Tag: scarves

book covers for my heart fills with happiness, may there always be sunshine, and the thank you book

Storytime: Feeling Thankful (2025)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

It’s the end of November, so that means it’s time for the annual “Feeling Thankful” theme! I try not to repeat themes more than every 2 or 3 years, but this one is close to my heart and I’ve done it every year since 2019. (I wasn’t blogging that year, so I don’t have a post for that one!) It’s fun but also a storytime that promotes mindfulness and a bit of a slowing down to think and feel and appreciate.

Every year I tweak the program just a bit to keep it fresh for myself as well as for any of my regulars who have been with me for a year or more. This year I introduced the song and book “May There Always Be Sunshine” by Jim Gill. I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with him in person a few months ago and it hit me that this is a perfect song for feeling thankful. I was even inspired to create a new craft based on it and it was a big hit.

This is also a great opportunity for me to slow down and say THANK YOU for being a reader. I hope these posts are helpful to you whether you are a fellow librarian, a teacher, caregiver, or anyone else who is interested in early literacy. I love being part of a profession that is generous with our ideas, and I am thankful for all the librarians and teachers who have helped me find my footing in storytime by sharing their materials online.

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

my heart fills with happiness book cover, featuring an indigenous girl from the top down looking up, with two braids and a flared circular flowered skirt around her.
may there always be sunshine book cover, showing a stylized yellow sun with big cheeks and chin on a light blue background
the thank you book cover, with a picture of a light skinned girl with red hair giving a taller Black boy a flower. flowers, rainbows, a sun, and two blackbirds are in the background.

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

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* 

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

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

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

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

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

I’ve shared books by Monique Gray Smith in the past, but this was a new-to-me title. It’s perfect for feeling thankful, because it describes the feeling of gratitude – your heart fills with happiness! It also is short and simple and references things that can make the readaloud more interactive. “Let’s imagine the scent of our favorite thing baking – can you breathe in deep and imagine it?“ It’s also great to share that both the author and the illustrator are indigenous (I read their tribal heritages from the bio at the back), and that November is Native American Heritage Month.
Read: My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith & Julie Flett

my heart fills with happiness book cover, featuring an indigenous girl from the top down looking up, with two braids and a flared circular flowered skirt around her.

This was my backup title, but I didn’t end up using it this year. It’s a board book, so it’s not very big, but it does work for my group. It focuses mostly on HOW to say thank you, both in words and in actions.
Read: The Thank You Book by Danna Smith & Juliana Perdomo

the thank you book cover, with a picture of a light skinned girl with red hair giving a taller Black boy a flower. flowers, rainbows, stars, a sun, and two blackbirds are in the background.

I’m grateful for my body and the senses that I use to experience the world. Here’s a rhyme about 4 of the 5 senses. (AFTER – which senses did we talk about?)
I learned this one from my home library’s storytime. I loved that so many of the pages in My Heart Fills with Happiness were tied to the senses.
Action Rhyme: Two Little Eyes
Two little eyes to look around
Two little ears to hear a sound
One little nose to smell what’s sweet
One little mouth that likes to eat!
Source: Ms Shelby & Ms Robin at Indy PL
Find it online at King County (WA) Library System

two little eyes thumbnail, with a graphic of four children - a white boy with brown hair holding up a magnifying glass, a girl with black hair and vitiligo listening to earphones, a Black boy smelling a flower, and a white girl with blonde hair eating broccoli. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Which of the senses did we miss talking about? Touch! Here’s a tickle rhyme to engage our sense of touch! I’m thankful for the bees that pollinate our plants and make us honey
Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive
Here is the beehive, but where are all the bees? (make fist)
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers)
They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m thankful for delicious food that we can make and eat with our loved ones.
Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels
(tune of “Frère Jacques”)
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarves overhead)
In the pot, in the pot (bunch up scarf in your fist)
Shake them, shake them, shake them!
Shake them, shake them, shake them! (shake)
‘Til they POP! ‘Til they POP! (toss scarves up into the air)
Source: Jbrary

popcorn kernels thumbnail, with a photograph of two popped popcorn kernels. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

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

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

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

thumbnail of Thanks A Lot ukulele songsheet

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

This is an old song – originally in Russian, and it’s very simple, just four lines. But children’s musician Jim Gill started singing it. When he performs it for a group of kids, he always asks them what they’d always want there to be. He collected his favorites and made a book from them! [show book and a few of the pages] So take a moment and think about what you are thankful for and that you want there to always be.
We sang the original four lines, then I took suggestions. No suggestion too silly or wrong! We were thankful for Ariel, Rapunzel, trucks, cats, naptime (from an adult!), and more. I finished the last line by saying “storytime” and I got lots of nods and yeses from the grownups! A note on the songsheet – I changed the key to fit my voice better (always a good thing to do to make you feel comfortable!)
Recorded or Ukulele Song: May There Always Be Sunshine
May there always be sunshine
May there always be blue skies
May there always be family
May there always be me
Insert the things you are grateful for!
Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes”

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “May There Always Be Sunshine” here!

thumbnail for may there always be sunshine ukulele songsheet

may there always be sunshine thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling yellow sun with orange rays. 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: May There Always Be… Booklet
Another idea I got from Jim Gill’s workshop was to create a craft for kids to create their own “May There Always Be…” book. I used a technique I learned from zines to fold a 11″x17″ sheet of tabloid paper into an eight-page book, and printed a front, back, and “may there always be” on each inside page. I branded mine to my library, but I made an unbranded version that you can download as well! The trick with folding is to make your folds as precise and as sharp as you can. I use a bone folding tool to help. See the helpful graphic below for help folding and cutting from Anna Brones blog (where she has a very nice intro to zines and how to create them).

Download a PDF of the booklet here!

May there always be booklet craft - with the words "may there always be" at the top, followed by a colored-in outline of a smiling sun. below are the words "a book of thankfulness by:" and a line filled in by Emily in crayon.

Visual guide to folding a zine - our craft booklet. involves folding the paper into eighths, cutting a slit along the middle four sections, and folding it into the booklet.

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)
Thank a Farmer – Maria Gianferrari & Monica Mikai
Thank You, Everything – Icinori & Emilie Robert Wong
Thank You, Omu – Oge Mora
The Thankful Book – Todd Parr
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga – Traci Sorell & Frané Lessac
The Thank You Book – Mo Willems
Thank You, Earth – April Pulley Sayre
The Thank You Letter – Jane Cabrera
When We Are Kind – Monique Gray Smith & Nicole Neidhardt
The Blue Table – Chris Raschka
Thank You, Neighbor! – Ruth Chan
Gracias/Thanks – Pat Mora & John Parra
Bear Says Thanks – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
To Dogs, With Love – Maria Gianferrari & Ishaa Lobo
Grandma’s Tiny House – JaNay Brown-Woods & Priscilla Burris

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/19 & 11/20/25.

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

book covers for hiders seekers finders keepers and after the snowfall

Storytime: Animals in Winter

Posted on by msemilylibrary

This week we are talking about all the different things that animals do to survive and adapt to the winter months. It isn’t quite winter yet (in fact the high temp the day I did this program was 70° F!) but it was a good opportunity to point things out that may be happening in the next several weeks or months.

This theme was chosen by my new colleague, and I’m really thrilled to be working with someone who has as much of a passion for littles as I do. Since I had done a Hibernation storytime fairly recently, as well as one on Polar animals in the past, I decided to change up a couple of her selections and go more with backyard/woodland animals and their winter adaptations for my session. It was both fun and challenging – fun to find activities that worked well, and challenging that there weren’t as many options to choose from. (If you look up “winter animal storytime” you find a lot of hibernation and polar animals!) But looking up “songs about geese migrating” or “songs about tracks in the snow” did unearth some treasures for me. I added a couple more about snow in general to fill out the plan.

Hiders Seekers finders keepers book cover, showing a child and adult walking in a snowy landscape, and a cutaway look at the ground beneath showing chipmunk burrows.
after the snowfall book cover, showing a minimalist snowy landscape with two bare trees.

Early Literacy Tip: You don’t always need to read all of (or even any of) the text in a book for your child for them to benefit. Simply looking at and talking about the illustrations in books is a great way to interact. It also gives your child practice at what we do when we read – we look from left to right, turn the pages a certain way, and all the talking you’re doing is giving them vocabulary, background knowledge, and more practice at noticing and observing what is on the page. 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: It’s starting to get chilly in Indiana. Soon it will be winter! When we get cold, we can put on our hats, coats, mittens, boots. But when animals get cold, what do they do? Where do they go?

This rhyme talks about several ways animals adapt – they gather extra food, they migrate to somewhere warmer, they grow heavier coats, or they hibernate.
Action Rhyme: Winter is Cold
Winter is cold (shiver)
There is snow in the sky (fingers wiggle down)
The squirrel gathers nuts (pretend to pick up nuts)
And the wild geese fly (flap arms)
The fluffy red fox has fur to keep warm (stroke arms)
The bear’s in a cave sleeping all through the storm (lay head on hands)
Source: Adventures in Storytime

winter is cold thumbnail, with a graphic of a fox, a squirrel, a canadian goose, and a sleeping bear. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* 

I discovered this book last time I did a Hibernation theme, but didn’t end up using it. It’s a really excellent nonfiction title, with a short main text with extra information in bubbles that isn’t necessary for the flow of the book. It gave a great opportunity to share the Early Literacy Tip of the day.
Read: Hiders, Seekers, Finders, Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter by Jessica Kulekjian & Salini Perera

Hiders Seekers finders keepers book cover, showing a child and adult walking in a snowy landscape, and a cutaway look at the ground beneath showing chipmunk burrows.

My backup title is one that emphasizes animals that are active in the winter with a simple text and colorful but minimal cut paper artwork.
Read: After the Snowfall by Rich Lo

after the snowfall book cover, showing a minimalist snowy landscape with two bare trees.

Oh, my! It’s starting to snow!
Fingerplay: Winter Counting
1, 2, 3 Snowflakes fall
4, 5, 6 We count them all
7, 8, 9 Squirrels play
10 Snowflakes make a winter day
Source: Ms Ali

winter counting thumbnail, with a graphic of two squirrels playing in the snow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

After all that snow, it may be hard for some animals to find food.
The only thing I changed was to replace the word “wilderness” in the first line to “backyard.”
Action Rhyme: Animals in the Snow
(mime movements)
Out in the backyard I can see
So many animals have been here before me
I refill feeders and put out seeds
In hopes that the animals will have plenty of feed
I wipe off the window from inside my house,
And spot the flash of a little mouse – squeak, squeak!
Soon other animals come to eat
All the birds give a happy tweet
When nighttime falls, the seeds are gone
But I’ll scatter more in the morning at dawn!
Source: Storytime Stuff

animals in the snow thumbnail, with a graphic of a red male cardinal at a bird feeder. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s go on a sleigh ride in the snow – the animals don’t have to have all the fun!
Bounce: Sleigh Ride
Let’s go on a sleigh ride through the snow
Up and down and up and down
And away we go!
We climb so high ‘til we reach the top
Then whoosh down the hill
Until we STOP!
Source: Intellidance

sleigh ride thumbnail, with a graphic of a capybara with a striped hat and scarf sledding. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, wow! I see animal tracks in the snow. Let’s see what animals may have made them.
I had used an animal track field guide as room decorations 3-4 years ago, and found that document again for this activity. I showed the track first, then we sang the song, and then revealed which animal it was. It says “counting fingerplay” but I ended up completely forgetting to count my animals as we went along. Oops. I had a bare tree and some snowflakes from another flannel set, and added printed pictures of animals from Canva with the tracks. Made for a very busy flannelboard at the end, but it still worked.
Counting Fingerplay: Tracks in the Snow
I see some tracks in the snow
I want to know: Where do they go?
I follow them around the tree
Can you guess what do I see?
Source: Music Time Kid

Printable Animal Tracks Field Guide from Personal Creations.

Printable Animal illustrations.

winter animals and tracks in the snow flannel, with a felt bare tree and felt snowflakes in the background and printed photos of animals and an example of their track. Included are deer, fox, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, cardinal, and housecat.

tracks in the snow thumbnail, with a graphic of various crisscrossing animal tracks in light blue over the whole page, behind the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out our scarves! We’ve talked a lot about squirrels. Your scarf looks a little like a squirrel tail!
Scarf Song: Frisky Squirrel
(tune of the Grand Old Duke of York)
Oh, the frisky little squirrel
She gathers nuts and seeds
She hides them for the winter months
So she’ll have all she needs

Oh, up-up-up she goes
And down-down-down she comes
She runs around, goes up and down
Her work is never done
Source: Storytime Secrets

frisky squirrel thumbnail, with a graphic of a squirrel standing on its hind legs. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s starting to snow again! Can your scarf be a snowflake?
Scarf Song: Watch the Snowflakes
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watch the snowflakes, Watch the snowflakes
Floating down, Floating down
Oh so very slowly, Oh so very slowly
To the ground, To the ground
(repeat: from so very high, quickly, twirly)
Source: Jen in the Library

watch the snowflakes thumbnail, with a graphic of various snowflake designs in shades of blue. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Remember that geese fly south in the winter? That’s a long way to go. They fly in a particular V formation. This is a song about how they take turns at the point of their V so no one gets too tired! Can you flap your scarf like a goose?
I made a rhyme sheet and included the very simple chorus, but mainly wanted to have a visual of the V to point to. But I did get lots of enthusiastic singing on the choruses from the grown-ups, so, win!
Recorded Song: Honk, Honk!
Source: Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders, from the album “Everything is Connected (and Other Animal Songs for Kids)” accessed through Spotify

honk honk thumbnail, with a graphic of a group of geese flying in a v shape above a close up illustration of a canadian goose. 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: V-Flying Geese
Crafts are back now that we have full storytime coverage! I saw a very cute flying geese V on Pinterest and did a simplified version for storytime. Instead of painting the paper (which looks so cool but we don’t have time for), I used our die-cutter to make Vs from gray construction paper, and provided white crayons. Grown ups could make a big V on the dark blue background page for the kids to glue their little vs to, and then they could add some winter snow in the background.

photo of craft with seven die cut gray "v"s arranged in a v shape on a dark blue page. The background has snowflakes drawn with white crayon.

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* 

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
On a Flake-Flying Day – Buffy Silverman
Cold Turkey – Corey R Schwartz, Kirsti Call & Chad Otis
Time to Sleep – Denise Fleming
The Busy Little Squirrel – Nancy Tafuri
Under the Snow – Melissa Stewart & Constance R. Bergum
Over & Under the Snow – Kate Messner & Christopher S Neal
Duck, Duck, Goose! – John Hare
Señorita Mariposa – Ben Gundersheimer & Marcos A Rivero
Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Knock Knock – Tammi Sauer & Guy Francis

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/5/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

It is time, a butterfly is patient, and the very hungry caterpillar book covers

Storytime: Butterflies

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I had always associated butterflies with springtime – the flowers are blooming, the world is becoming more colorful and warm – it just seems like butterfly time. But a friend of mine is a monarch enthusiast and she associates butterflies with autumn, since monarch butterflies migrate south in the fall. So my coworker and I decided to do our butterfly theme this month in September. She planned this one, so there were some new-to-me rhymes and songs, which is always fun.

A butterfly theme is perfect for incorporating your scarves, so flutter away!

it is time book cover, showing a boy looking at a green caterpillar on a plant.
a butterfly is patient book cover featuring a big blue butterfly as well as several other smaller ones and caterpillars
The Very Hungry Caterpillar book cover, showing a green and red caterpillar

Early Literacy Tip: When we say rhymes, play rhyming games with children, and point out the rhyming words, it helps them hear the smaller sounds in words which will help them later when they try to sound out words to read.

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 talking about butterflies! These wonderful creatures begin their lives as tiny eggs, then hatch into caterpillars. After that, they create a cocoon or chrysalis where they spend 1-2 weeks transforming into butterflies! Butterflies love the sun and have delicate wings that make beautiful patterns.

Butterflies are not born with wings. Let’s use our hands to go through the life cycle of a butterfly!
Fingerplay: My Friend Caterpillar
My friend caterpillar (fingers crawl up arm)
Made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
And quickly flew away (flap hands)
Source: Storytime Katie

my friend caterpillar thumbnail, with a graphic of a monarch butterfly flying away from a leafed branch where there is a caterpillar and a chrysalis. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This is an excellent and very simple primer on the life of a caterpillar. I always enjoy Lizzy Rockwell books. I did have a moment of difficulty, though, during the book. She says “A pupa is there” when referring to the chrysalis. I kind of tried to explain that a pupa and chrysalis and cocoon are all similar, but I was sure there were scientific differences. I just hadn’t checked before the program, which I regret. I learned later that a pupa is that particular stage (not the structure that holds it.) A chrysalis is the pupa of a butterfly, and moths spin cocoons from silk – a cocoon surrounds a pupa but it is not the same thing. More info at Wikipedia!
Read: It Is Time: The Life of a Caterpillar by Lizzy Rockwell

it is time book cover, showing a boy looking at a green caterpillar on a plant.

My backups. A Butterfly Is Patient is such a beautiful book, and I appreciate that it can be read on several levels. You can just read the larger text and give a very concise explanation, or you can read the smaller text as well which gives more detail.
Backup titles: A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long OR The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

a butterfly is patient book cover featuring a big blue butterfly as well as several other smaller ones and caterpillars
The Very Hungry Caterpillar book cover, showing a green and red caterpillar

Does anyone know what butterflies eat? They drink sweet juice from flowers called nectar. Let’s count to 10 while we pretend to feed a butterfly.
The hand motions for this one are a bit simple, but it worked.
Action Rhyme: Butterfly Food
(tune of 1, 2, Buckle my Shoe)
1, 2, Nectar for you! (point outward)
3, 4, Find some more! (searching motion)
5, 6, Plants by sticks! (pretend to hold sticks)
7, 8, Nectar is great! (thumbs up)
9, 10, Let’s eat again! (eating motion)
Source: Carla @ Preschool Powol Packets

butterfly food thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange butterfly eating from a pink flower. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The butterfly song is about waiting for a caterpillar to make his transformation into a butterfly.
I pointed to each stage on the flannelboard, but also tried to add some volume dynamics. “Oh, oh, oh” was very soft and anticipatory, then louder on “out of the chrysalis.” I had created the butterfly and caterpillar flannel pieces for another set, and my colleague completed the life cycle by making the eggs and chrysalis and arrows!
Flannel Song: The Butterfly Song
(tune of Up on the House Top)
First comes the butterfly and lays an egg
Out comes a caterpillar with many legs
Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin
A little chrysalis to sleep in
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see
Out of the chrysalis, my oh my
Out comes a pretty butterfly
Source: Storytime Hooligans

flannel showing a monarch butterfly, a leaf with eggs, a monarch caterpillar, and a green chrysalis. gray arrows show the circular flow.

butterfly song thumbnail, with a graphic of the four butterfly life stages - egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I skipped this one for time.
Fingerplay Song: Caterpillar
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (wiggle index finger)
In the tree, in the tree (spread arms like branches)
First you wiggle this way (wiggle finger to one side)
Then you wiggle that way (wiggle finger to other side)
Look at me, look at me (finger “looks” at you)
Source: Palatine Public Library District

caterpillar thumbnail, with a graphic of a realistic yellow, black, and white monarch caterpillar. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When I hand out a prop, I generally will do a “practice” song – something that gets them using the prop and following directions, and doesn’t necessarily go with the theme.
Scarf Song: Let’s All Twirl
(tune of Mulberry Bush)
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
Scarves today, scarves today
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
All around the room
(toss, scrunch, shake)
Source: Library Village Blogspot

let's all twirl thumbnail, with a graphic of a dancing unicorn. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, my scarf has turned into a butterfly! Can you turn your scarf into a butterfly? Where will it fly?
Demonstrate pinching the scarf in the middle to create “wings” on both sides. This one was fun because they got to toss their scarf up and catch it. Getting the tune right was tricky for me, so I had to practice a few times pre-storytime.
Scarf Song: A Butterfly is Landing on my Nose
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
A butterfly is landing on my nose
On my head, and on my toes
Now the butterfly is landing on my knee
She’ll fly away when I count to three:
1… 2… 3…! (toss scarf)
Source: The Loudest Librarian

a butterfly is landing on my nose thumbnail, with a phot of a dog with a butterfly on its snout. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Next, let’s use our scarves to wiggle, munch, and flutter!
The original song had a “big fat” caterpillar in the second verse. In addition to the syllables being awkward to sing, why fat-shame our poor caterpillar?!
Ukulele/Scarf Song: There’s a Tiny Caterpillar on a Leaf
(tune of If you’re happy & you know it)
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle
There’s a tiny caterpillar, there’s a tiny caterpillar
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf: wiggle, wiggle

additional verses:
There’s a big caterpillar on a leaf: munch, munch
There’s a pretty butterfly on a leaf: flutter, flutter
Source: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

there's a tiny caterpillar on a leaf thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling green caterpillar on a leaf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Download a ukulele songsheet for If You’re Happy And You Know It here!

thumbnail for happy and you know it ukulele songsheet

Another one I skipped for time!
Scarf Song: Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the summer sky
Floating by for all to see
Floating by so merrily
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the summer sky
Source: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

flutter butterfly thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink cartoon butterfly. 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: Coffee Filter Butterfly
We used dot markers to decorate. I’ve also done washable markers and sprayed with water to make a watercolor or tie dye effect, but this time just markers! Clip it with a wooden clothespin and add a little bit of pipe cleaner for antenna, and you are set!

coffee filter butterfly craft, showing a white coffee filter pinched in the middle to create two wings. It's decorated with blue yellow, and purple dots, and secured with a wooden clothespin.

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)
Ten Little Caterpillars – Bill Martin, Jr. & Lois Ehlert
Hello, Little One – Zeena Pliska & Fiona Halliday
Winged Wonders – Meeg Pincus & Yas Imamura
The Digger and the Butterfly – Joseph Kuefler
Señorita Mariposa – Ben Gundersheimer & Marcos Almada Rivero
Binkle’s Time to Fly – Sharmila Collins & Carolina Rabei
Goodnight, Butterfly – Ross Burach
Waiting for Wings – Lois Ehlert
Bianca and the Butterfly – Sergio Ruzzier
Papilio – Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, & Andy Chou Musser
Becoming Charley – Kelly DiPucchio & Loveis Wise

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/10/25.

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 cover gallery with I'm a unicorn by Loehr, I'm a unicorn by Yoon, and Unicorn thinks he's pretty great

Storytime: Unicorns

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Get ready for some magical storytimes! I love how you can incorporate things like horse rhymes and rainbows into a unicorn theme. I bet you could work in some songs/rhymes on magic or kindness as well. Next week we’re diving into Merfolk.

This week’s storytime was a new experience for me. I went part-time at my library, so I’m now sharing storytime duties with a fabulous coworker. She presents Mondays and Tuesdays, and I do Wednesdays and monthly Thursday evenings. We present the same theme throughout the week, but we decided that since we are both part-time, we would share responsibility for planning each theme. So this is the first time I presented a program that I didn’t plan myself! There is room for individualizing – we are both good with tweaking the plan to suit our own styles. I had a simple bounce that I really enjoy that I slipped into the mix, as well as a different counting song that I played on my ukulele. I think it’s a great way to work with the time we have, and I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to continue to work with the age group I love.

(If you’re an email subscriber, please note I forgot to link my rhyme sheets for last week’s blog post – they are fixed online now!)

You can find another magical creatures theme (which included unicorns) from 2020.

I'm a unicorn book cover with a pastel picture of a cute unicorn
I'm a unicorn book cover with an excited looking cow with one horn
Unicorn thinks he's pretty great book cover, with a picture of a unicorn surrounded by a rainbow aura, with a grumpy looking goat at the bottom

Early Literacy Tip: Early experiences help to form the architecture of the brain and lay a strong foundation for both social and emotional development. Playing with other children at a young age, experiencing the fun of taking turns and sharing, and discovering that it is fun to pass a ball or beanbag to someone else and then get it back are great ways to learn important social and emotional skills. -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: Today we’re talking about unicorns! Unicorns are mythical, magical horses with a long horn on their head. They love rainbows, sparkles and spreading kindness.

I did this one more like the King County video, but my colleague had the same instructions as Jen in the Library, so I think that’s where she found it.
Fingerplay: Ten Galloping Unicorns
Ten galloping unicorns
Came galloping through the town
Five were white and five were brown
They galloped up
They galloped down
Ten galloping unicorns
Came through the town… Then WHOA!
They all slowed down
Source: adapted from King County Library System and Jen in the Library

ten galloping unicorns thumbnail, with a graphic of two groups of unicorns - five white and five brown - with various colored manes and horns. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

A sweet and simple book that sets up the idea of unicorns and their purported properties. Perfect introduction to the theme for the littlest ones.
Read: I’m a Unicorn by Mallory C. Loehr

I'm a unicorn book cover with a pastel picture of a cute unicorn

My backups. Both are humorous takes on what unicorns are, so may work better for kids who are already familiar with unicorns.
Backup titles: I’m a Unicorn by Helen Yoon OR Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea.

I'm a unicorn book cover with an excited looking cow with one horn
Unicorn thinks he's pretty great book cover, with a picture of a unicorn surrounded by a rainbow aura, with a grumpy looking goat at the bottom

My coworker created the rhyme sheet for this one!
Action Rhyme: Unicorn, Unicorn
Unicorn, unicorn touch your toes
Unicorn, unicorn touch your nose
Unicorn, unicorn pat your head
Unicorn, unicorn go to bed
Unicorn, unicorn wake up now
Unicorn, unicorn take a bow
Unicorn, unicorn touch the ground
Unicorn, unicorn turn around
Unicorn, unicorn sit back down
Source: Verona Storytime

unicorn unicorn thumbnail, with a graphic of the bust of a unicorn with a rainbow colored mane. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My coworker created a flannel for this one and I forgot to grab a picture. The colors of the unicorns match what I added to the rhyme sheet, though.
Flannel/Counting/Ukulele Song: Five Unicorns Went Out One Day
(tune of Five Little Ducks)
Five unicorns went out one day
Beyond the rainbow and far away
Papa unicorn said, “Please don’t roam”
But only four unicorns came home (count down)

Last verse:
Well, papa unicorn went out one day
Searching for unicorns far and away
He searched far and he searched near
And just like magic, they re-appeared!
Source: Flannel Board Fun

Find a ukulele songsheet for the same tune here (One Dinosaur Went Out to Play)

thumbnail for one dinosaur went out to play

five unicorns thumbnail, with a graphic of a larger white unicorn and five smaller ones: purple, red, orange, green, and blue. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Our unicorns want to go for a ride! Can you mount up?
I do this one slow to start, then speed up over the next 2-3 repetitions.
Bounce: Giddy Up, Up, Up
(tune of the William Tell Overture)
Giddy up, giddy up
Giddy up, up, up
Giddy up, giddy up
Giddy up, up, up
Giddy up, giddy up
Giddy up, up, up
Whoooa, unicorn! (lean back!)
Source: Adventures in Storytime

giddy up up up thumbnail, with a graphic of a rearing unicorn with pastel rainbow mane and tail. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get our scarves out! Can you come up and pick out a scarf? Let’s warm up by doing some shaking.
Scarf Song: Shake it to the East
Shake it to the east, shake it to the west
Shake it all around and then you take a rest
Shake your scarves up, shake your scarves down
Shake it, shake it, shake it and then you settle down
Source: Jbrary

shake it to the east thumbnail, with a graphic of a compass pointing east. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My coworker created the rhyme sheet for this one!
Scarf Song: Let’s All Twirl
(Tune of Mulberry Bush)
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
Scarves today, scarves today
Let’s all twirl our scarves today
All around the room

Additional verses:
…toss our scarves
…circle our scarves
…shake our scarves
Source: Storytime with Miss Jennifer

let's all twirl thumbnail, with a graphic of a dancing unicorn. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors
(Tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Rainbow colors way up high
Happy colors in the sky
Red and pink and green and blue
Yellow, orange and purple, too
Rainbow colors way up high
Happy colors in the sky
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System

rainbow colors thumbnail, with a graphic of watercolor splashes of each color: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. 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

Here were the ones I didn’t end up doing that my coworker planned:

Since I wanted to do a ukulele song, I subbed in Five Unicorns Went Out to Play instead.
Counting Rhyme: 5 Little Unicorns
I saw 5 little unicorns – creatures from folklore
I watched the blue one prance away and then there were 4
I saw 4 little unicorns resting by a tree
I watched the orange one prance away, and then there were 3
I saw 3 little unicorns, but as near to them I drew
The green one pranced away, and then there were 2
I saw 2 little unicorns – I watched them run and run
The red one pranced away, and then there was 1
I saw a lonely purple unicorn standing in the sun
When I blinked my eyes, it pranced away, and then there were none
Source: Storytime Secrets

I was planning to do this one, but I ended up cutting it for time!
Action Song: If You’re A Unicorn & You Know It
If you’re a unicorn & you know it, shake your horn (shake, shake)
If you’re a unicorn & you know it, shake your horn (shake, shake)
If you’re a unicorn & you know it, then your magic will surely show it
If you’re a unicorn & you know it, shake your horn (shake, shake)

Additional Verses:
…stomp your hooves (stomp, stomp)
…toss your mane (toss, toss)
…twitch your tail (twitch, twitch)
…prance around (prance, prance)
Source: Adventures in Storytime

I think my coworker made these two up as I didn’t see them online.
Action Song: Unicorn Pokey
You put your front hoof in, you put your front hoof out.
You put your front hoof in, and you shake it all about.
You do the unicorn pokey, and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

Additional Verses:
Back hoof, Sparkly horn, Swishy tail, Whole self
Source: E Fox

Action Song: I’m A Little Unicorn
(tune of I’m A Little Teapot)
I’m a little unicorn, short and stout
Here is my horn, and here is my snout
I like to chase the rainbow to and fro
I spread kindness wherever I go!
Source: E Fox

Craft: Paper Plate Unicorn
Inspired by Glued to My Crafts, this was a very colorful unicorn! I think if I did it again, I’d have attached the yarn hair ahead of time, as no kids could do that part on their own, but all of the adults were helpers. Snouts, horns and ears were pre-cut as well. For eyes, we have white label paper that we’ve printed eyes on as a good alternative to googly eyes for little ones who may still be putting things in their mouths. My coworker cut her eyes out individually here, but since they’re on white paper and getting stuck to a white paper plate, they don’t need to be cut.

paper plate unicorn craft with a small paper plate decorated with a pink horn, ears, and snout, sticker eyes, and a multi colored yarn mane.

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)
Uni the Unicorn – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Brigette Barrager
The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn – Shawn Harris
Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex – Eva Chen & Matthew Rivera
Not Quite Narwhal – Jessie Sima
Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows – Jessika Von Innerebner
Grumpycorn – Sarah McIntyre
Do You Believe in Unicorns? – Bethanie Deeney Murguia
Wee Unicorn – Meg McLaren
Unicorn Day – Diana Murray & Luke Flowers
You Don’t Want A Unicorn! – Ame Dyckman & Liz Climo
Layla, The Last Black Unicorn – Tiffany Haddish, Jerdine Nolen, & Jessica Gibson
Thelma the Unicorn – Aaron Blabey

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/13/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

ploof and little cloud book covers

Storytime: Clouds

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
It Looked Like Spilt Milk – Charles G. Shaw
Partly Cloudy – Deborah Freedman
Cloudette – Tom Lichtenheld
Cloudy – Alice K Flanagan
When Cloud Became a Cloud – Rob Hodgson
Clouds – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace
Weather Together – Jessie Sima
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Cloudland – John Burningham
Moongame – Frank Asch
The Little Cloud – Pam Fong
Paint with Ploof – Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

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

Storytime: Spring

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

what's the weather ukulele songsheet thumbnail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

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

Storytime: Trees

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download my version of the songsheet here.

thumbnail for my roots go down ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

book covers for some pets and pet this book.

Storytime: Pets

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Apologies for the long delay in posting. I’ve been sick with flu A and it was a doozy!

Kids love animals! They love to talk about their pets and the animals they’ve met in their day-to-day lives. There are lots of fun rhymes and songs about domesticated animals, too, so this is really an easy theme to take into lots of different directions. You could probably do a session just on dogs or cats! One on “unusual” pets would be more challenging, but I’m sure it would work. Here’s the route I went.

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

book cover of pet this book

Early Literacy Tip: Even before your child can read on their own, books are a great way to work on visual literacy skills. Let them “read” the pictures to you – they’ll learn to pick up details, tell a narrative, and appreciate how illustrations can tell a story as well as text. Books like Dog in Charge or even wordless picture books are great for this exercise.

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: Who has a pet at home?  What kind?  What do you love about them?  If not, what kind of pet would you get if you could?  Some of us can’t have furry pets because we’re allergic, or we don’t have the time to properly take care of a pet.  Maybe you have a stuffed animal that gets your love, or maybe you get to visit a relative or neighbor’s pet.

Let’s see if we can pretend to be some common pets.
Action Rhyme: Can You?
Can you make yourself small like a hamster?
Can you jump up high like a frog?
Can you s-t-r-e-t-c-h like a cat?
Can you wag your tail like a dog?
Can you fly like a bird?
Can you swim like a fish?
Can you sit back down and be as still as this?
Source: Harford County (MD) Public Library

can you thumbnail, with a graphic of each animal: a hamster, green frog, stretching gray and white cat, brown dog with waggy tail, blue parakeet, and goldfish. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Super simple, with just a few words per page, this is a great title. There’s a lot to look at in the pictures, so I try to point out the main animals and encourage them to check it out later to look more closely.
Read: Some Pets by Angela DiTerlizzi & Brendan Wenzel (TT) (FT)

I love the interactiveness of this title. However, some of the animals are a bit of a stretch as far as “pets” go – a butterfly? And two different dogs are featured – it feels like that was a missed opportunity to feature another animal.
Read: Pet this Book by Jessica Young & Daniel Wiseman (TB)

book cover of pet this book

I don’t think I used every single animal in the flannel set I’d made, but I went with the most common as well as some that have distinctive noises like the snake. We had to get creative with the rabbit! I did include the dog, cat, snake, bird, fish, and rabbit.
Can you help me with all of my pets? I forgot what they say!
Activity: Pet Voices (TT) (TB) (FT)
Use pictures and let your child fill in the blanks for each animal
This my pet____________. They make this sound __________.
(for example)
This is my Fish. They make this sound: “Glub Glub”
Source: Jen in the Library

Let’s sing a song. I will need your help to do some of the animal voices that we just practiced. What does the doggie say again?
Ukulele Song: How Much is that Doggie (TT) (TB) (FT)
How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!)
The one with the waggily tail?
How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale

Kitty…meow…whiskers so long
Birdie… tweet tweet…flappity wings
Rabbit…hop hop…hoppity legs
Fishy… glub glub… swimmity fins
Source: adapted from traditional by Jen in the Library

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

How much is that doggie thumbnail, with a graphic of a friendly beagle dog. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I found this song version with the fun bubble motions at the end at Jbrary. If you’re a child of the 90s like me, you’ll recognize the old hand clapping tune – when we sang it, it was about Miss Lucy and the person in the bathtub was her baby (although I think the Miss Suzy and her steamboat song also used the same tune). The adults sang loud so I wasn’t the only one who remembered it!
We love our pets, but sometimes they can get into trouble!
Song: Tiny Tim (TT) (TB) (FT)
I have a little turtle his name is Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim
He drank up all the water (glug, glug, glug)
He ate up all the soap (munch, munch, munch)
And now he’s lying in his bed with bubbles in his throat!
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP! (roll arms then clap)
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!
Source: Jbrary

tiny tim thumbnail, with a graphic of a small green turtle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We sure do love our pets. And I love this song!
I went through the different motions with everyone first.
Action Song: My Dog Rags (TT) (TB) (FT)
I have a dog and his name is Rags
He eats so much that his tummy sags
His ears flip flop and his tail wig wags
and when he walks he goes zig zag!
He goes flip flop, wig wag, [pause] zig zag
He goes flip flop, wig wag, [pause] zig zag
He goes flip flop, wig wag, [pause] zig zag
I love Rags and he loves me!
Source: Jbrary

my dog rags thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark skinned girl hugging a floppy eared dog. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out our scarves! Make sure they’re working – shake them up high… down low… in a circle… behind your knees… looks good!

I learned this rhyme at an in-person children’s roundtable event and I don’t know who shared it! It’s a great one because it can be done with anything. I did all animals, starting with a snake (which is an easy one for a scarf to emulate) then did a fish (loosely fold scarf in half, with a bulbous fish body in front and all the edges sticking out the back of your hand as the tail), bird (hold scarf in the middle and let both sides be wings that flap), and rabbit (same as fish but the “tail” turned upward to form the ears).
Did you know that these are magic scarves?
Scarf Rhyme: Magic Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
Abracadabra! Fiddle dee dee!
If I wave my magic scarf, what will it be?
Source: unknown

magic scarf thumbnail, with a graphic of a magic wand with stars coming out, and a waving blue scarf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My friend Little Bo Peep has outdoor pets – sheep!
Scarf Rhyme: Little Bo Peep
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep (hide scarf)
And doesn’t know where to find them
Leave them alone
and they’ll come home (bring scarf out)
Wagging their tails behind them! (wave scarf)
Source: traditional, scarf movements from Jbrary

little bo peep thumbnail, with a graphic of three fluffy white sheep. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do a song about this pet – what is it? (pointing to rabbit flannelboard piece) And how do bunnies get around? First we’re going to pretend to be sleeping bunnies. Let’s make a pillow with our scarf.
Action/Scarf Song: Sleeping Bunnies
(begin with “bunnies” asleep on the floor)
Look at all the bunnies sleeping
’Til it’s nearly noon (point to wrist)
Shall we wake them with a merry tune? (wave hands like a conductor)
Oh so still… Are they ill? (dramatic pause, then sing fast and clap!)
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies!
Wake up, wake up, wake up little bunnies! (bunnies get up and hop around!)
Hop little bunnies, Hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, Hop, hop, hop
Stop little bunnies, Stop, stop, stop!
(FREEZE!)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

sleeping bunnies thumbnail, with a graphic of many curled up sleepy bunnies. 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:Pet Parade/Collage Craft (TB) (FT)
My library has a great collection of Ellison and Accucut dies, so I just went through and picked out all the animals that could be construed as pets! I cut them all in colors that made sense for the animal and gave them a large 12 x 18″ piece of purple construction paper. I tried to emphasize that they could choose any of the animals, and didn’t need to do all the same ones I did, to make it their own.

Pet parade craft, showing a large purple piece of construction paper with die-cut animals - a blue bird, brown dog, white cat, orange fish, green frog, gray rabbit, and yellow chicken. They are labeled and decorated with crayon.

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)
Mister Kitty Is Lost! – Greg Pizzoli
The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals – Deborah Underwood & LeUyen Pham
The Welcome Home – Amy June Bates
Mr. Watson’s Chickens – Jarrett Dapier & Andrea Tsurumi
I Am Cat / I Am Dog – Peter Bently & Chris Chatterton
My Dog Just Speaks Spanish – Andrea Cáceres
Where Have You Been, Little Cat? – Richard Jones
Coquí in the City – Nomar Perez
Alfie – Thyra Heder
Lola Gets a Cat – Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw
Take Your Pet to School Day – Linda Ashman & Suzanne Kaufman
Dog in Charge – K.L. Going & Dan Santat
Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite – Stacy McAnulty & Edward Hemingway
I Got a New Friend – Karl Newsom Edwards
Is This Your Class Pet? – Troy Cummings
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy – Mo Willems
Hello, Jimmy! – Anna Walker
I Wanna Iguana – Karen Kaufman Orloff & David Catrow

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/17, 2/18, & 2/19/25.

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

book covers for no yeti yet and the thing about yetis

Storytime: Yetis

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Winter monsters, come play! Yetis (or yeti, looks like either can be plural) have a pretty good representation in picture books, as well as some popular media. Smallfoot, Abominable, and Missing Link are all fairly recent animated films featuring yetis. I was also reminded of the yeti character in the old stop-motion Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer television special as well as the Pixar film Monsters, Inc by families who came to the program. So it wasn’t too difficult to plan a whole storytime around yetis! I did this theme back in 2020 (pre-blog) and enjoyed revisiting it and adding some new songs and activities. Props to Lady Librarian Life, who first inspired this theme and from whom I borrowed a lot of activities!

no yeti yet book cover, featuring two children in the snow, looking at a large footprint. a yeti is peering at them from behind a mound of snow.
The thing about yetis show a cute yeti in the snow wearing a red earflap hat and holding a small stuffed yeti

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 okay and when a soft voice is required. Through music and rhymes they can have fun learning the difference between loud and soft, and practice the right time for the right volume. -The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we are talking about a mythical creature called a Yeti. A mythical creature is one that we tell stories about, but doesn’t really exist in real life, like a unicorn or a dragon. A yeti lives high in the mountains where it’s cold and snowy most of the time. They have fuzzy white hair all over their bodies and walk on two feet like a person. They usually don’t like to be out in the open and are shy around people. Some stories say they are ferocious and like to roar! Can I hear a mighty yeti roar?

Yes, we did this rhyme last week, but it never gets old.
Fingerplay: Two Little Yetis (TT) (TB) (FT)
(style of Two Blackbirds)
Two little yetis playing in the snow
One was fast and one was slow
Go away fast, go away slow
Come back fast, come back slow

Two little yetis looking at the clouds One was quiet and one was loud…
Two little yetis getting kind of chilly, One was serious and one was silly…
Source: Lady Librarian Life

two little yetis thumbnail, with a graphic of two white and blue yetis. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now, let’s pretend to be a yeti ourselves.
Action Rhyme: Yeti, Yeti, Turn Around (TT) (TB) (FT)
Yeti, Yeti, turn around
Yeti, Yeti, touch the ground
Yeti, Yeti, reach up high
Yeti, Yeti, blink your eyes
Yeti, Yeti, show your teeth
Yeti, Yeti, stomp your feet
Yeti, Yeti, slap your knees
Yeti, Yeti, sit down, please
Source: Lady Librarian Life

yeti turn around thumbnail, with a graphic of a white and blue yeti waving. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This was a fun title, but one that my library didn’t own. Thankfully, I was able to get a copy from my home library because it worked so seamlessly with the Yeti Hunt theme.
Read: No Yeti Yet by Mary Ann Fraser (TT) (FT)

no yeti yet book cover, featuring two children in the snow, looking at a large footprint. a yeti is peering at them from behind a mound of snow.

I tried this one with my older group, but they were pretty wiggly through it. Cute title, but they maybe were just not in the mood that day.
Read: The Thing About Yetis by Vin Vogel (TB)

The thing about yetis show a cute yeti in the snow wearing a red earflap hat and holding a small stuffed yeti

Yetis are such mysterious creatures! Let’s see if we can go find some.
Everyone seemed to enjoy this one and I’ve started to figure out some ways to make the “hunt” flow well for me and be enjoyable for my groups. Just to keep things moving, I’ve started skipping the “can’t go over it” part, and it still works really well. We slap our knees in rhythm during the “chorus” part. For the flannel, I was able to reuse the penguin ice floe from last week to add to my various bear/dragon hunt pieces. No more than four terrains (including the cave) are a good amount for my age group. This has taken a good amount of trial and error – the very first time I did Bear Hunt, it was a mess! But tweaks along the way have made it a favorite.
Chant: Going on a Yeti Hunt (TT) (TB) (FT)
(chorus, repeat between each terrain)
​We’re going on a yeti hunt (We’re going on a yeti hunt)
We’re gonna find a big one! (We’re gonna find a big one!)
With great big feet (With great big feet) (stomp feet)
And fuzzy white fur (And fuzzy white fur)
Look, it’s a great, big field of snow
We have to ski across it – put on your skis! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Look, it’s a wide, frozen river
We have to skate across it – get your skates on! Glide, glide, glide!
Look, it’s a great big mountain with snow on top
We have to climb up it! Do you have all your climbing gear? (pretend to climb, then when you get to the top, slide down the other side: whee!)
Look, it’s a deep, dark cave! Just like where the Yeti lives.
Let’s go in: Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe!
Whoops, what is that? I see two great big feet!
And fuzzy white fur! It’s a Yeti! RUN!
(backwards through terrain)
Back to the house, shut the door, up the stairs, jump in bed, put the blanket over your head – are we safe? whew!
Source: adapted from Adventures in Storytime

yeti hunt flannel, with a snow field, river, snow capped mountain, and cave. A yet figure is show at the cave mouth.

going on a yeti hunt thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall sasquatch like yeti going into an icy cave. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I made this felt set back in 2020, and I’m not sure where I got the pattern! It’s very hard to tell from the pictures, but the beard part was made from glittery white felt – I love it! As a transition from the Yeti Hunt, I set this one up like this:
Let’s peek out the window and see if it’s safe outside. Oh, no!! I see not one, not two, three, four, but FIVE enormous yetis out there! Maybe they will go away if we wait.
Counting Rhyme: Five Enormous Yetis (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five enormous yetis letting out a roar
One stomped away and then there were four
Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, ROAR!

4… hiding in the trees…
3… didn’t know what to do…
2… having lots of fun…
1… saw the setting sun…
Source: Lady Librarian Life

flannel with five yets with white beards and blue faces, each with a different expression.

five enormous yetis thumbnail, with a graphic of a five blue yeti heads peeking around the sides and bottom of the sheet. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We found a yeti, let’s see what they do.
This was not the most engaging, so I dropped it after the first session.
Action Song: The Yetis In the Snow (TT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The yetis in the snow go roar, roar, roar
Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar, roar
The yetis in the snow go roar, roar, roar,
All through the snow

Additional verses:
…stomp their feet
…slide down the hill – whee!
…creep by the town sh, sh, sh
Source: Lady Librarian Life

yeti in the snow thumbnail, with a graphic of yeti creeping in front of a darkened town. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get our scarves out. What a snowy day! Yeti love the snow.
Scarf Song: Snowflake in the Sky (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Snowflake, snowflake in the sky
Love to watch you floating by
Down you fall upon the ground
Down you fall without a sound
Snowflake, snowflake in the sky
Love to watch you floating by
Source: Jbrary

snowflake in the sky thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown indeterminate monster wearing a red scarf and sticking its tongue out to catch falling snowflakes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I was looking for more snowy scarf rhymes to add, and found this one about the robin which I rewrote to fit with yetis.
Oh, the weather is changing again – the wind is blowing! Can you make your scarf blow in the wind?
Scarf Rhyme: When Cold Winds Blow (TT) (TB) (FT)
When cold winds blow
And we shall have snow
What will the shy yetis do?
They’ll run outside
With their arms open wide
Then slide down the mountain with a “yahoo!”
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Lib Sys

when the cold winds blow thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue yeti raising his arms in front of a mountain. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another kind of a stretch to fit with the theme, but I could just imagine a bunch of yetis rolling around in the snow! I demoed rolling the scarf by holding both ends and rolling your hands, or by letting go of one end and letting it fly free. Either works.
Yetis like to roll around and play in the snow.
Scarf Rhyme: Roly Poly (TT) (TB) (FT)
(roll scarf accordingly)
Roly poly, roly, poly, up, up, up
Roly poly, roly, poly, down, down, down
Roly poly, roly, poly, out, out, out
Roly poly, roly, poly, in, in, in
Roly poly, roly, poly, BIG, BIG, BIG
Roly poly, roly, poly, very, very small
Roly poly, roly, poly, fast, fast, fast, fast, fast!
Rol…ly… po…ly… to… a… stop! (clap)
Source: Rebecca Jane Flanagan

roly poly thumbnail, with a graphic of a snowboarding yeti doing a loop de loop. 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: Yeti Fork Painting (TB) (FT)
Inspired by this post at the Our Kid Things blog, we painted yeti fur with white paint and forks. I didn’t want to mess with two colors of paint, so I made and cut a head and chest shape out of light blue construction paper and pre-glued it down to black construction paper. I also drew big eyes and a toothy mouth/nose combo on white cardstock and made copies. So the kids only had three small things to glue down, then they could go to work painting the fur. They came out very cute, and unique with interesting combinations of feature placement (one kid did a cyclops yeti!) and though most painted with the forks, some abandoned them and did finger painting. It’s all good! I love that they can do their own thing and most of our parents are willing to let them.

craft showing a blue head above a blue chest on black construction paper. big eyes and a large smiling toothy mouth are pasted to the head, and fork lines of white paint are all over the head and chest for hair

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
(There are a good number but not a huge number on yetis, so I supplemented with Bigfoot books!)
Are We There, Yeti? – Ashlyn Anstee
Dear Yeti – James Kwan
Henry and the Yeti – Russell Ayto
How to Catch a Yeti – Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
Itchy, Scratchy Pants – Steve Smallman & Elina Ellis
Not Yet, Yeti – Bethany V Freitas & Maddie Frost
Yetis Are the Worst – Alex Willan
Elwood Bigfoot – Jill Esbaum & Nate Wragg
Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella – Tony Johnston & James Warhola
Larf – Ashley Spires
Bigfoot’s Big Heart – Sarah Glenn Marsh & Ishaa Lobo

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/20, 1/21, 1/22, & 1/30/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Book Babies Storytime Update

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Hello, readers, and welcome to 2025! Do you ever have those weeks where it feels like everything is happening at once? It’s been like that for me lately. I have a couple of storytimes in the backlog to share with you soon, but today I figured I’d give a quick update on my Book Babies programs and the new songs and rhymes I’ve been using for the last few months.

You can see all my previous posts about Book Babies, which would include lots of rhymes and songs to do. I’ve gotten to the point that I’m recycling old plans, but I do still switch out activities here and there to keep it fresh for me, and to replace songs or rhymes that didn’t quite jive (or I’m just not in the mood for!) It’s fun to see what works with a particular group.

The books featured in the photos below are just some of the board books made available for individual reading.

See all the Book Babies plans here.

The general plan goes like this:

  • Hello/Welcome song
    • I use a puppet as well as singing each child’s name in the song
  • Animal Hello
    • Use several animal puppets, with animal noises incorporated in the song
  • Body Song
  • Fingerplay
    • If too complex for babies (i.e., anything more involved than Pat-A-Cake), encourage grownups to do the motions as a kind of “puppet show” for babies.
  • Bounce
  • Lift
    • Occasionally there’s a song that incorporates bounces and lifts, of course. Any combination will do, or one longer song with multiple verses may be substituted for both
  • Lullaby
    • I always play this on ukulele
  • Reading time
    • Currently doing individual reading for 2-3 minutes, but have read board books to the group before
  • Tickle/On Your Back
    • Often good for post-diaper change, usually uses leg motions
  • Props or Dancing
    • Include 3-4 songs and rhymes that go with the month’s prop
  • Lifting Song – Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
    • Consistent at each program
  • Goodbye Rhyme

Here is an updated room setup, with the parachute out for babies to lay on/sit on. I started to put out round floor mats at each wedge/seat, with the caveat that anyone can pull up a chair to sit at if they don’t want to get down on the floor. My pink short chair is perfect for this – I can move easily from it to the floor if I want to demo one way or another. There’s a random board book at each place for them to use during our individual reading time.

parachute set up showing a white parachute on a purple rug, with rainbow colored circular mats arranged around the edge and board books in front of every mat. At the head of the room is a small pink upholstered chair and an easel with rhyme sheets taped to it.

I am happy to report that after a couple of years of having a “color the parachute” station during our outdoor summer storytime, it’s much more colorful and fun!

closer photo of white parachute, showing colorful signatures, drawings, scribbles, hand prints, etc. board books are arranged at the end of each wedge and circular mats are on the floor around the edge.

New since April 2024

Fingerplay

Fingerplay Rhyme/Tickle: This Little Train
This little train ran up the track (walk fingers up baby’s arm or leg)
It went Choo! Choo! (tap baby’s nose or belly button)
And then it ran back (walk fingers back down)
The other little train (other arm or leg) ran up the track
It went Choo! Choo! And then it ran back
Source: King County (WA) Library System

this little train thumbnail, with a graphic of a toddler with arms out - the left arm has an adult's fingers walking toward the shoulder, and the right arm has a tiny train engine and coal car heading toward the shoulder. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I have used this one for Hispanic Heritage Month themed toddler storytimes before, but this is the first time I’ve used this song for babies. I do have several Spanish-speaking families, so I was glad to include it!
Song: La linda manita
(flip hand back and forth)
La linda manita (What a pretty, tiny hand)
que tiene el bebé (the baby has!)
qué linda, qué bella (How pretty, how beautiful)
qué preciosa es (How precious it is!)
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

la linda manita thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a child's hand gripping an adult's thumb. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Bounce/Lift

Bounce: Two Little Boats
(rock forward and back)
Two little boats went out to sea
All is calm as calm can be
(rock side to side)
Gently the wind begins to blow
Two little boats rock to and fro
(Bounce up and down)
Loudly the wind begins to shout
Two little boats they bounce about
STOP! (freeze) goes the storm, the wind, and rain
And two little boats sail on again (rock forward and backward)
Source: Intellidance

two little boats thumbnail, with a graphic of two sailboats with colorful sails. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Bounce/Lift: Jelly on the Plate
Jelly on the plate, jelly on the plate (bounce)
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble (turn baby side to side)
Jelly on the plate (bounce)
Additional verses:
Sausage in the pan…Turn them out (lean baby outward)
Biscuits in the tin…Shake them up (wiggle and lift baby)
Sweeties in the jar…Pick them out (gently pinch belly)
Candles on the cake…Blow them out… (blow on neck or belly)
Source: Jbrary

jelly on the plate thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange jello mold on a plate, a skillet with a sausage, a traditional danish cookie tin, a mason jar of wrapped candies, and a pink birthday cake with three smoking candles. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I looked, and Lynn and Dover are indeed towns nearby Boston!
Bounce: Trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Boston,
Trot, trot to Lynn
You’d better be careful
Or you might fall in! (tilt or lean)

Trot, trot to Boston,
Trot, trot to Dover
Look out everyone
You might fall over! (tilt or lean)
Source: The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

trot to boston thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown horse. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lullaby

So many variations of this song, but Raffi’s is a sweet one. I remind caregivers that you can sing any name instead of “Irene,” and in fact I did try to go around the room and sing each child’s name in the chorus. Irene is repeated four times each chorus, so you can potentially get 12 names in as written, and of course you can repeat the chorus as many times as you need.
Ukulele Lullaby: Goodnight Irene
(Raffi’s version)
Foxes sleep in the forest
Lions sleep in their dens
Goats sleep on the mountainside
And piggies sleep in pens

Chorus: Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene
I’ll see you in my dreams

Whales sleep in the ocean
Zebras sleep on land
Hippos sleep by the riverside
And camels sleep on sand (Chorus)

Coyote sleeps in the canyon
And birdie sleeps in a tree
And when it’s time for me to rest
My bed’s the place for me (Chorus)
Source: Raffi, from the album The Corner Grocery Store and Other Singable Songs

Download a ukulele songsheet for Goodnight, Irene

thumbnail for goodnight irene ukulele songsheet, with a graphic of a fox curled up in a brown den. click the image to download a full PDF

goodnight irene thumbnail, with lyrics only (chorus is in dark blue). click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Tickle/On Your Back

I converted this from one to do with arms to a leg rhyme and it works pretty well. I emphasized that they didn’t need any precision doing the different motions, but in, out, in, out, cha-cha works!
Leg Song: Knife, Fork, Spoon, Spatula
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
I’m a knife, fork, spoon, spatula – cha, cha, cha!
I’m a knife, fork, spoon, spatula – cha, cha, cha!
I’m a knife, fork, spoon, I’m a knife, fork, spoon,
I’m a knife, fork, spoon, spatula – cha, cha, cha!
Source: Jbrary

knife fork spoon thumbnail, with a graphic of a small knife, fork (with spaghetti twirled around it) and spoon to the left, and a large spatula with a smiley face to the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Another one I’ve converted to doing with legs! We also talked about whether to push and pull from baby’s perspective or caregiver’s – it could go either way!
Leg Action Rhyme: Roll, Roll, Sugar Babies
Roll, roll sugar babies, Roll, roll sugar babies (bicycle legs)
Push! Pull! Tap, tap, tap! (push, pull, tap feet together)
Roll, roll sugar babies, Roll, roll sugar babies
Push! Pull! Tap, tap, tap!
Roll up high, Roll down low
Roll real fast, Roll real slow
Roll, roll sugar babies, Roll, roll sugar babies
Push! Pull! Tap, tap, tap!
Can repeat and replace “push” and “pull” with “up and down” or “left and right”
Source: Jbrary

roll roll sugar babies thumbnail, with a graphic of two babies with pacifiers lying on their backs with arms out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Props

Although I know I originally got this from Jbrary, I realize listening to the recording that I have morphed it and my version sounds a bit different! Perhaps sometime I’ll record a quick video of my version.
Shaker Song: We Shake and STOP!
We shake and we shake and we STOP
We shake and we shake and we STOP
We shake and we shake and we shake and we shake
And we shake and we shake and we STOP!
…tap, …wave, …clap, …tickle
Source: Jbrary

we shake and stop thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue and a purple egg with motion lines around them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I think I was looking for a new peek-a-boo song. This one wasn’t really a fantastic improvement on the other ones I’ve done, so it may be left on the scrap pile.
Scarf Song: Where Is Baby?
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Where is baby? Where is baby?
Oh, so cute, Oh, so cute
Who’s behind this scarf?
Who’s behind this scarf?
Peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo!
Source: adapted from Madison (ID) Library District

where is baby thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark skinned infant halfway hiding behind a transparent green plaid scarf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Rhyme: Mix the Batter
Mix the batter, stir the batter, (stir motion)
Shake the flour in (pour motion)
Mix the batter, stir the batter,
pour it in a tin (pat lap)
Sprinkle little raisins on, (wiggle fingers down)
Pop it in to bake (move scarf forward)
Open wide the oven door… (spread arms wide (w/out scarf)
and out comes a cake! (throw scarf in the air)
Nom, nom, nom (pretend to eat)
Source: Plano (TX) Library

Mix the batter thumbnail, with a graphic of a birthday cake with three lit candles on top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one could certainly be done with scarves, too.
Parachute Song: Leaves Are Falling
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The leaves are falling down,
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown,
The leaves are falling down

The snow is falling down… (whispering)
Quiet, soft, float to the ground…
The snow is falling down
Source: Handley (VA) Regional Library System (verse 2 original)

leaves are falling thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange/red maple leaf. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Dancing (instead of props)

Dancing Song: Here We Go
(tune of Here We Go Looby Loo)
Here we go in, in, in
Here we go out, out, out
Here we go in, in, in
Then we turn ourselves about

Here we go uppity-up,
Here we go down-ditty down
Here we go uppity-up
Then we turn ourselves about
Source: The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

here we go thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark skinned mother holding up her baby, and a light skinned man with a goatee holding up his. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Dancing Play: Washing Machine
Okay, babies, let’s do some laundry! (start low to the ground)
Can we put in the clothes? Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! (arm motions in, or bounce slowly with sounds)
Shake in the soap! Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch! (shake hands or bounce baby quickly)
Fill up with water! Blub-ub-ub-ub-ub! (like water gurgling up) (wiggle baby while lifting up to standing)
Here we go! (hold baby securely)
Twist, twist, twist in the washing machine (twist torso back and forth with baby in arms)
Twist, twist, twist until we’re clean!
Spiiiiiiin and STOP! (spin in a circle, then stop)
Annd the water goes down! Blub-ub-ub! (gurgle water down) (wiggle baby while lowering)
Source: Intellidance

washing machine thumbnail, with a graphic of a front loading washer showing a round window half filled with water. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What are your favorite baby activities? Share in the comments!