scarves – Page 2 – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

Storytime: Mice

Posted on December 13, 2024December 12, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Mice are so ubiquitous in children’s literature, I had no trouble finding lots of cute books for this theme. I also had an abundance of rhymes to choose from, making this a fairly easy theme to plan.

Early Literacy Tip: It takes longer for children who are just learning to talk to respond to our questions. This happens because four different parts of the brain have to work together to form a response. We need to be patient and wait anywhere from 5-12 seconds for children to respond. That feels like a long time because adults usually respond in about 2 seconds. The extra time we give children allows them the practice they need to respond more quickly over time. -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: I have a little friend who lives in this basket! Can you guess who she is? She has little pink ears, soft brown fur, a long pink tail, whiskers, and a twitchy little nose. Who is she? Little Mousie Brown! She has her own rhyme. Would you like to do it with us, Mousie?

Fingerplay: Little Mousie Brown (TT) (TB) (FT)
Up the tall white candlestick went little Mousie Brown
But when she got up to the top she could not get back down
She called for Mama, “Mama, Mama!”
But Mama was in town
So she called for Papa, “Papa, Papa!”
But Papa wasn’t around
So little Mousie curled right up and rolled right down!
Source: Jbrary

Little mousie brown thumbnail, with a graphic of a gray mouse perched atop a white candle in an orange candlestick. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do one more rhyme with Mousie Brown before she goes back to her house.
I switched Mousie Brown from my index finger to my thumb for this one.
Fingerplay: Quiet Mouse (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here’s a quiet little mouse (show thumb)
Living in a quiet little house (hide thumb in fist)
When all was quiet as could be
OUT popped she! (pop out thumb) Squeak!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

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

Very short, and I wish some of the rhymes weren’t split over page turns, but quite effective.
Read: Mice by Rose Fyleman & Lois Ehlert (TT)

A storytime classic.
Read: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood (TB) (FT)

Little mice need to look out for bigger animals, like bears or… cats!
I really liked how the librarian in this video did the scampering at the end, but like the tune and progression (especially the transitions between verses of this video better, so my version is a bit of an amalgamation of the two.
Action Song: The Old Gray Cat (TT) (TB) (FT)
The old gray cat is sleeping,
Sleeping, sleeping (lay head in hands)
The old gray cat is sleeping
In the house (peak hands up to make a roof above head)

additional verses:
The little mice are creeping… (creep fingers)
The little mice are nibbling… (pretend to eat)
The old gray cat is creeping… (creep/stalk fingers)
The little mice go scampering… (quickly, and pat lap)
Source: King County (WA) Library System, Version 1 Version 2

the old gray cat thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark gray sleeping cat with two small mice. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I know a story about another mouse who has a special trick to keep the cat at bay. Little Clapping Mouse!
Story Rhyme: Little Clapping Mouse (TT) (TB) (FT)
(give two claps after each line * *)
Behind the tree * *
And under the house * *
There lived a teeny * *
Tiny mouse * *
She loved to sing * *
She loved to tap * *
But most of all * *
She loved to clap * *
She clapped all night * *
She clapped all day * *
She clapped to frighten * *
The cat away! * * * * * (lots of claps)
Source: Jbrary

little clapping mouse thumbnail, with a graphic of a gray mouse with their hands together. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Do you hear that? (squeak) it’s a squeak, but it’s so soft! It must be some BABY mice
I had one little one who really loved the counting and the “That’s all” at the end. She said it several times after we finished this rhyme – precious.
Fingerplay Rhyme: Baby Mice (TT) (TB) (FT)
Where are the baby mice? Squeak, squeak, squeak (cover eyes)
I cannot see them. Peek, peek, peek (peek-a-boo)
Here they come from a hole in the wall (make hole with fingers)
1-2-3-4-5… That’s all! (lift fingers as you count)
Source: Mel’s Desk

baby mice thumbnail, with a graphic of an open round door with five white mice near it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We passed out scarves and wiggled them around like little mice.
Tickle/Scarf Rhyme: Hurry Scurry Little Mouse (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hurry scurry little mouse Starts down at your toes
Hurry scurry little mouse Past your knees he goes
Hurry scurry little mouse Past where your tummy is
Hurry scurry little mouse Gives a mousy kiss!
Source: Mel’s Desk

hurry scurry little mouse thumbnail, with a graphic of a small gray mouse. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I needed another scarf song, so was looking at my generic ones. I use “Shake it to the East” often with both scarves and shaker eggs, and thought, why not scurry your mouse in scarf form?
Scarf Song: Scurry to the East (TT) (TB) (FT)
Scurry to the east, Scurry to the west
Scurry all around and Then you take a rest
Scurry mousies up Scurry mousies down
Scurry, scurry, scurry, and Then you settle down!
Source: adapted from Jbrary

scurry to the east thumbnail, with a graphic of three inquisitive mice, white, grey, and tan. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s be mice. Where would your ears be if you were a mouse? Your whiskers? Tail!? Feet?
Action/Scarf Song: Ears and Whiskers, Tail and Feet (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)
Ears and whiskers
Tail and feet, tail and feet
Ears and whiskers
Tail and feet, tail and feet
Pet my fur and
Give a little squeak!
Ears and whiskers
Tail and feet, tail and feet
Source: King County (WA) Library System

ears and whiskers tail and feet thumbnail, with a graphic of a mouse sitting upright, with tail showing behind its body. 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: Mouse Finger Puppet (TB) (FT)
This craft turned out so cute! I was inspired by a photo at Storytime Katie, but the link she provided was no longer in service. I played around and figured out the shape I would need to get a little pocket for your finger. The rest is just circles for the ears, yarn for the tail, and a tiny pompom for the nose. Eyes are just drawn on. I made a template for the mouse bodies and ears, and printed on brown and pink 9×12″ construction paper.

Download the mouse finger puppet template here!

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)
Where Is Jumper? – Ellen Stoll Walsh
Mina – Matthew Forsythe
Hide-and-Squeak – Heather Vogel Frederick & C.F. Payne
Mousie, I Will Read to You – Rachael Cole & Melissa Crowton
Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse – Jane Godwin & Blanca Gómez
The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock – Jim Aylesworth & Eileen Christelow
It’s So Quiet – Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tony Fucile
Mice Skating – Annie Silvestro & Teagan White
By Mouse & Frog – Deborah Freedman
Big Bear, Small Mouse – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
The Voice in the Hollow – Will Hillenbrand
House mouse – Michael Hall

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/9, 12/10, & 12/11/24.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books and rhyme/song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Feeling Thankful (2024)

Posted on November 22, 2024November 21, 2024 by msemilylibrary

If you’ve been following me for a bit, you may have noticed this theme before. I’ve done a “Feeling Thankful” theme every year since 2019. (I wasn’t blogging that year, so I don’t have a post for that one!) It’s a favorite not only because I enjoy the flow and activities we do, but also because it gives me a moment to step back and really think about the gratitude I feel for doing the work I do. I have the privilege of then sharing that gratitude with my families in a way that’s heartfelt and meaningful, while giving them a jumping off point for talking about kindness, empathy, and gratitude with their kids.

Not a ton changes from year to year, but I do switch a few things out 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 went with some different scarf songs and found a new book to share.

Thanks once again 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 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.

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* (TT) (TB) (FT)** †

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

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? (BB) (TB) (FT)
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* (TT) (TB) (FT)

I liked all my book choices so much I had trouble deciding. So I did a different one for each of my three sessions.

I think I shared this one my first year or so of doing this theme, and it’s a perfect one for the littlest kids. Very simple, and we all repeat the “Thank you” every other page. It also is the easiest to transition from this book to “Here Is the Beehive,” for obvious reasons.
Read: Thank You, Bees by Toni Yuly (TT)

One from last year. This is 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 (TB)

The newest one (or at least newest to me). Also a board book, but large enough that I can share it easily. This one is more of the litany of things TO be thankful for.
Read: I Am Thankful by Kathryn Jewitt & Lizzy Doyle (FT)

I had some honey on my toast this morning. Does anyone here like honey, too? Where does honey come from? Bees! I’m thankful for the bees that pollinate our plants and make us honey!
Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive (TT) (TB) (FT)
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 (TT) (TB) (FT)
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 (TT) (TB) (FT)
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. (And breakfast – I LOVE breakfast!)
Scarf Rhyme: Mixin’ Pancakes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(mime actions)
Mixin’ pancakes, stirrin’ pancakes
Pour ’em in the pan
Fryin’ pancakes, flippin’ pancakes
Catch ’em if you can! (throw scarf up and catch)
Source: adapted from poet Christina Rossetti

mixin' pancakes thumbnail, with a graphic of a girl in an apron and chef's toque flipping a pancake in a frying pan. 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 (TT) (TB) (FT)
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). 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 was a new addition to this year’s Feeling Thankful, and it fit very well. A lot of my grownups know and love this song.
I’m thankful for friends and family, and I am especially thankful for each and every one of you. A good way to say thank you to someone we’re close to is to tell them we love them!
Song: Skinnamarink (TT) (TB) (FT)
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening, underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo
I love you!
Source: traditional, see hand motions from Jbrary

skinnamarink thumbnail, with a graphic of small red hearts. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Thankful Tree (TB) (FT)
There aren’t a ton of “thankful” crafts (I try to stay away from overtly Thanksgiving imagery like turkeys), so I have just been alternating between a tree and a wreath each year, with the same idea behind both. Leaves are used to decorate, and on them to write things they are thankful for (with or without grownup help). I try to remind my group that they don’t need to fill every leaf with a word, and they can even leave them blank and fill them out over time as they think of things. I asked volunteers to cut out the leaf shapes in various fall colors (red, yellow, orange). Each child gets a piece of sky blue construction paper with a brown bare tree shape printed on it, with the heading “I am thankful for…” at the top. If you have an idea for a new “thankful” craft, please share in the comments!

Download a PDF of the tree and leaves here!

Thankful tree craft - a dark brown bare tree figure on light blue paper with a heading, "I am thankful for..." and fall colored leaves listing gratitudes: books, love, storytime friends, feeling safe, family, and music.

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
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 11/18, 11/19, & 11/20/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Hats

Posted on October 19, 2024October 19, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Another fun theme that’s relatable for my toddlers who wear their hats in sun and snow all the time. The hat hide-and-seek flannelboard game with Walrus was a big hit, and my Folkmanis Bunny in a Hat puppet is also a big attention draw. I was pleased to see several families (grownups as well as kids) wear their hats, even if they didn’t stay on long during the program!

Early Literacy Tip: Parents, when you share wordless books with your children, there’s no limit to the conversations you can have together! Taking part in lots of conversations helps your child learn new words, gives them a big vocabulary, and helps them become good readers. Talking with your child will help them get ready to read. –Mel’s Desk

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

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

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

Intro: Last week we talked about what we wear on our feet – shoes and socks. What do we wear on our heads? Hats! Just like shoes, there are so many kinds of hats – some are good for a specific activity or job, and some we wear just because we like how they look.

Hats come in all shapes and sizes!
Action Rhyme: Tall Hat, Small Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Tall hat, (tall hands above head)
Small hat (small rounded hands on head)
Big hat, (hands wide to either side of head)
Cap (one hand flat on head)
Let me take them off again (hands move down and to lap)
And put them in my lap
Source: Librionyian

tall hat small hat thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall black top hat, a tiny purple top hat attached to a headband, a red hat with a wide floppy brim, and a brown newsboy style cap. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

I actually only “read” one book this week because my following activities were so tied to it, though I kept Hooray For Hats as a backup. I took a lot of inspiration from Jessica at Storytime in the Stacks on how to present Where’s Walrus as a wordless picture book, and how to present wordless books as an early literacy tool from Mel’s Desk.
Walrus is going to be wearing a lot of hats in this book to hide from the zookeeper. Let’s see if you can find Walrus.
Read: Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage (TT) (TB) (FT)

Walrus is hiding here at the library! Let’s see if we can find him.
This flannel was again inspired by Storytime in the Stacks. You can find a template for the hats (plus more varieties) at her post. We both used a very affordable download from Etsy seller Creative Cat and Co for the animal faces. To present, I just went hat by hat, talking a little about each one and what it was for, leaving the last one for Walrus.
Flannel Rhyme: Where’s Walrus? (TT) (TB) (FT)
Walrus, walrus, where could you be?
Are you under the baseball cap? Let’s look and see!
[That’s not Walrus? Who is it? Panda! Well, maybe Walrus is under the next hat – a chef’s hat!]
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

where's walrus thumbnail, with a graphic of a walrus wearing a blue baseball cap that is obscuring his eyes and nose. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I intended to do this guessing game after finding Walrus, but it just didn’t seem right for my first group, so I skipped it. And looking at the clock when we were done, it was a good thing – I ended right on time. With the craft for the next two sessions, I knew it wouldn’t fit, so it didn’t get used at all. But it’s a possible activity for you, so I’m including it here! The original I saw didn’t include a space helmet, so I wrote a verse for it.
Flannel Game: Whose Hat Am I?
I’m hard and yellow, sturdy as can be
To protect your head – who wears me? [Construction worker – Hard Hat]
One, two, three strikes you’re out
I am worn in the field and in the dugout [Baseball player – Baseball cap]
I’m tall and white, take a look
Someone wears me when they cook [Chef – Chef’s hat or toque]
Hocus pocus, look about
A magician taps me and a rabbit jumps out! [Magician – Top hat]
On your birthday, I’ll be there
Sitting up atop your hair [Party goer – Party hat]
I am special, you can see
Worn by those of royalty [King or queen – Crown]
Tall with stars and a pointy peak
Look for my owner if magic you seek [Witch or Wizard – Magic hat]
If there’s a fire, I’ll be there
Protecting my brave owner’s hair [Firefighter – Fire helmet]
I’m made of straw with a brim so wide
Can you tell whose head will be inside? [Cowpoke – Western hat/Stetson]
A knitted hat for young and old
To keep a head warm in the cold [Anyone! – Winter hat]
When my owner walks in outer space
I keep them safe in that airless place [Astronaut – Space helmet]
Source: Stratford (CT) Library

That cowpoke hat is quite something! Let’s do a bounce
Bounce: I Hop on My Horse (TT) (TB) (FT)
I hop on my horse and go to town (bounce)
I ride up high (arms up, or lift child)
and I don’t fall down (arms low, or lower child)
I wear a hat so my hair won’t blow (hand on head)
And when I want to stop I just say “Ho!” (tilt back)
Source: Madison (WI) Public Library

i hop on my horse thumbnail, with a graphic of a rocking horse wearing a red western style hat and bandanna. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This rhyme is about a grandma and a grandpa who wear a hat.
Rhyme: Grandma’s Glasses (TT) (TB) (FT)
These are grandma’s glasses
This is grandma’s hat
And this is the way she folds her hands
And lays them on her lap

These are grandpa’s glasses
This is grandpa’s hat
And this is the way he folds his arms
And takes a little nap (snore)
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

grandma's glasses thumbnail, with a graphic of a sunhat with a flower and a newsboy style cap, plus a pair of blue-rimmed and black-rimmed glasses. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Did you know that sometimes when you go to see a magic show, the magician will have a very special hat?
This is a draw and tell rhyme that I thought about using for a magic storytime but didn’t have time in that session. This time I made sure to fit it in, and they did enjoy it – by the time I got to the ears, I heard excited voices saying – “rabbit!” The numbers refer to the photos below, showing what to add at each line.
Drawing Rhyme: The Magician’s Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
The magician has an empty hat (1)
Turned upside down with a brim like that (2)
Then suddenly a head appears (3)
With two bright eyes… (4)
…and two long ears (5)
And a small round nose… (6)
…and whiskers, too. (7)
And magic stories just for you (I just added some stars here)
Source: Chalk in Hand: The Draw and Tell Book by Phyllis Noe Pflomm (c)1986 via Once Upon a (Story) Time blog

And I’m pretty sloppy, so honestly you don’t need to draw perfectly to get this one!

a photo of my drawing for the Magician's hat - a fairly slapdash affair with crooked stars and a bunny with lopsided eyes and ears.

the magician's hat thumbnail, with a graphic of yellow and gold stars and exclamations. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Little bunny would like to say hello! But bunny is a little shy.
Everyone loves the Bunny in a hat puppet – she gets lots of pets after storytime. After showing the rhyme with the puppet, I tell them, you can do this one with your fingers! And we do it together with just our hands, and then I did it a third time with the puppet and them following along.
Fingerplay: Little Bunny in a Hat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Make a bunny with your index and middle fingers, hide in other hand
Little bunny in a hat, Sitting so still (begin with bunny hidden)
Will she come out? Yes she will! (bunny pops out of hat)
She looks to the left (turn left)
She looks to the right (turn right)
She looks straight ahead (turn to front)
And pops out of sight (hides in hat/fist again)
Source: Jbrary

bunny in a hat puppet - white rabbit in a black hat. Also pictured is a magician's wand.

Little bunny in a hat thumbnail, with a graphic of a white rabbit peeking her head out of a black top hat, with yellow stars in the air around her. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

If you wear a hat, you won’t get rain on your head!
A bit of a stretch for a hat storytime, but I wanted another simple one for our scarves.
Scarf Rhyme: Rain on the Green Grass (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain on the green grass (shake on floor)
Rain on the trees (shake high)
Rain on the roof (hold above head)
But not on me! (drop scarf)
repeat with: Sun, Snow, Leaves
Source: Jbrary

rain on the green grass thumbnail, with a graphic of an umbrella in the rain. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Speaking of the weather, have you ever tried to wear a hat when it’s windy outside?
Scarf Song: Hats Are Blowing (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Hats are blowing, Hats are blowing
In the air, Everywhere!
Every time the wind blows, Someone’s hat, away it goes
Hold on tight. You’ll be all right!
Source: Storybook Stephanie

hats are blowing thumbnail, with a graphic of a cloud blowing wind and a wide-brimmed hat flipped and blowing in the breeze. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This is a silly song. Every time we sing a word that starts with the letter “B”, let’s lift up our “hat” (scarf), and when we sing another “B” word, put your hat on. Listen carefully!
I’m always trying to add in a ukulele tune, so I was pleased to realize I could replace one word in this traditional tune and make it a hat tune. Jim Gill does this one with the hands up/down twist. I try to raise and lower the neck of my ukulele to lead the group. It’s hard! I kept trying to change position whenever I change chords, not just at B words. But it’s all fun.
Note that I changed the key of this song after trying my original sheet – C just worked better for my voice. Feel free to use what works best for you!
Ukulele/Scarf Song: My Bonnet (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of My Bonnie)
(raise hands or scarf when you hear a word that starts with “B,” and lower them the next time you hear one!)
My Bonnet lies over the ocean
My Bonnet lies over the sea
My Bonnet lies over the ocean

Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me
Bring Back, Bring Back
Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me, to me
Bring Back, Bring Back
Oh, Bring Back my Bonnet to me!
Source: adapted from traditional, hear the Jim Gill version here

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet in the key of C here!
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet in the key of G here!

thumbnail for "my bonnie" ukulele songsheet

my bonnet thumbnail, with a graphic of an old fashioned bonnet and an ocean wave. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to put our astronaut helmets on so we can zoom, zoom, zoom!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Origami Hat Decorating (TB) (FT)
A traditional origami hat! When I was a kid we made these out of newspapers, but for a plain hat to decorate I used white butcher paper that we have as a library supply. I cut pages to approximately newspaper size, 15 x 22″, and made the hats myself. If I had a slightly older group, I may have let them fold. You can find instructions here, using the “pirate hat” instructions: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Newspaper-Hat. We decorated with dot markers and the library’s extensive supply of stickers.

an origami hat decorated with multicolored dots from dot markers, plus heart and star stickers and two round stickers of animals in space.

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Very Good Hats – Emma Straub & Blanca Gómez
Hooray for Hat! – Brian Won
Bedtime Bonnet – Nancy Redd & Nneka Myers
A Hat for Minerva Louise – Janet Morgan Stoeke
I Had Ten Hats – David McPhail
Finders Keepers – Keiko Kasza
I Want My Hat Back – Jon Klassen
Do YOU Have a Hat? – Eileen Spinelli & Geraldo Valério
Hat Tricks – Satoshi Kitamura
Kindergarten Hat – Janet Lawler & Geraldine Rodriguez
Hats Are NOT for Cats! – Jacqueline K Rayner
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman – Michelle Edwards & G Brian Karas
The Magic Hat – Mem Fox & Tricia Tusa

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/14, 10/15, & 10/16/24.

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

Storytime: Squeaky Clean

Posted on September 27, 2024September 26, 2024 by msemilylibrary

After last week’s Messy storytime, it was time to talk about clean up! Toddlers can be very interested in being helpful, and the vast majority of my kiddos love to help put away any props we use during storytime, and the toys we play with at the end. I pointed that out to caregivers, and reminded them that kids of all ages crave to be a contributing part of the family, if you give them a chance.

For this Clean theme, I thought about tidying up messes we make with objects, as well as cleaning our hands and bodies and the clothes we wear. I couldn’t find many rhymes or songs about tidying, but we did start with a cleaning up flannel activity. (Of course, there’s always the Barney “Clean Up” song, but as someone who heard that nonstop in the 90s, I’m okay never singing it myself.) The rest have to do with bathtime or washing clothes.

See another take on this theme at this Bathtime post.

Early Literacy Tip: Bath time is a wonderful opportunity to encourage play and imagination! You can be pirates or sea turtles, or you can use bubbles to practice fine motor skills and finger dexterity. Practice narrative skills by telling a story together using bath toys. -adapted from Yogibrarian

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

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

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

Intro: Last week we made a big mess, and this week we’re talking about cleaning up! This can be picking up our toys, washing our hands, or washing our whole bodies.

Activity: Cleaning Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
What a big mess! Let’s see if we can put all these things back in their proper place.
Inspired by Verona Storytime, I made a paper bag labeled with a refrigerator, a laundry basket, and a toy box, as well as four items that would go in each one, using Canva graphics. After my first session, I realized twelve was too many, so next time I just put out nine and that seemed just right. The kids called out where things went, and corrected me when I tried to put them in the wrong place!

Download the Cleaning Up flannel printable here!

Cleaning up flannel photo, with laminated and printed graphics of various objects scattered on the flannelboard, with three white paper lunch bags labeled with a picture of a laundry hamper, four binned toy cabinet, and refrigerator on them. — Objects haphazardly strewn on the board include a pair of jeans, a toy dump truck, a half gallon jug of milk, a bunch of grapes, a pair of socks, a striped shirt, a ring sorter toy, a wedge of cheese, a ball, a toy dinosaur, carrot sticks in a plastic bag, and a pair of green pajamas.

Uh, oh, my hands got dirty picking up all of those things from the dusty floor. What can I do to clean up?
Try to sing this one SLOWLY so you can show each part.
Action Rhyme: Wash Your Hands (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Row Your Boat)
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Get them nice and clean
Wash the tops and wash below,
And wash them in between

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

wash your hands thumbnail, with a graphic of two pairs of hands with soap and bubbles - the left pair is light peach and the right pair is medium brown. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

After reading this one at my first session, I think my group would do better with just two sets of animals – they were definitely getting wiggly toward the end.
Read: How Do You Take a Bath? by Kate McMullan & Sydney Hanson (TT)

A silly and fun bath story.
Read: Bubble Bath Pirates! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (TB) (FT)

After we wash, maybe there’s a little time to play in the tub!
I realized I should have also made a bubble to add to this flannel.
Flannel Song: Baby in the Tub (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The baby in the tub goes Splash, splash, splash (pat lap)
Splash, splash, splash, Splash, splash, splash
The baby in the tub goes splash, splash, splash
All through the bath!

The duck in the tub goes quack… (hand makes a duck bill)
The boat in the tub goes toot… (pull a horn)
The bubbles in the tub go pop… (clap)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

flannel of "baby in the tub" with a white bathtub on gray clawed feet, a baby with brown hair and dusky skin, a yellow duck, a red, blue, and yellow toy tugboat, and a pink bar of soap.

baby in the tub thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow duck in a bubble filled pink tub. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The template for this flannel is from the ever-helpful but now defunct Sunflower Storytime. You can download a copy of it here. I used to tuck each elephant into the bath in a row, but saw another librarian on YouTube stacking them up tall. That’s a lot easier, and it looks a lot funnier to me, too.
Someone else wants to take a bath! Move over, baby!
Counting/Flannel Rhyme: Elephants in the Bathtub (TT) (TB) (FT)
One elephant in the bathtub (hold up one finger)
Going for a swim (swimming motion)
Knock, knock (clap, clap)
Splash, splash (pat lap)
Come on in (motion with hand to come in)

(count up)
Five elephants in the bathtub
Going for a swim
Knock, knock
CRASH, CRASH!
They all fell in! (wiggle arms downward; knock flannel pieces to the floor!)
Source: Sunflower Storytime, see moves on Jbrary

Flannel of elephants in the bathtub, with an old fashioned white claw foot tub with five elephants stacked on top of each other on the top: blue, purple, lime green, yellow, and orange.

elephants in the bathtub thumbnail, with a graphic that mimics the flannel, only the elephants are all side by side in the tub. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This one took a little explanation before we got started, as I can’t do any motions when I’m playing ukulele. I always say the second “bar of soap!” in a high voice to make it funnier, and I encouraged them to either raise their arms and/or have a grown up lift them up during that echo part. I also thought this song needed MORE, so wrote a couple more verses!
What makes all of these bubbles? Soap!
Ukulele Song: Little Bar of Soap (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Oh, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!) (lift arms and/or lift child)
Oh, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!)
Oh, I’d slippy and I’d slidey over everybody’s hidey
Yes, I wish I were a little bar of soap (bar of soap!)

Oh, I wish I were a squeaky yellow duck (quack quack)… (make a duck bill)
I’d be your friend in the tub while you rub and scrub-a-dub…

Oh, I wish I were a bubble floating there (bloop, bloop)… (pulse fingers)
I’d float until I drop, and then land with a big POP! (clap)…
Source: Jbrary, verses 2-3 original

Download a ukulele songsheet for Little Bar of Soap here!

I wish I were a little bar of soap ukulele songsheet thumbnail.

little bar of soap thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue anthropomorphic bar of soap with a smiling face and arms and legs. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s make sure we get clean all over. Can you use your scarf like a washcloth?
Scarf Song: This Is the Way We Wash (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wash our face,
wash our face, wash our face!
This is the way we wash our face
When we take a bath!
(arms, legs, back, tummy, etc.)
Source: Jbrary

this is the way we wash thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange washcloth and blue bar of soap. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I so love both this song and the Walrus song, I tried to do both at the first session. It went fine because we don’t do a craft for that one, but I had to choose one or the other for the other two sessions, where I have a little less time. Using our scarves was so much fun. I always start with my scarf way up high and hold out the “Waaaaay,” then swoosh my scarf down low when I get to “down in the valley.”
When we take a bath, we take off our clothes. But what if our clothes are dirty, too? Should they come in the bath with us? No! They go in the laundry.
Scarf Song: Wishy Washy Washer Woman (TT) (TB)
Waaay down in the valley where nobody goes
There’s a wishy washy washer woman washing her clothes
She goes wishy washy up, she goes wishy washy down
She goes wishy washy up, she goes wishy washy down
That’s how the wishy washy washer woman washes her clothes!

…drying her clothes, she goes whoo-eee! (shake in a circle)
…folding her clothes, she goes side, side (clap to one side, then the other)
Source: traditional

wishy washy washerwoman thumbnail, with a graphic of two teal wash buckets filled with bubbles and an old-fashioned washboard in each. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a silly song about a walrus who needs to wash his coat.
Scarf Song: The Walrus Washes (TT) (FT)
The walrus washes his winter coat down by the wavy ocean
He adds some water and he adds some soap
and he waits… and he waits… and he waits

Then the laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes until it’s clean (repeat)

The laundry spins… (twirl scarf in a circle)
The laundry tumbles… (throw scarf in the air and catch)
Source: Brytani Fraser via Jbrary

the walrus washes thumbnail, with a graphic of a walrus and some soap bubbles. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can you catch the bubbles with your scarf?
Yes, there were three songs with the Happy and You Know It tune this storytime, which I generally try to avoid, but it was fine.
Bubble Song: Bubbles in the Air (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Happy and You Know It)
There are bubbles in the air (In the air)
There are bubbles in the air (In the air)
There are bubbles in the air,
There are bubbles in my hair
There are bubbles in the air (In the air!)

There are bubbles way up high… in the sky
Way down low… on my toe
Source: Jbrary

bubbles in the air thumbnail, with a graphic of bubbles behind the lyrics of the song. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Bubble Wrap Bath Scene (TB) (FT)
This is a craft I’ve have done before, but it’s been a while! This is a not-too-messy painting craft, with the novelty of using bubble wrap to make the bubbles. I also set out crayons and a rubber duck print to glue on. I prep my bubble wrap by cutting it into 2-3 inch wide strips, maybe 5 inches long, then creating a tube by taping the two short ends together, bubble side out. That way the kids can put their hands in the ring and dip it in the paint without having to grip it on a “clean side” – the inside should stay clean for them (ideally!) The original bathtub and duck printables were from Sunflower Storytime (no longer available.) Download my copies here:

Sunflower Storytime’s bathtub printable (print on cardstock or construction paper)

Rubber duck printable (print on yellow copy paper)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Car Wash – Sandra & Susan Steen & G. Brian Karas
Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash – Sarah Weeks & Nadine Bernard Westcott
Lion Needs a Haircut – Hyewon Yum
Tidy – Emily Gravett
Love-a-Duck – Alan James Brown & Francesca Chessa
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? – Helen Yoon
Off to See the Sea – Nikki Grimes & Elizabeth Zunon
Scaredy Bath – Zoë Foster Blake & Daniel Gray-Barnett
How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps – Nicola Winstanley & John Martz
Bath! Bath! Bath! – Douglas Florian & Christiane Engel

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/23, 9/24, 9/25, & 9/26/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Shapes

Posted on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by msemilylibrary

The one bad thing about being caught up with blogging your storytimes is that there’s no backlog to hold you over when you’re on break! I usually do three weeks of programming per month, so there are sometimes one or two weeks of a break. In the summer I’m doing seven weeks straight, and I know there are other libraries that do longer sessions of 6-9 weeks before taking a break, but the frequent short break works best for me and my community. What sort of schedule do you use for your storytimes?

In any case, this session was our last of my “early concepts” themes, after doing the alphabet and numbers/counting (and a color series earlier in the spring.) Shapes are so important for learning letters and recognizing patterns. They can get more advanced, since there are tons of kinds of shapes, but I generally kept this session to the most basic ones.

Early Literacy Tip: Identify the shapes you see and talk about them with your children. Circles and triangles are often parts of letters. Being able to recognize shapes is the first step to recognizing letters, which will help your child learn to read later. –adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

Intro: Today we are learning about shapes! I see some shapes on the board. Let’s see if we can identify them.

Shape Flannel
This was from a pre-made set purchased from Oriental Trading. I went with our most basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle.

basic felt shapes - an orange square, red circle, yellow triangle, and blue rectangle.

I took each shape off the board and described it a bit: “This shape has four corners, and four sides, and all the sides are the same length. Hm, what shape could it be?” Then launched into the song. I had several kids call out “square” before we got to the end, which is totally fine! Jbrary suggests giving each kid a felt shape to shake but with so many kids I adjusted the words and it worked better for my group. And I would always rather do the Muffin Man tune than Mary Had a Little Lamb, which is droning and boring to me.
Song: What Shape This Is (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man)
Do you know what shape this is,
What shape this is,
What shape this is?
Do you know what shape this is?
So shout, “Hooray for… SQUARES!”
(repeat, showing different shapes)
Source: adapted from Jbrary

what shape this is thumbnail, with a graphic of various colored shapes with happy faces on them - red circle, golden rectangle, orange triangle, blue oval, pink heart, green square, and yellow diamond. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Big Box of Shapes by Wiley Blevins & Elliot Kreloff (TT) (FT)

Although the kid were actually quite intrigued by the illustrations, I’m not sure this is an effective shapes book for this age. Plus, whenever I said, “Where’s Cat?” they pointed out the second Kitty – a little confusing. It was not very obvious where Cat might be hiding, so the guessing and predicting weren’t generally right, which I think might be discouraging. Super cute book, but maybe better for older kids or one-on-one rather than storytime.
Read: Kitty & Cat: Bent Out of Shape by Mirka Hokkanen (TB)

kitty and cat bent out of shape book cover

So let’s do something with our shapes. Maybe we can try to build a house!
I adapted this one just a bit to hide my cute little mouse behind the rectangle of the door. After the rhyme was done, we knocked and – whoop! There was little mouse!
Flannel Rhyme: Build a House (TT) (TB) (FT)
Some houses are wood and some are stone
But let’s build one with shapes alone
Start with a square but we won’t stop
Add a triangle up on the top
Then a rectangle for the door
Now square windows 1, 2, 3, 4
A little circle just for fun
And a big yellow one for the sun
A house of circles, rectangles, triangles, and squares…
Now I wonder… who lives there?
Source: adapted from Keen on Librarianship

build a house thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There are some shapes that are special, like this one (put up felt heart). Let’s make a heart with our hands!
This rhyme sets us up for the next one.
Action Rhyme: Make a Heart (TT) (TB) (FT)
Put your hands together
This is how we start
Now curve your fingers around
And now we make a heart!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

a pink felt heart shape in the corner of the flannelboard (where you can see the "build a house" felt in the background)

make a heart thumbnail, with a photograph of hands forming a heart as described in the rhyme. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

So, what on our bodies looks kind of like a circle? (Our head!) And we can see a bit of a square with our middles.
We went through each of the motions first, then repeated the song a couple times, getting faster.
Action Song: Shapes Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes)
Circle, square and triangle (Triangle) (point to head, torso, then make a triangle with fingers)
Circle, square and triangle (Triangle)
Heart and star and rectangle (make heart with hands as above, jump into a star shape with arms and legs out, then jump body back together with arms and legs in)
Circle, square and triangle (Triangle)
Source: Yogibrarian

shapes song thumbnail, with a graphic of a waving boy with a superimposed circle shape around his head and square at his middle, and a photograph of hands making a triangle shape with a triangle drawn over the top. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I made this one up, but didn’t end up using it. Each group was getting wiggly by this time in the session, so I decided to get out the scarves rather than try to plow through. I’m curious how it would have gone! (I even made some polygon visuals to add to the board at the end!) This could also be done with shakers instead of clapping.
Clapping Rhyme: Sides and Corners
No corners, one side,
That’s the way the circle rides (roll arms)
Two sides short, and two sides long
That’s the way a rectangle is strong: 1, 2! 1, 2! (clap)
Three corners, three sides
That’s the way a triangle slides: 1, 2, 3!
Four sides, all the same
That’s the way a square is named: 1, 2, 3, 4!
Five or more, what you’ve drawn
Is some kind of polygon: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more! (clap a lot!)
Source: original

sides and corners thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s warm up our scarves by doing some shaking.
Scarf Song: Shake it to the East (TT) (TB) (FT)
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 for scarves thumbnail, with a graphic of a compass pointing east. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s take a closer look at our scarves. Can you lay your scarf on your lap or on the ground? How many corners does it have? How many sides? Are they all the same?
I was pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to get more shapes out of our scarves. I’ve only seen the four corners verse online.
Scarf Song: My Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of My Hat It Has Three Corners)
My scarf it has four corners,
Four corners has my scarf
If it had not four corners,
It would not be my scarf!

[But what if we folded it in half vertically? Now it has four corners, and four sides, but two sides are shorter than the others – it’s now a… Rectangle!]

My scarf it is a rectangle…

[Let’s try folding our scarves from corner to corner diagonally. Now my scarf has three corners and three sides. What is it now?]

My scarf it is a triangle…

[Hm, we’ve made a few shapes, but what about a circle? Is there a way to make our scarf a circle? Here I try folding in the corners and holding up a lumpy shape – that doesn’t look very good. Oh, I have an idea! Can you make your scarf a shape like this? (twirl in a circle)]

My scarf it is a circle…
Source: adapted from Jbrary

my scarf thumbnail, with a graphic of three scarves seemingly held up by the top two corners in green, blue, and orange. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I know another way to make a scarf circular, or like a ball. We can scrunch it up!
Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Popcorn kernels, Popcorn kernels (wave scarves overhead)
In the pot, In the pot (bunch up scarves in your fists)
Shake them, shake them, shake them (shake)
Shake them, shake them, shake them
’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

What was this again? (point to yellow circle by house)
Scarf Rhyme: Big Round Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Big round sun In the summer sky (use scarf to make a circle with your arms above head)
Waved to a cloud
That was passing by
The little cloud laughed
As it started to rain
Then out came the
Big round sun again
Source: Mel’s Desk

Big round sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun with red rays. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s sing to Mr. Sun to help us play outside! Shake along or make a circle shape with your arms.
Ukulele 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

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

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

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)

Craft: Shape Pictures Craft (TB) (FT)
Very simple, just a bowl full of different colored and sized shapes – squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles, and encouraged them to make whatever they would like – rockets, houses, vehicles, or even just abstract art!

shape craft, with a train engine and car trailing a line of steam made with cut out colored shapes on a dark blue background.

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
City Shapes – Diana Murray & Bryan Collier
Some of These Are Snails – Carter Higgins
Round – Joyce Sidman & Taeeun Yoo
Go, Shapes, Go! – Denise Fleming
Round Is a Tortilla – Roseanne Greenfield Thong & John Parra
Shapes & Shapes – Ivan Brunetti
The Shape of You – Mượn Thị Văn & Miki Sato
Baby Party – Rebecca O’Connell & Susie Poole
Circle / Triangle / Square – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
Circle! Sphere! (¡Círculo! ¡Esfera!)– Grace Lin

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/9, 9/10, & 9/11/24.

Storytime Handout:

shapes handout, with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Rain

Posted on April 12, 2024April 9, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Rain is a great storytime theme for any time of year, but it feels especially apt in the springtime. I’ve done general weather programming in the past (pre-blogging days!), but there’s enough material to focus on rain, and some excellent books to highlight.

Early Literacy Tip: The Itsy Bitsy Spider is more than just a fun song. It describes the natural world. In simple words, we learn that after rain makes everything wet, the sun will shine and dry out the wet areas. What an enjoyable way to learn about what happens after it rains! Often our songs and rhymes describe how the world works.

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

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

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

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

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Intro: This week we are enjoying some rainy weather (if not in reality, in our storytime!) We often get a lot of rain this time of year, and sometimes that means we stay inside. Sometimes we might play outside. But either way, rain is important for our world – can you think of what needs water? (Everything needs water!)

Let’s sing what’s maybe the most famous song about rain!
After singing this in a regular way, we invited Itsy Bitsy’s cousins, Very Quiet Spider (very small hand motions and whispers) and Great Big Spider (whole hand spider and booming voice) to the party.
Action Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again
Source: traditional

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

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

Read: Let’s Go Puddling! by Emma Perry & Claire Alexander (TT) (TB) (FT)
This worked so well I went ahead and used it for all three sessions. It’s a sweet book with the possibility of engaging the crowd with motions and a few sound effects. There are a couple of spots where the text finishes a sentence on the next page spread, so definitely do a little practice run before reading live. A bonus for us, this is one of the five titles on the ballot this year for our state’s Early Literacy Firefly Award. They always release a program guide which has lots of great ideas, and you can see the archived guides going back to 2018.

Read: Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre
A backup title in case Puddling didn’t come in on time. As with all of Sayre’s books, it integrates very simple rhyming text with gorgeous nature photography.

Can we make the sound of a rainstorm?
Activity: Make a Rainstorm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Though this works best with a very large group (like a whole auditorium), it was not bad in our smaller groups of 25-40. The adults were able to switch a little faster than the kids, so there was a good amount of overlap from one motion to the next, which is actually good!
Here’s what we did:
Two fingers making circles on opposite palm
Rubbing hands together
Snaps
Light claps
Hard claps
Jump up and say “Kaboom!” for thunder a couple times during hard claps
Light claps
Snaps
Rubbing hands
Two fingers
Hands up – what a beautiful rain we made!

Fingerplay: During the Spring (TT) (TB) (FT)
During the spring, it often showers (flutter fingers down)
Or… the sun shines for many hours (form circle with arms)
Both are very good for the flowers! (cup hands, extend arms)
Source: Storytime Katie

during the spring thumbnail, with a graphic of a sun and rain cloud above three flowers. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Look at all this rain! Let’s pull on our rain boots and stomp some puddles.
Action Song: Stomping in the Rain (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
We’re stomping in the rain,
We’re stomping in the rain
We can’t go yet, we must get wet
We’re stomping in the rain
(repeat: clapping, jumping, turning, tiptoeing, etc)
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

stomping in the rain thumbnail, with a graphic of four children jumping in a puddle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to get in the car and go. But how will we see out the windshield?
Action Rhyme: Windshield Wiper (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’m a windshield wiper,
This is how I go
Back and forth, back and forth,
In the rain and snow
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

Windshield wiper thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of windshield wipers and the pattern they leave on the glass. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get out our scarves! Can we make the sound of the rain with our scarves?
Scarf Song: Rain Is Falling Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Rain is falling down (flutter scarf down) –
SPLASH! (sweep scarf to the side)
Rain is falling down – SPLASH!
Pitter patter pitter patter (wave scarf up and down quickly)
Rain is falling down – SPLASH!

Sun is peeking out – PEEK! (hide behind scarf, then 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 sun peeking out from behind a raincloud, both with faces. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Rhyme: Falling Raindrops (TT) (TB) (FT)
Raindrops, raindrops, Falling all around (wave scarf in a circle)
Pitter-patter on the roof (wave high)
Pitter-patter on the ground (wave low)
Here is my umbrella (open scarf and put above head)
It will keep me dry
When I go walking in the rain (march)
I hold it up so high (reach high)
Source: Bayviews.org

falling raindrops thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow duckling walking with a green umbrella in the rain. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Song: Under My Umbrella (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie)
Come under my umbrella, umbrella, umbrella
Come under my umbrella, It’s starting to rain
With thunder and lightning
And lightning and thunder
Come under my umbrella, It’s starting to rain
Source: traditional

Under my umbrella thumbnail, with a graphic of a cloud with raindrops and a multicolored umbrella. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do some more stomping!
Recorded song: Boots (TT) (TB) (FT)
B-O-O-T-S Boots! B-O-O-T-S – black boots
In my black boots, In my black boots
I stomp around in my black boots
In my boots (stomp, stomp)
In my boots (stomp, stomp)
I stomp around in my boots!
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Victor Vito

Boots thumbnail, with a graphic of four pairs of boots: yellow and blue polka dotted, green frogs, red, and black. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Raindrop Stamping (TB) (FT)
Inspiration for this craft came from Adventures of a Bookworm! I had white clouds pre-cut and provided light blue paper for them to glue them on. Then, they used toilet paper tube stamps pinched on one side to make a raindrop shape to dip into darker blue paint.

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

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

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. 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)
Rainy Days – Deborah Kerbel & Miki Sato
Welcome, Rain! – Sheryl McFarlane & Christine Wei
Raindrop, Plop! – Wendy Cheyette Lewison & Pam Paparone
Soaked – Abi Cushman
Singing in the Rain – Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown, & Tim Hopgood
The Blue Umbrella – Emily Ann Davison & Momoko Abe
When the Storm Comes – Linda Ashman & Taeeun Yoo
Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car – John Burningham
Puddle – Hyewon Yum

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/18, 3/19, & 3/20/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Storytime: Color Wheel – Green

Posted on April 5, 2024April 4, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Welcome back to me catching up on programs from a few weeks ago! Here is our LAST in the Color Wheel series, and possibly the easiest one to plan: Green. This has been a great series, and it largely allowed for broad options in choosing rhymes, songs, and books (except purple!) Green is no exception, and I had, in fact, done “green” storytimes in the past as a March theme. I did a few new-to-me activities as well as a couple old favorites. I was even inspired to make up a new rhyme!

In planning these color-based themes, I brainstorm objects/animals/plants that are generally the color in question and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s my list for green!

Frogs
Turtles
Peas
Plants/Trees
Broccoli/other veg
Alligator/Crocodile
Kiwi
Caterpillar
Snake
Grass
Avocado
Lime

Early Development Tip: Take advantage of the many opportunities during the day to give words to feelings—your child’s feelings and your own. This can be done when the child is playing, making transitions from one activity to another, or while looking at the facial expressions of characters as you read books together. Your child is not only learning vocabulary, but also learning how to identify different feelings which helps with self-regulation.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! Today’s color is green! Green is made when we mix yellow and blue together. Can you think of anything that is green? Write answers on whiteboard in green pen. Is anyone wearing green today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

A round color wheel showing the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink, with a highlighted white outline wedge around blue, which can spin on a push pin in the middle.

I did this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Green, green is the color I see
If you’re wearing green, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your green and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

The Color I see thumbnail, with a graphic of a clothes rack with various colored clothing. The place where the color name is repeated is shown as a blank within the text. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: What Does Little Crocodile Say? by Eva Montanari (TT) (FT)
This was an absolute hit. I asked the group to help me tell the story by helping me make the noises. Everyone participated! The little ones enjoyed that, and the grown-ups also had fun with the story – lots of “awwws” on the last reveal.

What does little crocodile say book cover

Read: Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan (TB)
Although this is a lovely book, with simple and repetitive words, it was just a little too conceptual for my group. I tried pointing out that the seasons were changing, and everyone liked the cute pictures of the turtles playing in the snow, but I’m not sure they really got that concept of the time passing.

The order of activities depended on which book we read – we followed it with the rhyme matching, then did the other.

This was very fun. I did it as shown in the KCPL video first, with just hand motions, then got out my crocodile puppet, which they loved! I offered to let them pet the croc after, and a few were very excited and few hung back.
Action Rhyme: The Hungry Crocodile (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here comes the hungry crocodile
With his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp
In the swamp swamp swamp
So swim fast, fish
Birds, fly away
Move along, turtles and crabs
Hurry on your way
For here comes the hungry crocodile
With his sly, toothy smile
Going chomp chomp chomp
In the swamp swamp swamp
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

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

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

And don’t forget about the green frog!
Fingerplay: Mr. Bullfrog (TT)
Here is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
Sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water… (lift fist, building anticipation)
KERPLOP! (clap hands together)
Source: Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends

Mr. Bullfrog thumbnail, with a graphic of a realistic looking clipart bullfrog on a rock. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Rhyme: Funny, Funny, Froggy (TB) (FT)
Funny, funny froggy, Hop, hop hop!
Funny, funny froggy, Stop, stop, stop!
Funny, funny froggy, Jump with me
Funny, funny froggy, Now go free!
Source: adapted from Books and Bibliotheks

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

We passed out scarves. I’ve done this rhyme several times without in the past, but it lends itself very well to scarf play!
Now let’s think about some green plants. Can we pretend to be trees?
Scarf Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
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

Again, I don’t think this was originally meant to be used with scarves, but it works well. For bees buzzing, we shook our scarves.
What makes trees green? Their leaves! Demo: We’re going to have a big leaf, little ladybug, and then the bees are going to come buzzing around. Can you buzz like a bee?
Scarf Song: A Big Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Ram Sam Sam)
A big green leaf, a big green leaf (hold scarf apart)
Little ladybug (pinch fingers/scarf close)
On a big green leaf (x2)

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

a big green leaf thumbnail, with a graphic of a green leaf with a small ladybug crawling on it, and a black and yellow bumblebee flying opposite. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We waved the scarves rhythmically until we we came to the body part, then put the scarves there. I moved from place to place where food might go – head, chest, lap, then feet.
There are also a lot of green plants that are good to eat, and good for your body. This is a silly song about green zucchini!
Scarf Song: Green Zucchini (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Alouette)
Green zucchini, I like green zucchini
Green zucchini, That’s what I like best
Do you like it on your head?
Yes, I like it on my head!
On your head? On my head! Ooooooh!
Source: Jbrary

green zucchini thumbnail, with a graphic of two zucchini, one whole and one partially sliced into medallions. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We’d done the lemonade chant a couple weeks ago for the “Yellow” theme, and looking at my “list of green things” and saying broccoli out loud, it just fit. Our scarves were just accessories for this. I held mine loosely between fingers while clapping.
And one more rhyme about good green things to eat! We pretended to be a big tree earlier. Have you ever eaten a tree? Or something that LOOKS like a tree – broccoli!
Chant: Broccoli (TB)
Broccoli (clap, clap, clap!)
Peas and beans (clap, clap, clap!)
All these greens (clap, clap, clap!)
Taste good to me! (clap, clap, clap!)
Broccoli, peas and beans
All these greens taste good to me
Turn around, Jump up and down
Sit down to lunch and Go to town! Nom, nom!
Source: original, adapted from the traditional “Lemonade” clapping game

broccoli thumbnail, with a graphic of a dinner plate featuring broccoli, peas, and green beans. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Green Finger Paint Art (TB) (FT)
Everyone got a blob of blue and a blob of yellow paint to mix up, then paint whatever they liked! You can see a bit of blue toward the back of the croc that didn’t get blended.

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Where Is the Green Sheep? – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Our Green City – Tanya Lloyd Kyi & Colleen Larmour
A New Green Day – Antoinette Portis
Is This Your Class Pet? – Troy Cummings
Eco Girl – Ken Wilson-Max
The Swamp Where Gator Hides – Marianne Berkes & Roberta Baird
A Good Place – Lucy Cousins
Green on Green – Dianne White & Felicita Sala
In the Tall, Tall Grass – Denise Fleming

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/4, 3/5, & 3/6/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Book Babies Storytime (October and beyond)

Posted on March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 by msemilylibrary

I started doing a separate infant program (0-12 months or pre-walking) in January 2023. By October, I noticed that the individual families in my group were completely different from the ones that started in January – those had moved on to my toddler sessions. So, I started recycling my previous plans, though I did switch a couple of things out, wanting to try new activities occasionally.

So for this post, I’ll show my general outline, and list just the new rhymes/songs since October. Going forward, I won’t list individual program plans, but maybe an update post with new stuff every few months. You can always go back and see the previous full plans here.

I’d love to hear your feedback and any rhymes/songs/activities that you do for this age group that you think work particularly well! As always, please leave a comment – I’m always happy to see what you think.

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 our room setup, with the parachute out for babies to lay on/sit on, with a few chairs for those who prefer them to 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. I wish our parachute was colorful – I think the original idea was that you can write on it. There are some names on there from years ago that are probably grown with their own children by now.

Photo showing Book Babies setup, with a round white parachute spread on a purple rug, with purple chairs to either side. A board book is set on each wedge, and a small pink chair sits at the head, with a dog puppet on the chair and a frog stuffy laying on the parachute. An easel to the side of the chair has song lyrics on it.

New since October

Body Song

Body Song: Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin
Cheeky, cheeky, chin, nose, eyes!
Source: Jbrary

Eyes nose cheeky chin thumbnail, with a graphic of children pointing to each body part with a speech bubble of the word above them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Fingerplay

Fingerplay: Popcorn, Popcorn
Popcorn, popcorn
Put it in the pan, (swish hands back & forth)
Shake it up! Shake it up! (shake hands)
(pause)
BAM! BAM! BAM! (clap hands)
Source: Westerville (OH) Public Library

popcorn, popcorn thumbnail, with a graphic of a bucket of popcorn with a smiling face. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Bounce/Lift

Bounce/Lift: Bug Bounce
1, 2, 3, Baby’s on my knee
Fuzzy, buzzy bumblebee… Tickles me!
1, 2, 3, Baby’s on my knee
Grasshopper hops… Up he pops!
1, 2, 3, Baby’s on my knee
Ants march down and… All around! (tickle)
1, 2, 3, Baby’s on my knee
Ladybug flies… (lift) Says goodbye! (wave hands)
Source: I found this one in my predecessor’s files!

bug bounce thumbnail, with a graphic of a bee, grasshopper, ant, and ladybug. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lullabies

This was a very special one for me. I remember my dad singing this to me. I modified the second verse to secularize it, but also learned that there are quite a few more verses than I knew about. It was originally written in the 1920s and as all folk songs, there are lots of lyric variations.
Ukulele Lullaby: Down in the Valley
Down in the valley, The valley so low
Hang your head over, Hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow, dear, Hear the wind blow
Hang your head over, Hear the wind blow

Roses love sunshine, Violets love dew
The winds in the trees, dear, Know I love you
Know I love you, dear, Know I love you
The winds in the trees, dear, Know I love you
Source: traditional
See Andy Griffith playing and singing it from the Andy Griffith Show.

Download a ukulele songsheet for Down in the Valley

Ukulele songsheet Thumbnail for Down in the Valley

down in the valley thumbnail, with a graphic of a blowing cloud, a rose, and a violet. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lullaby: Sleep, Sleep, My Baby
Sleep, sleep, my baby
Sleep, sleep, my love
Fall asleep my little dove
Dream of the ocean, dream of the stars
Rest your head in my strong arms

Sleep, sleep, my baby
Sleep, sleep, my love
Fall asleep my little dove
Dream of the whales, dream of the fish
Don’t forget to make a special wish

Sleep, sleep, my baby
Sleep, sleep, my love
Fall asleep my little dove
Dream of the mountains, dream of the sea
You will always, always, be with me
Source: Jbrary

Download a ukulele songsheet for Sleep, Sleep, My Baby

Ukulele songsheet Thumbnail for Sleep, Sleep My Baby

sleep my baby thumbnail, without graphics. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Tickle/On Your Back

Tickle: Round the Garden
Round and round the garden (draw circle on belly)
Goes the teddy bear
One step, two step (walk fingers up torso)
Tickle baby bear! (tickle under arms or chin)
Ten little piggies (walk fingers down legs)
On two tiny feet (grasp feet)
Wiggle once (wiggle one foot)
Wiggle twice (wiggle other foot)
Good enough to eat! (legs together and nibble toes!)
Nom, nom, nom, nom!
Source: Intellidance

Round the garden thumbnail, with no graphics. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Leg Rhyme: Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin went to France (legs dance side to side)
To teach the babies how to dance!
First he did the rumba, the rumba, the rumba (legs together, circular motion)
Then he did the kicks, the kicks, the kicks (kick out)
Then he did the samba, the samba, the samba (legs crisscross rapidly)
Then he did the splits, the splits, the splits! (legs apart)
Source: Vancouver Public Library

charlie chaplin thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon rendition of chaplin in his signature suit, hat, and mustache. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Props

Action/Parachute Song: Autumn Leaves
(tune of London Bridge)
Autumn leaves are Falling down,
Falling down, falling down
Autumn leaves are Falling down
All around the town

The wind will blow them round and round…
Round and round, round and round
The wind will blow them round and round
All around the town
Source: King County (WA) Library System

autumn thumbnail, with a graphic of orange leaves swirling in a wind. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Song: Let’s Go Riding in an Elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator, elevator, elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator – Ride along with me!
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor…
And down-down-down-down-down!
Source: Jbrary

Let's go riding in an elevator thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of an elevator door, showing a button to the right and a potted plant to the left. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Scarf Rhyme: Jack in the Box
Jack in the box (scrunch scarf up in one 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 jack in the box with a colorful jester head popped out of it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We’d done another version of peek-a-boo, but this one is simpler.
Scarf Rhyme: Peek A Boo
Peek a boo!
Where are you?
Hiding in your place!
Peek a boo!
I see you!
With your smiling face!
Source: traditional

peek a boo thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon cat holding a pink plaid transparent scarf in front of its face. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Dancing (instead of props)

Dancing Song: In and Out the Window
(swing baby to the center of the circle)
Go in and out the window, Go in and out the window,
Go in and out the window, As we have done before

Stand up and face your partner… (swing baby close to another)
Source: Jbrary

In and out the window thumbnail, with a graphic of two toddlers peering out of opposite windows at each other. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting/Dance Song: The Elevator Song
Oh, the city is great and the city is grand
There are a whole lot of people on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the fifty-seventh floor
And this is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
We take the elevator up, we take the elevator down
And we turn around!
Source: Jbrary

the elevator song thumbnail, with a graphic of an elevator repeated three times, with a fourth rendition showing the doors open and a child peeking out at the bottom. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Storytime: Color Wheel – Red

Posted on January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Starting our Color Wheel series with the primary colors, last week was Blue, this week is RED. There are lots of great red things to build our storytime around.

First off, I brainstorm what is red (usually or always) and songs and rhymes that work with those things. Here’s what I came up with for red:

Berries: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry
Apples
Cardinal bird
Tomato/Spaghetti/Pizza
Fire engines
Crabs
Ladybugs
Stop signs
Caboose
Barn
Hot/Bell Peppers

And thinking of extension activities, here are ones that came to mind:

One Red Sock flannel
Five Fat Sausages (my flannel shows the sausages as red)
Five Little Apples
Four Juicy Apples
Great Big Apple Tree
Green Means Go (? – uses three colors)
Little Apple Seed
Little Red Caboose
Little Red Train Going Down the Track
Hurry Drive the Fire Truck
Pat a Cake Pizza
Pick Berries High
Picked a Strawberry
Pretty Ladybug

I also searched other blogs for a red theme and got a few other ideas, then wove together a plan. I think I’m learning that the transitions are very important for these – it feels a little cheap to say, “oh, here’s another thing that’s red.” I didn’t do a great job with that this week, and I felt it during the program. It was a little disjointed and not as satisfying for me. Next week, yellow, I concentrated more on how to move from one topic to another and was a lot happier with the result.

Early Development Tip: Songs and rhymes that focus on body parts and their actions increase children’s awareness of how different parts of the body can start specific movements. By using their muscles to make the motions in a song, children develop both their gross motor skills and body self-awareness.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is red! Can you think of anything that is red? Write items on whiteboard in red pen. Is anyone wearing red today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Red, red is the color I see
If you’re wearing red, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your red and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

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

A definite classic.
Read: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood (TT)

book cover of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

A much newer book, but one that really worked well. I decided to repeat it for my third session, even though they skew younger.
Read: Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman & Dan Yaccarino (TB) (FT)

I changed the song order around depending on which book I read – we did “Picked a Strawberry” first after the Little Mouse book, and “Hurry Drive the Firetruck” after Firefighter Flo.

Song: Picked a Strawberry (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Clementine)
Picked a strawberry, picked a strawberry
That was growing in the sun
Then I washed it, and I ate it
And I picked another one
Repeat with other red foods: apple, tomato, raspberry, etc
Source: Jbrary

This was a new to me apple rhyme, and a nice change from my usual Two Little Apples.
Action Rhyme: Little Red Apple (TT) (TB) (FT)
A little red apple grew high in a tree (raise fist above head)
I looked up at it, It looked down on me
“Please, please, please come down,” I said
And that little red apple fell right on my head! (bonk your own head with fist)
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

I can think of another food that doesn’t grow on a tree or a bush, but it has a delicious red sauce on it. Pizza!
Tickle Rhyme: Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel (TT) (TB) (FT)
Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel, (bounce)
My little one shall have a tickle! (tickle)
One for your nose, And one for your toes,
And one for your tummy, where the pizza goes!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Oh, there’s a tiny red bug over here. Do you know her name?
I used a flannel ladybug that I made for a bug storytime to fly around and land on my parts.
Body Rhyme: Ladybug, Ladybug (TT) (TB) (FT)
Ladybug, ladybug, Fly out of the farm
and land right on my little arm
Pair other rhyming places/body parts like:
Tree/Knee, Bed/Head, Rose/Nose
Source: Storytime Secrets

This one uses a problematic tune, so I try to sing it more like Old Town School of Folk Music. The actions are a lot of fun, and I always enjoy slowly driving back to the station.
Wee-oo, I hear a siren! What red vehicle uses a siren?
Action Song: Hurry, Hurry (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Additional verses: …turn the corner; …climb the ladder; …spray the water; Slowly, slowly, to the station…
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music

There’s another vehicle that’s usually painted red, and it’s at the end of a train.
This is always a fun song, which I play on ukulele, and use a wooden train whistle to do the Woo-woos at the end of each verse, encouraging the kids to woo along.
Ukulele Song: Little Red Caboose (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on its back, back, back, back
Coming down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Always at the end, end, end, end
Comin’ round the bend, bend, bend, bend
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

Always on time, time, time, time
Comin’ down the line, line, line, line
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train
Never running late, late, late, late
Comin’ through the gate, gate, gate, gate
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Source: Lindsay Munroe

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Little Red Caboose” here!

So this one we’ll do at the end of each color session, too – so there are some familiarity bookending this series. I have rainbow colored scarves, and pass them out for everyone to wave around while we sing.
Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
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

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

Craft: Red Abstract Art (TB) (FT)
Another process art craft to focus more on creativity than on a finished product. I provide some art supplies (all red!) and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided red crayons, red tempera paint, and red stickers.

Abstract art with red shapes made by different shades of red crayons, painted squiggles, and stickers of a red umbrella.

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Mine! – Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann
Apple Farmer Annie – Monica Wellington
One Fox – Kate Read
Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! – Mem Fox & Laura Ljungkvist
Firefighter Duckies! – Frank W. Dormer
One Red Sock – Jennifer Sattler
Pete’s a Pizza – William Steig
Llama, Llama Red Pajama – Anna Dewdney
Pizza Day – Melissa Iwai

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/15, 1/16, & 1/17/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of handout with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Color Wheel – Blue

Posted on January 12, 2024January 12, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Welcome, 2024! I was off on medical leave during the month of December, so I’m coming back fresh, with a new theme series – colors!

While I was off, I was able to clock in and do some work from home, prepping for upcoming programs, ordering books, and so on. Usually when I’m preparing program plans, I can flip through books and get some inspiration for rhymes and songs based on the books that we’ll share. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to my library’s collection at home, so I was spinning my wheels on how to plan when I hit upon the idea of colors as a theme. It’s very flexible – I was able to select any number of extension activities based on things that are a certain color, and I knew that I would have a lot of options for books to choose from when I returned to work and was able to look at them in person. Plus, I was able to plan out about two and a half months, getting “Pink” in Valentine’s Day week and “Green” in the week before St. Patrick’s.

I chose to do the rainbow colors plus pink, and started with primary colors, blue, red, then yellow. For each color, I brainstormed things that were that color (trying to keep to things that were usually or always that color.) I also searched other storytime blogs for color theme ideas. Here was my brainstorm list for blue:

Blueberries
Sky
Water/Rain/Ocean
Whale/Shark/Fish
Blue Jay/Bluebird
Butterfly
Jeans

I didn’t find any rhymes for jeans (if you know one, please share!), and I saved all my butterfly rhymes for Orange week, but this was a good starting out point. I think my lists for other colors got a bit longer – blue seems a little less naturally-occuring than red or green – but I found plenty of material to use!

Early Development Tip: Learning how to deal with big feelings is one crucial way we can help our child’s development. The act of taking slow, deep breaths triggers a cascade of mind-body systems that can result in increased comfort, relaxation, vigor, and alertness, and reduced symptoms of confusion, anxiety, stress, sadness, and anger – and it works fast. Taking a breathing break regularly gives kids the practice for using this tool when they really need it.

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

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

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

Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is blue! Can you think of anything that is blue? Write blue items on whiteboard in blue pen. Is anyone wearing blue today?

I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.

I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive.
Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT)
Blue, blue is the color I see
If you’re wearing blue, then show it to me
Stand up, take a bow, turn around
Show me your blue and sit back on the ground
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

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

One very old book, and one very new book, both on the same topic.
Read: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw (TT) (FT)

book cover for it looked like spilt milk

This is a very interactive book!
Read: Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser (TB)

I decided to go with three clouds, since I had a lot planned. I’d made these clouds for a moon hiding game.
Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Five Little Clouds (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five little clouds up in the sky (five fingers up)
Drifting, floating way up high (float hand around)
When a big gust of wind came blowing through (blow on finger)
One disappeared from the sky so blue (lower a finger)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannel of three clouds, one light blue, medium blue, and salmon colored.

There’s a lovely bird who flies through the blue sky who is also blue – a bluebird!
Fingerplay: Little Bluebird (TT) (FT)
Little bluebird rests in a tree (put index finger on shoulder)
Little bluebird looks at me (turn index finger inward)
Little bluebird chirps, “Hello” (flex finger)
Spread your wings and away you go! (spread arms and flap)
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

I did this one right after our cloud counting rhyme during the Teddy Bear session, and that was a mistake. Two counting songs in a row just felt a little repetitive. But it’s a fun song!
Do you know who this is? It’s Pigeon! Did you know he was a triplet? Here’s pigeon and his siblings sitting on a wall.
Song: Three Blue Pigeons (TB)
Three blue pigeons, Sittin’ on a wall
Three blue pigeons, Sittin’ on a wall
If one of those pigeons should happen to fall…
There’d be two blue pigeons sittin’ on a wall!
(count down)
Source: Long Beach Public Library

printed and laminated flannelboard pieces of a red brick wall with three copies of Mo Willems' pigeon character on top.

Since I have tried and failed to do circle walking songs in the past (too many people, too small a space), I encouraged kids to go round the blueberry bush with their grownup in a two-person circle.
Oh, what’s that I see? The bluebird landed on a blueberry bush! Yum!
Action Song: The Blueberry Bush (TT) (FT)
(tune of The Mulberry Bush)
Here we go round the blueberry bush,
The blueberry bush, the blueberry bush
Here we go round the blueberry bush,
So early in the morning!

additional verses:
Pick the blueberries, small and round…
Taste the blueberries, ripe and sweet…
Source: Librarian vs. Storytime

Breathing Break: Ocean Breath (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, my, I hear something. The ocean! Can we make the sound of the ocean with our breath? Take a big breath in, hold it for just a moment, then let the wave crash – TCHHHHHHH!

I have a blue shark puppet that was fun to pull out during verse two!
What might we find in the water?
Flannel/Action Song: All the Fish (TT) (TB) (FT)
All the fish are swimming in the water (weave hands back and forth as if swimming)
Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, (corkscrew index fingers upwards)
…SPLASH! (clap)

additional verses:
All the sharks are chomping…
All the whales are spraying…
Source: adapted from Caspar Babypants, from the album “I Found You”

flannel showing a small green and blue fish, a grey shark, and a blue whale. Sitting above the flannelboard is a puppet of a shark.

I showed one of the pails and asked if anyone knew what it was – “Bucket!” of course.
Whale would like to play a game with us!
Flannel Game: Whale behind the Pail (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little whale, little whale,
Are you behind the BLUE pail?
Source: Long Beach Public Library

Download the flannel template here!

printed and laminated flannelboard pieces of six pails in different colors: blue, purple, red, orange, green, and yellow, with a small blue whale.

So this one we’ll do at the end of each color session, too – so there are some familiarity bookending this series. I have rainbow colored scarves, and pass them out for everyone to wave around while we sing.
Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
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

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

Craft: Blue Abstract Art (TB) (FT)
I’ve been thinking about doing more process art, and these color themes are a perfect way to do that. I provide some art supplies (all blue!) and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided blue crayons, blue dot markers, and blue foam stickers and shapes.

picture of craft: blue abstract blob shapes are drawn in various shades of blue crayon. Blue dots from a dot marker are all over the page, and different shaped foam stickers (teardrops, triangles, and a whale) are also glued on.

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
My Ocean is Blue – Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron
Little Blue Truck – Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems
Blue Goose – Nancy Tafuri
The Proudest Blue – Ibtihaj Muhammad, SK Ali, & Hatem Aly
In a Blue Room – Jim Averbeck & Tricia Tusa
Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? – Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier
Here Comes Ocean – Meg Fleming & Paola Zakimi
Blue Chicken – Deborah Freedman
Chomp: A Shark Romp – Michael Paul

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/8, 1/9, & 1/10/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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