Tag: puppets

I saw anaconda and chez bob book covers

Storytime: Gulp! (Animals Eating Animals)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Okay, so yes, a storytime about animals getting eaten and swallowed up by other animals may seem a little morbid or inappropriate for babies and toddlers. But there are SO MANY books, rhymes, and songs that fit this theme! Little ones delight in sharks, snakes, crocodiles, lions, and bears being fearsome and sometimes eating other animals. All the activities we did were silly and fun, and not gruesome or graphic like a Discovery Channel special. And it was very puppet-friendly so we had lots of puppets as well as flannels!

Because some of my coworkers were not convinced that “Animals Eating Animals” (the title I’d given this theme in the past) would not alarm our adult caregivers, we did officially call this storytime “Gulp! A Storytime” in our marketing. In any case, we had fun and I promise no blood was shed in storytime.

See another version of this theme from 2021.

I saw anaconda book cover, showing a very large snake looking at a pale skinned child holding binoculars
chez bob book cover, showing a yellow alligator wearing a chef's hat and tux shaking salt on a bird sitting on his nose in front of a bird-sized table.

Early Development Tip: Children have wonderful imaginations. Encourage pretend play and find ways to expand it so that children explore different situations and characters. You can enrich their play by following their lead, adding new words, offering “what if” situations, and incorporating writing and print into their play. This kind of play adds to their “sense of story.”

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* 

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

Intro: Out in the wild, animals sometimes eat other animals to stay alive. This makes them carnivores, or meat-eaters, or omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals. What about you? Are you a carnivore, omnivore, or even a herbivore (only eat plants)? One thing I love is that there are a lot of really funny stories and songs about animals eating animals!

How about turtles? They eat bugs and small fish!
I demoed this one with just my hands first, then I said, “Oh, turtle is here and wants to do this rhyme with us!” I really love this Folkmanis turtleneck turtle puppet – so adorable, and with a perfect mouth for snapping!
Fingerplay: There Was a Little Turtle
There was a little turtle (make fist with thumb sticking out)
who lived in a box (cover fist with arm)
he swam in the puddles (fist wiggles like swimming)
he climbed on the rocks (fist climbs up opposite arm)
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea (pinch fingers)
He snapped at a minnow, he snapped at me (pinch fingers)
He caught that mosquito, He caught that flea (clap!)
He caught that minnow (clap!)
But he didn’t catch me! (waggle finger)
Source: Jbrary

There was a little turtle rhyme sheet with turtleneck turtle puppet in front of storytime easel

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

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Very similar to the Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly structure, but it’s an anaconda eating lots of animals (including a little kid!) Not to worry, it throws them all up at the end. Super fun with lots of interesting flaps.
Read: I Saw Anaconda by Jane Clarke & Emma Dodd

I saw anaconda book cover, showing a very large snake looking at a pale skinned child holding binoculars

This may be my all-time favorite animals eating animals book. It’s hilarious and clever, with lots of opportunities for funny voices and expressive reading. It is a little long for my littles, though, so I didn’t end up doing it. If I had a mixed group with preschoolers I definitely would, though!
Backup Read: Chez Bob by Bob Shea

chez bob book cover, showing a yellow alligator wearing a chef's hat and tux shaking salt on a bird sitting on his nose in front of a bird-sized table.

Oh, no! There’s a big snake back here!!!
I remember hearing some recording of this when I was a kid, and it’s stuck with me ever since. I got a snake puppet to “eat” me, but I’ve also seen people do this with one of those collapsible crawling tunnels and actually being “swallowed,” which is also cool!
Poem: Boa Constrictor
(your arm or your grownup can be the snake)
I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor
A boa constrictor, a boa constrictor
I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor
And I don’t like it– one bit
Well, what do you know? It’s nibblin’ my toe!
Oh Gee! It’s up to my knee! Oh My! It’s up to my thigh!
Oh Fiddle! It’s up to my middle! Oh Heck! It’s up to my neck!
Oh Dread! It’s upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff…
Source: Shel Silverstein from Where the Sidewalk Ends

boa constrictor rhyme sheet with stuffed snake on storytime easel

boa constrictor thumbnail, with a graphic of a large coiled brown snake. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

If you go to the swamp, look out for the crocodiles!
Action Rhyme: The Hungry Crocodile
Here comes the hungry crocodile with his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp In the swamp swamp swamp
So swim fast, fish. Birds, fly away.
Move along, turtles and crabs, Hurry on your way
For here comes the hungry crocodile w/ his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp In the swamp swamp swamp
Source: King County (WA) Library System

hungry crocodile thumbnail, with a graphic of a green crocodile with mouth open. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The crocodile has a cousin – the alligator!
We had this frog flannel in storage – obviously made for Five Green and Speckled Frogs, but it works just as well for this song, especially with a big alligator puppet. I love how jazzy it is!
Counting/Puppet/Flannel Song: Five Frogs
Five frogs were hoppin’ on a log
One hopped off into the pond
Then a big alligator came a-swimmin’ along
He went, “Chomp! Mm-mm.” Now he’s gone. (Count down)
Source: Anna Moo, from the album Anna Moo Crackers

flannel of 5 green frogs, each with different colored speckles. Above the flannelboard, an alligator puppet

five frogs thumbnail, with a graphic of five frogs sitting on a log with an alligator swimming in the water underneath them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Did you know there may be a CARNIVORE in your HOUSE? Who has a cat or dog?
Action Song: The Old Gray Cat
The old gray cat is sleeping, (lay head in hands)
Sleeping, sleeping
The old gray cat is sleeping
In the house (peak hands up to make a roof above head)

additional verses:
The little mice are creeping… (creep fingers)
The little mice are nibbling… (pretend to eat)
The old gray cat is creeping… (creep/stalk fingers)
The little mice go scampering… (quickly, and pat lap)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

the old gray cat thumbnail, with a graphic of a gray cat with eyes closed and two brown mice in front of her. Click the image to download a non-branded PDF.

Who said they have a dog? I have a dog, too! (show puppet)
I made a new Bark, George box! The one from my previous library was made by a volunteer and stayed there. It was fun to make my own using inspiration from Literary Commentary. To share, I showed the book and acknowledged the author, but said I’d be retelling the story with my dog puppet instead of reading the book today.
Puppet Retelling: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Download my one-page script for Bark, George here!

bark george puppet, made from a box covered in brown paper with eyes, muzzle, ears, and tongue added. The mouth is where the box opens on a hinge.
bark george puppet, made from a box covered in brown paper with eyes, muzzle, ears, and tongue added. The mouth is where the box opens on a hinge. Shown in this picture with a frog puppet halfway out of the mouth.

bark george book cover showing a picture of a brown dog looking up

I had this on my list as an optional song so I didn’t end up using it for time, but it is a really fun one. I usually say, something like, “Let’s do a song about a baby shark! OH, not THAT baby shark!” I don’t think I’ll ever do Baby Shark in storytime again. Since it got popular it’s been ruined for me!
Action Song: The Shark Song
Oh, there’s a shark, do-do, do-do-do
A baby shark, do-do, do-do-do
He lives in the ocean, do-do, do-do-do
He eats fish, CHOMP-CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP!
He has 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 it’s not the end! What about sister shark?]
(repeat with sister, mama, daddy, grandma, etc)
Source: The Ooey Gooey Lady

the shark song thumbnail, with a graphic of a happy looking shark and two small fish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s turn to the ocean. Oh, here’s a little fish. Little fish is just swimming along…
Yes, I changed great white shark to mako shark because I read that mako sharks actually do eat octopus AND have been found in the bellies of sperm whales. Science! Someday I will redo this flannel to make each piece a little larger than the last one rather than being mostly the same size. I didn’t use the tuna fish for this group, just to make it a little shorter.
Action/Flannel Song: Slippery Fish
Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by an …

Jellyfish … floating in the water
Octopus … squiggling in the water
[Tuna fish … flashing in the water]
Mako shark … lurking in the water
Humongous whale … spouting in the water…
Gulp! … Gulp! … Gulp! … BURP!
(Cover mouth) Excuse you!
Source: Jbrary

slippery fish flannel, showing a small green fish, a pink jellyfish, a gray octopus, a white tuna fish, the head of a gray shark with mouth open, and a blue whale

slippery fish thumbnail, with a graphic of a small blue fish, pink jellyfish, red octopus, shark with an open mouth, and big blue whale. The whale is behind the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Shark Attack Craft
Inspired by this newsprint shark craft from iHeartCraftyThings, this was a silly shark scene. It did involve a lot of pieces and gluing. I enlisted the help of volunteers to cut everything out (and just used gray construction paper rather than newsprint.) I also added a small die-cut fish for the shark to be about to eat! I am thinking about making glue sponges for the future – they seem a lot easier than glue sticks. What do you think? Has anyone used them before? If I’d had more time, I might have pre-glued the shark and the water and let them do the facial features, but it seemed to work out and I didn’t get any complaints from grownups.

Shark craft showing a large shark face looking down at the water in front o fit where a little green fish is swimming. There are lots of sharp white teeth!

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*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree – Daniel Bernstrom & Brendan Wenzel
One Day at the Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea – Daniel Bernstrom & Brandon James Scott
Swallow the Leader – Danna Smith & Kevin Sherry
That is NOT a Good Idea! – Mo Willems
Lucky Duck – Greg Pizzoli
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean – Kevin Sherry
What Does an Anteater Eat? – Ross Collins
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly – Simms Taback
Duckworth, the Difficult Child – Michael Sussman & Júlia Sardà
Don’t Eat Eustace – Lian Cho
One Fox – Kate Read
Seals Are Jerks! – Jared Chapman
The Wolf, the Duck, & the Mouse – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! – Angela Dominguez 
This is Not My Hat – Jon Klassen
I Want My Hat Back – Jon Klassen
Mina – Matthew Forsythe
Tadpole’s Promise – Jeanne Willis & Tony Ross
Pierre – Maurice Sendek
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates – Ryan T Higgins
Carnivores – Aaron Reynolds & Dan Santat

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/11/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

cat knit, don't worry wuddles, and knit together book covers

Storytime: Knitting & Yarn

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Any other knitters out there? Knitting and yarn is a fun storytime theme and I love that I get to share one of my hobbies with the littles. They always have some wide eyes when I show them a couple of knit stitches, and it’s a great way to think about the origins of things, tracing a sweater or hat all the way back to sheep. I did make up a couple of piggyback songs for this one (the first time I did this theme) and they work pretty well.

One thing I struggled a bit with is using Baa Baa Black Sheep. I couldn’t think of another way to use my “naked sheep” flannel and I wanted to do a sheep activity of some kind. I took another look at the origins and decided to use the song, though I did make some slight changes. I believe this is one of those rhymes that originally did not have any racial meaning, though of course connotative meanings get added over time and can also do real harm even if they weren’t original. The document that I have seen in the past of a list of problematic rhymes and songs has two notations for this song. The first looks to be the song basically as we sing it today, and the illustration does not show anything objectionable that I could tell – I’m not sure why it was listed in the document. The second is from a book called “Negro Folk Rhymes” which *does* include objectionable language, but from what I can tell is an adaptation of the original and not widely known. The tune to the song is the same as Twinkle Twinkle and the ABCs, so that’s not something that is tied to racism (unlike the “One Little, Two Little” song.) So, I did not do any “black sheep” verses, opting instead to do red, blue, and pink, and changed the word “master” to “mister.” Is it enough? I hope so. If you have an opinion that respectfully disagrees, I would love to hear it. And I’d love to hear alternative options for different colored and naked sheep flannel games, too!

See another version of this theme from 2021.

cat knit book cover, showing a irritated dark gray cat tangled up in red yarn, with the ball end in the foreground with a pair of knitting needles in it.
don't worry wuddles book cover, showing a shaggy sheep with a small yellow duckling making off with some wool.
knit together book cover, showing a mother and daughter hugging. The daughter is wearing a knit hat and scarf and the title is made with red yarn.

Early Development Tip: (two tips today!) Lacing activities help children develop fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, motor planning, visual perception, improved attention, patience, and perseverance. In addition, lacing helps children practice the precursor skills for shoe tying and writing.
We count up and down from the number five often in storytime! It’s a great idea to mix it up sometimes and choose a different number to start with, such as in our rhyme “Six Balls of Yarn.”

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* 

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

Intro: [Have some knitting to show.] This is yarn! And I’m knitting with my yarn! Knitting is a way to make yarn into clothes like sweaters, mittens, hats, scarves. Is anyone wearing a something made of yarn today? Are any grownups knitters?

In order to knit, your fingers need to be all warmed up. And someone who really knows how to weave and knit a beautiful web is spider!
Okay, a bit of a stretch, but it was a good way to get us started. I always repeat this one with GREAT BIG SPIDER with your whole hand and sing loudly and tiny shy spider with fingertips in a whisper.
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again
Source: traditional

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

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

A funny and short book, perfect for my group. Lots of smiles and laughs.
Read: Cat Knit by Jacob Grant

cat knit book cover, showing a irritated dark gray cat tangled up in red yarn, with the ball end in the foreground with a pair of knitting needles in it.

Knit Togetheris a lovely story about a girl and her mom who work on designing a knit piece together, but my library doesn’t actually own it. I borrowed it from my home library as a backup but didn’t end up using it. My library DOES have Don’t Worry Wuddles, which is a cute one about a duckling who takes all of a sheep’s wool to keep the other animals warm, but it’s a little ambiguous about knitting – it kind of looks like the yarn is just wound around the animals.
Backup Reads: Knit Together by Angela Dominguez OR Don’t Worry Wuddles by Lita Judge

knit together book cover, showing a mother and daughter hugging. The daughter is wearing a knit hat and scarf and the title is made with red yarn.
don't worry wuddles book cover, showing a shaggy sheep with a small yellow duckling making off with some wool.

Do you know where woolen yarn comes from? Sheep! Sheep’s wool come in different colors, like white, black, gray, and brown, just like we have different hair colors. But I have some EXTRAORDINARY colored sheep!
See my note above for all my dithering about using this rhyme. I do like the second and third verses, I found them at Book Besotted Librarian but I don’t know if they are traditional or not. The last verse I’ve previously attributed to Piper Loves the Library (where I definitely stole the flannel pattern), but going to the site her rhyme is much different. It’s possible I made it up, but I don’t remember! The flannel is fun – the “naked sheep” has a removable sweater! Note that the rhyme sheet is two pages; the preview only shows the first, but the PDF includes both.
Nursery Rhyme: Baa, Baa, Sheep
Baa, baa red sheep have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full
One for the mister, One for the dame
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane

Baa baa blue sheep have you any wool?
Yes, ma’am, yes ma’am, three needles full
One to mend a jumper, One to mend a frock
And one for the little girl, With holes in her socks

Baa baa pink sheep have you any wool?
Yes, child, yes, child, three bags full
One for the kitten, One for the cats
And one for the guinea pigs to knit some woolly hats

Baa baa, naked sheep have you any wool?
No, friend, no, friend, I’m cold right through!
Baa baa, naked sheep, what can we do?
Knit a sweater for me and you!
Source: traditional, 2nd and 3rd verses from Book Besotted Librarian, last vs adapted from Piper Loves the Library

flannel for baa baa sheep, showing sheep with red, blue and pink wool, and a sheep wearing a striped sweater.

baa baa sheep page one of two, thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark faced sheep with red wool and a light faced sheep with blue wool. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Sometimes I put on glasses to read a book or to do my knitting!
We practice putting our glasses on and off, and opening and closing our books before we started. For “yarn” I pretended to hold a ball of yarn, and for “knit” I fiddled my fingers together.
Action Song: These Are My Glasses
These are my glasses, And 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

These are my glasses, And this is my yarn
I put on my glasses And start to knit my yarn
Now I look, look, look, And I knit, knit, knit
I put down my glasses and…
WHOOP! It’s time to quit
Source: Laurie Berkner, from the album Whaddaya Think of That?
second verse by Ms. Emily

These are my glasses thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of glasses, a green book, a pair of knitting needles, and a skein of pink yarn. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I have some lovely yarn here! What colors do you see?
I used only six colors from my Ten Balls of Yarn set, as ten gets a bit much for this age. The flannel was a labor of love. I am so pleased with how it turned out, even though it was a lot of work! Click the link for more on how I made it, plus a downloadable template. For this storytime, I made a new felt basket to put them in! I also used a cat puppet to pull the balls off of the flannelboard.
Counting Rhyme: Six Balls of Yarn
Six balls of yarn, sitting in a bowl
One fell out and started to…. ROLL (roll arms)
It bounced on my foot and there it sits
How many balls are left to knit?
(count down to one)
Source: Canton Public Library (MI)

picture of ten balls of yarn flannel updated with a brown basket. The yarn colors are purple, green, white, blue, black, red, orange, yellow, brown, and pink.

six balls of yarn thumbnail, with a graphic of six multicolored yarn balls in a basket. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Warm clothes can be knitted with warm yarn – like a sweater!
I have not figured out motions for this song that work REALLY well – I directed the group to rub their arms during the first part of the song, and do an exaggerated forward and back motion with their arms during the “bring back” portion. I played this on ukulele, so I wasn’t able to do any of the motions myself, which always makes it harder.
Ukulele Song: My Sweater
(tune of My Bonnie)
My sweater is warm and cozy
My sweater is warm and dry
When I play in very cold weather
Oh, bring me a sweater to wear
Oh, bring me, bring me, bring me a sweater to wear, to wear
Bring me, bring me, oh bring me a sweater to wear!
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library

Get a copy of the ukulele song sheet for My Bonnie!

my bonnie ukulele songsheet thumbnail

my sweater thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange turtleneck sweater with a heart. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhythm Sticks Intro: Let’s get out our rhythm sticks and practice! Can you make your sticks go Fast & Loud? Slow & Quiet? In a Circle? Drive them like a car? Rest them on your shoulders? Tap the ground? Okay, listen carefully! Fast, Quiet, Shoulders, etc.
It’s always good to do some practice with the sticks before we really get started. I use unsharpened pencils instead of traditional rhythm sticks to make it easier for the littles.

Let’s pretend our sticks are knitting needles!
I actually have a pair of jumbo knitting needles, so that’s what I used for my sticks! I have used variations on this rhyme many times – it works really well! This time I wanted to capitalize on the sticks, so made sure we did some tapping and rolling. The tricky one was tapping your sticks while turning in a circle, but the challenge made it fun.
Rhythm Stick Rhyme: Knitting Needles UP
Knitting needles up!
Knitting needles down!
Tap your knitting needles and turn around
Knitting needles up!
Knitting needles down!
Roll your knitting needles around and around
Source: One Little Librarian

knitting needles up thumbnail, with a graphic of a light skinned hand holding a pair of knitting needles. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What kinds of noises do our needles make?
Rhythm Stick Song: Click Clack Went the Knitting Needles
(tune of Mmm Ahh Went the Little Green Frog)
Click, clack went the knitting needles one day (pretend to knit)
Click, clack went the knitting needles
Click, clack went the knitting needles one day,
and they both went click clack click!

But… We know needles go
Tappy-tappy-tap! Tappy-tappy-tap! (big taps!)
Tappy-tappy-tap!
We know needles go
Tappy-tappy-tap!
They don’t go click, click, clack

Additional verse:
Roll, roll went the big ball of yarn one day… (roll arms/sticks)
But… we know yarn goes
Bouncy-bouncy-bounce… (bounce sticks in a vertical position)
Source: Canton Public Library (MI)

click clack thumbnail, with a graphic of some green yarn being knit into a smallswatch. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can you listen carefully to the instructions in this song?
This was a song that a colleague played every week in storytime at my old library. It’s fun and has some good instructions, but isn’t too hard. I even had one caregiver ask about it afterwards as she wanted to play it at home!
Recorded Rhythm Stick Song: Tap Your Sticks
Source: Hap Palmer, from the album Rhythms on Parade

image of Rhythms on Parade album cover showing animals following a kangaroo

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Yarn Hearts Craft
As this was the week before Valentine’s Day, I chose a craft that could be made into a Valentine if they wished. We have a die cut for a large heart with scalloped edges, so I cut those out in pink paper. Then I cut short lengths of yarn in varying colors and provided liquid glue for adhesion. Tip: wrap yarn around your hand (4 fingers) many times, then cut the whole bunch at the bottom and the top for neat, even short lengths of yarn. I mentioned that kids could follow the lines of glue on their papers or just scattershot, making sure their yarn was touching some glue. For even older kids, you could encourage them to draw or write with the glue and then follow it with the yarn. It’s a craft that scales for age!

photo of a pink heart with scallops around the edge with colored yarn glued on in a haphazard way.

Is it helpful to see the setup for crafts? This is what it looked like on each table. I put everything on a messy tray except some baby wipes for gluey hands.

photo of craft setup, showing piles of different colored yarn, pink paper hearts, and liquid glue on a messy tray, with a package of baby wipes on the table next to it.

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*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Where Is the Green Sheep? – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Extra Yarn – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
Sweater Weather – Matt Phelan
Hide and Sheep – Andrea Beaty & Bill Mayer
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman – Michelle Edwards & G Brian Karas
While We Wait – Judy Ann Sadler & Élodie Duhameau
Silli’s Sheep – Tiffany Stone & Louis Thomas
Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters – KG Campbell
The Mitten – Jan Brett
Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep – Eric Barclay
Knitty Kitty – David Elliott & Christopher Denise
If You Want to Knit Some Mittens – Laura Purdie Salas & Angela Matteson
Penguin in Love – Salina Yoon

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/11/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

say hello like this and hello hello book covers

Storytime: Hello & Goodbye

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Some of baby’s first gestures are waves, so a hello and goodbye theme is great for babies and toddlers! We did a lot of waving and smiling and tried different kinds of greetings. My coworker did the majority of the planning and a lot of the rhyme sheet designs this week, though I did move a few things around and added one song I really wanted to try with this group. We thankfully have the freedom to be flexible with our own styles. I did try to balance hello and goodbye, but we may have skewed a little more on the hello side.

See another version of this theme from 2021.

say hello like this book cover, with an illustration of two yellow chicks peeping
Hello, Hello, book cover, with illustrations of colorful animals including a pangolin, iguana, lizard, fish, and a Rhinoceros Hornbill bird.

Early Literacy Tip: The concept of loud and soft plays an important role in music and throughout life. Children need to know when a loud voice is OK and when a soft voice is required. Through music they can have fun learning the difference between loud and soft. from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* 

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

Intro: We can say hello & goodbye in many different ways – hi, howdy, hiya, bye, see ya, later! If you speak another language, you may have different words, like in Spanish you can say hola and adios. You might say hello and goodbye without words, like giving someone a hive five or fist-bump. Sometimes saying goodbye to things or people we love can be hard, but each goodbye brings a chance for a new hello!

Here’s a fingerplay you might know about friends saying hello and goodbye!
I gave the adults a heads up that the last line is a bit different from what they may have learned (the traditional “run away” is not really the best way to say goodbye!)
Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am! Here I am!
How are you today, friend? Very well, I thank you!
Say goodbye. Say goodbye.
Source: traditional

where is thumbkin thumbnail, with a graphic of two hands of light skin tone giving the thumbs up gesture. The pads of the thumbs have smiley faces on them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

If you were a dog what might you say to say hello? What if you were a cow?
I do this one very often with my Book Babies programs, but hardly ever with the toddlers. They loved seeing the puppets and making the animal noises.
Puppet Song: Dog Says Hello
(tune of Farmer In The Dell)
The dog says hello
The dog says hello
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof
The dog says hello
(Repeat with other animals)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

the dog says hello thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon puppy with a speech bubble saying woof! click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Lots of fun and opportunities for movement and noises to make.
Read: Say Hello Like This! by Mary Murphy

say hello like this book cover, with an illustration of two yellow chicks peeping

My backup. I wish there was a nice title that includes both hellos and goodbyes featuring humans and simple enough for toddlers. Tall order! This one only seems tangentially related to greetings, but it is a beautiful book.
Read: Hello, Hello by Brendan Wenzel

Hello, Hello, book cover, with illustrations of colorful animals including a pangolin, iguana, lizard, fish, and a Rhinoceros Hornbill bird.

Action Rhyme: How Do You Say Hello?
Hey! Hi! Howdy! Yo!
There are many ways to say hello!
Wave your hand, Nod your head
Smile big or wink instead
Blow a kiss, Tip your hat
Shake your hands, Give a pat
Of all the ways to say hello,
Here’s the way I like to go…
HELLO! (choose your favorite!)
Source: Storytime Katie

how do you say hello thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a cowboy tipping his hat. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s practice saying hello and goodbye in different ways!
I chose a few words ahead: HELLO Quiet, loud, happily, GOODBYE silly, sadly, musically (like an opera singer!)
Action Rhyme: Bread and Butter
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam (pat knees rhythmically)
Let’s say hello as quiet as we can
Hello! (whisper)
Source: traditional

bread and butter thumbnail, with a graphic of anthropomorphic pat of butter and toast standing next to a jar of strawberry and grape jams. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When we wave, we use our hands – let’s open and shut them.
Open Shut Them is a rhyme I’ve known for a long time – the person doing storytime here 20 years ago used it regularly. This is not that version (lay them in your lap, lap, lap), but a hello and goodbye version.
Fingerplay: Open Them Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Put your hands down low, low, low
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Wave and say hello-lo-lo!

Open, shut them, open, shut them
Raise your hands up high, high, high
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Wave and say goodbye, bye, bye!
Source: One Little Librarian

open shut them thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s try this goodbye song.
This is the goodbye song my home library uses! I searched online and it appears to be an Mother Goose on the Loose song.
Action Song: Can You Kick with Two Feet?
Can you kick with two feet?
Two feet? Two feet?
Can you kick with two feet?
Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick

additional verses:
Can you clap with two hands…
Can you kiss with two lips… (blow kisses)
Can you wave bye-bye…
Source: Mother Goose on the Loose via the IndyPL

can you kick thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling and waving happy frog. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out our shakers! Can we sing hello to them?
My colleague put the words for the hello and goodbye portion of this on the same rhyme sheet, but I did them separately, so I just flipped back to the sheet when I was ready to put them away.
Shaker Song: Hello, Shakers
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Hello, shakers!
Hello, shakers!
Hello, shakers!
It’s nice to play with you!
Source: adapted from our hello song

hello, shakers thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow egg with a speech bubble saying hello and a blue egg with a speech bubble saying goodbye. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker Song: Can You Shake?
(tune of London Bridge)
Can you shake along with me?
Along with me, along with me?
Can you shake along with me?
Put your shaker on your… knee!
(repeat with different body parts)
Source: Jbrary

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

The recording sings “clap” but we sang “shake” for the first verse.
Recorded Shaker Song: Clap Everybody and Say Hello
Clap everybody and say hello
Clap everybody and say hello
Clap everybody and say hello
No matter what the weather
(repeat: stamp, wiggle, jump, dance, sing)
Source: Kathy Reid-Naiman, from the album Sally Go Round the Sun

shake everybody and say hello thumbnail, with a graphic of five shaker eggs of varying colors. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A reprise of our “Hello Shakers!”
Shaker Song: Goodbye, Shakers
(tune of Goodnight, Ladies)
Goodbye, shakers!
Goodbye, shakers!
Goodbye, shakers!
We’ll see you again soon!
Source: adapted from our hello song

hello, shakers thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow egg with a speech bubble saying hello and a blue egg with a speech bubble saying goodbye. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Hello, Goodbye, Worm Craft
My colleague put this one together – it’s so cute. We have dies for a worm and a rectangular sheet with a square flap cut out. So the idea is to make our own lift-the-flaps so we can say hello and goodbye to the worm. She drew a window (though I noted that they could draw a door if they wanted) which opened to see the worm.

collage of three pictures of the craft - one showing the folded sheet closed, with a window drawn on. The second shows a flap opened (window pane) showing a worm. Third showing the folded sheet open, showing the full landscape of the worm on grass.

Is it helpful to see the setup for crafts? This is what it looked like on each table. I put everything on a messy tray.

craft setup for worm craft, showing die cut worms, die cut papers with flaps in several colors, glue sticks and crayons.

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*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Hello – Aiko Ikegami
Hello, Baby! – Mem Fox & Steve Jenkins
Hello, Day! – Anita Lobel
Hello Day – Charlie Mylie
Hello, Sun! – Sarah Jane Hinder
Hello, Friend! Hola, Amigo! – 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios
Hello, Hello Opposites – Brendan Wenzel
Hello, New House – Jane Smith
Hello, Tobi! – Andrea Cáceres
Hey, Wake Up! – Sandra Boynton
Ploof – Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser
Hello Goodbye Dog – Maria Gianferrari & Patrice Barton
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! – Cori Doerrfeld
Bad Bye, Good Bye – Deborah Underwood & Jonathan Bean
Bye Bye Time – Elizabeth Verdick & Marieka Heinlen
Bye-Bye, Crib – Alison McGhee & Ross MacDonald
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away – Meg Medina & Sonia Sánchez
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? – Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
The Goodbye Book – Todd Parr

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/4/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

I'm going to build a snowman and snow days book covers

Storytime: Winter Fun

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I’ve found that sometimes when you’re collaborating on planning storytime, there are occasionally some things that get overlooked. For example, we chose “winter” as a theme this month, but as I was starting to plan I realized we had just had a storytime on “Winter Animals” in November. Whoops. But, it also illuminates how versatile some of these broad themes like “winter” are. In this program, I focused solely on the fun we can have in wintery (mostly snowy) weather, so included topics like building snowpeople, sledding, and so on. So even if you’ve done a theme in the past, there are ways to think about it in new ways, and present activities that are unique.

See other posts about winter and winter-related themes here!

book cover of I'm going to build a snowman with a boy with brown skin, black hair, a red hat and yellow coat is standing in the snow.
snow days book cover, with a picture of a child with pale skin and a red hat and striped scarf sticking their tongue out in the snow. The snowflakes are intricate and of varying sizes.

Early Literacy Tip: Seeing patterns and trying to recognize things that are alike and things that are different is a fun game for children. Such activities help them develop the mathematical concepts of patterns and relationships.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* 

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

Intro: This is the season for cold weather and snow! It can be chilly, but if we bundle up, we can still have a lot of fun outside. Does anyone like to play in the snow?

Let’s see, what do we need to put on to stay warm?
Can I admit something? I really don’t like HSKT. I avoid doing it when I can. But this worked so well for the theme (and yes, I know the kids like it) that I added it in. Because I already have a flannel set for Froggy Gets Dressed that includes all these clothes, I used it just as a visual of someone getting them all on. (Psst, you can download him at Kizclub.com and see more details on how I made it (plus my story cheat sheet) at this post.)
Action Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, & Boots
(tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes)
Hat, coat, pants, and boots (Pants and boots)
Hat, coat, pants, and boots (Pants and boots)
A scarf and mittens we’ll wear when it is cold!
Hat, coat, pants, and boots (Pants and boots)
Source: adapted from Storytime in the Stacks

printed and laminated flannelboard prop for froggy gets dressed, with a frog wearing a hat, coat, scarf, mittens, pants, and boots.

hat coat pants and boots thumbnail, with a graphic of each of these items. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now that we’re all bundled up, let’s go sledding!
Rhyme: Here’s a Hill
Here’s a hill (tilt one arm diagonally)
And here’s a hill (tilt other arm diagonally)
All covered with snow (wiggle fingers downward)
I’ll put on my coat, (mime putting a coat on)
And jump on my sled (jump)
And ZOOM, down the hill I go! (clap, slide hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

here's a hill thumbnail, with a graphic of a rabbit sledding down a gray incline. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Such a cute book! I emphasized the word “perfect” in the first few pages, and then mentioned – “Wow, perfect is such a hard thing to do! I hardly ever make anything perfect. Do you?” I think Awan is an author/illustrator to keep an eye on for storytime gold – his Towed by Toad is also fantastic.
Read: I’m Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan

book cover of I'm going to build a snowman with a boy with brown skin, black hair, a red hat and yellow coat is standing in the snow.

This is a gorgeous book – I love the cut-paper and mixed media illustrations, and the thoughtful way the author presents different experiences of snow.
Read: Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel & Miki Sato

snow days book cover, with a picture of a child with pale skin and a red hat and striped scarf sticking their tongue out in the snow. The snowflakes are intricate and of varying sizes.

Based on this post by Abby Johnson on the ALSC Blog (and in turn, inspired by Mel’s Desk!), we looked at some colorful shapes.
The idea is to lay out several shapes of one color, saying something like, “I see a white snowflake. And a white cloud. And a white rabbit. And a white pumpkin!” The kids will likely correct you that no, that is an ORANGE pumpkin, thank you very much. Then you start again with orange things, messing up at the end of each line. When all your items are out, you can say you see something that has all those colors, what could it be? A snowman!
My shapes were mostly die cuts, though I did search for a few shapes online like the cat, crow, cloud, rabbit, and leaf.
I see some colors through the snow.
Flannel Activity: Colors in the Snow

colors in the snow felt. Shapes in different colors are lined in a grid shape: white: snowflake, cloud, rabbit orange: pumpkin, butterfly, leaf black: cat, bat, crow red: ladybug, apple, fire truck a snowman with a black hat, orange nose and red scarf sits to the side.

It’s starting to snow again!
I have several “Snowflake” songs in my repertoire, but I like this one because it includes a “freeze!”
Action Song: Snowflake, Twirl
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Snowflake, snowflake Twirl around
Snowflake, snowflake Touch the ground
Snowflake, snowflake Touch my nose
Snowflake, snowflake Touch my toes
Touch my ear and then my knees
Snowflake, I’m about to FREEZE! (pause)
Snowflake, snowflake Twirl around
Snowflake, snowflake Sit back down
Source: Storytime Jennifer

snowflake twirl thumbnail, with a graphic of blue snowflakes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What do we use to make a snowman’s face? Maybe some sticks for the eyebrows, rocks or coal for the eyes and mouth, and what about the nose? It’s a carrot! Who likes carrots? You do? Me, too. What animal likes carrots? (bring out puppet)
This flannel was copied from one made by Storytime in the Stacks. Isn’t he cute?
Rhyme: A Chubby Little Snowman
A chubby little snowman, Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny, And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny, Looking for some lunch
Ate that snowman’s nose, With a nibble, nibble, crunch!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Chubby Little Snowman felt and puppet - the snowman's nose has been caught by the pink bunny puppet, who holds the carrot shape. The snowman felt is just the head, with eyes, a mouth and eyebrows.

chubby little snowman thumbnail, with a graphic of a snowman's head with eyebrows and a carrot nose, with a pink rabbit looking at it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out the parachute! Let’s practice a little. Can you lift the parachute up? Now down. Can you shake it fast? Shake slow?

Let’s build our snowman up. But then the sun comes out!
Parachute/Action Song: Once there Was a Snowman
Once was there was a snowman, a snowman, a snowman
Once there was a snowman – Tall, tall, tall!
In the sun he melted, he melted, he melted
In the sun he melted – Small, small, small!
Source: Jbrary

once there was a snowman thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall snowman with a smile on the left and the snowman's head only with a wavy smile on the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

At the end of this, I added a bunch of cotton balls to the parachute. Then we did it again!
Parachute Song: Dance Like Snowflakes
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Dance like snowflakes, Dance like snowflakes
In the air, in the air
Whirling twirling snowflakes, Whirling twirling snowflakes
Everywhere, everywhere
Source: Jbrary

dance like snowflakes thumbnail, with a graphic of blue snowflakes suspended by strings. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Parachute Activity: Snow on the Parachute!
A fun activity I borrowed from Adventures of a Bookworm! Once you have cotton balls all over the parachute, you can put the ‘chute down and invite kids to lay down on their backs and make snow angels. Then let them pick up the parachute and make it snow! Inevitably, they bounce off, so take a moment to collect snow to throw into the middle again. Then you can ask grownups to hold the parachute while kids go underneath (what they generally want to do the whole time) to watch the snow bounce above them.

This is a great way to put the parachute away. I ask for only grownups to hold on, and then let them know they are letting go at the end. Once the parachute was whisked away, I asked the kids to help me pick up all the cotton balls that were scattered about.
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

parachute fly thumbnail, with an aerial photo of children holding the edges of a multicolored parachute. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft/Activity: Salt Snowflakes
Inspired by the Loudest Librarian, we made snowflakes out of salt. I used black cardstock (construction paper felt too flimsy) and liquid glue, then bought a big 3 lb container of kosher salt. Looking at similar crafts online, I saw that some took it a step further, using liquid watercolors or food coloring to demonstrate the way salt wicks water. Since that seemed messy and would work better after the glue dried, I prepped a little half sheet of instructions for them to do at home if they wished. Info for that sheet was from the Little Bins for Little Hands blog.

shows a salt snowflake craft with a large snowflake on black paper surrounded by smaller snowflakes and the name Emily. All have a crystalline look from the salt.
Salt Snowflakes extension activity how-to sheet, with instructions on how to add color to snowflakes and the science behind it.

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*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Mouse’s First Snow – Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan
Best in Snow – April Pulley Sayre
Whose Footprints Are These? – Gerda Muller
Winter Is for Snow – Robert Neubecker
The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats
A Big Bed for Little Snow – Grace Lin
Ten Ways to Hear Snow – Cathy Camper & Kenard Pak
Making a Friend – Tammi Sauer & Alison Friend
One Snowy Day – Diana Murray & Diana Toledano
Snow Scene – Richard Jackson & Laura Vaccaro Seeger
The Snowman Shuffle – Christianne Jones & Emma Randall
In My Anaana’s Amautik – Nadia Sammurtok & Lenny Lishchenko

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/7/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

the cow loves cookies and who put the cookies in the cookie jar book covers

Storytime: Cookies

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I don’t know about you, but I tend to eat most of my year’s worth of cookies in December, which makes it a perfect time to do a cookie theme!

See another version of this theme from 2022.

The cow loves cookies book cover, featuring a light brown cow and a farmer with a white beard, baseball cap and overalls in front of a farm scene.
who put the cookies in the cookie jar book cover, featuring a cookie jar with various kinds of cookies in it, and two hands (one fair and one brown) pulling one out each.

Early Literacy Tip: Groups of items like our cookie feltboard (where there is a mix of colors, sizes, and shapes of the same kind of item) give a great opportunity to practice some early math skills. We can count, compare, practice recognizing shapes and colors, build descriptive vocabulary, and more. Try asking about differences and similarities, sizes, and what ifs like how many cookies should cow buy if she wants to get a cookie for herself and a cookie for her friend? adapted from Storytime in the Stacks

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* 

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

Intro: Today we’re going on a sweet adventure, because we’re celebrating cookies! It’s the time of year when people like to bake sweet treats for each other. Who here likes cookies? Who’s made their own cookies before?

Let’s pretend we’re in a big kitchen today, and all of us are the bakers. Can we put our chef’s hats on for this first rhyme?
Action Rhyme: Pat-A-Cake (Cookie Edition)
Pat a cake, pat a cake, Baker’s man
Bake me a cookie as fast as you can
Roll it, And pat it, and mark it with a “C”
And put it in the oven for you and me!
Source: adapted from the traditional

Pat a cake cookie edition thumbnail, with a graphic of chocolate chip cookies on a baking tray. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Fun rhyming, with opportunities to make farm animal noises and a repeated phrase to encourage interaction.
Read: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson & Marcellus Hall

The cow loves cookies book cover, featuring a light brown cow and a farmer with a white beard, baseball cap and overalls in front of a farm scene.

A book about all the people who are involved in the making of cookies, from the farming of the wheat to sewing the oven mitts. I didn’t end up using it, but a good backup.
Read: Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar by George Shannon & Julie Paschkis

who put the cookies in the cookie jar book cover, featuring a cookie jar with various kinds of cookies in it, and two hands (one fair and one brown) pulling one out each.

There are a lot of steps to making cookies. Do you still have your baker’s hat on? Let’s get out a big mixing bowl (curve arm to the side). We’ll start by pouring out some flour.
I tried to imitate actual cookie making while still having a different motion for each verse.
Action Song: This Is the Way We Make Cookies
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we pour the flour, (shaking motion into the “bowl”)
Pour the flour, Pour the flour
This is the way we pour the flour
To make our cookie treats

additional verses:
Mix butter & sugar… (stir)
Spoon the dough… (scoop)
Bake the dough… (two hands forward into an “oven”)
Cool the cookies… (wave hand or blow)
Eat the cookies… (ASL for eat)
Source: original piggyback

this is the way we make cookies thumbnail, with a graphic of flour and sugar bags and a cookie with a bite taken out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We made some delicious looking cookies! Should we put them in our bakery and see who might want to buy one?
I have six felt cookies (template from Storytime Shorts!), and we started there (even though the rhyme sheet says five). When we got to the last cookie, I asked the cow if she was still hungry, and she shook her head no. “There’s one cookie left – let’s save it for later in our cookie jar.” So I “put” the cookie in a toy picnic basket we have and walked behind the easel, then stuck the cookie in the mouth of my alligator puppet, as a set up for “Who Took The Cookie” later.
Counting Rhyme: Down Around the Corner
Down around the corner at the bakery store
Were six sugar cookies with frosting galore!
Along came a cow looking for a treat…
She saw those cookies and she took one to eat!
Source: Storytime Shorts

Six flannel sugar cookies with different colored icing. A large white circle, a small blue circle, a large pink heart and a small green heart, a large blue star and a small white star.

down around the corner thumbnail, with a graphic of five differently shaped and iced sugar cookies with a cow sticking her head in the frame. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Should we make some special cookies? How about gingerbread people?
Action Rhyme: Mix and Stir
Mix and stir and pat in the pan
I’m going to make a gingerbread man
With a nose so neat and a smile so sweet
And gingerbread shoes on his gingerbread feet
Source: Jbrary

mix and stir thumbnail, with a graphic of a gingerbread man with candy nose and buttons and icing eyes, smile, shoes and mittens. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s check on our last cookie. OH NO, it’s GONE!
So much drama! The adults all knew this and chanted along. I used puppets I had: Kitty, Frog, Bear, and last, Alligator. Alligator came out with the cookie in his mouth, and when he said “not me” it fell on the floor to great hilarity. I asked if we should let Alligator eat the cookie, and both of my groups said no! So I took the cookie and told him he should find something else to snack on.
Puppet Rhyme/Game: Who Took the Cookie?
Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
Kitty took the cookie from the cookie jar
Meow, me? Yes, you! Not me! Then who?
Repeat with any animal puppets you may have.
Source: adapted from the traditional

Storytime easel showing the rhyme sheet for Who took the Cookie as well as a cat, frog, and bear puppet along the bottom, and an alligator puppet with a felt sugar cookie in its mouth at the top.

who took the cookie thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange cat looking at a gray cookie jar. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s clean up!
I actually mimed this as cleaning the bowl and our faces, but gave the belly option for littles.
Tickle Rhyme: Round The Batter Bowl
Round & round the batter bowl (circle on baby’s belly)
One, two, three! (gentle poke on each number)
A little here, a little there (touch both cheeks)
As tasty as can be! (tickle or nibble baby’s belly!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

thumbnail, with a graphic of a red mixing bowl with batter and a wooden spoon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

At this point I handed out our cookie props – laminated cardstock cookies with various colored frosting. I asked everyone to take a look at their cookie and talk with their grownup about how it looks, including what color it is.
Prop Activity: Cookie Colors
Who has a red cookie? Green? (all the colors) Who has a ROUND cookie? (everyone!)

Download a template of the cookies here!

A good action rhyme for any props – I’ve used it for penguins, bunnies, and more!
Action/Prop Rhyme: Cookies Up!
Cookies up! Cookies down!
Hold your cookie & turn around
Cookies up! Cookies down!
Wave your cookies all around
Source: adapted from One Little Librarian (no longer published)

cookies up thumbnail, with a graphic of four round sugar cookies with different frosting and sprinkles (purple, green, blue, and red). click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Raise your cookies when you repeat a phrase!
So this is a fun song to sing and play, but it does require a little set up. I let the group know that the song sounds best if they repeat the end phrase (“cookie crumb” in the first verse) in a high pitched voice, and they could raise and wave their cookies when they did that. We practiced a time or two and the song went perfectly! I wanted to make the song a little longer, so made up the second and third verses. I’m particularly proud of the “mustachy” couplet!
Ukulele/Prop Song: I Wish I Were a Little Cookie Crumb
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
I’d go crumby, crumby, crumby over everybody’s tummy
Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)

additional verses:
Oh, I wish I were a little chocolate chip (chocolate chip!)…
I’d be melty and sweet and leave chocolate in your teeth…

Oh, I wish I were a cold glass of milk (glass of milk!)…
I’d go splishy, splishy, splashy and leave you a cute mustachy…
Source: vs 1, North Mankato Taylor Library (MN), vs 2 & 3, Ms. Emily

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

I wish I were a little cookie crumb thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

You know who else loves to eat cookies? Cookie monster!
This was made with a fairly high resolution picture of Cookie Monster, printed on cardstock and laminated, then attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper. We sang the song to Cookie Monster first, then I asked if anyone wanted to feed their cookie to him, since he was VERY hungry! A good way to collect the props – just be sure to make lots of growly “nom nom nom” noises when he’s eating!
Prop Song: C is For Cookie
C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
Yes, C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me
Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie – Starts with C!
Source: Sesame Street, From the Album “Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites”

Cookie monster prop made with a printed CM face attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper, with the mouth/hole cut out. Also pictured are 5 paper sugar cookies with sprinkles, orange, green, red, blue, and purple.

c is for cookie thumbnail, with a graphic of a cookie in the shape of a C and cookie monster's face. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft/Activity: Homemade Play Dough
Not exactly a craft, but my colleague made some homemade play dough (undyed so it looked like cookie dough) and we set out a bunch of cookie cutters and let the kids play with it. There was a little quarter-sheet handout with the recipe on it (from Jessica Etcetera) they could take home and make. It’s a cooked recipe so we couldn’t do it in the library. It stayed nice and soft for the four days we used it, and on the last day I offered it to anyone who wanted to take some home.

messy tray with a number of plastic and metal cookie cutters, a gallon size zip top bag with five balls of neutral colored homemade playdough, and quarter sheet paper with the recipe for homemade play dough.

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*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
A Big Mooncake For Little Star – Grace Lin
The Smart Cookie – Jory John & Pete Oswald
Cookies For Elmo – Erin Guendelsberger & Ernie Kwiat
Cookie Time – Jessie Sima
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond
Stop And Smell The Cookies – Gibson Frazier & Micah Player
The Cookie Vote – Margaret McNamara, Daniel Bernstrom, & G. Brian Karas
The Cookie Fiasco – Dan Santat
Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? – Bonnie Lass, Philemon Sturges, & Ashley Wolff
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School – Laura Murray & Mike Lowery

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/17 & 12/18/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Sounds

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

See another version of this theme from 2020.

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

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

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

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

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

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

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

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

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(repeat for middle-sized and little frogs)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

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

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

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* 

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Spring

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

what's the weather ukulele songsheet thumbnail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When there are new spring flowers, there are also bees to collect their pollen and make honey.
Tickle/Fingerplay: Here Is the Beehive (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is the beehive, (make fist)
But where are all the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers)
They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My go-to way to put the parachute away.
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to my Lou)
(kids go under the parachute and adults raise and lower)
Up, up, up it goes,
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky
Count to 3 and watch it fly
Spoken:
Up on one…
Down on two…
Up on three…
and FLY! (adults let go and leader pulls ‘chute in to themselves)
Source: Gymboree

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

little hoo has the flu and llama home with mama book covers

Storytime: Feeling Sick and Feeling Better

Posted on by msemilylibrary

It is an unfortunate truth that we all get sick sometimes. Kids especially, who are still building their immune systems, get sick a lot! So although it isn’t a “fun” topic, it’s definitely a relevant one for the storytime crowd. As is often the case, real life ironically (in the Alanis sense) reared its head and I got really sick with the Flu A strain right after this week of programs! It was not fun, but I did, eventually, get to feeling better.

little hoo has the flu book cover, showing an owl holding a thermometer and whose beak area is reddened.
llama llama home with mama book cover, with a sick in bed llama with mama feeling his forehead.

Early Literacy Tip: Children love being able to identify animals and imitate the sounds they make. Identifying animals, matching sounds with an animal puppet or picture, and imitating animal sounds build children’s knowledge of the world around them. Even children who are not yet talking can make a cow sound: Moo! -adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Has anyone felt sick before? It’s not fun, but it does happen to everyone at some point or another. What does it feel like in our body when we’re sick? We may: feel pain, have an upset stomach, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, tired. The good thing to remember about being sick is that eventually we get better! Some things that make us feel better: visiting the doctor, taking medicine, getting plenty of rest, drinking water, and lots of hugs and kisses.

Here’s a rhyme about feeling sick.
Action Rhyme: I’ve Got a Cold (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’ve got a cold
My nose can’t smell (touch nose)
My eyes are red (touch by eyes)
I don’t feel well (hand to forehead or tummy)
So I’ll drink my juice (pretend to drink)
And go to bed… (fold hands under head)
Until my nose feels better (touch nose)
And so does my head! (touch head)
Source: Handley (VA) Regional Library System

I've got a cold thumbnail, with a graphic of a light skinned girl with a red nose and pained expression. she has a thermometer in her mouth, is wearing a scarf, and hugging her body as if cold. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This isn’t the most sophisticated publishing (it kind of looks self-published), but it’s actually a good one for storytime in that it’s straightforward and simple, and did a good job of talking about feeling sick as well as friends helping to cheer you up with flowers and a card, which related to our craft today. We actually have about six Little Hoo books on early experiences.
Read: Little Hoo Has the Flu by Brenda Ponnay (TT) (FT)

little hoo has the flu book cover, showing an owl holding a thermometer and whose beak area is reddened.

Everyone seems to like Llama Llama books. This one worked okay, but I felt like the group got a antsy toward the end.
Read: Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney (TB)

llama llama home with mama book cover, with a sick in bed llama with mama feeling his forehead.

When we are sick, our germs can sometimes make other people sick. There are a few things we can do to avoid that! Stay home when we have a fever. Wash our hands. Cover our mouth!
The original rhyme had you using a tissue or your hand – I updated to the better practice of using the crook of your elbow. We practiced coughing into our elbows before starting the rhyme.
Action Rhyme: When You Cough (TT) (TB) (FT)
When you cough or when you sneeze
Will you think of others, please?
Use a tissue or your elbow
So on your friends your germs won’t go now – Ah-choo!
Source: adapted from SurLaLuneFairyTales.com

When you cough thumbnail, with a graphic of a light skinned girl holding a tissue to her nose, and a dark skinned boy coughing into his elbow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, no! Someone forgot to cover their mouth and now everyone on the farm has a cold!
I have a farm flannel set, so put the farmer out from there, but used puppets for the other verses.
Puppet Rhyme: Animal Sneezes (TT) (TB) (FT)
Farmer’s nose tingles,
Farmer’s nose twitches,
Farmer is going to sneeze!
Ah-choo, ah-choo, ah-choo!

Repeat, with animal noises:
Oh, no! Look at cow – cow’s nose wiggling…
Cow: moo-choo
Chicken: bok-choo
Pig: oink-choo
Duck: quack-choo
Source: Handley (VA) Regional Library System

photo of farmer flannelboard piece surrounded by four farm animal puppets: cow, chicken, pig, and duck.

animal sneezes thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow chick pictured twice, once at the inhale of a sneeze ("ah"), and once at the exhale ("choo"). click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The other thing to do both to keep others from getting sick AND to prevent us from getting sick in the first place is to wash our hands. Germs are tiny, so tiny we can’t see them! So we need three things to wash our hands well – soap, water, and time. Let’s sing through this song twice so there’s enough time to get all the germs. Okay, everyone get a some soap on your hands (pretend to pump soap). Now turn on the water! (pretend to twist knob)
I sing this one slow so you can highlight each part of the hand as it’s sung.
Action Song: Wash Your Hands (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Get them nice and clean
Wash the tops and wash below,
And wash them in between

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

Wash your hands thumbnail, with a graphic of a light skinned pair of hands holding soap on the left and a dark skinned pair of hands washing between fingers on the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A nice bowl of soup always makes me feel better when I’m sick.
I cut this one for time during the last session.
Action Song: The Soup Is Boiling Up (TT) (TB)
(tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
The soup is boiling up (hands corkscrew up)
The soup is boiling up
Stir it slow, around we go (stir)
The soup is boiling up
What goes in soup? – noodles, chicken, lentils, celery, carrots, etc
Source: Jbrary

the soup is boiling up thumbnail, with a graphic of a silhouetted soup pot with lid ajar showing bubbles underneath. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I saw a pin for the inspiration of this rhyme, but rewrote all but the first two lines to change it from enjoying popsicles in the summertime to enjoying them when you’re sick. The last two lines helped me use my “popsicle girl” flannel, which I love but rarely have the opportunity to use.
And when my throat is sore, a popsicle feels so nice!
Flannel Rhyme: Popsicles (TT) (TB) (FT)
Popsicles, popsicles taste so sweet
Popsicles, popsicles hard to beat
Whenever my throat feels sore and sick
A cool lime popsicle does the trick
Look in the mirror, give a holler
My tongue has changed to a different color! GREEN!
What other flavors and colors do popsicles come in?
Source: original, inspired by First Grade Wow

photo of popsicle girl flannelboard set. includes a dark skinned girl with afro puffs and a large smile on her face, as well as 7 popsicles and a coordinating color tongue: orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, red, and rainbow.

popsicles thumbnail, with a graphic of three popsicles - green, red, purple. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get our shaker eggs out! Let’s practice a bit with this song.
Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

shake your shaker thumbnail, with a graphic of three shaker eggs: blue, purple, and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Sometimes we feel bad when we aren’t sick, but we’ve fallen down & hurt ourselves.
Easy enough to adapt this rhyme for shakers since it has a rhythm. Before starting, I asked everyone to decide where their boo-boo was on their body so they could point to it during the rhyme.
Shaker Rhyme: Boo-Boo (TT) (TB) (FT)
One, two, I’ve got a boo-boo
Three, four Oh, it’s sore!
Five, six Blow it a kiss
Seven, eight, Put the bandage on straight
Nine, ten, Now it’s better again!
Source: North Olympic (WA) Library System

boo boo thumbnail, with a graphic of an adhesive bandage with a blue heart in the middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

All the rest, soup, and popsicles are making me feel so much better! Let’s shake our sickies out!
Recorded Song: Shake My Sillies (Sickies) Out (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Raffi, from the album In Concert with the Rise and Shine Band

I also have this one as a ukulele songsheet. Download it here!

shake my sillies out ukulele songsheet thumbnail

shake my sillies out thumbnail, with a graphic of two children dancing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Get Well Soon Cards (TB) (FT)
A super easy craft. I printed cards with a dotted-line font saying “Get Well Soon” on cardstock and folded to a card. Then provided crayons, foam stickers, and band-aid bandages to decorate however they wanted.

Download the Get Well Soon Card template.

get well soon card craft, showing the card decorated with hearts and flower foam stickers with band aid bandages across them.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Doctor Maisy – Lucy Cousins
Leo Gets a Checkup – Anna McQuinn & Ruth Hearson
Scaredy Squirrel Visits the Doctor – Melanie Watt
Germs Make Me Sick! – Melvin Berger & Marylin Hafner
My Mommy Medicine – Edwidge Danticat & Shannon Wright
A Bad Case of Stripes – David Shannon
Bear Feels Sick – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon – Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
A Sick Day for Amos McGee – Philip C Stead & Erin E Stead
The Flea’s Sneeze – Lynn Downey & Karla Firehammer

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/24, 2/25, & 2/26/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

time to sleep and old bear book covers

Storytime: Hibernation

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Another wintery theme for the season! Hibernation touches on some STEM concepts as well as bedtime and weather. I’ve done this one before, but updated with some new rhymes and songs about particular hibernators, such as frogs and bats. I also worked out two songs to play on ukulele – which is always popular.

If you have them, puppets are a great addition to a hibernator storytime. I bought two new finger puppets – both Folkmanis – a chipmunk and a bat. I already had a frog, turtle, and bear, so we had a puppet-stravaganza!

You can find another version of this theme from 2021 here.

Early Literacy Tip: Don’t shy away from using regular adult language with young children. They pick up the words you say and the more words they hear, the greater their vocabulary will be. Children learn words best in context, so you can clarify or explain what you mean if it’s a new or difficult word. -adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: When it’s cold outside, we bundle up and like to spend more time indoors.  But animals in the wild have to adapt to the winter temperatures and do so in different ways. Some migrate south to warmer temperatures, like geese. Some grow thick coats of fur like wolves. But some animals will sleep all winter long – it’s called hibernation! Let’s see, I have some animals that hibernate here! (Pull out puppets one by one) Turtle, frog, chipmunk, bat, and the star of the hibernation show – bear!

Photo of realistic animal puppets on top of a flannelboard. Includes bear, chipmunk, turtle, bat, and frog.

When I think of hibernation, I usually start by thinking of bears, who will often find a cave to sleep in over the winter.
After one session, I felt this rhyme was a little too long, especially with not very many “movements” to pair with each line. I reprinted the rhyme sheet and skipped the couplet that dealt with summer, shown in brackets below. I’ve included both versions in the pdf, even though only one is shown here.
Fingerplay: Here Is a Cave (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is a cave, Inside is a bear (make a circle with thumb and fingers, then tuck thumb in)
Now she comes out To get some fresh air (pop thumb out)
[She stays out all summer In sunshine and heat
She hunts in the forest For berries to eat]
When snow starts to fall She hurries inside (wiggle fingers down and tuck thumb in)
Her warm little cave And there she will hide
Snow covers the cave Like a fluffy white rug (cover hand with other hand)
Inside the bear sleeps All cozy and snug (lay head on hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

Here is a cave thumbnail, with a graphic of a sleeping bear in a snowy cave. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

I love that this title showcases a wide variety of hibernators, but it was a bit long for my squirrely 1-2 year olds. I switched to Old Bear for the next two sessions.
Read: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming (TT)

book cover for time to sleep

Short and sweet, with beautiful illustrations that are just odd enough to be dreamy, this title is always a winner.
Read: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (TB) (FT)

book cover for old bear

I had photographs of a bear, frog, snake, and bat being active, then hibernating on the back of cards. We talked about them before starting the song. This is a fun and fairly easy one to do on ukulele, too.
Song: Hibernation (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of “Alouette”)
Chorus:
Hibernation, time for hibernation
Hibernation, time to go to sleep
Verse:
In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in his log or lair
Where’s the bear? (Log or lair) OOOOOOH!

Additional verses:
…frog? Sleeping by a pond or log
…snake? In the mud beside the lake
…bat? In a cave is where she’s at
Source: Charles County Public Library (MD)

Download a ukulele songsheet for Hibernation here!

hibernation ukulele songsheet thumbnail

hibernation thumbnail, with a graphic of a hollow log, a cave, and a mud puddle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, no, the bear is so sleepy, it lost its footing and is ROLLING!
I think we did four bears instead of five for this one.
Counting/Flannel Rhyme: Sleepy Bear Roll (TT) (TB)
Five sleepy bears moving really slow
One yawns and stumbles and starts to… ROLL! (roll arms)
He rolls to a stop and begins to snore…
How many bears are left to explore? (count down)
Source: Canton (MI) Public Library

printed and laminated flannelboard set for sleepy bear roll - includes 5 different sleeping cartoon bears.

sleepy bear roll thumbnail, with a graphic of a curled up sleepy bear rolling end over end. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I got out the frog puppet to jump with us on this rhyme. I’ve used this rhyme in the past and just changed one word to make it fit for hibernation – the last line I’ve used before was “Now go free.” “Sleep” slips in there perfectly!
We said that bears hibernate, but what about this friend? Did you know that frogs bury themselves in the mud and freeze solid in the winter? Then in the spring, they thaw out and hop along!
Action Rhyme: Funny, Funny Froggy (TT) (TB) (FT)
​Funny, funny froggy, Hop, hop, hop!
Funny, funny froggy, Stop, stop, stop!
Funny, funny froggy, Jump with me
Funny, funny froggy, Now go sleep
Source: adapted from Books and Bibliotheks

funny fuuny froggy thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon frog with its tongue sticking out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another one that I changed the middle lines to make it a hibernation song.
How about this friend? They sleep upside down in a cave
Song: Flutter, Flutter, Little Bat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Flutter, flutter, little bat
How I wonder where you’re at
When winter chill begins to creep
To your cave you go to sleep
Flutter, flutter little bat
How I wonder where you’re at
Source: adapted from traditional

flutter little bat thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown bat with closed eyes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time for some movement!
This version is from Jazzy Ash’s rendition of Teddy Bear.
Action Rhyme: Black Bear, Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Black bear, black bear turn around,
Black bear, black bear touch the ground
Black bear, black bear Wave up high
Black bear, black bear Wink one eye
Black bear, black bear Bend your knees,
Black bear, black bear flap in the breeze
Black bear, black bear climb up to bed,
Black bear, black bear rest your head!
Source: adapted from traditional

black bear thumbnail, with a graphic of a standing black bear. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I started with turtle, then went chipmunk, and ended with bear to transition into the next song.
Puppets/Fingerplay: Sleepy Turtle (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Thumbkin)
Where is Turtle? Where is Turtle?
Here I am! Here I am!
How are you this winter? Very tired, thank you
Go to sleep, Go to sleep (repeat with other hibernators)
Source: Storytime Katie

sleepy turtle thumbnail, with a graphic of a turtle with closed eyes resting its head on its front arms. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A few of our grownups knew this song right away! I did go through the motions with everyone before we started, especially since I couldn’t lead them while playing.
Let’s put our bears to sleep for the winter.
Ukulele Action Song: Rockabye Your Bear (TT) (TB) (FT)
Everybody clap (clap, clap, clap)
Everybody sing, La, la-la, la, la!
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around
Hands in the air
Rockabye your bear
Bear’s now asleep: (sh, sh, sh!)
Bear’s now asleep: (sh, sh, sh!)
Source: The Wiggles

Download a ukulele songsheet for Rockabye Your Bear here!

rockabye your bear ukulele songsheet thumbnail

rockabye your bear thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown haired light skinned girl hugging a teddy bear. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Bear Cave Craft (TB) (FT)
Inspired by the project at Glued To My Crafts blog, I pre-printed the bear image on cardstock and cut out triangles. Then I glued three craft sticks to the edges with liquid glue – the craft sticks tended to warp a bit with the glue, so they needed to be weighted down with some wax paper and a heavy book while they dried. That way, the kids just needed to decorate with these small leaf cutouts (we had them in the craft stash but they look like they came from paper punches) and add snow with pulled-apart cotton balls. There was some time investment on the prep for me, but it was a smooth craft for them. Bear image from Play Create Explore.

Bear in a cave craft consisting of a printed picture of a sleeping bear glued to a triangle of wooden craft sticks. fall-colored leaves are glued to the sides and cotton is glued to the top and bottom to simulate snow.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Bear Has a Story to Tell – Philip C Stead & Erin E Stead
William’s Winter Nap – Linda Ashman & Chuck Groenink
Bear’s Big Dreaming – Michael Rosen & Daniel Egneus
Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers – Jessica Kulekjian & Salini Perera
Knock Knock – Tammi Sauer & Guy Francis
Over and Under the Snow – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep – Dev Petty & Mike Boldt
Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Bedtime for Bear – Brett Helquist
Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! – Maureen Wright & Will Hillenbrand

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/3, 2/4, & 2/5/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Penguins

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

hello penguin book cover (photograph of penguin on beach)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download a ukulele songsheet for The Penguin Song

thumbnail for penguin song ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

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

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

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