Tag: felt

Storytime: Robots

Posted on by msemilylibrary

As a theme, robots are fairly neutral – I don’t associate them with any holiday or season, so you can do this one any time of year.

When I shared what I’d be doing this week with my brother, he asked if the kids would even know what robots were! I am happy to report that robots were well received, and I even had one little girl who LOVES robots and was super excited to walk like a robot and do a robot craft. So never underestimate your little ones!

You can see another version of this theme from 2020 here.

Early Literacy Tip: Talk with your child about groups of objects. “Which robots have an antenna?” “Let’s put away all the toys with wheels.” This helps your child in classifying objects, which supports cognitive thinking.

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

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

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

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

Intro: What is a robot? It’s a machine that helps do things for people – sometimes it looks like a person, sometimes it doesn’t. It can help out in situations that may be too dangerous for people, or can do things more easily or quickly than people can. We’re going to pretend to be robots during storytime today – one thing that robots have is a button or switch to turn them on or off. Where would your robot button be? Mine is right here on my shoulder. Power UP! Power DOWN!

Action Song: I’m a Little Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little robot, short and strong (muscle pose)
Here are my handles (hands on hips)
Just turn me on (push a “button”)
When I get all warmed up, watch me go (shake body)
Sometimes fast (march in place fast)
Sometimes slow (march in place slow)
Source: AnnesLibraryLife

Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them (Robot Style) (TT) (TB) (FT)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them (make “pincers” with hands and open/shut)
Give a little bang, bang, bang (clap)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Press your button, clang, clang, clang! (touch “button”)
Turn your gears: now fast, now slow (roll arms)
Blink your lights from high to low! (hands “blink” open and shut, fingers splayed, moving downward)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little zap, zap, zap (pointer fingers jab outward)
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Power down now, just like that! (sit or slump over slowly)
Source: original, adapted from the traditional rhyme

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

This book only seems to be available in a Little Golden edition right now – my previous library had it in the original full sized hardcover. The little one is small! I do like the fact that this one talks about actual robots, like robot vacuums and the Mars rover, though the last page is a little odd.
Read: Robots, Robots, Everywhere by Sue Fliess & Bob Staake (TT)

Robots, Robots, Everywhere book cover

I found this one and really loved how simple it is – who doesn’t love to sing Happy BIrthday in the middle of a story?! There is a lot of interest in the alien Mars landscape while still celebrating our own curiosity here on Earth. My only complaint is that this is also a very small book!
Read: Birthday on Mars! by Sara Schonfeld & Andrew J. Ross (TB) (FT)

birthday on mars book cover

We did three or four verses each session.
Action Song: The Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The legs of the robot go up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The legs of the robot go up and down,
As it walks around the room (march around like a robot)

Optional verses:
Head: goes side to side…
Arms: go back and forth…
Buttons: go beep, beep, beep…
Lights: flash on and off…
Feet: go clickity clack…
Antennas: go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…
Source: Northwest Regional Library System (OH)

This is a fun take on the hiding game. My groups really love when I make a big deal of the reveal – I usually count down and then quickly take a colored gear off. There are “aws” when nothing is there, and excited squeals when they finally find the hidden item! I used the smallest robot from another flannel, Five Little Robots, for this.
Flannel Rhyme: Where Is Robot? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, we know you’re here!
Are you behind the (color) gear?
Source: Lady Librarian Life

flannel showing five different colored gears: yellow, green, red, gray, and blue. The blue one has revealed a small wheeled robot underneath.

I wanted another activity that was more suitable for younger kids, and inspired by the Curiosity Rover in both books, wrote this little bounce. It was fun!
Bounce: Robot Rover (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, roving over Mars (bounce)
Robot, robot up among the stars (lift)
Bouncing here, bouncing there (bounce to left and right)
Finding rocks that are so rare
Robot check your locator
So you don’t fall into a crater! (lower or tilt to side)
Source: original

Action Rhyme: Robot, Robot (TT) (TB) (FT)
Robot, robot, Turn around,
Robot, robot, Touch the ground
Robot, robot, Turn left and right,
Robot, robot, Flash your lights
Robot, robot, Bloop and beep,
Robot, robot, Go to sleep
Source: Storybook Stephanie

I tend to not use a lot of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” songs, since our transition song (“If You’re Ready for a Story”) uses that tune, but I had this one ready in case we needed another song to do. We didn’t need to fill the time, however.
Song: If You’re a Robot and You Know It
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils (clap, clap)
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils
If you’re a robot and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils

Additional verses:
…clunk your gears (stomp feet)
…do a dance (dance like a robot!)
Source: Future Librarian Superhero

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

Craft: Shape Robots (TB) (FT)
Shape crafts are great – everyone can do their own thing, there’s no pressure to follow a model, and hopefully there are some discussions about “where is the rectangle,” or “which is the bigger circle?” I had construction paper large rectangles, squares, long skinny rectangles, and circles, then also provided smaller random foam piece shapes for buttons and features and short lengths of metallic chenille stems for antennae or arms. There were scissors on the table in case anyone wanted to trim or modify the shapes, but they aren’t necessary. I tried to emphasize that although my robot had wheels, yours might have legs, and you can arrange the shapes however you wanted. We got a lot of variety!

shape robot glued to a piece of black construction paper, with a long orange rectangular body, two blue arms, a light blue square head, purple metallic squiggly antennae, three yellow wheels, and variously colored buttons, eyes, and mouth.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Boy + Bot – Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino
Doug Unplugged – Dan Yaccarino
Bitty Bot – Tim McCanna & Tad Carpenter
Spare Parts – Rebecca Emberley & Ed Emberley
Stop! Bot! – James Yang
Buddy’s Bedtime Battery – Christina Geist & Tim Bowers
Clink – Kelly DiPucchio & Matthew Myers
Fix this Mess! – Tedd Arnold
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots – Michael Rex
RoboBaby – David Wiesner

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/13, 11/14, & 11/15/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme, and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Cats & Bats

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Share: Bats by Julie Murray

Bats book cover

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

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

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

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

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

Mama Cat has Three Kittens book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Owls

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book cover for Owl Sees Owl

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

book cover for Owl Babies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for One Dinosaur Went Out to Play

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Autumn

Posted on by msemilylibrary

This week we dove into the new fall season with an autumn theme, even if the temperatures were still in the 80s! I highlighted a little nonfiction as well as our picture books, and we had lots of fun with our parachute and some fabric fall leaves. Leaves were a throughline, but we also touched on apples, pumpkins, and rainy autumn weather.

I’m starting to lean toward having the same plan for all three of my age groups, rather than planning several songs and rhymes that are different. I might drop one or more activities for the younger or a more wiggly group or perhaps include one counting song for the older group, but in general I’ve been keeping to the same plan and that’s been working well for now. I can always adjust as needed!

See other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2025.

in the middle of fall book cover, showing a squirrel on a branch with orange, yellow, and brown leaves.
Why is it fall book cover, showing kids throwing leaves up in the air.

Early Literacy Tip: Factual books are a great way to expand children’s knowledge about the world, especially when you can see and experience something in their world, like the changing of the seasons. You can read the whole book or choose certain pages your child might be interested in. In fact, it’s perfectly okay to read only parts of any book, or to just focus on the pictures. You can adapt the experience to your child’s interest and attention span. The important thing is to make reading together a positive experience.

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 knees & fingers.

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

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

Intro: Oh, the air is turning crisp (kind of), the days are getting shorter, and the leaves are starting to change colors. We’ve just changed to a new season – autumn, or fall! Have you ever wondered why the leaves turn colors? Here’s an explanation I found in an informational book called Why Is it Fall? by Sara L. Latta. I read the two-page spread about why leaves turn colors, then mention our early literacy tip for the day.

book cover for Why Is it Fall?

I have used this rhyme from Mel’s Desk for many programs, and have even adapted it for a winter theme. It’s very simple but cozy and comforting. My flannel was made using Mel’s photo as a template.
Flannel Rhyme: Blue is the Sky (TT) (TB) (FT)
Blue is the sky, Yellow is the sun
Silver are the stars, When the day is done
Orange is the leaf, Brown is the tree
Red is the apple, For you and me
Source: Mel’s Desk

flannel showing the parts of the rhyme. A sky-blue blob, a yellow sun, stars covered with aluminum foil to be silver, an orange leaf, a brown tree with bare branches, glued to a light tan piece of felt, and a red apple with a small green leaf at the stem.

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

Mouse’s First books seem to to be tailor made for the toddler set.
Read: Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan (TT)

book cover for Mouse's First Fall

This one touches on several different aspects of fall, and I love that the frisky squirrels were a callback to our theme from two weeks ago. The page where all of a sudden everything is orange and yellow and red has a lot of great dramatic potential!
Read: In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes & Laura Dronzek (TB) (FT)

book cover for In the Middle of Fall

I think my kiddos like any iteration of Wheels on the Bus, ever.
Action Song: The Leaves on the Trees (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The leaves on the trees turn orange and red, (flip hands)
Orange and red, orange and red
The leaves on the trees turn orange and red,
All around the trees

The leaves on the trees come twirling down… (twirl fingers downward)
The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish… (flick hands back and forth)
People in the yard go rake, rake, rake… (scoop hands inward)
The kids in the yard go jump, jump, jump… (jump!)
Source: Jbrary

This one got cut for time, but I included it on our handout and have had good luck with it for other sessions.
Action Song: Pumpkin, Pumpkin
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball (make a big circle overhead)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Source: Storytime Katie

Tired of “Way Up High in the Apple Tree?” Here’s another apple tree rhyme to try, courtesy of Storytime in the Stacks. She has a really great “Math Talk” video on her page, talking through how to share four apples fairly. I highly recommend watching. I did a simplified version with my groups. I also changed “Four Red Apples” to “Four Juicy Apples” since my flannel apples were different colors.
Flannel Rhyme: Four Juicy Apples (TT) (TB) (FT)
Four juicy apples growing in a tree
Two for you and two for me! (hold up two fingers on each hand)
Help me shake the tree just so, (make a shaking motion)
And all the apples will fall below!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Flannel showing a large simple tree with green foliage and four large apples of different colors: dark red, yellow, light green, and light red.

At this point we got out the parachute! We did this rhyme twice, getting low and high with the ‘chute, and waving it gently in the breeze. The second time, I dropped a bunch of fabric leaves on the parachute at the last line, and launched into Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down right away.
Scarf Rhyme: Once I Was a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Once I was a seed and I was small, small, small (crouch low)
I grew into a tree and now I’m tall, tall, tall! (stand up and stretch out arms like branches)
My branches sway in the breeze so soft (sway and wave hands/’chute like a leaf)
And when it’s autumn, all my leaves fall off! (lower ‘chute)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Parachute Song: Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of London Bridge)
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down
Autumn leaves are falling down
All around the town
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Almost the same title as the previous song, but a different tune and feel. We slowed it down for this one and did “slowly” and “quietly” before doing “loudly” and changing our “shh” to a “whoosh!”
Parachute Song: Leaves are Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Leaves are falling down – shh! (slowly lower the parachute)
Leaves are falling down – shh!
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Leaves are falling down
(try other ways of falling – quickly, quietly, loudly!)
Source: Library Village

At this point in the program they were just enjoying waving the parachute up and down with the leaves on top, so I just said this rhyme, not expecting us to change motions or anything during it.
Rhyme: Autumn Winds
Autumn winds begin to blow
Colored leaves fall fast and slow
Whirling, twirling, all around
Until at last they touch the ground
Source: Library Village

A parachute on a purple rug, with autumn colored fabric leaves scattered on top.

I next invited adults to hold the parachute while the kids got underneath. Another thing that can come with autumn is rain and storms. Let’s get under the umbrella!
Action/Parachute Song: Come Under My Umbrella (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie?)
Come under my umbrella, umbrella, umbrella (move parachute up and down)
Come under my umbrella, it’s starting to rain
With thunder and lightning, and lightning and thunder (wiggle ‘chute more strongly)
Come under my umbrella, it’s starting to rain
Source: traditional

This is a great way to put the parachute away. I ask for only grownups to hold on, and then let them know they are letting go at the end. Once the parachute was whisked away, I asked the kids to help me pick up all the fabric leaves that were scattered about.
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to my Lou)
(kids go under the parachute and adults raise and lower)
Up, up, up it goes,
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky
Count to 3 and watch it fly
Spoken:
Up on one…
Down on two…
Up on three…
and FLY! (adults let go and leader pulls ‘chute in to themselves)
Source: Gymboree

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

Craft: Leaf Rubbing (TB) (FT)
Back to basics! I went on a nature walk and found leaves of different species, with different shapes and even tried varying the colors that they were, including a few green leaves. I hadn’t done this craft since I was a child, so a few tips: make sure you pick leaves that are not completely dried out – they need to still be supple. That might mean plucking them from low branches instead of finding them on the ground. They also dry out really fast! We did great on the first day, but there were some crunchy ones the second day. I unwrapped the labels from leaf-colored crayons: red, orange, yellow, brown, and green, and demonstrated for everyone. Not all the adults knew what to do. The leaf goes UNDER the paper, and you need to use the FLAT side of the crayon. But the rubbings themselves are like magic – you see the delicate veins and outline come through the paper and it’s amazing.

leaf rubbings on a white sheet of paper, showing an orange beech leaf, a brown tulip tree leaf, a red maple leaf, and a green oak leaf.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
On a Gold-Blooming Day – Buffy Silverman
Leaf Man – Lois Ehlert
Leaves – David Ezra Stein
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn – Kenard Pak
Autumn Babies – Kathryn O. Galbraith & Adela Pons
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt – Steve Metzger & Miki Sakamoto
The Very Last Leaf – Stef Wade & Jennifer Davison
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves – Julia Rawlinson & Tiphanie Beeke
Wonderfall – Michael Hall

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/25, 9/26, & 9/27/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Squirrels

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

See another version of this theme from 2020.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

book cover for the busy little squirrel.

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

book cover for squirrels leap, squirrels sleep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Bears & Berries

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

book cover for bear sees colors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

book cover for Jamberry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download a ukulele songsheet for Baby Bear Waltz!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: City Life

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I am still reusing, revamping, and retooling storytime themes that I first presented at a previous library. I do have a slightly different age group (skewing younger) and my outlines tend to have more extension activities and fewer books, so none have been exactly the same as what came before.

I opened up our “fall” season (August – December) with sessions on City Life and Country Life. There are great books concentrating on both, and I’d noticed some newer and different titles that my old library didn’t have. I also still do a virtual program – “Storytime Shorts” that highlights three extension activities, three books, a craft idea, and an early literacy tip. A previous episode was on transportation and used three of my go-to city rhymes and songs. To offer three fresh ones, I was inspired to write a new rhyme about taxi cabs, patterned after Pat-a-Cake. It isn’t something that comes naturally to me, but it was fun to play around with the words and rhythm and rhyme to find a poem that flows. And it worked well in practice! That was exciting to see the kids giggling while we “roll… and STOP!”

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes like The Hippopotamus 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.

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 elbows & cheeks.

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

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

Intro: This week and next week, we’ll be talking about city life and country life. Some of us might know what that’s like, but I live in a place that’s kind of in between a big city and the country, and you might, too. Our town is very solidly “suburban.”

Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (TT) (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)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
Source: Jbrary

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

The text on this one is super simple, and the illustrations really give a lot to look at and talk about. I didn’t show every page, but it is an easy one to skip around.
Read: Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker (TT)

I probably should have done Wow! City! for the Family Time group – they lost interest about halfway through, but they were a younger group.
Read: Noisy Night by Mac Barnett & Brian Biggs (TB) (FT)

What shapes are these? Black rectangle, green circle, yellow circle, red circle – it’s a stoplight! There are stoplights everywhere, but there are LOTS in a city where there are many vehicles and traffic.
Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go (TT)
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)
Source: Jbrary

For Toddler Time, I did this song after Cranes Reach Up, but for the other two sessions, it followed directly after the Noisy Night book. Where do people live in the city? Many live in tall apartment buildings. Have you been in a tall building and taken a ride in an elevator?
Lifting Song: The Elevator Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, the city is great and the city is grand
There are a whole lot of people on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the fifty-seventh floor
And this is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
And we turn around!
Source: Jbrary

Here’s the new one! We break out of the clap and pat to roll and STOP in traffic for a bit – really vary the length of time to roll for the most fun. Then we return to pat and clap when we reach our sightseeing destination and yell out that “TAXI!” at the end.
If you go visit a city, you might use a taxi cab to get around.
Action Rhyme: Taxi Cab (TT) (TB) (FT)
(in the style of Pat-a-Cake)
Taxi cab, taxi cab driving day and night (pat and clap)
We’ll visit the city and see all the sights!
We’ll roll… (roll arms)
And we’ll STOP! (two hands up)
(repeat a couple of times, varying how long you “roll”)
We’ll get out and look around (return to pat and clap)
We’ll hail another cab and be homeward bound – TAXI! (lift arm)
Source: original

In the city, it’s very busy, and the city is always growing and changing. Sometimes old buildings are torn down and new buildings are constructed. Here’s a stretch about the tall, tall crane that helps build them!
Stretch Rhyme: Cranes Reach Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Cranes reach up
Cranes reach down
Cranes reach out
And all around
Source: Jbrary

One more construction rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Here is a Steam Shovel (TB)
Here is a steam shovel (Forearm erect, hand drooping)
And here is the ground (two arms enclose area)
See the great boom (forearm moving side to side)
Swing round and round
It dips, it bites, (forearms dips, thumb and fingers grasping)
It lifts, it throws (forearm lifts, thumb and fingers spin)
My, how the hole in the ground grows! (hands make circle)
Digging, scooping, (mime)
Lifting, throwing,
See how the hill (peak hands)
Beside it is growing
Source: Jen in the Library

No matter where you live, everyone likes to go outside and play. Even though cities can be full of buildings and streets, they also have public parks where people can go to enjoy some nature. Let’s sing a song about playing outside.
Ukulele Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
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

Oh, 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!

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Cityscape (TB) (FT)
Draw a city with white chalk on black construction paper, then decorate with vehicle foam stickers. I used ALL my stickers on mine!
Source: Sunflower Storytime

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
City Shapes – Diana Murray & Bryan Collier
Go! Go! Go! Stop! – Charise Mericle Harper
City Moon – Rachael Cole & Blanca Gómez
Windows – Julia Denos & EB Goodale
Cityscape – April Pulley Sayre
My City Speaks – Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron
If You Were a City – Kyo Maclear & Francesca Sanna
City Baby – Laurie Elmquist & Ashley Barron
Maisy Goes to the City – Lucy Cousins
Hot City – Barbara Joosse & Gregory Christie

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/7, 8/8, & 8/9/23.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Storytime: Let’s Picnic

Posted on by msemilylibrary

One last May storytime to blog!

Going on a Picnic was actually my very first theme for storytimes I did on my own in a brand new position at a new library. I wasn’t blogging at that time, of course. I revisited it last month, updating some of the activities.

Early Literacy Tip: Singing games where we do motions as a group (like “Picnic in the Park”) encourage social responsiveness. These activities also help your child learn to feel comfortable in a group setting. When your child begins school, such positive associations will help them adjust to being part of a class.

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 knees and fingers.

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

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

Intro: As we get closer to summertime, I start thinking about some of the fun things we can do outside. One of those is to have a picnic! A picnic is a meal you eat outside. You might do other things like fly a kite, play ball, even take a nap!

I had a bag of flannel picnic pieces that I made a couple years ago for Five Hungry Ants (below), and Raffi’s song, Going on a Picnic, both of which mention certain foods. I think I added a couple of other items to fill it out. After the first session, I learned to do groups of things, not individual pieces for each verse! “Let’s pack some fruits and vegetables! How about dessert?” It just shortened the song to fit my audience’s attention span. The foods stayed up while we read our book, then the ants came!
Rhythm Rhyme: Pack a Lunch (TT) (TB) (FT)
(slap knees in rhythm to the rhyme)
Going on a picnic
Gotta pack a lunch
What should we bring to
Munch, munch, munch?
Let’s bring….
(how many picnic items can you think of?)

Optional last verse:
Ready for a picnic,
Ready with a lunch,
Now we’re ready to
munch, munch, munch!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Felt board with various picnic foods, including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, slice of watermelon, red apple, bowl of salad with carrots and tomatoes, glass of lemonade, slice of cake on a plate, chocolate chip cookie, and salt and pepper shakers.

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

This one was okay. I’m not a huge fan of the Mouse books, but it did feature things I was going to talk about like watermelon and ants.
Read: Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan (TT)

mouse's first summer book cover

This is such a funny and silly book, but also takes a little explaining for the littlest ones to get what’s going on. The adults were chuckling and smiling the whole way through, though, and even the littles seemed to really like the pictures.
Read: Pignic by Matt Phelan (TB) (FT)

Pignic book cover

For time, I only added four ants. It’s not a bad idea to start your counting songs and rhymes at numbers other than five on occasion. I believe the original source said she tosses the ants behind her after the big sneeze, and that has always gotten a lot of giggles for me. 🙂
We packed our lunch, and now it’s time to eat it! But we’re not the only ones who are hungry. Look who is coming to our picnic!
Counting Rhyme: Five Hungry Ants (TB) (FT)
Five hungry ants, marching in a line
They come upon a picnic, where they could dine
They marched into the salad
They marched into the cake
They marched into the pepper
Oh-uh! That was a mistake! AH-CHOOOOOO! (remove an ant!)
Four hungry ants…
(Continue to count down)
Source: Miss Mary Liberry blog

Same felt board as above, but with five black ants with small googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae added to the top.

I modified the fruit just slightly from the Jbrary version, but it might be fun to brainstorm fruits and fit them into the structure of the song with your group (probably better with an older group).
Oh, good, the ants are gone! Let’s dig in. One thing that’s tasty at a picnic is a fruit salad!
Action Song: Fruit Salad (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watermelon, watermelon (big circle with hands)
Strawberry, strawberry (chop with hands on each syllable)
Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down, rocking)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)

Pomegranate, pomegranate (pinch fingers)
Clementine, clementine (hold hands together then open)
Pi-i-i-i-neapple, pi-i-i-i-neapple (peak fingers & move around)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)
Source: Jbrary

A good one to have in the back pocket, but I didn’t end up using it for time reasons. In the past, I encourage the room to really hit the “Boom Boom Boom” hard – A) because it’s fun and B) because at that point in the song I need a big breath!
Oh, no! The ants are back!
Song: The Ants Go Marching
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb,
And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
(count up)
…two by two, tie his shoe…three by three, climb a tree…four by four, shut the door…five by five, take a dive
Source: traditional

I pretty much did as Michael Rosen does in this video, but encouraged the group to repeat the first four lines as call and response. Once again, as my sessions continued, I shortened to fit our attention. Three obstacles (grass, river, and mud) plus the cave seemed just about right. You can download my reminder sheet here. When we found the bear, I put on my Folkmanis baby bear puppet, which they loved!
It can be fun to play some games when you are on a picnic. Can we pretend to go hunting for a bear?
Retelling/Chant: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury (TT) (TB) (FT)
We’re going on a bear hunt (We’re going on a bear hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one! (We’re gonna catch a big one!)
What a beautiful day! (What a beautiful day!)
We’re not scared! (We’re not scared!)
Oh, no! GRASS – Long, wavy grass
We can’t go OVER it, We can’t go UNDER it
We have to go THROUGH it
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Repeat, going through a River, Mud, a Forest, s Storm, a Cave, finding the bear, and then running back through everything to home.
Source: traditional, as performed by Michael Rosen

I saw the first verse on a library blog, and decided to write some more verses to give the whole story of a day at a picnic. It was fun to come up with the rhymes, and figure out some action to go with each one just like She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain.
Ukulele/Action Song: Picnic in the Park (TB) (FT)
(tune of She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!) (come here motion)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)
Bring some lunch and bring a ball,
There’ll be so much fun for all
Yes, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)

Oh, we’ll eat some chips and sandwiches outside (yum, yum)… (rub tummy)
Fruit salad and lemonade
Taste so good out in the shade…

We’ll play a game of tag or hide and seek (ready or not!)… (cup hands around mouth)
Run around, lickety split
I’ll tag you and then you’re it…

Oh, the sky is getting darker, will it rain? (drip drop)… (wiggle fingers down)
Thunder rumbles, then grumbles more
Pack our stuff before it pours…

(slowly)
I’m glad we had a picnic in the park (yawn)… (cover mouth)
We ran around and ate our lunch
Had some fun, all right a bunch…
Source: verse one by Rhyming Reasor (found on the picture of the handout, not in the text of the blog post),
remaining verses are original

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Picnic in the Park” here!

thumbnail for picnic in the park songsheet

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

Craft: Watermelon on a Stick (TB) (FT)
I made a point of letting them know that watermelon is one of my favorite fruits when we added it to the felt board. (Purportedly my word for it as a toddler was “Oh, Boy” since that’s what everybody said when it came out!) So our craft this week was to make paper plate watermelon slices on a stick! Color the plate, fold, and staple (hint – most staplers will staple through a craft stick!) Add some seed shapes and you’re done!

Picture of watermelon craft - paper plate colored pink in the middle and green around the edge, folded in half and stapled to a large craft stick. Black paper seeds are glued on.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Truck, Truck, Goose! – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
This Is the Way a Baby Rides – Susan Meyers & Hiroe Nakata
Pie Is for Sharing – Stephanie Parsley Ledyard & Jason Chin
Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic – Alexandra Boiger
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack – Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin
The Watermelon Seed – Greg Pizzoli
In Our Backyard Garden – Eileen Spinelli & Marcy Ramsey
I Really Want a Bigger Piece! – Harriet Ziefert & Travis Foster
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! – Bob Barner

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/15, 5/16, & 5/17/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Earth Day

Posted on 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)

book cover for change starts with us

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

book cover for thank you earth

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!

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

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.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The 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

Storytime: Pizza

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Sometimes I look back through themes I did at my old library. Sometimes they make me hungry! Here’s another in-person redo of a theme I only ever did virtually before.

Our program happened to land on Pi Day (and the day before and after) entirely accidentally. What a perfect tie-in!

Early Literacy Tip: Play gives you and your children lots of opportunities to pretend. As you are playing with your children, make a point of adding in a word or two they may not know, like “kneading” dough or “ladling” sauce. Children will find it easier to remember these words because they are hearing them and using them while being involved in imaginative play.

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

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

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

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

Intro: There’s a really important holiday in March, does anyone know what it is? It’s Pi Day! You’ll learn more about Pi the number someday, but today we’re celebrating the very best pie of all, the pizza pie! [this got laughs from the grownups]

I adapted this one to be a little more specific to pizza.
Action Song: I Am Hungry
(tune of Frère Jacques)
I am hungry, I am hungry
Grumble, rumble, Grumble rumble (rub tummy)
I think I’ll eat some pizza, I think I’ll eat some pizza
Yum, yum, yum! Yum, yum, yum! (mime eating)
Source: librionyian

Fingerplay: Pat A Cake Pizza Man
Pat a cake, pat a cake, pizza man
Make me a pizza as fast as you can
Roll it, Toss it, and sprinkle it with cheese
Put in the oven And bake it fast please!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (OH)

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

Not everyone acted out everything, but there was lots of kneading the dough and sprinkling of pretend cheese!
Read: Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig (TT) (FT)

Pete's a Pizza book cover

This one didn’t go over as well, perhaps the group was too distracted to really connect the pictures with the very simple text.
Read: Pizza Party! by Grace Maccarone & Emily Arnold McCully (TB)

Pizza Party book cover

Tickle: Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel (TT)
Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel, (bounce)
My little one shall have a tickle! (tickle)
One for your nose, And one for your toes,
And one for your tummy, where the pizza goes!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I get that the writer of this rhyme didn’t want to repeat colors, but that means we leave out the most popular topping (red pepperoni) and the cheese is orange, which looks a little odd. I think next time I might redo the cheese as white, and make a couple more blobs of it. At first I was kind of dreading making tons and tons of little topping pieces, but realized that I really only need 3 or 4 of each to make the pizza look full, even if that would be terrible coverage on an actual pizza!
Rhyme: Pizza, Pizza, What Do You See? (TT) (FT)
Pizza dough, Pizza dough what do you see?
I see red sauce covering me
Red sauce, Red sauce, what do you see?
I see white mushrooms being added to me
continue with different colored ingredients, such as black olives, brown sausage, green peppers, purple onions, yellow pineapple, red pepperoni, and end with orange white cheese, then:
Orange cheese, orange cheese, what do you see?
I see a yummy pizza that looks good to me.
Yummy pizza, yummy pizza what do you see?
I see hungry children THAT ARE GOING TO EAT ME!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Flannel pizza with different colored toppings (as mentioned in the lyrics)

Action Rhyme: Pizza Maker, Pizza Maker Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Pizza maker, pizza maker turn around
Pizza maker, pizza maker touch the ground
Pizza maker, pizza maker give the dough a toss
Pizza maker, pizza maker ladle on the sauce
Pizza maker, pizza maker sprinkle on the cheese
Pizza maker, pizza maker touch your knees
Pizza maker, pizza maker put it in the oven
Pizza maker, pizza maker press the oven button
Pizza maker, pizza maker rub your tummy
Pizza maker, pizza maker eat some pizza! Yummy!
Source: Jen in the Library

Rhythm Sticks Intro: Let’s practice our rhythm sticks. Rest them on our shoulders, tap fast and loud, soft and quiet, rub them together, roll them in a circle (TB)

This is a good warmup for rhythm sticks and gets everyone involved.
Rhythm Stick Song: Count the Beat (TB)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8… 9… 10!
Source: Sarah French

There are lots of versions of this on YouTube. I especially liked how she went on a walk and saw a cat, dog, bee, and alligator!
Rhythm Sticks Song: The Pizza Song (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to My Lou)
Roll, roll, roll the dough,
Roll, roll, roll the dough
Roll, roll, roll the dough,
Roll the dough together! (put both sticks on the ground and roll)

Stir, stir, stir the sauce… (use sticks to stir in a circle)
Spread, spread, spread the sauce… (roll one stick on the ground using 2nd)
Grate, grate, grate the cheese (rub 1 stick down the other)
[Chop some veggies/pepperoni, anything you like]
Chop, chop, chop-chop-chop (tap 1 stick on horizontal 2nd)
[Put it in the oven, set timer, let’s go for a walk!]
Lou, lou, skip to my lou… (swing arms with sticks in them)
[Ding, the timer went off! Our pizza is ready, take it out of the oven. Cut a slice, in a triangle, then eat it]
Source: Harbor Preschool Music YouTube

Flannel/Clapping Song: P-I-Z-Z-A (FT)
(tune of B-I-N-G-O)
There is a treat that’s good to eat and pizza it its name-a
P-I-Z-Z-A! P-I-Z-Z-A! P-I-Z-Z-A!
And pizza is its name-a
(spoken) Oh yum! I’m gonna eat one!

There is a treat that’s good to eat and pizza it its name-a
(clap)-I-Z-Z-A! (clap)-I-Z-Z-A! (clap)-I-Z-Z-A!
And pizza is its name-a
(Continue until you are clapping all the letters.)
Credit: Jen in the Library

I used Jen in the Library’s post as a template, but decided to make my pizza slices double-sided, based on the background color of my felt board. The opposite side of the full slice looked like just the pizza crust that was gnawed on, effectively becoming a placeholder for our claps. I like the way it turned out!

We’ve eaten some pizza, now my body is asking for a little movement.
Action Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(start slow and repeat, speeding up)
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!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Pizza Pretend Play Kit
I gave everyone the option to either glue down their pieces to make an actual craft, or to pick out pieces to put in a little baggie to “make” pizzas at home for their families. The toppings were just foam shapes we had – I cut down much larger pieces into smaller pieces that were either square or triangular or thin strips based on what ingredient they represented. The sauce is a wavy shape of construction paper, and the cheese is short pieces of yarn. Craft idea adapted from Storytime Katie..

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Secret Pizza Party – Adam Rubin & Daniel Salmieri
How to Eat Pizza – Jon Burgerman
Pizza Day – Melissa Iwai
Every Night Is Pizza Night – J. Kenji López-Alt & Gianna Ruggiero
Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) – Philemon Sturges & Amy Walrod
The Pizza That We Made – Joan Holub & Lynne Cravath
Pizza Pig – Diana Murray & Maria Karipidou
Little Nino’s Pizzeria – Karen Barbour
The Princess and the Pizza – Mary Jane Auch & Herm Auch
Pete the Cat & the Perfect Pizza Party – Kimberly & James Dean

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/13, 3/14, & 3/15/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout including suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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