moon is in the sky to the side.

This was a fun rhyming game from Jessica at Storytime in the Stacks. I decided just to use words that end in “oo,” but of course you could use rhymes that aren’t spelled the same, too, like “blue” or “shoe.”
Flannel Rhyme: Little Baby Owls (FT)
Little baby owls learning how to “hoo.”
They flap their wings and then say… “boo!”
(how many rhymes can you make before the little owls get it right?)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

My owl flannel set was modeled on Storytime Katie’s.
Ukulele/Flannel Song: One Night Owl Went Out to Play (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Five Little Ducks)
One night owl went out to play under the moon so far away
He had such enormous fun,
That he called out for another owl to come! HOOT! HOOT!

Repeat: 2… 3… 4…
Five night owls went out to play under the moon so far away
They had such enormous fun,
That they played until they saw the sun!
…then what did they do? (I put my head in my hands and started to snore)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet (words to One Dinosaur, same tune) here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for One Dinosaur Went Out to Play

Flannel tree with five expressive owls in neon colors, some with eyes wide open, some half shut, and looking in different directions.

I didn’t end up using this one for time, but it’s always good to have a little extra in your back pocket.
Action Song: Hoot, Hoot
Hoot hoot went the little brown owl one day,
Hoot hoot went the little brown owl
Hoot hoot went the little brown owl one day,
And they all went hoot hoot hoot!
But… We know owls go (clap) la de la de la (wavy arms)
la de la de la, La de la de la! We know owls go la de la de la
They don’t go hoot, hoot, hoot!
Additional Verses:
Jump jump went the little red squirrel one day…
But… We know squirrels go rub a dub a dub (running arms)
Grrr, grrr went the big brown bear one day…
But… We know bears go huggy, huggy, hug (hug self)
Source: Jbrary

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Cupcake Liner Owl Puppets (TB) (FT)
After looking at scores of owl crafts, I saw a Pinterest pin from Julia Hull District Library for these cupcake liner owls and knew that was our craft. There’s no blog, it’s just an image pin, but I made a template based on the photo. You can get two owl bodies on a piece of brown construction paper, and I printed the eyes, beaks, and feet on goldenrod paper. I added the craft stick to make it a puppet, and just used white mini cupcake liners for the eye feathers. It was simple to put together and the kids loved it – several came up to show me their creations!

Download a template for the owl body, beak, eyes, and feet!

Owl puppet made of brown construction paper with eyes made from white cupcake liners with smaller yellow and black pupils glued to the middle, with a triangular beak and three toed feet, glued to a jumbo craft stick.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Little Hoot – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Jen Corace
Hooray for Today! – Brian Won
Don’t Blink! – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & David Roberts
Little Owl’s Night – Divya Srinivasan
A Book of Sleep – Il Sung Na
“I’m Not Cute!” – Jonathan Allen
Good Night Owl – Greg Pizzoli
Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise – Sean Taylor & Jean Jullien
Owl Love You – Matthew Heroux & Wednesday Kirwan
Whoo Goes There? – Jennifer A. Ericsson & Bert Kitchen

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/16, 10/17, & 10/18/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Squirrels

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Squirrels don’t hibernate, so we see them year-round, but they always seem a little autumnal to me thematically. Probably because that’s when the acorns are ripe and they’re collecting and burying them to prepare for winter. I have a Scaredy Squirrel puppet (based on the books by Mélanie Watt) who I use year-round to demonstrate lap bounces and tickles. He was super excited that we’re finally doing a program on squirrels, and helped out even more than usual this week!

See another version of this theme from 2020.

Early Literacy Tip: Stories can be a great springboard to learning. Reading a story like The Busy Little Squirrel and then finding more information about squirrels and trees in nonfiction titles is a great way to support curiosity, learn new vocabulary and general knowledge, and encourage a love of learning.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was thighs and heads.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)

Intro: Today we’re talking about squirrels – Scaredy Squirrel is SO EXCITED that we are finally talking about squirrels! Do you ever see squirrels in your neighborhood? What is their favorite food? They have some special abilities – they climb, have a versatile tail, and know how to hide and find acorns.

Squirrels especially love big oak trees, who produce acorns. Let’s pretend to be a big oak tree.
Fingerplay: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (make a fist -we also crouch low)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (open fingers – and stand if crouched)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake hands and body)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary

Fingerplay: This Little Squirrel (TT) (FT)
(wiggle each finger in turn)
This little squirrel said, “Let’s run and play!”
This little squirrel said, “I want some acorns today!”
This little squirrel said, “Acorns are good”
This little squirrel said, “Yes, my favorite food”
This little squirrel said, “Come climb this tree” (run fingers up other arm)
And crack these acorns: one, two, three! (clap three times)
Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer linkable)

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Perfect for little ones, this features some different animals and animal noises, a repeated phrase, and a little twist at the end.
Read: The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri (TT) (FT)

book cover for the busy little squirrel.

April Pulley Sayre was the queen of nonfiction that doesn’t seem like nonfiction.
Read: Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre & Steve Jenkins (TB)

book cover for squirrels leap, squirrels sleep

This was a really great flannel that I borrowed from AnnMarie Kolakowski from the Pasadena Public Library blog. Her picture didn’t show anything for the green leaf, so I made a little inchworm to hide behind mine. I really appreciated that she talked about some of the skills this flannel addresses: identifying color names, rhyming words, and left-to-right prereading focus. I was only going to do it for the younger group but it went over so well I ended up using it in all three sessions. Of course, the “little squirrel” in question was our Scaredy Squirrel puppet, not pictured.
Flannel: Little Squirrel (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little squirrel, little squirrel time to eat!
Which leaf is hiding your favorite treat?
Source: Pasadena Public Library blog

flannel showing four leaves with color coordinated items that were hidden behind them: a green leaf and green inchworm, a red leaf and ladybug, a yellow leaf and a yellow/white/black striped monarch caterpillar, and a brown leaf with an acorn

After Scaredy Squirrel devoured the little acorn from the previous flannel, I asked if he was still hungry. After a big nod yes, I asked the group to see if they can find more acorns in our room. I had brought in and hidden real acorns from my yard for them to bring to Scaredy. He ate some, and he saved the rest in his log (made from an old oatmeal canister.) This was a great activity to get everyone up and moving around. Even the shyer kids came up to give Scaredy the acorns they had found!
Activity: Acorn Gathering (TT) (TB) (FT)

"log" made of a cardboard oatmeal container, with woodgrain drawn on, sitting next to two real acorns

We handed out scarves and did several songs with them, starting with this warm-up.
Scarf Song: We Wave Our Scarves Together (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow)
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s fun to do!

We wave them up high
We wave them down low
We wave them in the middle
Because it’s fun to do!
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Song: Great Big Oak Tree (TT) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Great big oak tree, Great big oak tree (hold arms out)
Home to squirrels, Home to squirrels
Moving your branches, When the wind blows (sway arms)
Acorns fall! Acorns fall! (drop scarf)
Source: adapted from Pasadena (CA) Public Library blog (original was apples)

I showed the group photos of the squirrel species that might live in our area, and we shook their bushy tails!
Action Rhyme: Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel (TT) (TB) (FT)
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail
Wrinkle up your funny nose…
Hold a nut between your toes…
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail
(repeat for other squirrels: fox, red, flying, or other colors!)
Source: Jbrary

gray squirrel
red squirrel
fox squirrel
flying squirrel on a tree trunk
flying squirrel in the air

We ended up running out of time for this one, so didn’t get to it for any of the sessions.
Scarf Song: Frisky Squirrel
(tune of the Grand Old Duke of York)
Oh, the frisky little squirrel
She gathers nuts and seeds
She hides them for the winter months
So she’ll have all she needs

Oh, up-up-up she goes
And down-down-down she comes
She runs around,
goes up and down
Her work is never done
Source: Storytime Secrets

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Fork Painted Squirrel (TB) (FT)
This one was kind of a mix of two inspirations – Glued to My Crafts did a squirrel but only fork painted the tail. I wasn’t crazy about the squirrel template there, either. I also saw a cuter squirrel base that Crafting Cherubs Blog did with tissue paper, so combined the two ideas. I printed the squirrel template from Crafting Cherubs (originally from Twisty Noodle) on light gray construction paper and provided brown paint, plastic forks, and a googly eye. It was fun and as simple as the kids wanted to make it.

coloring page of a squirrel with brown fur painted on with a fork.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Leaf Thief – Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater
Girl Versus Squirrel – Hayley Barrett & Renée Andriani
Nuts to You! – Lois Ehlert
Squirrel’s Family Tree – Beth Ferry & A.N. Kang
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party – Mélanie Watt
Who Stole the Hazelnuts? – Marcus Pfister & David Henry Wilson
This Is a Taco! – Andrew Cangelose & Josh Shipley
Cyril and Pat – Emily Gravett
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin – Beatrix Potter

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/11, 9/12, & 9/13/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: Bears & Berries

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Late summer is prime berry season, so it was time to dust off and revamp this Bears & Berries theme again. Maybe it was just my family, but I remember when my younger siblings were picky eaters and had “opinions” about common fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas, they would *always* eat berries. Mom would buy pints and pints of berries just to get some fruit into them. So I always associate berries as the “fruits everyone loves” although that may not be entirely accurate. In any event, the kids in storytime seemed enthusiastic about berries, so that’s good enough for me.

Early Literacy Tip: Fingerplays like “Two Little Black Bears” can strengthen fine motor skills children will need to write later on. Try making fingerplays a part of your daily routine, such as at bedtime.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. This week it was arms & chins.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)

Intro: Today we’re talking about Bears and some of the things they like to eat. Things like berries! And honey! Do you like berries?

Fingerplay: Two Little Black Bears (TT) (TB) (FT)
(style of Two Little Blackbirds)
Two little black bears eating strawberries
One named Michael and one named Mary
Run away Michael! Run away Mary!
Come back Michael, Come back Mary

Two little black bears digging in the snow
One named Fast and One named Slow…
Two little black bears feeling very proud
One named Quiet and One named Loud…
Source: verse 1: Storytime in the Stacks; 2 & 3: Jbrary

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Part of the very popular Karma Wilson Bear series, this one features berries on multiple pages, so is a good fit. Nice and short with predictive rhyming text, too.
Read: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman (TT) (FT)

book cover for bear sees colors.

Okay, so this book does not mention berries at all. But I found it while prepping for this program and LOVED the silly illustrations and rhythmic text. I thought my older toddler class would enjoy it, and forgive me for not including berries!
Read: A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom & Brandon James Scott (TB)

book cover for a bear, a bee, and a honey tree.

Tickle Rhyme: Bears Eat Honey (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bears eat honey
They think it’s yummy,
In their tummy
But…
the bees don’t think it’s funny!
(Buzz, buzz, buzz!)
Source: Storytime Katie

I was inspired by a rhyme about a bear playing with colored balls on the Verona Storytime blog, but rewrote the rhyme so our bear was searching for different kinds of berries. I used my Folkmanis baby bear puppet and the berries from the Jamberry set.
Flannel Game: Hungry Bear (TT) (FT)
Black bear is hungry
She wants something sweet
She’s searching for a RASPBERRY treat!
Is this the raspberry?
Source: original

realistic black bear cub puppet with 5 printed/laminated pictures of berries - a blackberry, gooseberry, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry.

Booktalk: Jamberry by Bruce Degan (TB)
My library actually doesn’t own a copy of this book, so I didn’t read it. It didn’t make sense to do the Jamberry rhyme out of nowhere, though, so I ILLed a copy and booktalked the book, highlighting the pages where they are on the canoe.

book cover for Jamberry

I created this flannel using graphics in Canva. I think originally the set inspired by Jbrary only had five berries, but since we were counting up to ten, I made two of each kind of berry.
Flannel Chant: Jamberry Rhyme (TB)
Under the bridge And over the dam
Looking for berries, Berries for jam!
1 berry, 2 berries, Pick me a strawberry
(repeat, count up to 10, changing berries)
Source: Jbrary

laminated flannelboard set with a stylized brown canoe holding two strawberries, two blackberries, two raspberries, two gooseberries, and two blueberries.

Stretch Rhyme: Pick Berries High (TT) (TB) (FT)
(style of Pease Porridge Hot)
Pick berries high, Pick berries low
Pick berries on the bush, Nine in a row
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 (clap 9x)
Some like them red, (gesture to one side)
Some like them blue (gesture to the other side)
Here’s one for me- yum! (pretend to eat)
And here’s one for you! (offer hand)
Source: Story Book Stephanie

I’ve never successfully gotten my room full of toddlers to get into a circle, so we just walked in place. Many grownups did a lift for the “pop” instead of doing the jump, with many giggles.
Action Song: Pop Goes the Berry (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)
(walk or dance in circle)
All around the strawberry fields
We picked some juicy berries
We brought them home
And washed them off,
Pop! Goes the berry! (jump up)
Other verses: blueberry, blackberry, gooseberry, raspberry
Source: Jbrary

I didn’t end up using this one for time, but love the idea of using your knees as the mountain, as in the inspirational video from Intellidance. Bear would certainly be going over the mountain to find berries, right?
Action Song: The Bear Went Over the Mountain
Oh, the bear went over the mountain,
the bear went over the mountain
the bear went over the mountain
To see what he could see
But all that he could see
All that he could see
Was the other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain
Was all that he could see!
(repeat with the bear going around, under, or jumping over the mountain)
Source: traditional, motions inspired by Intellidance

A favorite rendition of this traditional song.
Recorded/Action Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear (TT)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Wave up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Wink one eye
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Bend your knees
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Flap in the breeze
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Climb up to bed
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Rest your head!
Source: Jazzy Ash, from the album Good Foot

For my two older classes, I made simple bear puppets with a die cut and craft stick to give out to use with the next two songs (that they got to take home with them.)
Puppet Rhyme: My Bear (TB) (FT)
(use a bear puppet or teddy bear to act out the rhyme)
My bear is looking all around
My bear is sniffing at the ground
My bear is looking at my toes
My bear can kiss me on the nose
My bear can whisper in my ear
What is that? Can you hear?
My bear can hide right behind me
But wherever I go, my bear can find me
Source: Verona (WI) Story Time

bear puppet - brown construction paper die cut teddy bear silhouette taped on to a wooden craft stick.

Ukulele/Puppet Song: Baby Bear Waltz (TB) (FT)
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Waltzing with bears
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Dance ‘round the chairs
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, That’s what we’ll do
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Waltzing with you
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Waltz round the room,
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Dance ‘round the moon,
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Glide past the stars
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Waltzing to Mars
Source: Kathy Reid-Naiman, from the album Say Hello to the Morning

Download a ukulele songsheet for Baby Bear Waltz!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Bear Ears Headband (TB) (FT)
Simple, simple craft that allows for lots of dramatic play.

picture of bear ears headband - brown construction paper band with brown bear ears (and pink inner ear) glued on.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Blueberries for Sal – Robert McCloskey
Eat Like a Bear – April Pulley Sayre & Steve Jenkins
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear – Don & Audrey Wood
Wild Berries – Julie Flett
Berry Song – Michaela Goade
Blueberry Cake – Sarah Dillard
Old Bear – Kevin Henkes
Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump – KL Going & Simone Shin
Find Fergus – Mike Boldt

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/28, 8/29, & 8/30/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.

**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5