Tag: flannel

Storytime: Penguins

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Penguins are just undeniably cute! I had done a penguin theme much earlier in my career, before starting this blog, so I’m glad to finally document this one. We had so much fun with this program, and it’s the first time in a long time that the plan seemed to go really, really, well for every single session. Each activity flowed well into the next and everyone seemed to keep focused and interested the whole way through. That’s rare – usually I do some tweaking from one session to the next, or realize that this song or that rhyme didn’t work well. This one was a pleasure start to finish for three days straight.

Well done mommy penguin book cover (illustration of adult and baby penguin hugging)
hello penguin book cover (photograph of penguin on beach)

Early Literacy Tip: Factual books, or nonfiction books, are a great way to expand children’s knowledge about the world. You can read the whole book or choose certain pages your child might be interested in. One great way to share these books with young children is to look at the pictures or photographs and read the captions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about an animal that lives where it is cold outside – Penguins! Penguins mainly live in Antarctica, but there are some that also live in Africa and South America. Penguins are birds, but they can’t fly in the air. Instead, they “fly” in the water – they swim! They have short legs and waddle around on land. Let’s find out more.
I had one kiddo insist when I said they live in Antarctica that no, they live in the South Pole. I was so impressed! We talked briefly about how that land may have different names, but that he was right.

Here I showed 3-4 pages from this very short nonfiction title and talked about the photographs.
Book: Hello, Penguin! by Kathryn Williams

hello penguin book cover (photograph of penguin on beach)

Can we get two penguins out on our fingers?
Fingerplay: Two Little Penguins (TT) (TB) (FT)
(style of Two Blackbirds)
Two little penguins sitting on a hill
One named Jack and one named Jill
Waddle away Jack, waddle away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill

Two little penguins sitting on the ice
One bows once, the other bows twice
Waddle little penguins, waddle away
Come back, penguins – time to play!
Source: Storytime Katie

two little penguins thumbnail, with a graphic of two emperor penguins facing each other. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This book hit all the high marks – it had noises, a repeated phrase, humor, drama, and a happy ending!
Read: Well Done, Mommy Penguin by Chris Haughton (TT) (TB) (FT)

Well done mommy penguin book cover (illustration of adult and baby penguin hugging)

Our penguins are playing with their friends in the water. Can they jump on the shore like Mommy Penguin?
My flannelboard has a black background, which works well most of the time. But occasionally I need a different color! I made a dark blue background (basically just a felt piece the size of board) that can go on top of the black when needed. That was a great color for the “sea,” and I added an ice shelf. My five penguins started in the ocean, then hopped up to the ice on the “pop.” This goes a little beyond counting up or counting down, since there are a number of penguins still swimming and a number that have hopped up and we can talk about both numbers.
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Penguins Swimming (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five little penguins swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water
Five little penguins Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble …POP!
(count down)
Source: adapted from All the Fish from Caspar Babypants

five penguins flannel, showing a two layer ice bank of light blue behind white felt. Three felt penguins are on the ice bank, and two are "swimming" beside it.

Five little penguins thumbnail, with a graphic of five identical cartoon penguins, each with a number 1-5 on its belly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I think it’s time for penguin puppets! Can you come up and pick a puppet?
The kids love to have something to move around, and simple cardstock and craft stick puppets are an easy and cheap way to give them an extra somatic element.

Three paper penguin puppets - a white oval is attached to a craft stick, and a black die-cut penguin is glued to the white oval.

Can you hold up your penguin? Oh, we just landed on Antarctica – I see penguins all over!
Puppet Action Rhyme: Penguins Everywhere (TT) (TB) (FT)
The penguins are here, the penguins are there
the penguins, the penguins are everywhere!
The penguins are up, the penguins are down
The penguins, the penguins are all around!
The penguins are in, the penguins are out
the penguins, the penguins are all about!
The penguins go low, the penguins go high
The penguins, the penguins all wave goodbye!
Source: One Little Librarian (link no longer working)

penguins everywhere thumbnail, with a graphic of six small penguins, each dressed in winter accessories (hats/scarves) and doing winter play such as sledding, making snow angels, etc. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Reinforcing the facts learned in our nonfiction title as well as in our story:
What do penguins eat? Fish! Let’s do the penguin cheer!
At the “splash” our penguin puppets dove down to catch a fish. We did this three or four times!
Puppet Chant: Penguin Cheer (TT) (TB) (FT)
I like fishies, Yes, I do!
When I want fishies, Here’s what I do:
One, two three… SPLASH !
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Penguin cheer thumbnail, with a graphic of one penguin diving and a second standing with a fish in its mouth. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I debated doing this one on ukulele or just singing and ended up just singing. That way I could model moving the puppet around.
Let’s let our penguins play.
Puppet Song: The Penguin Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of My Bonnie)
​The penguin slides over the ice bank
The penguin jumps into the sea
Look at her black and white feathers
That penguin’s as cute as can be
Swim fast, swim fast,
Oh, swim fast my penguin to me, to me!
Swim fast, swim fast
Oh, swim fast my penguin to me!
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library (link no longer working)

Download a ukulele songsheet for The Penguin Song

thumbnail for penguin song ukulele songsheet

penguin song thumbnail, with a graphic of a wavy ocean at the bottom of the page, with a penguin seeming to jump out of the waves. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

At this point I let everyone know that we were going to do a next-level exercise. We would be *trading in* our penguin puppet for a shaky egg. Everyone did a really good job of putting the puppet away in one bin and picking out an egg in the other.
Remember penguins are birds. And how are baby birds born? From eggs!
Shaker Rhyme: Eggs Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg shakers up
Egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders
Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees
And tuck them into bed (tuck shaker under your arm)
Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs

egg shakers up thumbnail, with a graphic of four egg shapes: red, blue, green, and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one was good because I was sure to end with shaker on your feet (I think I did knee, elbow, tummy, then feet). Then we talked about how daddy penguins take care of the eggs before they hatch and keep them on their feet so they stay warm. We tried walking around with shaker on feet like a daddy penguin, to varying degrees of success, but high hilarity!
Shaker Song: Can You Shake? (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of London Bridge)
Can you shake along with me,
Along with me, along with me?
Can you shake along with me?
Put your shaker on your… knee!
(repeat with different body parts)
Source: Jbrary

can you shake thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue and a green egg shape with motion lines around them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, did you hear that? Our penguin eggs are ready to hatch! Let’s listen carefully!
After hatching our eggs a few times, we returned our shaky eggs back to the “nest” bowl and moved on to Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.
Shaker Rhyme: Egg So Quiet (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg so quiet (keep shaker egg still)
Egg so still
Will it hatch?
Yes, it will! (shake vigorously!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

egg so quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of a large white egg with a crack across the middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Heart Penguins (TB) (FT)
I found a sample of this penguin in my predecessor’s files, and it was an easy one to recreate. The two main parts were made by folding and cutting like you do a heart (though the black body was not heart shaped but more bullet-like. The white face and belly was the widest heart shape I could make on a half-sheet of white construction paper (so I would fold into fourths and then cut the shape and get two in one sheet). We have a paper die that’s for a heart border, which has four heart shapes strung together, with a smaller heart cut out of the middle. Cutting these into individual hearts made the feet, and the inner heart made the beak. My predecessor also was uncomfortable with googly eyes for kids under 2, so she printed out pairs of eyes on label paper. I have a lot left, so the eyes are just these stickers. They turned out very cute and were minimal work for me to prep.

penguin heart craft - a black penguin body with an elongated white heart shape for the face and belly. Sticker eyes and a small orange heart beak make the face and two larger orange hearts make the feet.

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Waiting for Mama – Gianna Marino
Flora and the Penguin – Molly Idle
What’s in the Egg, Little Pip – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Baby Penguins Love Their Mama! – Melissa Guion
If You Were a Penguin – Florence Minor & Wendell Minor
A Penguin Story – Antoinette Portis
The King Penguin – Vanessa Roeder
Vampenguin – Lucy Ruth Cummins
Harriet Gets Carried Away – Jessie Sima
Grumpy Pants – Claire Messer

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/13, 1/14, & 1/15/25.

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

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

book covers for kitty's cuddles and a day so gray

Storytime: Warm & Cozy

Posted on by msemilylibrary

When it’s been as polar vortex-y cold as it has been in the midwest this winter, all you want to talk about is how to stay warm and cozy inside. Ironically, the first scheduled session for this theme was cancelled (the one I mark as TT) with a big storm that gave us about 6 inches of snow!
I’ve done this theme before, and this time I added some extension activities about soup and cuddly kitties to this version of warm and cozy.

You can find another version of this theme from 2020.

Kitty's cuddles book cover.
a day so gray book cover.

Early Literacy Tip: One of the best and most impactful things you can give your children is the enjoyment of books and reading. By allowing even the youngest children to participate as you share books with them, you can keep them engaged. Feel free to have them turn the pages, to stop and talk about a picture, or ask an open-ended question to keep their interest. Of course, if their attention wanders, don’t force them to sit still. Try again later – it’s better to have several abbreviated reading times throughout the day rather than forcing a longer session. Your child’s attention span and tolerance for longer stories will increase in time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Brr – it sure is cold outside! When it’s cold outside, I do my best to get warm and cozy inside. What does it mean to feel cozy?  It can mean different things to different people. For me, when I’m feeling warm, safe, and loved.

Let’s try a counting rhyme about being cozy.
Rhyme: Cozy Night (TB) (FT)
(hold up the correct number of fingers at the beginning of each line)
One fluffy quilt on my bed (mime shaking out a blanket)
Two little pillows for my head (fold hands under head)
Three teddy bears to hold so tight (hug self)
Now I’m ready for a cozy night! (rub arms)
Source: Literary Hoots

Cozy night thumbnail, with a graphic of an unmade bed with a yellow blanket, two pillows, and three various teddy bears. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This one really has nothing to do with being warm, but it sure is cozy.
Read: Kitty’s Cuddles by Jane Cabrera (TB)

Kitty's cuddles book cover.

A lovely book about seeing beyond the blah, and appreciating the little joys.
Read: A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba & Alea Marley (FT)

a day so gray book cover.

There are lots of things that can help you feel warm and cozy.
Rhyme: Chilly Day (TB) (FT)
When the day is chilly (shiver)
And I don’t know what to do
Mama gives me my sweater (mime putting on sweater)
I put it on and say, “Thank you!”

But when I am still chilly (shiver)
From the snowy winter storm
Papa puts a blanket over me (mime pulling up a blanket)
But still I’m not quite warm

So when I am still chilly (shiver)
I know just what I should do
I say, “Mom & Pop, I’d like some
warm cuddles from you!” (hug self or a loved one)
Source: Storytime Stuff

Chilly day thumbnail, with a graphic of pink hearts. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

As a quick print and laminate flannel, this was easy and pretty fun. We went over time though, so I skipped it for the second storytime.
Flannel Rhyme Game: Looking for a Hug (TB)
I’m looking for something warm and snug,
You open your arms and give a great big…
…rug? NO! …bug? NO! …mug? NO! …plug? NO! …pug? NO! …slug? EW, NO! …hug? YES!
Source: Pasadena (CA) Public Library

printed and laminated flannelboard pieces including a Persian style rug, a ladybug, a blue mug with a smiley face, a pug dog, a yellow slug, an orange extension cord, and a stylized "hug" - a pink heart with arms crossed around it.

looking for a hug thumbnail, with a graphic of a stylized "hug" - a pink heart with arms crossed around it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one always gets a lot of laughs and smiles and awwws.
Bounce Rhyme: Bounce, Tickle, Hug (TB) (FT)
I bounce you here, I bounce you there
I bounce you, bounce you everywhere!
I tickle you here, I tickle you there
I tickle you, tickle you everywhere!
I hug you here, I hug you there
I hug you, hug you everywhere!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library

bounce, tickle, hug thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

One thing that always warms me up is a nice bowl of soup. My favorite kind is split pea soup! Here’s a fun fingerplay.
Fingerplay: Pea Soup (TB) (FT)
(begin with five fingers up)
​One little pea jumped into the pot,
And waited for the soup to get hot (fold one finger down)
(count down)

Finally, the soup got so very, very hot,
That all the little peas jumped out of the pot! (open hand jumps)
Source: Librarian is on the Loose blog

pea soup thumbnail, with a graphic of three peas in a pod, the middle of which has arms raised. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing (TB) (FT)
Time for a mindful breathing break. I asked the kids to imagine they were holding a bowl of their very favorite soup, and asked what kind they liked. Then with their hands cupped in front of them, we slowly breathed in the delicious aroma through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. Afterward, I let them know that this exercise always makes me feel good and more grounded, and they could always get out their bowl of soup if they need help calming down or feeling more connected to their bodies.
Source: Lucky Little Learners

We got out our scarves at this point. Oh, my scarf has turned into a kitty cat. A kitty cat that is very excited! We waved our scarves around and our kitties zoomed up, down, and all around. Then I said we would need to calm our kitties down. We gathered them in our arms and started petting them. Isn’t it cozy to snuggle with a pet or a stuffed animal? Let’s sing them a lullaby!
I saw lots of big smiles from the grownups who probably knew this song from The Big Bang Theory sitcom (which I haven’t watched!) I actually found it on the King County Tell Me a Story site, and it’s a sweet one.
Scarf Song: Soft Kitty (TB) (FT)
Soft kitty, Warm kitty,
Little ball of fur
Happy kitty, Sleepy kitty,
Purr, purr, purr
Source: King County (WA) Library System

soft kitty thumbnail, with a graphic of a sleeping calico cat. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’ve done this one as a flannel rhyme before, but I added a scarf element to it. I tried to think of scarf movements that were different for each line.
Scarf/Flannel Rhyme: Blue is the Sky (Winter Edition) (TB) (FT)
Blue is the sky (wave scarf high)
Yellow is the sun (twirl scarf to make a circle)
Silver are the stars when the day is done (throw and catch your “falling stars”)
Orange is the fire (wiggle scarf with hand underneath)
Green is the tree (stretch scarf up long)
Brown is the cocoa for you and me (gather scarf in fist and “sip”)
Source: adapted by Ms. Emily from Mel’s Desk

Flannel for "blue is the sky" with blue blob, yellow sun, two aluminum foil stars, a fireplace with an orange flame, a dark green conifer tree, and a red mug with light brown cocoa and white marshmallows.

Download the template for winter pieces here! (Original at Mel’s Desk for sky, sun, and stars)

Thumbnail of flannel template for blue is the sky.

blue is the sky thumbnail, with a graphic of a fireplace next to an evergreen tree, with two red cups of hot chocolate on the mantel. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Speaking of hot cocoa, or hot chocolate, I’ve got a song about it! Will you wave your scarves around while I play my ukulele?
I found the first verse as a photo pin on Pinterest, but when I went back to it later I couldn’t find any indication as to the source. I added a couple of verses to round it out.
Scarf/Ukulele Song: Hot Chocolate (TB) (FT)
(tune of On Top of Old Smokey)
Do you like hot chocolate?
Marshmallows on top!
It’s warm and delicious
I can hardly stop

Whenever it’s cold out
I like it a lot
And you know the best part:
Marshmallows on top!

We pour in the chocolate
Stir it well but don’t slop
And right before sipping:
Marshmallows on top! – Sluuurp… YUM!
Source: unknown verse 1, original vs 2-3

Download a ukulele songsheet for Hot Chocolate

thumbnail for hot chocolate ukulele songsheet

hot chocolate thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Hot Chocolate Mug (TB) (FT)
We decorated our mugs of hot chocolate and added some white pompoms to the top for marshmallows in our simple craft. Hot chocolate always tastes best from your own special mug, right? We used dot markers and stickers. Inspired by Made to Be a Momma blog, where you can find a template.

blue hot chocolate mug with an oval of brown construction paper on top, decorated with colorful dot stickers. Three white pompoms make the marshmallows on top.

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
In My Anaana’s Amautik – Nadia Sammurtok & Lenny Lishchenko
Winter is the Warmest Season – Lauren Stringer
The All-Together Quilt – Lizzy Rockwell
Blanket: Journey to Extreme Coziness – Loryn Brantz
Dreamland – Noah Klocek
I’m Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug! – Caroline B. Cooney & Tim Warnes
Snoozapalooza – Kimberlee Gard & Vivian Mineker
Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night – Megan Litwin & Nneka Myers
Chaiwala! – Priti Birla Maheshwari

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/7 & 1/8/25.

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

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

Storytime: Boxes

Posted on by msemilylibrary

What can you do with a box? What CAN’T you do with it!? December seems to be a time when the cardboard boxes start to pile up, so what a great time to celebrate both the imaginative things you can do with boxes as well as the fun and mystery of an unopened box. We talked a little about presents and gifts, as well.

You can find another version of this theme from 2021.

Early Literacy Tip: Research shows that constructive play (creating and building with different types of materials) supports children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development. When we pretend and act out stories, we’re using problem-solving skills and it prepares us to write stories of our own someday. –Storytime in the Stacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re celebrating something like this… point to brown felt box on flannelboard. What is it? A box! Boxes can be fun to play with, to build with, and sometimes, when we’re lucky, they have something wonderful inside of them!

I have a box here, and I think there’s something inside. It’s heavy! And I think I hear something.
This was a box left from my predecessor that I don’t use very often (I think she put her book in it and other special props). I had four puppets in the box: cat, duck, frog, and turtle. Turtle came last to transition to the next rhyme. Turtle didn’t make any noises, so there was some mystery and anticipation in the last repetition. After taking turtle out, I showed everyone that the box was now empty.
Puppet Game: Here Is a Box (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is a box where something is hid
I wonder whatever is under the lid?
Let’s listen for a shout and see who comes out!
(make animal noises and guess who is in the box)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Remember to put your puppets in “butts up” so it’s easy to slip them on while holding the box!

here is a box thumbnail, with a graphic of a red lidded box. the lid is suspended above the box, and gold confetti is coming from it. in the air between the lid and box is a black question mark. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Don’t be shy, turtle, come on out! Have you ever heard of a box turtle? This turtle LIVES in a box. He’s a little feisty today – he’s hungry!
It was a little awkward because I can’t clap like I normally would for the “caught” lines, but I slapped my thigh with my free hand and the adults clapped, so it worked just fine. After one time through, we repeated, after I asked the turtle if he was still hungry and he nodded. My (adorable!) turtleneck turtle has a mouth that moves so it works a little differently than the ones in the Jbrary video.
Fingerplay: There Was a Little Turtle (TT) (TB) (FT)
There was a little turtle (make fist)
who lived in a box (cover fist)
he swam in the puddles (fist wiggles like swimming)
he climbed on the rocks (fist climbs up opposite arm)
He snapped at a mosquito (pinch with thumb and fingers at each “snap”)
He snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow
And he snapped at me!
He caught that mosquito (clap each “caught”)
He caught that flea
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

there was a little turtle thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon turtle with a green body and brown shell. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

The classic storytime book about boxes. It works so well it’s hard not to feature it!
Read: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (TT) (FT)

not a box book cover.

A newer title, and one from an Indiana author! The illustrations on this one are pretty great. I’m not in love with the rhyme scheme, but I think that’s a personal preference.
Read: Grace & Box by Kim Howard & Megan Lötter (TB)

grace and box book cover.

I felt like I needed another action activity, and one especially featuring pretending with boxes. Sometimes you have to just make up your own!
I love to pretend in a box – what could it be? Let’s all get out a big box to play in.
Rhyme Song: In My Box (TT) (TB) (FT)
In my box, I have found (hold arms out like a box)
I can really get around
My box is a bus: Beep, beep, beep! (wide steering wheel then horn)
Turns into a submarine and dives down deep (tip “wheel” down and crouch)
In my boat I row, row, row (row arms)
Now it’s a race car: go, go, go! (narrow steering wheel and run in place)
Let’s hop into an airplane to glide and fly (arms out to sides)
Then 3, 2, 1 – my rocket zooms to the stars in the sky (count down then clap and jump)
Source: original

in my box thumbnail, with a graphic of a rabbit driving a race car illustration from Not a Box book. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Boxes can also hold anything – there are surprises under every lid.
We talked about how many boxes there were (I only used four: blue, brown, green, and pink) and what colors they were, then we did the rhyme for each one.
Flannel Rhyme: Mystery Boxes (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little BLUE box
Let’s look and see
What’s inside there?
1… 2… 3!
Source: adapted from One For the Books blog

mystery boxes thumbnail, with a graphic of four lidded boxes: blue, brown, green, and pink. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Do you ever have the issue where you can’t sing a storytime tune when the time comes? This happened to me twice for this song! So frustrating. I originally had the Elevator song before this one. That tune messed me up and I could not get the Buffalo Gals tune going and just belted out some weird melody I knew was totally off. Oh, well, it happens, and the adults are very gracious. After that, I was running through the tune in my head over and over and felt pretty confident the second session, but again when it was time for it, I blanked. By my third time doing this program, I switched the order to do this one first, which worked! I was able to do this tune without any problem. So if you’re ever struggling, try switching the order of activities or songs.

I didn’t use my ukulele for this one, but I do have a chord sheet for it! I only did three verses for this age group and it seemed just right.
Sometimes when I have too many wiggles, I have to get out my wiggle box.
Shaker Song: Wiggle Box (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Buffalo Gals)
​Let’s open up the wiggle box, the wiggle box, the wiggle box,
Let’s open up the wiggle box, And wiggle our cares away!

additional verses:
There’s a lot of wiggles in the wiggle box… So wiggle and dance today!
There’s a lot of giggles in the wiggle box… So wiggle and laugh today!
Now throw all your wiggles in the wiggle box… And lock that box up tight!
(slowly, relaxed)
Now that wiggle box is closed up tight… We’re ready for a story today!
Source: Verse 4 from Anne’s Library Life, remainder original

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Wiggle Box” here!

Wiggle box Ukulele songsheet thumbnail

wiggle box thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown box with a lid askew, with many-colored wiggly lines coming from it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a big box! What could it be? Maybe an elevator?
Okay, a bit of a stretch, but the kids don’t care. I changed from my original plan of scarves to shakers since we used scarves last week, but the prop songs work perfectly well with either.
Shaker Song: Let’s Go Riding on an Elevator (TT) (TB) (FT)
Let’s go riding on an elevator, elevator, elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator – Ride along with me!
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor…
And down-down-down-down-down!
Source: Jbrary

let's go riding on an elevator thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of an elevator with buttons on the right and a potted plant on the left. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was the stand-out hit of this session. We did it three times and I think they wanted to do it again. Sue is a genius.
Remember the Jack-in-the-Box? Let’s play.
Ukulele/Action/Shaker Song: Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Can you turn around with me?
It’s as easy as can be
Round and round and round just so
Then ker-PLOP! Down we go! (fall/crouch to floor)
Jack is quiet–shhh! (finger to lips)
In his box… (arm covers head)
Open the lid… (open arm up)
And up he… POPS! (jump up)
Source: Sue Schnitzer, from the album “Wiggle and Whirl”

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Turn Around” here!

Turn Around Ukulele songsheet thumbnail

turn around thumbnail, with a graphic of a jack in the box. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Two uke songs in a row! This is such a fun tune. Since I was playing ukulele, I couldn’t lead any special movements (which you can see with the source link below), but encouraged everyone to just dance and shake their shakers.
Sometimes a box comes with a very special present inside!
Ukulele/Shaker Song: Mail Myself to You (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m gonna wrap myself in paper, I’m gonna dot myself with glue
Stick some stamps on top of my head, I’m gonna mail myself to you!

I’m gonna tie me up in a red string, I’m gonna tie a blue ribbon too
Climb on up inside my mailbox, I’m gonna mail myself to you!

When you see me in your mailbox Cut the string and let me out!
Wash the glue off my fingers Stick some bubble gum in my mouth

Take me out of my wrapping paper Wash the stamps off my head
Pour me out an ice cream soda…slurp! Put me in a nice warm bed!
Source: Woody Guthrie See motions at: https://youtu.be/no034U7ivfA

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Mail Myself to You” here!

Mail Myself to you Ukulele songsheet thumbnail

Mail myself to you thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue box wrapped in a red ribbon, with a "Fragile" sticker. click the image to download a non-branded PDF
2 pg sheet, PDF includes both

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

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

Craft: Box Coloring Page (TB) (FT)
I wanted to keep it very simple this week, to give plenty of time to play with boxes. This is a simple sheet with a square in the middle and lots of white space around it, giving the opportunity to draw something imaginary à la Not a Box.

You can download the sheet here!

Play Time
Something special this week! Instead of our usual toys, we played with boxes. I asked my coworkers to save and bring in some boxes and got a great selection, both large and small. I made two “cars” – larger rectangular boxes that I cut the top flaps off and added a cardboard steering wheel using a large brass brad (it turned!). I also made a tunnel by taping two similar-sized boxes together with their flaps taped up. Other than that, the boxes went out as they came to me and families could play however they wanted. I did have some scissors, extra brads, and large clips set out that could be used for “building” but for the most part the kids just stacked the boxes and crawled in them. The cars and tunnel were all popular, but everyone was great about sharing and taking turns.

My two “cars” and the (somewhat flimsy) tunnel on the left, and the aftermath of box play on the right. I offered boxes to anyone who wanted to take them home after the last session, and both cars went, but nothing else!

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
A Box Can Be Many Things – Dana Meachen Rau & Paige Billin-Frye
Boxitects – Kim Smith
Big Box, Little Box – Caryl Hart & Edward Underwood
The Box Turtle – Vanessa Roeder
Inside, Outside, Upside Down – Stan & Jan Berenstain
Fraidyzoo – Thyra Heder
Big Box of Shapes – Wiley Blevins & Elliot Kreloff
My Book Box – Will Hillenbrand
Scaredy Cats – Jeff Mack
The Big Sibling Getaway – Korrie Leer
A Gift for Goose – Tad Hills
Thank You Bear – Greg Foley

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, & 12/19/24.

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

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

Storytime: Fairy Tales

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Fairy tales are such a broad theme, you could really go into lots of different directions for this one. I looked through my library’s “Tales” section and tried to choose books that were short and sweet for my young group. I found that a LOT of fairy tale books are quite long, with a significant amount of text on each page. I don’t think these are completely inaccessible to the toddler age group, but I think longer books work better one-on-one rather than in a big group. I did find a few that would work well read aloud and settled on a couple versions of the Three Little Pigs.

I also wanted to break out the parachute and realized it can readily be adapted to the motions for “Going on a Bear Hunt,” which I’ve never put together before! Inspired by Storytime in the Stacks’ Going on a Dragon Hunt flannel, I planned to throw in a dragon plushie at the very end that could bounce around. I asked if any of my coworkers had one to lend me, and ended up receiving TEN plush dragons, including one giant sized one! Oh, librarians.

This ended up being a rather long program, too. I never did the Billy Goats Trip Trap rhyme, and we still went 5+ minutes over every time. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind.

Early Literacy Tip: Telling different versions of the same story, or using different ways to tell a story (such as on a flannelboard, with puppets, or by acting it out) gives children lots of practice with narrative pre-reading skills. It reinforces story structure and sequencing, language development and comprehension, as well as developing empathy and thinking about different perspectives. Different mediums like puppets support different learning styles. Lastly, sharing fairy tales with children helps give them background knowledge of well-known stories and characters. -inspired by Read Write NYC & Children’s Museum of Sonoma County but also some of my own thoughts (probably why it’s so long…)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Fairy tales are old stories that have been told and retold over and over again. They may start with “Once upon a time…”, and end with “…and they lived happily ever after.” They frequently have talking animals, dragons, princesses, princes, fairies, kings, queens, and other fantastical beings. The same story might be told in slightly different ways. Some fairy tales include Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, or The Three Little Pigs.

In the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the giant says something funny!
This was the perfect little fingerplay to kick us off.
Fingerplay: Fee Fi Fo Fum (BB) (TB) (FT)
Fee fi fo fum (touch fingers, one at a time)
See my fingers (hold up four fingers)
See my thumb (hold up thumb)
Fee fi fo fum (touch fingers, one at a time)
Good-bye fingers (fold fingers to palm)
Good-bye thumb! (fold thumb)
Source: Collaborative Summer Library Program 2020 Manual

fee fi fo fum thumbnail, with a graphic of a beanstalk and a hand with thumbs up. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This is a super simple version of the Three Pigs, where the reader/audience plays the part of the wolf. I could see a little concern in the eyes of some of the kids and adults that the wolf (we) were being so mean, but it all turns around at the end, where we reveal that the wolf is just blowing out his birthday candles!
Read: Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda (TT) (FT)

huff & puff book cover

This author has a series of “first” fairy tales that are short and to the point. This version was quite true to the original that I remember, including the wolf coming down the chimney and ending up in the soup pot, although he jumps out comically and runs out the window at the end instead of getting cooked. The whole room was pretty entranced at this one.
Read: The Three Little Pigs by Saviour Pirotta & Olivia Beckman (TB)

the three little pigs book cover

I have a rhyme that tells this story in a slightly different way. Let’s put 3 piggies on our fingers!
Story Rhyme: The Three Little Pigs (TT) (TB) (FT)
There were three little piggies sitting in a house
When along came a wolf as quiet as a mouse
He said, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in”
“Not by the hair of our chinny, chin, chins!”
So that old wolf huffed and that old wolf blew
And away a little piggy flew! (count down to no piggies)

There were no little piggies sitting in a house
When along came a wolf as quiet as a mouse
He said, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in”
But there was no one there to answer him
So that old wolf turned and walked away
He said, “I’ll be back another day”
And those three little piggies, back into their beds did creep
And soon they fell fast asleep (snore!) The End.
Source: Jbrary

the three little pigs thumbnail, with a graphic of three pigs, each holding their building materials (hay, sticks, bricks) with a wolf looking at them from the other side of a hedge. click the image to download a non-branded PDF
1st page of 2 shown, PDF contains both

They do love this game, no matter what is hiding under what. And I get to reuse these houses a lot, so if you’re not big into making flannels, this will give you a lot of use for your time! The pig is from a farm set from Oriental Trading. This activity took longer than I anticipated, but it was fun.
Flannel Game: Little Pig in a House (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little pig, little pig
By the hair of your
chinny-chin-chin
Is it the BLUE house
You’re hiding inny-in-in?
Source: rhyme original, idea inspired by Early Literacy Librarian

Little pig in a house flannel, showing six multi-toned houses and a pink pig. Houses are single story pink and yellow, two story orange and green, and three story blue and red.

little pig in a house thumbnail, with a graphic of a simple blue house and cartoon pig. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another favorite story is the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Here’s a short rhyme version.
I decided to skip this one for time.
Story Rhyme: Billy Goats Trip Trap
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Across the bridge they come
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Crossing one by one
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Baby takes a stroll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Over the sleeping troll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Louder taps I hear
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Middle goat is near
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Stomps the biggest goat
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Troll goes in the moat!
Source: Jbrary

billy goats trip trap thumbnail, with a graphic of three goats (small, medium, and large) and a green troll. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one may not strictly be a fairy tale, but it kind of reminds me of one? Maybe nursery rhymes and fairy tales are cousins.
Parachute Song: The Grand Old Duke of York (TT) (TB) (FT)
The grand old duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again
And when you’re UP, you’re UP
And when you’re DOWN, you’re DOWN
And when you’re only halfway up
You’re neither UP nor DOWN!
Source: traditional

grand old duke of york thumbnail, with a graphic of a large hill of green behind the text, with a British soldier marching up one side and another marching down the other. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Some of my favorite fairy tale creatures are dragons! Let’s go looking for one.
To keep things moving, I did highly modify this traditional chant, and removed one piece of terrain in both the second and third sessions. You can download my “cheat sheet” here. Before we started, I put the terrain pieces on the flannelboard – mostly to remind myself where we were going next!
Parachute/Scarf Chant: Going on a Dragon Hunt (TT) (TB) (FT)
refrain:
We’re going on a dragon hunt (We’re going on a dragon hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one! (We’re gonna catch a big one!)

Okay, let’s hop on our trusty steed, Lightning, and clip, clop down the lane (clip clop, clip, clop) [did this line only once, not every refrain]
Oh, no! GRASS – Long, wavy grass
[We can’t go OVER it,
We can’t go UNDER it
We have to go THROUGH it] removed for time and attention
Swish, swish! (move parachute side to side)

repeat, replacing terrain:
A RIVER – Splish splash (wave gently)
A FOREST – Jump, Lightning, jump! (wave big on the jump) [I ended up doing a “1, 2, 3, Jump!” a few times]
A STORM – Whoosh, whoosh (wave quickly)
A CAVE – Tip-toe (wiggle in a small motion)
What’s that?! It’s so dark in here.
I feel a long, sharp talon. Smooth, hard scales. A warm breeze – a whiff of smoke…
IT’S A DRAGON!!!! RUN!!!!
(backwards through the terrain), get to our castle and bring up the drawbridge. Let’s take a look out the window… Wait, it’s a FRIENDLY dragon! He just wants to play. Whew!
Source: adapted from Storytime in the Stacks

going on a dragon hunt flannel, showing grass, a wavy blue river, a tall pine tree, a blue cloud with yellow lightning, and a gray cave with a green and yellow dragon.

going on a dragon hunt thumbnail, with a graphic of a green dragon breathing fire. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

That dragon just wanted to play! And here are some baby dragons!
At this point I asked grownups to hold the parachute and invited the kids to go under after throwing 3-4 little dragon plushies on top. I switched who was chasing who from the original version of this rhyme to make more sense with our setup.
Parachute Song: All Around the Castle
(tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)
All around the castle
The dragon chased the children
The dragon thought it was all in fun
ROAR went the dragon!
(repeat, can substitute children for knight, princess, king, queen, prince, ogre, etc)
Source: Collaborative Summer Library Program 2020 Manual

all around the castle thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink castle with a green dragon flying around it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Picture of 10 plush dragons ranging in size and color.
So. Many. Dragons.

This is a great way to put the parachute away. I left the dragons in and just asked the kids to put them back in their nest (a bag) when we were done.
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

Parachute fly thumbnail, with a graphic of an overhead view of children holding on to a colorful parachute with balls bouncing on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Dragon (TB) (FT)
This was a bit of work on my part (lots of parts and pieces) but fairly easy on their end. I used a template from HeidiSongs Teaching Resource and instead of bubble wrap painting, we added detail with dot markers. Most of her parts are mirrored rather than identical, so there’s a right ear and a right eyebrow and a right flame. I had volunteers cut mine out!

I made my own template based on hers, trying to get as many pieces as possible on each sheet of paper, and including ovals for the eyes and nostrils (her kids freehanded theirs.) It’s sized for 9×12″ construction paper and I used a dark green for the main head, a lighter green for the ears and eyebrows, orange for flames, and black for the nostrils and eyes. You can download mine, but all credit goes to her.

Download the dragon template here!

ALTERNATE CRAFT! (Virtual)
I try to avoid templates when I present a craft idea for my virtual program, so instead I suggested some three little pigs puppets, encouraging adults to draw some simple pig and wolf shapes and let their kids cut them out. Mine turned out pretty cute, so I wanted to share them with you!

Download the puppet template here!

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
There’s a Dragon in Your Book – Tom Fletcher & Greg Abbott
Dragon Was Terrible – Kelly DiPucchio & Greg Pizzoli
The Three Billy Goats Gruff – Mara Alperin & Kate Pankhurst
Clever Jack Takes the Cake – Candace Fleming & G. Brian Karas
Falling for Rapunzel – Leah Wilcox & Lydia Monks
Interstellar Cinderella – Deborah Underwood & Meg Hunt
King Jack and the Dragon – Peter Bently & Helen Oxenbury
La Princesa and the Pea – Susan Middleton Elya & Juana Martinez-Neal
The Paper Bag Princess – Robert N. Munsch & Michael Martchenko
Little Red Riding Hood & Other Stories – Lucy Cousins

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/2, 12/3, & 12/4/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Feeling Thankful (2024)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

If you’ve been following me for a bit, you may have noticed this theme before. I’ve done a “Feeling Thankful” theme every year since 2019. (I wasn’t blogging that year, so I don’t have a post for that one!) It’s a favorite not only because I enjoy the flow and activities we do, but also because it gives me a moment to step back and really think about the gratitude I feel for doing the work I do. I have the privilege of then sharing that gratitude with my families in a way that’s heartfelt and meaningful, while giving them a jumping off point for talking about kindness, empathy, and gratitude with their kids.

Not a ton changes from year to year, but I do switch a few things out to keep it fresh for myself as well as for any of my regulars who have been with me for a year or more. This year I went with some different scarf songs and found a new book to share.

Thanks once again for being a reader. I hope these posts are helpful to you whether you are a fellow librarian, a teacher, caregiver, or anyone else who is interested in early literacy. I love being part of a profession that is generous with our ideas, and I am thankful for all the librarians and teachers who have helped me by sharing their materials online.

If you’re looking for more ideas, take a look at the Feeling Thankful themes from every year I’ve done this theme here.

Early Literacy Tip: When we are warm, fed, safe, and snuggled with someone we love, our brains release a chemical called serotonin. This makes us feel good, but it also has the effect of helping us learn. When you snuggle with your child and sing and read together, their brains soak up the language they hear and the serotonin helps make that learning permanent. Snuggling, talking, and singing with your child helps get them ready to read. Source: Mel’s Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: What does it mean to feel thankful? When someone does something nice for you, saying “thank you” lets them know we appreciate them and are happy they did what they did! We can also think for a moment about all the good things in our lives and feel happy about them, too. Let’s practice saying “thank you” with this rhyme.

Figuring out how to do this rhyme without the middle finger AND using it to do the ASL sign for I love you is one of my proudest moments. 🙂
Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin? (BB) (TB) (FT)
Where is Thumbkin, Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am, Here I am,
How are you today, Friend?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.

(repeat with pointer, pinky, then all three)
Where are three friends, Where are three friends?
Here we are, Here we are,
How are you today, Friends?
Very well, we thank you.
I love you, I love you.
Source: adapted from the traditional rhyme by Ms. Emily

where is thumbkin thumbnail, with a graphic of silhouettes of two hands with thumbs up and two hands showing the ASL "I Love You" sign. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

I liked all my book choices so much I had trouble deciding. So I did a different one for each of my three sessions.

I think I shared this one my first year or so of doing this theme, and it’s a perfect one for the littlest kids. Very simple, and we all repeat the “Thank you” every other page. It also is the easiest to transition from this book to “Here Is the Beehive,” for obvious reasons.
Read: Thank You, Bees by Toni Yuly (TT)

thank you bees book cover.

One from last year. This is a board book, so it’s not very big, but it does work for my group. It focuses mostly on HOW to say thank you, both in words and in actions.
Read: The Thank You Book by Danna Smith & Juliana Perdomo (TB)

the thank you book book cover

The newest one (or at least newest to me). Also a board book, but large enough that I can share it easily. This one is more of the litany of things TO be thankful for.
Read: I Am Thankful by Kathryn Jewitt & Lizzy Doyle (FT)

i am thankful book cover.

I had some honey on my toast this morning. Does anyone here like honey, too? Where does honey come from? Bees! I’m thankful for the bees that pollinate our plants and make us honey!
Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is the beehive, but where are all the bees? (make fist)
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers)
They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

here is the beehive thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow beehive with several bees flying around it, centered on a red circle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you – something I love and something I’m always thankful for are books and reading! Here’s a fun song about someone who wears glasses when she reads a book.
We practice making glasses with our hands, and then a book. We open and close the book several times before we get started with the song!
Song: These Are My Glasses (TT) (TB) (FT)
These are my glasses, this is my book
I put on my glasses and open up the book
Now I read, read, read
And I look, look, look
I put down my glasses and
Whoop! Close up the book!
Source: “Whaddaya Think of That?” by the Laurie Berkner Band

these are my glasses thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of glasses folded next to a small pile of books. A red mug is alongside. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf distribution: I am thankful for songs we can sing with our scarves! Will you practice with me – wave high, low, in a circle, throw and catch!

I’m thankful for all of the beautiful plants, especially the trees. Can we pretend to be a little acorn?
We start by scrunching up our scarves in our fists and crouching low to make our bodies small like a seed.
Scarf Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (crouch, with scarf scrunched)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (stand up)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake arms and scarf)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (stretch tall)
Source: Jbrary

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

I’m thankful for delicious food that we can make and eat with our loved ones. (And breakfast – I LOVE breakfast!)
Scarf Rhyme: Mixin’ Pancakes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(mime actions)
Mixin’ pancakes, stirrin’ pancakes
Pour ’em in the pan
Fryin’ pancakes, flippin’ pancakes
Catch ’em if you can! (throw scarf up and catch)
Source: adapted from poet Christina Rossetti

mixin' pancakes thumbnail, with a graphic of a girl in an apron and chef's toque flipping a pancake in a frying pan. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’m thankful for toys and games to play.
We did this one three times each session. They loved throwing the scarves up!
Scarf Rhyme: Jack in the Box (TT) (TB) (FT)
Jack in the box (scrunch scarf up in fist)
Sits so still
Will he come out?
Yes, he will! (throw scarf in the air)
Source: Jbrary

jack in the box thumbnail, with a graphic of a colorful jester's head coming out of a box with a crank. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This flannel was made from the template created by Mel at Mel’s Desk! I add the flannel pieces as the recorded song mentions them (if you’re playing ukulele for this one, you could go over the pieces first and then sing the song). Before or afterwards is a good time to mention today’s early literacy tip, whichever flows more naturally for you.
We’re going to do a quiet song now. This one is nice to snuggle to. If you’d like to snuggle with your grownup, that’s great. If not, no need to force it, but let’s listen to the words and all the things we can be thankful for.
Flannel/Ukulele Song: Thanks a Lot
Thanks a lot, Thanks for sun in the sky
Thanks a lot, Thanks for clouds so high
Thanks a lot, Thanks for whispering wind
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the birds in the spring
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the moonlit night
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the stars so bright
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the wondering me
Thanks a lot, Thanks for the way I feel
Thanks for the animals, Thanks for the land,
Thanks for the people everywhere
Thanks a lot
Thanks for all I’ve got
Thanks for all I’ve got
Source: From the Album “Baby Beluga” by Raffi

Thanks a lot flannel set with a yellow sun, white cloud, red bird, blue swirl for wind, yellow crescent moon, purple star, single person figure with arms raised, pink heart, elephant, evergreen tree, and group of three people of various skin tones with arms to the side.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Thanks a Lot” here!

thumbnail of Thanks A Lot ukulele songsheet

thanks a lot thumbnail, showing lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was a new addition to this year’s Feeling Thankful, and it fit very well. A lot of my grownups know and love this song.
I’m thankful for friends and family, and I am especially thankful for each and every one of you. A good way to say thank you to someone we’re close to is to tell them we love them!
Song: Skinnamarink (TT) (TB) (FT)
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening, underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
Source: traditional, see hand motions from Jbrary

skinnamarink thumbnail, with a graphic of small red hearts. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Thankful Tree (TB) (FT)
There aren’t a ton of “thankful” crafts (I try to stay away from overtly Thanksgiving imagery like turkeys), so I have just been alternating between a tree and a wreath each year, with the same idea behind both. Leaves are used to decorate, and on them to write things they are thankful for (with or without grownup help). I try to remind my group that they don’t need to fill every leaf with a word, and they can even leave them blank and fill them out over time as they think of things. I asked volunteers to cut out the leaf shapes in various fall colors (red, yellow, orange). Each child gets a piece of sky blue construction paper with a brown bare tree shape printed on it, with the heading “I am thankful for…” at the top. If you have an idea for a new “thankful” craft, please share in the comments!

Download a PDF of the tree and leaves here!

Thankful tree craft - a dark brown bare tree figure on light blue paper with a heading, "I am thankful for..." and fall colored leaves listing gratitudes: books, love, storytime friends, feeling safe, family, and music.

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Thank You, Omu – Oge Mora
The Thankful Book – Todd Parr
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga – Traci Sorell & Frané Lessac
The Thank You Book – Mo Willems
Thank You, Earth – April Pulley Sayre
The Thank You Letter – Jane Cabrera
When We Are Kind – Monique Gray Smith & Nicole Neidhardt
The Blue Table – Chris Raschka
Thank You, Neighbor! – Ruth Chan
Gracias/Thanks – Pat Mora & John Parra
Bear Says Thanks – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
To Dogs, With Love – Maria Gianferrari & Ishaa Lobo
Grandma’s Tiny House – JaNay Brown-Woods & Priscilla Burris

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/18, 11/19, & 11/20/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: DINOvember 2024

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Dinosaurs are a tried and true storytime theme, and I celebrate DINOvember every couple of years. This year, we did more shaker egg activities, and I found a fantastic new book that’s perfect for my age group. It is short and simple, has facts about dinosaurs, and a great surprise fold-out page at the very end. Plus – it’s written by an actual dinosaur scientist (who is also a woman of color) and I love pointing out actual jobs that people have in storytime.

You can find other versions of this theme from 2021 and 2022.

Early Literacy Tip: Everybody knows at least one child who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Children’s brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So, don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge. –Mel’s Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking all about dinosaurs! Even though they’re not around any longer, I love to imagine what these gigantic and amazing creatures might have been like. Some dinos were big, and some were little. Let’s do a rhyme.

I changed the claws/jaws rhyme to claws/pause and roar – roaring seemed more fun that clacking our teeth together. It added that anticipatory element as well.
Action Rhyme: Dinosaur, Dinosaur (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, turn around
Dinosaur, dinosaur, stomp the ground
Dinosaur, dinosaur, show your claws
Dinosaur, dinosaur, now let’s pause… and ROAR!
Dinosaur, dinosaur, big and tall (reach up high)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, quick and small (crouch low)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, shake the ground (stomp again)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, sit back down!
Source: adapted from Verona Storytime and Plainfield-Guilford Township (IN) Library

dinosaur, dinosaur thumbnail, with a graphic of a large green brachiosaurus, and a small magenta dino similar to Compsognathus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

As mentioned in the intro above, this book has all the elements to make it work perfectly in a toddler storytime. Everyone loved it. During the “dig, dig, dig” refrain, we had our tools out and did the digging motion, which made it even more interactive.
Read: Dig, Dig, Dinosaur by Anjali Goswami & Maggie Li (TT) (TB) (FT)

dig dig dinosaur book cover.

This was on my cart as a backup, but I didn’t end up using it.
Read: We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin

we love dinosaurs book cover.

This dinosaur flannel comes from Mel’s Desk – inspiration for a lot of the program. I did it on paper, but I’ve seen a lot of cute felt versions, too.
There are so many kinds of dinosaurs! Who is this again? Stegosaurus! Let’s see who comes to play with Stegosaurus when she calls for some friends.
Song: One Dinosaur Went Out to Play (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Five Little Ducks)
One dinosaur went out to play,
By a giant fern one day
She had such enormous fun
That she called for another dinosaur to come:
Oh, Diiiiiiiiiinosaur!
(Slap hands on thighs to make “running” sounds and repeat, counting up to five dinosaurs)

Last verse: Five dinosaurs went out to play
By a giant fern one day
They had such enormous fun
That they played until the day was done!
Source: Mel’s Desk

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for One Dinosaur Went Out to Play

printed and laminated dinosaurs with a large green fern, including a purple pteranodon, yellow stegosaurus, blue triceratops, orange t-rex, and red brachiosaurus.

one dinosaur went out to play thumbnail, with a graphic of the Mel's desk flannel dinos - a purple pteranodon, yellow stegosaurus, blue triceratops, orange t-rex, and red brachiosaurus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We talked very briefly about each dino before doing their verse. This actually felt a little long, I maybe would shorten it or replace it next time.
Now that the dinos are all together, what do they do?
Song: All Through the Swamp (TT) (TB) (FT)
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr,
Grr grr grr, Grr grr grr
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr
All through the swamp

additional verses:
The Triceratops’ horns go poke poke poke…
The Stegosaurus’ tail goes swish, swish, swish…
The Brachiosaurus’ mouth goes munch, munch, munch…
The Pteranodon’s wings go flap flap flap…
Source: Mel’s Desk

all through the swamp thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This storytime went a little long, so I dropped this rhyme and “Inside Her Eggshell” for my two sessions that did a craft as well.
Let’s stretch our bodies.
Action Rhyme: Dinosaur Stretch (TT)
Spread your arms, way out wide
Fly like Pteranodon, soar and glide
Bend to the floor, head down low
Move like Stegosaurus, long ago
Reach up tall, try to be
As tall as Brachiosaurus eating on a tree
Using your claws, grumble and growl
Just like Tyrannosaurus Rex on the prowl
Source: Storytime Katie

dinosaur stretch thumbnail, with a graphic of five children dressed in dinosaur costumes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, my! I found a dinosaur nest! Did you know that dinosaurs hatch from eggs? Come on up and get yourself a dinosaur egg.
Shaker Rhyme: Dino Eggs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dino eggs are up, Dino eggs are down
Dino eggs are dancing, All around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed
Source: adapted from the traditional “Tommy Thumbs”

dino eggs up thumbnail, with a graphic of three spotted dino eggs, the middle of which has a smiling baby dinosaur peeking out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I wonder what kind of dinosaur is inside my egg? I guess I’ll just have to wait until it hatches.
Shaker Rhyme: Inside Her Eggshell (TT)
Inside her egg shell, white and round
Baby dinosaur is safe and sound
But she wants to come out into the light
So she pushes and shoves with all her might
Her shell soon cracks and creaks and pops
One big jump and out she pops!
Source: Yogibrarian

inside her eggshell thumbnail, with a graphic of a green cartoon dinosaur sitting in a cracked egg, with the top half of the egg on its head. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker Rhyme: Egg So Quiet (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg so quiet , Egg so still (keep shaker still)
Will it hatch?
Yes, it will! (shake hard!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

egg so quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of a white egg with cracks around its middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker/Recorded Song: We Are the Dinosaurs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album: “Whaddya Think of That?”

we are the dinosaurs thumbnail, with a graphic of the Ben Clanton dinosaur illustration from the We Are The Dinosaurs book. The lyrics of only the chorus are pictured. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Dinosaur Parade Headband (TB) (FT)
Our library has these four dinosaur dies for our die cutter, which makes this an easy craft for me. The bands are made by cutting a piece of 9 x 12″ construction paper in quarters, and each band is made from two strips stapled together. The kids glued dinos on and grownups stapled the bands together to fit. Whenever we do a headband, I remind grownups to keep the smooth side of the staples on the inside so hair doesn’t get caught.

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!

I made sure to put out my dinosaur manipulative: Clothespin Stegasauruses. I talk more about making these at this post from 2022.

Download a template for the Clothespin Stegosaurus here!

Play manipulative with four spikeless stegosaurus shapes, each a different color and with numbers written on their backs. The yellow one has six clothespins attached, while green, blue, and red show only the numbers, with a bowl of color-coded clothespins sitting next to them. Green has 3, blue has 4, red has 5, and yellow has 6.

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Hello Dinosaurs! – Joan Holub & Chris Dickason
Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones – Byron Barton
Iamasaurus – Anne Ylvisaker & Mark Hoffmann
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? – Helen Yoon
We Are the Dinosaurs – Laurie Berkner & Ben Clanton
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night – Refe & Susan Tuma
One-osaurus, Two-osaurus – Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby
Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur – Cirocco Dunlap & Greg Pizzoli
Old MacDino Had a Farm – Becky Davies & Ben Whitehouse
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs – Mo Willems

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, & 11/14/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Pockets

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I find pockets in clothing are kind of exciting. You can store treasures that you find on your adventures. And if you’ve walked around without any or adequate pockets (ahem, women’s clothing, I’m looking at you), you know how much you miss them when they’re gone.

I was actually surprised at how few books about children and their pockets there were to be found in my library – I wonder if the waning popularity of letting children roam and explore outdoors makes pockets a little less important to today’s children. Or perhaps it hasn’t been a publishing trend. In any event, I was inspired by the new book The Pocket Book by Hinrichs & Breckenreid, and bought a couple others for the collection to support this theme. In addition, we talked about kangaroos and their incredible biological pockets, as well as their adorable joeys.

I was extra crafty for this session, too. In addition to creating some pockets for the flannel board, I knit a little worm finger puppet and used my sewing machine to add some pockets to an apron. I enjoy crafting a lot so this was fun!

Early Literacy Tip: Crafts and activities like our lacing pocket develop fine motor skills, which means strengthening and developing accuracy in our finger muscles. These are the same muscles they will need for writing. And writing a P for Pocket or your child’s name help develop their letter knowledge. The activities you do with your children all work together to help build a strong foundation for reading later on. -adapted The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Do your clothes have any pockets today? Mine do, and that’s always exciting! You can put all kinds of things in your pocket to save for later.

First, let’s find a pocket! Maybe your pocket is pretend, maybe it’s real.
At the end of the song, we talked about what they would want to put in their pockets. I got some good answers, such as a rock, their pet, or a hand!
Action Song: Where’s Your Pocket? (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Where’s your pocket? Where’s your pocket?
Find it now, find it now
What will you put in it? What will you put in it?
Tell me now! Tell me now!
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

where's your pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of overalls with pink arrows pointing to three visible pockets. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This book is a bit abstract, so we spent some time looking at the items on the page and what they could represent.
Read: The Pocket Book by Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs & Julia Breckenreid (TT) (FT)

the pocket book book cover

I also tried this sweet book about a joey who’s afraid of everything. The kids enjoyed making the noises of the animals that joey encounters. In the session I read this book, I moved the kangaroo rhyme up to directly follow the book, then kept the order of the other activities the same.
Read: Pouch! by David Ezra Stein (TB)

pouch book cover

This rhyme works with anything – just think of a one-line hint to put in the middle to describe your object. I kept two of the hints from the Wielded Pen’s original post, but replaced the clock and the flashlight with small toys – a bouncing ball and a matchbox car.
When creating the felt, I cut two pieces of felt for each pocket and hand-sewed them together with embroidery floss and glued die-cut numbers on the fronts. Because they needed to hold a bit of weight and stay up on the board, I added some extra Velcro to the backs to keep them stuck on. It worked, and they held the weight of the toy car without an issue. Of course, you could always print pictures of the items instead of using real items.
Let’s try a guessing game. I have four pockets up on the board. Can you guess what’s inside each of them? I’ll give you a hint.
Rhyming Game: What’s In My Pocket? (TT) (TB) (FT)
I have a little pocket where something can hide
[Hint!]
Do you know what’s inside?

Hints from storytime:
…It opens doors and starts the car (key)
…It’s used to draw in a coloring book (crayon)
…It’s fun to bounce and catch outdoors (ball)
…When we play it rolls and I say “vroom!” (toy car)
Source: The Wielded Pen

what's in my pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a plain pocket with a question mark above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A fun song that was new to me. The recording is nice, with the instrumentation dropping out each time a finger is lost, but I wanted a bit more space in between the verses for us to count the remaining fingers, so I just sang the tune myself. Mar’s recording (linked below) is helpful as she gives some tips and tricks for adults.
When I put my hand in my pocket, I can keep all my fingers warm. But have you ever lost something in your pocket?
Action Song: Five Fingers in My Pocket (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’ve got five fingers in my pocket (show hand & put in pocket)
Five fingers hidden away
Five fingers in my pocket
Look! Aww, one went away! (show hand with 4 fingers)

Count down to no fingers, then bring 5 out again
Last line: Five fingers here to stay!
Source: Music with Mar via Story Tree

Five fingers in my pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a the outline of a hand holding up four fingers with the thumb hidden. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I didn’t happen to have a finger puppet for a worm, so I looked to see if there were any free knitting patterns out there. Of course there were! This was a quick and relatively easy (if you know how to knit in the round on dpns) pattern from Chem Knits for a cute stripey worm made from a small amount of fingering weight yarn.
Oh! I felt something in my pocket. Something that wiggles!
Fingerplay: Wiggly Worm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Wiggly is a wee worm who wiggles everywhere
Can you keep your eyes on it as it wiggles here and there?
Wiggly starts down at my toes
And wiggles all the way up to my nose!
It wiggles back down without a peep
Creeps into my pocket and goes to sleep
Source: King County (WA) Library System

photograph of knitted worm finger puppet that is blue and beige stripes with large black eyes.

wiggly worm thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange and green striped worm. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I remembered that my predecessor had a couple of “storytime aprons,” and as I was planning this session I thought one had a bunch of pockets on it. But when I looked, one was a “flannel” apron with a fuzzy surface and standard pockets at the bottom, and the other was just a regular apron. So I cut out some pocket shapes from felt and sewed the extras on the regular apron for this pocket zoo.
I have a special apron that has LOTS of pockets! Wow! What do you think is in these pockets? Would you believe that I have a zoo in my pockets?
Puppet Song: Pocket Zoo (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Old MacDonald)
In my pocket is a zoo, E I E I O!
There’s a froggy in there, too E I E I O!
With a ribbit-ribbit here and a ribbit-ribbit, there
Here a ribbit, there a ribbit
Everywhere a ribbit-ribbit!
In my pocket is a zoo, E I E I O!
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

photograph of a burgandy apron with five extra pockets on the bib - purple, green, orange, and blue. a finger puppet is peeking out of each of these - frog, snake, tiger, and dog.

pocket zoo thumbnail, with a graphic of four white pockets with animals peeking out from them: frog, monkey, snake, and pig. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s an animal at the zoo who is very special, and has a pocket that they use to carry their babies around. Do you know what animal that is? A kangaroo! What would you call a baby kangaroo? A joey
Action Rhyme: Brown Kangaroo (TT) (TB) (FT)
The brown kangaroo Is very funny
She leaps and she runs and she hops like a bunny
And on her tummy is a pocket so wide
Her baby jumps in and goes for a ride
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

brown kangaroo thumbnail, with a graphic of a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I had this one in my back pocket (ha, ha) but didn’t need it as we had plenty to do in the time available.
Have you ever picked flowers and put them in your pocket? Let’s play a game.
Action Song: Ring Around the Rosie
Ring around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down!

Cows are in the meadow,
eating buttercups
Thunder, lightning,
We all stand up!
Source: traditional

ring around the rosie thumbnail, with a graphic of a pocket full of pink and yellow flowers. The pocket has a heart patch sewn on. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My groups really enjoy when we do songs with my ukulele, so I kind of shoehorned this one in. But it made me think about that song that mentions “sunshine in my pocket,” and everyone likes this one.
I have one more thing in my pocket – a song!
Ukulele Song: You Are My Sunshine (TT) (TB) (FT)
You are my sunshine, My only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear,
How much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
Source: traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for You Are My Sunshine here!

thumbnail of You Are My Sunshine ukulele songsheet.

You Are My Sunshine thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Joey in a Pocket Lacing Craft (TB) (FT)
This craft was originally inspired by this post by Saroj Ghoting on her blog (which has a lot of great resources for early literacy asides in storytime). I modified it a bit, adding a little paper joey to add in the pocket. Doing the lacing was a bit of a stretch for my littlest crafters, but with their grownups’ help they were all able to do it. Some of my crafts are extremely simple (just decorating with paint or stickers, for example), and some are a little more involved. I think it’s good to have a mix of easy and challenging in addition to offering many craft mediums.
I didn’t find any scrapbook paper in my library’s craft stash, so I just printed pockets with some fun patterns using Canva. (I started with a plain one and colored it as my example, but decided to go with the patterns for the group.) To get the crafts ready, I printed and cut out the pockets from cardstock and paired them with a half sheet of plain cardstock. I then punched holes – the trick here is to make sure all your edges are close enough for the hole puncher to reach. I put a little bit of painter’s tape on to keep the pocket from shifting around, then removed it when all the holes were punched. You also need an even number of holes if you want your yarn to start and end from the back. I taped the end of the yarn to the back and threaded the first hole to get them started. I also wrapped the end of the yarn with tape to make a shoelace-like aglet to make it easier to do the lacing (the only step I forgot to photograph.)

Click here to download the joey and pocket pattern!

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
A Pocket Full of Kisses – Audrey Penn & Barbara Leonard Gibson
What’s in Your Pocket? – Heather L. Montgomery & Maribel Lechuga
A Dress with Pockets – Lily Murray & Jenny Løvlie
Sharko and Hippo – Elliott Kalan & Andrea Tsurumi
The Whole Hole Story – Vivian McInerny & Ken Lamug
A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes – Elizabeth Garton Scanlon & Robin Preiss Glasser
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? – Eric Carle
Marsupial Sue – John Lithgow & Jack E. Davis
Wombat – Philip Bunting
A Pocket for Corduroy – Don Freeman

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/4, 11/5, & 11/6/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Hats

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Another fun theme that’s relatable for my toddlers who wear their hats in sun and snow all the time. The hat hide-and-seek flannelboard game with Walrus was a big hit, and my Folkmanis Bunny in a Hat puppet is also a big attention draw. I was pleased to see several families (grownups as well as kids) wear their hats, even if they didn’t stay on long during the program!

Early Literacy Tip: Parents, when you share wordless books with your children, there’s no limit to the conversations you can have together! Taking part in lots of conversations helps your child learn new words, gives them a big vocabulary, and helps them become good readers. Talking with your child will help them get ready to read. –Mel’s Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Last week we talked about what we wear on our feet – shoes and socks. What do we wear on our heads? Hats! Just like shoes, there are so many kinds of hats – some are good for a specific activity or job, and some we wear just because we like how they look.

Hats come in all shapes and sizes!
Action Rhyme: Tall Hat, Small Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Tall hat, (tall hands above head)
Small hat (small rounded hands on head)
Big hat, (hands wide to either side of head)
Cap (one hand flat on head)
Let me take them off again (hands move down and to lap)
And put them in my lap
Source: Librionyian

tall hat small hat thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall black top hat, a tiny purple top hat attached to a headband, a red hat with a wide floppy brim, and a brown newsboy style cap. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

I actually only “read” one book this week because my following activities were so tied to it, though I kept Hooray For Hats as a backup. I took a lot of inspiration from Jessica at Storytime in the Stacks on how to present Where’s Walrus as a wordless picture book, and how to present wordless books as an early literacy tool from Mel’s Desk.
Walrus is going to be wearing a lot of hats in this book to hide from the zookeeper. Let’s see if you can find Walrus.
Read: Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage (TT) (TB) (FT)

where's walrus book cover

Walrus is hiding here at the library! Let’s see if we can find him.
This flannel was again inspired by Storytime in the Stacks. You can find a template for the hats (plus more varieties) at her post. We both used a very affordable download from Etsy seller Creative Cat and Co for the animal faces. To present, I just went hat by hat, talking a little about each one and what it was for, leaving the last one for Walrus.
Flannel Rhyme: Where’s Walrus? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Walrus, walrus, where could you be?
Are you under the baseball cap? Let’s look and see!
[That’s not Walrus? Who is it? Panda! Well, maybe Walrus is under the next hat – a chef’s hat!]
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

where's walrus thumbnail, with a graphic of a walrus wearing a blue baseball cap that is obscuring his eyes and nose. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I intended to do this guessing game after finding Walrus, but it just didn’t seem right for my first group, so I skipped it. And looking at the clock when we were done, it was a good thing – I ended right on time. With the craft for the next two sessions, I knew it wouldn’t fit, so it didn’t get used at all. But it’s a possible activity for you, so I’m including it here! The original I saw didn’t include a space helmet, so I wrote a verse for it.
Flannel Game: Whose Hat Am I?
I’m hard and yellow, sturdy as can be
To protect your head – who wears me? [Construction worker – Hard Hat]
One, two, three strikes you’re out
I am worn in the field and in the dugout [Baseball player – Baseball cap]
I’m tall and white, take a look
Someone wears me when they cook [Chef – Chef’s hat or toque]
Hocus pocus, look about
A magician taps me and a rabbit jumps out! [Magician – Top hat]
On your birthday, I’ll be there
Sitting up atop your hair [Party goer – Party hat]
I am special, you can see
Worn by those of royalty [King or queen – Crown]
Tall with stars and a pointy peak
Look for my owner if magic you seek [Witch or Wizard – Magic hat]
If there’s a fire, I’ll be there
Protecting my brave owner’s hair [Firefighter – Fire helmet]
I’m made of straw with a brim so wide
Can you tell whose head will be inside? [Cowpoke – Western hat/Stetson]
A knitted hat for young and old
To keep a head warm in the cold [Anyone! – Winter hat]
When my owner walks in outer space
I keep them safe in that airless place [Astronaut – Space helmet]
Source: Stratford (CT) Library

That cowpoke hat is quite something! Let’s do a bounce
Bounce: I Hop on My Horse (TT) (TB) (FT)
I hop on my horse and go to town (bounce)
I ride up high (arms up, or lift child)
and I don’t fall down (arms low, or lower child)
I wear a hat so my hair won’t blow (hand on head)
And when I want to stop I just say “Ho!” (tilt back)
Source: Madison (WI) Public Library

i hop on my horse thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocking horse wearing a red western style hat and bandanna. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This rhyme is about a grandma and a grandpa who wear a hat.
Rhyme: Grandma’s Glasses (TT) (TB) (FT)
These are grandma’s glasses
This is grandma’s hat
And this is the way she folds her hands
And lays them on her lap

These are grandpa’s glasses
This is grandpa’s hat
And this is the way he folds his arms
And takes a little nap (snore)
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

grandma's glasses thumbnail, with a graphic of a sunhat with a flower and a newsboy style cap, plus a pair of blue-rimmed and black-rimmed glasses. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Did you know that sometimes when you go to see a magic show, the magician will have a very special hat?
This is a draw and tell rhyme that I thought about using for a magic storytime but didn’t have time in that session. This time I made sure to fit it in, and they did enjoy it – by the time I got to the ears, I heard excited voices saying – “rabbit!” The numbers refer to the photos below, showing what to add at each line.
Drawing Rhyme: The Magician’s Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
The magician has an empty hat (1)
Turned upside down with a brim like that (2)
Then suddenly a head appears (3)
With two bright eyes… (4)
…and two long ears (5)
And a small round nose… (6)
…and whiskers, too. (7)
And magic stories just for you (I just added some stars here)
Source: Chalk in Hand: The Draw and Tell Book by Phyllis Noe Pflomm (c)1986 via Once Upon a (Story) Time blog

And I’m pretty sloppy, so honestly you don’t need to draw perfectly to get this one!

a photo of my drawing for the Magician's hat - a fairly slapdash affair with crooked stars and a bunny with lopsided eyes and ears.

the magician's hat thumbnail, with a graphic of yellow and gold stars and exclamations. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Little bunny would like to say hello! But bunny is a little shy.
Everyone loves the Bunny in a hat puppet – she gets lots of pets after storytime. After showing the rhyme with the puppet, I tell them, you can do this one with your fingers! And we do it together with just our hands, and then I did it a third time with the puppet and them following along.
Fingerplay: Little Bunny in a Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Make a bunny with your index and middle fingers, hide in other hand
Little bunny in a hat, Sitting so still (begin with bunny hidden)
Will she come out? Yes she will! (bunny pops out of hat)
She looks to the left (turn left)
She looks to the right (turn right)
She looks straight ahead (turn to front)
And pops out of sight (hides in hat/fist again)
Source: Jbrary

bunny in a hat puppet - white rabbit in a black hat. Also pictured is a magician's wand.

Little bunny in a hat thumbnail, with a graphic of a white rabbit peeking her head out of a black top hat, with yellow stars in the air around her. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

If you wear a hat, you won’t get rain on your head!
A bit of a stretch for a hat storytime, but I wanted another simple one for our scarves.
Scarf Rhyme: Rain on the Green Grass (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain on the green grass (shake on floor)
Rain on the trees (shake high)
Rain on the roof (hold above head)
But not on me! (drop scarf)
repeat with: Sun, Snow, Leaves
Source: Jbrary

rain on the green grass thumbnail, with a graphic of an umbrella in the rain. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Speaking of the weather, have you ever tried to wear a hat when it’s windy outside?
Scarf Song: Hats Are Blowing (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Hats are blowing, Hats are blowing
In the air, Everywhere!
Every time the wind blows, Someone’s hat, away it goes
Hold on tight. You’ll be all right!
Source: Storybook Stephanie

hats are blowing thumbnail, with a graphic of a cloud blowing wind and a wide-brimmed hat flipped and blowing in the breeze. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This is a silly song. Every time we sing a word that starts with the letter “B”, let’s lift up our “hat” (scarf), and when we sing another “B” word, put your hat on. Listen carefully!
I’m always trying to add in a ukulele tune, so I was pleased to realize I could replace one word in this traditional tune and make it a hat tune. Jim Gill does this one with the hands up/down twist. I try to raise and lower the neck of my ukulele to lead the group. It’s hard! I kept trying to change position whenever I change chords, not just at B words. But it’s all fun.
Note that I changed the key of this song after trying my original sheet – C just worked better for my voice. Feel free to use what works best for you!
Ukulele/Scarf Song: My Bonnet (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of My Bonnie)
(raise hands or scarf when you hear a word that starts with “B,” and lower them the next time you hear one!)
My Bonnet lies over the ocean
My Bonnet lies over the sea
My Bonnet lies over the ocean

Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me
Bring Back, Bring Back
Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me, to me
Bring Back, Bring Back
Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me!
Source: adapted from traditional, hear the Jim Gill version here

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet in the key of C here!
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet in the key of G here!

thumbnail for "my bonnie" ukulele songsheet

my bonnet thumbnail, with a graphic of an old fashioned bonnet and an ocean wave. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to put our astronaut helmets on so we can zoom, zoom, zoom!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

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

Craft: Origami Hat Decorating (TB) (FT)
A traditional origami hat! When I was a kid we made these out of newspapers, but for a plain hat to decorate I used white butcher paper that we have as a library supply. I cut pages to approximately newspaper size, 15 x 22″, and made the hats myself. If I had a slightly older group, I may have let them fold. You can find instructions here, using the “pirate hat” instructions: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Newspaper-Hat. We decorated with dot markers and the library’s extensive supply of stickers.

an origami hat decorated with multicolored dots from dot markers, plus heart and star stickers and two round stickers of animals in space.

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Very Good Hats – Emma Straub & Blanca Gómez
Hooray for Hat! – Brian Won
Bedtime Bonnet – Nancy Redd & Nneka Myers
A Hat for Minerva Louise – Janet Morgan Stoeke
I Had Ten Hats – David McPhail
Finders Keepers – Keiko Kasza
I Want My Hat Back – Jon Klassen
Do YOU Have a Hat? – Eileen Spinelli & Geraldo Valério
Hat Tricks – Satoshi Kitamura
Kindergarten Hat – Janet Lawler & Geraldine Rodriguez
Hats Are NOT for Cats! – Jacqueline K Rayner
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman – Michelle Edwards & G Brian Karas
The Magic Hat – Mem Fox & Tricia Tusa

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/14, 10/15, & 10/16/24.

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

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

Storytime: Socks & Shoes

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Here’s a storytime theme I’ve never done before, and let me tell you: it was a lot of fun! All the activities seemed to land well and there was a ton of enthusiasm for Pete the Cat (of course.) I was slightly worried because there were no prop activities (scarves/shakers/etc), but it really was okay. I got to see lots of cute kiddo shoes as everyone was proud to show theirs off. And I broke out my collection of fun socks to wear on storytime days.

Early Literacy Tip: Tiptoeing helps to develop good balancing skills. Show your child how to walk on tiptoes (and not the sides of their feet.) You can also try making it a game – challenge your child to tiptoe and be as quiet as a mouse as they do an activity. This can also be a more positive way to reduce the playtime noise level (for at least a little bit!) -adapted The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about something we wear. Something we wear on our feet. Hats? Shirts? No! Socks and shoes! Socks & shoes are super! They protect your feet, can come in fun patterns, and sometimes even light up!

Activity: Sock Matching (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hm, I did some laundry before work today, but I didn’t have time to sort it! Will you help me match these socks?
Inspired by Singin in the Stacks, as well as Miss Mary Liberry, who made this activity as a flannelboard with an awesome array of felt socks in a myriad of colors and patterns, plus a sweet “dryer” made from a cardboard box. I had big plans to make my own version, but alas, time was short. As it dawned on me I wouldn’t be able to make it in time, I had the eureka moment when I realized that regular socks would stick to the flannelboard. AND I could put my regular socks in any kind of bag or basket and it would work, even if it’s not quite as cute as an adorable miniature clothes dryer. So I chose a few pairs of my own fun socks that had some different characteristics, and we did the activity – hooray! (I ended up using only four pairs of socks, just to keep the activity short.

Photo of 10 adult sized socks on a flannelboard, 5 pairs: navy with hot dogs, teal with purple dots, gray with cactuses, purple with an alpine pattern, and neon orange no-show socks.

Now that our socks are all sorted out, now I need to organize all the shoes in the house. Can we sort them from smallest to largest? Who has the smallest shoes, Baby or Daddy?
Action Rhyme: Shoes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(move hands further and further out)
Baby’s shoes
Child’s shoes
Mommy’s shoes
Daddy’s shoes
GIANT SHOES!
Source: Librarian Is on the Loose

Shoes thumbnail, with a graphic of a very small red sneaker and a very large brown boot. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Something new this week – instead of reading only one book, I retold two books using the flannelboard. When I do a retelling, I always show the book cover to reinforce that the story came from a book (and they can check it out!)
Flannel Retelling: One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler (TT) (TB) (FT)

One red sock book cover

One red sock flannel, with a purple hippo, pink chair, two red socks, and one each white, pink, blue, green, gray, and white with black polka dots.

See more info on this flannel, including a free template.

Have you ever noticed that you can move a little differently when you’re wearing a nice pair of socks? Let’s try it out!
I took my shoes off and slid around for this one.
Action Song: Let’s Put On Our Socks (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Hickory Dickory Dock)
Hickory, dickory, dock, Let’s put on our socks
We’ll walk around without a sound
When we put on our socks

…We’ll tiptoe around and won’t be found…
…We’ll slide around the slippery ground…
…We’ll dance around and jump and bound…
Source: Stratford Library

let's put on our socks thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of fun socks, blue with pink dots, with a yellow toe, heel, and ribbing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Remember the nursery rhyme that starts by putting on our shoes?
This was a good transition for me to actually put my shoes back on.
Action Rhyme: Buckle My Shoe (TT) (TB) (FT)
1, 2, Buckle my shoe (touch toes)
3, 4, Shut the door (clap)
5, 6, Pick up sticks (wiggle fingers upright)
7, 8, Lay them straight (one hand in other, fingers straight)
9, 10, A big fat hen! (arms wide)
Source: traditional

one two buckle my shoe thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of buckled child's shoes and a brown hen. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What kind of shoes are you wearing today? How might we describe my shoes? (color/pattern) Take a moment here with your grownup and talk about your shoes – what’s something we can say to describe them?
We started with my shoes, then had two or three volunteers tell us something about their shoes.
Action Rhyme: Old Shoes, New Shoes (TT) (TB) (FT)
Old shoes, new shoes,
[Name] is wearing [description] shoes
One, two, three, four
Now I stomp them on the floor!
Source: Storytime Katie

old shoes new shoes thumbnail, with a graphic of a dirty boot with the sole detached from the body, and a pair of brown child's boots with a clean sparkle graphic. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Pete is wearing some bright white shoes. But not for long!
Our second book retelling! I had several families reciting this one with me. Flannel was inspired by Flannelboard Fun.
Read/Retell Flannel: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean & Eric Litwin (TT) (TB) (FT)

pete the cat i love my white shoes book cover.

pete the cat flannel set, with a Pete that is sitting so only two front legs are showing, wearing white high top sneakers. also pictured is a pile of blueberries and blue sneakers, strawberries and red sneakers, a puddle of mud and brown sneakers, and a bucket of water.

Mm, Pete’s story made me hungry for some berries! Can we go pick some?
Any opportunity for kids to get a lift from their grownups is a good one.
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 or lift up)
Source: Jbrary

pop goes the berry thumbnail, with a graphic of cute cartoon fruit with faces: strawberry, blackberry, gooseberry, blueberry, and raspberry. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Talking about our shoes and socks makes me appreciate my toes.
To give shoes and socks equal time, I wrote one more verse about socks. I had grownups singing along to this jazzy tune on the second verse, so you know it’s catchy!
Body Song: Everybody Knows (TT) (TB) (FT)
Everybody knows I love my toes
Everybody knows I love my toes
I love my shoulders, my knees, my elbows, and my nose
But everybody knows I love my toes

Everybody knows that I love my shoes
Everybody knows that I love my shoes
I love my shirt, my pants, my hat and you
But everybody knows I love my shoes

Everybody knows that I love my socks
Everybody knows that I love my socks
In socks I’ll run, I’ll jump, tiptoe and walk
Everybody knows I love my socks
Source: Singin in the Stacks, last verse original

everybody knows thumbnail, with a graphic of two unmatched child's shoes - a high top and a mary jane, and two unmatched socks - purple and white and pink and blue. All have a heart design incorporated on them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Sock and Shoe Design (TB) (FT)
After a couple of weeks of paint and messy crafts, I went simple. I found an outline of a sock and a shoe (high top!) and let the kids design and decorate them however they wanted. I gave them dot markers, stick-on jewels and foam stickers, ribbon, and pom poms. Easy and fun. Both craft sessions went longer than usual since they worked on these longer than usual and didn’t get to toys until later as well.

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Duck Sock Hop – Jane Kohuth & Jane Porter
New Shoes – Chris Raschka
Lizette’s Green Sock – Catharina Valckx
Rock Your Mocs – Laurel Goodluck & Madelyn Goodnight
Emily’s Shoes – Joan Cottle
Which Shoes Would You Choose? – Betsy Rosenthal & Nancy Cote
The Sock Thief – Ana Crespo & Nana Gonzalez
Kicks – Van G Garrett & Reggie Brown
Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? – Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier
One Shoe, Two Shoes – Caryl Hart & Edward Underwood
A Pig, a Fox, and Stinky Socks – Jonathan Fenske
One Two That’s My Shoe! – Alison Murray
It’s Shoe Time! – Bryan Collier

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/7, 10/8, & 10/9/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of 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

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

Storytime: Squeaky Clean

Posted on by msemilylibrary

After last week’s Messy storytime, it was time to talk about clean up! Toddlers can be very interested in being helpful, and the vast majority of my kiddos love to help put away any props we use during storytime, and the toys we play with at the end. I pointed that out to caregivers, and reminded them that kids of all ages crave to be a contributing part of the family, if you give them a chance.

For this Clean theme, I thought about tidying up messes we make with objects, as well as cleaning our hands and bodies and the clothes we wear. I couldn’t find many rhymes or songs about tidying, but we did start with a cleaning up flannel activity. (Of course, there’s always the Barney “Clean Up” song, but as someone who heard that nonstop in the 90s, I’m okay never singing it myself.) The rest have to do with bathtime or washing clothes.

See another take on this theme at this Bathtime post.

Early Literacy Tip: Bath time is a wonderful opportunity to encourage play and imagination! You can be pirates or sea turtles, or you can use bubbles to practice fine motor skills and finger dexterity. Practice narrative skills by telling a story together using bath toys. -adapted from Yogibrarian

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Last week we made a big mess, and this week we’re talking about cleaning up! This can be picking up our toys, washing our hands, or washing our whole bodies.

Activity: Cleaning Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
What a big mess! Let’s see if we can put all these things back in their proper place.
Inspired by Verona Storytime, I made a paper bag labeled with a refrigerator, a laundry basket, and a toy box, as well as four items that would go in each one, using Canva graphics. After my first session, I realized twelve was too many, so next time I just put out nine and that seemed just right. The kids called out where things went, and corrected me when I tried to put them in the wrong place!

Download the Cleaning Up flannel printable here!

Cleaning up flannel photo, with laminated and printed graphics of various objects scattered on the flannelboard, with three white paper lunch bags labeled with a picture of a laundry hamper, four binned toy cabinet, and refrigerator on them.
Objects haphazardly strewn on the board include a pair of jeans, a toy dump truck, a half gallon jug of milk, a bunch of grapes, a pair of socks, a striped shirt, a ring sorter toy, a wedge of cheese, a ball, a toy dinosaur, carrot sticks in a plastic bag, and a pair of green pajamas.

Uh, oh, my hands got dirty picking up all of those things from the dusty floor. What can I do to clean up?
Try to sing this one SLOWLY so you can show each part.
Action Rhyme: Wash Your Hands (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Get them nice and clean
Wash the tops and wash below,
And wash them in between

Scrub, scrub, scrub your hands,
Fingernails and thumbs
Wrists and palms and pinky too,
Wash them every one!
Source: Waukee (IA) Public Library

wash your hands thumbnail, with a graphic of two pairs of hands with soap and bubbles - the left pair is light peach and the right pair is medium brown. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

After reading this one at my first session, I think my group would do better with just two sets of animals – they were definitely getting wiggly toward the end.
Read: How Do You Take a Bath? by Kate McMullan & Sydney Hanson (TT)

how do you take a bath book cover

A silly and fun bath story.
Read: Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (TB) (FT)

bubble bath pirates book cover

After we wash, maybe there’s a little time to play in the tub!
I realized I should have also made a bubble to add to this flannel.
Flannel Song: Baby in the Tub (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The baby in the tub goes Splash, splash, splash (pat lap)
Splash, splash, splash, Splash, splash, splash
The baby in the tub goes splash, splash, splash
All through the bath!

The duck in the tub goes quack… (hand makes a duck bill)
The boat in the tub goes toot… (pull a horn)
The bubbles in the tub go pop… (clap)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

flannel of "baby in the tub" with a white bathtub on gray clawed feet, a baby with brown hair and dusky skin, a yellow duck, a red, blue, and yellow toy tugboat, and a pink bar of soap.

baby in the tub thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow duck in a bubble filled pink tub. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The template for this flannel is from the ever-helpful but now defunct Sunflower Storytime. You can download a copy of it here. I used to tuck each elephant into the bath in a row, but saw another librarian on YouTube stacking them up tall. That’s a lot easier, and it looks a lot funnier to me, too.
Someone else wants to take a bath! Move over, baby!
Counting/Flannel Rhyme: Elephants in the Bathtub (TT) (TB) (FT)
One elephant in the bathtub (hold up one finger)
Going for a swim (swimming motion)
Knock, knock (clap, clap)
Splash, splash (pat lap)
Come on in (motion with hand to come in)

(count up)
Five elephants in the bathtub
Going for a swim
Knock, knock
CRASH, CRASH!
They all fell in! (wiggle arms downward; knock flannel pieces to the floor!)
Source: Sunflower Storytime, see moves on Jbrary

Flannel of elephants in the bathtub, with an old fashioned white claw foot tub with five elephants stacked on top of each other on the top: blue, purple, lime green, yellow, and orange.

elephants in the bathtub thumbnail, with a graphic that mimics the flannel, only the elephants are all side by side in the tub. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one took a little explanation before we got started, as I can’t do any motions when I’m playing ukulele. I always say the second “bar of soap!” in a high voice to make it funnier, and I encouraged them to either raise their arms and/or have a grown up lift them up during that echo part. I also thought this song needed MORE, so wrote a couple more verses!
What makes all of these bubbles? Soap!
Ukulele Song: Little Bar of Soap (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Oh, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!) (lift arms and/or lift child)
Oh, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!)
Oh, I’d slippy and I’d slidey over everybody’s hidey
Yes, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!)

Oh, I wish I were a squeaky yellow duck (quack quack)… (make a duck bill)
I’d be your friend in the tub while you rub and scrub-a-dub…

Oh, I wish I were a bubble floating there (bloop, bloop)… (pulse fingers)
I’d float until I drop, and then land with a big POP! (clap)…
Source: Jbrary, verses 2-3 original

Download a ukulele songsheet for Little Bar of Soap here!

I wish I were a little bar of soap ukulele songsheet thumbnail.

little bar of soap thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue anthropomorphic bar of soap with a smiling face and arms and legs. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s make sure we get clean all over. Can you use your scarf like a washcloth?
Scarf Song: This Is the Way We Wash (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wash our face,
wash our face, wash our face!
This is the way we wash our face
When we take a bath!
(arms, legs, back, tummy, etc.)
Source: Jbrary

this is the way we wash thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange washcloth and blue bar of soap. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I so love both this song and the Walrus song, I tried to do both at the first session. It went fine because we don’t do a craft for that one, but I had to choose one or the other for the other two sessions, where I have a little less time. Using our scarves was so much fun. I always start with my scarf way up high and hold out the “Waaaaay,” then swoosh my scarf down low when I get to “down in the valley.”
When we take a bath, we take off our clothes. But what if our clothes are dirty, too? Should they come in the bath with us? No! They go in the laundry.
Scarf Song: Wishy Washy Washer Woman (TT) (TB)
Waaay down in the valley where nobody goes
There’s a wishy washy washer woman washing her clothes
She goes wishy washy up, she goes wishy washy down
She goes wishy washy up, she goes wishy washy down
That’s how the wishy washy washer woman washes her clothes!

…drying her clothes, she goes whoo-eee! (shake in a circle)
…folding her clothes, she goes side, side (clap to one side, then the other)
Source: traditional

wishy washy washerwoman thumbnail, with a graphic of two teal wash buckets filled with bubbles and an old-fashioned washboard in each. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a silly song about a walrus who needs to wash his coat.
Scarf Song: The Walrus Washes (TT) (FT)
The walrus washes his winter coat down by the wavy ocean
He adds some water and he adds some soap
and he waits… and he waits… and he waits

Then the laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes until it’s clean (repeat)

The laundry spins… (twirl scarf in a circle)
The laundry tumbles… (throw scarf in the air and catch)
Source: Brytani Fraser via Jbrary

the walrus washes thumbnail, with a graphic of a walrus and some soap bubbles. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can you catch the bubbles with your scarf?
Yes, there were three songs with the Happy and You Know It tune this storytime, which I generally try to avoid, but it was fine.
Bubble Song: Bubbles in the Air (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Happy and You Know It)
There are bubbles in the air (In the air)
There are bubbles in the air (In the air)
There are bubbles in the air,
There are bubbles in my hair
There are bubbles in the air (In the air!)

There are bubbles way up high… in the sky
Way down low… on my toe
Source: Jbrary

bubbles in the air thumbnail, with a graphic of bubbles behind the lyrics of the song. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Bubble Wrap Bath Scene (TB) (FT)
This is a craft I’ve have done before, but it’s been a while! This is a not-too-messy painting craft, with the novelty of using bubble wrap to make the bubbles. I also set out crayons and a rubber duck print to glue on. I prep my bubble wrap by cutting it into 2-3 inch wide strips, maybe 5 inches long, then creating a tube by taping the two short ends together, bubble side out. That way the kids can put their hands in the ring and dip it in the paint without having to grip it on a “clean side” – the inside should stay clean for them (ideally!) The original bathtub and duck printables were from Sunflower Storytime (no longer available.) Download my copies here:

Sunflower Storytime’s bathtub printable (print on cardstock or construction paper)

Rubber duck printable (print on yellow copy paper)

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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Car Wash – Sandra & Susan Steen & G. Brian Karas
Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash – Sarah Weeks & Nadine Bernard Westcott
Lion Needs a Haircut – Hyewon Yum
Tidy – Emily Gravett
Love-a-Duck – Alan James Brown & Francesca Chessa
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? – Helen Yoon
Off to See the Sea – Nikki Grimes & Elizabeth Zunon
Scaredy Bath – Zoë Foster Blake & Daniel Gray-Barnett
How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps – Nicola Winstanley & John Martz
Bath! Bath! Bath! – Douglas Florian & Christiane Engel

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/23, 9/24, 9/25, & 9/26/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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