Another magical storytime! This time, we headed to the sea to swim with the merfolk. Now, remember, not all merfolk are mermaids! We talked about mermen, merdaddies and mermommies, merboys and mergirls, merkids, merchildren, even merbabies. I love how the books available also reflect an array of merfolk. Merfolk come in all skin tones, hair and tail colors, even body types (though it’s a little harder to find those.)
You can find another magical creatures theme (which included merfolk) from 2020, and a merfolk only theme from 2022.
Early Literacy Tip: Learning how to deal with big feelings is one crucial way we can help our child’s development. The act of taking slow, deep breaths triggers a cascade of mind-body systems that can result in increased comfort, relaxation, vigor, and alertness, and reduced symptoms of confusion, anxiety, stress, sadness, and anger – and it works fast. Taking a breathing break regularly gives kids the practice for using this tool when they really need it.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †
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.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: Today we’re celebrating magical, imaginary beings that live in the ocean – merfolk! Maybe you’ve heard of mermaids, mermen, merkids? Merfolk are legendary creatures that are half human and half fish. It’s fun to imagine what they might be like!
I wonder what it would be like to live in the ocean like the merfolk? My hand motions for this one were a little random. In fact, a lot of our hand motions for this theme were similar, though that didn’t seem to bother anyone. I waved my hand vaguely behind me for the tail, jumped my hand up and down like a dolphin, and opened hands wide for big whales. The ocean was a smaller up and down like waves and the last line was a swishing motion with hands together. Action Song: I’m a Little Merkid (tune of I’m a Little Teapot) I’m a little merkid, see my tail My friends are the dolphins and also the whales I live in the ocean big & blue I love to swim with the little fish, too! Source: adapted from Bayviews.org
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
A merchild looks up to Merdaddy and they have fun together under the sea, until… it’s time to get out of the bath! I loved that Merdaddy has a bigger body type and that we saw a lot of sea life that we could imitate as we read. Read: Merdaddy by Wednesday Kirwan
My backups. Can I Give You a Squish is a great one about consent, too! Backup titles: Mermaids Fast Asleep by Robin Riding & Zoe Persico OR Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson.
Can we pretend to be mermaids and mermen? For the last verse, we got very quiet and pretended to sleep. When the song was over, I said, “Wake Up! It’s time for another song!” Action Song: Did You Ever See a Mermaid? (tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie) Did you ever see a mermaid, a mermaid, a mermaid Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that? Swim this way and that way Swim that way and this way Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that?
additional verses: …a merman flip this way and that? …merbabies sleep this way and that? Source: adapted from Barberton Public Library
Most merfolk live in the ocean. Let’s do the Ocean Song! Grown-ups can lift you up, or you can do the wave motions with me. Lifting Song: The Ocean Song Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore: We ride the waves going up We ride the waves going down We ride the waves going up We ride the waves going down We ride the waves going up We ride the waves going down And we turn around! Source: adapted from Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably ready for a breathing break. Breathing Break: Ocean Breath Whew, I need a breathing break after that one! Can we make the sound of the ocean with our breath? Take a big breath in, hold it for just a moment, then let the wave crash – TCHHHHHHH! Let’s breathe for five waves.
I feel so much calmer! Let’s sing a merchild lullaby together. Can you rock your merbaby? I wrote this one a couple years ago when I used the Mermaids Fast Asleep book, but it’s still fun. Lullaby: Rockabye, Merchild (tune of Rockabye, Baby) Rockabye, merchild In the deep sea Let the tide soothe you And cuddle close to me When the waves break High up above Sleep sound and dream sweetly For you’re safe and loved Source: original by Storytime with Ms. Emily Library
To avoid using the “10 little” song melody, I do this one like Caspar Babypants. We talked about each merkid’s color as well as the number between each verse. It’s time to get out our wrist ribbons! Come on up and pick out a color you like. [Practice “Bubble, splash” part] Oh, your ribbons look like seaweed! Flannel/Ribbon/Counting Song: One Little Merkid One little merkid swimming in the water Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water One little merkid swimming in the water Bubble, bubble, bubble, …SPLASH! (count up) Source: adapted from Caspar Babypants’ All the Fish and Verona Storytime
Ribbon Song: The Waves in the Sea (tune of Wheels on the Bus) The waves in the sea go up and down (big up and down motions) Up and down, up and down The waves in the sea go up and down, All day long!
additional verses: The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish… (dart prayer hands forward and side to side) The crabs in the sea go snap, snap, snap… (pinch fingers) Merkids in the sea go splash, splash, splash… (go wild!) Source: adapted from the traditional
One last song with our ribbons – dance however you’d like! This is a silly one! I’m always tickled to write new verses for this song, and then do my best to illustrate them using clipart in Canva! Ukulele/Ribbon Song: Down By the Bay Down by the bay, Where the merbabies grow Back to my home, I dare not go For if I do, my mother will say: “Did you ever see a whale With a polka dot tail, Down by the bay?”
additional verses: …mermaid swimming in lemonade… …a merman knitting an afghan… …a merkid riding a squid… …have a time you couldn’t make a rhyme… Source: traditional, original merfolk verses by Storytime with Ms. Emily Library
Craft: Merfolk Dot Marker Sheets with Sequins I like an easy craft every so often. I used these merkid sheets a few years ago, and adapted coloring sheets to be sure we had merboys as well as mermaids. The mermaid sheets are from The Artisan Life and the merboys are from Simple Everyday Mom. Did you know you can make any coloring sheet into a dot marker sheet? I used Canva, but you could certainly do the same thing in Publisher. Just add .75 inch dots to the sheet on blocks of color (avoiding faces and slender limbs like arms). Because merfolk need some sparkle, I had large sized sequins and gems available to add wherever they liked!
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Mermaid and Pirate – Tracey Baptiste & Leisl Adams Julián Is a Mermaid – Jessica Love Sounds Like Joy – Yesenia Moises How to Spot a Mermaid – Jane Yolen & Sally Deng Oona – Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa The Little Mermaid – Jerry Pinkney Mermaid Day – Diana Murray & Luke Flowers I Am a Meadow Mermaid – Kallie George & Elly MacKay Goodnight, Mermaid – KJ Oceanak & Allie Ogg You’re My Sparkly Mermaid – Joyce Wan Grumpycorn – Sarah McIntyre (it’s about a unicorn writing a story about mermaids!)
This storytime was presented in-person on 8/20 and 8/21/25.
Hello, again, readers! I hope you have had a wonderful summer, full of adventures and fun. We certainly did here at the library. I love summer, and everything it means at the library. Sometimes our negative feelings about summer reading as library staff can be in front of mind – it’s a lot of work, we’re out of our routines, we have a lot more people to manage with their needs and quirks and behaviors – it’s easy to get burnt out. But I love the summer reading season and I keep in mind that all that extra work, all that foot traffic and so on means that our library is an important part of our community. That means a lot in these uncertain days. And the smiles and appreciation of our patrons of all ages give me a lift every single day. So, fellow librarians, I hope you were able to take care of yourselves AND enjoy the vibrant chaos.
Our library generally uses the theme and graphics from the Collaborative Summer Library Program, or CSLP, a national initiative that helps libraries plan summer programming. This year’s theme was “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” Adventure is a broad theme! I used many of the weekly theme ideas from the CSLP manual and applied them to the framework I’ve been honing in the last couple of years: an outdoor storytime with sensory stations. It’s a big hit and I saw great numbers. All summer, I offered Family Time for ages 0-3.5 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with siblings welcome. As an organization we have also been working toward more weekend and evening programs, so there were a couple of those sprinkled in as well this year. I do have an indoor backup option when the weather is bad, so I still do registration and am limited by that, but it’s a bigger room than I usually use, so space isn’t generally an issue.
For each session, we had about 15-20 minutes of storytime rhymes, songs, and a book, including parachute play, then 20 minutes of free play at various sensory stations. We end with bubbles and a goodbye song. Stations are a really great way to promote socializing, practice skills like sharing and being gentle, and allow for unstructured play, which science tells us is so important to learning and development.
I only did one new station this year (in week 2, see below), the rest were all repeats from the last couple of years, which you can read about in depth at this blog post.
I don’t think I took any photos this year, so here’s one from last year – same set-up!
Repeating Weekly Plan Each week, the structure of the storytime was the same, with only three parts that changed depending on the theme: a themed song, a book, and one fresh parachute song. (Stations also changed weekly.) All the other songs and rhymes were the same:
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (We wiggled every week, but then added 2 more motions. Motions we did throughout the summer: jump, twirl, run, splash, hop, swim, stretch, stomp, wave, sway, march, lean, roll [arms,] hug) Source: Jbrary
Intro: Our theme this summer is Adventure Begins at Your Library. Are you ready to go on an adventure? Short intro to the weekly theme (see below)
Themed Song (see below)
Transition Song: If You’re Ready for a Story (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, if you’re ready for a story, If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) Source: Miss Keithia (my predecessor)
Themed Book (see below)
Parachute! What sorts of adventures can we have with our parachute?
Let’s head out on our adventure. Our road is going to start out very smooth. Can we wave the parachute slowly and gently? Parachute: A Smooth Road A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and gently) [Uh, oh! Our road has turned a little bumpy! Can we wave the parachute medium-fast?] A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster) [Oh, no! The road has gotten very rough!] A rough road! (x4) (frantic waving of the parachute ensues!) Oh, no! A hole! (lift the parachute up high and then down) Source: Jbrary
Rotating Parachute Song (see below)
Breathing Break Whew, I am out of breath! I’m ready for a breathing break. Let’s take a big breath in and lift the parachute up, then breathe out and lower it. We’ll repeat a few times.
At this point the kids are usually darting under the parachute, so I go with it! Okay, if grown-ups can grab the edges of the parachute, kids can go underneath if they want (if you prefer to just watch from the outside, that’s always fine!) This was originally intended to be a song where we walk around in a circle, but with the age of the kids, grown ups generally wanted to stay kind of close to where their kid was and not walk around. So we just waved up and down until the very end, where we pulled the parachute down (briefly) around the kids underneath. I also originally intended to do a second verse where we stood up, but I didn’t think it was a good idea for the kids to be trapped under the parachute for the length of a verse, so I never did it. It’s included here in case you were curious! Parachute Song: Merry Go Round (tune similar to Mulberry Bush, see link below for a recording) The merry go round goes round and round (walk in a circle with parachute or wave it up and down) The children laugh and laugh and laugh So many were on the merry go round The merry go round collapsed! (fall to the ground or bring parachute down)
(stand up verse) Fishies in the ocean (stay crouched/fallen) Fishies in the sea We all jump up with a 1 2 3! (stand up) Source: Read Sing Play
Okay, grown ups – for our last parachute song we’re going to let the parachute fly – so let go at the very end after we count down and I say “FLY.” Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (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
Release to Stations I have eight stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and art/creativity stations. We spend about 20 minutes before I ring the bell to call everyone back to the grassy area. See more detail here.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Intro: This week we’re talking about travel adventures. Sometimes you think the adventure will happen when you reach your destination, but adventures can happen on the way, too!
I varied whether I did the themed song or the book first, just depending on what made the most sense to me.
Themed Read: Go, Go, Go! by Bob Barner There are lots of ways of going on an adventure! This is a very simple book – a beginning reader – but I had the group do a noise and motion for each kind of vehicle, which made it very interactive.
Let’s get our own adventures underway! Themed Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat/Car/Plane/Bus Row, row, row your boat (row arms) Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream!
Additional verses: Drive, drive, drive your car (steering wheel arms) Gently down the street…Life is but a treat
Fly, fly, fly your plane (airplane arms) Gently in the sky…Watch the clouds go by
Drive, drive, drive your bus (big wide steering wheel) Gently down the way Stop to let some people out To ride another day Source: Grandview Heights Public Library (this is the source I had in my notes, but I’m not finding a link now)
Parachute Song: The Wheels on the Bus I used the verses that worked well with the parachute: Wheels: we just flapped the parachute Horn: We held the parachute taut and “beeped” our hand on it Wipers: we swished the parachute from side to side People: again, flapped the parachute up and down Source: traditional
Week 1 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Pool Noodle Soup Fly Swatter Slap Kinetic Sand Sort Beanbags Sort Craft Sticks Color the Parachute Ice Painting
Week 2: Adventures Close to Home 6/10, 6/11, 6/12/24
Intro: This week we’re talking about adventures close to home. You can have an adventure in your backyard or close to home – camping, exploring, and more!
This is a fantastic book with a lot of opportunity for interaction. Whenever we said “Roll, roll, little pea” they joined and rolled their arms. They called out the animals on each page and we made their noise. Great storytime book. This story is about a little pea who finds adventure wherever it rolls Themed Read: Roll, Roll, Little Pea by Cécile Bergame & Magali Attiogbé
Let’s do a fingerplay about five plump peas. Themed Rhyme: 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, and they grew, and they grew, and never stopped (hands get wide) They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread wide, then CLAP!) Source: Jbrary
Since eyes, ears, mouth, and nose are all in the same place, I changed that line. We did this three times, getting faster! Parachute Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (move parachute to correct height) Head, shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes Head, shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes Wave the parachute up and down Head, shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes (repeat, faster) Source: traditional
Week 2 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Lemon Sensory Bin Mystery Water Kinetic Sand Pool Noodle Sort Feed the Croc Color the Parachute Spray Silhouettes
New Station: Spray Silhouettes! I used liquid watercolors in spray bottles and provided a myriad of shapes to create negative image artwork. Some of the shapes were plastic food, big puzzle pieces, the shapes from a baby toy sorter, and duplos. Basically anything I could find that could lay mostly flat and be okay getting wet. It was important to set the spray bottles to “mist” instead of “stream,” and we still had kids who just saturated the paper, but it’s all about the process and not the product! Idea and photo on the sign from Picklebums.
Week 3: Adventures in Imagination 6/17, 6/18, 6/19, 6/20/24
Intro: This week we’re talking about adventures in imagination. When we imagine, we can make adventures anywhere with anything.
To start, we all pretended we had a stick. Then we did some kind of action for each imagined use as we read. Themed Read: Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
Let’s put our imagination hats on and get some practice. Themed Rhyme: Can You Pretend? Let’s hear you roar like a lion Let’s see you jump like a frog Let’s see you snap your jaws like a crocodile Let’s hear you howl like a hound dog Pretend you’re an elephant with a big, looooong, trunk Pretend you’re a monkey Let’s see you jump, jump, jump And now you’re a mouse Just let me see How very, very quiet you can be Source: YouthScope
Teddy Bear is going on an adventure – up and down a hill with LOTS of friends. Parachute Song: Funny Teddy Bear (tune of Grand Old Duke of York) Funny teddy bear Bear had a thousand friends Bear marched them up to the top of the hill and Marched them down again And when you’re up you’re up And when you’re down you’re down And when you’re only halfway up you’re neither up nor down Source: Storytime Katie via ALSC Blog
Week 3 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Sponge Play Scooping Blocks Kinetic Sand Colored Ball Sort Pompom Sort Color the Parachute Fly Swatter Painting
Intro: This week we’re talking about animal adventures. Can you imagine going to see amazing animals in the wild?
Themed Read: It’s a Tiger! by David Larochelle & Jeremy Tankard
Can you imagine being a tiger? A SLEEPING tiger?! Themed Song: Sleeping Tigers (tune of Sleeping Bunnies) See the fearsome tigers sleeping till it’s nearly noon Shall we wake them with a merry tune Oh so still! Are they ill? Wake up, wake up, wake up sleeping tigers! Wake up, wake up, wake up sleeping tigers! Wake up tigers and roar, roar, roar (repeat, second time: pounce, pounce, pounce)! Source: adapted from the traditional
Even tiny animals might go on an adventure. Parachute: Itsy Bitsy Spider (move parachute up and down as indicated in lyrics) 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
Week 4 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Pool Noodle Soup Whisking Bubbles Kinetic Sand Beanbag Sort Craft Stick Sort Color the Parachute Shape Sorter Stamping
Intro: This week we’re going out to sea – get your lifejackets on!
I tried this book at the first session as a “sing aloud” but it just did not go over well, even with several pages clipped to shorten it. I ditched it for the other two sessions. Themed Read: Port Side Pirates by Oscar Seaworthy & Debbie Harter(Monday only)
This one worked much better – we did some kind of motion or noise for each page to make it interactive. I wish the book itself was bigger and the illustrations were more vibrant, though. Themed Read: Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw & Margot Apple(Tuesday and Wednesday)
When the ocean gets rough, that’s an adventure! Themed Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore: (ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
I remind everyone to start rowing very gently, then after the first verse, say, “Oh, the wind is picking up, can we row more firmly?” and before the third verse, “Oh, no, there’s a storm! Row as strongly as you can!” Parachute: Row Your Boat (repeat 3 times) Row, row, row your boat Gently/Firmly/Strongly down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream (Wave the parachute gently, then firmly, then wildly!) Source: traditional
Week 5 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Ping Pong Fishing Ice Play Kinetic Sand Pool Noodle Sort Feed the Croc Color the Parachute Dot Painting
Intro: This week we’re celebrating books, and all the adventures we can have in them!
Here’s a song about someone who wears glasses getting ready to read. I’ve found that if I set this one up right, it’s very fun, and if I don’t, it’s a little awkward. We practice making glasses, putting them on and taking them off. Then we make a book and practice opening and closing it (several times!) THEN we sing. Themed Song: These Are My Glasses These are my glasses, this is my book I put on my glasses and open up the book Now I read, read, read And I look, look, look I put down my glasses and Whoop! Close up the book! Source: “Whaddaya Think of That?” by the Laurie Berkner Band
I’ve used this book for years in outreach and for library tours, so I was a little disappointed that it didn’t go over quite as well with the toddler set as the preschoolers. A good reminder that developmental age matters! Another good option for this week would have been Hooray for Books! by Brian Won, but I wasn’t able to get it last minute.The parents enjoyed the jokes, but the kids got antsy. Themed Read: Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss & Tiphanie Beeke
Teddy Bear is going on an adventure – up and down a hill with LOTS of friends. Parachute Song: Funny Teddy Bear (tune of Grand Old Duke of York) Funny teddy bear Bear had a thousand friends Bear marched them up to the top of the hill and Marched them down again And when you’re up you’re up And when you’re down you’re down And when you’re only halfway up you’re neither up nor down Source: Storytime Katie via ALSC Blog
Week 6 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Flower Sensory Bin Scooping Blocks Kinetic Sand Colored Ball Sort Pompom Sort Color the Parachute Finger Painting
Week 7: Adventures in the Dark 7/14, 7/15, 7/16, 7/17, 7/18/24
Intro: This week is about adventures you might have after dark. Have you ever taken a walk with your family after sunset in your neighborhood? Or maybe gone outside to chase fireflies after dark? I love fireflies. Did you know that the Indiana State Insect is the firefly?
Let’s do a rhyme about some fireflies. Can you make your hands “blink” like a firefly light? (Open and close fingers) Themed Song: Two Little Fireflies (like Two Little Blackbirds) Two little fireflies, Blinking in the sky (open and close hands) One blinked low, And one blinked high Fly away low, Fly away high Come back low, Come back high
Other options, choose 2 or 3 more: …Blinking in the grass…one blinked slow And one blinked fast… …blinking by the car. . .1 blinked near, one blinked far… …blinking by a gate… 1 flew wobbly and the other flew straight… …blinking by the lilies, 1 was serious, the other was silly… Source: adapted from the traditional
I love doing this one. It’s so silly. And thanks to a librarian friend, I can do the song with my ukulele, which always captures the group’s attention. Themed Read: Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
In honor of our brave cowboy, let’s sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider! Parachute: Itsy Bitsy Spider (move parachute up and down as indicated in lyrics) 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
Week 7 Stations:(details here) Pouring Station Sponge Play Fly Swatter Slap Kinetic Sand Beanbag Sort Craft Stick Sort Color the Parachute Chalk Art
Usually the songs and rhymes that I plan for my Toddler Time (ages 1-2) and my Teddy Bear (ages 2-3.5) sessions are very similar, with just two or three different extension activities that differ between the two. Family Time (ages 0-3.5) is usually a judgement call between the two plans based on the ages that show up. However, because of the books I chose to read, the two plans for this storytime were quite different!
I also was in love with the craft for this week – and I got gasps from the crowd when I revealed my sample both days! It was very simple, but made a BIG impact.
Early Literacy Tip: Children love to talk about how “big” they are. While they’re smaller than many people and things they interact with, they find joy in being bigger than younger siblings or a pet. Their learning and understanding of big and small are important for math readiness as it lays the foundation for understanding and comparing sizes. It sets them up to learn the concepts of less vs. more, smaller than vs. larger than, and equal to. Additionally, the frequent use of vocabulary like “large” and “small,” “big” and “little” helps increase your children’s spatial language.
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)
We just had to do this one! Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Intro: Let’s talk about size. What is big? [spread arms out!] What is little? [pinch fingers together] Can we practice?
I’ve done this one with bubbles, but not with balls. The flannel is super simple, and we do the rhyme three times, then say I have one more to add, now let’s count, and it makes an even 10. Flannel Rhyme: Little Ball, Big Ball (TT) (TB) (FT) A little ball (make a circle with your fingers) A bigger ball (make a larger circle with your hands) A great big ball I see (make a large circle with your arms) Can you count the [yellow] balls? 1 – 2 – 3 (make 3 circles again) Source: Jen in the Library
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a board book, and I *still* skipped some pages for the wiggly toddler time group! Read: Big Little by Leslie Patricelli (TT)
Classic storytime book. I got some raised eyebrows and nervous titters from grownups when the squid’s tentacles are hanging out of the whale’s mouth, but everyone liked the twist! Read: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (TB) (FT)
The next four activities were only for Toddler Time, then the next two were just for Teddy Bears and Family Time.
I pointed out that we’re doing a small, medium, and large sized jumping animal to reinforce our theme for this one. Bounce: Grasshopper (TT) There was a little grasshopper Always on the jump Because they never looked ahead They always went BUMP! (tilt to side, drop between knees, or lift) Repeat with bunny, kangaroo Source: Storytime in the Stacks
Action Rhyme: Tall as a Tree (TT) Tall as a tree (arms over head) Wide as a house (arms out to the side) Thin as a pin (arms straight down by side) And small as a mouse (crouch low) Source: Dogeared Storytime
The little Folkmanis mouse finger puppet is the cutest, so it’s always exciting to find a new use for her! Story Rhyme: Little Mousie Brown (TT) (Index finger is mouse, opposite arm is candlestick) Up the tall white candlestick Went little Mousie Brown But when she got up to the top She could not get back down She called for Mama, “Mama, Mama!” But Mama was in town So she called for daddy, “Daddy, Daddy!” But Daddy wasn’t around So little Mousie curled right up And rolled right down! Source: Jbrary
Mousie Brown is the cutest
Rhythm Rhyme: The Elephant (TT) (stomp feet rhythmically) Right foot, left foot see me go I am grey and big and slow I come walking down the street With my trunk and my four big feet (extend arms in front of face, trumpet like an elephant!) Source: King County (WA) Library System
We did this one every week last summer as part of the Oceans of Possiblities theme, and it was nice to revisit it. Action Song: A Big Sea Star (TB) (FT) (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star (stretch arms & legs out) Little cuddle clam (hug yourself and get small) and a big sea star (x2)
A pufferfish! (big breath and blow out) A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star (x2) Source: Jbrary
Action Song: Slippery Fish (TB) (FT) Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water, Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp! Oh, no! It’s been eaten by …
A jellyfish, a jellyfish, floating in the water … An octopus, an octopus, squiggling in the water … A mako shark, a mako shark, lurking in the water … Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water… Gulp, Gulp, Gulp – BURP! Excuse me! Source: Jbrary
I didn’t use the white and pink “tuna fish” this time
Parachute Intro: Let’s get out our biggest prop, the parachute! Let’s practice by lifting it up and down, shaking fast and slow. (TT) (TB) (FT)
Parachute Song: Very, Very Tall (TT) (TB) (FT) I’m very, very tall (reach up high) I’m very, very small (reach down low) Tall! Small! Now I’m a little ball (curl up) Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Wiggleworms
I mean, I guess it’s big… Parachute Song: London Bridge (TT) (TB) (FT) London bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down London bridge is falling down, My fair lady.
Build it up with sticks and stones… Source: traditional
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly tune of Skip to My Lou 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 1… Down on 2… Up on 3, and Fly! (adults release while you gather up the ‘chute) Source: Gymboree
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Giant Squid (TB) (FT) As I said, this was a craft that inspired gasps of delight when revealed, but the elements are really quite simple. I freehand drew a squid’s head on our largest size of blue construction paper (12″ x 18″) and asked a volunteer to trace and cut those out. I also drew large white circles for the eyes and a smile mouth on white construction paper – them being a little wonky really added to the fun look. We had small dark blue stickers for the pupils (black would have worked, too, but I used what I found), and I pre-cut lengths of blue crepe paper streamers for the tentacles. I put out glue sticks, tape, and staplers and let everyone choose what worked well for them, and we ended up with adorable giant squids that in most cases were bigger than the children that made them! I was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest from the Share and Remember 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)
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) I’m Not Small – Nina Crews Tiny Little Fly – Michael Rosen & Kevin Waldron Who’s the Biggest? – Delphine Chedru Marta! Big & Small – Jen Arena & Angela Dominguez Big and Small and In-Between – Carter Higgins & Daniel Miyares Jump! – Scott M. Fischer Little Mouse – Alison Murray You Are (Not) Small – Anna Kang & Christopher Weyant The Crayola Comparing Sizes Book – Jodie Shepherd What Will Fit? – Grace Lin Big and Small with Northwest Coast Native Art – NativeNorthwest.com
This storytime was presented in-person on 3/6, 3/7, & 3/8/23.
**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
The last summer reading storytime, wow. The summer went so quickly this year, probably since it seemed like the library was hopping after two years of interrupted/adjusted service. I’m so pleased with the turnout and response from my storytime families. I heard or overheard someone say every week: “Hey, let’s try this at home!” or “I wouldn’t have thought of this, but we could set this up at home!” That was the most gratifying part. I LOVE being able to spark ideas and inspire families to continue the learning and exploration on their own.
Another great benefit of outdoor storytimes was how welcoming they can be. I occasionally had families stop by who hadn’t registered, and/or had a child who was 4 or 5 (outside my age group), or who were able to bring older siblings. In addition, we didn’t have to worry about masking, and distancing was not a problem since we had lots of space in the outdoor lawn area. For all these situations, I could welcome these families with open arms, with no judgement that they “didn’t do it [registration] right” or worry that they had to find someone else to watch their older kids while they attended storytime with the younger one. These are usual and reasonable limitations when you’re presenting indoors, where space is also limited. But I love having a time of year where I don’t have to turn anyone away.
This week’s theme is “merpeople” and I’m glad that authors, illustrators, and publishers have started being more inclusive with their depictions. I didn’t have to look too far to find masculine presenting merfolk or merfolk of color! I do wish there were more merperson books that were simpler, with less text on the page, but I did some extensive paperclipping to make them work for the youngest group. I also had to do some scouting around to find masculine merkids as coloring pages (see below for links).
For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.
You can find other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2025.
Early Learning Tip: “Down By the Bay” is a great song to exercise your creativity on. What silly rhymes can you and your child come up with together? Learning how to rhyme helps your child listen for and discern between the distinct sounds that make up words.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated) (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (This week we also “marched” and, my favorite, “hugged.” I encouraged everyone to find someone to hug, even if it was themselves. I do two new motions in addition to “wiggle” each week to keep it interesting) Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme: Merpeople are legendary creatures that are half human and half fish. It’s fun to imagine what they might be like!
I had a lot of trouble finding a merfolk song that I liked this week. My second runner up was “Did you Ever See a Mermaid,” but I just wasn’t feeling it. I ended up with “Down By the Bay,” and I had fun coming up with lots of ocean-themed verses. I only actually used the merfolk ones, but it’s nice to have some extras in my back pocket for the future! It was also an opportunity to bring my ukulele, which I hadn’t done at all yet this summer. Themed Ukulele Song: Down by the Bay Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow Back to my home I dare not go! For if I do, my mother will say: “Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?” Down by the bay! Additional verses: … a mermaid swimming in lemonade? … a merman knitting an afghan? … a merkid riding a squid? … a merboy hugging his teddy bear toy? … a mergirl playing catch with a pearl? … a crab driving a taxicab? … a shark eating ice cream in the park? … a clam competing in a poetry slam? … a pufferfish surfing on a dish? … a sea star riding in a car? … a seahorse playing on a golf course? … an octopus singing to a platypus? Did you ever have a time when you couldn’t make a rhyme? Source: traditional, as popularized by Raffi on the album Singable Songs for the Very Young, all additional verses by Ms. Emily!
Themed Book: Goodnight Mermaid by K. J. Oceanak & Allie Ogg OR Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson I *highly* paperclipped Goodnight Mermaid to make it work for my youngest group. It was just way too long (and if I’m being honest, a little nonsensical, too.) But the pictures are fun and the shortened story is reminiscent of Goodnight Moon, which is a familiar structure. My oldest group did great with Can I Give You a Squish, but when I tried it again the next day with my more mixed group, I skipped several pages when they seemed to be losing interest. I’m learning to be very flexible with books!
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me. Repeated Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it. Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe. Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.
Repeated Stations: Kinetic Sand (Dry) I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.
Pouring Station (Wet) I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)
Rotating Stations: Pompom Sort (Dry) A really easy station to put together: I just saved a couple of egg cartons, then poured a handful or two of different colored/sized pompoms into them. Provide some plastic tongs and you’re done. (And again, weird blur)
Colored Ball Sort and Drop (Dry) This was inspired by a Pinterest post from Taming Little Monsters. I made two, from our ubiquitous Baker & Taylor boxes, but oriented them different ways so one was tall and skinny and one was low and squat.
Dodge the Seaweed (Action) We had some small cones in our action set, so I duct taped a paint stirrer to the tops of them, then haphazardly added green crepe paper to look like seaweed. For the amount of time it took me, I think they look pretty good! I was fully expecting them to get kind of torn up after the first week of use, but they held up. I’m amazed that I didn’t need to repair them once over the summer!
Unique Stations:UNIQUE-ISH – I had two other stations planned, but decided to actually repeat two previous stations instead. My other plans were to do a “paint with water” on dry concrete, but the only concrete we have near our storytime area is a sidewalk RIGHT next to the street. It made me nervous to bring everyone that close to speeding cars, so I nixed it. For the art station, I had a vague idea of using pinecones to stamp merfolk tails with paint, then draw in the details, but A) that was a little advanced for my group, and B) I was too tired to think about cleaning up lots of paint at the end of the summer. I went the easy route and redid these instead:
Sponge Play (Wet) Based on this Pinterest idea from Little Lifelong Learners, I just had sponges in bins of water for little ones to play with. Of course, I have to do some theme stuff, so in addition to simple shapes (sticks, triangles, circles), I cut out some ocean animals as well. These sponges were reused in a sponge painting craft in week two.
Dot Painting (Art/Messy) So as I was planning this week and thinking about how I’d make the pinecone painting as easy as possible, I got a blog post in my email from The Artisan Life that had mermaid dot painting sheets. Well, let’s just make things easy on myself. Plus, the kids seemed to like doing the dot painters when we did them a couple weeks ago, a and it’s a more “unusual” craft supply that not everyone has at home. BUT – I was a little unhappy that there were no merboys (and that all the mermaids looked kind of the same, with the same kinds of hair.) I did a search for merboy coloring sheets and found this lovely set (which also includes different hair types, yay!) by Simple Everyday Mom. Did you know you can make any coloring sheet into a dot marker sheet? I used Canva, but you could certainly do the same thing in Publisher. Just add .75 inch dots to the sheet on blocks of color (avoiding faces and slender limbs like arms). Easy peasy.
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho & Jess X. Snow Oona by Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa Oona and the Shark by Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa Pearl by Molly Idle Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney Mermaids Fast Asleep by Robin Riding & Zoe Persico Mermaid and Me by Soosh How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton You Are My Sparkly Mermaid by Joyce Wan Mabel: A Mermaid Fable by Rowboat Watkins
This storytime was presented in-person on 7/18, 7/19, & 7/20/22.
Oh, Pirates. You’re so complicated. You did horrible things. You probably (on average) lived a fairly short and brutal life, with lots of disease, injury, and discomfort. But you also seem so freewheeling, wear awesome clothes, say fun phrases in a fun accent, keep amazing pets, and have been romanticized into something almost unrecognizable from your historical form. (Not to mention modern-day pirates, who have so many of the negative features without much of the fun ones).
But who am I to over-analyze!? We got to do the Pirate version of Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (the space version has been a regular and favorite in my regular school-year storytimes) and hunt for gold doubloons hidden in our kinetic sand and mystery water stations. The pirate books are pretty fun, too.
For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.
Early Learning Tip: Books about unusual topics like pirates or dinosaurs are wonderful for building vocabulary! These books use words that aren’t usually said in common conversation, so your child will be hearing lots of new words and phrases. Feel free to explain what new concepts mean – like when pirates say “Shiver me timbers,” they’re comparing a feeling of surprise like being up on the ship’s mast when a wind blows through.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated) (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (This week we also “climbed” imaginary pirate ship rigging and “swayed” as if we were up in the crow’s nest – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting) Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme: Arr, mateys! Today’s theme is pirates! Pirates liked to sail the ocean, look for treasure like these special gold coins called “doubloons,” and get into trouble. Does anyone know what a pirate’s favorite letterrrrrr is? (Hopefully a grownup will say “R!”) Oh, ye’d think it’d be “R,” but it’s really the “C” a pirate loves!
As mentioned above, Zoom Zoom Zoom is a song I would repeat almost weekly at indoor programs this spring. We hadn’t done it at all this summer until this week, so there was a lot of excitement from regulars! Themed Song: Pirate Zoom, Zoom, Zoom Zoom, zoom, zoom We’re hunting for doubloons! Zoom, zoom, zoom We’re hunting for doubloons! If you want to take a trip Climb aboard my pirate ship Zoom, zoom, zoom We’re hunting for doubloons In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – AHOY! Source: Jbrary
Themed Book: Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett J. Krosoczoska OR Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day & Allison Black
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me. Repeated Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it. Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe. Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.
Repeated Stations: Kinetic Sand (Dry) I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.
Pouring Station (Wet) I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)
Rotating Stations: Craft Stick Sort (Dry) I noticed in my storage bin that I had these boxes of dot painters that have small holes already in the top. I colored a ring around each hole a different rainbow color and added colored craft sticks for a fine motor and color identification station.
Beanbag Sort (Dry) We had these beanbags from Lakeshore Learning that are different colors and shapes. They’re a super easy station where kids can play and sort with them in several ways.
Walk the Plank (Action) Rather than capital punishment, I framed this walk the plank activity as going between two ships. But the “waters” are definitely shark-infested! I used the rubber dots I had from Ocean Boulder Leap to attach shark fins to, and there is a sturdy rubber balance beam in the same active play set my library has. This one looks cool from across the yard, when the shark fins really look like they’re swimming in the grass!
Unique Stations: Mystery Water (Wet) Inspired by this Pinterest pin from bright_little_brains, I used some plastic cookie cutters we had in storage, traced their shapes on a large sheet of paper, and laminated. The water was mixed with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and several drops of food coloring to make the water murky. I also added some of my toy pirate gold to each bin. Unfortunately, the cookie cutters weren’t very heavy and kind of floated to the top, but it wasn’t a disaster and the kids enjoyed the activity anyway.
Chalk Art (Art/Messy) This summer, crafts were all about the process. I tried to mix up some different crafting materials that we had laying around and just let the kids do with them what they would. This week I put out black construction paper and sidewalk chalk for them to draw with.
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) On a Pirate Ship by Sarah Courtauld & Benjie Davies The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas, Artemis Roehrig, & Ashlyn Anstee Pirate’s Perfect Pet by Beth Ferry & Matthew Myers Roger, the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy & Doug Kennedy How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long & David Shannon Give Me Back My Bones! by Kim Norman & Bob Kolar Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson & Eda Kaban Port Side Pirates! by Oscar Seaworthy & Debbie Harter Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw & Margot Apple The Pirate Jamboree by Mark Teague Captain Cat and the Pirate Lunch by Emma J. Virján
This storytime was presented in-person on 7/11, 7/12, & 7/13/22.
Sharks are beloved by kids, even the littlest, even though they’re known for death and destruction! I had at least one kid dress in some kind of shark attire (hats, shirts, even shoes!) each of my storytime days. So fun when the parents get into the theme, too.
This was the first week that I did a different song and themed book for my littlest age group, Book Babies (0-2), than for my older groups (up to 3.5). The Shark Song seems to require more interaction to enjoy, whereas I suggested that babies and their caregivers “sway” during the majority of Slippery Fish, then do some bounces or tickles for the “Gulp, gulp, gulp” part to let the babies be involved without having to do hand motions. The book I’m a Shark is really great for the 2.5-3.5 crowd, but it feels like it’s just too much for the younger ones, so I went with Swallow the Leader in Book Babies. It’s been really difficult for me to engage the babies in books, especially in the outdoor setting, so this was another instance of me modelling page skipping is okay if your kiddo is losing interest. I wonder if other librarians are having trouble with the book portions of their storytimes. Chime in the comments if you have, or if you’ve been finding good ways to keep kids’ attention.
For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.
Early Learning Tip: Did you notice the colorful fish in Swallow the Leader? They have different colors and shapes, and although none are exactly the same, there are some that are alike.Seeing patterns and trying to recognize things that are alike and different is fun, but also helps develop mathematical concepts of patterns and relationships.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated) (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (This week we also “stretched” and “stomped” – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting) Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme: Some of the most interesting (and a little scary) animals in the ocean are sharks! Let’s do a song about some sharks doing what they do best – eating fish!
As a self-confessed pedantic, I had to see if this song was true to life. And yes! Google tells me that indeed some jellyfish eat small fish, some octopuses eat jellyfish, mako sharks have been found with octopus in their bellies, and sperm whales have been found with sharks in theirs! (Also, orca whales will attack and eat sharks, too). I feel better about singing this song. Themed Song for Book Babies: Slippery Fish Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water, Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp! Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a …
Additional verses: Jellyfish, jellyfish, squirting through the water… Octopus, octopus, squiggling in the water… Mako shark, mako shark, lurking in the water… Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water… … BURP! (Cover your mouth.) Excuse me! Source: Jbrary
I took great pleasure in telling the families that we were going to be doing a song about a shark family, but it wasn’t THAT shark family! Themed Song for Teddy Bears & Family Time: The Shark Song Oh, there’s a shark, do-do, do-do-do A baby shark, do-do, do-do-do Lives in the ocean, do-do, do-do-do He eats fish, CHOMP-CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP! He’s got a fin, do-do, do-do-do A dorsal fin, do-do, do-do-do And that’s the end, do-do, do-do-do (but that’s not the end! What other kind of shark might there be?) Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Source: The Ooey Gooey Lady
Themed book: I’m a Shark by Bob Shea OR Swallow the Leader by Deanna Smith & Kevin Sherry
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me. Repeated Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it. Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe. Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.
Repeated Stations: Kinetic Sand (Dry) I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.
Pouring Station (Wet) I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)
Rotating Stations: Pompom Sort (Dry) A really easy station to put together: I just saved a couple of egg cartons, then poured a handful or two of different colored/sized pompoms into them. Provide some plastic tongs and you’re done. (And again, weird blur)
Colored Ball Sort and Drop (Dry) This was inspired by a Pinterest post from Taming Little Monsters. I made two, from our ubiquitous Baker & Taylor boxes, but oriented them different ways so one was tall and skinny and one was low and squat.
Walk the Plank (Action) Rather than capital punishment, I framed this walk the plank activity as going between two ships. But the “waters” are definitely shark-infested! I used the rubber dots I had from Ocean Boulder Leap to attach shark fins to, and there is a sturdy rubber balance beam in the same active play set my library has. This one looks cool from across the yard, when the shark fins really look like they’re swimming in the grass!
Unique Stations: Ice Rescue (Wet) Inspired by this blog post from Teaching Mama, I used the plastic ocean animals previously used with the Animal Washing Station two weeks ago to freeze into some large containers. The first one was a quart sized container, and the second a wide square bowl. With both containers, I realized that the animals would float, so it took some doing to keep them at the bottom of the container. For the quart sized one, the opening was narrow enough that a few medium sized rocks kept the animals down.
However, the wider bowl was much trickier. I ended up freezing them in shallow layers. Of course, the ice didn’t stick to the bowl very well so IT floated to the top when I added some layers, but since it was all one big chunk, adding rocks to the top was easier to keep it down. When it was a lot of little items floating in water, the rocks slipped between them to the bottom. So, trial and error and eventually it worked.
I filled the big trays with just an inch or two of water from the hose, then provided the orange pails and squeeze bottles filled with water as hot as I could get it from the tap. By the time we released to stations 20 minutes into the program, the water was warm but not too warm. The kids really worked diligently to get the animals out, and they had fun playing with them once they were released.
Dot Painting (Art/Messy) In an effort to keep the crafts this summer simple and minimal, I put out our basket of dot painters (that has been sitting lonely on the supply shelf since 2020) and some ocean animal dot coloring sheets from The Artisan Life blog.
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
My second group wiped out almost all of my books (yay!), so I had to try and find some more for the third group, who ended up not taking any (boo!) Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Shark Dog! by Ged Adamson Gilbert the Great by Jane Clarke & Charles Fuge Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies & James Croft Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman & Scott Magoon Clark the Shark (series) by Bruce Hale and Guy Francis Hide! by Steve Henry I Am the Shark by Joan Holub & Laurie Keller The Shark Who Was Afraid of Everything by Brian James & Bruce McNally Sharko and Hippo by Elliott Kalan & Andrea Tsurumi Big Shark, Little Shark (series) by Anna Membrino & Tim Budgen Dude! by Aaron Reynolds & Dan Santat Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer & Michael H. Slack Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael-Paul Terranova Shark and Lobster’s Amazing Undersea Adventure by Viviane Schwarz & Joel Stewart Meet the Shark Family and Friends by Alexandra West
This storytime was presented in-person on 6/27, 6/28, & 6/29/22.
It’s summer, and we all want a little chill, right? What better way than to imagine ourselves in the ice and cold of the earth’s poles, and to play with ice water?
Last summer, I did an outreach to the local parks camp where they chose the themes and I presented a story, song, and craft for it. One of their themes was the Arctic, which I also coopted for one of my regular storytimes. This year, I wanted to revisit that theme (adding the Antarctic) and use it as an excuse to integrate ice play into our summer stations.
I bought an inflatable globe to point out where the Arctic and Antarctic are in relation to us, which was a bonus toy to play with during the unstructured station time. I’m always frustrated when polar bears and penguins get lumped together when they live so far away from each other!
The globe!
This week my two unique stations were ice play and painting with ice. I had a new action station as well – dodge the seaweed!
For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.
Early Literacy Tip: One way of learning is with movement, which is called kinesthetic learning. When we act out what is happening on the pages of a book, it can more concretely connect new vocabulary words with their meanings. When we use meaningful gestures to explain words, we help build your child’s vocabulary.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated) (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (This week we also “waddled” like a penguin and used our flippers to “swim” like a walrus – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting) Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme: It’s time to chill! Let’s explore some animals that live in places that are cold. [Show the globe.] Here’s where we live, in Indiana. Way up here is the north pole, or the Arctic. That’s where animals like polar bears, caribou (also known as reindeer), and walruses live. Here’s a silly song about the walrus.
I recently saw Reading Rena’s video of this song, and really liked how she does the ending. I didn’t do different articles of clothes like she did, but that’s a good option. I wanted to keep it to two verses, so I just did “shakes” and “turns.”It is, of course, a perfect song for a scarf or shaker prop, but for these outdoor sessions I’m streamlining. Themed Song: The Walrus Washes His Winter Coat Oh, the walrus washes his winter coat (rub hands together) Down by the wavy ocean (make a waving motion) He adds some water and he adds some soap (pretend to pour) and he waits…and he waits…and he waits. (point to wrist)
Then the laundry shakes, shakes, shakes (shake arms) The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes until it’s clean. (repeat)
Additional verses: The laundry turns … until it’s clean (roll arms) Last time: Well, the walrus washed his winter coat Down by the wavy ocean He shakes it out (shake out your coats!) And he hangs it up to dry (hang it on the clothesline!) And now his coat is clean! Source: Brytani Fraser via Jbrary and Reading Rena
Now let’s travel all the way to the other end of the earth, the south pole, or Antarctica, where a lot of penguins live!
Themed book: If You Were a Penguin by Wendell & Florence Minor OR Walrus Song by Janet Lawler & Timothy Basil Ering Obviously to get to to the south pole, we’d need to do a penguin story, but the Walrus Song book is very cool as well. If you stayed in the Arctic, that would be a great choice. If You Were a Penguin was the shortest and most interactive penguin book I could find, which I’m learning is really a requirement for my group.
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me. Repeated Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it. Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe. Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. We spend about 20 minutes in free play.
Repeated Stations: Kinetic Sand (Dry) I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.
Pouring Station (Wet) I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)
Rotating Stations: Craft Stick Sort (Dry) I noticed in my storage bin that I had these boxes of dot painters that have small holes already in the top. I colored a ring around each hole a different rainbow color and added colored craft sticks for a fine motor and color identification station.
Beanbag Sort (Dry) We had these beanbags from Lakeshore Learning that are different colors and shapes. They’re a super easy station where kids can play and sort with them in several ways.
Dodge the Seaweed (Action) We had some small cones in our action set, so I duct taped a paint stirrer to the tops of them, then haphazardly added green crepe paper to look like seaweed. For the amount of time it took me, I think they look pretty good! I was fully expecting them to get kind of torn up after the first week of use, but they held up. That might partly be because it was pretty hot out and I’m not sure a lot of kids were running around, though. 🙂
Unique Stations: Ice Play (Wet) I filled a medium sized bin with water, a bowl or colander, a few plastic animals like orcas, seals, and a whale shark, scoops and slotted spoons. I kept a 20 lb bag of ice in a cooler in the shade nearby, then when we released to stations I emptied the ice into the bins. This was a popular station since it was pretty hot all three days. This picture was taken at the end of the program, so almost all of the ice had melted by that time! Nevertheless, the kids seemed to enjoy scooping and feeling the ice.
Ice Painting (Art/Messy) Darn, I didn’t get a picture of this. I made the ice “paints” using some liquid watercolor we have, mixed with water in ice cube trays and with one of the mini-craft sticks in each cube for a handle. I made two trays, thinking I might have to make more each day, but they actually lasted me through all three days. I had a second cooler and put some ice in the bottom of it, then put the ice cube trays on top. I got the cooler out when we released to stations and kept the trays in the cooler in between uses. Outside of a few kids wanting to eat them (nontoxic paint, but still yucky), this was fun. Several grownups said how neat an idea it was and asked how I made the cubes (and I let them know that they could probably also use food coloring) and I overheard one say they were going to do this at a birthday party later that summer!
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Penguin Problems by Jory John & Lane Smith If Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen & Matt Phelan A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson & Stephen Savage Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson & Stephen Savage Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis & Jarvis Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman What’s in the Egg, Little Pip? by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
This storytime was presented in-person on 6/20, 6/21, & 6/22/22.
Another sub-theme for Summer Reading 2022 Oceans of Possibilities! Going to the beach is one of the most common and enjoyable ways that humans get to experience the ocean, so it seemed like a natural theme. Several of the kids in this week’s programs had been to the beach or would be going later this summer.
This week we were outside on Monday, but had a heat advisory for the Tuesday and Wednesday classes. With the heat index above 90 and the humidity brutal, I moved my outdoor session into our two large meeting rooms. It was another curveball, but I had the rooms booked all summer in case of rain or heat, so I’m glad the space was available. The rooms I used are separated by a collapsible wall, so I opened it only about 5 feet and put my storytime table in front of the opening. We did the storytime portion of the program in one room, then I wheeled my table out of the way so they could get to the stations room. It was a great way to keep their interest from getting distracted by the stations until we were ready to play with them. (Outdoors, I cover the stations with sheets until we release to them. So far I haven’t had any kids peeking, which is nice while it lasts!)
Psst: wanna know a secret? I structured my summer storytimes around the idea for outdoor free play stations, and minimized the planning I’d need to do for the actual storytime part. In fact, I’m changing only two aspects of each storytime from week to week/theme to theme in order to keep myself sane. Repetition is not a bad thing. Kids and grownups are enjoying knowing the repeated songs and what comes next, while I still get to have one song and one book set to the theme. Setting up the stations each week takes a lot of my brain (and muscle) power, so it feels nice to know that I’ve got a handle on the storytime portion and don’t need to worry about it.
For a more in-depth explanation of the structure of this summer’s programs, read the intro to the first session, Ocean Life.
Early Literacy Tip: Sometimes we think in order to read a book to a child, we must read all the words, in order, front to back. But really, there’s lots of ways to experience reading, and young children may not have the attention span to listen to a book all the way through. It’s okay to skip pages, just “read” the pictures, or start and stop as needed. Make it a positive experience, and your child will develop the staying power to eventually listen to a whole book when they’re ready.
I originally debated doing a song with names over summer – would it take too long? Could I get them right? I decided to go with it and I’m so glad I did. The smiles on the kids and caregivers when they hear their name is worth it! Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (repeated) (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (This week we also “ran” across the sand (in place) and “splashed” – I’ll do two new motions in addition to wiggle each week to keep it interesting) Source: Jbrary
Intro to Weekly Theme: One way to enjoy the ocean is to go to the beach. Has anyone been? What do you remember? If you have more time to play with a discussion, I loved Jessica’s idea of unpacking a beach tote on her blog.
Themed Song: The Waves on the Beach (tune of The Wheels on the Bus) The waves on the beach go in and out (arms swoop back and forth in front of you) In and out, in and out The waves on the beach go in and out All day long!
Additional verses: The crabs on the beach go pinch, pinch, pinch… (pinch fingers and thumbs together) The clams on the beach go open and shut… (hands cup together vertically and open/shut on a hinge) The kids on the beach go splash, splash, splash… (slap hands downward) Source: adapted from Storytime in the Stacks
Transition Song: If You’re Ready for a Story (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, if you’re ready for a story, If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) Source: Miss Keithia (my predecessor)
Themed book: Jules Vs. the Ocean by Jesse Sima OR Little Hoo Goes to the Beach by Brenda Ponnay I used Little Hoo for my baby program, as it is extremely simple (and I even skipped the seaweed pages to shorten it). Jules worked best for my 2-3.5 group, but we were indoors so it was much easier for them to see the pictures, which are brilliant and help tell this story really well. I’ve used books like Hello, Ocean and I also considered My Ocean is Blue, but I’ve been noticing that my group just can’t handle longer picture books. I don’t know if it’s because I’m more used to preschoolers, or if it has something to do with the pandemic, but the little ones just don’t seem interested in books with more than a sentence per page. I’m still figuring this out and experimenting, so it was good to see that Jules worked, at least in the indoor setting.
I adapted the lyrics only slightly from Jbrary’s pirate themed song to be a little more generic ocean. I also let grownups know this could be a lifting song, but only if they’re feeling ambitious! I invite everyone else to do the up and down motions with me. Repeated Song: The Ocean Song (tune of The Elevator Song) Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand! There are lots of big ships but very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
(ready?) We… ride… the… waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down we ride the waves going up, we ride the waves going down And we turn… a-… round! Source: Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably out of breath, so it’s time for a breathing break. I’d considered doing ocean wave breathing on the theme, but I decided that Five Finger Breathing is an easy one to teach and for kids to remember, which is my point in doing it. Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Whew, I could use a breathing break! Let’s get out our five fingers and spread our hands out wide. We’re going to breathe in deeply as we trace our fingers up, pause for just a moment at the top of our finger, then breathe out as we trace down. Ready?
I like to mention that this song was adapted by an occupational therapist as a reminder of ways to self-soothe. Repeated Movement Song: Big Sea Star (tune of A Ram Sam Sam) A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A big sea star, a big sea star Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star A pufferfish! A pufferfish! Little cuddle clam and a big sea star Source: Jbrary
Release to Stations I have seven stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and an action station. This week I was indoors, so used old flannel sheets for under the “wet” stations. They worked pretty well, absorbing spilled water enough that I didn’t have to mop the floor after.
Repeated Stations: Kinetic Sand (Dry) I bought some kinetic sand and added it to two plastic bins. In the recycling bin I found some fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and added them plus some plastic shovels. I keep a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. I didn’t realize until after I planned this station that kinetic sand should not be put in mouths, so I do warn the parents that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this one.
Pouring Station (Wet) I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings for this station and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with plastic bins and fill them randomly with water from the hose each week. (Also, I must have had some sunscreen on my lens taking pictures outdoors – there’s a weird blur!)
Rotating Stations: Pompom Sort (Dry) A really easy station to put together: I just saved a couple of egg cartons, then poured a handful or two of different colored/sized pompoms into them. Provide some plastic tongs and you’re done. (And again, weird blur on the outdoor one)
Colored Ball Sort and Drop (Dry) This was inspired by a Pinterest post from Taming Little Monsters. I made two, from our ubiquitous Baker & Taylor boxes, but oriented them different ways so one was tall and skinny and one was low and squat.
Ocean Boulder Leap (Action) This started out in my head as a lily pad leap, but adapted to the ocean theme. We had the rubber dots from an active play set and I cut out some crab graphics to tape on for flavor.
Unique Stations: Animal Washing (Wet) Based on another Pinterest idea from Coffee Cups and Crayons, I bought some plastic ocean animals and stuck them in a bin of dirt. (I had trouble finding dirt at the store that didn’t have fertilizer mixed in with it, so had to get this organic coconut husk dirt, which isn’t as “dirt-y” as real dirt, but it worked.) A second bin was filled with clean water and had toothbrushes and dish brushes in it for washing. I meant to put a little detergent in to make bubbles, but it didn’t happen, and it was fine.
Sponge Painting (Art/Messy) I reused the ocean animal shaped sponges I made from last week’s sponge play station and put out small trays of tempera paint (recycled Lean Cuisine trays work great). Kids could stamp the shapes onto plain white construction paper in our messy trays for the simple craft. Our rinse station was set up to one side with a couple buckets of water and towels for cleaning up hands. All of my craft stations this summer are simple process-focused art with different media.
After about 20 minutes exploring stations, I rang the bell to call everyone back to the storytime area. 20 minutes felt like a good time – kids had generally found their way to all the stations and were winding down.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Surf’s Up by Kwame Alexander & Daniel Miyares Bea by the Sea by Jo Byatt This Beach Is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill At the Beach by Shira Evans Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming & Paola Zakimi Beach Day! by Patricia Lakin & Scott Nash My Ocean Is Blue by Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron Noah’s Seal by Layn Marlow Hum and Swish by Matt Myers Hello Ocean/Hola mar by Pam Muñoz Ryan & Mark Astrella What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams & Floyd Cooper Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion & Margaret Bloy Graham
This storytime was presented in-person on 6/13, 6/14, & 6/15/22.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day & Allison Black, check him out! This swashbuckler takes us through his morning dress routine, which consists of a long list of clothing items in a variety of colors, all in charming rhyme that begs to be read with a jaunty pirate-y accent. I love that there are some more unusual clothes, like a vest and sash, as well as colors often overlooked in books that focus on the rainbow, like gold and silver and brown. Hello, vocabulary!
Adding one clothing piece after another is a perfect fit for flannel adaptation. I first blogged about this set in a What We Wear/Clothing themed storytime and was inspired by a resource my state library put together on nominees for their Early Literacy Firefly Award (you can find their template in the 2020 program guide). I changed the set quite a bit, giving Jack his distinctive features from the book and lengthening his body so his sock and boot actually fit on his leg.
Thanks to reader Jennifer who asked about a template for this flannel set! I didn’t initially make a template, but scanned my finished pieces so you could recreate it if you wish. There are notes on the template that indicate where pieces might be layered, and a scan of a few of the back pieces to see how a couple of the trickier pieces are put together. One more note – my pieces are a little small. I think if I were doing this again, I would enlarge it a bit just to make it easier to see and work with. You should be able to use your printer dialog box to enlarge (probably anywhere from 20-50% might be good) and print on tablet (11×17) sized paper instead of the default letter (8.5×11).
Pirate Jack is a great multi-use flannel. You could use this one for a Clothing theme, as I did, one for Pirates or the Ocean, or, of course, Colors. It’s a great fit for the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s Oceans of Possibilities theme for summer 2022. Enjoy!
As I was planning my fall session, I looked a little more at Chase’s Calendar of Events than I had in the past, just looking for new inspiration. I was reminded that September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate day, so I coordinated my closest storytime session to be on pirates. Arrrrr!
I went very vague about what pirates did – something like sailing the seas, looking for treasure. The lore and traditions of “pirates” in the way they’ve been interpreted and exaggerated (and certainly skewed) in movies and pop culture is undeniably fun, and the reality is quite a bit more violent and depressing, so we kept it light. I went all out with the pirate getup. Wearing an eyepatch was really discombobulating during the virtual version, so I opted out in person, but still wore my stripey shirt, waist sash, headscarf, and parrot craft on my shoulder!
Early Literacy Tip: Books are very rich in vocabulary—they have words that we do not use in everyday conversation with young children. This is especially true with books on unusual subjects like pirates! So, children hear many more words when we read books to them, and research shows that gives kids an advantage well into their school years. Feel free to explain unfamiliar words, but don’t substitute them for easier ones.
Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Our new warm-up for the last few weeks of the summer session. Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (Try other motions such as jump, twirl, stretch) Source: Jbrary
Intro: September 19th is a holiday – did you know? It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day! So let’s enjoy some fun about pirates. BTW, Do you know what a pirate’s favorite letter is? … [Hope for a parent to supply “R”] … Ah, yeh’d think it’d be R, but it’s really the C they love!
Lifting Song: The Ocean Song Oh the ocean is great and the ocean is grand There are lots of pirate ships and very little land And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor And this is what we do when we go out to shore: We ride the waves going up, We ride the waves going down (rep 3x) And we turn around – Arr! Source: Jbrary
I talked briefly about the fact that the word “sea/see” sounded the same but was spelled differently and meant two different things. The sea, like the ocean: we made a wavy hand motion in front of us. And to see, like to look: we shaded our eyes with our hands like we were looking far away. The next song we made the appropriate motions to go with the words, and I held up big pictures of sea creatures that we cumulatively sang at the end of each verse. (I used my “slippery fish” felt for the video.) Song: A Pirate Went to Sea A pirate went to sea, sea, sea (wavy motion with hand) To see what she could see, see, see (shade eyes) But all that she could see, see, see (shade eyes) Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea… (wavy) OH aaaand a seahorse!
A pirate went to sea, sea, sea (wavy motion with hand) To see what she could see, see, see (shade eyes) But all that she could see, see, see (shade eyes) Was a seahorse in the deep blue sea, sea, sea… (wavy) OH aaaand a jellyfish!
A pirate went to sea, sea, sea (wavy motion with hand) To see what she could see, see, see (shade eyes) But all that she could see, see, see (shade eyes) Was a seahorse and a jellyfish in the deep blue sea, sea, sea… (wavy) OH aaaand an octopus! (keep adding sea animals – fish, shark, whale) Source: Johnson County Library (KS)
I wanted to shorten this one, so I paper clipped the pages that dealt with fighting with the rival pirate ship. So they found the treasure, then they celebrated on their ship. Read: Dinosaur Pirates! by Penny Dale
I’d never heard this one before and it was on several storytime blogs, so I found this adorable video of a girl scout group performing it – I got the tune and the motions from them! Song: The Counting Pirate Song When I was one, I banged my drum (mime) The day I went to sea (wavy motion) I climbed aboard a pirate ship (climb ladder) And the captain said to me (salute) We’re going this way, that way (hands on hips, lean left and right) Forwards, backwards over the rolling sea (lean front and back, wavy motion) A bottle of milk to warm my tum, (drink, then rub tummy) And that’s the life for me! Yo-ho-ho-ho! (the “pirate” motion – bent arm rocks in front of you)
I didn’t actually do this one in person since I could tell we were running a bit long, but it’s another fun option. Song: Captain Billy (tune of Old MacDonald) Captain Billy had a ship, E-I-Yo-Ho-Ho! And on his ship he had a crew, E-I-Yo-Ho-Ho! With an Arrr, Arrr here and an Arrr, Arrr there, Here an Arr, there an Arr, everywhere an Arr, Arr Captain Billy had a ship, E-I-Yo-Ho-Ho!
Additional verses: …on his ship his crew would swab… swish, sweep … …found an isle …and on that isle buried treasure…dig… …on his ship he had a treasure…gold doubloons here… Source: Stratford Library (CT)
Breathing Break: Five Finger Breathing Our breathwork visualization. We inhale while tracing up a finger, pause at the top, then exhale while tracing down, and pause at the bottom. Repeat for all five fingers. At the end, I let them know this is a great way to get calm, get centered or focused, and get ready for the next thing. I also remind them they can take a ten finger break if they need to, and it’s always available for them whenever they need it.
We did the PIRATE version of this one today! Song: PIRATE Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re hunting for doubloons! (hands sweep past each other, then shade eyes) Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re hunting for doubloons! If you want to take a trip (climb a ladder) Climb aboard my pirate ship! Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re hunting for doubloons! In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, AHOY! (crouch, jump & wave!) Source: Jbrary
Read: Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
So I needed to get the bubble machine out after that book! In person, I played a new-to-me song that I really dig: Recorded song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia
In the virtual version, I played and sang this one: Ukulele Song: If You’re A Pirate & You Know It (tune of If You’re Happy & You Know It) If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish) (x2) If you’re a pirate and you know it and you really want to show it If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)
Craft: Eyepatch and Parrot Inpsired by this great post at Sturdy for Common Things I made eyepatches from black foam and strung them with black yarn, then provided this really cool parrot craft to go with them. I adjusted the template so that I could print two parrots on a sheet of cardstock (I did white and let the kids color them), and I removed the B and C lines since I couldn’t really figure out why they were there, and just left the one folding line A. Parents could position the parrot on their kid’s shoulder, taping the tab to their back and letting the body of the bird drape over the front. (The pictures at the blog post make it clearer.) Since I altered the template and it’s not available at its original spot anymore, you can download my version here. I also added some plastic gold coins in the packet for funsies.
I also booktalked these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video. The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas, Artemis Roehrig & Ashlyn Anstee Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day & Allison Black Go, Go, Pirate Boat by Katrina Charman & Nick Sharratt We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt by Kelly DiPucchio & Jay Fleck
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented in-person and virtually on 9/21/21.
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 