Tag: instruments

book covers for everybody in the red brick building, squeak, rumble, whomp whomp whomp, and Sounds all around

Storytime: Sounds

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I did this theme in 2020 when we were doing virtual-only storytimes, and had not repeated it since. It was a fun one to get out and retry with kids in person. I really enjoyed looking through all our library cabinets for musical instruments as well as bringing a selection of percussion instruments from home (including my favorites, the frog rasps and cabasa!) It made for a very noisy but fun time. There are so many great noise books, too! It was difficult to choose which to read. There’s a STEM element in talking about how sound is made and perceived, and also an opportunity to talk a little about the opposites of loud and quiet.

See another version of this theme from 2020.

everybody in the red brick building book cover, showing an apartment building with different scenes in each window.
squeak, rumble, whomp, whomp, whomp book cover, with a picture of a Black boy playing a trumpet with a black cat looking in the background.
sounds all around book cover, with an illustration of three kids playing instruments.

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that, without guidance, a 4-year-old will give 95% of their visual attention to a book’s pictures. One way to support early literacy is to help children recognize that print has meaning. When we talk about the words on the page as we read them, children are making the connection between the written word and the meaning of the word. A great place to begin is by pointing out where sounds are written out differently from the other words. adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

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

Intro: This is a program where I’m going to need a lot of help. Are you good at being noisy? Oh, thank goodness! I am going to need your help making a lot of noise today, because we’re going to be talking about SOUND! So, let’s all shout: HOORAY together. Louder! Even louder! Now quieter. Now whisper. Great job! When we talk or sing or clap our hands, we’re making sound. What else makes sound? How do we hear sounds? WHY do we hear sounds in our ears?

I showed two page spreads (pgs 12-15) and read snippets about both how our vocal chords work to make sound (touching our throats as we hum and fall silent, and noticing the difference in vibrations) as well as how our ears work to hear sound. I noted that of course we don’t expect little ones to understand all the science right away, but it’s great to explain because we share new vocabulary and concepts and start the seed of understanding.
Read: (selection from) Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer & Anna Chernyshova

Sounds can be all kinds of things! Sometimes they are loud, sometimes quiet. This rhyme will challenge you – can you clap without any sound?
When I first saw this rhyme, it made no sense to me, until I realized that the clap and tap were muted. So we practiced clapping and tapping our laps without sound before we started the rhyme and it worked really well!
Action Rhyme: Loud and Quiet
Quietly, quietly not a sound
I’m listening and I’m listening As I look around
No sounds as I nod, No sounds as I clap (mute clap)
No sounds as I tap my hands on my lap (mute tap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
All that noise, well fancy that!
Source: Storytime Katie

loud and quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of hands with brown skin clapping, and feet with white skin stomping. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* 

I love how this story is circular: as the noises wake everyone, we meet all the occupants of the building, then a round of quiet noises lull everyone back to sleep. Plus, Oge Mora’s artwork is superb. I had a thought that this would make a great flannel story, but I didn’t have the time to make it.
Read: Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter & Oge Mora

everybody in the red brick building book cover, showing an apartment building with different scenes in each window.

This one is a fun romp through lots of noises – definitely preview it before you start because they aren’t all easy to do! I like how Marsalis groups similar sounds – a squeak could be a screen door, a mouse, or a amateur saxophonist!
Read: Squeak! Rumble! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers

squeak, rumble, whomp, whomp, whomp book cover, with a picture of a Black boy playing a trumpet with a black cat looking in the background.

Our next rhyme has some sounds I hope you’ll help me make. The sound of a clock is tick tock! Can you tick tock by patting your lap? And then we hear a knock, knock on a door – can you knock by clapping your hands?
You could do this with flannel animals or puppets like I did. The original used rhythm sticks, but it worked just as well with puppets and making the sounds with our bodies. I used a cow, chicken, frog, bear, and lastly, a mouse! The mouse gave us a segue into the next rhyme.
Puppet Rhyme: Tick Tock Goes the Clock
Tick, tock, tick, tock goes the clock
Waiting for someone to… Knock, knock, knock!
Gasp! Who’s at the door? It’s a… (moo) A cow!
(try with any animal sounds you like)
Source: Jbrary

Photo of animal puppets - a chicken, cow, frog, bear, and mouse.

tick tock goes the clock thumbnail, with a graphic of a door and a clock. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I did this fingerplay on my left hand with my thumb and on my right hand with the mouse puppet. The first time out popped the mouse, the puppet was flung off of my finger and into the air – but I caught her! Very exciting. I was a little more careful with the popping the second time through.
Oh, that mouse is so cute. But very quiet.
Fingerplay: Quiet Mouse
Here’s a quiet little mouse (show thumb)
Living in a quiet little house (tuck thumb in fist)
When all was quiet as could be
OUT! popped she! (pop out thumb)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

quiet mouse thumbnail, with a graphic of a mouse peeking out of a hole in a tree stump. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This was a great hit during our Jingle Jam storytime, and seemed like a perfect fit for sounds, too.
One of my favorite ways to make sounds is to make MUSIC!
Action Rhyme: The Parade
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Bum, bum, bum: a great big drum
Root-a-toot: a horn and flute
Bang, bang, bang: Cymbals clang
Ding-ding-ding: triangles ring
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Source: King County (WA) Library System

the parade thumbnail, with a graphic of six marching band players with various instruments. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s an instrument that LOOKS like an animal. What does it sound like?
I was kind of amazed, but it was dead silent during this rhyme – everyone was rapt with the frog rasps. I highly recommend them! I decided to do three sounds throughout the song this time – in the past I’d done two for each individual frog and then three on the last verse.
Rhythm Instrument Song: Three Frogs in a Bog
There was a big frog (big sound, big sound, big sound)
Lived in a big bog (big, big, big)
He swam in the water (big, big, big)
Played on a big log (big, big, big)
Big log (big, big, big)
Big bog (big, big, big)
Big frog (big, big, big)

(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)

And then one day (big sound, middle sound, little sound)
The frogs got together (big, middle, little)
They swam in the water (big, middle, little)
In the bright sunny weather (big, middle, little)
Three frogs (big, middle, little)
Three friends (big, middle, little)
The end! (big, middle, little)
Source: Ada Moreau Demlow

frogs in a bog thumbnail, with a graphic of three realistic illustrations of frogs, big, medium, and small. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out our instruments! There are a lot of choices – which will you pick?

instruments including shakers, bells, maracas, a drum, rain stick, ukulele, and more.
Library instruments! I didn’t get a picture of my personal instruments, but they were all offered in a square laundry basket.

Let’s get to know our instruments a bit with this next song.
It was a bit chaotic, but it worked. I changed the original words (shake/shaker) to fit (play/instrument), but I didn’t update the rhyme sheet.
Instrument Song: Can You Play?
(tune of London Bridge)
Can you play along with me?
Along with me, along with me?
Can you play along with me?
Put your instrument on your… knee!
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

We were way over on time already, so I skipped this one. I think handing out instruments took longer than usual. I was going to choose instruments for the extra verses – egg shake, a drum beat, a triangle tingle, etc.
Instrument Song: Have You Ever Heard a Bell Ring?
(tune of Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?)
Have you ever heard a bell ring, a bell ring, a bell ring?
Have you ever heard a bell ring,
Ding dong, ding, ding, dong
Try with other sounds:
the wind blow, a clock tick, a car horn, an egg shake, a cow moo, etc.
Source: STEM In Libraries

have you ever heard thumbnail, with a graphic of a string of jingle bells on green ribbon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s make some noise!
Recorded Song: Alabama, Mississippi
Alabama, Mississippi
Alabama, New Orleans
Alabama, Mississippi
Shake it on down to New Orleans

Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake it, baby
Shake it on down to New Orleans
Source: from the album Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

alabama mississippi thumbnail, with a graphic of jazz instruments: trumpet, tuba, sax, harmonica, drum, bells, and trombone. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Noisemaker
For an easy noisemaker, we decorated toilet paper tubes – I did my sample with regular washable markers, but put out the dot markers day of – they provide easier coverage! I also had foam shape stickers. We filled the tubes with generic cheerios to make the noise and stapled them shut. I made sure to note that it works best if the stapled shut ends are perpendicular to each other, to keep the middle open and prevent the tube from collapsing. I had pre-stapled one end before storytime and provided staplers for caregivers to close them after filling. To make it even easier, you could pre-fill and provide the finished noisemaker to decorate only.

photo of noisemaker craft - a toilet paper tube stapled at both ends (perpendicular angles) and decorated with markers and foam stickers.

Play Time
I put out a laundry basket of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older toddlers and siblings, we have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, plastic farm animals, and lacing cards and I rotate among a few of these options each session. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. The clean up bit is good practice for them – I often say “it’s hard to say goodbye to toys, so that’s why we practice every storytime!” I think that helps the grown ups who may be embarrassed that their kid is crying or refusing to put a toy away. So much of what we do in storytime is practicing skills, and I don’t expect the kids to “do it right’ every time, or even most times.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* 

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
It’s So Quiet – Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tony Fucile
Let’s Be Bees – Shawn Harris
Noisy Night – Mac Barnett & Brian Biggs
What Does Little Crocodile Say? – Eva Montanari
Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump! – KL Going & Simone Shin
Song in the City – Daniel Bernstrom & Jenin Mohammed
Atticus Caticus – Sarah Maizes & Kara Kramer
Rumble & Roar: Sound Around the World – Sue Fliess & Khoa Le
Jazz for Lunch! – Jarrett Dapier & Eugenia Mello
Swish Slosh – Deborah Kerbel & Jacqui Lee
A Perfect Day – Jennifer Yerkes
Listen – Gabi Snyder & Stephanie Graegin
Boom Boom – Sarvinder Naberhaus & Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Quiet Down, Loud Town! – Alastair Heim & Matt Hunt
After the Buzz Comes the Bee – Rachel Isadora & Robie Rogge

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/12/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Jingle Jam

Posted on by msemilylibrary

What is seasonal, non-holiday, interactive, and… loud? Jingle bells! We have a set of jingle bell bracelets in our storytime supply closet that I don’t get out very regularly, and I thought they would make a great December program focus. I had them planned for the second week of December, but then had to schedule some surgery. I needed to be off work for the month, so I moved this program up to the last week of November and canceled the rest. I’m glad I did get to do it – we had a lot of fun jingle jangling away!

You can see a shortened virtual version of this program here.

Early Literacy Tip: Like a muscle, the brain needs to work to grow. Playing an instrument stimulates the brain, which can accelerate development in toddlers. Studies have shown that playing music activates the areas of the brain responsible for language, speech and reading.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we are going to make lots of music with our Jingle Jam. We’ll play instruments and dance and sing. Let’s first loosen up a little and start to jam with our bodies. Let’s pretend we are in a parade!

This is a super fun rhyme. We did it a couple of times. The source link doesn’t have a video, so if you’d like to see/hear me doing it, click the link above to the virtual version.
Action Rhyme: The Parade (TT) (TB) (FT)
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Bum, bum, bum: a great big drum
Root-a-toot: a horn and flute
Bang, bang, bang: Cymbals clang
Ding-ding-ding: triangles ring
Clap your hands! (clap, clap, clap)
Stamp your feet! (stomp, stomp, stomp)
The parade is coming down the street
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

One of the moms quietly said all the words of this along with me – apparently it’s one of their at-home favorites that they do over and over. So sweet! Despite the Santa-like hats the animals are wearing, this book doesn’t have any references to holidays, just snow and sleighs. It’s a great one for the youngest groups. I used a jingle bell to accompany me whenever I said “jingle.”
Read: Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee (TT) (FT)

Book cover for Jingle Jingle

This is a very interactive book if you encourage the group to do the instruments with you.
Read: Play This Book by Jessica Young & Daniel Wiseman (TB)

book cover for Play this book

Before we get our instruments out, let’s exercise our hands with a fingerplay.
Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five plump peas in a peapod pressed
(make a fist and cover with the other hand)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest
(raise all fingers on first hand one by one)
they grew, and they grew, and they grew, and never stopped
(hands get wider and wider)
They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED!
(hands spread as wide as possible, then CLAP!)
Source: Jbrary

Time to get out the bells! Our bells look like this, with four large bells attached to a velcroed wrist band.

Jingle bell instruments: four silver bells are attached to a nylon wristband that can velcro together. Shown in green and red.

Let’s practice our bells with this rhyme.
Bell Rhyme: Jingle Bells UP (TT) (TB) (FT)
Jingle bells up, Jingle bells down
Jingle bells 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 rhyme

I had this as an “optional” song on my plan, but when the time came I could not remember the tune! I have since remembered – I know it’s a common tune but I can’t place it. I just now recorded myself singing it to a voice memo for future reference!
I also can’t figure out where I first got this. Google searches aren’t helping, so maybe I made it up? (If you know the tune or source, please let me know!)
Bell Song: Ring Those Bells
Ring those bells and tap your toes
Ring those bells and tap your toes
Ring those bells and tap your toes
Now give a little kiss, kiss, kiss!

Additional verses:
…and clap, clap, clap … Give a little hug, hug, hug
…and shake, shake, shake … Give a little wave, wave, wave
Source: ??

It actually worked out to skip the previous song, since putting our bells to bed in Jingle Bells UP was a perfect segue to this song. We started with our bells quiet in bed (tucked under our arm) then got them out to ring loudly starting with the “Morning bells” line. On the second time through, I encouraged everyone to sing their child’s name instead of “Brother John” – so I saing “Sister Emily.”
Bell Song: Are You Sleeping? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping? (keep bells quiet)
Brother John, Brother John,
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing (ring bells)
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong
(try substituting your child’s name for “Brother John”)
Source: traditional

This is a lovely jazzy tune that I found on a video with some other jingle songs.
Oh, my! My bells turned into a jingle bug! Yours did, too! Here’s a song about the jingle bugs.
Bell Song: Jingle Bug (TT) (TB) (FT)
Some bugs wiggle, Some bugs creep
Some bugs jump to a jingling beat
Jingle bug just wants to play
What will your bug do today?

She’s gonna wiggle to the left and wiggle to the right
Wiggle way up high and wiggle out of sight (hide behind back)
Where’s that Jingle Bug you say?
Sneaking softly back out to play! (try to bring out bell without ringing)

Additional verses:
She’s gonna creep to the left and creep to the right…
She’s gonna jump to the left and jump to the right…
Source: Clap for Classics

Dancing with our bells to a recorded song. I always put out a list of the dances so we know which ones come next.
One last chance to jam!
Recorded Song: List of Dances (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Jim Gill From the Album “Jim Gill Makes It Noisy In Boise, Idaho”

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

Craft: Jingle Bell Bracelets and Dot Painting Coloring Sheets (TB) (FT)
I couldn’t think of any better craft than to give the kids jingle bells of their own. At the same time, though, I could see that these bells could be a choking hazard. I said and put up warnings for grown-ups to always be supervising when playing with bells, and offered some dot painting for an extra or alternative craft. For the bells, I bought some multicolored 15 mm bells, and provided chenille stems for them to string onto to create a bracelet. The coloring sheet I chose is from the wonderful Elizabeth Dulemba, who I love and use her coloring pages regularly.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
The Sounds Around Town – Maria Carluccio
Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! – Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers
Music Class Today – David Weinstone & Vin Vogel
The Composer Is Dead – Lemony Snicket, Nathaniel Stookey & Carson Ellis
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin – Lloyd Moss & Marjorie Priceman
A Neighborhood Walk, a Musical Journey – Pilar Winter Hill & Olivia Duchess
The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom – Colleen AF Venable & Lian Cho
This Magical Musical Night – Rhonda Gowler Greene & James Rey Sanchez
Pokko and the Drum – Matthew Forsythe
A Is for Oboe – Lera Auerbach, Marilyn Nelson, Paul Hoppe

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/27, 11/28, & 11/29/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: La música (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage month, and I enjoy taking that opportunity to highlight Latine authors, illustrators, and Spanish language songs and rhymes. I am extremely fortunate to have several regular storytime families who speak Spanish, and who helped suggest some new songs for us to do, and who helped me read the Spanish portions of the two bilingual books we read. I was a French major in college, but have always enjoyed learning a little Spanish here and there. This past year, I got a little more systematic about it and have been doing Spanish lessons on a language learning app consistently. It’s been great to learn more, and I love having some new songs and rhymes to share. I had chosen the theme of “La música” several months ago, not really exploring books yet, but wanting a theme I knew could go with a lot of my songs. It was a very loose theme!

See other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2022.

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that children raised in bilingual environments develop core cognitive skills like decision-making and problem-solving — before they even speak. If you aren’t already bilingual, that’s okay! You can still expose your child to different languages and cultures. As long as you expose them to foreign words in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap the benefits.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month just started, and runs from September 15 – October 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking. Today we are going to celebrate Spanish and Spanish-speakers, and the contributions they make, including authors who write in both English and Spanish, & illustrators from Spanish-speaking countries.

This is a sweet and simple song that is good to get us started. I ask the kids to take a good look at their hand and admire it – what a pretty hand it is! We do this twice, switching hands on the second repetition.
Song: La linda manita (TT) (TB) (FT)
La linda manita (flip hand back and forth)
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

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

I had a Spanish-speaking volunteer for two of my three sessions. For the first session, I went with the “music” theme and this reinterpretation of Mary Had a Little Lamb. I read the English and she read the Spanish.
Read: Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita by Angela Dominguez (TT)

book cover for Maria Had a Little Llama / María tenía una llamita

My second session volunteer was the one who was my primary helper. She suggested songs and this book specifically. It’s a little longer than Maria, which is why I chose a different one for the first/younger session. I pointed out that this was written by the musical group 123 Andrés, and that the book was based on a song they could look up.
Read: Hola amigo! / Hello, Friend by 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios (TB)

Book Cover for Hello, Friend/Hola, Amigo

Alas, though I did put out a email call for anyone signed up in my third session, no one felt comfortable volunteering to read. I chose this book because the majority is in English, with Spanish words sprinkled throughout, which I felt I could handle on my own.
Read: Sonrisas for Baby by Jen Arena & Blanca Gómez (FT)

Book cover for Sonrisas For Baby

Let’s bring out the music that’s in our bodies!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música (TT) (TB) (FT)
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hacen (clap,clap, clap)
Mis pies hacen (stomp, stomp, stomp)
Mi boca hace: la, la, la! (point at mouth)
Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha! (dance)
Source: Sol y Canto, from the album El Doble de Amigos. Watch with motions at Jbrary

This was a new one to me, which was suggested by my volunteer. I found lots of videos of it, many of them the strange robotic animated children’s song ones that have taken over YouTube in the last few years. I finally found the one linked below on Mama Lisa’s World, which is a great resource for international music. I love that it’s a home video showing a family doing the song, which sounded natural, so that’s how I learned the tune.
Here’s a circle song, similar to Ring Around the Rosie. I explained the song lyric translation. At the end we fall down and go to sleep! I encouraged grownups to make a circle with their little one (like in the video) rather than trying to wrangle everyone into a big circle.
Circle Song: A la rueda, rueda (TT) (TB) (FT)
(walk in a circle, and fall down and pretend to sleep at the end!)
A la rueda, rueda, De pan y canela
Dame un besito, Y vete para la escuela
Spoken: Si no quieres ir, Acuéstate a dormir!
To the wheel, wheel, of bread and cinnamon
Give me a kiss, and go to school
If you don’t want to go, Lay down to sleep!
Source: traditional, watch here: https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2792

Confession: I am not a big fan of this song, in any language. I know the kids like it, though, so we did it in English first and then in Spanish.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (TT) (TB) (FT)
(Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Source: traditional

This was another suggestion from my volunteer. I showed the video for one session, and I think it would have gone better just singing. It runs a bit long, with lots of instrumental breaks, and the group got restless. I ended up skipping it for the last two sessions.
Action/Body Song: Con tu dedito (TT)
Con tu dedito, con tu dedito, con tu dedito: tap, tap, tap!
Ponlo hacia arriba,
Ponlo hacia abajo,
Ponlo en tu cabeza
Continue moving your finger and tapping different parts of your body. Try:
Nariz = Nose
Mentón = Chin
Brazo = Arm
Pierna = Leg
Pie = Foot
Source: Canta con Jess

We then got out shakers. We have regular shaker eggs that we use regularly, but I noticed we also have some maraca style shakers with a handle, clear bowl and multicolored pieces inside which I’d never used before. OMG, they are LOUD. So loud. It was difficult to hear myself think, much less sing. I nixed them for the last session.
Shaker Practice: Shake Your Shaker High (TT) (TB)
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow!
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

This one I heard about from another library at a conference this year. I showed the video, and encouraged them to dance with their shakers (for the group that had them).
Body Song: Baila, baila (TB) (FT)
Cuando un amigo baila, baila, baila, baila!
Pies = Feet
Rodillas = Knees
Caderas = Hips
Manos = Hands
Cabeza = Head
Source: Baila, Baila

And we ended with bubbles. This is the bubble song I use every session in the summer, so my groups were familiar with it.
Recorded Song: Pop, Pop, Pop (TT) (TB) (FT)
by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little”

Album cover for Dream a Little/Sueña un poquito from Nathalia.

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

Craft: Papel picado Craft (TB) (FT)
I’ve seen instructions on how to make simplified papel picado, but that’s still too advanced for my group. Instead, I printed out papel picado coloring sheets from the Greenville (SC) County Library and provided dot markers and tissue paper squares to decorate them with. It was a hit! In both sessions, I had kids working on their craft for much longer than they usually do, even after I’d gotten the toy bins out! I had saved coloring sheets from a previous year from Greenville, which I’m not seeing on their website. I’ve uploaded them here for you to use.

Craft of a papel picado banner, saying "Hispanic Heritage/Herencia Hispana" at the top, and showing two birds flying, among decorative flower, square, and lacy shapes. It's decorated with colored dots and multicolored scrunched up tissue paper squares.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Fiesta Babies – Carmen Tafolla & Amy Có rdova
Los pollitos dicen / The Baby Chicks Are Singing – Ashley Wolff
Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez
Gracias / Thanks – Pat Mora & John Parra
My Name is Celia / Me llamo Celia – Monica Brown & Rafael López
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Brrrum, brrrum, brrrum / Zoom, Zoom, Zoom – Annie Kubler
Eso es mio / That’s Mine – Sumana Seeboruth & Ashleigh Corrin
Nosotros Means Us – Paloma Valdivia
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
Just Ask! – Sonia Sotomayor & Rafael López
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes – Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Alice Schertle, & Viví Escrivá

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/18, 9/19, & 9/20/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Family Storytime: The American Southwest

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Sometimes life inspires storytime! I was planning to take a two week vacation to visit family in Arizona and do some sightseeing as well, so the week before I was to be off, storytime was all about the Southwest! It was fun to do some learning before the trip as well as incorporate things I love about the region, such as the animals and plants that live there. I also wanted to highlight the fact that Native peoples have lived there continuously, as well as it once being a part of Mexico, so there are many wonderful traditions and stories from the region, and they are told in many languages. I had trouble finding a book that was short and simple enough to share from a Native perspective, but I tried to offer some of the longer options on my take-home reading list.

This was also my last outdoor in-person storytime of the season, though I picked up virtual programming again when I returned home in November. It was really nice to be able to offer outdoor programs, but the weather was turning colder and more unpredictable as far as the rain and wet.

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

Early Literacy Tip: The American Southwest has been (and still is) the home of Native American nations for centuries including the Lakota, Navajo, Hopi and many other nations. It was also once a part of a Spanish territory, and then Mexico, before becoming part of the United States. This means a rich collection of stories about the Southwest exists in English, Spanish, and Native languages. Your child can build good speaking and listening skills and habits when they listen and talk to people who are fluent in any language.
Source: Adapted from this Storytime Starter document from the Madison Public Library (WI)

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello!
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Source: Glenside Public Library District

I handed out shaker eggs at the beginning of storytime and we used them for several songs. For this one, we wiggled our eggs, rolled them (rolled our arms), and made a big circle in front of us.
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop
(Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle
And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP
(Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch)
Source: Jbrary

Anytime a rhyme uses “left” and “right,” I make a point of telling the crowd to “mirror me” and I do the opposite.
Fingerplay: Two Desert Tortoises
(tune of Two Little Blackbirds)
Two desert tortoises walking at night
One turns left, the other turns right
Come back tortoises, don’t go away
Come back here, it’s time to play
Source: Brevard County Libraries (FL)

This storytime took place at the tail end of Hispanic Heritage Month, so I mentioned that both Pat Mora and Francisco X. Mora are of Mexican heritage. I read the title in English and Spanish, and mentioned that the book is bilingual, but that I’d only be reading the text in English today.
Read: Listen to the Desert/Oye al desierto by Pat Mora & Francisco X. Mora

Book Cover for Listen to the Desert

Shaker Rhyme: Mr. Rattlesnake
I wish that I could rattle and shake
Just like Mister Rattlesnake!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And shake, shake, shake
Just like Mister Rattlesnake!
Source: MCLS Kids Wiki

I kind of shoehorned this song to be a “shaker” song. Kids could hop like a rabbit, or make their egg shaker “jump.” For the coyote verse, the shaker could be the moon we howled at. The cactus verse didn’t really incorporate it, though!
Shaker Song: In the Desert
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this,
Hop like this, hop like this
The jackrabbit in the desert can hop like this,
All night long!

Additional verses:
The coyotes in the desert can howl…
The rattlesnakes in the desert can rattle…
The saguaro in the desert can stand like this…
Source: Literary Hoots

I really enjoy using my frog rasp instruments with a song written by a fellow librarian and posted on Storytime Underground – Three Frogs in a Bog. I rewrote it so I could have some desert toads! I used the rasps, but encouraged the kids to use their shakers.
Shaker Song: Three Toads
There was a big toad (shake, shake)
Lived in a cactus by the road (shake, shake)
He hopped in the desert (shake, shake)
Croaked his hellos (shake, shake)
Big toad (shake, shake)
By a big road (shake, shake)
Croaked a big hello (shake, shake)
(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)

And then one day (shake, shake, shake)
The toads got together (shake, shake, shake)
Hopped in the desert (shake, shake, shake)
In the hot dusty weather (shake, shake, shake)
Three toads (shake, shake, shake)
Three friends (shake, shake, shake)
The end! (shake, shake, shake)
Source: adapted by Ms. Emily from Ada Moreau Demlow

Three wooden frog rasp instruments, large, medium, and small

Shaker Collecting Song: If You Have a Red Egg
(tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man)
If you have a red egg, a red egg, a red egg
If you have a red egg, please bring it up here!
Repeat with other colors of eggs.
Source: adapted from this ALSC Blog post

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
Since the weather was turning colder, I brought back our soup breathing visualization. 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 of their very favorite soup through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. We repeated about 5 times. 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

One more repeated activity. This has always been a favorite song!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
(hands scrape past each other rhythmically)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
If you want to take a trip (fingers walk up arm)
Climb aboard my rocket ship!
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon!
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF! (crouch, then jump!)
Source: Jbrary

The main reason I chose this one is that it was short and showed some different animals. I wish there were more short titles on this topic!
Read: Way Out West Lives a Coyote Named Frank by Jillian Lund

Book cover for Way Out West Lives a Coyote Named Frank

I *love* this song. It has a great tune and everyone likes howling and snoring! I had fun making a flannel for this one, but generally flannels are too small for the outdoor crowd. Instead, I used a larger template from Nancy Stewart to make bigger coyotes that stuck with magnets to my book cart. The tune I learned is slightly different from Nancy’s original, which a librarian friend Rebecca taught me. You can hear it in the video link above.
Counting/Flannel Song: Five Coyotes
Five coyotes, sittin’ on a hill
Just sittin’ and a howlin’ at the moon
Aahh-ooo!
One coyote had his fill
So he went to sleep and snoozed
Snore!
(Count down)
Source: adapted by Rebecca Ballard from Nancy Stewart

For the regular-sized flannel, I had plans to make them double-sided, with the reverse showing the coyotes curled up and sleeping, but ran out of time. Someday I’ll add that! I also did my best to make the moon look realistic, with craters in the right place. 🙂

Craft: Saguaro Cactus
Inspired by Literary Hoots, this was an easy yet really attractive craft, with some nice 3D elements. Cactus trunks and arms can be cut from construction paper, and the kids can glue them down however they like. I snapped toothpicks in half to make spines they could glue on, and picked out some magenta tissue paper squares they could crumple and glue to the tops. (I learned later that saguaro blooms are white/yellow – oops.)

Craft of a saguaro cactus, with one main trunk and two arms, glued on a sandy colored paper. Toothpicks are glued on as spines, and pink tissue paper flowers are glued to the top of the trunk and arms.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Big Moon Tortilla by Joy Cowley & Dyanne Strongbow
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard & Juana Martinez-Neal
The Seed and the Giant Saguaro by Jennifer Ward & Mike K. Rangner
She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain by Jonathan Emmett & Deborah Allwright

Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Source: King County Library System

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 10/12/21.

Storytime Handout:

A Hoppy, Jumpy Family Storytime

Posted on by msemilylibrary
Photograph of storytime, showing families on the grass and me presenting.

In a further attempt to keep us moving and engaged, I used two books that were smaller/standard size, but big on interactivity for this week’s storytime. Both of them focused on animals that jump and hop! I remember that it was a pretty hot and humid day – can you see most of my families clumped in the shady area to the back? I think we’d mostly lost steam by the time we got to the Croaky Pokey, but the kids did seem to enjoy the party noisemakers that I put in their bags to simulate the *thwap* of the frogs’ tongues!

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

Early Literacy Tip: We do a lot of singing in storytime! Singing is important to early language development because it slows down language and there is often a different note for each syllable. Both of these help children hear the smaller sounds in words. This will later help them sound out words as they learn to read. And don’t worry about how you sound. Your kids love your voice and the fun you have singing together.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, friends! Hello, friends!
Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello!
Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]!
Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello!
(ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”)
Credit: Glenside Public Library District

We did a repeated warm up each week to get everyone loosened up.
Warm-Up Rhyme: Roly Poly
(Roll arms and change voice to coordinate with the lyrics)
Roly poly, roly, poly, up, up, up
Roly poly, roly, poly, down, down, down
Roly poly, roly, poly, out, out, out
Roly poly, roly, poly, in, in, in
Roly poly, roly, poly, BIG, BIG, BIG
Roly poly, roly, poly, very, very small
Roly poly, roly, poly, fast, fast, fast, fast, fast!
Rol…ly… po…ly… in… your… lap
Credit: Rebecca Jane Flanagan

Read/Sing: If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre & Jackie Urbanovic

I made up a new verse for this song for a little gray bunny. The “crunch-a-munch-a-munch” was for some carrot-eating, and the motion I picked was a cross between Bugs Bunny and Groucho Marx waggling a carrot/cigar. (Wait, was Bugs Bunny imitating Groucho? Lightbulb moment!)
Song: Mmm-ah Went the Little Green Frog
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day,
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog
Mmm ahh went the little green frog one day,
And they all went mmm, mmm, ahh
But… We know frogs go sha-na-na-na-na
Sha-na-na-na-na, Sha-na-na-na-na
We know frogs go sha-na-na-na-na
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh!

Hop, Hop went the little gray bunny one day…
But… We know bunnies go crunch-a-munch-a-munch…

Grr, Grr went the big brown bear one day…
But… We know bears go huggy-huggy-hug…
Credit: adapted from Jbrary

During the virtual program, I used my log prop, but since it’s pretty small just did hand motions for the outdoor session.
Counting Song: Five Green & Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious bugs (yum, yum)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs
(count down)
Credit: traditional

Five Speckled Frogs prop - paper towel tube with 5 frog tabs that can be pushed downward to show a wave on the opposite side.

Breathing Break: Soup Breathing
This was part of our repeated activities in June. 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 of their very favorite soup through their noses, then slowly and gently breathed out through their mouths to cool off this hot soup. We repeated about 5 times, and after the 1st time with explanation, I used my Hoberman sphere to help them visualize the in and out breaths. 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.
Credit: Lucky Little Learners

Another repeated activity during June.
Song: Look at All the Bunnies
Look at all the bunnies sleeping til it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
Oh so still! Are they ill?
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Stop little bunnies, stop, stop, stop
And…. 1, 2, 3, SILLY FREEZE!
Credit: King County Library System

Fingerplay: Mr. Bullfrog
Here is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
Sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water… (lift fist)
KERPLOP! (clap hands together)
Credit: Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends

I invited the group to get out their party noisemakers from their packets during this book and use them everytime the frog went “Thwap!” As I mentioned, it was hot and by this time the kids weren’t doing the hokey pokey movements, but there were a lot of “Thwaps” happening!
Read/Sing: The Croaky Pokey! by Ethan Long

Three multi-colored party noisemakers, which when blown, unwrap like a frog's tongue.

Recorded Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Jazzy Ash

In the virtual version, I did this song instead of Teddy Bear. I realized that morning I had forgotten my three frog rasp instruments that I usually use for this song, so improvised with a plain rasp we have at the library and used three different sounding implements to make a big, middle, and small sound.
Instrument Song: Three Frogs in a Bog
(find 3 instruments (even pots and pans!) that make a big/deep sound, a middle sound, and a little/high sound to imitate the frogs)
There was a big frog (big sound, big sound)
Lived in a big bog (big, big)
He swam in the water (big, big)
Played on a big log (big, big)
Big log (big, big)
Big bog (big, big)
Big frog (big, big)

(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)
And then one day (big sound, middle sound, little sound)
The frogs got together (big, middle, little)
They swam in the water (big, middle, little)
In the bright sunny weather (big, middle, little)
Three frogs (big, middle, little)
Three friends (big, middle, little)
The end! (big, middle, little)
Credit: Ada Moreau Demlow

Screenshot of video, showing the rasp instrument and me holding three implements to make different sounds on it.

Craft: Jumpy Frog
There are LOTS of frog crafts out there. I didn’t want anything too intricate since I was short on time and needed to make a lot of them, so settled on a frog with accordion-folded arms and legs. I was inspired by this craft at All Kids Network but decided to simplify the head and make the body more squat and oval shaped, and leaving off the tongue and separate mouth piece entirely. My template works well printed on regular paper, then stapled to a few sheets of green construction paper to cut out. The blank side and top parts can be cut into 1 inch strips for the arms and legs.

Download the template here!

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Leap! by JonArno Lawson & Josée Bisaillon
Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack

Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator
(tune of Clementine)
See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other)
In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth)
Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!)
Credit: King County Library System

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 6/15/21.

Storytime Handout:

Preschool Storytime: Sounds We Hear

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Books with great sounds and onomatopoeia abound in children’s literature, and instruments and noisemakers are fascinating to kids. I wish we’d been in person for this theme – I don’t think it translates quite as well virtually, but we do our best.

You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.

See another version of this theme from 2025.

squeak, rumble, whomp, whomp, whomp book cover, with a picture of a Black boy playing a trumpet with a black cat looking in the background.

Early Literacy Tip: One way to support early literacy is to help children recognize that print has meaning. When we talk about the words on the page as we read them, children are making the connection between the written word and the meaning of the word. A great place to begin is by pointing out where sounds are written out differently from the other words, as they are in our book, Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

General discussion on sound – how can we make noise? How do we hear noise? Why do we hear noise in our ears? I showed and read just two spreads (pgs 12-15) from a nonfiction title, showing the vocal chords and the inside of the ear.
Read: (selection from) Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer & Anna Chernyshova

Activity: Demonstrating Sound
Put a couple of dried beans on a drum and show how they jump and vibrate with each beat. Ask the kids to touch their throats while humming to feel the vibrations. Block your ears and see how well the sound waves get through.

Action Rhyme: I Played My Drum – Tum, Tum, Tum
(match actions to words)
I played my drum – tum, tum, tum
I played my violin – zum, zum, zum
I played my harmonica – hum, hum, hum
I played my guitar – strum, strum, strum
I played my piano – dee, dee, dum
I’m all quiet now – mum, mum, mum
Credit: King County Library System

Read: Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers

Fingerplay: Quiet Mouse
Here’s a quiet little mouse (show thumb)
Living in a quiet little house (hold thumb in fist)
When all was quiet as could be (shh with other hand)
OUT! popped he! (pop out thumb)
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! (wiggle thumb)
Credit: Mel’s Desk

I did this one only in the YouTube video – it probably would make the storytime with the books being read in full too long. I use my wooden frog rasps for this.
Instrument Song: Three Frogs in a Bog
(find 3 instruments (even pots and pans!) that make a big/deep sound, a middle sound, and a little/high sound to imitate the frogs)
There was a big frog (big sound, big sound)
Lived in a big bog (big, big)
He swam in the water (big, big)
Played on a big log (big, big)
Big log (big, big)
Big bog (big, big)
Big frog (big, big)

(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)
And then one day (big sound, middle sound, little sound)
The frogs got together (big, middle, little)
They swam in the water (big, middle, little)
In the bright sunny weather (big, middle, little)
Three frogs (big, middle, little)
Three friends (big, middle, little)
The end! (big, middle, little)
Credit: Ada Moreau Demlow

Three wooden rasp instruments in the shape of frogs, each a different size.

Flannel Rhyme: What Noise Do I Make?
I just used a few animal flannels I had, and decided I needed a vehicle, too, so made the truck to go “vroom!” I realized after doing the YT video that “shake” needed to really be a shaker, not me shaking my shoulders…ay, yi, yi.

Flannel Rhyme: What Noise Do I Make?
I just used a few animal flannels I had, and decided I needed a vehicle, too, so made the truck to go “vroom!” My control-freak heart wishes the styles were all different or all the same, but that’s how it goes. AND – I realized after doing the YT video that “shake” needed to really be a shaker, not me shaking my shoulders…ay, yi, yi.
Clap, stomp!
Clap, clap, shake!
Can you make the noise that I make?
Credit: STEM in Libraries


I love this book, and its companion, Dancing Feet – both have just fantastic rhythm.
Read: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown

We couldn’t do a “sound” storytime without our shaker songs!
Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker
(tune of London Bridge)
Shake your shakers in the air, Shake it here, shake it there
Shake your shakers in the air, Shake your shakers

Shake it high and shake it low, Shake it yes, shake it no
Shake it high and shake it low, Shake your shakers

Shake it up and shake it down, Shake your shaker on the ground
Shake it up and shake it down, Shake your shakers

Shake it near and shake it far, Drive your shaker like a car
Shake it near and shake it far, Shake your shaker

Shake it fast and shake it slow, Shake it stop, shake it go
Shake it fast and shake it slow, Shake your shaker
Credit: Jbrary

Shaker Song: Shake it to the East
Shake it to the east, Shake it to the west
Shake it all around, and then you take a rest
Shake your shakers up, Shake your shakers down
Shake it, shake it, shake it, and then you settle down.
Credit: Jbrary

All these great sounds make me want to dance. Let’s see how these kids do it!
Read: How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle & Randy Cecil

Ukulele Song: Shake My Sillies Out
I gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away!

Additional verses:
I gotta clap, clap, clap my crazies out…
I gotta jump, jump, jump my jiggles out…
I gotta stretch, stretch, stretch my stretchies out…
I gotta yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out…
Credit: Raffi (from the album Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band)

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail of "shake my sillies out" ukulele song

Craft: String Telephone
Decorate two cups with crayons or stickers. Carefully thread the ends of the string into the hole on the bottom of each cup, from outside to inside. Tie a knot on each end of the string. Optionally, you can also tape it down on the inside of the cup. Now, you and a friend hold the cups at a distance that makes the string taut (but don’t pull too hard or jerk the cups). Make sure the string isn’t touching anything else. One person talks into the cup while the other puts the cup to their ear. Can you hear each other? Try whispering and speaking normally. Experiment! Try the different tests on the Experiment sheet. Ask your child to make predictions/guess what will happen before trying each one.
Other Sound Activities:
Collect a variety of containers: plastic cups and bowls, metal or aluminum bowls or pie plates, styrofoam egg cartons, ceramic mugs – and different shapes – a plastic champagne flute, a plastic bowl, a plastic bag, etc. Use dry beans or rice and let your child pour them into the various containers. What different sounds do the beans make as you pour them into different containers? This is an activity that engages several of our senses – hearing, seeing, touching. To contain a potential mess, let them play on the floor with a bedsheet underneath!
Brainstorm what would make good noisemakers from household objects. The kitchen is a great place to start! Explore what sounds different objects make. Does it sound different when you hit a pot with a wooden spoon vs. a whisk? Get the family involved and have a family band or drum circle. A leader can tap out different rhythms and the rest of the family repeats them.

Click here to download the String Phone Experiment Sheet.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
So Many Sounds by Tim McCanna & Andy J. Miller
Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump! by K.L. Going & Simone Shin
Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler & R. Gregory Christie

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 11/10/20.

Storytime Handout: