Another wintery theme for the season! Hibernation touches on some STEM concepts as well as bedtime and weather. I’ve done this one before, but updated with some new rhymes and songs about particular hibernators, such as frogs and bats. I also worked out two songs to play on ukulele – which is always popular.
If you have them, puppets are a great addition to a hibernator storytime. I bought two new finger puppets – both Folkmanis – a chipmunk and a bat. I already had a frog, turtle, and bear, so we had a puppet-stravaganza!
You can find another version of this theme from 2021 here.
Early Literacy Tip: Don’t shy away from using regular adult language with young children. They pick up the words you say and the more words they hear, the greater their vocabulary will be. Children learn words best in context, so you can clarify or explain what you mean if it’s a new or difficult word. -adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)** †
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Intro: When it’s cold outside, we bundle up and like to spend more time indoors. But animals in the wild have to adapt to the winter temperatures and do so in different ways. Some migrate south to warmer temperatures, like geese. Some grow thick coats of fur like wolves. But some animals will sleep all winter long – it’s called hibernation! Let’s see, I have some animals that hibernate here! (Pull out puppets one by one) Turtle, frog, chipmunk, bat, and the star of the hibernation show – bear!
When I think of hibernation, I usually start by thinking of bears, who will often find a cave to sleep in over the winter.
After one session, I felt this rhyme was a little too long, especially with not very many “movements” to pair with each line. I reprinted the rhyme sheet and skipped the couplet that dealt with summer, shown in brackets below. I’ve included both versions in the pdf, even though only one is shown here.
Fingerplay: Here Is a Cave (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is a cave, Inside is a bear (make a circle with thumb and fingers, then tuck thumb in)
Now she comes out To get some fresh air (pop thumb out)
[She stays out all summer In sunshine and heat
She hunts in the forest For berries to eat]
When snow starts to fall She hurries inside (wiggle fingers down and tuck thumb in)
Her warm little cave And there she will hide
Snow covers the cave Like a fluffy white rug (cover hand with other hand)
Inside the bear sleeps All cozy and snug (lay head on hands)
Source: Storytime Katie
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TB) (FT)
I love that this title showcases a wide variety of hibernators, but it was a bit long for my squirrely 1-2 year olds. I switched to Old Bear for the next two sessions.
Read: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming (TT)
Short and sweet, with beautiful illustrations that are just odd enough to be dreamy, this title is always a winner.
Read: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (TB) (FT)
I had photographs of a bear, frog, snake, and bat being active, then hibernating on the back of cards. We talked about them before starting the song. This is a fun and fairly easy one to do on ukulele, too.
Song: Hibernation (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “Alouette”)
Chorus:
Hibernation, time for hibernation
Hibernation, time to go to sleep
Verse:
In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in his log or lair
Where’s the bear? (Log or lair) OOOOOOH!
Additional verses:
…frog? Sleeping by a pond or log
…snake? In the mud beside the lake
…bat? In a cave is where she’s at
Source: Charles County Public Library (MD)
Download a ukulele songsheet for Hibernation here!
Oh, no, the bear is so sleepy, it lost its footing and is ROLLING!
I think we did four bears instead of five for this one.
Counting/Flannel Rhyme: Sleepy Bear Roll (TT) (TB)
Five sleepy bears moving really slow
One yawns and stumbles and starts to… ROLL! (roll arms)
He rolls to a stop and begins to snore…
How many bears are left to explore? (count down)
Source: Canton (MI) Public Library
I got out the frog puppet to jump with us on this rhyme. I’ve used this rhyme in the past and just changed one word to make it fit for hibernation – the last line I’ve used before was “Now go free.” “Sleep” slips in there perfectly!
We said that bears hibernate, but what about this friend? Did you know that frogs bury themselves in the mud and freeze solid in the winter? Then in the spring, they thaw out and hop along!
Action Rhyme: Funny, Funny Froggy (TT) (TB) (FT)
Funny, funny froggy, Hop, hop, hop!
Funny, funny froggy, Stop, stop, stop!
Funny, funny froggy, Jump with me
Funny, funny froggy, Now go sleep
Source: adapted from Books and Bibliotheks
Another one that I changed the middle lines to make it a hibernation song.
How about this friend? They sleep upside down in a cave
Song: Flutter, Flutter, Little Bat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Flutter, flutter, little bat
How I wonder where you’re at
When winter chill begins to creep
To your cave you go to sleep
Flutter, flutter little bat
How I wonder where you’re at
Source: adapted from traditional
Time for some movement!
This version is from Jazzy Ash’s rendition of Teddy Bear.
Action Rhyme: Black Bear, Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Black bear, black bear turn around,
Black bear, black bear touch the ground
Black bear, black bear Wave up high
Black bear, black bear Wink one eye
Black bear, black bear Bend your knees,
Black bear, black bear flap in the breeze
Black bear, black bear climb up to bed,
Black bear, black bear rest your head!
Source: adapted from traditional
I started with turtle, then went chipmunk, and ended with bear to transition into the next song.
Puppets/Fingerplay: Sleepy Turtle (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Thumbkin)
Where is Turtle? Where is Turtle?
Here I am! Here I am!
How are you this winter? Very tired, thank you
Go to sleep, Go to sleep (repeat with other hibernators)
Source: Storytime Katie
A few of our grownups knew this song right away! I did go through the motions with everyone before we started, especially since I couldn’t lead them while playing.
Let’s put our bears to sleep for the winter.
Ukulele Action Song: Rockabye Your Bear (TT) (TB) (FT)
Everybody clap (clap, clap, clap)
Everybody sing, La, la-la, la, la!
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around
Hands in the air
Rockabye your bear
Bear’s now asleep: (sh, sh, sh!)
Bear’s now asleep: (sh, sh, sh!)
Source: The Wiggles
Download a ukulele songsheet for Rockabye Your Bear here!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Bear Cave Craft (TB) (FT)
Inspired by the project at Glued To My Crafts blog, I pre-printed the bear image on cardstock and cut out triangles. Then I glued three craft sticks to the edges with liquid glue – the craft sticks tended to warp a bit with the glue, so they needed to be weighted down with some wax paper and a heavy book while they dried. That way, the kids just needed to decorate with these small leaf cutouts (we had them in the craft stash but they look like they came from paper punches) and add snow with pulled-apart cotton balls. There was some time investment on the prep for me, but it was a smooth craft for them. Bear image from Play Create Explore.
Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Bear Has a Story to Tell – Philip C Stead & Erin E Stead
William’s Winter Nap – Linda Ashman & Chuck Groenink
Bear’s Big Dreaming – Michael Rosen & Daniel Egneus
Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers – Jessica Kulekjian & Salini Perera
Knock Knock – Tammi Sauer & Guy Francis
Over and Under the Snow – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep – Dev Petty & Mike Boldt
Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Bedtime for Bear – Brett Helquist
Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! – Maureen Wright & Will Hillenbrand
This storytime was presented in-person on 2/3, 2/4, & 2/5/25.
Storytime Handout:
*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for:
(TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2
(TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5
(FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 