shaker – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

old macdonald had a farm and the neighborhood mother goose book covers

Storytime: Nursery Rhymes

Posted on December 5, 2025December 4, 2025 by msemilylibrary

Nursery rhymes seem so integral to childhood, but I feel that fewer kids are hearing them. That’s not the end of the world (especially if they are hearing other rhymes), but the traditional Mother Goose rhymes are rich in vocabulary and do a good job of using language and nonsense syllables in a fun way to help highlight rhyme and the phonemes that make up the sounds of words. They are also part of an oral tradition that spans generations – grandparents and great-grandparents likely know and can share these with young children. Nursery rhyme characters and plots are common background knowledge and can be found “remixed” in different ways – we see them used in new books like Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird and After the Fall by Dan Santat. If you don’t know who Humpty Dumpty is, that book doesn’t make as much sense. Of course, there are some rhymes that are outdated (I’m looking at you, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater), but there are plenty of options that still work well today.

So what does that mean for storytime? I see that it’s an opportunity to remind caregivers of these rhymes that they often already know, and can easily start using in their day-to-day interactions with their children. It’s fun to do a little remixing of our own (like “Shake it on Your Shoe”) and look at these rhymes in a slightly different light. I felt like I had a lot more grown-up participation because of how familiar these rhymes are, which always makes it more fun for kids.

old macdonald had a farm book cover, showing a man with light skin and gray hair hugging a cow, with a pig and chicken looking on.

neighborhood mother goose book cover, showing a large full moon behind the top of an apartment building, with a small cow flying above.

Early Literacy Tip: Singing or saying nursery rhymes helps children get ready to read. These verses help them hear the smaller sounds in words by using rhythm, nonsense syllables, and rhyme. Traditional rhymes use a wider vocabulary than we may use in our everyday speech, too!

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

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

Intro: Today we are celebrating some traditional rhymes and songs – called nursery rhymes! You may know some already, but there might be a bit of a twist in some of my versions! I love nursery rhymes because they often have fun rhyming words.

Many of these rhymes are from collections by someone named Mother Goose! Here is HER rhyme. See how she’s flying on her goose? Can you flap your arms like a big goose?
I noted (mostly for the grownups) that sometimes these older verses rhyme better in an accent that’s different than ours.
Rhyme: Old Mother Goose
Old Mother Goose, when she wanted to wander
Would fly through the air on her very fine gander
Source: traditional

old mother goose thumbnail, with a graphic of an older woman riding on a large white goose. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a rhyme that’s a little more popular – you might know it already!
This flannel was part of a large set that was gifted to my library. I think it was made with milk filters and crayon.
Flannel Rhyme: Hey, Diddle, Diddle
Hey, diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such a sight
And the dish ran away with the spoon
Source: traditional

photo of hey diddle diddle flannel, with a green cat playing a fiddle, a red cow jumping over a yellow crescent moon with a face, a purple dog laughing, and a blue dish and a pink spoon.

hey diddle diddle thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink cat playing the fiddle and a brown cow leaping over a crescent moon. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This storytime was pretty well hinged on this title since we didn’t do the song elsewhere and the craft tied to it. It’s a cute rendition, but it is a little long for my group. They started getting antsy after the 5th or 6th animal.
Read: Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera

I always like to tout this title since it has fun modern photographs that illustrate the traditional rhymes. It would have been a backup to pick out several rhymes if we weren’t doing Old MacDonald.
Read: The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews

Let’s do another rhyme about one of Old MacDonald’s animals. I usually do this one on toes, but let’s try it on our fingers this time.
Tickle Rhyme: This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
And this little piggy had none
And this little piggy cried “wee wee wee” all the way home

This little piggy had a rub-a-dub-dub
And this little piggy had a scrub-a-dub-dub
This little pig-a-wig ran upstairs
And this little pig-a-wig cried out ‘BEARS!’
Down came the jar with a big slam bam (clap or pat foot)
And this little piggy had all the jam
Source: traditional, second verse found with King County (WA) Library System

this little piggy thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink pig and a fallen and spilled jar of strawberry jam. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’m hungry! Can you help me bake a cake?
On the second time though, I always suggest grown ups trace their child’s first initial and say their name in place of “B” and “baby.”
Clapping Rhyme: Pat a Cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, Baker’s man
Bake me a cake As fast as you can
Roll it, And stretch it And mark it with a “B”
And put it in the oven For baby and me!
Source: traditional

pat a cake thumbnail, with a graphic of a front of an oven with a cake showing through the oven door. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My fingers are wiggly – like a spider!!
After the usual itsy bitsy, we did a verse of the great big spider (uses our whole hand and a big voice) and the little shy spider (uses just the fingertips and a whisper)
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again!
Source: traditional

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

Speaking of falling down… who might this be? Humpty Dumpty! I have a version that starts and ends with a little extra verse that isn’t in the original. You can do this one with a little one in your lap, with a rocking side-to-side motion. Or, if you’re a big kid, you can stand up and do it with your whole body, like me. Okay, can you make yourself into an egg shape?
I really like this version, and have used it in my baby program as well. I got the idea from Intellidance– they have a lot of fantastic rhymes and songs with motions for kids and babies. My flannel is double sided, so a quick flip shows Humpty cracked.
Action Rhyme: Rock on the Wall
Rock and rock and rock on the wall (rock side to side)
Rock and rock and hope we don’t fall…
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (bounce up and down)
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! (tilt back or thru legs)
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men (bounce or rock fast!)
Couldn’t put Humpty together again
Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle
Humpty Dumpty needed a cuddle (give baby a big hug)
Source: Felt-tastic Flannelboard Funtime & Intellidance (see it here as a lap rhyme, and here as a full body action rhyme)

flannel of rock on the wall, with a piece of dark red felt with brown bricks. Two eggs are superimposed, one sitting at the top of the wall with a smile and a big red bowtie, the second on its side at the bottom of the wall frowning, with cracks and tie askew.

rock on the wall thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon humpty dumpty sitting on the wall and another at the bottom, cracked. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I cut this one for time.
Whew, after all that I’m ready for a little break! Will you have some tea with me?
Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot
I’m a little teapot, Short and stout
Here is my handle, Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up Then I shout:
“Tip me over and Pour me out!”
Source: traditional

I'm a little teapot thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling blue teapot with a wisp of steam coming out of the spout. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get some shakers out! Here’s a rhyme that’s based on One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, but has been updated to fit with our shakers.
Shaker Rhyme: 1 – 2, Shake it On Your Shoe
1, 2 – Shake it on your shoe
3, 4 – Shake it on the floor
5, 6 – Stir and mix
7, 8 – Stand up straight
9, 10 – Wave to your friends!
Source: Jbrary

one two shake it on your shoe thumbnail, with a graphic of a purple and a blue shaker egg. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s one where we put our shaker on the ground! Can you try to jump over your shaker like Jack? Your grownup can help if you want.
Shaker Rhyme: Jack Be Nimble
Jack, be nimble
Jack, be quick
Jack, jump over the candlestick
Source: traditional

jack be nimble thumbnail, with a graphic of an old fashioned candlestick holding a white lit taper candle. An arrow is arced over the candle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can you make your shaker into a twinkling star?
(that just meant shaking up high!)
Lullaby: Twinkle, Twinkle
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Source: traditional

twinkle twinkle thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling blue star in front of a pink cloud. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Craft: Old MacDonald Paper Bag
This was a craft created by my coworker Ali, and it was so well received! Everything was pre-cut, so the kids only needed to glue the pieces down. I love crafts that encourage families to sing and rhyme at home.

old macdonald paper bag craft. A red barn with a hayloft and red and white barn doors is glued to a brown paper lunch bag. Above the barn is the title of the song. Around the bag are nine square pieces of paper with various farm animals printed on them.

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

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)
My Very First Mother Goose – Iona Opie & Rosemary Wells
I’m a Little Teapot – Iza Trapani
A Spider Named Itsy – Steve Light
After the Fall – Dan Santat
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star – Iza Trapani
The Three Little Kittens & One Hungry Mouse! – Barbara McClintock
Little Buckaroo and Lou – Jennifer Sattler
This Little Piggy – Tim Harrington
Big Fat Hen – Keith Baker
1 2 Buckle My Shoe – Anna Grossnickle Hines
Hey, Diddle, Diddle – Eve Bunting & Mary Ann Fraser
Mary Had A Little Glam – Tammi Sauer & Vanessa Brantley-Newton

This storytime was presented in-person on 12/3/25.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

gallery showing salsa lullaby and kitchen dance book covers

Storytime: ¡Bailemos! Let’s Dance! (Hispanic Heritage Month)

Posted on October 10, 2025October 11, 2025 by msemilylibrary

I don’t think I did a Hispanic Heritage Month storytime last year, so it was time! This year, I focused on dancing! I found a couple of fantastic new books to use, although I am using a lot of the songs and rhymes that I have in the past. Thankfully, they fit! As always, I am very careful to let my storytime families know that I am not a native speaker, but I am a learner (910 day streak on Duolingo!) I have worked with some of my Spanish-speaking friends and storytime families to get advice on songs and rhymes to include, as well as checking my pronunciation – though all mistakes I end up making are mine! There are so many great books by Spanish-speaking and Latine-heritage authors and illustrators it’s always fun to discover new ones and showcase them to storytime families, whether they are Spanish speakers at home or not.

Find posts on past Hispanic Heritage Month storytimes here!

salsa lullaby book cover with an illustration of a family (mother, father, baby) dancing with musical notes streaming above them

kitchen dance book cover, showing a family (father, mother, son, daughter) dancing in a kitchen

Early Literacy Tip: Studies show that children raised in bilingual environments develop core cognitive skills like decision-making and problem-solving — before they even speak. And giving your child the gift of two or more languages and cultures is one they will appreciate their whole life. If you aren’t bilingual, that’s okay! You can still model an attitude of learning and respect for others by being curious about other languages and cultures. As long as you expose them to words in a consistent way with the same context, they’ll reap benefits.

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept 15-Oct 15. Hispanic means Spanish-speaking. I’m not a native Spanish speaker, but I’m a learner! Today we are going to celebrate Spanish and Spanish-speakers. And we’re going to celebrate with dancing! In Spanish, the word bailar means “to dance.” And bailemos means – “Let’s dance!”

Let’s start by dancing with our hands. Can you flip your hand back and forth?
Song: La linda manita
La linda manita (flip hand back and forth)
que tiene el bebé
qué linda, qué bella
qué preciosa es
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/OWAunlWlMUI

La linda manita thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of an adult hand holding a baby's hand. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

I heard this story at a storytime at my home library with my little one earlier in the month. Yay for learning from other librarians! I put it on hold to use in storytime and placed a book order for my library immediately. It is mostly in English, but has key verbs and phrases in Spanish. The fact that it is about a family dancing was lovely.
Read: Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena & Erika Meza

My backup title is one my library already had though I just discovered it. I love that it is about an Afro-Latino family. Again, it is mostly in English, but has Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout. Lots of noises to make and the illustrations show fantastic movement.
Read: Kitchen Dance by Maurie J Manning

Here’s a traditional (and silly!) counting song about the elephant. He is having fun balancing and dancing on a …spiderweb! Can you imagine a spiderweb strong enough to hold an elephant?
Counting Song: Canción de los elefantes
Un elefante se balanceaba, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veía que resistía, fue a buscar a otro elefante

Dos elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía, fueron a buscar otro elefante.

Tres … Quatro…

Cinco elefantes se balanceaban, sobre la tela de una araña,
la telaraña se debilitó, ¡y todo al suelo se cayó!
Source: traditional, watch: https://youtu.be/I0IW4101ew0

Flannel for Canción de los elefantes, showing a white spiderweb made from pipe cleaners and 5 colored felt elephants, orange, blue, yellow, green, and purple.

Canción de los elefantes thumbnail, with a graphic of a spiderweb in the corner and below two elephants walking tight-rope style on a line. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s bring out the music that’s in our bodies so we can DANCE!
Action Song: Mi cuerpo hace música
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música
Mis manos hacen (clap,clap, clap)
Mis pies hacen (stomp, stomp, stomp)
Mi boca hace: la, la, la! (point at mouth)
Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha! (dance)
Source: Sol y Canto, from the album El Doble de Amigos. Watch with motions at Jbrary

mi cuerpo hace musica thumbnail, with a graphic of two kids, a brown skinned girl and a lighter skinned boy. Next to the words for the body parts are close ups of those parts from the kids - hands, feet, and mouth. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Here’s a circle song – similar to Ring Around the Rosie. (Translate song lyrics) At the end we fall down and go to sleep!
Circle Song: A la rueda, rueda
(walk in a circle, and fall down and pretend to sleep at the end!)
A la rueda, rueda, De pan y canela
Dame un besito, Y vete para la escuela
Spoken: Si no quieres ir, Acuéstate a dormir!

To the wheel, wheel, of bread and cinnamon
Give me a kiss, and go to school
If you don’t want to go, Lay down to sleep!
Source: traditional, watch here: https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2792

a la rueda rueda thumbnail, with a graphic of a brown-skinned baby laying with their head on their arms. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Confession: I am not a big fan of this song, in any language. I know the kids like it, though, so we did it in English first and then in Spanish.
Action Song: Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies
(Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz
Cabeza y hombros, rodillas y pies (rodillas y pies)
Source: traditional

cabeza y hombros rodillas y pies thumbnail, with a graphic of four kids, touching in a line, their head, shoulders, knees, and toes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now to get our shakers out and get to dancing.
Shaker Practice: Shake Your Shaker High
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You shake your shaker high
You shake your shaker low
You shake your shaker fast, fast, fast
And then you shake it slow!
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

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

Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up
Egg shakers up
Egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders
Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees
And tuck them into bed (tuck shaker under your arm)
Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs

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

I showed the video, and encouraged them to dance with their shakers.
Body Song: Baila, baila
Cuando un amigo baila, baila, baila, baila!
Pies = Feet
Rodillas = Knees
Caderas = Hips
Manos = Hands
Cabeza = Head
Source: Baila, Baila

baila baila thumbnail, with a graphic of diverse kids dancing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lastly, we got out the bubbles! This was a free dance with shakers and bubbles.
Recorded Song: Pop, Pop, Pop
by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little”

Album cover for Dream a Little/Sueña un poquito from Nathalia.

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft:
My library is going through a transition, where our interim programmer who covered my maternity leave is no longer doing the Monday/Tuesday sessions while the new person who will be the permanent full time programmer is getting onboarded. Because we were down two sessions that are often full, I offered to do a second session back-to-back on Wednesdays. So, no crafts in the month of October. Crafts will be back in November!

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Fiesta Babies – Carmen Tafolla & Amy Córdova
How do you say? /¿Como se dice? – Angela Dominguez
Hola amigo! / Hello, Friend – 123 Andrés & Sara Palacios
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
My Name is Celia / Me llamo Celia – Monica Brown & Rafael López
A Song of Frutas – Margarita Engle & Sara Palacios
La Guitarrista – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player
Jazz for Lunch – Jarrett Dapier & Eugenia Mello
Bailando con Abuelito – Linda Bozzo & Mudassir M Abid
Feel the Beat: Dance Poems that Zing from Salsa to Swing – Marilyn Singer & Kristi Valiant
How Do You Dance? – Thyra Heder

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/8/25.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

apples gallery of book titles: all for pie, pie for all, mine, and tap the magic tree.

Storytime: Apples

Posted on September 26, 2025September 25, 2025 by msemilylibrary

Back to basics for a fall storytime about apples! This is one of those themes that is so common, but it is just such a tried-and-true. It was nice to revisit again, shuffle up the activities and try something new. I had put together a program proposal for a preschool aged group for a job interview with this theme, and for that I used rhythm sticks as the prop, with an anchor in the Pie Song. For my younger group, I kept the Pie Song but used shaker eggs instead.

You can find other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2022.

all for pie, pie for all book cover, with an image of a grandmother cat holding a pie.

Mine! book cover, showing a bear, fox, and rabbit jumping for a falling red apple.

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

Early Development Tip: Grownups, spending time to TALK through different scenarios can help your child learn problem solving skills, and gives them practice in thinking through the outcomes of different decisions. When we play the “what if” game, we’re building thinking skills!

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: Who likes apples? I do! Apples are ripe and fresh right now, so let’s celebrate this delicious fruit! Where do apples come from? Apples grow from little seeds into tall apple trees!

Action Song: A Little Apple Seed
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once a little apple seed was planted in the ground (pinch finger together like a small seed)
Down came the rain drops falling all around (fingers wiggle downward)
Out came the big sun bright as bright could be (join hands in circle above head)
And the little apple seed grew up to be an apple tree (start with the pinch, then grow arms out)
Source: Madelyn’s Library Programming

a little apple seed thumbnail, with a graphic of an apple tree full of apples with raindrops on the left and the sun on the right. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

I love this story. The repetition, the anticipation of what’s happening next, and the adorable animals all make it a winner for me.
Read: All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin & Valeri Gorbachev

My backup titles. I really enjoyed the art of Mine! but I really wanted a book that tied apples to pie.
Backup titles: Mine! by Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann OR Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson.

Let’s go on a ride to the apple orchard.
Bounce: A Smooth Road
[The road starts out paved so it’s… ]
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
[Oh, the road has turned to gravel! Now it’s… ]
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
[Now we’re in between all the trees and it’s… ]
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary

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

Tired of “Way Up High in the Apple Tree?” Here’s another apple tree rhyme to try, courtesy of Storytime in the Stacks. She has a really great “Math Talk” video on her page, talking through how to share four apples fairly. I highly recommend watching. I did a simplified version with my groups, and said our early development tip right after. I also changed “Four Red Apples” to “Four Juicy Apples” since my flannel apples were different colors.
Flannel Rhyme: Four Juicy Apples
Four juicy apples growing in a tree
Two for you and two for me! (hold up two fingers on each hand)
Help me shake the tree just so, (make a shaking motion)
And all the apples will fall below!
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Flannel showing a large simple tree with green foliage and four large apples of different colors: dark red, yellow, light green, and light red.

four juicy apples thumbnail, with a graphic of an apple tree with three apples on the tree and one in the middle of falling. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now all of our apples have fallen, it’s time to eat one!
Rhyme: Eat an Apple
Eat an apple (bring hand to mouth)
Save the core (close hand in fist)
Plant some seeds (bend down to touch hand to ground)
And grow some more! (extend both arms out)
Source: preschooleducation.com

eat an apple thumbnail, with a graphic of an apple core. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out our shakers! Can we practice some shaking movements?
Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up
Egg shakers up, egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed!
Source: Jbrary

egg shakers up thumbnail, with a graphic of four different colored egg shapes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Okay, it’s time for us to make our own apple pie! Let’s start by slicing up our apples – hold your apple steady (egg) and slice it up with your other hand! Careful, that’s a sharp knife!
I modeled this after a “make a pizza” video but it works well with pie, too!
Shaker Song: The Pie Song
(tune of Skip to My Lou)
Slice, slice, slice the fruit (mime motions)
Slice, slice, slice the fruit
Slice, slice, slice the fruit
Slice the fruit together!

additional verses:
Pour the flour…
Roll the dough… (roll egg between hands)
Sprinkle spices…
Stir the filling…
[Now open the oven door, slide it in. It takes some time to bake, so let’s go for a walk!]
Lou, lou, skip to my lou…
[Oh, look, there’s a bee (pretend shaker is a bee)]
Buzz, buzz, buzz-buzz-buzz…
[I see a grasshopper!]
Hop, hop, hop-hop-hop…
[Let’s head back home – I think our pie is ready! Open the oven… take out your pie… cut a slice… blow on it to cool… now take a bite!]
Source: adapted from Harbor Preschool Music YouTube

pie song thumbnail, with a graphic of an apple pie with two whole apples behind and an apple slice in front. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s one slice of our apple pie left! How about making a milkshake with it?
I think an “apple pie milkshake” sounds amazing.
Shaker Song: The Milkshake Song
You take a little milk – pour some milk!
And you take a little cream – pour some cream!
You stir it all up, You shake it and you’ll sing…

Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Songs for Wiggleworms via Jbrary

the milkshake song thumbnail, with a graphic of a tall pink milkshake with a straw, whipped cream, and a cherry. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft: Apple Pie Painting
This is a fun craft I’ve done before. I love all the ways it engages our senses. I cut up a couple apples (a Cosmic Crisp and a Granny Smith) that could be taste-tested as well. Each table had a brown dot marker, a plate with red paint, and a plate with green paint, blank paper plates, and halved apples to use as stamps. For an additional sensory element, I had a small container of cinnamon to sprinkle on the wet paint. Source: Literary Hoots

Photo of paper plate apple pie craft, with the tray of supplies to the side, including blank paper plates, red and green paint with a halved apple cut side down in the paint, and a brown dot marker.

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Applesauce is Fun to Wear – Nancy Raines Day & Jane Massey
Apple Picking Day – Candice Ransom & Erika Meza
Orange Pear Apple Bear – Emily Gravett
Apples and Pumpkins – Anne Rockwell & Lizzy Rockwell
The Apple Pie Tree – Zoe Hall & Shari Halpern
Apple Farmer Annie – Monica Wellington
Biscuit and the Great Fall Day – Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Apples, Apples, Everywhere – Robin Koontz & Nadine Takvorian
Apples for Little Fox – Ekaterina Trukhan
Ten Apples Up on Top! – Dr Seuss as Theo LeSieg & Roy McKie
Apple and Magnolia – Laura Gehl & Patricia Metola
Apple Seed to Juice – Bryan Langdo
Apple Pie Picnic – Alicia Duran & Brian Fitzgerald
How to Grow an Apple Pie – Beth Charles & Katie Rewse
Apples – Gail Gibbons

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/17/25.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Camping

Posted on August 8, 2025August 16, 2025 by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

You can find another version of this theme from 2019.

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

red canoe shows up at two book cover, with a photograph of a red canoe at the shore of a tree lined lake.

the sharing book cover with two children hugging in the foreground and a forest with campsites in the background

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

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

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

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

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

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When you’re camping, you may hear wildlife! Birds, squirrels, cicadas, owls. Maybe even something like a coyote! Don’t worry, these coyotes are just having fun howling at the moon.
I love using this song – it’s just a lot of fun to do all the howling and snoring!
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Coyotes
Five coyotes, sittin’ on a hill
Just sittin’ and a howlin’ at the moon: Aahh-ooo!
One coyote had his fill
So he went to sleep and snoozed *snore!* (count down)
Source: adapted by Rebecca Ballard from Nancy Stewart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download a Ukulele Songsheet here!

Thumbnail for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ukulele songsheet

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft: S’mores
A borrow from Miss Mariah’s Library – s’mores cross-sections using jumbo craft sticks, construction paper, and cotton balls, decorated with chalk or white crayon.

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Storytime: Hop & Jump

Posted on April 23, 2025April 22, 2025 by msemilylibrary

A big movement storytime generally works pretty well, as long as there are some breaks in between. And as spring advances, my thoughts turn to some of the notable animals we haven’t seen all winter – rabbits and frogs – so this week was all about jumping and hopping. We talked a bit about the difference between a jump and a hop (a hop could be a little jump, or it could be a jump on one foot for an advanced move) and practiced both a LOT.

I’ll be taking a little break from blogging in the next couple of months. I’m so happy to say that I’ll be on maternity leave, getting to know our new little one. I wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to catching up again in July or August!

If you're hoppy book cover with a rabbit, frog and cricket mid leap

Bounce book cover showing a dog on a big bouncing ball toy

Early Literacy Tip: Learning to “stop” is an important skill for children, both for safety as well as for impulse control. Practicing “stopping” in a fun way, like with freeze songs, helps work on this skill in a positive environment. You can also add the American Sign Language sign for “stop” to further reinforce this concept: one hand “chops” against the other as if blocking the way.

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 I am very excited – I’m just feeling very bouncy, and hoppy, and jumpy! We’re going to do a lot of moving today, so get your bouncy feet ready.

Let’s practice our jumping and listening.
Action Rhyme: We Can Jump (TT) (TB) (FT)
We can jump, jump, jump, We can hop, hop, hop
We can clap, clap, clap, We can stop, stop, stop
We can nod our heads for yes
We can shake our heads for no
We can bend our knees a little bit
And sit down really slow
Source: Jen in the Library

we can jump thumbnail, with a graphic of a jumping green frog. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

A story you can sing! This one got a lot of chuckles from the adults in particular (especially the “slimy and scaly … nevermind” line.) It worked so well I used it for all of my sessions.
Read: If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre & Jackie Urbanovic (TT) (TB) (FT)

This was a backup title for me but I didn’t end up using it.
Read: Bounce by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin

My group stayed seated during the book, so this gave them a chance to act it out afterward. After the end of this song, I assured the grownups that this was the last time we’d be using this tune this storytime (pretty much 3 times in a row!)
Are YOU hoppy?
Action Song: If You’re Hoppy (TT) (TB) (FT)
If you’re hoppy and you know it give a jump
If you’re hoppy and you know it give a jump
If you’re hoppy and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re hoppy and you know it give a jump

additional verses:
If you’re jumpy… hop high
If you’re bouncy… baby hop
Source: adapted from Jen in the Library

if you're hoppy thumbnail, with a graphic of multiple jumping animals: a rabbit, frog, dolphin, kangaroo, and sheep. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s an animal that is really good at jumping – like this!
I did this one once with the puppet and a second time demonstrating the hand movements.
Fingerplay/Puppet: Mr. Bullfrog (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
Sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water… (lift fist)
KERPLOP! (clap hands together)
Source: Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends

mr bullfrog thumbnail, with a graphic of a fat green bullfrog sitting on a gray rock. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Counting Song: Five Green & Speckled Frogs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five green and speckled frogs Sat on a hollow log
Eating the most delicious bugs (yum, yum)
One jumped into the pool Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs
(count down)
Source: traditional

five green and speckled frogs thumbnail, with a graphic of a five different frogs (all with spots) sitting on a brown log. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s another jumpy animal who lives far away in Australia
Fingerplay: Kangaroo (TT)
Jump, jump, jump (jump pointer finger)
Goes the kangaroo
I thought I saw one (hold up one finger)
But now I see two! (hold up two fingers)
Mommy and her baby
With his head popping out (wiggle thumb from fist)
He holds on tight (hug self)
As they jump all about! (bounce hand around)
Source: Storytime Katie

kangaroo thumbnail, with a graphic of a mother kangaroo with a joey in her pouch. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Time to get our shakers out! Okay, let’s see if we can FREEZE when you hear the word STOP
I learned this one from Jbrary, but going back to listen to them I realized that I morphed the tune and made it my own. You can hear how I do it here!
Action/Shaker Song: We Bounce and STOP (TT) (TB) (FT)
(ASL sign for “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand)
We bounce and we bounce and we STOP
We bounce and we bounce and we STOP
We bounce and we bounce and we bounce and we bounce
And we bounce and we bounce and we STOP
(we hop… we shake… we hug…)
Source: Jbrary

we bounce and stop thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s a traditional rhyme about jumping over a candlestick. Can we pretend that our shaker is a candlestick? Lay it on the ground, and we’ll try to jump over. Grown-ups, please help if needed.
Only the oldest of my kiddos were able to let go of their shakers to put them on the ground, but oh, well. This is another place where a good early literacy tip fits – that traditional nursery rhymes often use rich language that isn’t usually included in everyday conversation, and we talked briefly about what the word “nimble” means.
Nursery Rhyme: Jack Be Nimble (TT) (TB) (FT)
(at home, try using a cardboard tube or similar to jump over!)
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick!
Source: traditional

I know you’re good at jumping – but let’s practice our counting
Recorded Song: Jumping and Counting (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Jim Gill (from the album Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense)

One last chance to jump around!
Recorded Song: Shake My Sillies Out (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Raffi (from the album Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band)

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

shake my sillies out ukulele songsheet thumbnail

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

A couple other recorded songs about jumping that might work for you. I added them to my take home handout but didn’t play them in storytime.
Recorded Song: Leap Frog
Source: Jazzy Ash (from the album Bon Voyage)

Recorded Song: All the Ways of Jumping Up and Down
Source: Hap Palmer (from the album Walter the Waltzing Worm)

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

Craft: Speckled Frogs (TB) (FT)
After last week’s very, very messy craft, I went easy this week. My library has a few frog die cuts, so I cut out enough so everyone could have five, as well as a brown construction paper rectangle log. All could be arranged and decorated with crayons however they liked on a background sheet of sky (or water) blue. I pointed out that two of my frogs had already jumped into the pool and were feeling nice and cool!

Speckled frog craft, showing a sky blue background sheet of construction paper with a brown paper log and five die cut frogs - two lime green and taller, three grass green and squatter.

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)
A Hippy-Hoppy Toad – Peggy Archer & Anne Wilsdorf
Jabari Jumps – Gaia Cornwall
Froggy Day – Heather Pindar & Barbara Bakos
Hop Jump – Ellen Stoll Walsh
Hop – Jorey Hurley
Jump! – Scott M. Fischer
The Ball Bounced – Nancy Tafuri
Jumpy Jack & Googily – Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall
Peep Leap – Elizabeth Verdick & John Bendall-Brunello
The Croaky Pokey – Ethan Long

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/31, 4/1, & 4/2/25.

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

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

Storytime: Feeling Sick and Feeling Better

Posted on March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download the Get Well Soon Card template.

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Penguins

Posted on January 31, 2025January 30, 2025 by msemilylibrary

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

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

hello penguin book cover (photograph of penguin on beach)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download a ukulele songsheet for The Penguin Song

thumbnail for penguin song ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: DINOvember 2024

Posted on November 15, 2024November 14, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Dinosaurs are a tried and true storytime theme, and I celebrate DINOvember every couple of years. This year, we did more shaker egg activities, and I found a fantastic new book that’s perfect for my age group. It is short and simple, has facts about dinosaurs, and a great surprise fold-out page at the very end. Plus – it’s written by an actual dinosaur scientist (who is also a woman of color) and I love pointing out actual jobs that people have in storytime.

You can find other versions of this theme from 2021 and 2022.

Early Literacy Tip: Everybody knows at least one child who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Children’s brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So, don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge. –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: Today we’re talking all about dinosaurs! Even though they’re not around any longer, I love to imagine what these gigantic and amazing creatures might have been like. Some dinos were big, and some were little. Let’s do a rhyme.

I changed the claws/jaws rhyme to claws/pause and roar – roaring seemed more fun that clacking our teeth together. It added that anticipatory element as well.
Action Rhyme: Dinosaur, Dinosaur (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, turn around
Dinosaur, dinosaur, stomp the ground
Dinosaur, dinosaur, show your claws
Dinosaur, dinosaur, now let’s pause… and ROAR!
Dinosaur, dinosaur, big and tall (reach up high)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, quick and small (crouch low)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, shake the ground (stomp again)
Dinosaur, dinosaur, sit back down!
Source: adapted from Verona Storytime and Plainfield-Guilford Township (IN) Library

dinosaur, dinosaur thumbnail, with a graphic of a large green brachiosaurus, and a small magenta dino similar to Compsognathus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

As mentioned in the intro above, this book has all the elements to make it work perfectly in a toddler storytime. Everyone loved it. During the “dig, dig, dig” refrain, we had our tools out and did the digging motion, which made it even more interactive.
Read: Dig, Dig, Dinosaur by Anjali Goswami & Maggie Li (TT) (TB) (FT)

This was on my cart as a backup, but I didn’t end up using it.
Read: We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin

This dinosaur flannel comes from Mel’s Desk – inspiration for a lot of the program. I did it on paper, but I’ve seen a lot of cute felt versions, too.
There are so many kinds of dinosaurs! Who is this again? Stegosaurus! Let’s see who comes to play with Stegosaurus when she calls for some friends.
Song: One Dinosaur Went Out to Play (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Five Little Ducks)
One dinosaur went out to play,
By a giant fern one day
She had such enormous fun
That she called for another dinosaur to come:
Oh, Diiiiiiiiiinosaur!
(Slap hands on thighs to make “running” sounds and repeat, counting up to five dinosaurs)

Last verse: Five dinosaurs went out to play
By a giant fern one day
They had such enormous fun
That they played until the day was done!
Source: Mel’s Desk

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail of ukulele songsheet for One Dinosaur Went Out to Play

printed and laminated dinosaurs with a large green fern, including a purple pteranodon, yellow stegosaurus, blue triceratops, orange t-rex, and red brachiosaurus.

one dinosaur went out to play thumbnail, with a graphic of the Mel's desk flannel dinos - a purple pteranodon, yellow stegosaurus, blue triceratops, orange t-rex, and red brachiosaurus. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We talked very briefly about each dino before doing their verse. This actually felt a little long, I maybe would shorten it or replace it next time.
Now that the dinos are all together, what do they do?
Song: All Through the Swamp (TT) (TB) (FT)
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr,
Grr grr grr, Grr grr grr
The Tyrannosaurus Rex goes grr grr grr
All through the swamp

additional verses:
The Triceratops’ horns go poke poke poke…
The Stegosaurus’ tail goes swish, swish, swish…
The Brachiosaurus’ mouth goes munch, munch, munch…
The Pteranodon’s wings go flap flap flap…
Source: Mel’s Desk

all through the swamp thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This storytime went a little long, so I dropped this rhyme and “Inside Her Eggshell” for my two sessions that did a craft as well.
Let’s stretch our bodies.
Action Rhyme: Dinosaur Stretch (TT)
Spread your arms, way out wide
Fly like Pteranodon, soar and glide
Bend to the floor, head down low
Move like Stegosaurus, long ago
Reach up tall, try to be
As tall as Brachiosaurus eating on a tree
Using your claws, grumble and growl
Just like Tyrannosaurus Rex on the prowl
Source: Storytime Katie

dinosaur stretch thumbnail, with a graphic of five children dressed in dinosaur costumes. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Oh, my! I found a dinosaur nest! Did you know that dinosaurs hatch from eggs? Come on up and get yourself a dinosaur egg.
Shaker Rhyme: Dino Eggs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dino eggs are up, Dino eggs are down
Dino eggs are dancing, All around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed
Source: adapted from the traditional “Tommy Thumbs”

dino eggs up thumbnail, with a graphic of three spotted dino eggs, the middle of which has a smiling baby dinosaur peeking out. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I wonder what kind of dinosaur is inside my egg? I guess I’ll just have to wait until it hatches.
Shaker Rhyme: Inside Her Eggshell (TT)
Inside her egg shell, white and round
Baby dinosaur is safe and sound
But she wants to come out into the light
So she pushes and shoves with all her might
Her shell soon cracks and creaks and pops
One big jump and out she pops!
Source: Yogibrarian

inside her eggshell thumbnail, with a graphic of a green cartoon dinosaur sitting in a cracked egg, with the top half of the egg on its head. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker Rhyme: Egg So Quiet (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg so quiet , Egg so still (keep shaker still)
Will it hatch?
Yes, it will! (shake hard!)
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

egg so quiet thumbnail, with a graphic of a white egg with cracks around its middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shaker/Recorded Song: We Are the Dinosaurs (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album: “Whaddya Think of That?”

we are the dinosaurs thumbnail, with a graphic of the Ben Clanton dinosaur illustration from the We Are The Dinosaurs book. The lyrics of only the chorus are pictured. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Dinosaur Parade Headband (TB) (FT)
Our library has these four dinosaur dies for our die cutter, which makes this an easy craft for me. The bands are made by cutting a piece of 9 x 12″ construction paper in quarters, and each band is made from two strips stapled together. The kids glued dinos on and grownups stapled the bands together to fit. Whenever we do a headband, I remind grownups to keep the smooth side of the staples on the inside so hair doesn’t get caught.

I made sure to put out my dinosaur manipulative: Clothespin Stegasauruses. I talk more about making these at this post from 2022.

Download a template for the Clothespin Stegosaurus here!

Play manipulative with four spikeless stegosaurus shapes, each a different color and with numbers written on their backs. The yellow one has six clothespins attached, while green, blue, and red show only the numbers, with a bowl of color-coded clothespins sitting next to them. Green has 3, blue has 4, red has 5, and yellow has 6.

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)
Hello Dinosaurs! – Joan Holub & Chris Dickason
Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones – Byron Barton
Iamasaurus – Anne Ylvisaker & Mark Hoffmann
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? – Helen Yoon
We Are the Dinosaurs – Laurie Berkner & Ben Clanton
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night – Refe & Susan Tuma
One-osaurus, Two-osaurus – Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby
Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur – Cirocco Dunlap & Greg Pizzoli
Old MacDino Had a Farm – Becky Davies & Ben Whitehouse
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs – Mo Willems

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, & 11/14/24.

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: Dress Up Party

Posted on October 26, 2024October 24, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Who doesn’t like to dress up – either in a specific role or in fun clothes that make you feel good? I love it – I’m always trying to subtly or unsubtly match my clothes to storytime themes or with the feeling of the day.

Of course, now is the season that celebrates dress-up and costuming, and lots of littles and their caregivers are excited for their costumes. As usual, I don’t directly celebrate holidays like Halloween or Christmas in my storytime themes, but try to choose something about the holiday that is tangential but universal. You don’t have to celebrate Halloween to enjoy a dress up party. (Some other “Halloween” themes from my past include Cats & Bats, Monsters, Owls, and Pumpkins.)

Early Literacy Tip: Dramatic play, or playing a role while pretending, has enormous benefits for young minds. It develops creative thinking and storytelling narrative skills, which support early literacy. It can also teach self-regulation, be an emotional outlet, and give practice in conflict resolution. Read more: https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/why-dramatic-play-matters/

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: Wow, I love all of your costumes! A lot of people are dressing up around this time of year, but we can play dress up anytime! I love to play pretend.

Everyone’s dress-up is so colorful!
I went through the whole thing twice, substituting different colors the second time around – usually orange, pink, purple, and black.
Action Song: What Are You Wearing? (TT) (TB) (FT)
What are you wearing? What are you wearing?
What are you wearing today?
What are you wearing? What are you wearing?
What are you wearing today?

If you’re wearing RED, stand up.
If you’re wearing BLUE, spin around.
If you’re wearing GREEN, pat your head
If you’re wearing BROWN, touch the ground
Source: King County (WA) Library System

what are you wearing thumbnail, with a graphic of a line of five children holding hands and all dressed as fruits or vegetables - watermelon, pear, strawberry, lemon, and peapod. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

As last time, my rhymes were tied closely to the book I read, so I used the same title for each session. Amazing Me: Dressing Up was a good backup that I had requested from my personal library, but it isn’t in our collection, so I hesitate to use it for storytime. Do you limit yourself to books in your library’s collection to read? In what cases would you use a book that your patrons don’t have access to?
To keep this one interactive, we identified what animal each of Maisy’s friends was and made their noise.
Read: Maisy Dresses Up by Lucy Cousins (TT) (TB) (FT)

I saw lots of great costumes in that book! Let’s pretend to be pirates first.
Action Song: If You’re a Pirate (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish!) (mopping motion)
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck
If you’re a pirate and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck

Additional verses:
…walk the plank (stomp feet)…
…say “ahoy!” (AHOY!)…
Source: One Little Librarian

if you're a pirate thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon pirate cat with a sword, bandanna, and spyglass. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I do this one more like the Old Town School of Folk Music recording and less like “One Little, Two Little,” which is a problematic tune.
I also remember someone in our story was dressed up like a firefighter.
Action Song: Hurry, Hurry (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck (mime steering wheel)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Additional verses:
…turn the corner (lean dramatically to one side then the other)
…climb the ladder (climbing motion)
…spray the water (mime holding fire hose)
Slowly, slowly, to the station… (steer slowly)
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music

hurry hurry thumbnail, with a graphic of a red fire engine. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What about royalty? Let’s pretend to be kings, queens, princes, and princesses
Action Rhyme: Castle Capers (TT) (TB) (FT)
I am the King of Running, I run and run and run
My subjects all run with me, and we have so much fun!

I am the Prince of Turning, I turn and turn and turn.
My subjects all turn with me, it’s an easy thing to learn!

I am the Princess of Dancing, I dance and dance and dance
My subjects all dance with me, and dance when they get the chance!

I am the Queen of Jumping, I jump and jump and jump
My subjects all jump with me, and sit down with a bump!
Source: Delta Township District Library Storytimes blog

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

We can pretend to be something else whether we are dressing up or not
Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB)
I’m a little teapot, Short and stout
Here is my handle, Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up Then I shout:
“Tip me over and Pour me out!”
Source: traditional

I'm a little teapot thumbnail, with a graphic of a blue and green teapot with a smiling face and steam coming out of the spout. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

One thing I love to do when I dress up is have a tea party! This is a partner rhyme – so find a partner. One person makes fists, and the other person will move them around.
I demoed with a parent before we started.
Action Rhyme: Here’s a Cup (FT)
Here’s a cup and here’s a cup
and here’s a pot of tea.
Pour a cup, and pour a cup
and drink some tea with me
Source: Jbrary

here's a cup thumbnail, with a graphic of a teapot and two pink teacups that are matching patterns. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Then we passed out maracas and had a mini-dance party with three recorded songs.
Time for our party! Let’s shake along to this song
Recorded Song: Can’t Wait to Celebrate (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Irrational Anthem & More Salutes to Nonsense”

can't wait to celebrate thumbnail, with a graphic of multicolored fireworks. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s have a little snack!
Shaker Song: Milkshake Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
You take a little milk – pour some milk!
And you take a little cream – pour some cream!
You stir it all up, You shake it and you’ll sing…
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up!
Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up!
Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album “Songs for Wiggleworms”

the milkshake song thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling pink milkshake with whipped cream, a cherry, and a straw in a tall glass. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

And finally – are you ready to shake the sillies out?
I always use the live version of this song – there’s so much energy in the crowd!
Recorded Song: Shake My Sillies Out (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Raffi, from the album “In Concert with the Rise and Shine Band”

It’s time to pretend to be astronauts so we can zoom, zoom, zoom!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Cat Masks (TB) (FT)
My predecessor had about 40 of these cat masks already cut out (we have it as a die cut) so this seemed like a good time to use them. We used dot markers, big adhesive jewels, and feathers, and tied our masks on with yarn (which I attached pre-program.)

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)
Dress-Up Day – Blanca Gómez
Julián Is a Mermaid – Jessica Love
Lily’s Cat Mask – Julie Fortenberry
Mary Had a Little Glam – Tammi Sauer & Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Vegetables in Halloween Costumes – Jared Chapman
Brownie & Pearl Get Dolled Up – Cynthia Rylant & Brian Biggs
Dollop and Mrs Fabulous – Jennifer Sattler
Harriet Gets Carried Away – Jessie Sima
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
Tea Rex – Molly Idle
Frankie’s Favorite Food – Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Wolfie the Bunny – Ame Dyckman & Zachariah OHora
Amazing Me: Dressing Up! – Carol Thompson

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/21, 10/22, 10/23 & 10/24/24.

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: Alphabet

Posted on August 16, 2024August 15, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Sometimes you just need to get back to basics. That’s how I was feeling after sitting down with the calendar and trying to brainstorm storytime themes for the rest of the year. So today we’re celebrating the alphabet, and upcoming we’ll get to counting, shapes, messy, and clean. Although knowing the alphabet is a fundamental literacy skill, and there are many online storytime write-ups of alphabet themes, I found this one challenging to put together. I tried to choose rhymes and songs I liked and ended up with a plan that worked okay, but got some tweaking with every session. What are your favorite alphabet activities?

Early Literacy Tip: Singing the alphabet song helps children learn the names of the letters. Singing the names of the letters to a different tune breaks the letters down in different ways and helps them hear the names more clearly. Experiment with other common tunes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “This Old Man,” or “Row Your Boat.” adapted from 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) (FT)

Intro: Today our theme is the alphabet! It’s all the letters that make up words, and one of the early steps of learning to read and write is knowing the alphabet. You’re just getting started and you have lots of time to practice, so don’t worry if you don’t know it yet. Can we sing the alphabet song together?

Song: The Alphabet Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
The first time through, we sang the traditional tune, to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The second time, I shared today’s early literacy tip and sang to “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
I have always felt a little awkward with the alphabet song – there’s no motion to do with my hands. I asked on the Storytime Solidarity FB group for suggestions, and got lots of good ones, including clapping, shaking shakers, stomping, jumping, or patting your lap to the beat, having an alphabet chart and pointing to the letters, or doing the “There’s a Dog in School” song. Others do the letters in ASL, but I have never learned it and don’t want to get it wrong. For this week, I had the letters on the flannelboard (made with the die cutter) and pointed to them as we sang each time, and that worked well. If I start incorporating the song in future storytimes, I’ll think I’ll do clapping. Thanks to all who gave a suggestion!

Flannel showing multicolored capital letters on a blue background.

This rhyme features things from the first four letters of the alphabet. What are those letters again? A, B, C, & D!
We previewed the motions for A B and C, and when we got to Circle, we spun around and around and around and around to extend the spinning!
Rhyme: A Is for Alligator
A is for alligator chomp, chomp, chomp
B is for bunny, hop, hop, hop
C is for circle, spin around and around
D is for dizzy, and we all fall down!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

A is for Alligator thumbnail, with a graphic of a cartoon alligator. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Both my younger and older classes were entranced for the first few pages (maybe through G), then got wiggly. I did skip to the end, which is not the easiest to do with this book. But it is a beautiful and fun title!
Read: Animalphabet by Julia Donaldson & Sharon King-Chai (TT) (TB)

After the first two groups struggling with Animalphabet, I switched to this classic. (Which is not one that I grew up with – in fact I read it for the first time in preparation for this week!) Again, they loved the first part (and I had several people reciting the first few pages with me out loud), but after the letters fell and we were going through the alphabet the second time, they were distracted. To keep it interactive, I asked them to say “Boom Boom” with claps whenever I said “Chicka Chicka,” which they quite enjoyed. I notice that there aren’t any of those interspersed between letters the second time through, only at the very end. So perhaps that was a factor?
Read: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr, John Archambault, & Lois Ehlert (FT)

Cute, and the biggest hit with Toddler Time, I cut it for time in the last session.
Can we spread our arms really wide for a big A? How about a little a?
Bounce: Big A Little A (TT) (TB)
Big “A,” Little “a” (spread hands wide apart, then bring them close together)
Bouncing “B” (bounce up and down)
The cat’s in the cupboard (cover your eyes)
And can’t see me! Peek-a-boo!
Source: Loudest Librarian

Big A little A thumbnail, with a graphic of two capital and two lowercase letter a's in various font and color styles, as if cut from magazines. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My little mouse flannel gets more mileage with a letter hide and seek. They love this game!
One of our alphabet wants to play a game – can we find them?
Flannel: Letter Hide & Seek (TT) (TB) (FT)
Letter B, letter B
Playing hide and seek
Are you in the RED house?
Let’s take a peek!
Source: original

Little house flannel, showing seven houses (two one-story, three two-story, and two three-story) in different colors. Green, red, orange, yellow, brown, pink, and blue. Also pictured is a little brown mouse not used in this storytime. — Houses flannel shown with mouse, but I subbed the letter B

Letter hide and seek thumbnail, with a graphic of five houses from the above flannelboard with a letter B peeking from behind one. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

We talk about ABC a lot, but what about the letter at the END of the alphabet? Here’s a song about ZOOMING down the highway.
Action Song: Zoom Down the Highway (TT) (TB) (FT)
Zoom down the highway, Zoom down the highway,
Zoom down the highway (slide arms forward on “zoom”)
FAST! (clap)
Up goes the drawbridge (x3)
(raise child up on knees, or lift arms from a flat to a vertical position)
A ship is going past

Down goes the drawbridge (x3)
(reverse previous movement)
The ship has passed at last

So we can… Zoom down the highway… (repeat verse one)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

zoom down the highway thumbnail, with a graphic of a coupe car with motion lines behind it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I’m not super good with puppets. I tried to make this one silly with googly eyes and a scrunchy (since I don’t have any actual monster puppets), but I felt a little awkward and I’m sure that telegraphed into the rendition. I probably would have dropped it for the last session, but that’s what tied in the craft, so no.
Who is this? IT’S a monster! An alphabet monster! Can you make a monster with your hand?
Rhyme: Alphabet Monster (TB) (FT)
I’m the Alphabet Monster and nothing tastes better
To the Alphabet Monster than eating a letter
Today I will eat an “M” if I may
With the million more letters I munch every day
I’m hungry now. What shall I do?
I think I’ll eat a “y” an “o” and a “u”…
That means YOU! (nom, nom, nom)
Source: Yogibrarian

alphabet monster thumbnail, with a graphic of a cute blue monster holding letters of different fonts and colors, with other letters floating in front of it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Shakers Intro: Let’s practice our shakers. Shake high, low, slow, fast, in a circle.

I saw this one on almost every single storytime blog about the alphabet I visited. It seemed a little hokey to me, but then I saw the librarian at Waukee Public Library sharing it (see link below), and I liked her style. I got a similar set of magnetic alphabet letters and I liked the idea of picking a random letter each verse. She also had a fourth letter verse I didn’t see anywhere else.
Let’s practice some letters with this action rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Alphabet Beat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(choose any four letters, name a object or word that starts with that letter and the name of the letter)
Clap your hands and stomp your feet
Everybody’s doing the alphabet beat
Bear, Bear, Bear – B – B – B
Bear, Bear, Bear – B – B – B

Wave your hands high, swing your arms low
The alphabet beat is the way to go (2nd letter)

Shake to the left and shake to the right
The alphabet beat is out of sight (3rd letter)

Sparkle really fast. Sparkle really slow (wiggle fingers)
The alphabeat’s great, and now you know (4th letter)

(I didn’t include this end verse)
Now give a high five to a nearby friend
The alphabet beat has come to the end!
Source: Waukee (IA) Public Library

alphabet beat thumbnail, with a graphic of animal letters (from the magnetic set used in person): a B shaped as a bear, P for panda, F for flamingo, L for lion, R for rhino, T for tiger, and Z for zebra. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

This song features some very special letters. A, E, I, O, U. Grownups, what are they called? Vowels!
Ukulele/Shaker Song: Apples and Bananas (TT) (TB) (FT)
(begin with the correct pronunciation, then change the vowel sounds for each verse to a, e, i, o, and u)
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

Additional verses:
I like to ate, ate, ate ayples and ba-nay-nays…
I like to eet, eet, eet eeples and ba-nee-nees…
I like to ite, ite, ite iples and ba-ni-nis…
I like to ote, ote, ote oples and ba-no-nos…
I like to ute, ute, ute uples and ba-nu-nus…
Source: Raffi, from the album “One Light, One Sun”

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

apples and bananas ukulele songsheet thumbnail.

apples and bananas thumbnail, with a graphic of a red apple and yellow banana with cute faces. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Craft: Alphabet Monster (TB) (FT)
We have a large supply of all kinds of stickers, so I pulled out all of the letter ones to make a simple monster coloring sheet fit with our theme. Googly eyes help make them fun, and I stressed that any letters would be good for their monsters, no need to try to spell anything. Idea from Verona Storytime, monster printable from PreschoolAlphabet.blogspot.com.

Monster craft, showing a monster with a large egg-shaped body, two three fingered hands, two small legs/feet, two horns, and a large smile with three uneven teeth. Mine is colored with crayons, has three plastic googly eyes, and several different color/font/size letter stickers.

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

I actually have not done this one for the last two weeks (since being back from summer.) I like it a lot, but it extends the goodbye period and by this time most grownups are packing up and getting going. So I think I’m going to nix it for the foreseeable future.
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars*

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)
Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets – Sara O’Leary & Jacob Grant
Oops Pounce Quick Run – Mike Twohy
The Racecar Alphabet – Brian Floca
Eating the Alphabet – Lois Ehlert
K Is for Kindness – Rina Horiuchi & Risa Horiuchi
Z Is for Moose – Kelly Bingham & Paul O Zelinski
B Is for Bananas – Carrie Tillotson & Estrela Lourenco
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack – Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/12, 8/13, & 8/14/24.

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