envioronment – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

every monday mabel and trashy town book covers

Toddler Storytime: Garbage Trucks

Posted on September 11, 2026September 11, 2026 by msemilylibrary

Garbage trucks was a super-fun theme! I was inspired by the book Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan, which was one of the nominees for my state’s early literacy book award, the Firefly. It didn’t end up being the winner, but it was definitely my daughter’s favorite of the bunch. It’s an excellent storytime title, with lots of great noises and opportunities for exciting reading.

In order to not do 10 repetitive rhymes and songs only about trucks, I also threw in a couple of trash-adjacent activities, so we did a Litter Bug rhyme and a really fantastic song by Nancy Stewart about raccoons. And using beanbags to represent trash was a nice way to break out a prop we don’t often get to play with.

every monday mabel book cover, showing mabel dragging her chair in the foreground and a garbage truck seen through window panes in the background

trashy town book cover, showing a garbage truck surrounded by other city items such as cabs, trash cans, rats, and stop signs

Early Development Tip: Naming and categorizing things can be fun for children of all ages. Help children make sense of their world by grouping things that go together, such as items of similar colors, shapes, or items like knives, forks, and spoons at a table. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet*
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

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

Intro: Once a week, something really exciting happens at my house. The garbage truck comes! Does anyone like to watch for the garbage truck? It might be stinky, but it’s so exciting to see it lift up the garbage can and dump our trash! I’m so happy that we have garbage trucks to take away our trash, so let’s celebrate them!

In some places, garbage collectors work all night and line up in the morning to empty their trucks at the landfill.
I rewrote this rhyme pretty completely, but the original was found in a document from a fellow Indiana library where I found several of my rhymes for this theme: Carmel Clay Public Library. The fact that it didn’t rhyme drove me crazy, but I also wanted to introduce the word landfill in addition to dump as it’s a bit more accurate and modern.
Fingerplay: Morning at the Landfill
Down at the landfill, right around nine
See the garbage trucks waiting in line (show ten fingers)
See them lift the garbage: Dump, dump, dump (bend fingers)
Now they roll away with a bang and a bump (roll arms, clap)
One rolls down MY street, engine a’roar (vroom!)
To fill ‘er up again and gather more (ASL for more)
Source: Ms Emily Library

morning at the land fill thumbnail, with a graphic of four green garbage trucks waiting to dump their garbage. the last truck has the hopper tipped. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Mabel is such a great character – she is determined, she is persistent, and she is enthusiastic about her interests! Every group loved hearing her story. Awan is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors!
Read: Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

A much older title, but a good back up. I like a repeated phrase to encourage participation.
Backup Read: Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman, David Clemesha, & Dan Yaccarino

Can YOU pretend to be a garbage truck?
Another one I changed a bit to make the rhyme scheme be closer to the original tune. I also explained what the hopper and cab were before we started, and demoed opening our hopper (bringing a bent arm up from our side) and driving in our cab (the other hand holding a steering wheel). At the end we tipped over the hopper side VERY similarly to a teapot!
Action Song: I’m a Little Garbage Truck
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little garbage truck, trash is what I grab
Here is my hopper, Here is my cab
When I get all filled up, the dump is on my route
Just tip me over and dump the garbage out
Source: adapted from Carmel Clay (IN) Public Library

i'm a little garbage truck thumbnail, with a graphic of a green garbage truck with a smiley face on the hopper. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It takes a lot of trucks to haul the garbage for a whole town! How many are here?
I had this one ready, but didn’t end up using it to cut down on my time. I’m finding that my 1s & 2s have a shorter attention span and do better when we end slightly earlier and have more time for play. Download a copy of the garbage trucks here. (also includes Garbage Clean Up graphics)
Counting Rhyme: Five Little Garbage Trucks
Five little garbage trucks painted green
Picking up trash to keep the town clean
They work and they work until they fill up
Now one of the garbage trucks drives to the dump!
Back up: Beep! Beep! Beep! (count down)
Source: Carmel Clay (IN) Public Library

flannel of five garbage trucks, with five identical green trucks with a number from 1-5 on each.

five little garbage trucks thumbnail, with a graphic of five identical green garbage trucks. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: The Wheels on the (Garbage) Truck
(tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
The wheels on the truck go round and round
Round and round, Round and round
The wheels on the truck go round and round
All through the town

Additional verses:
The horn on the truck goes honk, honk, honk…
The loader on the truck goes up and down…
The reverse on the truck goes, beep, beep, beep…
The driver of the truck says, “Job well done”..
Source: Carmel Clay (IN) Public Library

the wheels on the garbage truck thumbnail, with a graphic of a green garbage truck with the lifting arm halfway up. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s an animal who lives in cities and is very resourceful, finding food wherever they can – even in your garbage!
This was a total hit. I actually bought the Folkmanis raccoon in a trash can puppet on eBay just for this program, and I think it was money well spent. Check out Nancy’s page (link below in the Source) to see a video of her performing the song in a preschool. It is magic! I’m planning to repeat this song with the puppet for an upcoming Nocturnal Animals program in October.
Puppet Song: I’m A Raccoon
I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, Ramblin’ around in the night
I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, you can see me if the moon is bright
I’ve got rings on my tail, a mask on my eyes
If you see me at night you might be surprised
Oh I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, ramblin’ around in the night

I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, you better cover up your trash
I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, If you don’t I’m gonna steal your stash
I’ve got rings on my tail, a mask on my eyes
If you see me at night you might be surprised
Oh I’m a raccoon, I’m a raccoon, I ramblin’ around in the night
Source: Nancy Stewart

raccoon in a trash can puppet — Isn’t he adorable?

I'm a raccoon thumbnail, with a graphic of two raccoons at a metal garbage can. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Garbage trucks haul away our trash, but it’s up to us to make sure the trash gets into the bins and not on the ground. If no one used a trash can, our streets and parks would be full of trash.
I walked around while tossing beanbags out of a bucket while reciting this one. The eyes got a bit wide at first – what’s she doing?! Then they all helped me pick up the “trash.” It was a fun way to pass out our prop!
Beanbag Song: Litter Bug
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once there was a litter bug
Who went from town to town
Throwing out his garbage
That landed on the ground
The garbage grew so high
That when he turned around
The litter bug got buried
And could not make a sound! EEK!
Source: Yogibrarian

litter bug thumbnail, with a graphic of a bug walking away from a pile of trash, with a balled up paper being thrown behind him. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Just a little generic bean bag rhyme to give them some different things to do with the bag.
Beanbag Rhyme: Beanbags Up
Beanbags up (toss gently)
Beanbags down (let drop)
Beanbags dancing all around (toss from hand to hand)
Beanbags on your shoulder,
Beanbags on your head
Beanbags on your tummy
And tuck them into bed! (between hands)
Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs

beanbags up thumbnail, with a graphic of four square beanbags: yellow, purple, red, and blue. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to clean up! Can you help me match the beanbag color to the right garbage truck?
I created four color-coordinated garbage trucks in Canva to print and laminate, then attached them to four bowls with jumbo craft sticks to gather up the beanbags. It was a bit chaotic when I announced this, with all the kids rushing up to put their beanbags in the bowls, so I just read the rhyme over the chaos. Next time I would have us all read the rhyme together before putting the bowls out for them to put their bags in. Download a copy of the garbage trucks here. (also includes Five Garbage Trucks graphics)
Beanbag Rhyme: Garbage Clean Up
Garbage trucks, garbage trucks
Cleaning up the town
Do you see any garbage lying around?
Pick up the trash and match it to a truck
Soon the whole town will be all cleaned up
Source: Miss Sarah’s Storytime

garbage clean up thumbnail, with a graphic of four garbage trucks - blue, red, green, and yellow. Each truck shows bags of the same color in its hopper. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Garbage Truck
I think this is the third time I’ve done this craft, but perhaps the first time I’ve blogged about it. I use a coloring sheet of a garbage truck that I’d saved years ago and provided multi-colored tissue paper squares and liquid glue, as well as crayons. After coloring their truck, they could crumple up the tissue squares and glue them to the truck to look like garbage. The tissue grasping and crumpling is great fine motor practice, and everyone always thinks the 3D art is really cool.

garbage truck craft featuring an un colored truck coloring sheet with multicolored tissue crumples glued on.

And I remembered to take a picture of the setup, too!

Play Time
The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
I Stink! – Kate & Jim McMullan
King of the Dump – Tim Wynne-Jones & Scot Ritchie
I’m Trying to Love Garbage – Bethany Barton
Garbage Trucks on the Go – Beth Bence Reinke
Revenge of the Raccoons – Vivek Shraya & Juliana Neufeld
Hooray for Garbage Collectors – Tessa Kenan
I Am Picky – Kristen Tracy & Erin Kraan
Kitty – Rebecca Jordan-Glum
The Duck Is Stuck! – Dana Regan & Berta Maluenda
Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue! – Sherri Duskey Rinker & AG Ford

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/18 & 8/19/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF

change starts with us and the earth book book cover gallery

Stories & Stations: Earth Day

Posted on May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by msemilylibrary

April 22 is Earth Day! Here is our Stories & Stations* storytime, planned by my wonderful colleague (we alternate planning weeks.) There were a few activities that were planned but for time reasons weren’t ready, so we made adaptations. It was a good reminder that our families like the experience of storytime, and they roll with us on our themes, but all the theming is really more for our ease of planning and not really something our 2- and 3-year-olds care about. It’s okay to repeat activities. It’s okay to go off-theme. Everything we do should be to promote early literacy and associate the library and books with fun, and all the rest is icing!

This week’s prop was beanbags, which I don’t use often enough in my regular storytimes! It was really great to see everyone shaking, tossing, and balancing their beanbags and having a really fun time with them.

See another version of this theme from 2021.

*We are doing a new format for our storytimes in a transition period of personnel change and calling it Stories & Stations (you can read the whole saga of the whys and hows at this post.)

change starts with us book cover, showing five children doing various things with the earth, including planting a tree, throwing away recycling, and holding protest signs.

the earth book book cover, showing a large picture of the planet earth with a heart on it and being held by two children.

Early Development Tip: Moving to music, dancing, swaying, running, and jumping help young children feel rhythm and begin to understand how their bodies work. Such movements also help them gain muscle control and improve their balance, which all contributes to your child’s gross motor development. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Even with a larger number of kids, I still go around and sing this with everyone’s name. The kids really do love it, and it helps me learn names and storytime participants to learn each others’ names.

Warm Up Song: Wiggle and Wiggle and STOP*
This week I did “Stomp” and “Roll” (arms) in addition to Wiggle.

we wiggle and stop thumbnail, with a graphic of two pink worms. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Okay, this one *seems* to be better for younger kids, but all I have to do is encourage the older kids to jump as high as they can at the end and it is instantly perfect for a 5 year old, too. I always give the option for a lap bounce and lift as well.

Intro: Today is a very special day called Earth Day! Our Earth gives us so many wonderful gifts: the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the crunchy apples we eat for a snack. Today people all over the world are on a mission to be kind to our Earth. We might check the ground for “lost” trash, or turn off the lights when we’re not home – there are lots of actions we can take to help keep our world clean, green, and beautiful.

Let’s start with a story about things we can do to help the Earth.
Sometimes it just makes more sense to start with our book and then go to the themed activity.
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Even though this is a board book, it is a relatively large format one, so it still works for reading to a group. It’s cute and age appropriate, although I always skip the page about eating less meat that shows a barnyard scene. It just feels a little too omnivore-shaming – I don’t disagree with the sentiment, but I wish the illustration featured a plate full of vegetables instead.
Read: Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer

I read this title for my evening program, and it worked okay. Some of the points made feel just a little too simplified.
Read: The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Here’s an old song about loving our Earth. Someone wrote a new verse for Earth Day – let’s sing them both together!
Ukulele Song: This Land Is Your Land (Earth Day Edition)
This land is your land, This land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land, This land is my land
Let’s work together to make it better
From the tall green forests to the clear blue waters
This land depends on you and me
Source: Woodie Guthrie, Earth Day verse from Santa Clarita Public Library

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “This Land Is Your Land” here!

thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for this land is your land

this land is your land thumbnail, with a graphic of an earth with clouds. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out some beanbags! Let’s see, can you gently toss your beanbag and catch it? Okay, can you let your beanbag drop to the ground? How about tossing it from one hand to the other – if you can’t toss, then try just moving it from hand to hand. Okay, you are ready for our first beanbag rhyme!
I’ve adapted the traditional Tommy Thumbs rhyme for different uses – like for egg shakers and scarves. It also works for beanbags, but the motions are a little bit different since they are especially fun to toss and drop.
Beanbag Rhyme: Beanbags Up
Beanbags up (toss gently)
Beanbags down (let drop)
Beanbags dancing all around (toss from hand to hand)
Beanbags on your shoulder
Beanbags on your head
Beanbags on your tummy
And tuck them into bed! (between two hands)
Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs

Earth Day is a great time to celebrate all the animals of the planet. How about the frog? Can you pretend your beanbag is a frog?
We start by bouncing our “frogs” on our toes – at the end, I made my frog jump extra high on the “Ribbit!” Then you can move to any other body parts.
Beanbag Song: Froggy’s Hopping
(tune of Round the Mulberry Bush)
Froggy’s hopping on my toes
On my toes, on my toes
Froggy’s hopping on my toes…
RIIIIIIBBIT!
Source: Allegan District (MI) Library

froggy's hopping thumbnail, with a graphic of a green frog about to land from a hop. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Mmm, the earth provides so many delicious things to eat! Can you pretend your beanbag is an apple now?
Beanbag Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree (beanbags/fists up)
Two red apples smiled at me (wiggle apples)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shaking motion)
Down came the apples… (beanbags/fists fall)
And mmm, they were good! (rub tummy)
Source: traditional

way up high in the apple tree thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree with two red apples in it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Okay, it’s beanbag hard mode now! Can you balance your beanbag on your head?! If that’s too difficult, you can try balancing it on your hand, instead.
Beanbag Rhyme: Walk Along the Tightrope
With my bean bag on my head
I stand so very tall
I walk along my tightrope
And will not let it fall
Source: Allegan District (MI) Library

walk along the tightrope thumbnail, with a graphic of a figure on a tightrope and a child balancing a beanbag on their head. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

After collecting our props, we released to stations! I let everyone know that I’d put out toys and puzzles in the current room, so they could stay if they wanted, and opened the door to the other room for everyone else to go to stations. I’m noticing that some of the youngest kiddos are staying to just play with toys the whole time and not bothering with stations, which is totally fine.

Art Station: Fingerprint Stamped Flowers
I think originally we were planning to use actual flowers on the stamp pad, but that seemed too fragile for a bunch of kids to cycle through. So instead, we made flowers using our own fingerprints! We have these large stamp pads that are perfect for this sort of craft. This was a nice one since it didn’t require a lot of clean up (like the paint crafts from the last few weeks!)

Craft showing a stamped hand in green. Each finger tip has a flower stamped in different colors.

art station with paper, stamp pads, and baby wipes.

Gross Motor Stations: Walk the Plank
I think this was originally going to be a different activity, but we just grabbed a sign from a previous program (Oceans of Possibilities) and taped a line on the floor. Kids still enjoyed it!

walk the plank activity, showing a blue taped line on the floor and a sign

Gross Motor Station 2: Animal Habitat Building
Another borrow, this time from the Baby Animals program a few weeks ago. We got out our big blocks (like Legos, but much bigger!) to build habitats for some of our animal puppets. I love how the kids can be so creative in what they build with fairly limited materials.

Fine Motor Station 1: Seed Sorting & Cut the Grass
This was a re-use of two stations from the Garden program. It’s always good to have several activities available!

table showing a seed sorting station on one side and a cut the grass (construction paper) on the other.

Sensory Station: Kinetic Sand
Another quick one from the past is kinetic sand – and it’s always a hit. We had some little colorful animal figurines that were hidden in the sand.

Kinetic sand station, with two bins on top of a fitted sheet held down by two tables.

closeup of a kinetic sand bin, showing the bin, some plastic shovels, and plastic animals

Toys and Puzzles
Our regular baby toys and puzzles, as well as soft food, babies in a basket, and lacing cards came out as another option for play. I didn’t capture a picture of this one.

After 20 minutes of free station time, I ring our bell to gather everyone again in the storytime room. Everyone helps put away the toys and puzzles before we end with our last two songs.

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
To Change A Planet – Christina Soontornvat & Rahele Jomepour Bell
Thank You, Earth – April Pulley Sayre
The Earth Book – Todd Parr
My Friend Earth – Patricia MacLachlan & Francesca Sanna
Stand Up! Speak Up! – Andrew Joyner
We Are Water Protectors – Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade
Milk and Juice – Meredith Crandall Brown
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival – Lindsay Moore
What a Wonderful World – Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & Tim Hopgood
The Old Boat – Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey
Lights Out – Marsha Diane Arnold & Susan Reagan
Earth Day – Emma Carlson Berne & Mike Bundad
Go Green With Sesame Street – Jennifer Boothroyd & Mary Lindeen
A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth – Tory Christie & Luciana Navarro Powell
Home – Matt De La Peña & Loren Long
What Does It Mean to be Green? – Rana DiOrio & Addy Rivera Sonda
On Earth – G. Brian Karas
A Pocket Full of Rocks – Kristin Mahoney & E.B. Goodale
I Love Our Earth – Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, Dan Lipow
Home – Isabelle Simler

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/22 & 4/23/26.

Storytime Handout:

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

† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF

tap the magic tree and can you hug a forest book covers

Storytime: Trees

Posted on March 21, 2025March 20, 2025 by msemilylibrary

As I mentioned last post, I got sick with the flu and was off work for a week. In that time, my awesome coworkers stepped in and did the theme that I planned for trees. I was disappointed I didn’t get to present any of the sessions – I’d never done this theme before and I was looking forward to seeing how it played out. Oh, well – maybe I’ll do it again in another two or three years! This would also be a great theme to tie to Earth Day in April.

Early Literacy Tip: We do a lot of rhymes in storytime. Rhyming and reading go hand in hand! Being able to recognize rhyming words helps kids pick up on word patterns, which helps them read AND write. When you say, sing, and play with rhyming words, you help your child get ready to read. –Storytime in the Stacks

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: Today we’re celebrating trees! Trees are beautiful, they provide a home for many different animals and insects, they can give us fruit or nuts, a shady spot, and they help give us clean air to breathe. Trees are amazing!

Trees come in all shapes and sizes (just like people)!
I had fun finding specific trees to highlight on this rhyme sheet – many of them are quite different! Palms, redwoods, baobabs, saplings, a conifer, and a willow were the ones I matched to the rhyme. I’m sure you could find lots of other options! I did change the word “perfect” to “beautiful” because perfection is such a loaded term. We can be beautiful without being perfect, and so can trees!
Action Rhyme: Some Trees
Some trees are thin, (stand straight with arms to sides)
Some trees are tall (reach up high)
Some trees are wide, (spread hands wide)
Some trees are small (crouch)
Some trees reach high, (reach high)
Some trees bend low (bend over and hang arms down)
All trees are beautiful, No matter how they grow! (could give a self hug here)
Source: Lady Librarian Life

some trees thumbnail, with a graphic of trees that match each description: a palm tree, redwood, baobab, sapling, a conifer, and a willow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

A modern classic, with so much interaction! I’m not sure which books were read by my substitutes at which sessions, but this would have been my pick for Toddler Time and Family Time.
Read: Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

tap the magic tree book cover, showing a tree's branches in various seasons.

This is a beautiful celebration of nature and appreciating it in the moment. It’s a little longer, so I would have tried it at my Teddy Bear session.
Read: Can You Hug a Forest? by Frances Gilbert & Amy Hevron

Some trees provide delicious fruit for us!
Action Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms high)
I saw two apples looking at me (hold up two fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shaking motion)
Down came the apples… (fists fall)
And mmm, they were good! (smile and rub belly)
Source: traditional

apple tree flannelboard - a large simple tree shape takes up most of the board, and two red apples of slightly different hues are in the tree's canopy.

Can we pretend to be a big old oak tree?
Action Song: I’m an Old Oak Tree
(tune of I’m A Little Teapot)
I’m an old oak tree Tall and strong
My trunk is wide And my branches long
My roots go underground to help me grow
Underground below, below
Source: Richmond (VA) Public Library

i'm an old oak tree thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree showing both the branches and root system of a big tree. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Who lives in the old oak tree and eats lots of acorns? Squirrels!
Fingerplay: This Little Squirrel
(wiggle each finger in turn)
This little squirrel said, “Let’s run and play!”
This little squirrel said, “I want some acorns today!”
This little squirrel said, “Acorns are good.”
This little squirrel said, “Yes, my favorite food”
This little squirrel said, “Come climb this tree” (run fingers up arm)
And crack these acorns: one, two, three! (clap)
Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer linkable)

this little squirrel thumbnail, with a graphic of a squirrel holding an acorn. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do some moving. Listen carefully!
Action Rhyme: Tall as a Tree
Tall as a tree, (stretch tall)
Wide as a house (arms out to either side)
Thin as a pin, (stand straight with arms to body)
Small as a mouse (crouch down)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

tall as a tree thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall slim tree. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get our scarves out. Can we pretend to be a baby tree – a seed?
Scarf Rhyme: Be a Seed
Be a seed, small and round (hide scarf and crouch low)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (stand and reach up)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake scarf)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary

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

Some trees lose their leaves in the autumn.
Yes, it’s similar to the last one, but I liked the dropping of the scarves at the end!
Scarf Rhyme: Once I Was a Seed
Once I was a seed and I was small, small, small
I grew into a tree and now I’m tall, tall, tall!
My branches sway in the breeze so soft (sway gently)
And when it’s autumn, all my leaves fall off! (drop scarf)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

once i was a seed thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree with most of its leaves fallen to the ground. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This is a very catchy melody – so be careful, it will stick with you! It definitely feels like the tune of a common hymn to me, but I am not familiar enough with it to name a specific one. Lady Librarian Life created a very helpful chord sheet, but I did feel like it needed a couple tweaks.
A tree has deep, deep roots that help them stay steady even when they grow very tall.
Scarf Song: My Roots Go Down
My roots go down, down to the earth
My roots go down, down to the earth
My roots go down, down to the earth
My roots go down

verses:
I am a birch tree swaying in the breeze…
I am a pine tree standing tall…
I am an oak tree spreading wide…
I am a willow swinging low…
Source: original by Sarah Pirtle, adapted by Lady Librarian Life

Download my version of the songsheet here.

thumbnail for my roots go down ukulele songsheet

my roots go down thumbnail, with a graphic of a tree's root system. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’m not sure if they played this one or not, it was an extra in case we had time.
Optional Scarf Song: Mr. Sun
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mr. Sun” here!

Mr. Sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Tree Handprint Paintings (TB) (FT)
This craft was a mashup of two tree crafts I saw online. The first was from the Richmond (VA) Public Library. Instead of tracing their hand on brown paper and cutting it out to glue down onto a different page, I just provided crayons and encouraged them to trace and color in their hand to be the tree trunk and branches. Then, instead of gluing down tissue paper leaves, I took the idea from Brie Brie Blooms to use a stamper to make the leaves. She used play-doh lids, but I just used our toilet paper tube stash. A great example of taking ideas from all over to create something that will work for your group.

handprint tree craft, showing a brown traced hand colored with crayon, and overlapping circles of green paint making the leaves of the tree.

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)
Only a Tree Knows How to Be a Tree – Mary Murphy
Some Questions About Trees – Toni Yuly
The City Tree – Shira Boss & Lorena Alvarez
Apple and Magnolia – Laura Gehl & Patricia Metola
Treehouse Town – Gideon Sterer & Charlie Mylie
Eco Girl – Ken Wilson-Max
All Kinds of Special – Tammi Sauer & Fernando Martin
My Tree – Hope Lim & Il Sung Na
Nell Plants a Tree – Anne Wynter & Daniel Miyares
Zee Grows a Tree – Elizabeth Rusch & Will Hillenbrand

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/3, 3/4, & 3/5/25.

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: Earth Day

Posted on May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 by msemilylibrary

An environmentally-minded storytime for Earth Day or any day! We talked about littering, recycling, planting trees, and using gas-free transportation options – not bad for thirty minutes and a room full of two-year-olds.

Early Literacy Tip: Your recycling bin can become a craft store! Looking for different uses for ordinary items encourages creativity and inventiveness, skills that help children be ready to learn. You may be surprised at the different things that can be made from (clean) plastic containers, cardboard tubes, and other recyclable materials. Your child thrives on your encouragement, but let them be creative and decide what to do with the materials.

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

Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was arms and chins.

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

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

Intro: Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day! That’s a day when we celebrate the amazing place our planet is, and we work to clean up the Earth’s air, water, protect plants and animals, and make the earth a great place to live for generations to come. Here’s a poem by Kelly Roper about what we can do for Earth Day.

After reading this the first time, it felt a little preachy and kind of boring (no motions to do, etc). I decided to skip it for my other sessions.
Poem: In Celebration of Earth Day (TT)
In celebration of Earth Day, Why not plant a tree?
It will produce fresh air, And be a joy for all to see.
In celebration of Earth Day, Go and visit a local park.
Get back in touch with nature,
Its sights and sounds in light and dark.
In celebration of Earth Day Try to be more aware,
Of how your actions affect this world
And devote yourself to its care
Source: by Kelly Roper, via Stratford (CT) Library

Something that a lot of people do to celebrate Earth Day is planting trees. Let’s do that with this rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (make a fist)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (open fingers)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake hands and body)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary

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

I really loved this book, and it was pretty perfect for this age group – though I do have a few caveats. I skipped a couple pages both to shorten it and also… I wished the page about eating less meat featured a plate full of vegetables instead of a barnyard scene. C’mon. I also skipped the “Looking after our backyards” page. I don’t know, I could see how that can be environmentally friendly, but there’s also people who “look after their backyards” by applying lots of chemicals and planting non-native plants and so on. The wording could have been more precise, I think. Nevertheless, I did end up using this book for all three sessions!
Read: Change Starts With Us by Sophie Beer (TT) (TB) (FT)

This ended up being a backup book that I didn’t use. It does have beautiful pictures and may be inspirational to keeping the Earth clean and beautiful, but since it wasn’t explicitly about being a good steward of the Earth, it didn’t fit quite as well when I only read one book.
Read: Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre

Bounce: Bumping Up and Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon (bounce)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darlin’? (lift or tilt)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken… (bounce then lean)
(what else can you use to get around without a car? A green bicycle, a blue scooter, your pink sneakers?)
Source: adapted from the traditional

This one was fun. I had made a “recycling bin” from a blue ILL bin and just printed the recycling symbol to tape on the sides. I used it both for this and the “Picking Up Litter” song. The kids loved when I took each bottle and gulped it down. We also talked a little about colors, flavors, and sizes. I used permanent markers to color the labels.
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Bottles of Juice (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five bottles of juice on the wall
Five bottles of juice… Glug, glug, glug!
Put one in the recycling bin
Four bottles of juice on the wall!
(count down)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannel pieces with five differently-shaped bottles of varying sizes. the first has a picture of a carrot on the label, the second a grape, the third an apple, the fourth an orange, and the fifth a pineapple. The bottle labels match the colors of the fruit and the lids match the labels.

I wasn’t exactly sure how this one would go, but it was a hit. When I started pulling crumpled up paper out of my bag and tossing it on the floor, eyes got wide! The most difficult part for me was remembering the rhyme while walking around and tossing enough trash that everyone would be able to grab some.
Song: Litter Bug (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once there was a litter bug
Who went from town to town
Throwing out his garbage
That landed on the ground
The garbage grew so high
That when he turned around
The litter bug got buried
And could not make a sound! EEK!
Source: Yogibrarian

They LOVED getting to pick up all the trash and put it in the recycling bin. We repeated the song until it was all picked up.
Song: Picking Up Litter (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Paw Paw Patch)
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Way down yonder, at the library!
Source: Yogibrarian

a canvas tote bag sits next to a blue recycling bin with a white recycling symbol visible on the side. Crumpled up white paper can be seen inside both.

It’s always great to end with a ukulele song, especially one that has a very familiar and repetitive tune that grownups pretty much know. I have an inflatable ball with a realistic Earth printed on it and I encouraged kids to pass it around to each other. Before they started I asked grownups to help it move along. We only had one instance where it got thrown, so I call that a win.
Song: We’ve Got the Whole World (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of He’s Got the Whole World)
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world in our hands

We’ve got the rivers and the oceans, in our hands…
We’ve got the air all around us, in our hands…
Be kind to plants and animals – in our land…
We’ve got to work together to clean the Earth…
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System and DARIA

inflatable beach ball with the earth printed on it. The earth has clouds and the land varies from green to brown. It looks like the Earth from space.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “We’ve Got the Whole World” here!

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

Craft: Coffee Filter Earth (TB) (FT)
This was a little more involved than my usual crafts, but I think they enjoyed it. We started by using washable markers and coloring a coffee filter blue and green. Then they came up to me, where together we sprayed the filter with water on a plastic messy tray. Then they hung up their filter on yarn I’d strung up to dry. They could then go back and make stars on their black construction paper. We played and did our goodbye songs, and they could glue down their Earth if it was dry at that time.

Craft showing a blurry blue and green earth glued to a piece of black construction paper. White chalk stars were drawn around the earth.

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Earth Book – Todd Parr
My Friend Earth – Patricia MacLachlan & Francesca Sanna
Stand Up! Speak Up! – Andrew Joyner
We Are Water Protectors – Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade
Milk and Juice – Meredith Crandall Brown
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival – Lindsay Moore
What a Wonderful World – Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & Tim Hopgood
The Old Boat – Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey
Lights Out – Marsha Diane Arnold & Susan Reagan

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/17, 4/18, & 4/19/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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