Tag: baby

Storytime: Magic Hat

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I did this program virtually at the beginning of 2021, and I was jazzed to be able to do it in person this month. EVERYONE enjoyed the rabbit in a hat puppet, and all the kids wanted a chance to pet it (there were a few that wanted to “rescue” it from its hat, too!) The rabbit in a hat craft was also a hit – I’d put out the toys for playtime and they were all so involved with the craft that they didn’t notice until several minutes later (usually toys come out and crafts are DONE.) Kitamura’s Hat Tricks book worked well for both the younger and older kids, though I’d wished I had something slightly simpler for the babies. But I had enough 1.5-2.5 year old kids in that group that they enjoyed it. Cleminson’s Magic Box was a backup title for the older kids, but I didn’t end up using it.

Early Learning Tip: Walking, running, and dancing all require the body’s ability to keep a steady beat. By doing lap bounces with your baby you are getting them ready for this later developmental stage. (BB)

Early Learning Tip: Counting songs are great ways to introduce children to consecutive numbers and counting. To mix it up, count up AND down, use your non-dominant hand for counting, and occasionally count from or to a number outside of 5 or 10, as we did today in “Six Magic Rabbits.” (TB) (FT)

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 knees.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB)

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

Intro: Today’s theme is about Magic! Has anyone been to a Magic show? Or saw a magician do a magic trick?

I saw on the Once Upon a (Story) Time… blog the author mentioned a chalk story called “The Magician’s Hat.” One of the commenters identified the book it came from, and I ILLed it but didn’t get it in time to incorporate it into my planning. But I did want to include it here for your benefit and for my future self!
Drawing Rhyme: The Magician’s Hat
(refer to the pictures to see what to add for each line. The last line does not have an addition to the drawing)
The magician has an empty hat (1)
Turned upside down with a brim like that (2)
Then suddenly a head appears (3)
With two bright eyes… (4)
…and two long ears (5)
And a small round nose… (6)
…and whiskers, too. (7)
And magic stories just for you
Source: Chalk in Hand: The Draw and Tell Book by Phyllis Noe Pflomm (c)1986 via Once Upon a (Story) Time blog

Sometimes a magician will use a magic wand, like this one! But – perhaps you can do magic with your finger! It’s possible you’ll need your grownup to infuse your finger with some magic, so they might give it a little kiss or blow a little air on it. Okay, you’re ready! At the end, after it inevitably gets quieter when we “shh,” I said, “Oh, it got quiet! You DO have a magic finger!” That got some laughs from the grownups. 🙂
Fingerplay: Magic Finger (BB) (TB) (FT)
Magic finger in the air, Magic finger in my hair
Magic finger on my fist, Magic finger on my wrist
Magic finger on my shin, Magic finger on my chin
Magic finger on my hip, Magic finger on my lips (shhhh!)
Source: adapted from YouthLiterature.com via Storytime Katie (two middle lines by Ms. Emily)

Rhyme Game: Abracadabra (TB) (FT)
(children act as the “spell” indicates)
Abracadabra, Alaka-zitty
When I say KAZAM you’ll all be kitties! KAZAM!
Abracadabra, Alaka-zoo
When I say KAZAM you’ll all be kangaroos! KAZAM!
Abracadabra, Alaka-zion
When I say KAZAM you’ll all be lions! KAZAM!
Abracadabra, Alaka-zow
When I say KAZAM you’ll all be cows! KAZAM!
Abracadabra, Alaka-zap
When I say KAZAM you’ll all take a nap! KAZAM!
Abracadabra, Alaka-zids
When I say KAPOW you’ll turn back to kids! KAPOW!
Source: libraryfun.home.blog

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

Hattie the Rabbit just gives me all the joy.
Read: Hat Tricks by Satoshi Kitamura (BB) (TB) (FT)

Book cover for Hat Tricks

I had this as a backup book, but didn’t end up reading it.
Read: Magic Box by Katie Cleminson

Book cover for Magic Box

I used a black piece of felt to put over the rabbit and other items in the hat to keep them from showing. I had a seashell, a soft flamingo ornament, a kazoo, and a crocheted bee as my other items. At last, I told the kids my magic was a little rusty and asked if they could get out their magic fingers to help me out. Finally, the rabbit appeared! They LOVED this.
Rhyme with Puppet: Hat Trick (BB) (TB) (FT)
Magic, magic, in my hat!
I’ll pull out a rabbit – (pull anything other than a rabbit)
Ahhhh! What is that?!
(repeat until ready for the rabbit)

Magic, magic, in my hat!
I’ll pull out a rabbit –
See! Look at that!
Source: SLC Book Boy

Picture of a construction paper wand and a puppet of a white rabbit in a black top hat.

For my age group, I did only four rabbits.
Flannel Rhyme: Six Magic Rabbits (TB)
Six magic rabbits, each in a tall black hat
Along comes a magician who gives each one a pat
Then she waves her magic wand high above their ears
Abracadabra, poof! One rabbit disappears!
(Count down to one)

One magic rabbit, in a tall black hat
Along comes a magician who gives him a pat
Then she waves her magic wand high above his ears
Abracadabra, poof! The last rabbit disappears!
Source: Libraryfun.home.blog

flannel of six identical black hats with six identical white rabbit heads on top as if appearing from the hats

Before this rhyme, I mentioned that knowing our left and right is a learned skill (and not an easy one!) so grownups can help, or they can mirror me. We did it twice – the first time I demonstrated using only my hands, then the rabbit in the hat did it with us the second time.
Puppet Rhyme: Little Bunny in a Hat (BB) (TB) (FT)
Little bunny in a hat, Sitting so still (begin with bunny hidden)
Will she come out? Yes she will! (bunny pops out of hat)
She looks to the left (turn puppet left)
She looks to the right (turn puppet right)
She looks straight ahead (turn puppet to front)
And pops out of sight (hides in hat again)
Source: Jbrary

Fingerplay: Two Magic Rabbits (BB)
Two magic rabbits, sitting in a hat
One named Peter, one named Pat
Disappear Peter, Disappear Pat
Come back Peter, Come back Pat
Source: One Little Librarian

Fingerplay: Bunnies Up! (TB) (FT)
(index and middle finger make bunny ears if you don’t have a puppet)
Bunnies up! Bunnies down!
Hold your bunny & turn around
Bunnies up! Bunnies down!
Put your bunny on the ground
Source: One Little Librarian

What do magic rabbits like to do? Just like all rabbits, they like to bounce! Let’s do a new bounce rhyme. I have been doing “A Smooth Road” for almost all of my Book Babies sessions, so I thought it was time for a new bounce. I adapted this from We Wiggle and We Wiggle and We Stop and NOT the Bounce and Stop one that goes to the tune of Farmer in the Dell, despite the similar name.
Bounce Rhyme: We Bounce and We Bounce and We STOP (BB)
We bounce and we bounce and we STOP
We bounce and we bounce and we STOP
We bounce and we bounce and we bounce and we bounce
And we bounce and we bounce and we STOP!
Repeat with “lean” and “tickle”
Source: adapted from Jbrary

Hm, who else knows how to disappear? These bees like to disappear into their beehive. Let’s see if they’ll come out. My transition here was a bit of a stretch, but oh, well!
Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive (BB)
Here is the beehive, but where are all the bees? (make fist)
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers)
They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

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

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

Craft: Magic Rabbit in a Hat Puppet (TB) (FT)
Since I had so much fun with my puppet, I wanted the kids to have something they could use to recreate our rhymes and games. I used the template shared on Libraryfun.home.blog, printed them on white cardstock, and included a jumbo craft stick and some sparkly star stickers for this easy craft. The kids really enjoyed coloring their rabbits and decorating the hat, and seemed very engaged.

picture of magic rabbit in a hat craft - paper white rabbit with a bow tie is attached to a craft stick, then put through a slit in a black paper hat. The rabbit can peek up through the hat or be hidden below the rim.

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)
Max and the Won’t Go to Bed Show – Mark Sperring & Sarah Warburton
The Magic Rabbit – Annette LeBlanc Cate
The Magic Hat – Mem Fox & Tricia Tusa
Foxy – Emma Dodd
Word Wizard – Cathryn Falwell
Spells – Emily Gravett
The Wizard – Jack Prelutsky & Brandon Dorman
Magic Candies – Heena Baek & Sophie Bowman
Magic Matt and the Dinosaur – Grace Maccarone & Norman Bridwell
Paddington and the Magic Trick – Michael Bond & R.W. Alley

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/26, 9/27, & 9/28/22.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime Handout with rhyme and song lyrics and suggested book list.

*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: Apples

Posted on by msemilylibrary

There are so many fun things to do with the theme of apples! I may have tried to do all of them. It was fun, but there was a lot to keep track of – puppets, egg shakers, recorded music (so setting up speakers), and a craft that involved paint and real fruit. Oh, and apple slices to sample at the end!

You can find other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2025.

all for pie, pie for all book cover, with an image of a grandmother cat holding a pie.

Early Literacy Tip: As you and your child go about your day, highlight the five senses and talk about the textures, the size, color, sounds, smells, and tastes of the things around you. These observations will be the basis for later exploration and classifying that will lead to sorting and problem solving skills. These are skills that will help your child later understand what they read.

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 arms and ears.

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB)

Intro: Who likes apples? I do! Apples are ripe and fresh right now, so let’s celebrate this delicious fruit! Where do apples come from? Apples grow from little seeds into tall apple trees!

Action Song: A Little Apple Seed (BB) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once a little apple seed was planted in the ground (pinch finger together like a small seed)
Down came the rain drops falling all around (fingers wiggle downward)
Out came the big sun bright as bright could be (join hands in circle above head)
And the little apple seed grew up to be an apple tree (start with the pinch, then grow arms out)
Source: Madelyn’s Library Programming

Now that there’s a tree, let’s pretend to be that tree!
Song: Great Big Apple Tree (BB)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Great big apple tree, great big apple tree (extend baby’s arms)
Standing tall, standing tall, (lift baby up)
Moving your branches, when the wind blows (sway arms)
Apples fall! Apples fall! (bring baby’s arms down)
Source: Pasadena (CA) Public Library blog

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

Okay, so this book only mentions apples on the first page, but it’s super cute and one of the few apple books my library had that worked best for babies. I was surprised at how many have such big chunks of text!
Read: Applesauce is Fun to Wear by Nancy Raines Day & Jane Massey (BB)

book cover for applesauce is fun to wear

Read: All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin & Valeri Gorbachev (TB) (FT)

book cover for all for pie pie for all

Time to go for a ride to the apple orchard!
Bounce Song: A Smooth Road (BB)**

Have you ever been apple picking? Let’s pretend that we are going to pick some apples.
Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree (BB) (TB) (FT)
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up high)
Two red apples smiled at me (hold up two fists & wiggle them)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (make a shaking motion)
Down came the apples… (fists fall down)
And mmm, they were good! (smile and rub tummy)
Source: traditional

Word Exercise: Using Our Five Senses (TB)
What words can we use to describe apples using our senses? I could sense the group getting a little wiggly, so I only asked for one word for each sense (the picture below was from an earlier program). I wanted to get it in since I’d tied it to our Early Lit tip today – and it was nice to see some of the grownups nodding in understanding when I explained that using descriptive language helps them learn to sort and classify objects as well as giving them a basis in reading comprehension. I borrowed this activity from Literary Hoots

Word Exercise - an apple shape drawn on a whiteboard with descriptive words written inside: sweet, smooth, fresh, crunchy, wet, good, red, yellow, green, crisp, sour, shiny, tart, mushy

The apple flannel set I made for the last library I worked for was left there, so I redid it (off the clock this time so it’s mine, all mine!) This time I tried to have the apples be more and more eaten up as we count up (also indicated by the number of seeds each has. I had a set of farm animal puppets, so I used the duck, pig, horse, and cow, then my bear cub puppet to end – that came as a fun surprise! Grr!
Flannel Rhyme: Five Little Apples (TB) (FT)
Five little apples up in a tree
The farmer wasn’t looking,
So guess who came to eat?
Quack, quack!
A duck! Munch munch munch!
(count down, using available animal puppets, or choose animals you like to “munch” on your five fingers as the apples)
Source: Storytime Katie

We passed out egg shakers – I usually do one on-theme song with props and two just for fun.
Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up (BB) (TB) (FT)
Egg shakers up, egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed!
Source: Jbrary

I like this jazzy tune, even if she does talk about bananas in the second and third verses.
Recorded Shaker Song: Shake Your Apples
I like to eat my apples, red and yellow too
And if you give me apples green,
I’ll make an apple pie for you

Come on and shake, shake, shake your apples
Shake ‘em way up high
Shake ‘em to the left and shake ‘em to the right
Let’s have a little apple pie
Source: Nancy Stewart

I told them I was imagining an “apple pie milkshake” – I think that sounds amazing.
Shaker Song: The Milkshake Song
You take a little milk – pour some milk!
And you take a little cream – pour some cream!
You stir it all up, You shake it and you’ll sing…

Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Songs for Wiggleworms via Jbrary

Album cover for Songs for Wiggleworms

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

Craft: Paper Plate Apple Pie
Each table had a brown dot marker, a plate with red paint, and a plate with green paint, blank paper plates, and halved apples to use as stamps. For an additional sensory element, I had a small container of cinnamon to sprinkle on the wet paint. This went over great and I was especially impressed with how well the adults cleaned up after – the tables were basically spotless, which is NOT what I was expecting, but lovely! On their way out, I also had thinly sliced apples available to sample. I’d read that this is the best way to serve apples to very little children to avoid a choking hazard.
Source: Literary Hoots

Photo of paper plate apple pie craft, with the tray of supplies to the side, including blank paper plates, red and green paint with a halved apple cut side down in the paint, and a brown dot marker.

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)
Tap the Magic Tree – Christie Matheson
Apple Picking Day – Candice Ransom & Erika Meza
Orange Pear Apple Bear – Emily Gravett
Apples and Pumpkins – Anne Rockwell & Lizzy Rockwell
One Green Apple – Eve Bunting & Ted Lewin
Apple Farmer Annie – Monica Wellington
Biscuit and the Great Fall Day – Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Apples, Apples, Everywhere – Robin Koontz & Nadine Takvorian
Apples for Little Fox – Ekaterina Trukhan

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/19, 9/20, & 9/21/22.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime handout with suggested books and song/rhyme 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: Fiesta (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I did a similar theme back in 2020, but I’m really happy to revisit it again on the eve of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 – October 15. This time around I was also able to ask a Latina friend to review and check my plan for accuracy and inclusion, which I should have done to begin with. I’m hoping in the future she’ll be available to visit one or two of my sessions to co-present storytime!

Because I only do one book for my storytimes at this library, the transitions and supporting rhymes in English that went along with the books I did before didn’t really work. However, I have more repeated rhymes and songs I do with this group, so the time was filled nicely. Parents and kids seemed to enjoy hearing some new songs, and a couple of my families do speak Spanish and I got big smiles from them, so success!

Another thing I really enjoyed with this session was a chance to really highlight the excellent Spanish-language and bilingual books we have, as well as so many of the books with Latinx authors and illustrators. I found some new favorites and was happy to share some of my own, such as Rafael López, Angela Dominguez, Jen Arena, and Juana Martinez-Neal.

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that children raised in bilingual environments develop core cognitive skills like decision-making and problem-solving — before they even speak. If you aren’t already bilingual, that’s okay! You can still expose your child to different languages and cultures. As long as you share words in a new language in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap the benefits.
Source: BigThink.com

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 elbows and noses.

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

This is starting to be one I repeat, so I’ll add it to my Repeated Songs and Rhymes page and not repeat it in full on the blog in the future!
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big (TB) (FT)
This is big, big, big (hold arms out to side)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (flat hand lowers)
This is tall, tall, tall (flat hand reaches up)
This is fast, fast, fast (circle fists quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (circle fists slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Source: Mel’s Desk

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 -October 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking, but I like to include Latinx people who do not speak Spanish as well. Today we are going to celebrate the contributions people of this heritage make, especially authors and illustrators, and we’ll also do some traditional songs and rhymes in Spanish.

Here’s a song about our pretty little hands. Can you flip your hand back and forth like this?
Song: La linda manita (BB) (TB) (FT)
La linda manita
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

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

Read: Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla & Amy Córdova (BB) (FT)

Book cover of Fiesta Babies

Read: How do you say? /¿Cómo se dice? by Angela Dominguez (TB)

Book cover of How do you say? /¿Cómo se dice?

I went in different directions here for the older and younger groups – I generally keep counting songs for the older ones, so the younger ones got the shorter Los pollitos dicen and the accompanying Ten Fluffy Chicks, while the older ones got Cancion de los elefantes.

All those sleepy babies being loved on by their grownups reminds me of a song popular in some Spanish-speaking countries. I explain the meaning of the song, and ask the group to help peep “pío” with me before we start. I’ve also used Ashley Wolff’s board book as a nice visual aid in the past, too.
Flannel Song: Los pollitos dicen (BB)
Los pollitos dicen, pío, pío, pío
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío
La gallina busca, el maíz y el trigo
les da la comida, y les presta abrigo
Bajo sus dos alas, acurrucaditos,
duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día
Pío, pío, pío dicen los pollitos
cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/a7zUbmjUtDM

Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (BB)
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: adapted from Mel’s Desk, flannel from Sunflower Storytime

Those giraffes were so silly! Here’s a traditional (and silly!) song about another grasslands animal, the elephant. He is having fun balancing and swinging on a …spiderweb! Do you think the spiderweb will hold up an elephant? I did just three elephants to accommodate a shorter attention span, but it usually goes up to five.
Counting/Flannel Song: Canción de los elefantes
Un elefante se balanceaba, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veía que resistía, fue a buscar a otro elefante

Dos elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.
(count up, and replace last line for final elephant)
…la telaraña se debilitó, ¡y todo al suelo se cayó!
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/I0IW4101ew0

Flannel for Canción de los elefantes, showing a white pipe cleaner spiderweb and five felt elephants: orange, purple, green, yellow, and blue

This is becoming another repeated activity for my baby class:
Bounce: A Smooth Road** (BB)

Let’s make some music with our bodies! I go through the body parts vocabulary to get everyone ready, then we go through the song a couple times. There was a lot of enthusiastic stomping and clapping!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música (BB) (TB) (FT)
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hacen (clap,clap, clap)
Mis pies hacen (stomp, stomp, stomp)
Mi boca hace: la, la, la! (point at mouth)
Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha! (dance)
Source: Sol y Canto, from the album El Doble de Amigos. Watch with motions at Jbrary

Let’s slow it down a little and sing a lullaby that has both English and Spanish words in it. If there’s someone around you feel like snuggling with, now’s a good time to do it! I brought my ukulele today, so feel free to just listen and cuddle.
Bilingual Lullaby with Ukulele: Yo te amo / I Love You (BB) (TB) (FT)
Yo te amo, yo te amo
All day long I’ll sing this little song to you.
Yo te amo, yo te amo
Darling, I love you!
Source: Jbrary
Thanks to Storytime Ukulele, who published the chords to this song. I made my own PDF version that you can download.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail for yo te amo ukulele songsheet

We did this one in Spanish and again in English.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (BB) (TB) (FT)
(Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Source: traditional

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

Craft: Tissue Paper Flowers
In Mexico there is a tradition of making crafts with tissue paper. Behind me you can see papel picado, an ancient craft that goes all the way back to the Aztec. You’ll also see big colorful paper flowers as decorations at celebrations, and that’s what our craft is this week. I used the instructions from the Inspired By Family blog, but since the kids are so small, I did all the steps up until they need to separate the tissue paper to make the flower. It simplified so the kids could do it. There was some torn paper, which I expected, but it was less than I’d feared. They did a great job!

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)

There are so many amazing books by Latinx creators. Here are just a few I put on my handout.
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Los pollitos dicen / The Baby Chicks Are Singing – Ashley Wolff
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Mi casa is my home – Laurenne Sala & Zara González Hoang
Alma and How She Got Her Name – Juana Martinez-Neal
I Love You, Baby Burrito – Angela Dominguez
Round Is a Tortilla – Roseanne Greenfield Thong & John Parra
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré – Anika Aldamuy Denise & Paola Escobar
Book Fiesta! – Pat Mora & Rafael López
Just Ask! – Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López
Viva Frida – Yuyi Morales
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes – Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Alice Schertle, & Viví Escrivá
Sonrisas for Baby: A Little Book of Smiles – Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita – Angela Dominguez
¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat! – Raul the Third & Elaine Bay
Arrorró, mi niño – Lulu Delacre & Cecilia Esquivel & Diana Saez
I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! – Angela Dominguez
Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses – Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez
Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Brrrum, brrrum, brrrum / Zoom, Zoom, Zoom – Annie Kubler
Hasta las rodillas / Up to My Knees – Grace Lin & Carlos E. Calvo
Eso es mio / That’s Mine – Sumana Seeboruth & Ashleigh Corrin
Ten little birds / Diez pajaritos – 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios
Me gusta – Angela Dominguez

Picture of the book display, with titles standing up on a beige table, with colorful tissue paper papel picado in the background.

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/12, 9/13, & 9/14/22.

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

Storytime: Beep, Beep! (Cars and Busses)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

There’s just something about vehicles that tickle the imagination of little ones. Maybe since driving looks fun but is out of reach. Maybe because being in a car is soothing to most babies. Maybe it’s all the fun noises we can make when talking about cars. Whatever it is, vehicles are ripe storytime fodder! I limited my focus to just cars and busses this time, though you could certainly go for planes, trains, boats, and even construction vehicles. I might make them separate themes in the future!

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes like “The Hippopotamus got on the City Bus” call attention to the fact that “hip” is just one part of the bigger word “hippopotamus.” Also, when we complete the verses for cow, sheep and snake we show how familiar animal sounds can be found in other words that we regularly use. Recognizing and playing with the smaller sounds in words is called phonological awareness. Researchers have recognized this as a critical pre-reading skill that helps kids sound out words when they begin to learn how to read.

Instead of singing everyone’s name, after singing the first verse we went around the circle and each caregiver introduced themselves and their little one, giving their age and a tip for travelling with their little. There were some great suggestions, from leaving super early for long trips, letting kids run around at stops to get the energy out, to pulling toys from the regular rotation a few weeks before a plane trip to make them new and exciting! I hope to make some bookmarks with the tips on them for future sessions.
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)
I’m toast in the toaster,
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock,
UP I pop!
Source: Jbrary

Intro: What goes vroom, vroom, and beep beep? Cars! I love going for a drive. Let’s do a rhyme about something you’ll see on the road if you go for a drive: a stoplight!

I’ve got a long black rectangle, and three colored circles. What colors do I have? Red, yellow, and green. Look at what these shapes make all together!
Action/Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go (BB) (TB) (FT)
Green means “GO!” Go! Go! Go! (roll arms quickly)
Yellow means “Slow.” Slow… slow… slow. (roll arms slowly)
Red means “STOP!” (ASL sign for stop: one hand making a chopping motion onto flat opposite hand)
Go! Go! Go! (roll fast)
Slow… slow… slow. (roll slow)
Stop! (ASL sign for stop)
Credit: Jbrary

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

Read: Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep by Emma Garcia (BB) (FT)

Toot Toot Beep Beep book cover

Read: Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney (TB)

Loved this take on Clean and Dirty Pigs (itself a take on Green Speckled Frogs, of course) by Jessica over at Storytime in the Stacks. I also really enjoyed the process of designing the flannelboard pieces in Canva – you can read more about that (and download a copy of the template!) at my post here!
Counting Song: Five Cars So Squeaky Clean (TB)
(tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs)
Five cars so squeaky clean,
Shiniest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go out for a drive, BEEP, BEEP!
One drove into the mud,
Spun out with a great big THUD!
Now there are four clean shiny cars
(count down)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

These cars have mud all over their windshields! Let’s help them see with this rhyme:
Rhyme: Windshield Wiper (TB)
(move arms back and forth like a wiper)
Oh, I’m a windshield wiper, This is how I go
Back and forth, back and forth
In the rain and snow
Source: King County (WA) Library System

What else has a windshield wiper, and can carry lots of people? A BUS. Do you know a song about the bus?
There are so many verses, I usually only do 3-4. I ask the audience if they have a favorite. I also ask them to help me by doing the motions since my hands are occupied playing my instrument!
Ukulele/Action Song: The Wheels on the Bus (BB) (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the bus go round and round (circle arms)
Round and round, Round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

Additional Verses:
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish (wiper motion)
The doors on the bus go open and shut (open/close hands)
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink (mime dropping a coin)
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep (push a horn)
The driver on the bus says “Move on back” (cock thumb back)
The people on the bus go up and down (bounce up and down)
The baby on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah” (wring hands)
The parents on the bus say “Shush, shush, shush.” (bring index finger to lips)
Source: traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for The Wheels on the Bus

Time to go for a drive!
Bounce: A Smooth Road (BB) (FT)
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary

Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (BB) (TB) (FT)
(slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse)
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)

Additional verses:
A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus
Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,“Mooooove over!”
(lean far to one side)
A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (motion hand down or fall thru knees)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
Credit: Jbrary

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

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

Craft: Paper Plate Car (TB) (FT)
Inspired by this post at Glued To My Crafts, we made simple paper plate cars. I eschewed the headlight in front to simplify and just provided a half paper plate, two black circles for tires and two white quarter-circles for windows. We got out the dot markers to paint, but you could use anything to color the body of the car.

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)
My Bus – Byron Barton
Truck, Truck, Goose – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
Vroom! – Barbara McClintock
The Babies on the Bus – Karen Katz
Race! – Sue Fliess & Edwardian Taylor
Love Is a Truck – Amy Novesky & Sara Gillingham
Bunnies On the Bus – Philip Ardagh & Ben Mantle
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car – Kate Dopirak & Mary Peterson
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems
Car Wash – Sandra & Susan Steen & G. Brian Karas

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/29, 8/30, & 8/31/22.

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

Storytime: Up & Down (Opposites)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Last week was the first of my fall storytimes. They represent another big shift in the way I have been able to present since I started at this library. Last spring when I started, we were still observing pandemic protocols, which meant social distancing (each family sat at a separate table) and a very limited capacity of 7 kids with their grownup and an occasional sibling. Over the summer, I was able to present storytime outside, with no need for capacity limits. Now, with vaccines available to kids ages 6 months and up, and masks optional (and virtually abandoned by 90% of the population where I live in the Midwest), we’re back to what was our pre-pandemic storytime protocols.

That means I have registration for 15 families (which can include multiple kids) and we have open space on the rug for everyone to get close, though I do offer chairs for grown-ups who need them. It was quite a paradigm shift. Monday’s Book Babies program for ages 0-2 was at full capacity, and the rug was just a writhing mass of little limbs, parents reaching for runners, overstimulated kiddos exploring and taking it all in. Overall, it went better than I expected! I credit caregivers for participating and doing their best to keep their little ones interested. I explained at the beginning that I don’t expect a 2 year old to sit still for 25 or 30 minutes and listen intently. That roaming around and being more interested in their neighbor than in me is normal and fine. That we are all learning how this new configuration works and the more we participate, the more the kids will, too. It’s a new challenge.

Funny enough, registration for the Tuesday class for 2-3.5 years was full, but only about half of them showed. It was so strange to see everyone in chairs on the opposite side of the rug from me, sitting quietly and shyly. Now that threw me for a loop, after the previous day’s experience!

Early Literacy Tip: Today we used a lot of movements to represent words in our songs and books. Words like up, down, left, right, small, big, nose, toes, and tummy! Pairing purposeful gestures with words helps little ones learn and put meaning to words. Older kids get practice with fine and gross motor skills and controlling their bodies in space. When we sing and use these purposeful gestures, we help kids develop their minds and bodies.

Instead of singing everyone’s name, after singing the first verse we went around the circle and each caregiver introduced themselves and their little one, giving their age and a favorite plaything.
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 arms and knees.

Intro: Today we’re talking about opposite words. Words like up and down, big and small, awake and asleep. Let’s start with a rhyme where we make our hands open (like this…) and shut (like this…) Good!

Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Hello/Goodbye Version) (BB) (TB) (FT)
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Put your hands down low, low, low
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Wave and say hello-lo-lo!

Open, shut them, open, shut them
Raise your hands up high, high, high
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Wave and say goodbye, bye, bye!
Source: One Little Librarian

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster (BB)
I’m toast in the toaster,
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock,
UP I pop!
Source: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: Up and Down (BB) (TB) (FT)
Put your arms up, Put your arms down
Put them in the middle, Move them all around
One arm to the left, One arm to the right
Give yourself a hug, And hold on tight!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library

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

Read: Up, Up, Up, Down by Kimberly Gee (BB)

Book cover for Up Up Up Down

Read: Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman (TB) (FT)

Book cover for Big Bear Small Mouse

Scarf warmup: Wave your scarves up high and low, fast and slow, and throw them up and try to catch them.

Here’s a song about a spider who goes UP and DOWN the waterspout! We used our scarves to modify the movements. In the two older classes, we also did the Great BIG Spider (who has a great big voice) and the Very Quiet Spider (who whispers).
Scarf Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (BB) (TB) (FT)
The itsy bitsy spider
climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and
washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
climbed up the spout again
Source: traditional

Scarf Song: Peek a Boo (BB)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Peek a boo, peek a boo
I see you, I see you
I see your button nose, I see your tiny toes
I see you, peek a boo!
Source: Jbrary

I could not for the life of me get this tune in my head when faced with this song in the moment. Just a total brain failure. The grown ups were very gracious. I did some very strange half-song, half-chant for this. Of course, afterward, I couldn’t get the tune OUT of my head…
Scarf Song: We Wave Our Scarves Together (TB) (FT)
(tune of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow)
We wave our scarves together (3x)
because it’s fun to do!
Wave them up high
Wave them down low
Wave them in the middle
Because it’s fun to do!
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf (TB) (FT)
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

I let the babies hang on to their scarves until playtime, and grabbed them when they were distracted by toys.
Scarf Collection: If You Have a Red Scarf (TB) (FT)
(tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man)
If you have a red scarf
A red scarf, a red scarf
If you have a red scarf then hold it up high!
(repeat with other colors)
Source: unsure, have used for a long time

Bounce: A Smooth Road (BB) (FT)
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary

Tickle: Up the Hill (BB)
Here goes a turtle up a hill, creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy
(crawl up arm or body)
Here goes a rabbit up the hill, boing, boing, boing, boing
(bounce up arm)
Here goes an elephant up the hill, thud, thud, thud, thud
(clap up arm)
Here goes a snake up the hill, slither, slither, slither, slither
(slither up arm)
Here comes a rock DOWN the hill, boom, boom, boom, boom, CRASH!
(bounce down, clap hands for crash)
Source: Storytime Katie

Action Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (BB) (FT)
Head, shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes!)
Head, shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes!)
Eyes and ears and a mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes!)
Source: traditional

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

Recorded Song: Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash (TB)

Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash single cover

Craft: Itsy Bitsy Spider (TB) (FT)
I liked this simple “glue stuff down” craft I saw on the Preschool Wonders Blog. I decided to ask a volunteer to glue all the legs to the spiders so it simplified it a bit, and put out crayons so the kids could decorate however they liked.

Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft: A light green sheet of construction paper with a yellow circle, three blue raindrops, a light gray "L" shaped drainpipe, and a black spider made of a small black circle and 8 small black strips glued to it for legs. Crayon details include sun's rays and motion lines coming out of the pipe.

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)
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Stop, Go, Yes, No! – Mike Twohy
Baby’s Opposites – Nancy Raines Day & Rebecca Evans
Maisy Big, Maisy Small – Lucy Cousins
Big Little – Leslie Patricelli
Spot’s Opposites – Eric Hill
Cat & Dog: A Tale of Opposites – Tullio Corda
A High, Low, Near, Far, Loud, Quiet Story – Nina Crews
My Book of Opposites – Britta Teckentrup
Mine, Mine, Mine, Yours – Kimberly Gee

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/15, 8/16, & 8/17/22.

Storytime Handout:

Storytime handout with song lyrics and suggested books.

*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: Camping

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I have a short break before my next set of storytimes, so I took a look at my old files and will start blogging some of the older themes I did pre-pandemic. Today’s is the very first theme I did on my own when I started as an early literacy librarian (I’d done some ad hoc before, but it wasn’t the main part of my job.) This is back in summer of 2019, and it’s kind of amazing to look and see how they’ve changed since then.

If I did these themes again, I probably would tweak, but I like getting them blogged as a record of what came before, and ideas, songs, rhymes, and props that I might reuse. I hope they may be helpful for you, too!

Back then, I had two storytimes: one for Babies & Toddlers ages 0-2, and a “Stories and More” preschool class for ages 3-5. I’ll indicate what was used in each program with a (B) for babies and a (P) for preschool. I also did not have a handout or do early literacy tips at this point. Cheers for the evolution and education I’ve achieved since then!

You can find another version of this theme from 2025.

Welcome song: We Clap and Sing Hello* (B) (P)
*See lyrics for repeated songs on the Repeated Songs and Rhymes page

I read three books for the preschool class, which worked there, but I haven’t been able to do more than one with my current group of kids.
Read: Just Me & My Dad by Mercer Mayer (P)

Book cover

Action Song: I’m Going Camping (P)
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I am going camping (point thumbs proudly to chest)
Time to pack (point to wrist)
My tent, my bedroll, and a snack (Make tent with hands; fold hands to cheek; pretend to eat)
I’ll sit by the campfire (warm hands over fire)
Its glow so bright (wiggle fingers like a fire)
Then snooze in my tent (pretend to snore)
‘Til the morning light! (arms circle over head)
Source: Lady Librarian’s Literacy, Lifestyle, and Lookbook Log

Counting Rhyme: Five Little Fireflies (B)
One little firefly shines very bright (hold up fingers)
Two little fireflies show their lights
Three little fireflies glimmer and glow
Four little fireflies watch them go!
Five little fireflies fly in the night
Blink! Blink! Blink! Blink! (open and close fingers)
My! What a sight!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Read: Camping Day by Patricia Lakin (B) (P)

Book cover

Rhyme: Sleeping Bag (P)
I was lying in my sleeping bag
I couldn’t go to sleep
I looked at my watch and wanted to weep!
I rolled to my left
I rolled to my right
but all I could hear were noises in the night!
I hear an owl! Hoo hoo hoo!
(have the kids name some things you might hear in the middle of the night, out in the woods, in your backyard. Some good options include a dog, a bear, a wolf, etc)
Source: Sturgis Kids

I made cardstock paper props for this song and gave each family a packet with each item so they had something to put in the middle for each verse.
Action Song: The Campfire Pokey (B) (P)
You put your marshmallow in
You take your marshmallow out
You put your marshmallow in
And you shake it all about
You do the campfire pokey
And you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about: Yum, Yum!
Repeat with hot dog, potato, popcorn, or anything else that you can roast over the campfire.
Last verse:
You put your whole dinner in…
Source: What Happens in Storytime

Download a copy of the template here!

thumbnail of campfire pokey props, with a pan of popcorn, marshmallow on a stick, hot dog in a bun, and potato.

Read: Ruby’s Sleepover by Kathryn White & Miriam Latimer (P)

Book cover

Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels (P)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave overhead)
In the pot, in the pot (bunch up in fists)
Shake them, shake them, shake them / shake them, shake them, shake them (shake fists)
‘Til they POP, ‘til they POP (toss scarves up)
Source: Jbrary

This was a song my predecessor played at every single storytime program! It was well loved. We had a basket of unsharpened pencils in a bunch of different colors that they used as their sticks. The kids liked to find two of the same color.
Rhythm Stick Song: Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer (B) (P)
from the album Rhythms on Parade
see the video: https://youtu.be/M-UKTeWNgOk

cover of the Rhythms on Parade album

Craft: Campfire (P)
Red, orange, and yellow squares of construction paper were glued to a black piece of construction paper, with two (regular) craft sticks glued crisscross underneath. Simple, but I like that there are some different materials and a 3D element in the sticks. Inspired by this craft at Once Upon a (Story) Time (photo credit to her blog, since I don’t have mine anymore!)

Photo of craft with red, orange, and yellow squares of construction paper glued to a black piece of construction paper, with two craft sticks glued crisscross underneath
photo from Once Upon a (Story) Time blog

Centers/Playtime (B) (P)
We spent 5-10 minutes in playtime and socialization each storytime. The babies and toddlers had a couple of baskets full of baby toys – stackers and sorters and pull toys, cars and rattles and toy phones, that sort of thing. I’m not sure where the library got them, whether they purchased them or had donations or looked at yard sales. The preschool group had more complex or interactive toys like puzzles, musical instruments, finger puppets, and toys that I’ve seen on the Lakeshore Learning site that require just a bit more sophistication.

Parachute Time (B) (P)
I honestly forget what I did during parachute time! I think we practiced holding it high, low, shaking fast and slow, and maybe did a song like the Itsy Bitsy Spider. It’s been a long time and when I get out the parachute again I’ll have to re-learn how to do it!

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (B) (P)

This storytime was presented in person on 6/18/19 & 6/20/19.

Summer Storytimes: Merbabies Play

Posted on by msemilylibrary

The last summer reading storytime, wow. The summer went so quickly this year, probably since it seemed like the library was hopping after two years of interrupted/adjusted service. I’m so pleased with the turnout and response from my storytime families. I heard or overheard someone say every week: “Hey, let’s try this at home!” or “I wouldn’t have thought of this, but we could set this up at home!” That was the most gratifying part. I LOVE being able to spark ideas and inspire families to continue the learning and exploration on their own.

Another great benefit of outdoor storytimes was how welcoming they can be. I occasionally had families stop by who hadn’t registered, and/or had a child who was 4 or 5 (outside my age group), or who were able to bring older siblings. In addition, we didn’t have to worry about masking, and distancing was not a problem since we had lots of space in the outdoor lawn area. For all these situations, I could welcome these families with open arms, with no judgement that they “didn’t do it [registration] right” or worry that they had to find someone else to watch their older kids while they attended storytime with the younger one. These are usual and reasonable limitations when you’re presenting indoors, where space is also limited. But I love having a time of year where I don’t have to turn anyone away.

This week’s theme is “merpeople” and I’m glad that authors, illustrators, and publishers have started being more inclusive with their depictions. I didn’t have to look too far to find masculine presenting merfolk or merfolk of color! I do wish there were more merperson books that were simpler, with less text on the page, but I did some extensive paperclipping to make them work for the youngest group. I also had to do some scouting around to find masculine merkids as coloring pages (see below for links).

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

You can find other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2025.

Can I give you a squish book cover, with an enthusiastic merboy with arms raised looking at friends dolphin, crab, octopus, and fish.

Early Learning Tip: “Down By the Bay” is a great song to exercise your creativity on. What silly rhymes can you and your child come up with together? Learning how to rhyme helps your child listen for and discern between the distinct sounds that make up words.

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 “marched” and, my favorite, “hugged.” I encouraged everyone to find someone to hug, even if it was themselves. I do two new motions in addition to “wiggle” each week to keep it interesting)
Source: Jbrary

Intro to Weekly Theme: Merpeople are legendary creatures that are half human and half fish. It’s fun to imagine what they might be like!

I had a lot of trouble finding a merfolk song that I liked this week. My second runner up was “Did you Ever See a Mermaid,” but I just wasn’t feeling it. I ended up with “Down By the Bay,” and I had fun coming up with lots of ocean-themed verses. I only actually used the merfolk ones, but it’s nice to have some extras in my back pocket for the future! It was also an opportunity to bring my ukulele, which I hadn’t done at all yet this summer.
Themed Ukulele Song: Down by the Bay
Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow
Back to my home I dare not go!
For if I do, my mother will say:
“Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?”
Down by the bay!
Additional verses:
… a mermaid swimming in lemonade?
… a merman knitting an afghan?
… a merkid riding a squid?
… a merboy hugging his teddy bear toy?
… a mergirl playing catch with a pearl?
… a crab driving a taxicab?
… a shark eating ice cream in the park?
… a clam competing in a poetry slam?
… a pufferfish surfing on a dish?
… a sea star riding in a car?
… a seahorse playing on a golf course?
… an octopus singing to a platypus?
Did you ever have a time when you couldn’t make a rhyme?
Source: traditional, as popularized by Raffi on the album Singable Songs for the Very Young, all additional verses by Ms. Emily!

Download a ukulele songsheet for Down By the Bay!

Thumbnail of "Down By the Bay" ukulele song sheet

Themed Book:
Goodnight Mermaid by K. J. Oceanak & Allie Ogg
OR
Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson
I *highly* paperclipped Goodnight Mermaid to make it work for my youngest group. It was just way too long (and if I’m being honest, a little nonsensical, too.) But the pictures are fun and the shortened story is reminiscent of Goodnight Moon, which is a familiar structure. My oldest group did great with Can I Give You a Squish, but when I tried it again the next day with my more mixed group, I skipped several pages when they seemed to be losing interest. I’m learning to be very flexible with books!

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.

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. I’m amazed that I didn’t need to repair them once over the summer! 

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

Unique Stations: UNIQUE-ISH – I had two other stations planned, but decided to actually repeat two previous stations instead. My other plans were to do a “paint with water” on dry concrete, but the only concrete we have near our storytime area is a sidewalk RIGHT next to the street. It made me nervous to bring everyone that close to speeding cars, so I nixed it. For the art station, I had a vague idea of using pinecones to stamp merfolk tails with paint, then draw in the details, but A) that was a little advanced for my group, and B) I was too tired to think about cleaning up lots of paint at the end of the summer. I went the easy route and redid these instead:

Sponge Play (Wet)
Based on this Pinterest idea from Little Lifelong Learners, I just had sponges in bins of water for little ones to play with. Of course, I have to do some theme stuff, so in addition to simple shapes (sticks, triangles, circles), I cut out some ocean animals as well. These sponges were reused in a sponge painting craft in week two.

Picture of two bins with multicolored sponges in them. Shapes include seahorses, fish, sea stars, clamshells, dolphins, triangles, sticks, and circles.

Dot Painting (Art/Messy)
So as I was planning this week and thinking about how I’d make the pinecone painting as easy as possible, I got a blog post in my email from The Artisan Life that had mermaid dot painting sheets. Well, let’s just make things easy on myself. Plus, the kids seemed to like doing the dot painters when we did them a couple weeks ago, a and it’s a more “unusual” craft supply that not everyone has at home. BUT – I was a little unhappy that there were no merboys (and that all the mermaids looked kind of the same, with the same kinds of hair.) I did a search for merboy coloring sheets and found this lovely set (which also includes different hair types, yay!) by Simple Everyday Mom. Did you know you can make any coloring sheet into a dot marker sheet? I used Canva, but you could certainly do the same thing in Publisher. Just add .75 inch dots to the sheet on blocks of color (avoiding faces and slender limbs like arms). Easy peasy.

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)
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho & Jess X. Snow
Oona by Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa
Oona and the Shark by Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa
Pearl by Molly Idle
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney
Mermaids Fast Asleep by Robin Riding & Zoe Persico
Mermaid and Me by Soosh
How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
You Are My Sparkly Mermaid by Joyce Wan
Mabel: A Mermaid Fable by Rowboat Watkins

Mermaids fast asleep book cover, showing a mermaid hugging a merchild with fish all around

This storytime was presented in-person on 7/18, 7/19, & 7/20/22.

Summer Storytimes: Pirates

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Oh, Pirates. You’re so complicated. You did horrible things. You probably (on average) lived a fairly short and brutal life, with lots of disease, injury, and discomfort. But you also seem so freewheeling, wear awesome clothes, say fun phrases in a fun accent, keep amazing pets, and have been romanticized into something almost unrecognizable from your historical form. (Not to mention modern-day pirates, who have so many of the negative features without much of the fun ones).

But who am I to over-analyze!? We got to do the Pirate version of Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (the space version has been a regular and favorite in my regular school-year storytimes) and hunt for gold doubloons hidden in our kinetic sand and mystery water stations. The pirate books are pretty fun, too.

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: Books about unusual topics like pirates or dinosaurs are wonderful for building vocabulary! These books use words that aren’t usually said in common conversation, so your child will be hearing lots of new words and phrases. Feel free to explain what new concepts mean – like when pirates say “Shiver me timbers,” they’re comparing a feeling of surprise like being up on the ship’s mast when a wind blows through.

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 “climbed” imaginary pirate ship rigging and “swayed” as if we were up in the crow’s nest – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting)
Source: Jbrary

Intro to Weekly Theme: Arr, mateys! Today’s theme is pirates! Pirates liked to sail the ocean, look for treasure like these special gold coins called “doubloons,” and get into trouble. Does anyone know what a pirate’s favorite letterrrrrr is? (Hopefully a grownup will say “R!”) Oh, ye’d think it’d be “R,” but it’s really the “C” a pirate loves!

As mentioned above, Zoom Zoom Zoom is a song I would repeat almost weekly at indoor programs this spring. We hadn’t done it at all this summer until this week, so there was a lot of excitement from regulars!
Themed Song: Pirate Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Zoom, zoom, zoom
We’re hunting for doubloons!
Zoom, zoom, zoom
We’re hunting for doubloons!
If you want to take a trip
Climb aboard my pirate ship
Zoom, zoom, zoom
We’re hunting for doubloons
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – AHOY!
Source: Jbrary

Themed Book:
Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett J. Krosoczoska
OR
Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day & Allison Black

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.

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!

Unique Stations:
Mystery Water (Wet)
Inspired by this Pinterest pin from bright_little_brains, I used some plastic cookie cutters we had in storage, traced their shapes on a large sheet of paper, and laminated. The water was mixed with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and several drops of food coloring to make the water murky. I also added some of my toy pirate gold to each bin. Unfortunately, the cookie cutters weren’t very heavy and kind of floated to the top, but it wasn’t a disaster and the kids enjoyed the activity anyway.

Three bins are shown with murky green or blue water, in which different brightly colored plastic cookie cutters are floating. Next to each bin is a laminated sheet with the outline of each cookie cutter.

Chalk Art (Art/Messy)
This summer, crafts were all about the process. I tried to mix up some different crafting materials that we had laying around and just let the kids do with them what they would. This week I put out black construction paper and sidewalk chalk for them to draw with.

Art station on a picnic table, with messy trays set on the bench and art supplies on the table. Includes black paper and sidewalk chalk, as well as a sign explaining the station.

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)
On a Pirate Ship by Sarah Courtauld & Benjie Davies
The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas, Artemis Roehrig, & Ashlyn Anstee
Pirate’s Perfect Pet by Beth Ferry & Matthew Myers
Roger, the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist
Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy & Doug Kennedy
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long & David Shannon
Give Me Back My Bones! by Kim Norman & Bob Kolar
Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson & Eda Kaban
Port Side Pirates! by Oscar Seaworthy & Debbie Harter
Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw & Margot Apple
The Pirate Jamboree by Mark Teague
Captain Cat and the Pirate Lunch by Emma J. Virján

This storytime was presented in-person on 7/11, 7/12, & 7/13/22.

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.