Tag: animals

Storytime: Country Life

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Following up on last week’s “City Life” storytime, this time we went to the country! My library is in a suburban area, so it’s possible the kids here have some familiarity with rural or urban areas, or none at all. In either case, it’s good to explore our world with books!

It is very easy to plan a “Farm” storytime – there are plenty of books and rhymes and songs about farm animals. But I really wanted to reflect what it’s like for PEOPLE living in the country, and from a modern standpoint, at that. It’s much harder to find books featuring non-stereotypical Farmer and Farmer’s Wife-type books. However, there are some excellent newer ones out there. I was really happy to see the book, Frances in the Country by Liz Garton Scanlon & Sean Qualls, featuring a BIPOC child visiting her cousins in the country. And C is for Country by Lil Nas X & Theodore Taylor III is another fun modern title. And though we did sing Old MacDonald, hopefully we got a little broader sense of what actually living in the country is like.

See another take on this theme from 2020 here.

Early Literacy Tip: Learning shapes and practicing manipulating them as we do in our tractor craft this week is an important early literacy skill. A child who is able to distinguish between shapes is better equipped to notice the differences in shapes of letters. This helps not only with reading but also with writing.

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: What does it mean to live in the country? There are fewer people on more land, it’s farther from cities and towns. Living in the country might mean there are farms, but it could also mean living in mountains, forests, even deserts. Even if you don’t live on a farm, a lot of people have the space to have a nice big garden in the country

Remember our elevator song from last week?  Here’s a version about the country!
Lifting Song: The Country Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, the country is great and the country is grand!
There are not a lot of buildings on a whole lot of land
And we live way out by the forest and the trees
We grow a lot of vegetables and maybe keep some bees
We put the seeds in the earth, we take the vegetables out
We put the seeds in the earth, we take the vegetables out
We put the seeds in the earth, we take the vegetables out
And we dance and shout!
Source: Jbrary

Bees are really important – they help pollinate the plants that give us food, as well as making honey.
Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is the the beehive (show fist)
But where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive
1, 2, 3, 4, 5… (show fingers)
They’re alive!
Buzz buzz buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

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

This was the shorter of my two books, but I still paperclipped one set of pages to shorten! Parents were very skeptical about putting vinegar in a drink as described in the switchel recipe. I love that this one shows a mother and daughter doing the farm work.
Read: Hey, Hey, Hay! A Tale of Bales and the Machines that Make Them by Christy Mihaly & Joe Cepeda (TT) (FT)

Book Cover for Hey, Hey, Hay!

Read: Frances in the Country by Liz Garton Scanlon & Sean Qualls (TB)

Book cover for Frances in the Country

I made up these lyrics for the last time I did the Country Life theme. This time I left out the “taking a break” verse for time. Riding on a tractor looks like fun, but also hard work!
Bounce: Bumpin’ Up & Down in My Little Green Tractor (TT) (TB) (FT)
(bounce child, then lift, hug, or lean on the last line)
Bumpin’ up and down in my little green tractor
Bumpin’ up and down in my little green tractor
Bumpin’ up and down in my little green tractor
Over the fields we go!

Additional verses:
Mowin’ down the grass in my little green tractor…
(bounce or “steer” tractor)
Takin’ a break for cake and switchel…
(bounce or pretend to eat & drink)
Baling up the hay in my little green tractor…
(bounce or roll arms)
Source: adapted from the traditional

We got out scarves and did some songs. You see a lot of corn being grown in the country. Did you know that our state, Indiana, is the second largest producer of POPcorn in the US?
Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarves overhead)
In the pot, in the pot (bunch up scarf in your fist)
Shake them, shake them, shake them! (shake)
Shake them, shake them, shake them!
‘Til they POP! ‘Til they POP! (toss scarves up into the air)
Source: Jbrary

If you live in the country, you might have room for a big garden!
Scarf Song: Picked a Strawberry (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Clementine)
Picked a strawberry, picked a strawberry
That was growing in the sun
Then I washed it, and I ate it
And I picked another one
Repeat with other foods: apple, grape, tomato, blueberry, etc
Source: Jbrary

We can also grow some apples!
Scarf Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree (TT) (TB) (FT)
Way up high in the apple tree, (pull scarf up through hand)
I saw two apples looking at me (make fists w/ scarf in one)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shaking motion)
Down came the apples, (drop scarf)
and mmmm, they were good! (rub tummy)
Source: traditional

Everyone loves puppets! I made the barn for a farm storytime recently and I get some really rapt toddlers for this one!
Puppet Song: Old MacDonald had a Farm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
And on that farm he had a dog, E – I – E – I – O!
With a woof, woof here, & a woof, woof there
Here a woof, there a woof,
everywhere a woof, woof!
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
How many other farm animals can you think of?
Source: traditional

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

Craft: Shape Tractor (TB) (FT)
Using some basic shapes, we made a tractor hauling hay in a trailer. My library had some yellow cotton balls in the craft closet, but white would work just as well.

Craft showing a green tractor with a red trailer attached, with three yellow cotton balls atop the trailer. Tractor and trailer are made from rectangles, and black circles are used as wheels.

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)
Green on Green – Dianne White & Felicita Sala
The Old Truck – Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey
Birdsong – Julie Flett
Farmhouse – Sophie Blackall
Summer Sun Risin’ – W. Nikola-Lisa & Don Tate
Everything Is Different at Nonna’s House – Caron Lee Cohen & Hiroe Nakata
City Dog, Country Frog – Mo Willems & Jon J. Muth
C Is for Country – Lil Nas X & Theodore Taylor III
Early One Morning – Mem Fox & Christine Davenier

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/15, 8/16, & 8/21/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout including book suggestions and rhyme/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: At the Pond

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Summer is coming, so I’ve been a little slow with blog posts!

A pond storytime is a lot of fun, since there are lots of extension activities that go along with pond animals – ducks, frogs, fish, turtles, even bugs! I actually had several extra rhymes and songs in reserve that I didn’t end up using in the time we had, but might be good alternate options for you.

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes can help children look a bit more carefully at the natural world around them. Take the opportunities that rhymes offer to have conversations with your child. The rhyme “There Was a Little Turtle” gives you a chance to talk about turtles – where they live, what they eat, and that some kinds of turtles might bite!

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 shoulders and ears.

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

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

Intro: Today we are talking about a special ecosystem where plants and animals live together – a pond! Can anyone think of something they might find in or near a pond? Fish, ducks, turtles, frogs, mosquitos, water beetles, dragonflies, water lilies, reeds, mud…

This is such a fun rhyme! I’d done it in my Baby program but not for this group. The person who posted it to the Storytime Solidarity Facebook Group didn’t have a source, so if anyone knows where it came from or who wrote it, please let me know!
Bounce/Lift: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy (TT) (FT)
Fishy, fishy, fishy goes swishy, swishy, swishy (bounce)
Flip flop, flip flop, flip flop (rock side to side)
Uuuuup, (lift baby high in air) KERPLOP! (return baby to lap)
Source: Storytime Solidarity

I used my hands to do the motions as if they were duck “flippers,” except for the quacking of the beak.
Action Rhyme: Little Baby Ducklings (TT)
Little baby ducklings- dash, dash, dash
Jumped in the duck pond- splash, splash, splash
When their Mother called them- quack, quack, quack
Little baby ducklings- swam right back
Source: Preschool Express

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

Read: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming (TT)

Book cover for In the Small Small Pond

What a lovely book. It’s very simple, just various animal and nature noises, but the colored pencil illustrations are exquisite, and the pacing lends itself so well to a group. I ask everyone to make the rain and thunder noises with lap pats and big claps, then we slowly ease back for the end of the book.
Read: A Perfect Day by Jennifer Yerkes (TB) (FT)

book cover for A Perfect Day

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, he snapped at a flea (pinch with thumb and fingers at each “snap”)
He snapped at a minnow, he snapped at me!
He caught that mosquito, He caught that flea (clap each “caught”)
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

Song: All the Fish (TT) (TB) (FT)
All the fish are swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water:
Bubble, bubble, bubble, SPLASH!

All the ducks are quacking…
All the frogs are jumping…
All the kids are splashing…
Source: Caspar Babypants (from the album I Found You)

I didn’t end up using this one.
Rhyme: I Caught a Fish
One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish alive
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Then I threw it back again
Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so
Which finger did it bite? This little finger on my right
Source: traditional

Action Rhyme: A Fat Little Frog (TT) (FT)
A fat little frog came hop, hop, hop!
He jumped on a log with a plop, plop, plop
He sat very still and he rolled his eyes
Then out came his tongue to catch some flies!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I had a puppet (well, a plastic bath squirter for the fish…) for each verse, which made this one very engaging.
Song: Mmm-ah (TB) (FT)
Mmm-ahh (stick out tongue) went the little green frog one day,
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day,
And they all went mmm, mmm, ahh
But… We know frogs go (clap) sha-na-na-na-na (wiggle arms)
Sha-na-na-na-na, Sha-na-na-na-na
We know frogs go sha-na-na-na-na
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh!

Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish one day…
But… we know fish go kissy-kissy-kiss
Quack, quack went the yellow duck one day…
But… we know ducks like to shake a tail feather… (shake bottom)
Source: Jbrary, duck verse original

a green frog puppet, a yellow duck puppet, and a small blue plastic fish bath squirter.

Another one that didn’t end up happening. So many great songs for pond animals!
Counting Song: Five Green & Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious bugs (yum, yum)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs
(count down)
Credit: traditional

Ukulele Song: Six Little Ducks (TB) (FT)
Six little ducks That I once knew
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones, too
But the one little duck
with the feather on his back
He led the others with a quack, quack, quack
A quack, quack, quack, A quack, quack, quack
He led the others With a quack, quack, quack
Source: traditional, as sung by Raffi

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Six Little Ducks” here!

Six Little Ducks songsheet thumbnail

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

Craft: Lily Pad (TB) (FT)
To make a cute little lily pad, we started with small green paper plates with a small wedge cut out. I provided die-cut frogs and flowers, plus a small strip of red paper curled around a pencil for the frog’s tongue. With googly eyes and some crayon details, they turned out pretty cute.

craft with a green plate with a small wedge cut out, decorated with a pink paper flower and frog with googly eyes and a long curly strip of red paper for a tongue.

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)
Scoot! – Cathryn Falwell
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Song of the Water Boatman – Joyce Sidman & Beckie Prange
The Wide-Mouthed Frog – Rex Schneider
Over and Under the Pond – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
At the Pond – Geraldo Valério
I’m a Duck – Eve Bunting & Will Hillenbrand
At the Pond – David Elliott & Amy Schimler-Safford
Maisy Goes on a Nature Walk – Lucy Cousins

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/8, 5/9, & 5/10/23.

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: Bunny Tales

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I don’t really do holiday programs, but I think it’s fine to do tangentially related programming around the time of holidays. Bunnies or rabbits are a great choice in the spring, and near Easter we see depictions of rabbits everywhere. Plus they’re cute. The hardest task is choosing a bunny book, since there are so many good options!

Early Literacy Tip: You don’t actually need to read books aloud to your children in order for them to benefit. Simply looking at and talking about the illustrations in books helps children develop appreciation for the visual arts, as well as new vocabulary. Talk about the colors you see – not only the names of the colors, but whether they are bright or pastel, sharp or soft.

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 and noses.

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

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

Intro: Who is this? It’s my friend bunny! He wants to say hello! I have two bunny puppets, a pink one and a white one in a hat. I used both!

I found a couple kids in the front and had the bunny puppet tickle their toes on the last line!
Action Rhyme: Rabbit’s Habit (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little rabbit has a habit That is very cute to see!
He wiggles his ears (wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!)
He wiggles his nose (wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!)
And he… Jumps on down to tickle your toes!
Source: Intellidance

And now for the rabbit in a hat puppet. This friend is shyer, if we’re very quiet, maybe she’ll come out.
Fingerplay: Little Bunny in a Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little bunny in a hat, Sitting so still (index & middle fingers (bunny ears) hidden behind other hand)
Will she come out? Yes she will! (raise fingers)
She looks to the left (turn fingers left)
She looks to the right (turn fingers right)
She looks straight ahead (turn fingers to front)
And pops out of sight (hide behind other hand again)
Source: Jbrary

Photo of a white rabbit in a black top hat puppet, with a paper magic wand beside it.
I took this photo for a magic theme, but I didn’t use the wand this time.

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

The rhyme scheme makes it easy for your audience to help tell the story, filling in the missing color for each page turn.
Read: What Does Bunny See? by Linda Sue Park & Maggie Smith (TT) (FT)

book cover for What Does Bunny See?

If you have a very active group, this one is fun – there’s lots of actions to mimic. If you have a very quiet group (which I did this week), it feels a little awkward. :S
Read: Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall (TB)

Book cover for Everybunny Dance

Fingerplay: Here is a Bunny (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is a bunny with ears so funny (bunny ear fingers, bent)
And here is his hole in the ground (make circle w/ other hand)
At the first sound he hears, he pricks up his ears (extend ears)
And hops in the hole in the ground (fingers jump into the hole)
Source: Storytime Katie

Fingerplay: Bunnies Up! (TT) (TB) (FT)
(index and middle finger make bunny ears)
Bunnies up! Bunnies down!
Hold your bunny & turn around
Bunnies up! Bunnies down!
Put your bunny on the ground
Source: One Little Librarian

This one makes a great transition to the Sleeping Bunnies song.
Counting Rhyme: Come, My Bunnies (TT) (TB) (FT)
“Come my bunnies, It’s time for bed!”
That’s what Mother Bunny said
“But first let’s count you, just to see
If all my bunnies came back to me
Bunny one, Bunny two, Bunny three . . . Oh dear!
Bunny four, Bunny five, Yes, you’re all here!
You’re the cutest little bunnies alive!
Bunny one, two, three, four, five!”
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Action Song: Sleeping Bunnies (TT) (TB) (FT)
(begin with “bunnies” asleep on the floor)
Look at all the bunnies sleeping
’Til it’s nearly noon (point to wrist)
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
(wave hands like a conductor)
Oh so still… Are they ill?
(dramatic pause, then sing fast and clap!)
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies!
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies!
(bunnies get up and hop around!)
Hop little bunnies, Hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, Hop, hop, hop
Stop little bunnies, Stop, stop, stop! (FREEZE!)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I had two backup rhymes that I didn’t end up using.
Action Rhyme: Little Bunny Rabbit
(mime actions)
Little bunny rabbit goes hop hop hop
See how his ears go flop flop flop
See how his eyes go blink blink blink
See how his nose goes twink twink twink
Pet his white coat so soft and furry
Hop hop hop he’s off in a hurry!
Source: North Mankato Taylor Library

Song: I’m a Little Bunny
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little bunny with a cotton tail
See me hopping down the trail
When I see a carrot – my ears they shake
And then, of course, a bite I take! CRUNCH!
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library

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

Craft: Bunny Ears Headband (TB) (FT)
This was a very easy craft. I freehanded two ears on pink cardstock, cut strips of brown paper, and used some pink cotton balls that we had in the craft supply closet to make bunny ear headbands. I put out crayons in case they wanted to do any decorating. They turned out pretty cute!

Picture of the craft, showing a pink cotton ball glued to the back, and two pink ears glued to the front of a brown headband.

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)
Hat Tricks – Satoshi Kitamura
I Am a Bunny – Ole Risom & Richard Scarry
The Runaway Bunny – Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd
Creepy Carrots – Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
Wolfie the Bunny – Ame Dyckman & Zachariah OHora
Bunny in the Middle – Anika A Denise & Christopher Denise
Big Bad Bunny – Franny Billingsley & G Brian Karas
A is for Another Rabbit – Hannah Batsel
One Brown Bunny – Marion Dane Bauer & Ivan Bates
Out of a Jar – Deborah Marcero

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/10, 4/11, & 4/12/23.

Storytime Handout:

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: Big & Little

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Usually the songs and rhymes that I plan for my Toddler Time (ages 1-2) and my Teddy Bear (ages 2-3.5) sessions are very similar, with just two or three different extension activities that differ between the two. Family Time (ages 0-3.5) is usually a judgement call between the two plans based on the ages that show up. However, because of the books I chose to read, the two plans for this storytime were quite different!

I also was in love with the craft for this week – and I got gasps from the crowd when I revealed my sample both days! It was very simple, but made a BIG impact.

Early Literacy Tip: Children love to talk about how “big” they are. While they’re smaller than many people and things they interact with, they find joy in being bigger than younger siblings or a pet. Their learning and understanding of big and small are important for math readiness as it lays the foundation for understanding and comparing sizes. It sets them up to learn the concepts of less vs. more, smaller than vs. larger than, and equal to. Additionally, the frequent use of vocabulary like “large” and “small,” “big” and “little” helps increase your children’s spatial language.

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 and chins.

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

We just had to do this one!
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Intro: Let’s talk about size. What is big? [spread arms out!] What is little? [pinch fingers together] Can we practice?

I’ve done this one with bubbles, but not with balls. The flannel is super simple, and we do the rhyme three times, then say I have one more to add, now let’s count, and it makes an even 10.
Flannel Rhyme: Little Ball, Big Ball (TT) (TB) (FT)
A little ball (make a circle with your fingers)
A bigger ball (make a larger circle with your hands)
A great big ball I see (make a large circle with your arms)
Can you count the [yellow] balls? 1 – 2 – 3 (make 3 circles again)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannelboard showing three balls of increasing size in yellow, green, and blue, plus one small pink ball to make ten total.

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

This is a board book, and I *still* skipped some pages for the wiggly toddler time group!
Read: Big Little by Leslie Patricelli (TT)

book cover for Big Little

Classic storytime book. I got some raised eyebrows and nervous titters from grownups when the squid’s tentacles are hanging out of the whale’s mouth, but everyone liked the twist!
Read: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (TB) (FT)

Book cover for I'm the biggest thing in the ocean

The next four activities were only for Toddler Time, then the next two were just for Teddy Bears and Family Time.

I pointed out that we’re doing a small, medium, and large sized jumping animal to reinforce our theme for this one.
Bounce: Grasshopper (TT)
There was a little grasshopper
Always on the jump
Because they never looked ahead
They always went BUMP! (tilt to side, drop between knees, or lift)
Repeat with bunny, kangaroo
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Action Rhyme: Tall as a Tree (TT)
Tall as a tree (arms over head)
Wide as a house (arms out to the side)
Thin as a pin (arms straight down by side)
And small as a mouse (crouch low)
Source: Dogeared Storytime

The little Folkmanis mouse finger puppet is the cutest, so it’s always exciting to find a new use for her!
Story Rhyme: Little Mousie Brown (TT)
(Index finger is mouse, opposite arm is candlestick)
Up the tall white candlestick
Went little Mousie Brown
But when she got up to the top
She could not get back down
She called for Mama, “Mama, Mama!”
But Mama was in town
So she called for daddy, “Daddy, Daddy!”
But Daddy wasn’t around
So little Mousie curled right up
And rolled right down!
Source: Jbrary

Photo of Folkmanis finger puppet mouse - brown with a white tummy and beige inner ears, with a beige rope tail.
Mousie Brown is the cutest

Rhythm Rhyme: The Elephant (TT)
(stomp feet rhythmically)
Right foot, left foot see me go
I am grey and big and slow
I come walking down the street
With my trunk and my four big feet
(extend arms in front of face, trumpet like an elephant!)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

We did this one every week last summer as part of the Oceans of Possiblities theme, and it was nice to revisit it.
Action Song: A Big Sea Star (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big sea star, a big sea star (stretch arms & legs out)
Little cuddle clam (hug yourself and get small)
and a big sea star (x2)

A pufferfish! (big breath and blow out)
A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star (x2)
Source: Jbrary

Action Song: Slippery Fish (TB) (FT)
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through
the water, Slippery fish, slippery fish,
Gulp, Gulp, Gulp! Oh, no!
It’s been eaten by …

A jellyfish, a jellyfish, floating in the water …
An octopus, an octopus, squiggling in the water …
A mako shark, a mako shark, lurking in the water …
Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water… Gulp, Gulp, Gulp – BURP! Excuse me!
Source: Jbrary

Flannelboard for "Slippery fish." Pictured is a small green and blue fish, a pink jellyfish, a gray and pink octopus, a white and pink tuna fish, a gray shark, and a blue whale
I didn’t use the white and pink “tuna fish” this time

Parachute Intro: Let’s get out our biggest prop, the parachute! Let’s practice by lifting it up and down, shaking fast and slow. (TT) (TB) (FT)

Parachute Song: Very, Very Tall (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m very, very tall (reach up high)
I’m very, very small (reach down low)
Tall!
Small!
Now I’m a little ball (curl up)
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Wiggleworms

I mean, I guess it’s big…
Parachute Song: London Bridge (TT) (TB) (FT)
London bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.

Build it up with sticks and stones…
Source: traditional

Parachute Song: Parachute Fly
tune of Skip to My Lou
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 1…
Down on 2…
Up on 3, and Fly! (adults release while you gather up the ‘chute)
Source: Gymboree

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

Craft: Giant Squid (TB) (FT)
As I said, this was a craft that inspired gasps of delight when revealed, but the elements are really quite simple. I freehand drew a squid’s head on our largest size of blue construction paper (12″ x 18″) and asked a volunteer to trace and cut those out. I also drew large white circles for the eyes and a smile mouth on white construction paper – them being a little wonky really added to the fun look. We had small dark blue stickers for the pupils (black would have worked, too, but I used what I found), and I pre-cut lengths of blue crepe paper streamers for the tentacles. I put out glue sticks, tape, and staplers and let everyone choose what worked well for them, and we ended up with adorable giant squids that in most cases were bigger than the children that made them! I was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest from the Share and Remember blog.

Our craft - a blue squid made of construction paper and blue streamers. In full, it measures about 4 feet long

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 Not Small – Nina Crews
Tiny Little Fly – Michael Rosen & Kevin Waldron
Who’s the Biggest? – Delphine Chedru
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Big and Small and In-Between – Carter Higgins & Daniel Miyares
Jump! – Scott M. Fischer
Little Mouse – Alison Murray
You Are (Not) Small – Anna Kang & Christopher Weyant
The Crayola Comparing Sizes Book – Jodie Shepherd
What Will Fit? – Grace Lin
Big and Small with Northwest Coast Native Art – NativeNorthwest.com

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/6, 3/7, & 3/8/23.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime 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: Farm Friends

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Who doesn’t love mooing and oinking and clucking and neighing? Farm animals are a theme with so many options and resources – the hard part is choosing which songs, rhymes, activities, and books to present!

Although I only read Farmyard Beat in the Toddler Time session, I decided to do rhythm sticks as our prop this week in all the classes. I didn’t find a great transition as to how it related to the farm, but this was a new prop and the kids were all excited to try them out regardless of the theme.

Early Literacy Tip: Imitating animal noises is a great way for kids to practice making language sounds and developing sound meaning. Animal sounds also help children hear the smaller sounds in words, which is good for when they are starting 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.

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

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

Intro: I got out the “barn” that I made from a cardboard box spray painted red. What is this? It’s a barn! Where might we see a barn? On a farm. And who lives in a barn? Farm animals!

red barn box with white X details on the top and bottom "doors", with a split showing on the top door where it opens in the middle.

As we sang “on that farm he had a…” I popped out an animal from the barn doors, to much delight.
Puppet Song: Old MacDonald had a Farm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
And on that farm he had a dog, E – I – E – I – O!
With a woof, woof here, and a woof, woof there
Here a woof, there a woof, everywhere a woof, woof!
Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O!
Source: traditional

a pig puppet peeking out from the top portion of the barn box, which opens like a saloon door on the top half of the box.

One of my favorites! The graphics for the flannelboard come from the now-defunct Sunflower Storytime. Since the website is no longer available either in its original form or through the Internet Archive, I’m uploading my copy for you.
Flannel/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 (clap, clap, clap)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks, as cute as can be
Source: Mel’s Desk

Download Sunflower Storytime’s printable here!

I thought this was really fun! When I did a search for the song to get the King County link, I learned that this was a Glenn Miller song.
Fingerplay: Boogie Woogie Piggy (TT) (FT)
This little piggy went to market (pinky)
This little piggy stayed home (ring)
But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb, waves back and forth)
and he boogie-woogied all the way home!

Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink,
boogie woogie piggy (x3) (use thumb to pull up nose on the oinks, then dance that piggy!)
And he boogie woogied all the way home!

This little piggy had roast beef (middle)
This little piggy had none (index)
But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb)
and he boogie-woogied all the way home!
(repeat Oink, oink, oink chorus)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

Read: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown (TT)

farmyard beat book cover

This was an absolute hit – the kids could finish the sentences for most of the farm noises, then I got to yell BOO!
Read: Cows Go Boo! by Steve Webb & Fred Blunt (TB) (FT)

cows go boo book cover

Rhythm Sticks Intro – Do you have the beat? Let’s make our own beat with rhythm sticks! (I did a little “er, this fit with the other book I read, let’s just have fun with this” in the two sessions that didn’t follow Farmyard Beat.) Practice: Lay them on your shoulders, tap fast & loud, tap soft & quiet, rub them together, roll them in a circle.

Rhythm Stick Song: Count the Beat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8… 9… 10!
Source: Sarah French

Rhythm Stick Song: This Is the Way We Tap (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we tap our sticks
Tap our sticks, tap our sticks
This is the way we tap our sticks
At our storytime
(repeat with different motions: rub, tap them soft, tap the floor, tap our shoes, roll our sticks, tap them loud, etc)
Source: Sarah French

This was a little trickier, since they had to wait with their sticks on their shoulders until the last line, when they could do the action. I saved it for my oldest group.
Rhythm Stick Song: If You Have Some Rhythm Sticks (TB)
(tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
If you have some rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks
(keep sticks on shoulders until last line)
If you have some rhythm sticks,
You can tap them now (tap!)
(repeat with different motions: rub, hammer, drum)
Source: Sarah French

Recorded Song: Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer (TT) (TB) (FT)
from the album Rhythms on Parade
see the video: https://youtu.be/M-UKTeWNgOk

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

Craft: Muddy Pig Painting (TB) (FT)
This was another craft from the Sunflower Storytime blog (I miss it!) I printed the pig template on pink paper and asked a volunteer to cut them out. The kids glued them down, then used cotton balls to get the pig dirty with brown paint. Again, since Sunflower Storytime is no longer with us, I’m uploading the template!

Download the pig template here!

pink pig on green construction paper, with splotches of brown paint all over it.

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)
Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! – Candace Fleming & Lori Nichols
Old MacDonald Had a Farm – Jane Cabrera
Five Fuzzy Chicks – Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson
On the Farm – David Elliott & Holly Meade
Barnyard Banter – Denise Fleming
Big Red Barn – Margaret Wise Brown & Felicia Bond
Farm Lullaby – Karen Jameson & Wednesday Kirwan
The Greedy Goat – Petr Horáček
Color Farm – Lois Ehlert
Skip to My Moo – Iza Trapani & Maddie Frost

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/6, 2/7, & 2/8/23.

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: Cutie Cookies

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Everyone loves cookies, right? I did this theme for the first time before starting this blog, but even so, I made a lot of changes to my old plan for this year. I looked for more activities to suit the age I work with now, and replaced an extensive prop story use of the “Ten Little…” song melody that I’d used before I knew better. I think this is a better mix. I also had a fairly different plan for the younger Book Babies program than the one for the older Teddy Bears (Family time skewed younger, so I used the same plan as BB), with a different slate of songs and rhymes in addition to the books.

To be honest, the actual programs went a little haywire – I had a couple of kids/families that were pretty wired up and I felt off my game. That happens. I generally either plow on or just cut short what I’m doing in favor of going to either the next song with movement or finishing up with Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, always our last song. That didn’t really help this time! What kinds of strategies do you use when kiddos are extra wiggly and distracted?

See another version of this theme from 2025.

The cow loves cookies book cover, featuring a light brown cow and a farmer with a white beard, baseball cap and overalls in front of a farm scene.

Early Literacy Tip: Showing a child how to follow a recipe not only introduces print in a new way, but also develops early math skills through measuring. It also teaches the ability to follow directions. For babies, set out a small tub filled with uncooked beans or rice. Give them a scoop and let them play while you’re in the kitchen.

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (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 was shoulders and fingers.

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

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: Mmm, today I’m in the mood for cookies! Let’s make some cookies together.

Rhyme: Pat a Cake (Cookie Style) (BB) (FT)
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s man (clap hands together)
Bake me a cookie as fast as you can
Roll it (roll hands) And pat it (pat lap)
And mark it with a “C” (draw a C in the air or on baby’s belly)
And put it in the oven for you and me! (point)
Source: adapted from the traditional

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

Read: Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington (BB) (FT)

Book Cover for Mr. Cookie Baker

I love this book, but it didn’t really work well for my group. This was the EXTRA wiggly group, so that may have been a factor, but I did notice with this retelling that it seemed a missed opportunity that “but the Cow loves cookies” was not consistently repeated after every grouping. The repetition of the other animals made the book drag a little, too. The lilting rhymes help, but I think this is better for a little older kids.
Read: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson & Marcellus Hall (TB)

Book cover for The Cow Loves Cookies

Tickle: Round and Round the Batter Bowl (BB) (FT)
Round and round the batter bowl (circle on baby’s belly)
One, two, three! (gentle poke on each number)
A little here, a little there (touch both cheeks)
As tasty as can be! (tickle or nibble belly!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

I did this and Here’s a Cup for all three programs, but for Teddy Bears we did them before our book.
Rhyme: Making Cookies (BB) (TB) (FT)
(mime each action unless otherwise indicated)
I am making cookie dough (point to self)
Round and round the beaters go (roll hands)
Add some flour from a cup
Stir and mix the batter up
Roll them, cut them nice and neat
Put them on a cookie sheet
Bake them, count them, 1, 2, 3 (count with fingers)
Then serve them to my friends for tea!
Source: Jen in the Library

The arms on my Scaredy Squirrel puppet that I usually use as my “little one” when I demonstrate rhymes are not long enough for this to work! I asked a grownup to help me demonstrate, then we did the rhyme twice more.
Fingerplay: Here’s a Cup (BB) (TB) (FT)
Here’s a cup, and here’s a cup,
And here’s a pot of tea
Pour a cup, and pour a cup,
And drink some tea with me
Source: Jbrary

Even though I didn’t read The Cow Loves Cookies for these sessions, I used my cow puppet to gobble up all the cookies. Click the source link to get Jessica’s template for the sugar cookie flannel! (I made six cookies, but only used five for this group)
Puppet/Flannel Rhyme: Down Around the Corner (BB) (FT)
Down around the corner at the bakery store
Were five sugar cookies with frosting galore!
Along came a cow looking for a treat…
She saw those cookies and she took one to eat!
(count down)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Six flannel sugar cookies with different colored icing. A large white circle, a small blue circle, a large pink heart and a small green heart, a large blue star and a small white star.

So this is the song I adapted to replace the “Ten Little” melody. In the past I had a flannel oven, cookie sheet, and 10 cookies that a volunteer helped me make at my old library and followed the prop story from One Little Librarian (the blog is now not available to the public). I had left the flannel at that library and didn’t make a replacement, so this was just an action song for us. BUT, I did have laminated cookies for all the kids that I gave out during the “cool the cookies” verse that they fed to Cookie Monster later in the session.
Action Song: This Is the Way We Make Cookies (TB)
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we pour the flour,
Pour the flour, pour the flour
This is the way we pour the flour
To make our cookie treats

Additonal verses:
Now we cream the butter & sugar…
This is the way we stir the dough…
Bake the dough…
Cool the cookies…
Eat the cookies…
Source: original

You know who else loves to eat cookies? Cookie monster! This was made with a fairly high resolution picture of Cookie Monster, printed on cardstock and laminated, then attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper.
Song: C is for Cookie (TB)
C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie – Starts with C!
Source: Sesame Street, From the Album “Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites”

Cookie monster prop made with a printed CM face attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper, with the mouth/hole cut out. Also pictured are 5 paper sugar cookies with sprinkles, orange, green, red, blue, and purple.

Download a template of the cookies here!

After this rhyme, the kids took their paper cookies and fed them to Cookie Monster.
Action Rhyme: Cookies Up (TB)
Cookies up! Cookies down!
Hold your cookie & turn around
Cookies up! Cookies down!
Wave your cookies all around
Source: adapted from One Little Librarian

I wanted to make this a little longer, so made up the second and third verses. I’m particularly proud of the “mustachy” couplet! I asked everyone to join in on the echoes, and either raise their hands or do a lift there.
Ukulele Song: I Wish I Were a Little Cookie Crumb (BB) (TB) (FT)
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
I’d go crumby, crumby, crumby
Over everybody’s tummy
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)

Additional verses:
Oh, I wish I were a little chocolate chip (chocolate chip!)…
I’d be melty and sweet
And leave chocolate in your teeth…

Oh, I wish I were a cold glass of milk (glass of milk!)…
I’d go splishy splishy splashy
And leave you a cute mustachy…
Source: verse 1, North Mankato Taylor Library (MN), verses 2 & 3, original

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

One last song for the babies!
Let’s wash up our faces from all the messy cookie crumbs!
Body Song: Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin
Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin
Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin
Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin
Cheeky cheeky chin, nose, eyes
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

Craft: Cookie Design Craft
We had giant cookies that could be decorated with crayons and adhesive foam shapes, mounted on another sheet of construction paper. I encouraged the kids to think about what flavor their cookie might have, and if they had a special name for their recipe.

Brown circle on a light green sheet of paper, decorated with multicolored triangular foam shapes. Labeled "Emily's Cookie. Cinnamon with rainbow sprinkles"

Play Time
The babies 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* (BB) (TB) (FT)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? – Mo Willems
Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? – George Shannon & Julie Paschkis
Baker Baker Cookie Maker – Linda Hayward & Tom Brannon
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond
May I Please Have a Cookie? – Jennifer E. Morris
Gingerbread Baby – Jan Brett
Good Night, Knight – Betsy Lewin
The Cookie Fiasco – Dan Santat
Stop and Smell the Cookies – Gibson Frazier & Micah Player

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/12, 12/13, & 12/14/22.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime 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:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: What’s in the Mailbox?

Posted on by msemilylibrary

December seems to be time of year that I get the most personal mail, so what better time to do a storytime on the postal system? I’ve been reusing a lot of themes from my previous library, but this is a brand new to me theme. It was fun to search for material and see what went over well. Big props to Jen in the Library for her post, from whom I borrowed the letter and felt elements!

Early Literacy Tip: When we talk about everyday occurrences like getting the mail in more detail, explaining the parts we don’t get to see and how letters get from one place to another, we are expanding our children’s general knowledge of the world around them, giving them new vocabulary, and inspiring their print motivation – the desire to know how to read and write in the future.

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (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 was knees and elbows.

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

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

Intro: What is this? It’s a letter. Who is it for? It’s for you! Let’s see what it says. I began with a letter that I wrote to the kids, addressing it to Storytime Friends and pointing out the parts of the mailing address, the return address, and the stamp before reading it out loud.

Photo of storytime easel with envelope addressed to "Storytime Friends" held on with a magnet, and the letter inside shown to the side. Also visible is the lyrics sheet for Hello Friends.

Dear Storytime Friends,
I’m looking forward to learning all about LETTERS and MAIL with you at the library this week.
Thanks for joining me at storytime!
Your friend,
Emily

Bounce Rhyme: Write Your Cards (BB)
(tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Write, Write, Write your cards
And lots of letters too!
I will bring them to your friends
And they will write back too!
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

Action Rhyme: Little Letter Carrier (TB) (FT)
I am a little letter carrier
Who loves to do nothing better
I walk, walk, walk (walk in place)
To deliver your letter!
(repeat with other actions like run, hop, skip, spin, march, etc)
Source: Jen in the Library

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

So this isn’t my favorite book about the mail, since it really doesn’t directly show letters or a postal carrier, but for the youngest class, it was the best option I had. They did love the flaps and seeing the animals!
Read: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (BB) (FT)

book cover for dear zoo

This title is really nice and simple, with clear pictures.
Read: Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen & Eric Thomas (TB)

book cover for delivering your mail

I updated the next rhyme to be more modern, eliminating the gendered “postman” and specific name, and making it reflective of my community’s experience of mail, centered in a suburban Midwestern setting. (At my house, the mail doesn’t come until late afternoon – sometimes as late as 6!) The mail carrier never comes to the door since our mailbox is at the end of our driveway. I’ll include the lyrics to the original as well, just in case you do live in a community where the mail comes early and the carrier knocks on your door, but I think it’s good to have our rhymes mostly match kids’ lived experience if possible.

Does anyone like to check the mailbox with your grownup?
Rhyme: Mail Time (BB) (TB) (FT)
Early afternoon around three o’clock
You can hear the mail truck stop
Up I jump and skip down the drive
I find 1 letter, 2 letters, 3, 4, and 5!
Source: original, adapted from Madison (ID) Library District

Original:
Early in the morning
At eight o’clock
You can hear the postman knock
Up jumps Ella to answer the door
1 Letter, 2 Letters, 3 Letters, 4

Blue felt mail bag with red lettered "MAIL", accompanied by five envelopes - blue, pink, purple, yellow, and green.

At the end of that rhyme, I put up the five felt envelopes I made as part of a mail bag set. This was another borrow from Jen in the Library, and a great activity. Each envelope held a letter from a different animal. Jen had letters from a mouse, bear, dog, cat, fish, and bird, but I wanted to use animals that I had both a felt piece and a puppet for, so my animals ended up being from the farm set: Pig, Horse, Chicken, Dog, and Cat. I purchased the sewing instructions for the bag and envelopes on Etsy from ThePlayhouseKid.
To begin, we sang this song:

Song: Lovely Letters in the Mail (BB) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
Oh, I got a lovely letter in the mail (clap, clap)
Oh, I got a lovely letter in the mail (clap, clap)
Getting mail is so much fun
Let’s just see who sent this one
Oh, this lovely little letter in the mail. (clap, clap)
Source: Jen in the Library

We read each letter, and the kids guessed who sent it, before I turned it around to let them see the picture. Instead of signing each one “love” like she did, though, I signed them with the sound the animal makes – I was afraid that the context clues in the letters might not be quite enough for the young ones to get, but an animal noise would be easier to identify for them. They were very excited to see who sent the letters!

Picture of the open felt envelope, the letter from horse (including a photograph of a horse) and the horse felt piece.

Dear Friends,
Do you have a bone to spare? My bowl is empty. Thank you!
Woof,
DOG

Dear Friends,
Would you rather lie in the sun or play with the squeaky mouse? I can’t decide.
Meow,
CAT

Dear Friends,
I have some eggs for your breakfast in my nest.
Bok, bok, bok,
CHICKEN

Dear Friends,
Want to join me in the sty for a nice mud bath?
Oink,
PIG

Dear Friends,
I’m ready to gallop through the fields. Want to go for a ride?
Neigh,
HORSE

Easel with feltboard, showing 5 envelopes, three of which have the corresponding animal felt next to them. The lyrics to "Lovely Letters in the Mail" is to the side.

Let’s send our own letters out now! Who would you like to send a letter to?
Action Rhyme: Send a Letter (BB) (TB)
Write it, (pretend to write)
Stamp it, (clap down)
Put it in the box (little tickle)
Hope that my friend Loves it a lot! (hug)
Repeat for other people: aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

I didn’t end up using this one at any of my sessions due to time, but I imagined it could be a kind of bounce/lift.
Bounce Song: I Love to Deliver the Mail
(tune of “My Bonnie”)
I get to sort the mail, (bouncing)
Then carry it to your home
The mail comes from all over
Like New York, Paris, and Rome
Mail, mail, mail, mail, (tilt far to the side)
I love to deliver the mail, mail, mail (bounce)
Mail, Mail, Mail, Mail, (tilt far to side)
I love to deliver the mail (end with a lift)
Source: YouthScope at Handley Regional Libraries

And the song that is still stuck in my head in a delightful way… I saw an adorable class of first graders doing this one with some nice motions for each line, so take a look at the link if you’d like to see that.
What if you miss someone so much but it’s too far to walk or run? Woody Guthrie wrote a song about sending yourself through the mail!
Song: Mail Myself to You (BB) (TB) (FT)
I’m gonna wrap myself in paper
I’m gonna dot myself with glue
Stick some stamps on top of my head
I’m gonna mail myself to you!

I’m gonna tie me up in a red string
I’m gonna tie a blue ribbon too
Climb on up inside my mailbox
I’m gonna mail myself to you!

When you see me in your mailbox
Cut the string and let me out!
Wash the glue off my fingers
Stick some bubble gum in my mouth

Take me out of my wrapping paper
Wash the stamps off my head
Pour me out an ice cream soda…slurp!
Put me in a nice warm bed!
Source: Woody Guthrie
See motions at: https://youtu.be/no034U7ivfA

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

Craft: Mail Carrier Hat and Mail a Card
There was kind of a lot going on with the craft. I had blank cards that someone had donated for them to write/scribble on, and I asked the grownups to write the child’s name and address on the front. I’d stamped the library’s address in the return area already, and there were stamps for them to add. My library had already made a “mailbox” for a previous passive program that we had in storage, so the kids could “deliver” their mail to the mailbox. The second part of the craft time was to make a postal carrier hat. I had USPS logo stickers to stick on the hat and they could write their name if they wanted. The hat shape was already cut out, so it went pretty quick. I found a template for the hat at Making Learning Fun, but I altered it to remove the squares with US Postal Service, since I had made the logo stickers, for which I just printed a nice hi-res photo of the logo on label paper. The kids were super cute in their hats.

Photo of craft mail carrier hat

Play Time
The babies 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* (BB) (TB) (FT)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Stanley the Mailman – William Bee
Where Does Mail Go? – Charlie W. Sterling
The Day the Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin – Duncan Tonatiuh
A Letter for Leo – Sergio Ruzzier
Millie Waits for the Mail – Alexander Steffensmeier
Can I Be Your Dog? – Troy Cummings
The Thank You Letter – Jane Cabrera
The Lost Package – Richard Ho & Jessica Lanan
I Miss You Every Day – Simms Taback
Bunny Mail – Rosemary Wells

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/5, 12/6, & 12/7/22.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books and rhyme/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:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Storytime: DINOvember

Posted on by msemilylibrary

It’s DINOvember and we are having all the fun with dinosaurs! Even my baby program had fun with some dinosaur songs and rhymes, though I felt I needed to adapt a couple traditional baby/toddler rhymes to involve them more. But just like a monster storytime, we did a lot of roaring and stomping and pretending.

You can find other versions of this theme from 2021 and 2024.

Early Literacy Tip: Everybody knows at least one child who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Children’s brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So, don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge.

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (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 was shoulders and noses.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB)

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

Intro: Today’s theme is all about dinosaurs! Even though they’re not around any longer, I love to imagine what these gigantic and amazing creatures might have been like. Some dinos were big, and some were little. Let’s do a rhyme.

Action Rhyme: Big Dino, Little Dino
Big Dino, Little Dino, turn around
Big Dino, Little Dino, touch the ground
Big Dino, Little Dino, reach up high
Big Dino, Little Dino, blink your eyes
Big Dino, Little Dino, touch your nose
Big Dino, Little Dino, touch your toes
Big Dino, Little Dino, slap your knees
Big Dino, Little Dino, sit down please
Source: Project I.Am.Abbey

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

I like the big flaps at the end of this board book, and all the cheerful, colorful dinosaurs in a prehistoric setting!
Read: Hello Dinosaurs! by Joan Holub & Chris Dickason (BB)

Hello Dinosaurs book cover

This one is so simple and perfect. The ending always makes the adults chuckle.
Read: We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin (TB) (FT)

We Love Dinosaurs book cover

It’s kind of amazing what even the two-year-olds already know about dinosaurs! I introduced each dinosaur with a very short description – “Triceratops had three horns and a big frill on its head – it was a plant-eater but used its horns to defend itself when needed.” The flannelboard dinosaurs can be used for both this song and “One Dinosaur Went Out to Play,” below, and the template is available at Mel’s Desk.
Action Song: All Through the Swamp
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr
Grr grr grr, Grr grr grr
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr
All through the swamp

Additional verses:
The Triceratops’ horns go poke, poke, poke…
The Stegosaurus’ tail goes swish, swish, swish…
The Brachiosaurus’ mouth goes munch, munch, munch…
The Pteranodon’s wings go flap, flap, flap…
Credit: Mel’s Desk

laminated dinosaurs and fern for the flannelboard. Includes a yellow stegosaurus, orange t. rex, purple pteranodon, blue triceratops, and red brachiosaurus.

This and Dino Thumbs are the rhymes I quickly came up with for the youngest group, though I did do “Where Is T Rex” at all my sessions.
Fingerplay: Where is T Rex? (BB) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Where is Thumbkin?)
Where is T Rex? Where is T Rex? (use thumbs)
HERE I AM! HERE I AM! (use T-Rex voice!)
HOW ARE YOU TODAY, FRIEND?
VERY WELL I THANK YOU!
ROAR AWAY! ROAR AWAY!

Where is Pteranodon? (thumb spread from fingers like wings)
… Fly away! Fly away!
Where is brachiosaurus? (use pointer finger)
…Munch, munch, munch! Munch, munch, munch! (don’t retreat)
Source: original, adapted from the traditional

I’ve seen this as “Tommy Thumbs” and also with “Egg Shakers.” My rhyme sheet had a picture of thumbs with dinosaur finger puppets on them!
Fingerplay: Dino Thumbs (BB)
Dino Thumbs are up
Dino Thumbs are down
Dino Thumbs are 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 (fold arms)
Source: adapted from the traditional

Rhyme: Dinosaur Stretch (BB) (TB) (FT)
Spread your arms, way out wide
Fly like Pteranodon, soar and glide
Bend to the floor, head down low
Move like Stegosaurus, long ago
Reach up tall, try to be
As tall as Brachiosaurus eating on a tree
Using your claws, grumble and growl
Just like Tyrannosaurus Rex on the prowl
Source: Storytime Katie

This was on my plan, but I didn’t end up doing it at any of my sessions.
Action Rhyme: Five Little Dinosaurs
Five little dinosaurs sitting in a swamp.
The first one said, “Let’s stomp, stomp, stomp.”
The second one said, “Time for lunch!”
The third one said, “Let’s munch, munch, munch.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s stomp some more.”
The fifth one said, “Let’s all roar!” GRRRR!
Source: Everybody Loves Bubbles

Everyone enjoyed slapping their knees to make the sound of dinosaurs running!
Ukulele/Flannel Song: One Dinosaur Went Out to Play (TB) (FT)
(tune of Five Little Ducks)
One dinosaur went out to play
By a giant fern one day
She had such enormous fun
That she called for another dinosaur to come:
Oh, Diiiiiiiiiinosaur! (slap hands on thighs)

(count up to 5)
Last line:
…That they played until the day was done!
Source: Mel’s Desk

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for One Dinosaur Went Out to Play

Action Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes* (BB)

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

Craft: Dinosaur Parade Headband
In an attempt to make life easy, and since my library has a great selection of die cuts, I provided two green strips (2.24×12″, four strips per sheet of construction paper), and the four dinosaurs that we had dies for – T-Rex, Pteranodon, stegosaurus, and brachiosaurus. Glue sticks and staplers (pro tip: put the “bumpy side” of the staples on the *outside* of the headband) and everyone had a dinosaur parade to wear on their heads!

Dark green headband with four dinosaur shapes glued to it: orange T-Rex, purple Pteranodon, yellow stegosaurus, and red brachiosaurus.

Play Time
The babies 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!

For my older kids, I made a new manipulative for playtime (which was my suggested craft for our Storytime Shorts video series this month): Clothespin Stegosauruses! This was inspired by a craft I originally saw on Storytime Katie’s blog, and found another version on Oh, Hey, Let’s Play. She said she didn’t know where she originally got her artwork, but I loved it, so drew my own version based on hers. (If anyone finds the original source, let me know!) We have a ton of yard signs that were purchased for summer 2020 that were not used, so they are a great backer for this. You can also use cardboard. I put two mirror image dinos on one sheet of paper and printed on colored paper to glue to the stiff yard sign outline that I cut using an Exacto knife. Four was enough for my sore fingers, but that’s perfect for a toy that we’ll use at playtime but not take home. Then I colored wooden clothespins to match the colored dinos. In addition to the different colors, each dino has a different number of spikes, and the clothespins are numbered, too. Depending on a child’s age and development, they can start by just focusing on pinching the clothespins (strengthening hand muscles), then move up to color matching and/or number matching. I was fascinated by this article about kids not having the requisite hand strength for kindergarten activities and highlighted that when talking with caregivers about this activity.

Download a template for the Clothespin Stegosaurus here!

Play manipulative with four spikeless stegosaurus shapes, each a different color and with numbers written on their backs. The yellow one has six clothespins attached, while green, blue, and red show only the numbers, with a bowl of color-coded clothespins sitting next to them. Green has 3, blue has 4, red has 5, and yellow has 6.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (BB) (TB) (FT)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones – Byron Barton
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! – Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen & Zachariah OHora
Dinosaur Vs. the Library (series) – Bob Shea
Dinosong – Tim McCanna & Richard Smythe
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night – Refe & Susan Tuma
One-osaurus, Two-osaurus – Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby
Counting Dinos – Eric Pinder & Junissa Bianda
Old MacDino Had a Farm – Becky Davies & Ben Whitehouse
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs – Mo Willems

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/7, 11/8, & 11/9/22.

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:
(BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5

Summer Storytimes: Sharks!

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Sharks are beloved by kids, even the littlest, even though they’re known for death and destruction! I had at least one kid dress in some kind of shark attire (hats, shirts, even shoes!) each of my storytime days. So fun when the parents get into the theme, too.

This was the first week that I did a different song and themed book for my littlest age group, Book Babies (0-2), than for my older groups (up to 3.5). The Shark Song seems to require more interaction to enjoy, whereas I suggested that babies and their caregivers “sway” during the majority of Slippery Fish, then do some bounces or tickles for the “Gulp, gulp, gulp” part to let the babies be involved without having to do hand motions. The book I’m a Shark is really great for the 2.5-3.5 crowd, but it feels like it’s just too much for the younger ones, so I went with Swallow the Leader in Book Babies. It’s been really difficult for me to engage the babies in books, especially in the outdoor setting, so this was another instance of me modelling page skipping is okay if your kiddo is losing interest. I wonder if other librarians are having trouble with the book portions of their storytimes. Chime in the comments if you have, or if you’ve been finding good ways to keep kids’ attention.

For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.

Early Learning Tip: Did you notice the colorful fish in Swallow the Leader? They have different colors and shapes, and although none are exactly the same, there are some that are alike.  Seeing patterns and trying to recognize things that are alike and different is fun, but also helps develop mathematical concepts of patterns and relationships. 

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends 
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed)
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Source: Glenside Public Library District

Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated)
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(This week we also “stretched” and “stomped” – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting)
Source: Jbrary

Intro to Weekly Theme: Some of the most interesting (and a little scary) animals in the ocean are sharks! Let’s do a song about some sharks doing what they do best – eating fish!

As a self-confessed pedantic, I had to see if this song was true to life. And yes! Google tells me that indeed some jellyfish eat small fish, some octopuses eat jellyfish, mako sharks have been found with octopus in their bellies, and sperm whales have been found with sharks in theirs! (Also, orca whales will attack and eat sharks, too). I feel better about singing this song.
Themed Song for Book Babies: Slippery Fish
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a …

Additional verses:
Jellyfish, jellyfish, squirting through the water…
Octopus, octopus, squiggling in the water…
Mako shark, mako shark, lurking in the water…
Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water…
… BURP!
(Cover your mouth.) Excuse me!
Source: Jbrary

I took great pleasure in telling the families that we were going to be doing a song about a shark family, but it wasn’t THAT shark family!
Themed Song for Teddy Bears & Family Time: The Shark Song
Oh, there’s a shark, do-do, do-do-do
A baby shark, do-do, do-do-do
Lives in the ocean, do-do, do-do-do
He eats fish, CHOMP-CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP!
He’s got a fin, do-do, do-do-do
A dorsal fin, do-do, do-do-do
And that’s the end, do-do, do-do-do
(but that’s not the end! What other kind of shark might there be?)
Mommy, Daddy, Grandma
Source: The Ooey Gooey Lady

Themed book:
I’m a Shark by Bob Shea
OR
Swallow the Leader by Deanna Smith & Kevin Sherry

I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me.
Repeated Song: The Ocean Song
(tune of The Elevator Song)
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand!
There are lots of big ships but very little land
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor
And this is what we do when we go out to shore:

(ready?) We… ride… the…
waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
And we turn… a-… round!
Source: Jbrary

After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it.
Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing
Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?

I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe.
Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
Source: Jbrary

Release to Stations
I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.

Repeated Stations:
Kinetic Sand (Dry)
I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.

Kinetic sand station outside - two bins set on a blue sheet, with small plastic containers, plastic shovels, and sand in them

Pouring Station (Wet)
I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)

Pouring station, with a faded red baby pool filled with various plastic containers of all shapes and sizes

Rotating Stations:
Pompom Sort (Dry)
A really easy station to put together: I just saved a couple of egg cartons, then poured a handful or two of different colored/sized pompoms into them. Provide some plastic tongs and you’re done. (And again, weird blur)

Pompom Sorting station: two shoebox sized plastic bins hold two natural cardboard egg cartons with various shaped and colored pompoms and plastic tongs.

Colored Ball Sort and Drop (Dry)
This was inspired by a Pinterest post from Taming Little Monsters. I made two, from our ubiquitous Baker & Taylor boxes, but oriented them different ways so one was tall and skinny and one was low and squat.

Ball sort and drop station: two cardboard book boxes hold plastic "ball pit" balls. Both have holes cut into the top with an open space below for the balls to be retrieved.

Walk the Plank (Action)
Rather than capital punishment, I framed this walk the plank activity as going between two ships. But the “waters” are definitely shark-infested! I used the rubber dots I had from Ocean Boulder Leap to attach shark fins to, and there is a sturdy rubber balance beam in the same active play set my library has. This one looks cool from across the yard, when the shark fins really look like they’re swimming in the grass!

Walk the plank sign: "Get your wiggles out! Balance on the plank and don't fall into the ocean!" Shows two ship decks with barrels, a small pile of gold, and a cartoony bomb with the jolly roger on them. A seagull dressed as a sailor and a pirate sits on each deck's rail.

Unique Stations:
Ice Rescue (Wet)
Inspired by this blog post from Teaching Mama, I used the plastic ocean animals previously used with the Animal Washing Station two weeks ago to freeze into some large containers. The first one was a quart sized container, and the second a wide square bowl. With both containers, I realized that the animals would float, so it took some doing to keep them at the bottom of the container. For the quart sized one, the opening was narrow enough that a few medium sized rocks kept the animals down.

Quart sized ice block showing sharks, an orange sea star, and rocks trapped in ice.

However, the wider bowl was much trickier. I ended up freezing them in shallow layers. Of course, the ice didn’t stick to the bowl very well so IT floated to the top when I added some layers, but since it was all one big chunk, adding rocks to the top was easier to keep it down. When it was a lot of little items floating in water, the rocks slipped between them to the bottom. So, trial and error and eventually it worked.

Two ice blocks inside their containers sitting on the grass - one a tall skinny quart sized container, the other a pink square bowl. Both have rocks and plastic shark fins sticking out of the ice.

I filled the big trays with just an inch or two of water from the hose, then provided the orange pails and squeeze bottles filled with water as hot as I could get it from the tap. By the time we released to stations 20 minutes into the program, the water was warm but not too warm. The kids really worked diligently to get the animals out, and they had fun playing with them once they were released.

Dot Painting (Art/Messy)
In an effort to keep the crafts this summer simple and minimal, I put out our basket of dot painters (that has been sitting lonely on the supply shelf since 2020) and some ocean animal dot coloring sheets from The Artisan Life blog.

After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.

Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group!
Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia
From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify

CD cover of Nathalia's "Dream A Little" album.

Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Source: King County Library System

My second group wiped out almost all of my books (yay!), so I had to try and find some more for the third group, who ended up not taking any (boo!)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Shark Dog! by Ged Adamson
Gilbert the Great by Jane Clarke & Charles Fuge
Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies & James Croft
Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman & Scott Magoon
Clark the Shark (series) by Bruce Hale and Guy Francis
Hide! by Steve Henry
I Am the Shark by Joan Holub & Laurie Keller
The Shark Who Was Afraid of Everything by Brian James & Bruce McNally
Sharko and Hippo by Elliott Kalan & Andrea Tsurumi
Big Shark, Little Shark (series) by Anna Membrino & Tim Budgen
Dude! by Aaron Reynolds & Dan Santat
Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer & Michael H. Slack
Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael-Paul Terranova
Shark and Lobster’s Amazing Undersea Adventure by Viviane Schwarz & Joel Stewart
Meet the Shark Family and Friends by Alexandra West

This storytime was presented in-person on 6/27, 6/28, & 6/29/22.

Summer Storytimes: Arctic & Antarctic

Posted on by msemilylibrary

It’s summer, and we all want a little chill, right? What better way than to imagine ourselves in the ice and cold of the earth’s poles, and to play with ice water?

Last summer, I did an outreach to the local parks camp where they chose the themes and I presented a story, song, and craft for it. One of their themes was the Arctic, which I also coopted for one of my regular storytimes. This year, I wanted to revisit that theme (adding the Antarctic) and use it as an excuse to integrate ice play into our summer stations.

I bought an inflatable globe to point out where the Arctic and Antarctic are in relation to us, which was a bonus toy to play with during the unstructured station time. I’m always frustrated when polar bears and penguins get lumped together when they live so far away from each other!

view of my storytime cart, with the speaker, my water, a stack of books (If You Were a Penguin on top) and an inflatable globe showing NASA images of the earth (land, sea, and clouds)
The globe!

This week my two unique stations were ice play and painting with ice. I had a new action station as well – dodge the seaweed!

For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.

Early Literacy Tip: One way of learning is with movement, which is called kinesthetic learning. When we act out what is happening on the pages of a book, it can more concretely connect new vocabulary words with their meanings. When we use meaningful gestures to explain words, we help build your child’s vocabulary.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends 
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed)
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Source: Glenside Public Library District

Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated)
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(This week we also “waddled” like a penguin and used our flippers to “swim” like a walrus – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting)
Source: Jbrary

Intro to Weekly Theme: It’s time to chill! Let’s explore some animals that live in places that are cold. [Show the globe.] Here’s where we live, in Indiana. Way up here is the north pole, or the Arctic. That’s where animals like polar bears, caribou (also known as reindeer), and walruses live. Here’s a silly song about the walrus.

I recently saw Reading Rena’s video of this song, and really liked how she does the ending. I didn’t do different articles of clothes like she did, but that’s a good option. I wanted to keep it to two verses, so I just did “shakes” and “turns.” It is, of course, a perfect song for a scarf or shaker prop, but for these outdoor sessions I’m streamlining.
Themed Song: The Walrus Washes His Winter Coat
Oh, the walrus washes his winter coat (rub hands together)
Down by the wavy ocean (make a waving motion)
He adds some water and he adds some soap (pretend to pour)
and he waits…and he waits…and he waits. (point to wrist)

Then the laundry shakes, shakes, shakes (shake arms)
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
until it’s clean. (repeat)

Additional verses:
The laundry turns … until it’s clean (roll arms)
Last time:
Well, the walrus washed his winter coat
Down by the wavy ocean
He shakes it out (shake out your coats!)
And he hangs it up to dry (hang it on the clothesline!)
And now his coat is clean!
Source: Brytani Fraser via Jbrary and Reading Rena

Now let’s travel all the way to the other end of the earth, the south pole, or Antarctica, where a lot of penguins live!

Themed book:
If You Were a Penguin by Wendell & Florence Minor
OR
Walrus Song by Janet Lawler & Timothy Basil Ering
Obviously to get to to the south pole, we’d need to do a penguin story, but the Walrus Song book is very cool as well. If you stayed in the Arctic, that would be a great choice. If You Were a Penguin was the shortest and most interactive penguin book I could find, which I’m learning is really a requirement for my group.

I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me.
Repeated Song: The Ocean Song
(tune of The Elevator Song)
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand!
There are lots of big ships but very little land
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor
And this is what we do when we go out to shore:

(ready?) We… ride… the…
waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down
And we turn… a-… round!
Source: Jbrary

After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it.
Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing
Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?

I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe.
Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A big sea star, a big sea star
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
A pufferfish! A pufferfish!
Little cuddle clam and a big sea star
Source: Jbrary

Release to Stations
I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.

Repeated Stations:
Kinetic Sand (Dry)
I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.

Kinetic sand station outside - two bins set on a blue sheet, with small plastic containers, plastic shovels, and sand in them

Pouring Station (Wet)
I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)

Pouring station, with a faded red baby pool filled with various plastic containers of all shapes and sizes

Rotating Stations:
Craft Stick Sort (Dry)
I noticed in my storage bin that I had these boxes of dot painters that have small holes already in the top. I colored a ring around each hole a different rainbow color and added colored craft sticks for a fine motor and color identification station.

Craft stick sort station with small cardboard boxes with eight small holes in each, ringed in color, and a pile of colored craft sticks in front of them

Beanbag Sort (Dry)
We had these beanbags from Lakeshore Learning that are different colors and shapes. They’re a super easy station where kids can play and sort with them in several ways.

Beanbag sort station, with shiny plastic beanbags in cube, sphere, and pyramid shapes in rainbow colors.

Dodge the Seaweed (Action)
We had some small cones in our action set, so I duct taped a paint stirrer to the tops of them, then haphazardly added green crepe paper to look like seaweed. For the amount of time it took me, I think they look pretty good! I was fully expecting them to get kind of torn up after the first week of use, but they held up. That might partly be because it was pretty hot out and I’m not sure a lot of kids were running around, though. 🙂

Dodge the seaweed station, with green and blue cones topped by green crepe paper "seaweed"

Unique Stations:
Ice Play (Wet)
I filled a medium sized bin with water, a bowl or colander, a few plastic animals like orcas, seals, and a whale shark, scoops and slotted spoons. I kept a 20 lb bag of ice in a cooler in the shade nearby, then when we released to stations I emptied the ice into the bins. This was a popular station since it was pretty hot all three days. This picture was taken at the end of the program, so almost all of the ice had melted by that time! Nevertheless, the kids seemed to enjoy scooping and feeling the ice.

Ice play station with two plastic bins half filled with water and ice. a teal colander is in one and a pink bowl is in another, with various slotted spoons, scoopers, and plastic whales and seals.

Ice Painting (Art/Messy)
Darn, I didn’t get a picture of this. I made the ice “paints” using some liquid watercolor we have, mixed with water in ice cube trays and with one of the mini-craft sticks in each cube for a handle. I made two trays, thinking I might have to make more each day, but they actually lasted me through all three days. I had a second cooler and put some ice in the bottom of it, then put the ice cube trays on top. I got the cooler out when we released to stations and kept the trays in the cooler in between uses. Outside of a few kids wanting to eat them (nontoxic paint, but still yucky), this was fun. Several grownups said how neat an idea it was and asked how I made the cubes (and I let them know that they could probably also use food coloring) and I overheard one say they were going to do this at a birthday party later that summer!

Ice painting sign: "Get creative: use an ice cube to paint! Let the watercolor paint melt on your paper. Use the stick to hold the cube (or not!) Enjoy the process and see what your child makes!

After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.

Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group!
Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia
From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify

CD cover of Nathalia's "Dream A Little" album.

Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Source: King County Library System

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Penguin Problems by Jory John & Lane Smith
If Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen & Matt Phelan
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson & Stephen Savage
Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson & Stephen Savage
Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis & Jarvis
Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
What’s in the Egg, Little Pip? by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman

Cover of A penguin story
Cover of Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip
cover of If Wendell Had a Walrus
cover of Penguin Problems
cover of Polar Bear Morning
cover of Polar Bear Night
cover of Poles Apart
cover of What's in the Egg, Little Pip?

This storytime was presented in-person on 6/20, 6/21, & 6/22/22.