Tag: nature

book covers of gather round, red canoe shows up at two, and the sharing book.

Storytime: Camping

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Welcome back, friends! I’m back from leave and started up my first storytime last week. I’m down to part-time hours, so I’m offering a Wednesday morning Family Time (ages 0-3.5 and siblings) and a Wednesday afternoon Book Babies (0-12 months, or pre-walkers.) I’m collaborating with a coworker, who is offering a Monday and Tuesday storytime with the same theme as my Family Time. Since we are both part-time now, we’re switching off all the planning duties for our weekly themes, and I started with a camping theme.

Coming back after four months away does feel like riding a bike – I know how to do it, but getting back on I was a bit wobbly. I felt like I could have read the room better and skipped activities or brought the group back with more movement. This new set up will take some getting used to – having three storytimes per week used to mean that I could tweak and try different things as the days went by, but now I’m one and done, with no opportunity to try again.

New challenges, new opportunities, right? Camping is a theme I’ve done once before, way back in 2019 and at a different library for a different age group. So this time around I’ve revamped it quite a bit, and found some new songs and rhymes that I liked.

I’ve also got some ideas simmering, so stay tuned for some new Storytime with Ms. Emily Library content coming this fall!

You can find another version of this theme from 2019.

gather round book cover, with an illustration of a campfire with marshmallows being roasted around it and fireflies in the background
red canoe shows up at two book cover, with a photograph of a red canoe at the shore of a tree lined lake.
the sharing book cover with two children hugging in the foreground and a forest with campsites in the background

Early Literacy Tip: Singing with our children is one way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words, especially if there is a different note for each syllable. In “Walking, Walking” the word “walking” has two syllables and two different notes. Learning to hear the individual sounds of words is called phonological awareness, and developing this skill will help your child later with reading.

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: Has anyone been camping before? It’s so fun! You get to spend time outdoors, observe nature, cook over a campfire, and sleep in a tent!

Fingerplay: Here Are the Campers
Here are the campers (hold up 2 fingers)
Here is the tent (bend fingers of other hand over like tent)
And when it was night that’s where they went (fingers go under other hand)
Fireflies flicker in a friendly way (fists open & shut)
And the campers sleep tight ‘Til the light of day (head on folded hands)
Source: adapted from Sturgis Kids Wiki

here are the campers thumbnail, with a graphic of a modern dome tent surrounded by fireflies. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This is a beautiful book, and short, but it ended up being a little too abstract, or maybe too quiet for my group. I ended up just describing the pictures on the last few pages rather than reading the text.
Read: Gather Round by David Covell

gather round book cover, with an illustration of a campfire with marshmallows being roasted around it and fireflies in the background

Two fun books that were my backups. I like to give myself options and choose a book based on the moment. Looking back, I probably should have chosen Red Canoe for my audience. It’s pretty short and snappy. A few of the boats aren’t “camping” boats (like the tugboat at 1:00), but most of the rest are.
Backup titles: Red Canoe Shows Up at Two by Victoria Allenby OR The Sharing Book by Dianne White & Simone Shin

red canoe shows up at two book cover, with a photograph of a red canoe at the shore of a tree lined lake.
the sharing book cover with two children hugging in the foreground and a forest with campsites in the background

I wanted to highlight a lot of the things that I love best about camping, and hiking is one of them! I set the scene for each verse before we sang the song. I always want what we do to make sense, and telling the “story” of our hike gets everyone more excited.
Let’s go on a hike! Okay, we’ll start by walking down the trail, then – oh! there’s a log fallen over the path! We’ll have to jump over it. Then a long, straight stretch – we should race!
Action Song: Walking, Walking
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Walking, walking (Walking, walking)
Jump, jump, jump (Jump, jump, jump)
Running, running, running (Running, running, running)
Now we stop! (Now we stop)

[Okay, let’s keep hiking – until we get to a stream. We’ll need to hop across the rocks. And beyond that there’s a large ridge – can we climb to the top?]
Hiking, hiking (Hiking, hiking)
Hop, hop, hop (Hop, hop, hop)
Climbing, climbing, climbing (Climbing, climbing, climbing)
Now we stop! (Now we stop!)
[Oh, it’s so beautiful up here! Let’s look around – I see the stream, and the trail. Can we take a big breath of fresh air?]
Source: adapted from Jbrary

walking walking thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of hiking boots. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s going to be dark soon, let’s build our fire. There are so many sights and sounds when you go camping that you don’t see or hear at home.
Action Song: The Fire at the Camp
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The fire at the camp goes Crackle, crackle, POP (wiggle fingers, then clap)
Crackle, crackle, POP, Crackle, crackle, POP
The fire at the camp goes Crackle, crackle, POP
All night long!

Additional verses:
Fireflies at night go blink, blink, blink… (open and close hands)
Rain on my tent goes pitter, pitter, PAT… (pat lap)
The moon up above glows so bright… (circle arms above head)
The water in the river goes whoosh… (move hand up and down)
The leaves in the trees go rustle… (wave hands)
Source: The Crazy Outdoor Mama via Pinterest

the fire at the camp thumbnail, with a graphic of a fire transposed behind the lyrics of the first verse. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I didn’t end up doing this one but had it available in case I needed it.
Fingerplay: Two Little Fireflies
Two little fireflies Blinking in the sky
One blinked low And one blinked high
Fly away low, Fly away high
Come back low Come back high

Two little fireflies Blinking in the grass
One blinked slow And one blinked fast
Fly away slow, Fly away fast
Come back slow Come back fast
Source: Indiana Firefly Award 2020 Program Guide

two little fireflies thumbnail, with a graphic of two cartoon fireflies. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When you’re camping, you may hear wildlife! Birds, squirrels, cicadas, owls. Maybe even something like a coyote! Don’t worry, these coyotes are just having fun howling at the moon.
I love using this song – it’s just a lot of fun to do all the howling and snoring!
Flannel/Counting 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

five coyotes thumbnail, with a graphic of a coyote silhouette howling in front of a yellow moon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

You might be able to go on a lake or river when you camp, so let’s row our boats.
Originally I’d planned to use scarves for this program, but we were going to use them for next week, so I changed to shakers. For several songs, including this one, we just shook our eggs in rhythm with the song.
Shaker Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream!

Rock, rock, rock your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to SCREAM! (Aaah!)

Row, row, row your boat
Gently to the shore
If you see a lion there
Don’t forget to ROAR! (Grrrrr!)
Source: traditional

row your boat thumbnail, with a graphic of a rowboat and a cartoon alligator. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Did you know you can make popcorn over a campfire?
Shaker Rhyme: Pop, Pop, Pop
Pop, pop, pop, put the corn in the pot
Pop, pop, pop, shake it ‘til it’s hot
Pop, pop, pop, Lift the lid and what have you got?
Popcorn!
Source: Jbrary

pop pop pop thumbnail, with a graphic of a small pile of unpopped popcorn kernels and two popped. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Popcorn is tasty, but my FAVORITE campfire treats are s’mores!
The shaker was really just a rhythm prop for this one. We started by patting our laps and clapping, then miming the stacking of the graham crackers and chocolate, and toasting over a fire.
Shaker Rhyme: Campfire, Campfire
(in the style of Pat a Cake)
Campfire, campfire, Toast me a s’more
Graham crackers, chocolate But we need more: Marshmallow!
Toast it and roast it and Get it just right
Put it on top for a Toasted delight!
Source: adapted from The Crazy Outdoor Mama via Pinterest

campfire campfire thumbnail, with a graphic of a s'more. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Okay, friends. It’s getting dark; it’s time to get into our tents, and find our sleeping bags, and say goodnight. Can you make twinkling stars with your shakers?
Ukulele and Shaker Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Source: traditional

Download a Ukulele Songsheet here!

Thumbnail for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ukulele songsheet

twinkle twinkle thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling blue star in front of a pink cloud. 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: S’mores
A borrow from Miss Mariah’s Library – s’mores cross-sections using jumbo craft sticks, construction paper, and cotton balls, decorated with chalk or white crayon.

photo of s'mores craft. dk blue paper is the background, on which is a s'more made of two jumbo craft sticks as the graham crackers, a strip of brown construction paper as the chocolate, and four cotton balls as the marshmallow. stars are drawn in the background in white crayon.

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)
The Hike – Alison Farrell
The Camping Trip – Jennifer K. Mann
Make More S’mores – Cathy Ballou Mealey & Ariel Landy
Fatima’s Great Outdoors – Ambreen Tariq & Stevie Lewis
Maisy Goes Camping – Lucy Cousins
Hiking Day – Anne Rockwell & Lizzy Rockwell
A Bed of Stars – Jessica Love
Camp Rex – Molly Idle
Hungry Bird – Jeremy Tankard
Daddy & Me, Side by Side – Pierce Freelon & Nadia Fisher
Bear Hug – Lawrence Pringle & Kate Salley Palmer
Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark – Jonathan Stutzman & Jay Fleck

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/6/25.

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

ploof and little cloud book covers

Storytime: Clouds

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I’m dreaming of warm sunny days with soft puffy clouds drifting, although this spring has brought much more dark rainclouds and overcast skies. Clouds are like that, though! Clouds are a theme you can take in a few directions, obviously weather, but also shapes, or even imagination! There are a few newer titles on clouds, as well as classics like It Looked Like Spilt Milk, so I was able to find plenty of books for display and take-home.

Our craft this session, making cloud dough, was quite messy, but every so often I do like to tackle a messy craft. After all, I am on the clock so I’m getting paid to clean up!

book cover for ploof, showing a white cloud with big eyes and a small smile on a light blue sky
book cover for little cloud, showing a white scribbled cloud with abstract eyes, nose, and smile.

Early Literacy Tip: Playing with playdough, kneading bread dough, or squishing a soft ball are not only fun activities with a unique sensory component, they also help strengthen the hand muscles. These muscles will be important when your child is learning to write later on!

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 springtime, and how much the weather changes in the spring. Today we’re talking about clouds, which play very important role in our weather. They can also be beautiful to look at, and come in all different shapes and sizes!

Can we pretend to be clouds? What does your cloud look like?
Song: I’m a Little Cloud (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little cloud up in the sky
You can find me way up high
Sometimes I’m puffy,
Sometimes stretched out
I just love to float about
Source: Jen in the Library

I'm a little cloud thumbnail, with a graphic of a white cloud with a smiling face and pink cheeks. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

A fantastic interactive read that touches not only on clouds, but also feelings and shapes. I see there’s a new one in the series, too, Paint with Ploof, which would be awesome if you’re doing the CSLP theme Color Our World this summer. So good I did it for all four of my sessions!
Read: Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser (TT) (TB) (FT)

book cover for ploof, showing a white cloud with big eyes and a small smile on a light blue sky

This was a backup title for me but I didn’t end up using it.
Read: Little Cloud by Eric Carle

book cover for little cloud, showing a white scribbled cloud with abstract eyes, nose, and smile.

If you were a cloud way up high in the sky, what might you see?
I was inspired by Abby the Librarian, but used either felt pieces that I already had or ones that we have a die cut for to make creating the felt easy and quick. I wanted to end with the sun, as a transition to the next rhyme.
Flannel Chant: Fluffy Cloud, What Do You See? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Fluffy cloud, fluffy cloud,
What do you see?
I see an orange butterfly looking at me!

What else might a cloud see? Try making up your own!
…green kite …white airplane …red rocket …yellow sun
Source: adapted from Abby the Librarian

flannel of fluffy cloud what do you see, with three white clouds, an orange and black butterfly, a green kite, white airplane, red rocket ship, and yellow sun.

Fluffy cloud what do you see thumbnail, with a graphic of a light blue cloud with a smiling face next to a monarch orange butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I imagine that the sun and the clouds are good friends.
Action Rhyme: Big Round Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Big round sun in the summer sky (circle arms overhead)
Waved to a cloud that was passing by (wave)
The little cloud laughed as it started to rain (wiggle fingers down)
Then out came the big round sun again (circle overhead)
Source: Mel’s Desk

big round sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling yellow and orange sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I ended up not using this one, but I reimagined my “Find the Moon” hide and seek game for the sun. There were just too many fun things to fit them all in!
Here come some clouds, it’s getting overcast! The sun is playing peekaboo
Flannel Rhyme Game: Find the Sun
Yellow sun, yellow sun,
Come out to play!
Which cloud are you hiding behind today?
Source: original

find the sun flannel, showing four big cloud shapes - blue, purple, mint green, and peach colored, with a yellow sun peeking from behind the blue one.

find the sun thumbnail, with a graphic of four clouds - teal, purple, pink, and mint green, and a sun with a face peeking from the blue one. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

And again, just not enough time for everything. I have done this one in the past and it’s fun to do, with the whooshing at the end! I would have used the large colored clouds shown in the “Find the Sun” rhyme above.
Counting/Flannel Fingerplay: Five Little Clouds
Five little clouds up in the sky (five fingers up)
Drifting, floating, way up high (drift hand)
When a big gust of wind came blowing through – Whoosh! (blow on hand)
One disappeared from the sky so blue (lower a finger, count down)
Source: Jen in the Library

five little clouds thumbnail, with a graphic of five different white cloud shapes outlined in black. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get our scarves out. The weather is turning windy!
I do this two or three times, hiding my scarf in different places. They especially like it when I put it under my shirt or up a sleeve!
Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

one bright scarf thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow scarf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We did this rhyme last week with our parachute. Let’s try it with our scarves this week!
Scarf Song: Rain Is Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!
Pitter patter pitter patter,
Rain is falling down, SPLASH!

Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Peeking here, peeking there,
Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Source: Jbrary

rain is falling down thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling cartoon raincloud with a sun peeking from behind it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, no! The weather is turning stormy! Can you make your scarf big?
Scarf Song: Big Dark Clouds (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
Some big dark clouds, Some big dark clouds (hold hands apart)
Raindrops falling from (wiggle fingers down)
Some big dark clouds (x2)

A thunderclap – BOOM! (clap) A thunderclap – BOOM! (clap)
Raindrops falling from some big dark clouds (x2)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

big dark clouds thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark gray stormcloud with a lightning bolt and raindrops. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The rain is going away, and now it’s time for the sun to come out again. Can your scarves be little puffy clouds floating in a beautiful sunshiny sky?
Scarf Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

Craft: Cloud Dough (TB) (FT)
Some days we go big on the craft. Cloud dough is fun but very messy! I did my best to control it, but it was inevitable. I meant to take pictures of the setup and the aftermath, but didn’t even get any pictures of my finished product! The recipe came from Southern Plate, and it’s basically 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part hair conditioner. I bought six 12 oz boxes of cornstarch and three large (28 oz) bottles of Suave conditioner and that lasted me through 50+ portions. I pre-measured 1/4 cup of cornstarch in big bowls we had in storage (they’re Halloween candy bowls!) so they had lots of space to mix. Then I pre-measured 2 Tbsp conditioner into small disposable bowls and gave everyone a plastic spoon. I did mention to grownups that if they were doing this at home, I would encourage them doing the measuring with their kid as it’s a great way to get some math and spatial skill practice in, but with the big group I didn’t want big scoops of cornstarch or conditioner going everywhere. Everyone got a small snack sized plastic bag to take their cloud dough home. Clean up was a lot, but, hey – I’m getting paid to clean up the mess!

photo of a hand gripping cloud dough, a white fluffy play-dough-like material.
Photo from Southern Plate blog

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)
It Looked Like Spilt Milk – Charles G. Shaw
Partly Cloudy – Deborah Freedman
Cloudette – Tom Lichtenheld
Cloudy – Alice K Flanagan
When Cloud Became a Cloud – Rob Hodgson
Clouds – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace
Weather Together – Jessie Sima
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Cloudland – John Burningham
Moongame – Frank Asch
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Paint with Ploof – Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/24, 3/25, 3/26, & 3/27/25.

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

whats new daniel, when spring comes, and little book about spring book covers

Storytime: Spring

Posted on by msemilylibrary

A seasonal storytime is a great one to do – there are so many aspects to each season that there are a lot of activities to pull from. For this week I focused on weather, sprouting plants, and animals that have their babies in the spring. You could also go with gardening, bugs, (bug option 2 here), eggs, seeds, or wind.

what's new daniel book cover, with a little boy in a red hoodie crouching on a rock looking into a pond
when spring comes book cover, with three white kittens looking up at cherry blossoms and a robin.
a little book about spring, with mice looking at the large letters of spring decorated in different colors and textures.

Early Literacy Tip: As we do fingerplays and action songs, we are working on our fine and gross motor skills. Both are necessary for learning to write. Doing storytime activities at home with your child now will help develop the muscles and skills your child will need to learn to write later on.

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: Friday will be the first day of the new season. Does anyone know what it is? Hint – right now we’re in “winter.” What happens during the season of spring? (temps warm, weather is unpredictable, flowers and other plants sprout, many animal babies are born.)

In the spring, the weather can do anything! Sunshine, rain, wind, even snow! Let’s check. What’s it like outside today?
I showed different weather symbols and asked them to say what kind of weather it was. I chose about four of the eight to do at each session: sun, rain, wind, and something else. Usually I get my ukulele out at the end of a storytime, but this week it was the first themed song we did. You can download my printable flannel template here!
Flannel/Ukulele Song: What’s the Weather? (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Clementine)
What’s the weather, what’s the weather,
What’s the weather, everyone?
Is it windy, is it cloudy,
Is there rain, or is there sun?
Source: Storytime Katie

Download a ukulele songsheet for What’s the Weather here!

what's the weather ukulele songsheet thumbnail

What's the weather flannel, showing eight circles with a blue background and various weather symbols: sun, wind, clouds, sun behind clouds, snow, rain, cloud with lightning, and fog

what's the weather thumbnail, with a graphic of four blue circles with weather symbols on them: wind, clouds, rain, and sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

I LOVE this book. It’s so sweet, and I love the interplay between the natural world and the child’s world. The turnaround at the end (where Daniel asks grandpa what’s new with HIM) is an unusual example of modeling empathy and care for caregivers rather than showing the child being the only subject of questions and concern. My group’s attention seemed to wander toward the end, though, so I didn’t try it again at the other sessions.
Read: What’s New, Daniel by Micha Archer (TT)

what's new daniel book cover, with a little boy in a red hoodie crouching on a rock looking into a pond

Read: When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes & Laura Dronzek (TB)

when spring comes book cover, with three white kittens looking up at cherry blossoms and a robin.

By far the simplest of the three, I chose this one when my Wednesday group was already very wiggly.
Read: A Little Book About Spring by Leo Lionni & Julie Hamilton (FT)

a little book about spring, with mice looking at the large letters of spring decorated in different colors and textures.

Let’s see, what’s the weather… it is raining!
Action Rhyme: “Splash!” Fall the Raindrops (TT) (TB) (FT)
“Splash!” fall the raindrops (wiggle fingers down)
To the ground they go (pat lap in rhythm)
We need the rain (pat lap quickly)
To help the flowers grow (lift hands and wiggle up)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

splash fall the raindrops thumbnail, with a graphic of a droplet of water splashing on the left and a small yellow flower on the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When there are new spring flowers, there are also bees to collect their pollen and make honey.
Tickle/Fingerplay: Here Is the Beehive (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is the beehive, (make fist)
But where are all the bees?
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 centered on a red circle. Five small bees fly around it.. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Who is this? A duck! And duck has an egg. I hear something cracking… it’s hatching! Can you be a duckling?
I switched from “little duck” to “duckling,” but I love all these actions!
Action Rhyme: Duckling (TT) (TB) (FT)
Duckling, duckling, waddle around
Duckling, duckling, touch the ground
Duckling, duckling, wings go flap
Duckling, duckling, “Quack, quack, quack!”
Duckling, duckling, jump into the river
Duckling, duckling, give a little shiver
Duckling, duckling, shake your feet
Duckling, duckling, find your seat
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Duckling flannel and puppet - a fat yellow duck puppet poses in front of the flannelboard, which shows a blue-green egg and duckling flannel pieces.

duckling, duckling thumbnail, with a graphic of a realistic looking brown and yellow duckling. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another animal who has its babies in the springtime is the bunny.
I cut this one for time after the first session.
Fingerplay: Here is a Bunny (TT)
Here is a bunny with ears so funny (bunny ear fingers, bent)
And here is his hole in the ground (make circle w/ other hand)
At the first sound he hears, he pricks up his ears (extend ears)
And hops in the hole in the ground (fingers jump into the hole)
Source: Storytime Katie

here is a bunny thumbnail, with a graphic of a gray bunny posing next to a patch of grass with a hole in it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out the parachute! In the springtime, the weather can change quickly. We did this song last week with scarves, let’s try it this week with the parachute.
We haven’t gotten the parachute out in a while. I have to remind myself that a lot of the songs we do with scarves can also be done with a parachute.
Parachute Song: Rain Is Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain is falling down, SPLASH! Rain is falling down, SPLASH!
Pitter patter pitter patter, Rain is falling down, SPLASH!

Sun is peeking out, PEEK! Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Peeking here, peeking there, Sun is peeking out, PEEK!
Source: Jbrary

rain is falling down thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling cartoon raincloud with a sun peeking from behind it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s sing about the itsy bitsy spider in some unpredictable spring weather.
I sing “up came the sun” instead of the traditional “out came the sun” to emphasize the up and down motion of the parachute.
Parachute Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (TT) (TB) (FT)
(lift and lower scarf when the song indicates up or down)
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Up came the sun and dried up all the rain
So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again
Source: traditional

the itsy bitsy spider thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling spider next to a rain gutter attached to a red brick wall. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can we pretend that we’re planting some seeds?
I added some scarves to the middle of the parachute as our “seeds” and then we popped them up to become flowers. I was not completely sure if scarves would pop up or stick to the parachute, but they did! They floated perfectly! I will definitely be using scarves on top of the parachute in the future.
Parachute/Scarf Rhyme: Little Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little seed in the ground
Sitting oh, so still
Little seed, will you sprout?
YES, I WILL! (pop scarf up in the air)
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Little seed thumbnail, with a graphic of a seedling sprouting with a watering can above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now our scarves are butterflies! Let’s help them flutter!
The power of imagination transforms our flower-scarves into butterfly-scarves.
Parachute/Scarf Song: Flutter Butterfly (TT) (TB) (FT)
Flutter, flutter butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky
Floating by for all to see
Floating by so merrily
Flutter, flutter butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky
Source: Storytime Katie

flutter butterfly thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink cartoon butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My go-to way to put the parachute away.
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: Tissue Paper Butterflies (TB) (FT)
Inspired by the Taming Little Monsters blog, I found a simple butterfly outline in Canva, and sized to to print two per page of cardstock. Volunteers cut them out and I provided tissue paper squares to decorate. We added regular craft sticks and a loop of yarn to make a hanger.

butterfly craft with wings covered in colored tissue paper and the body made from a craft stick with a face drawn on. A loop of yarn is attached as a hanger.

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)
Mouse’s First Spring – Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan
How to Say Hello to a Worm – Kari Percival
Emile and the Field – Kevin Young & Chioma Ebinama
On a Snow-Melting Day – Buffy Silverman
And Then it’s Spring – Julie Fogliano & Erin E. Stead
An Earth Song – Langston Hughes & Tequitia Andrews
A Seed Grows – Antoinette Portis
The Tiny Seed – Eric Carle
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring – Kenard Pak
Escargot & the Search for Spring – Dashka Slater & Sydney Hanson

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/17, 3/18, & 3/19/25.

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

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

Storytime: Trees

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download my version of the songsheet here.

thumbnail for my roots go down ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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: Let’s Picnic

Posted on by msemilylibrary

One last May storytime to blog!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mouse's first summer book cover

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

Pignic book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

thumbnail for picnic in the park songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: At the Pond

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Summer is coming, so I’ve been a little slow with blog posts!

A pond storytime is a lot of fun, since there are lots of extension activities that go along with pond animals – ducks, frogs, fish, turtles, even bugs! I actually had several extra rhymes and songs in reserve that I didn’t end up using in the time we had, but might be good alternate options for you.

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes can help children look a bit more carefully at the natural world around them. Take the opportunities that rhymes offer to have conversations with your child. The rhyme “There Was a Little Turtle” gives you a chance to talk about turtles – where they live, what they eat, and that some kinds of turtles might bite!

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* (FT)

Intro: Today we are talking about a special ecosystem where plants and animals live together – a pond! Can anyone think of something they might find in or near a pond? Fish, ducks, turtles, frogs, mosquitos, water beetles, dragonflies, water lilies, reeds, mud…

This is such a fun rhyme! I’d done it in my Baby program but not for this group. The person who posted it to the Storytime Solidarity Facebook Group didn’t have a source, so if anyone knows where it came from or who wrote it, please let me know!
Bounce/Lift: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy (TT) (FT)
Fishy, fishy, fishy goes swishy, swishy, swishy (bounce)
Flip flop, flip flop, flip flop (rock side to side)
Uuuuup, (lift baby high in air) KERPLOP! (return baby to lap)
Source: Storytime Solidarity

I used my hands to do the motions as if they were duck “flippers,” except for the quacking of the beak.
Action Rhyme: Little Baby Ducklings (TT)
Little baby ducklings- dash, dash, dash
Jumped in the duck pond- splash, splash, splash
When their Mother called them- quack, quack, quack
Little baby ducklings- swam right back
Source: Preschool Express

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

Read: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming (TT)

Book cover for In the Small Small Pond

What a lovely book. It’s very simple, just various animal and nature noises, but the colored pencil illustrations are exquisite, and the pacing lends itself so well to a group. I ask everyone to make the rain and thunder noises with lap pats and big claps, then we slowly ease back for the end of the book.
Read: A Perfect Day by Jennifer Yerkes (TB) (FT)

book cover for A Perfect Day

Fingerplay: There Was a Little Turtle (TT) (TB) (FT)
There was a little turtle (make fist)
who lived in a box (cover fist with arm)
he swam in the puddles (fist wiggles like swimming)
he climbed on the rocks (fist climbs up opposite arm)
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea (pinch with thumb and fingers at each “snap”)
He snapped at a minnow, he snapped at me!
He caught that mosquito, He caught that flea (clap each “caught”)
He caught that minnow
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

Song: All the Fish (TT) (TB) (FT)
All the fish are swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water:
Bubble, bubble, bubble, SPLASH!

All the ducks are quacking…
All the frogs are jumping…
All the kids are splashing…
Source: Caspar Babypants (from the album I Found You)

I didn’t end up using this one.
Rhyme: I Caught a Fish
One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish alive
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Then I threw it back again
Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so
Which finger did it bite? This little finger on my right
Source: traditional

Action Rhyme: A Fat Little Frog (TT) (FT)
A fat little frog came hop, hop, hop!
He jumped on a log with a plop, plop, plop
He sat very still and he rolled his eyes
Then out came his tongue to catch some flies!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I had a puppet (well, a plastic bath squirter for the fish…) for each verse, which made this one very engaging.
Song: Mmm-ah (TB) (FT)
Mmm-ahh (stick out tongue) 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 (clap) sha-na-na-na-na (wiggle arms)
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!

Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish one day…
But… we know fish go kissy-kissy-kiss
Quack, quack went the yellow duck one day…
But… we know ducks like to shake a tail feather… (shake bottom)
Source: Jbrary, duck verse original

a green frog puppet, a yellow duck puppet, and a small blue plastic fish bath squirter.

Another one that didn’t end up happening. So many great songs for pond animals!
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

Ukulele Song: Six Little Ducks (TB) (FT)
Six little ducks That I once knew
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones, too
But the one little duck
with the feather on his back
He led the others with a quack, quack, quack
A quack, quack, quack, A quack, quack, quack
He led the others With a quack, quack, quack
Source: traditional, as sung by Raffi

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Six Little Ducks” here!

Six Little Ducks songsheet thumbnail

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

Craft: Lily Pad (TB) (FT)
To make a cute little lily pad, we started with small green paper plates with a small wedge cut out. I provided die-cut frogs and flowers, plus a small strip of red paper curled around a pencil for the frog’s tongue. With googly eyes and some crayon details, they turned out pretty cute.

craft with a green plate with a small wedge cut out, decorated with a pink paper flower and frog with googly eyes and a long curly strip of red paper for a tongue.

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)
Scoot! – Cathryn Falwell
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Song of the Water Boatman – Joyce Sidman & Beckie Prange
The Wide-Mouthed Frog – Rex Schneider
Over and Under the Pond – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
At the Pond – Geraldo Valério
I’m a Duck – Eve Bunting & Will Hillenbrand
At the Pond – David Elliott & Amy Schimler-Safford
Maisy Goes on a Nature Walk – Lucy Cousins

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/8, 5/9, & 5/10/23.

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: Earth Day

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

book cover for change starts with us

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

book cover for thank you earth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: The Seeds of Spring

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Springtime in Indiana is capricious, but thankfully we had some warm days, some rain, and some early blooms to reflect on. Although an ostensibly “springtime” theme, I focused mostly on seeds and plants. I’ve done gardening themes before, and I’ve also done a couple of sessions on bugs (here and here) that might also fit into this theme, if you are looking for more ideas.

Early Literacy Tip: Learning directional words like up, down, above, and below is foundational to learning to write letters. When you use words like these with your child and you gesture to show what you mean, you’re setting them up to learn how to write later on.

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 fingers and knees.

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

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

Intro: This week is the first official day of spring. Every day, the days are getting a little bit longer, the weather changing like the season, but moving toward getting a little warmer, and the little seeds that have been in the ground all winter long are starting to wake up!

As simple as this is, it worked really well for all three groups.
Fingerplay: During the Spring (TT) (TB) (FT)
During the spring, it often showers (flutter fingers down)
Or the sun shines for many hours (form circle with arms)
Both are very good for the flowers! (cup hands, extend arms)
Source: Storytime Katie

Fingerplay: Dig a Little Hole
Dig a little hole, Plant a little seed
Pour a little water, Pull a little weed
Chase a little bug, Heigh-ho, there he goes!
Give a little sunshine, Grow a little rose
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime via Storytime Katie

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

Read: A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis (TT) (FT)

What a beautiful book this is. I love its playfulness and gentleness.
Read: How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival (TB)

Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas
Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one)
they grew, & they grew, & they grew, & never stopped (hands get wider and wider)
They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then clap!)
Source: Carole Stephens

Rhyme: Be A Seed
Be a seed, small and round
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground.
Shake your leaves for all to see
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree!
Source: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: A Big Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big green leaf, a big green leaf (hold hands apart)
Little ladybug (pinch fingers close)
On a big green leaf (x2)

A bumblebee- BZZ! (tickle) A bumblebee- BZZ! (tickle)
And a little ladybug On a big green leaf (x2)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Rhyme: Here is a Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(start by crumpling scarf between both hands)
Here is a green leaf, and here is a green leaf (show thumbs)
and that, you see, makes two
Here is the bud that makes the flower (show a tiny bit of the scarf)
Now watch it bloom for you! (open hands to let scarf expand)
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Rhyme: Little Seed (TB) (FT)
(start by scrunching scarf in one hand)
Little seed in the ground
Sitting oh, so still
Little seed, will you sprout?
YES, I WILL! (pull scarf up out of hand)
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Ukulele Song: Mr. Sun
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi (from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young)

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Dot Painted Flowers
Pretty simple. I used two die cuts to make flowers on white construction paper, and provided light blue backing paper, glue sticks, and dot markers.
I’d also read a great article on how radishes are a great veggie for children to grow, since they are very quick to both sprout and mature. I bought a package of radish seeds and gave them out with some simple instructions.

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)
And Then it’s Spring – Julie Fogliano & Erin E. Stead
If You Plant a Seed – Kadir Nelson
Flower Garden – Eve Bunting & Kathryn Hewitt
On a Snow-Melting Day – Buffy Silverman
A Seed is Sleepy – Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long
Emile and the Field – Kevin Young & Chioma Ebinama
My Garden/Mi Jardín – Rebecca Emberley
Lola Plants a Garden – Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw
How a Seed Grows – Helene J. Jordan & Loretta Krupinski
Planting a Rainbow – Lois Ehlert

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/20, 3/21, & 3/22/23.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Preschool Storytime: In the Garden

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Another classic springtime theme. I loved that there were some good recent titles about gardening!

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

Early Literacy Tip: When your children are playing, think about what words you might write or what signs you can make to make the play more language-rich. For example, if children are playing gardening, you might ask what plants they are growing and then make signs for them, saying the letters as you spell the words.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Discussion: Have you noticed all of the new growing things in the world? Do any of you have a garden or some plants that you’ve helped to grow? A garden can be outside in your yard, or you can grow some great plants in pots or in a window garden. Let’s see how a plant grows from a tiny seed. What does it need? Water, soil, sunshine!

Garden tableau: the word garden spelled at the top, five flowers, butterfly, carrot, worm, and lettuce leaf.

Fingerplay: Dig a Little Hole
Dig a little hole, Plant a little seed
Pour a little water, Pull a little weed
Chase a little bug, Heigh-ho, there he goes!
Give a little sunshine, Grow a little rose
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime via Storytime Katie

Read: The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

Song: Will Our Flowers Bloom?
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The seeds from the pack go in the ground (poke with finger)
In the ground, in the ground
The seeds from the pack go in the ground
Will our flowers bloom?

additional verses:
The rain from the sky goes drip drip drop… (flutter fingers)
The sun above is bright and hot… (arms make a circle)
Our little seeds are sprouting fast… (fingers grow upward)
(last line) Look! Our flowers bloomed! (spread hands)
Credit: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

Flannel Rhyme: Five Little Flowers
Five little flowers growing in a row
The first one said, “We need rain to grow.”
The second one said, “Yes, we need water!”
The third one said, “Whew, it’s getting hotter!”
The fourth one said, “Look, there are clouds in the sky.”
The fifth one said, “I wonder why?”
Then “BOOM” went the thunder, (clap hands)
And “ZAP” went the lightening (draw zig-zag in air)
That springtime storm was kind of frightening.
But were the flowers scared? No, no, no. (shake head)
They knew they needed rain to grow, grow, grow.
Credit: Adventures in Storytime

Felt set with a sun, grey clouds, lightning bolt, three raindrops, and five different-colored flowers, pink, blue, orange, purple, and yellow.

I LOVE the little worm protagonist with his one sneaker!
Read: Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray & Zachariah OHora

I found these cute carrot flannels at Target before Easter last year, so adapted a flower rhyme. They kind of remind me of the carrots from the book Creepy Carrots!
Flannel Counting Rhyme: Out in the Garden
Out in the garden growing in the sun
Were 4 tasty carrots and my mommy picked one! (nom, nom!)
Out in the garden growing in the sun
Were 3 tasty carrots and my daddy picked one! (nom, nom!)
Out in the garden growing in the sun
Were 2 tasty carrots and the baby picked one! (nom, nom!)
Out in the garden growing in the sun
Was 1 tasty carrot and and I picked that one! (nom, nom!)
Credit: adapted from Pasadena Public Library (CA)

Felt pieces of carrots with googly eyes and smiles

I tried to pair an animal and what they might be after in the garden for each of these.
Guessing Game: Something In My Garden
There’s something in my garden, Now, what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,That I can’t really see.
I hear its funny sound…. RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT
A … FROG is what I found! RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT

Repeat with other animals found in a garden. I used:
Ribbit – Frog – bugs from a lettuce plant
Thump – Rabbit – nibbling a carrot
Squeak – Mouse – tasting a blackberry
Caw – Crow – pecking at some corn
Buzz – Bee – gathering pollen from a flower
Wiggle – Worm – chewing an old leaf
Flutter – Butterfly – sipping nectar from a hyacinth
Credit: Storytime Katie

Laminated printed "flannel" showing a frog, lettuce plant that has bugs on it, rabbit, carrot, crow, corn, mouse, blackberry, worm, flat brown leaf, hyacinth flower, bee, and butterfly.

Read: One Little Lot by Diane C. Mullen & Oriol Vidal

Ukulele Song: Apples and Bananas
(begin with the correct pronunciation, then change the vowel sounds for each verse to a, e, i, o, and u)
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and ba-nay-nays
I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and ba-nay-nays

I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and ba-nee-nees
I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and ba-nee-nees

I like to ite, ite, ite iples and ba-ni-nis
I like to ite, ite, ite iples and ba-ni-nis

I like to ote, ote, ote oples and ba-no-nos
I like to ote, ote, ote oples and ba-no-nos

I like to ute, ute, ute uples and ba-nu-nus
I like to ute, ute, ute uples and ba-nu-nus
Credit: Raffi, from the album One Light, One Sun

Download a ukulele songsheet for Apples and Bananas

thumbnail of apples and bananas ukulele songsheet

Craft: Cupcake Liner Flowers
I provided a blue construction paper background, various cupcake liners in different colors and sizes, and several strips of green construction paper that they could cut or tear into any kind of leaf shape. Thanks to Storytime Katie and Literary Hoots for the inspiration.

Flower craft made from cupcake liners on a blue background with strips of green construction paper as leaves and stems.

I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
A Peaceful Garden by Lucy London & Christa Pierce
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres & Nadine Bernard Westcott
Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root & G. Brian Karas

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 4/13/21.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

Preschool Storytime: Green

Posted on by msemilylibrary

This was a milestone storytime for me. It was the one that I had planned and ready to go March 17, 2020, but was abandoned because our library closed March 16th. Because it was tied up as a St. Patrick’s Day alternative, I never used the theme later on while doing virtual, but held on to it to use in March 2021. So getting this ready for this year had a lot of “capital F” Feelings surrounding it.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not really into doing holiday themed programs, but would prefer to celebrate some secular aspect of popular holidays. Thus, instead of going on about leprechauns, rainbows, and Catholic saints, I focused this theme on the color green.

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

Early Literacy Tip: “Crossing the midline” is when we move our arm or leg across the middle of our body to perform a task. Crossing the midline is vital to the development of using both sides of the body together, such as putting on shoes and socks, writing and cutting. Practice crossing the midline by: playing with bubbles, cutting or drawing across a page, playing catch, and encouraging children to reach with one hand to touch their opposite foot, arm, ear, etc.

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello

Discussion: We’re talking about the color green today. What are some things that are green? If you’re in person, you could shuffle the books around based on the answers you get – frogs, trees and grass seem to be common responses. I also mined my flannels for anything that was green!

Lots of green flannel pieces, culled from many sets. Includes dark and light green apples, alien, yarn, snake, turtle, chameleon, truck, rectangle, and two trees.

Bounce Song: Bumping Up and Down
Bumping up and down in my little green wagon
Bumping up and down in my little green wagon
Bumping up and down in my little green wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Additional verses:
Driving around in my little green car… stroller… bicycle… etc.
Credit: adapted from Raffi

Additional or Alternative Action Rhyme: I Had a Little Turtle
I had a little turtle (make turtle with fist – thumb is the head)
His name was Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water (glub, glub)
He ate up all the soap (munch, munch)
And when he woke up next morning
He had bubbles in his throat! (bubbly noises)
Credit: Jbrary

Read: One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau & Cynthia Jabar

The turtle verse might be my favorite of all the variations!
Song: Mmm-ah Went the Little Green Frog
Mmm-ahh (stick out tongue) 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 (clap) sha-na-na-na-na (wiggle arms)
(clap) Sha-na-na-na-na, (clap) Sha-na-na-na-na
We know frogs go (clap) sha-na-na-na-na
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh!

Additional verses:
Hiss, Hiss went the slippery snake one day… (hands snake back and forth)
But… We know snakes go (clap) shoo-be-do-be-do (jazz hands)

Slow, slow went the little green turtle one day… (one hand on other, palms down, like a shell)
But… We know turtles go (clap) cowabunga, dude! (shaka hand sign)
Credit: Jbrary (different videos for frog, snake, and turtle verses)

Action Rhyme: Funny, Funny, Froggy
Funny, funny froggy, Hop, hop hop!
Funny, funny froggy, Stop, stop, stop!
Funny, funny froggy, Don’t run away!
Funny, funny froggy, Sit and play!
Credit: Perry Public Library (OH) via Books and Bibliotheks

I thought the rebus pictures at the back of the book were perfect for a flannel, though I had to add the bug. You can download a PDF of these here. They definitely helped me keep the song straight! (Note that you sing “chick in the egg, and the bird on the egg,” changing the pattern. It took me a few practice tries to get it right)
Read/Sing/Flannel: There Was a Tree by Rachel Isadora
There was a hole (there was a hole)
In the middle of the ground (in the middle of the ground)
The prettiest hole (the prettiest hole)
That you ever did see (that you ever did see)
Oh, the hole in the ground and the green grass grew all around, all around,
And the green grass grew all around!

Add a phrase each verse until you get to:
Oh, the bug on the wing,
and the wing on the chick,
and the chick in the egg,
and the bird on the egg,
and the egg in the nest,
and the nest on the branch,
and the branch on the tree,
and the tree in the hole,
and the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
And the green grass grew all around!

Printed and laminated "flannel" pieces showing the rebus symbols from Isadora's book. Includes hole, tree, branch, nest, egg, bird, chick in egg half, wing, and bug.

I really love how meditative and calming this song is.
Song: Standing Like a Tree
Standing like a tree (start with “prayer” hands in front of your heart)
With my roots dug down, (stomp feet)
My branches wide and open; (arms reach up and out)
Come down the rain, (fingers wiggle downward)
Come down the sun, (arms go back up and then go down, hands making a circle)
Come down the fruit to a heart that is open to be… (arms go back up, hands cup and move to heart)
Standing like a tree (repeat)
Credit: Betsy Rose, motions from Fall Creek Elementary’s video

Movement/Yoga: Tree Pose
I explained that the tree pose is a good balance builder and explained how to do it, with variations to make it easier and harder. And that it’s okay to feel unsteady or fall – it’s part of the process to get stronger.

Screenshot from virtual storytime video, showing Ms. Emily in Tree Pose.

Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas
Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one)
they grew, & they grew, & they grew, & never stopped (hands get wider and wider)
They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then clap!)
Credit: Carole Stephens

Read: In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming

You might notice a lot of people wearing green tomorrow. Let’s see what we’re wearing today! (If in person, I would hand out shamrock stickers so everyone was wearing green. For virtual, I just went with it.)
Ukulele Song: I If You’re Wearing Green Today
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig,
If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig
If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig, smile and wave
If you’re wearing green day dance a jig

Additional verses:
Clap your hands… Spin around… Shout Hooray!… Stomp your feet
Credit: Sunflower Storytime via Storytime with Ms. Kelly

Craft/Activity: Cutting the Grass
I saw this activity from Little Pine Learners and thought it was really clever. Kids get scissor practice, crossing the midline, the fun of discovery, and some coloring, if they wish. I made my own set of items that could be found under the grass (that pill bug was challenging but fun!), and stapled green construction paper over the top. In my take-home instructions, I encouraged parents to tape down the white part to a table or somewhere vertical, like the refrigerator to help make the cutting a little easier. Parents and kids can go on a scavenger hunt for these items in their own yard or in a park to extend the fun and learning. Download a printable PDF of the artwork here!

I also suggested these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
Gator, Gator, Gator by Daniel Bernstrom & Frann Preston-Gannon
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox & Judy Horacek

Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars

This storytime was presented virtually on 3/16/21.

Storytime Handout:
I had these already printed out from 2020, so I didn’t update them. (The header is different and there’s no info on our virtual storytimes). The Red Light/Green Light song was something I would have done in person, but not virtually.

Handout including suggested books and rhyme and song lyrics.