One of the most ubiquitous flannel rhymes I’ve seen is Little Mouse, or a variation thereof. (Jbrary even has a blog post roundup with lots of inspirational variations!) I knew I had to make my own. I made my houses using gridded paper to keep them straight and even, and wanted my mouse to be special. I did a image search until I found one I really liked, then traced it from the screen (I have no printer at home and we were on lockdown at the time!) Then came the design of the layers, and painstaking, tweezer-using assembly! In the end, I had a mouse I loved, with a variety of houses to hide in.
I’ve been wanting to do a storytime about feelings for a while now. With the kids going back to school and the world turned upside down, it seemed like the time had come. There are so many great picture book options – you could probably do a theme on each feeling individually! I tried to whittle down my favorites to include in the handout.
Early Literacy Tip: Learning to identify and name our feelings has been shown to release chemicals in the brain that help us feel calmer and able to control negative feelings. According to research, children who understand their own and others’ feelings and learn to manage their emotions have been shown do better in their lives in several ways. These skills are important for getting along with others, staying alert and engaged in activities, and for solving problems peacefully. Books showing emotions help kids develop these skills.
Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
Discussion: What are some different feelings? Happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, bored, lonely, curious, confident, shy, worried, silly… How can we tell what other people are feeling? Tone of voice, the way their body is held, mostly in the face! Use Sunflower Storytime’s feeling faces and ask the kids to make their best faces for each emotion.
Action Rhyme: Feelings Sometimes on my face you’ll see (point to face) How I feel inside of me (Point to chest) A smile means happy, a frown means sad (Smile, then frown) And when I grit my teeth, I’m mad (Grit teeth and frown) When I’m proud I beam and glow (Smile, thumbs up) But when I’m shy, my head hangs low (Bow head) Credit: Karen Folk. 1001 Rhymes and Fingerplays, via Sunflower Storytimes
Read: Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won
Flannel Song: Five in the Bed There were five in a bed, and the little one said (5 fingers up) “Roll over, roll over” (make rolling motion) And they all rolled over and one fell out. There were four in a bed… (continue down to one)
There was one in the bed and the little one said, (tune of He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands) “Ahhhhhhhh. I’ve got the whole bed to myself! I’ve got the whole wide bed to myself! I’ve got the whole bed to myself, I’ve got the whole bed to myself! Goodnight!” Credit: traditional
[My friend Rebecca at Oconee County Library cued me in to connecting the songs Five in the Bed and He’s Got the Whole World; I think it’s a brilliant mashup! I made my own copy of Five in the Bed flannel using inspiration from Adventures in Storytime for the faces and Making Learning Fun for the bed. The faces flip to show their sleeping and surprised faces (the little one starts out grumpy)]
There Were Five in the Bed
Read: Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban & Henry Cole
Ukulele Song: Take a Breath (The Self-Reg Song) When I’m not doing fine, I keep this in mind I can take a breath or two When I want to feel well, I can be still I can take a breath or two
Breathing in, Breathing out, Breathing in, Breathing out When I am still, I can be fine, Breathing in and out
Additional verses: …I can sing a song or two… …I can move my arms around…
Finger Rhyme: Five Little Frogs (hold each finger in turn, starting with the thumb) Five little frogs standing in a row This little frog stubbed his toe This little frog said, “Oh, Oh, Oh!” This little frog laughed and was glad This little frog cried and was sad This little frog, so thoughtful and good, Ran for the doctor as fast as he could Credit: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library
Read: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know it If you’re happy and you know it shout hooray (hooray!) If you’re happy and you know it shout hooray (hooray!) If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it If you’re happy and you know it shout hooray
Additional verses: If you’re grumpy and you know it, stomp your feet… If you’re sad and you know it have a cry (boo hoo)… If you’re silly and you know it wave your arms… If you’re surprised and you know it shout “oh my!”… If you’re scared and you know it, cover your eyes… Credit: Traditional
Craft: Paper Plate Faces from the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award 2020 Program Guide This activity is a great way to talk about feelings, as well as working on fine motor skills. Use paper plates to make faces by JUST drawing the EYES and NOSE (hair, ears, and eyeglasses optional!) Use the longer pipe cleaner pieces to make different mouth expressions on the paper plate, and the shorter pieces to make eyebrows if desired. Lead your child with questions like “Can you make a happy face with the pipe cleaner?” and “What would the face look like with an angry expression?” OR, let your child decide what emotion to create, then talk about what they made.
Suggested Activity: Play with blocks the way Taylor does in The Rabbit Listened. Blocks have many benefits to early learning, such as matching, counting, sorting, and even gravity, balance, and geometry.
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented virtually on 8/11/20.
Looking for “royalty” songs and rhymes for the Royal Tea Party theme, I came across Miss Sarah’s Storytime Blog, where she used Elsa from Frozen to talk about colors and days of the week. I loved this concept, but I tend to shy away from licensed characters. I played around in Canva to create my own royal family. I love that you can customize SOME of the clipart by changing colors, but I seriously wish that was an option for more of their image library. Especially people – I want to be able to show diversity in my printed materials and it’s a sad fact that there are far more options for white people than BIPOC and much of the art cannot be customized. In any case, after a long time searching for similar art styles that could be customized to my liking, I had my own royal family and set of multi-colored crowns.
In storytime, I introduce this song by saying hello to the royal family and explaining who they were. I explained that the (adult) princess married a Duke and their children were the royal twins and a royal baby. Very twee, but I didn’t want to subject the King and Queen to adult children as well as an infant! We then said they don’t look very royal without their crowns, so proceeded with the song. For each verse we talked about the colors of the crowns and gemstones in them – some verses were more awkward (three-syllable amethyst was a mouthful) but I liked the extra vocabulary. Everything could easily be simplified (even to one royal who changes crowns each day).
Flannel Song: Royal Crowns (tune of Mary Wore Her Red Dress) The king wore his purple crown, purple crown, purple crown The king wore his purple crown every Monday!
The queen wore her red crown, red crown, red crown The queen wore her red crown every Tuesday!
The princess wore her emerald crown, emerald crown, emerald crown The princess wore her emerald crown every Wednesday!
The duke wore his sapphire crown, sapphire crown, sapphire crown The duke wore his sapphire crown every Thursday!
The prince wore his silver crown, silver crown, silver crown The prince wore his silver crown every Friday!
The princess wore her amethyst crown, amethyst crown, amethyst crown The princess wore her amethyst crown every Saturday!
The royal baby wore their diamond crown, diamond crown, diamond crown The royal baby wore their diamond crown every Sunday! Credit: adapted from Miss Sarah’s Storytime blog
I printed mine in color on cardstock, laminated, and put velcro on the back to work on my flannelboard. Download the template here.
This summer our library used the CSLP theme Imagine Your Story, so each week had some kind of fairy tale/fantasy theme (except for the first week, Family History). This week was centered on the “Jack and the Beanstalk” tale, giants, and other Jack stories. I chose three books that were kind of long, so I tried to abridge them, which worked marginally. I probably should have chosen two titles that were a little shorter so I could use Clever Jack in its entirety, since I love that one so much.
Early Literacy Tip: Read, sing, or say Mother Goose rhymes. Not only are they fun to say, but they help teach important literacy skills, such as vocabulary. For instance, in Jack be Nimble, children encounter the unfamiliar word “nimble.” Nursery rhymes use lots of unfamiliar words. You can use these as opportunities to help your child build his or her vocabulary. Nursery rhymes also teach the rhythm of speech and intonation as well as the grammatical structure of language.
Welcome Song: Clap and Sing Hello
Read: Jack and the Beanstalk by Nina Crews
Action Song: I’m a Little Bean (tune of I’m a Little Teapot) I’m a little bean, small and round Bury me deep into the soft ground Sprinkle me with water, sunshine, too Watch me grow taller than you! Credit: Osceola Library System
Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand) One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one) they grew, & they grew, & they grew, & never stopped (hands get wider and wider) They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then clap!) Credit: Carole Stephens
Read: There Was an Old GiantWho Swallowed a Clock by Becky Davies & Elina Ellis
Lifting Song: Tick Tock Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock tick tock tick tock, Now I’m striking one o’clock: cuckoo!
Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock tick tock tick tock, Now I’m striking two o’clock: cuckoo! cuckoo! (Repeat, counting up. Lift or jump with each “cuckoo!”) Credit: Jbrary
Fingerplay: This is Big, Big, Big This is big big big (hold hands out wide) This is small small small (bring hands back together) This is short short short (bring hand down) This is tall tall tall (and up again) This is fast fast fast (circle fists quickly) This is slow slow slow (circle fists slowly) This is yes yes yes (nod) This is no no no (shake head) Credit: Mel’s Desk
Jack and Jill and Jack Be Nimble flannels – from a set my library had when I started
Flannel Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after.
Flannel Nursery Rhyme: Jack Be Nimble Jack be nimble, Jack be quick Jack jump over the candlestick! Credit: Traditional
Read: Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming &G. Brian Karas
Ukulele 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 Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Please shine down on me Credit: as recorded by Raffi from the album“Singable Songs for the Very Young”
Craft: Beanstalk Scene Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum! Make your own magical beanstalk by gluing down beans. Twist your tissue paper into a beanstalk, glue it down, and add cotton ball clouds. Color in any details that you like. You can add Jack (or yourself!), the magic hen, harp, even the ferocious giant! from My Adventures in Preschool
photo credit: Laurie from My Adventures in Preschool
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented virtually on 6/16/20.
This summer our library used the CSLP theme Imagine Your Story, so each week had some kind of fairy tale/fantasy theme (except for the first week, Family History). My colleague had chosen a Royal Tea Party as her theme for the family program, so I followed along with the storytime theme. This was a chance to talk about Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses, as well as tea. Since I’m stuck on the couch for virtual programming, I’ve been using a scarf for movement and dancing songs, but encouraging the kids to use the space they have around them.
Early Literacy Tip: When we read or sing cumulative books or songs (ones that repeat and add a growing list of items like “In the Middle of the Moat”), children start to learn how to put ideas in order. This helps them become good readers because sequencing events is one part of reading comprehension skills.
Welcome song: Clap and Sing Hello
Read: La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya & Juana Martinez-Neal
Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand) One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one) They grew, & they grew, & they grew, & never stopped (hands get wider and wider) They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then clap!) Credit: Carole Stephens
Action Rhyme: Castle Capers I am the king of running, I run and run and run. My subjects all run with me, and we have so much fun! I am the prince of turning, I turn and turn and turn. My subjects all turn with me, it’s an easy thing to learn! I am the princess of dancing, I dance and dance and dance My subjects all dance with me, and dance when they get the chance! I am the Queen of jumping, I jump and jump and jump. My subjects all jump with me, and sit down with a bump. Credit: Delta Township District Library Storytimes blog
Read: Prince Peter and the Teddy Bear by David McKee
Flannel: In the Middle of the Moat
Flannel Song: In the Middle of the Moat (tune of There’s a Hole in the Middle of the Sea) There’s a castle in the middle of the moat (clap, clap) There’s a castle in the middle of the moat (clap, clap) There’s a castle, there’s a castle, There’s a castle in the middle of the moat. (clap, clap)
Additional Verses: There’s a throne in the castle in the middle of the moat… There’s a king on the throne in the castle… There’s a crown on the king on the throne… There’s a jewel in the crown on the king… Credit: Literary Hoots
Action Rhyme: Here’s a Cup Here’s a cup and here’s a cup and here’s a pot of tea. Pour a cup, and pour a cup and drink some tea with me. Credit: Jbrary
Read: Tea Rex by Molly Idle
Flannel: Royal Crowns
I first introduced this song by saying hello to the royal family and explaining who they were. I explained that the (adult) princess married a Duke and their children were the royal twins and a royal baby. Very twee, but I didn’t want to subject the King and Queen to adult children as well as an infant! We then said they don’t look very royal without their crowns, so proceeded with the song. For each verse we talked about the colors of the crowns and gemstones in them – some verses were more awkward (three-syllable amethyst was a mouthful) but I liked the extra vocabulary. Everything could easily be simplified (even to one royal who changes crowns each day). All of the images came from Canva.
Flannel Song: Royal Crowns (tune of Mary Wore Her Red Dress) The king wore his purple crown, purple crown, purple crown The king wore his purple crown every Monday!
The queen wore her red crown, red crown, red crown The queen wore her red crown every Tuesday!
The princess wore her emerald crown, emerald crown, emerald crown The princess wore her emerald crown every Wednesday!
The duke wore his sapphire crown, sapphire crown, sapphire crown The duke wore his sapphire crown every Thursday!
The prince wore his silver crown, silver crown, silver crown The prince wore his silver crown every Friday!
The princess wore her amethyst crown, amethyst crown, amethyst crown The princess wore her amethyst crown every Saturday!
The royal baby wore their diamond crown, diamond crown, diamond crown The royal baby wore their diamond crown every Sunday! Credit: adapted from Miss Sarah’s Storytime blog
Song: Clapping in the Castle There is clapping in the castle, there is clapping all around There is clapping in the castle, mirth and merriment abound There is jumping with the jesters, there is jumping all around There is jumping with the jesters, mirth and merriment abound There is twirling in the towers, there is twirling all around There is twirling in the towers, mirth and merriment abound There is dancing on the drawbridge, there is dancing all around There is dancing on the drawbridge, mirth and merriment abound Light the candles, start the music, lords and ladies one and all With our song and dance and laughter we will fill the castle walls Credit: Nancy Stewart
Craft: Royal Crown From Oriental Trading. I usually try to present crafts that can be easily recreated with common materials, but we had a bit of a budget this summer so I opted for these glittery pre-printed crowns. Adding all of those glitter stickers works those fine motor skills, right?
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented virtually on 6/23/20.
This summer our library used the CSLP theme Imagine Your Story, so each week had some kind of fairy tale/fantasy theme (except for the first week, Family History). This week centered on helpful or friendly magical creatures (we did “bad guys” a few weeks ago), and focused on fairies, gnomes, unicorns, and mermaids.
You can find other versions of a merfolk theme from 2022 and 2025, and unicorns from 2025.
Early Literacy Tip: Model and encourage pretend play! You can say a block is a fairy or pretend to be a unicorn. This kind of play, called representational or symbolic play, is key to developing abstract thinking and to understanding language.
Welcome song: Clap and Sing Hello
Song: A Lovely Unicorn (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) Oh, I wish I were a lovely unicorn (neigh!) Oh, I wish I were a lovely unicorn (neigh!) Oh, I’d frolic and I’d play and I’d dream the day away Oh, I wish I were a lovely unicorn (neigh!) Credit: dltk-teach.com
Read: Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows by Jessika von Innerebner
Lap Bounce: Giddy-Up! (tune of the William Tell Overture) Start slow, repeat and get faster each time. Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, up, up! Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, up, up! Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, up, up! WHOOOAAAAA, Unicorn! (lean back with child) Credit: Adventures In Storytime (and Beyond)
Action Song: Did You Ever See a Mermaid? (tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie?) Did you ever see a mermaid, a mermaid, a mermaid Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that? Swim this way and that way, Swim that way and this way? Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that? Additional verses: …a merman flip his tail this way and that? …merbabies sleep this way and that? Credit: Barberton Public Library
Read: Mermaids Fast Asleep by Robin Riding & Zoe Persico
Lullaby: Rockabye, Merchild (tune of Rockabye, Baby) Rockabye, merchild, in the deep sea Let the tide soothe you and cuddle close to me When the waves break high up above Sleep sound and dream sweetly, for you’re safe and loved Credit: Ms. EmilyLibrary
I reused my Mouse in the House flannel and made a little gnome friend to hide for our flannel this week. Flannel Rhyme: Little Gnome Little gnome, little gnome, are you in the blue home?
Read: A Fairy Friend by Sue Fliess & Claire Keane
Ukulele Song: Down by the Bay Down by the bay, where the merbabies grow Back to my home I dare not go! For if I do, my mother will say: “Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?” Down by the bay! Additional verses: … a fairy wearing a raspberry? … a unicorn nibbling on popcorn? … a mermaid swimming in lemonade? … a gnome building a mushroom home? Credit: adapted from the traditional song,additional verses by Ms. EmilyLibrary
Craft: Paper Plate Gnome or Fairy Home Adapted fromGlued to My Crafts. I wanted kids to have more options, so I added boy and girl gnomes and a boy fairy to the options in the windows using Canva.
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
I also had this rhyme in my back pocket but didn’t end up using it: Fingerplay: Two Little… (variation of Two Little Blackbirds) Two little garden gnomes sitting on a leaf One named Kurt and one named Keith Run away, Kurt; run away, Keith Come back, Kurt; come back, Keith!
Two little fairies dancing on the lawn One named Faye and one named Fawn Fly away, Faye; fly away, Fawn Come back, Faye; come back, Fawn! Credit: Sunflower Storytime
I debated whether to post my storytime themes chronologically from the very first I did onward, but my memory being what it is it’s probably best that I go in reverse order.
This summer our library used the CSLP theme Imagine Your Story, so each week had some kind of fairy tale/fantasy theme (except for the first week, Family History). The last week was “A Heroic Quest.”
Early Literacy Tip: Offer your child opportunities to scribble and draw, and ask them to tell you about what they drew or wrote. They are learning that what they write has meaning. This is the beginning of print awareness, one of the skills they need to learn to read.
Welcome song: We Clap and Sing Hello We clap and sing hello, we clap and sing hello With our friends at storytime we clap and sing hello! We wave and sing hello… We stomp and sing hello… We clap and sing hello…
Action Rhyme: Little Knights Little knights count: one, two, three Little knights bend on one knee Little knights reach and touch their toes Little knights, now touch their nose Little knights make a funny face Little knights run very fast in place Little knights lay down on the floor Little knights sleep and start to snore Credit: adapted from “Little Dragon” found at mphpl.org
Read: Good Night, Knight by Betsy Lewin
Lap Bounce: The Horses Are Walking The horses are walking, They’re walking along, walking along, walking along The horses are walking, they’re walking along. Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Additional verses: trotting, galloping Credit: Jbrary
Read: Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke
Song: There’s a Crown on Me! (tune of There’s a Spider On Me!) There’s a crown on my foot, on my foot There’s a crown on my foot, on my foot It just won’t stay put; does it really go on my foot? There’s a crown on my foot, on my foot Additional verses: Knee…Goodness, gracious me, does it belong on my knee? Arm…It’s not doing any harm, but does it go on my arm? Head…Did you hear what I said? I think it goes up here instead! Credit: Adventures in Storytime (and Beyond)
Draw & Tell Story: The Emperor’s Dragon from the book Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take by Dianne de Las Casas
Flannel Story Rhythm Chant: Going on a Dragon Hunt We’re going on a Dragon Hunt, We’re gonna catch a big one! What a beautiful day! We’re not scared! (repeat after each section) Lower down the drawbridge – SQUEAK! Trot down the road. CLIP CLOP, CLIP CLOP.
Uh, oh – grass – tall, wavy grass. Can’t go under it, Can’t go over it, Have to ride through it! SWISH SWISH, SWISH SWISH.
Uh, oh – a river – a deep, cold river. Can’t go under it, Can’t go over it, Have to find a bridge! CLIP CLOP, CLIP CLOP.
Uh, oh – a mountain – a high, wide mountain. Can’t go under it, Can’t go around it, Guess we’ll have to climb it! Climb to the top. HUFF PUFF, HUFF PUFF. Do you see a dragon? No! That’s a bird! Climb down the other side. HUFF PUFF, HUFF PUFF.
Uh, oh – a cave, a narrow, gloomy cave. Can’t go under it, can’t go over it, We have to go through it! TIPTOE, TIPTOE, TIPTOE … It’s dark in here! Is anyone around? GASP! I see two shining eyes! And a green, scaly body! Is that a puff of smoke? RUN! IT’S A DRAGON! Through the cave! Climb back up the mountain! Climb down! Find the bridge! Trot across it! Ride through the tall grass! Into the castle! Raise the drawbridge! Phew! We made it. Were you scared? Credit: adapted from Storytime in the Stacksand Michael Rosen
(My Dragon Hunt felt story came from Storytime in the Stacks, but I deliver the chant à la Michael Rosen, so I adapted her lyrics to better fit. I also used the castle from another felt set – There’s a Castle in the Middle of the Moat modeled from Literary Hoots)
Read: I Will Be Fierce by Bea Birdsong & Nidhi Chanani
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars Tickle the stars Tickle your toes Turn around And tickle your nose! (tickle, tickle, tickle!) Reach down low And reach way up high Storytime is over So wave goodbye. Goodbye!
This storytime was presented virtually on 7/14/20.
The book One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler was on one of Lindsey Krabbenhoft’s (of Jbrary fame) annual lists of favorite storytime books, and as soon as I read it I knew I’d have to create felt pieces for it. The book tells, in rhyming and predictive text, the story of a messy purple hippo that can’t find a second red sock to wear. Instead, she tries on a variety of other colors. It’s cute and the format is exactly the same as so many of our other felt rhymes, so it translates perfectly.
I’m Emily, and I’m happy to share some storytime stuff with you. I’ve been a public librarian since 2004, but I’m relatively new to children’s librarianship. I started in teen services and moved on to management, but have always been drawn to all the magic that happens with the younger crowd. In my current position (which began May 2019) I’m serving the 0-5 age range weekly, with programs for elementary age kids thrown in a couple times a month.
I have always benefited so much from the ocean of library blogs offering programming ideas, tips on the whys and hows of early literacy programming, and creative uses of props and manipulatives. Even a newbie can pull together something fun with so much help. So, as I’ve been learning and growing, I’m doing a lot of copy/paste and getting ideas from others, but occasionally I come up with something on my own. In that spirit of sharing I’d love to add my voice to that ocean of knowledge and maybe help out the next librarian, teacher, or parent out there.
Here you’ll find my storytime plans, ideas for elementary age programming, felt/flannel board ideas, rhymes, and songs.
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 