This was my last set of regular storytimes before our Summer Reading Program begins, so I went with a fairly simple theme of Zoo and Zoo Animals. Many animals can be found at the zoo, and even if a song doesn’t directly show a certain animal in a zoo setting, I think it counts if you *might* find that animal at a zoo!
Early Literacy Tip: Being able to coordinate small muscles in hands and fingers enables children to hold things, cut with scissors, tie their shoes, and fasten buttons. Fingerplays like Kangaroo, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, or Where is Thumbkin develop fine motor skills which also help prepare children to later hold a pencil and manipulate it for writing. adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Intro: Today we are talking about the animals at the zoo! Has anyone been to the zoo before? What kinds of animals did you see?
I bought some finger puppets and looked for the “zooiest” animals, and came up with monkey, snake, and tiger, then got out the much-bigger alligator puppet as a surprise finish! Let’s say hello like the animals do. Puppet Song: The Zoo Wakes Up (TT) (TB) (FT) When monkeys get up in the morning, they always say hello When monkeys get up in the morning, they always say hello Oo-oo-ah-ah! That is what they say Oo-oo-ah-ah! That is what they say (repeat with other animals) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Let’s see if your favorite zoo animal shows up in this book! I skipped three animals, just because otherwise it was too long for my group. We didn’t do the zebra, hyenas, or the chameleon. Read: The Wheels on the Bus by Jane Cabrera (TT) (TB) (FT)
Those animals sure had fun on the bus! Here’s a bouncy rhyme about animals taking a ride on the bus! When I got to the sheep & cow verse, I mentioned we were heading to the petting zoo! Bounce: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (TT) (TB) (FT) (bounce or slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse) A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus Got on, got on, got on a city bus And all, and all, and all the people said, “You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)
Additional verses: A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus And all, and all, and all the people said,“Mooooove over!” (lean far to one side) A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (fall thru knees or sit) A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back) Source: Jbrary
Oo, our hippo is hungry now! Can we make a giant hippo mouth with our arms? Cut for time in my second and third sessions. Action Song: Noisy Animals Eating (TT) (tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat) See the hippopotamus (extend arms together in front) Eating fruits and weeds (open arms up and down) Take a bite, chew it up Then spit out all the seeds (flick hands out, like spitting)
Additional verses: See the very tall giraffe, Eating fruits and trees… (extend one arm high, extend hand) See the wrinkly elephant, Eating fruits and weeds… (extend arm downward, like an elephant’s trunk) Source: King County (WA) Library System
Flannel Retelling: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (TB) (FT) I used the template at kizclub.com for this one. I spent a lot of time a few years ago painstakingly cutting most of the inner bits with an Xacto knife, then laminated them. The effect is really nice – you can see through bars and such, but the pieces are still sturdy. I tried to leave a little bit of the animal sticking out the boxes that don’t already give a hint go help the kiddos guess what might be inside.
Can anyone think of an animal who gets around by jumping, lives in Australia, and carries its babies in a pouch? A kangaroo! Our local zoo just opened a kangaroo exhibit in the last couple of years, so many of them had seen that. I changed this from an action rhyme (the original instructions had full-body jumps) into a fingerplay. Fingerplay: Kangaroo (TB) (FT) 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
Who at the zoo has spots? Cut for time in the second and third sessions. Tickle: Spots, Spots, Spots (TT) (tune of the baseball organ wind up) Spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots (gently poke baby all over) A leopard has lots of spots What a lot of spots he’s got A tiger’s stripes are always nice (slow, tracing fingers up arm) But a leopard has lots of spots Spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots, spots (tickle, tickle, tickle!) Source: Jbrary
Can we move like zoo animals? Action Game: Zoo Animals Die (TB) (FT) I have found that I can’t really roll a big storytime die on the ground. It’s too much of a temptation for everyone to grab it, there’s not a lot of space for it to roll, and it’s more of a distraction than a tool. However, I had the (brilliant, IMHO) idea to throw the die up in the air and catch it instead (more like a coin toss). This has the added benefit that I can kind of cheat on what face to show, letting us do all six moves with fewer repeats. It worked!My library has a die with a foam center and clear plastic cover that I use – you can switch out the faces easily. At a previous library, I made the die from an empty square tissue box. Source: Storytime Sprout
What does the zookeeper do when the elephants get messy? They give them a bath, of course! The template for this flannel is from the ever-helpful but now defunct Sunflower Storytime. You can download a copy of it here. I used to tuck each elephant into the bath in a row, but saw another librarian on YouTube stacking them up tall. That’s a lot easier, and it looks a lot funnier to me, too. Counting Rhyme: Elephants in the Bathtub (TT) (TB) (FT) One elephant in the bathtub (hold up one finger) Going for a swim (swimming motion) Knock, knock (clap, clap) Splash, splash (pat lap) Come on in (motion with hand to come in)
(count up) Five elephants in the bathtub Going for a swim Knock, knock CRASH, CRASH! They all fell in! (wiggle arms downward; knock flannel pieces to the floor!) Source: Sunflower Storytime, see moves on Jbrary
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Animal Dot Painting (TB) (FT) Okay, so this is a bit of a cop-out craft, but sometimes we need a simple week! I’m doing lots of planning and organizing for my summer programs, so I printed out some animal dot painting coloring pages and called it a day. These were from Two Pink Peonies, and I am borrowing the photo from her, as well.
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) My Heart Is Like a Zoo – Michael Hall Xander’s Panda Party – Linda Sue Park & Matt Phelan Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? – Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle Color Zoo – Lois Ehlert From Head to Toe – Eric Carle Fraidyzoo – Thyra Heder A Sick Day for Amos McGee – Philip C Stead & Erin E Stead Wild About Us! – Karen Beaumont & Janet Stevens ZigZag ZooBorns – Andrew Bleiman & Chris Eastland Where’s Walrus? – Stephen Savage
This storytime was presented in-person on 5/6, 5/7, & 5/8/24.
**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
Let’s talk feelings! I think a lot of adults (myself included) were taught that sad or angry feelings are “bad” and we should try not to feel them, or to “get over” them as soon as possible. Research is showing that this attitude is not the healthiest. All feelings are valid and they actually give us important information about ourselves and help us process the world and our place in it. (If you’re interested in reading more, I recommend the book Permission to Feel by Marc A. Brackett.)
All this to say, I hope this generation of kids gets permission to be more in tune with their feelings, learning strategies to process them and not simply hide or bottle them up. That starts with us normalizing talking about them, being able to identify them in yourself and others, and teaching ways to process without hurting yourself or others. I can’t say that this storytime is going to solve all the problems, but I hope it was one small step in the right direction.
Early Literacy Tip: Grown-ups, talking about both our own feelings and other people’s feelings is so important! Research shows that kids with emotional intelligence do better in school and life because they can self-regulate and build strong relationships. When you read books, talk about how the characters are feeling and make connections. This helps your child build the vocabulary they need to better recognize their own feelings and communicate with you. I’m trying to be better about sourcing my early lit tips, at least here on the blog. This one came whole cloth from Jessica at Storytime in the Stacks, who always includes excellent early lit/early development tips!
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 we are talking about our feelings! Our feelings help us process the world around us. It’s okay to feel all the feelings. What are the names of some feelings?
Activity: Identify Feelings (TT) (TB) (FT) Show emotions on cartoon faces, and/or photos of kids’ faces. What might they be feeling? Sometimes it’s hard to tell what others are feeling. We can share our feelings to help others understand. (OPTIONAL – Read: I Feel by Juana Medina) I used the cartoon feelings faces from (now defunct) Sunflower Storytime, as well as feelings cards of photographs of actual kids that I put together from Canva images. I like that some of them are not cut and dried – what I labeled as “excited” could be read as “happy.” The tired yawning baby could be interpreted as crying. Feelings aren’t always easy to read! I didn’t use the Juana Medina book, but it is another good resource with lots of feelings and great illustrations of diverse kids.
Action Rhyme: Feelings (TT) (TB) (FT) Sometimes on my face you’ll see How I feel inside of me A smile means happy, a frown means sad And when I grit my teeth, I’m mad When I’m proud I beam and glow But when I’m shy, my head hangs low Source: North Olympic (WA) Library System
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Read: Mad, Mad Bear by Kimberly Gee (TT) (FT) Bear gets very mad, but some breathing, a snack, and a nap help him feel better.
Read: Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won (TB) This is a good one for interactivity – there are repeated phrases that the whole group can help yell out.
Here’s a silly song about being grumpy. Who looks sleepy? Who looks grumpy? Flannel Song: Five in the Bed (TT) (TB) (FT) There were five in a bed, and the little one said (5 fingers up) “Roll over, roll over” (make rolling motion) And they all rolled over and one fell out. There were four in a bed… (continue down to one)
There was one in the bed and the little one said, (tune of He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands) “Ahhhhhhhh. I’ve got the whole bed to myself! I’ve got the whole wide bed to myself! I’ve got the whole bed to myself, I’ve got the whole bed to myself! Goodnight!” Source: traditional
[My friend Rebecca at Oconee County Library cued me in to connecting the songs Five in the Bed and He’s Got the Whole World; I think it’s a brilliant mashup! I made my own copy of Five in the Bed flannel using inspiration from Adventures in Storytime for the faces and Making Learning Fun for the bed. The faces flip to show their sleeping and surprised faces (the little one starts out grumpy)]
Sometimes when I get hurt, I feel sad or mad or scared. We clapped and patted in rhythm through most of this. 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
Breathing can help us feel, and it’s a great way to work through big feelings. Ukulele Song: Take a Breath (The Self-Reg Song) (TT) (TB) (FT) Verse 1: When I’m not doing fine, I keep this in mind I can take a breath or two When I want to feel well, I can be still I can take a breath or two Breathing in, Breathing out, Breathing in, Breathing out When I am still, I can be fine, Breathing in and out
Additional verses: …I can sing a song or two… …I can move my arms around…
Last verse: To change how I feel, I keep this in mind I can take a breath – I can hum a song – I can move my arms – And feel all right. Source: Raffi, from the album Dog on the Floor
We didn’t end up doing this one for any of the sessions. Whatever we feel, it’s good to remember our grownups love us no matter what. Action Song: I’ll Hug You (tune of Farmer in the Dell) I’ll hug you when you’re sad I’ll hug you when you’re glad, I’ll hug you when you’re feeling scared I’ll hug you when you’re mad Source: Librionyian
Let’s shake it out now with some shaker egg songs! Shaker Song: Shake It to the East (TT) (TB) (FT) Shake it to the east, Shake it to the west Shake it all around and Then you take a rest Shake your shakers up, Shake your shakers down Shake it, shake it, shake it, and Then you settle down! Source: Jbrary
We shook our eggs along with the motions. Shaker Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It (TT) (TB) (FT) If you’re happy and you know it shout hooray… …grumpy…stomp your feet… …sad…have a cry (boo hoo!)… …silly…wave your arms… …surprised…shout “oh my!”… …scared…cover your eyes… Source: Rain City Librarian
Craft: Feelings Flower (TB) (FT) I looked around for a feelings craft that my little ones could do, but the ones I saw were generally too complex, requiring them to draw faces, or just didn’t fit quite what I wanted. So, finding inspiration in a couple of places, I created my own. The flower concept came from this video from Gru Languages, but they didn’t have a free printable and it involved both drawing faces as well as didn’t include all of the emotions I’d prefer. I also saw a feelings spinning wheel from Super Simple Songs, but again, it was a little more complex. So I created my own flower shape, labeled it with the feelings I wanted, and used the round tokens from Super Simple Songs. That way, the kids just needed to match the right feeling to the right petal (with their grown-up’s help), glue it down, and decorate by coloring. The kids really liked it – the faces were recognizable to them, and they liked how the petals folded in. I mentioned that it might be a good tool for them to use anytime they’re feeling big feelings and they’re having trouble putting them in words.(I did resize and place the Super Simple Songs tokens on a page to maximize how many could be printed without wasting paper, but because this isn’t my IP, I don’t feel comfortable sharing that sheet.)
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) I Feel! – Juana Medina I’m Sad – Michael Ian Black & Debbie Ridpath Ohi Grumpy Pants – Claire Messer How Do You Feel? – Lizzy Rockwell The Rabbit Listened – Cori Doerrfeld The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh – Supriya Kelkar & Alea Marley When Sadness Is at Your Door – Eva Eland When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry – Molly Bang I Am a Tornado – Drew Beckmeyer I Want to Be Mad for a While! – Barney Saltzberg
This storytime was presented in-person on 4/29, 4/30, & 5/1/24.
**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
Eggs are so intriguing! What’s inside? Who lays eggs? We explored eggs and the animals that lay them this week in storytime. (You could also do some breakfast-y type things, but I didn’t go that route.)
This was also a theme that lent itself very well to flannels. I made two new flannels and reused an old one for this theme!
Early Literacy Tip: Children are so curious about the world around them. Take advantage of this curiosity to help them develop background knowledge. When we talk with our children about things that interest them and when we share books to broaden their knowledge, all this learning they have about the world, big ideas and little facts, will help them later understand what they read.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* I’ve actually stopped doing this one in general, but keep it in my flip display of rhyme and song lyrics so I can use it as a backup at any time.
Intro: (point out eggs on the flannelboard) Oh, my, what are these? Eggs! A lot of animals are born from eggs. I wonder what is inside these eggs?
This is an old standby – I use it a lot! Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT) Five eggs and five eggs, And that makes ten Sitting on top is mother hen Cackle, cackle, cackle, And what do I see? Ten fluffy chicks as yellow as can be Source: Mel’s Desk
Tickle: Chicken in the Barnyard (TT) (TB) (FT) Chicken in the barnyard (circle baby’s hand or tummy) Staying out of trouble Along comes a turkey (move fingers up arm or chest) Gobble, gobble, gobble! (tickle under arm or chin) Source: Jen in the Library
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Read: Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri (TT) This one was nice and simple, but I wished there were turtle eggs or something that was non-avian.
Read: Egg by Kevin Henkes (TB) (FT) The surprise factor was fun!I also appreciated how there were opportunities to talk about emotions. The last (twist) page didn’t quite hit home for my group, but overall the book worked.
Do you know a famous rhyme about a big egg who sits on a wall? A bit of a mash-up: I did the full body movement I found on the intellidance video, while giving the option to rock in a lap as well. I didn’t do the “and crack” she does at the end, but launched straight to “Humpty Dumpty fell in a puddle…” My flannel is double sided, so a quick flip shows Humpty cracked. Action Rhyme: Rock on the Wall (TT) (TB) (FT) 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)
I worked HARD on this flannel, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. To get the heathered look on the duck and duckling, I started with a heathered gray felt and painted it with watercolors. It worked, though it took a long time to dry! I also painted the duck egg a light blue/teal. I wanted all three eggs to look different, and the ducks to be a little more realistic. Wow, here are some more eggs! They look different, don’t they? Flannel Story: Three Eggs in a Basket (TT) (TB) (FT) There were three eggs in a basket. The first egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out came a little chick. The second egg started to rock. Tap, tap, CRACK! A duckling popped out. The third egg began to rock back and forth. Tap, tap, CRACK! Out popped a little turtle! (Did you know turtles came from eggs?) Along came a mother hen. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby? Along came a mamma duck. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby? Along came a mamma turtle. “Where is my baby?” she asked. Which one is her baby? All of the mothers have found all of their babies! Yay! Source: Librarian Is on the Loose
Turtles aren’t the only reptiles that hatch from eggs. Did you know dinosaurs also hatched from eggs? Action Rhyme: Inside Her Eggshell (TT) (TB) (FT) 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
Activity: Dino Eggs (TT) (TB) (FT) Can you find any eggs around our room? See if you can find an egg and bring it to your grownup. Then we’ll see what’s inside! I “hid” plastic eggs with felt dinosaurs made from our die cutter around the room. There aren’t many places to hide things, so this was mostly on top of the chairs that remain at the tables, and a couple in the windowsills. The kids loved finding eggs and bringing them up to the mini-flannelboard (we use with outreach) that was low enough for them to reach (mine is up higher). After the scrum of kids retreated, we counted how many dinos they found. Source: Falling Flannelboards
Now let’s come up and pick out an egg shaker!
Couldn’t do an egg program without some egg shaking! Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers 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! Source: Jbrary
This one actually didn’t work that well. The kids were confused about rolling the egg on the floor, even though I was demoing. I nixed it for the third group. Shaker Rhyme: Little Egg (TT) (TB) Once there was a little egg that jumped down to the floor It started rolling all around then rolled right out the door Little egg, roll, roll, roll, Roll all around Little egg roll, roll, roll, All across the ground Source: Jen in the Library
This was a backup and came in handy when I didn’t do the Little Egg rhyme. Shaker Song: Shake Your Shaker (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
We ended with a recorded song. Recorded Song: I Know a Chicken (TT) (TB) (FT) Source: The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Whaddaya Think Of That?
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Egg Babies (TB) (FT) Inspiration for this craft came from Krokotak, but I wanted the option to choose what egg baby was inside your egg. I used Canva to find outline images of animals that hatch from eggs, and sized them and an egg shape to fit. There were enough egg babies for each child to choose several, and they could switch them out in their egg or glue one down.
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) An Egg Is Quiet – Dianna Aston & Sylvia Long Guess What Is Growing Inside this Egg – Mia Posada Egg – Amy Sky Koster & Lisel Jane Ashlock Hatch! – Roxie Munro Where Are the Eggs? – Grace Lin Tillie Lays an Egg – Terry Golson & Ben Fink First the Egg – Laura Vaccaro Seeger Hello, I’m Here! – Helen Frost & Rick Leider Duck, Duck, Dinosaur – Kallie George & Oriol Vidal Mother Bruce – Ryan T. Higgins
This storytime was presented in-person on 3/25, 3/26, & 3/27/24.
**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
Welcome, 2024! I was off on medical leave during the month of December, so I’m coming back fresh, with a new theme series – colors!
While I was off, I was able to clock in and do some work from home, prepping for upcoming programs, ordering books, and so on. Usually when I’m preparing program plans, I can flip through books and get some inspiration for rhymes and songs based on the books that we’ll share. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to my library’s collection at home, so I was spinning my wheels on how to plan when I hit upon the idea of colors as a theme. It’s very flexible – I was able to select any number of extension activities based on things that are a certain color, and I knew that I would have a lot of options for books to choose from when I returned to work and was able to look at them in person. Plus, I was able to plan out about two and a half months, getting “Pink” in Valentine’s Day week and “Green” in the week before St. Patrick’s.
I chose to do the rainbow colors plus pink, and started with primary colors, blue, red, then yellow. For each color, I brainstormed things that were that color (trying to keep to things that were usually or always that color.) I also searched other storytime blogs for color theme ideas. Here was my brainstorm list for blue:
Blueberries Sky Water/Rain/Ocean Whale/Shark/Fish Blue Jay/Bluebird Butterfly Jeans
I didn’t find any rhymes for jeans (if you know one, please share!), and I saved all my butterfly rhymes for Orange week, but this was a good starting out point. I think my lists for other colors got a bit longer – blue seems a little less naturally-occuring than red or green – but I found plenty of material to use!
Early Development Tip: Learning how to deal with big feelings is one crucial way we can help our child’s development. The act of taking slow, deep breaths triggers a cascade of mind-body systems that can result in increased comfort, relaxation, vigor, and alertness, and reduced symptoms of confusion, anxiety, stress, sadness, and anger – and it works fast. Taking a breathing break regularly gives kids the practice for using this tool when they really need it.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was hips & noses.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)
Intro: Look at these beautiful colors on this color wheel! In the next couple of months, we’re going to get to know each of these colors in our storytimes. Today’s color is blue! Can you think of anything that is blue? Write blue items on whiteboard in blue pen. Is anyone wearing blue today?
I made this color wheel, using the “chart” feature in Canva, since I wanted an unusual seven-wedge pie, including pink, which I couldn’t find already made.
I plan to do this rhyme at the beginning of all of the color sessions. Just in case someone doesn’t wear a particular color, I gave out small colored dot stickers (that my library already had) to each kid as they arrive. Action Rhyme: The Color I See (TT) (TB) (FT) Blue, blue is the color I see If you’re wearing blue, then show it to me Stand up, take a bow, turn around Show me your blue and sit back on the ground Source: Librarian vs. Storytime
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
One very old book, and one very new book, both on the same topic. Read: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw (TT) (FT)
This is a very interactive book! Read: Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser (TB)
I decided to go with three clouds, since I had a lot planned. I’d made these clouds for a moon hiding game. Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Five Little Clouds (TT) (TB) (FT) Five little clouds up in the sky (five fingers up) Drifting, floating way up high (float hand around) When a big gust of wind came blowing through (blow on finger) One disappeared from the sky so blue (lower a finger) Source: Jen in the Library
There’s a lovely bird who flies through the blue sky who is also blue – a bluebird! Fingerplay: Little Bluebird (TT) (FT) Little bluebird rests in a tree (put index finger on shoulder) Little bluebird looks at me (turn index finger inward) Little bluebird chirps, “Hello” (flex finger) Spread your wings and away you go! (spread arms and flap) Source: Librarian vs. Storytime
I did this one right after our cloud counting rhyme during the Teddy Bear session, and that was a mistake. Two counting songs in a row just felt a little repetitive. But it’s a fun song! Do you know who this is? It’s Pigeon! Did you know he was a triplet? Here’s pigeon and his siblings sitting on a wall. Song: Three Blue Pigeons (TB) Three blue pigeons, Sittin’ on a wall Three blue pigeons, Sittin’ on a wall If one of those pigeons should happen to fall… There’d be two blue pigeons sittin’ on a wall! (count down) Source: Long Beach Public Library
Since I have tried and failed to do circle walking songs in the past (too many people, too small a space), I encouraged kids to go round the blueberry bush with their grownup in a two-person circle. Oh, what’s that I see? The bluebird landed on a blueberry bush! Yum! Action Song: The Blueberry Bush (TT) (FT) (tune of The Mulberry Bush) Here we go round the blueberry bush, The blueberry bush, the blueberry bush Here we go round the blueberry bush, So early in the morning!
additional verses: Pick the blueberries, small and round… Taste the blueberries, ripe and sweet… Source: Librarian vs. Storytime
Breathing Break: Ocean Breath (TT) (TB) (FT) Oh, my, I hear something. The ocean! Can we make the sound of the ocean with our breath? Take a big breath in, hold it for just a moment, then let the wave crash – TCHHHHHHH!
I have a blue shark puppet that was fun to pull out during verse two! What might we find in the water? Flannel/Action Song: All the Fish (TT) (TB) (FT) All the fish are swimming in the water (weave hands back and forth as if swimming) Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water All the fish are swimming in the water Bubble, bubble, bubble, (corkscrew index fingers upwards) …SPLASH! (clap)
I showed one of the pails and asked if anyone knew what it was – “Bucket!” of course. Whale would like to play a game with us! Flannel Game: Whale behind the Pail (TT) (TB) (FT) Little whale, little whale, Are you behind the BLUE pail? Source: Long Beach Public Library
So this one we’ll do at the end of each color session, too – so there are some familiarity bookending this series. I have rainbow colored scarves, and pass them out for everyone to wave around while we sing. Scarf Song: Rainbow Colors (TT) (TB) (FT) (tune of Twinkle Twinkle) Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky Red and pink and green and blue Yellow, orange, and purple, too Rainbow colors way up high, Happy colors in the sky Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Blue Abstract Art (TB) (FT) I’ve been thinking about doing more process art, and these color themes are a perfect way to do that. I provide some art supplies (all blue!) and let the kids do what they wish. Each week, I’ll plan to use slightly different media, but hope to keep the craft very open ended. This week I provided blue crayons, blue dot markers, and blue foam stickers and shapes.
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) My Ocean is Blue – Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron Little Blue Truck – Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems Blue Goose – Nancy Tafuri The Proudest Blue – Ibtihaj Muhammad, SK Ali, & Hatem Aly In a Blue Room – Jim Averbeck & Tricia Tusa Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? – Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier Here Comes Ocean – Meg Fleming & Paola Zakimi Blue Chicken – Deborah Freedman Chomp: A Shark Romp – Michael Paul
This storytime was presented in-person on 1/8, 1/9, & 1/10/24.
**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
Here’s another theme with an animal that just feels autumnal, even though yes, of course, owls are around all year. Perhaps it’s their big eyes and the way they show up in Halloween illustrations. In any case, it was very fun to flap our wings and hoot a lot this week. I even heard from a grown-up the following week that their child had been singing “If You Want to Be an Owl” on repeat – yes!
I read the book Owl Babies for two groups, and I wasn’t sure how it would go over. It’s a little longer than the books I usually do, and I’d read mixed reviews on storytime blogs where it worked for some people and didn’t for others. My kids LOVED it. The room was quieter than it ever is, and their eyes were glued to the illustrations. Perhaps I should try more plot-driven titles with a bit of suspense?
Early Literacy Tip: When we say rhymes, play rhyming games with children, and point out the rhyming words, it helps them hear the smaller sounds in words which will help them later when they try to sound out words to read.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week it was hips & noses.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TB) (FT)
Intro: (With owl felt) Whooo is this? Do you know what he says? Today we are going to talk about owls. They have sharp beaks – that is their nose & mouth, and very sharp claws or talons. They sleep during the day and hunt for food at night.
Rhyme: The Owl (TT) (TB) (FT) There’s a wide eyed owl (circle fingers around eyes) With a pointed nose, (forefinger makes a v at end of nose) Two pointed ears, (point fingers up on top of head) and claws for toes, (curl fingers like claws) When he sits up in the tree (point up) and he looks at you, (point out) he flaps his wings, (fold arms and flap) and he says “Whoo, Whoo” Source: Johnson County Library (Kansas)
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
This is a pretty cool book – there are just four words per page, and it reads a little like a palindrome – once you get to the middle, the words are repeated in backwards order, giving it a slightly different meaning and making the story circular. Read: Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin & Rob Dunlavey (TT)
As mentioned above, this one mesmerized both groups I read it too. They helped me by joining in with Bill’s plaintive, “I want my mommy!” which I did in a higher-pitched voice. Read: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson (TB) (FT)
Okay, let’s pretend to be owls! Action Song: If You Want to Be an Owl (TT) (TB) (FT) (tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie) If you want to be an owl, an owl, an owl If you want to be an owl, then flap your wings Flap this way and that way, and that way and this way If you want to be an owl, then flap your wings
Additional verses: …blink your eyes! …say hoot-hoot! Source: original
Fingerplay: Owl’s Eyes (TT) (TB) Owl’s eyes open wide at night (circle eyes with fingers) He looks to the left, he looks to the right He turns his head around and around And then he makes a most curious sound! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Source: King County (WA) Library System
What do you think owls see when they are flying around? The sun? No, the stars! Song: Twinkle, Twinkle (TT) (TB) (FT) 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
I’ve had good luck with flannels that work like the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” This is my take on what the Hoot Owls sees in the tree, using flannels from a variety of other sets. Flannel Rhyme: What Do You See? (TT) (TB) (FT) Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl, what do you see? I see a brown squirrel in the old tree
Brown squirrel-red apple Red apple – green worm Green worm – orange leaf Orange leaf – black crow Black crow – yellow moon (above tree) Yellow moon – Hoot owl hooting at me (Hoo, hoo!) Source: original
This was a fun rhyming game from Jessica at Storytime in the Stacks. I decided just to use words that end in “oo,” but of course you could use rhymes that aren’t spelled the same, too, like “blue” or “shoe.” Flannel Rhyme: Little Baby Owls (FT) Little baby owls learning how to “hoo.” They flap their wings and then say… “boo!” (how many rhymes can you make before the little owls get it right?) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
My owl flannel set was modeled on Storytime Katie’s. Ukulele/Flannel Song: One Night Owl Went Out to Play (TT) (TB) (FT) (tune of Five Little Ducks) One night owl went out to play under the moon so far away He had such enormous fun, That he called out for another owl to come! HOOT! HOOT!
Repeat: 2… 3… 4… Five night owls went out to play under the moon so far away They had such enormous fun, That they played until they saw the sun! …then what did they do? (I put my head in my hands and started to snore) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
I didn’t end up using this one for time, but it’s always good to have a little extra in your back pocket. Action Song: Hoot, Hoot Hoot hoot went the little brown owl one day, Hoot hoot went the little brown owl Hoot hoot went the little brown owl one day, And they all went hoot hoot hoot! But… We know owls go (clap) la de la de la (wavy arms) la de la de la, La de la de la! We know owls go la de la de la They don’t go hoot, hoot, hoot! Additional Verses: Jump jump went the little red squirrel one day… But… We know squirrels go rub a dub a dub (running arms) Grrr, grrr went the big brown bear one day… But… We know bears go huggy, huggy, hug (hug self) Source: Jbrary
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Cupcake Liner Owl Puppets (TB) (FT) After looking at scores of owl crafts, I saw a Pinterest pin from Julia Hull District Library for these cupcake liner owls and knew that was our craft. There’s no blog, it’s just an image pin, but I made a template based on the photo. You can get two owl bodies on a piece of brown construction paper, and I printed the eyes, beaks, and feet on goldenrod paper. I added the craft stick to make it a puppet, and just used white mini cupcake liners for the eye feathers. It was simple to put together and the kids loved it – several came up to show me their creations!
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Little Hoot – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Jen Corace Hooray for Today! – Brian Won Don’t Blink! – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & David Roberts Little Owl’s Night – Divya Srinivasan A Book of Sleep – Il Sung Na “I’m Not Cute!” – Jonathan Allen Good Night Owl – Greg Pizzoli Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise – Sean Taylor & Jean Jullien Owl Love You – Matthew Heroux & Wednesday Kirwan Whoo Goes There? – Jennifer A. Ericsson & Bert Kitchen
This storytime was presented in-person on 10/16, 10/17, & 10/18/23.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for: (TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2 (TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5 (FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
Who doesn’t love mooing and oinking and clucking and neighing? Farm animals are a theme with so many options and resources – the hard part is choosing which songs, rhymes, activities, and books to present!
Although I only read Farmyard Beat in the Toddler Time session, I decided to do rhythm sticks as our prop this week in all the classes. I didn’t find a great transition as to how it related to the farm, but this was a new prop and the kids were all excited to try them out regardless of the theme.
Early Literacy Tip: Imitating animal noises is a great way for kids to practice making language sounds and developing sound meaning. Animal sounds also help children hear the smaller sounds in words, which is good for when they are starting to sound out words to read.
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.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)
Intro: I got out the “barn” that I made from a cardboard box spray painted red. What is this? It’s a barn! Where might we see a barn? On a farm. And who lives in a barn? Farm animals!
As we sang “on that farm he had a…” I popped out an animal from the barn doors, to much delight. Puppet Song: Old MacDonald had a Farm (TT) (TB) (FT) Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O! And on that farm he had a dog, E – I – E – I – O! With a woof, woof here, and a woof, woof there Here a woof, there a woof, everywhere a woof, woof! Old MacDonald had a farm, E – I – E – I – O! Source: traditional
One of my favorites! The graphics for the flannelboard come from the now-defunct Sunflower Storytime. Since the website is no longer available either in its original form or through the Internet Archive, I’m uploading my copy for you. Flannel/Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks (TT) (TB) (FT) Five eggs and five eggs, and that makes ten Sitting on top is Mother Hen Cackle, cackle, cackle (clap, clap, clap) What do I see? Ten fluffy chicks, as cute as can be Source: Mel’s Desk
I thought this was really fun! When I did a search for the song to get the King County link, I learned that this was a Glenn Miller song. Fingerplay: Boogie Woogie Piggy (TT) (FT) This little piggy went to market (pinky) This little piggy stayed home (ring) But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb, waves back and forth) and he boogie-woogied all the way home!
Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink, boogie woogie piggy (x3) (use thumb to pull up nose on the oinks, then dance that piggy!) And he boogie woogied all the way home!
This little piggy had roast beef (middle) This little piggy had none (index) But this little piggy is the boogie woogie piggy (thumb) and he boogie-woogied all the way home! (repeat Oink, oink, oink chorus) Source: King County (WA) Library System
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Read: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown (TT)
This was an absolute hit – the kids could finish the sentences for most of the farm noises, then I got to yell BOO! Read: Cows Go Boo! by Steve Webb & Fred Blunt (TB) (FT)
Rhythm Sticks Intro – Do you have the beat? Let’s make our own beat with rhythm sticks! (I did a little “er, this fit with the other book I read, let’s just have fun with this” in the two sessions that didn’t follow Farmyard Beat.) Practice: Lay them on your shoulders, tap fast & loud, tap soft & quiet, rub them together, roll them in a circle.
Rhythm Stick Song: Count the Beat (TT) (TB) (FT) (tune of Wheels on the Bus) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8… 9… 10! Source: Sarah French
Rhythm Stick Song: This Is the Way We Tap (TT) (TB) (FT) (tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush) This is the way we tap our sticks Tap our sticks, tap our sticks This is the way we tap our sticks At our storytime (repeat with different motions: rub, tap them soft, tap the floor, tap our shoes, roll our sticks, tap them loud, etc) Source: Sarah French
This was a little trickier, since they had to wait with their sticks on their shoulders until the last line, when they could do the action. I saved it for my oldest group. Rhythm Stick Song: If You Have Some Rhythm Sticks (TB) (tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb) If you have some rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks, rhythm sticks (keep sticks on shoulders until last line) If you have some rhythm sticks, You can tap them now (tap!) (repeat with different motions: rub, hammer, drum) Source: Sarah French
Recorded Song: Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer (TT) (TB) (FT) from the album Rhythms on Parade see the video: https://youtu.be/M-UKTeWNgOk
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Muddy Pig Painting (TB) (FT) This was another craft from the Sunflower Storytime blog (I miss it!) I printed the pig template on pink paper and asked a volunteer to cut them out. The kids glued them down, then used cotton balls to get the pig dirty with brown paint. Again, since Sunflower Storytime is no longer with us, I’m uploading the template!
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! – Candace Fleming & Lori Nichols Old MacDonald Had a Farm – Jane Cabrera Five Fuzzy Chicks – Diana Murray & Sydney Hanson On the Farm – David Elliott & Holly Meade Barnyard Banter – Denise Fleming Big Red Barn – Margaret Wise Brown & Felicia Bond Farm Lullaby – Karen Jameson & Wednesday Kirwan The Greedy Goat – Petr Horáček Color Farm – Lois Ehlert Skip to My Moo – Iza Trapani & Maddie Frost
This storytime was presented in-person on 2/6, 2/7, & 2/8/23.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for: (TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2 (TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5 (FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
Although I did a “snow” theme a couple of weeks ago, I still had activities and ideas I couldn’t fit into that program and which followed more of a theme of warm winter clothing.
I think I overplanned a bit for this session, and we skipped several things I had on my list, but it’s better to have too much material than too little. My third session was the one I was planning to retell Froggy Gets Dressed in, but – ironically enough – we had some snow and ice and cancelled programming that day!
Early Literacy Tip: Songs that focus on body parts increase children’s awareness of how different parts of their body can start specific movements. By using their muscles to make the motions in the song, children develop both their gross motor skills and body self-awareness.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) 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.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big*
Intro: When it’s cold outside we need to dress warmly – did anyone wear their Coat today? Hat/boot/mitten/scarf/etc.
Bounce: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Blue Sled (TT) (TB) Bumping up and down in my little blue sled Bumping up and down in my little blue sled Bumping up and down in my little blue sled Won’t you be my darling? (lift)
Hit a rock and we all fell over… (lean to sides) Source: adapted from the traditional
Let’s come inside to drink something hot. Ready to put the kettle on? Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB) I’m a little teapot, short and stout Here is my handle (crook one hand to hip) Here is my spout (hold other hand out to side) When I get all steamed up then I shout: “Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to the side of the spout) Source: traditional
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB)
I think this is more entertaining for the adults than for the kids, but it’s cute and quick and goes through several winter clothing choices. Read: Under My Hood I Have a Hat byKarla Kuskin & Fumi Kosaka (TT)
A newer book about a bundled-up turkey who gives away his warm clothes to friends on the farm. Lots of funny puns and silly illustrations! Read: Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, & Chad Otis (TB)
Fingerplay: Warm Mittens (TT) (TB) I wiggle my left hand, I wiggle my right Inside of my mittens so warm and so tight I wiggle my pinkie, I wiggle my thumbs So when I make snowballs My hands don’t get numb! Source: Adventures of a Bookworm
This was one of the songs that I skipped for time purposes. Another reason is that I hadn’t really worked out what motions to pair with the song, which made it feel awkward to me. If I figure it out, I’ll gladly try again – I am a fan of the My Bonnie tune! Song: My Sweater (tune of My Bonnie) My sweater is warm and cozy My sweater is warm and dry When I play in very cold weather Oh bring me a sweater to wear Oh bring me, bring me, Oh bring me a sweater to wear, to wear Bring me, bring me, oh bring me my sweater to wear Source: Johnson County (KS) Library
This was a fun alternative to the usual tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, with a little built-in anticipation and silliness! Action Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Boots (TT) (TB) (tune of London Bridge) Hat, coat, pants, and boots (touch head, shoulders, knees, and toes) Pants and boots, Pants and boots Hat, coat, pants, and boots Mittens… (wiggle hands) Earmuffs! (hands over ears) (repeat, changing the last item to other clothing or accessories, including silly ones – scarf, glasses, bow tie, umbrella, etc) Source: adapted from Storytime Secrets
This probably should have been done earlier, maybe before the book – it didn’t flow very well in this spot. Bounce: Baby’s in a Bundle (TT) Baby’s in a bundle Baby’s very warm Baby’s very happy In the snowstorm Source: Handley Regional Library System (VA)
I was pretty excited to do this one, but we ended up not having time in the Teddy Bear session, and Family Time was cancelled for weather. I printed and laminated the Froggy and clothing pieces from Kizclub.com (they have lots of great resources!). I enlarged it to fit 11×17″ instead of 8.5×11″, and that seemed like a better size for a flannel for everyone to see. After laminating, I attached velcro dots to hold the clothing in place according to the story. To help them blend in, I colored the velcro with different Sharpie markers, and was pleased at how well they are hidden. This is definitely going to come out again in the future! Retelling: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London & Frank Remkiewicz
Ukulele Song: Fuzzy Wuzzy Blanket (TT) (TB) (tune of the Oscar Mayer jingle) Oh I wish I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket That is what I’d truly like to be ‘Cause if I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket Everyone would snuggle up with me!
Additional verses: …fuzzy wuzzy beanie… …fuzzy wuzzy scarf… …pair of fuzzy mittens… Source: Book Besotted Librarian Blog
Craft: Warm Hat Suncatcher (TB) Inspired by this mitten project at Kinder Craze, I took a look at our library’s die cut designs and realized we had a winter hat die. This was better than mittens since I’d only have to cut out one per kid, and it would use less contact paper. I made an outline for the brim and the main body of the hat and asked volunteers to cut it out, then stuck the outline on a piece of contact paper, replacing the backing paper until we were ready to craft. I then provided tissue squares and another piece of contact paper to seal it all up. I relied on grownups to cut out the shape, punch a hole, and string some yarn through for a hanger. It was a bit more intensive craft, but everyone enjoyed piecing the tissue paper and making colorful designs for their hats.Again, our Family Time program was cancelled due to weather, so I packaged up the materials for that group and offered it in the next week as a Take and Make packet.
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Three Little Kittens – Barbara McClintock Lost. Found. – Marsha Diane Arnold & Matthew Cordell Extra Yarn – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen A Sled for Gabo – Emma Otheguy & Ana Ramírez González Not Now, Cow – Tammi Sauer & Troy Cummings A Hat for Minerva Louise – Janet Morgan Stoeke Winter Babies – Kathryn O Galbraith & Adela Pons Winter is the Warmest Season – Lauren Stringer Sweater Weather – Matt Phelan
This storytime was presented in-person on 1/23 & 1/24/23.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for: (TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2 (TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5 (FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
Oof, it’s been awhile… (Cue the Critical Role crew) It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but I’ll catch up!
I’d done a version of a “Favorites” theme before as a virtual-only program, and transforming it into something that worked for live in-person sessions wasn’t too difficult, but took a little thought. For one, I had a lot of favorite songs and rhymes I wanted to incorporate, more than before. I also was worried about the “voting” aspect – with quite a few kids, I didn’t want to have votes for several different things and then I would have to choose anyway.
So instead, I decided to incorporate an element of chance with a foam six-sided die. I split my favorite rhyme and song selections into groups of six. They seemed to naturally fall into groups of fingerplays, action songs, some scarf songs, and ukulele songs. I added a couple here or there, took a few off the list, and that was it for the planning. For books, I looked at my Goodreads to find my top rated picture books from the last couple of years. It was remarkably quick to plan. (Proponents of themeless storytimes may be thinking – “That’s what I do every week!”)
There was an element of visuals that took a little more work. I always print out the words to our songs and rhymes on an 11×17″ sheet and flip them as we move through storytime. For visual interest, I include a little icon or picture on almost every page. To help make the selections, I printed and laminated the icon from all the songs to put up on the board under the numbers 1-6. That way the group (and I) had a visual cue as to which song corresponded with each die roll. My stack of song sheets was a lot larger than usual, but it worked just fine.
This was a lot of fun. My songs consisted of some favorites that everyone knew – Two Little Blackbirds, I’m a Little Teapot, Wheels on the Bus – but I also explained that some of them were favorites of mine that they may not have heard before. Some just never fit with my previous themes. That mix of familiar and unfamiliar seemed to add some excitement.
Early Literacy Tip: Talking with your children, especially as you share books, is one of the best ways to develop your children’s vocabulary. In books they see things they might not otherwise see, like different kinds of animals. Take advantage of expanding their vocabulary by talking with them about the pictures in books.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (TT) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (TT) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week was elbows and ears.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)
Intro: Today I wanted to do some of my favorite storytime songs, rhymes and books. Some might be new to you, but some might be your favorites, too! I have so many favorites, I picked too many, so we are going to get some help in what we do today!
For each group of songs, I put up the icons and said the titles. If I got a lot of “Little Teapot!” just from that, I’d make that one of our choices. Otherwise, we rolled the foam die to decide (no repeats!) Fingerplay: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list: 1. Five Plump Peas (FT) 2. Two Little Blackbirds 3. I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB) 4. Slowly, Slowly 5. Hickory Dickory Dock (TT) 6. Here is the Beehive (TB) (FT)
Five Plump Peas Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand) One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one) they grew, and they grew, and they grew, and never stopped (hands get wider and wider) They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then CLAP!) Source: Jbrary
Two Little Blackbirds Two little blackbirds (pointer fingers up) Sitting on a hill One named Jack (wiggle one finger) One named Jill (wiggle the other finger) Fly away, Jack (first finger hides behind back) Fly away, Jill (second finger hides behind back) Come back, Jack (first finger returns) Come back, Jill (second finger returns) Source: traditional
I’m a Little Teapot I’m a little teapot, Short and stout Here is my handle (crook one hand to hip) Here is my spout (hold other hand out to side) When I get all steamed up then I shout: “Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to the side of the spout) Source: traditional
Slowly, Slowly (fist with thumb sticking out is “snail,” which crawls slowly up one arm, then the other) Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail
(fingers wiggle up one arm then the other quickly, then tickle under the chin) Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse Quickly, quickly very quickly ‘Round about the house Source: Jbrary
Hickory Dickory Dock Hickory, dickory dock The mouse ran up the clock (fingers scurry up arm) The clock struck one (pause and clap once) The mouse ran down (fingers scurry down arm) Hickory dickory dock
…2, the mouse said, “boo!” (hands splay out) …3, the mouse said, “whee!” (arms go wide) …4, the mouse said, “no more!” (shake finger) Source: Jbrary
Here is the Beehive Here is the beehive (make fist) But where are all the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers) They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle) Source: Jbrary
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (TT) (TB) (FT)
For each group, I gave them a choice between two of the four that I chose for the week, and they voted. Of the four, only Mel Fell was not chosen. All were fun, but I think Animals Go Vroom! got the best response! Read: Animals Go Vroom! by Abi Cushman (TT) Read: Strollercoaster by Matt Ringler, Raúl the Third, Elaine Bay (TB) Read: Just In Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano & Christian Robinson (FT) Read: Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
Action Song: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list: 1. All the Fish (TT) 2. The Old Gray Cat (FT) 3. Five Coyotes 4. Hippopotamus on the City Bus (FT) 5. My Dog Rags (TB) 6. Bananas Unite! (TT) (TB)
All the Fish All the fish are swimming in the water (hands zig zag in front) Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water All the fish are swimming in the water Bubble, bubble, bubble, …SPLASH! (both hands corkscrew upwards, then clap together)
All the ducks are quacking… (hand opens and closes like a duck) All the frogs are jumping… (jump!) All the kids are splashing… (slap hands downward as if splashing) Source: Caspar Babypants, from the album I Found You
The Old Gray Cat The old gray cat is sleeping, Sleeping, sleeping (cradle head in hands) The old gray cat is sleeping In the house (hands join together above head)
The little mice are creeping… (tiptoe and hands “paw” forward) The little mice are nibbling… (hands come to mouth) The old gray cat is creeping… (hands “stalk” forward) The little mice are hiding… (hide face with hands) So the old gray cat is sleeping… (cradle head in hands) Source: King County (WA) Library System
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
Hippo on the Bus (bounce or slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse) A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus Got on, got on, got on a city bus And all, and all, and all the people said, “You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)
A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus And all, and all, and all the people said, “Mooooove over!” (lean far to one side)
A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (motion hand down or fall thru knees) A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back) Source: Jbrary
My Dog Rags I have a dog and his name is Rags He eats so much that his tummy sags (arms circle in front of tummy) His ears flip flop and his tail wig wags (flop hands up and down by ears, then wiggle bottom) And when he walks, he goes zig zag! (zig zag hands together)
(repeat motions above) He goes flip flop, wig wag, (pause) zig zag (x3) I love Rags and he loves me! (hug self) Source: Jbrary
Bananas Unite Bananas……unite! (arms meet and extend above head) Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas (x2) (one arm opens to the side, then the other) Chop bananas, chop chop bananas (x2) (one hand chops across other palm) Mash bananas, mash mash bananas (x2) (palms mash together) Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas (x2) (bring hands to mouth) Goooooooooo BANANAS! (wild arms) Source: Jbrary
These were clear favorites in every class, so we chose the same songs this grouping! Action Song 2: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list: 1. The Elevator Song 2. The Wheels on the Bus (TT) (TB) (FT) 3. A Smooth Road 4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes 5. Tick, Tock 6. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (TT) (TB) (FT)
Elevator Song Oh, the city is great and the city is grand! There’s a whole lot of people (hands go wide) On a little piece of land (hands come together) And we live way up on the 57th floor (point up) And this is what we do when we go out the door: (point out)
(either lift baby up and down, or reach tall and crouch down) We take the elevator up and the elevator down, Take the elevator up, take the elevator down Take the elevator up and the elevator down And we turn around (spin in a circle) Source: Jbrary
I usually only do 3 or 4 total verses for this – sometimes there are favorites so I’ll ask what else the bus does. Wheels on the Bus The wheels on the bus go Round and round, round and round, round and round (fists circle) The wheels on the bus go round and round All through the town!
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish… (arms pivot back and forth) The doors on the bus Open and shut… (arms move apart and together) The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep… (hand mimes pushing a button) The driver on the bus says “Move on back”… (cock thumb back to shoulder) The people on the bus go Up and down… (bounce body up and down) The baby on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah”… (fists wring at eyes) The parents on the bus say “Shh, shh, shh”… (lift forefinger to lips) Source: traditional
A Smooth Road A smooth road! (repeat x4)(slowly, and sway baby gently) A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down) 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
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (touch each body part as it’s mentioned) Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes! Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes Eyes and ears and a mouth and nose, Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes! (can repeat, singing faster) Source: traditional
Tick, Tock, Tick Tock Tick tock, tick tock (bounce or sway baby on lap) I’m a little cuckoo clock tick tock tick tock Now I’m striking one o’clock: cuckoo! (lift on each cuckoo) (repeat, counting up) Source: Jbrary
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (rhythmically slide hands past each other) Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon If you’d like to take a trip (fingers walk up opposite arm) climb aboard my rocket ship (repeat on other arm) Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon In 5…4…3…2…1…BLAST OFF! (count on hands, crouch lower and lower, then jump, or lift baby) Source: Jbrary
Scarf Songs: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 3-4 from list: 1. Jack in the Box (TT) (TB) (FT) 2. Popcorn Kernels (TT) (TB) (FT) 3. Peek a Boo 4. Shake it to the East (TB) (FT) 5. One Bright Scarf (TT) 6. Row Your Boat (TT) (TB) (FT)
Jack in the Box (scrunch scarf up in one fist) Jack in the box (shake fist in rhythm with rhyme) Sits so still Will he come out? Yes, he will! (pull scarf out from fist and wave) Source: Jbrary
Popcorn Kernels (tune of Frère Jacques) Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarf overhead) In the pot, in the pot (bunch up in fist) Shake them, shake them, shake them / shake them, shake them, shake them (shake fists) ‘Til they POP, ‘til they POP (toss scarves up) Source: Jbrary
Peekaboo (tune of Frère Jacques) Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo, I see you, I see you (alternately hide face and reveal with scarf) I see your button nose, I see your tiny toes (touch nose and toes) I see you! Peek-a-boo! Source: Jbrary
Shake it to the East Shake it to the east (shake scarf to one side) Shake it to the west (then to the other) Shake it all around and (shake in a circle) Then you take a rest (clasp hands, stilling scarf)
Shake your scarves up Shake your scarves down Shake it, shake it, shake it, and Then you settle down Source: Jbrary
One Bright Scarf One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow (wave scarf) Toss it up high, and wave it down low Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf behind back, under shirt, etc) Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is! Source: Jbrary
Row, Row, Row Your Boat Row, row, row your boat (hold both ends of scarf across body, then move forward and back like oars) Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily (wave scarf) Life is but a dream!
Rock, rock, rock your boat (rock body and move scarf up and down) Gently down the stream If you see a crocodile Don’t forget to SCREAM! (Aaah!) (wave scarf wildly)
Row, row, row your boat Gently to the shore If you see a lion there Don’t forget to ROAR! (Grrrrr!) (wave scarf while making claws) Source: traditional (mostly)
I let them keep their scarves to dance with during our last song. Ukulele/Dancing Songs: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 1 from list: 1. Mr. Sun 2. Apples & Bananas (TT) (TB) 3. Down By the Bay 4. Shake My Sillies Out (FT) 5. How Much is that Doggie in the Window? 6. You Are My Sunshine
Mr. Sun Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Please shine down on me Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Hiding behind a tree These little children are asking you To please come out so we can play with you Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Please shine down on me Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young
Apples and Bananas (begin with the correct pronunciation, then change the long 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
…ate ayples and ba-nay-nays …eet eeples and ba-nee-nees …ite iples and ba-ni-nis …ote oples and ba-no-nos …ute uples and ba-nu-nus Source: Raffi, from the album One Light, One Sun
Down by the Bay Down by the bay, Where the watermelons grow Back to my home, I dare not go For if I do, my mother will say: “Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail, Down by the bay?”
…goose kissing a moose… …fly wearing a tie… …bear combing his hair… …see llamas eating pajamas… …have a time you couldn’t make a rhyme… Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young
I decided to change “crazies” to “kookies” to help destigmatize mental health issues. Shake My Sillies Out I gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out Shake, shake, shake my sillies out Shake, shake, shake my sillies out And wiggle my waggles away!
I gotta clap, clap, clap my kookies out… I gotta jump, jump, jump my jiggles out… I gotta stretch, stretch, stretch my stretchies out… I gotta yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out… Source: Raffi, from the album Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band
How Much is that Doggie in the Window? How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!) The one with the waggily tail? How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!) I do hope that doggie’s for sale
Kitty…meow…whiskers so long Birdie… tweet tweet…flappity wings Rabbit…hop hop…hoppity legs Fishy… glub glub… swimmity fins Source: traditional
You Are My Sunshine You are my sunshine, My only sunshine You make me happy When skies are gray You’ll never know, dear, How much I love you Please don’t take My sunshine away Source: traditional
Craft: My Favorites Coloring Sheet (TB) (FT) Last week’s craft, the puffy snow paint, was pretty involved, so it was really lovely (on my end) to just print out some pages and put them out with our crayon bins. The kids didn’t complain.This is a sheet I created using Canva for the last Favorites session (at a different library), so I just reused it.You can download a copy here.
Play Time The toddlers have two laundry baskets of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older kids, I have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, and a few other items that are a little more sophisticated than the baby toys. For Family Time, I gauge the overall age of the group and put out what seems right for them. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. I think the clean up bit is good practice for them!
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (TT) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (for this theme, just choose your favorites!) Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse – Jane Godwin & Blanca Gómez Bathe the Cat – Alice B McGinty & David Roberts I Love You Because I Love You – Mượn Thị Văn & Jessica Love Off-Limits – Helen Yoon Pokko and the Drum – Matthew Forsythe You Matter – Christian Robinson Nanette’s Baguette – Mo Willems Everybody in the Red Brick Building – Anne Wynter & Oge Mora The Day You Begin – Jacqueline Woodson & Rafael López Thank You, Omu! – Oge Mora Crash, Splash, or Moo! – Bob Shea Lulil & the Language of Tea – Andrea Wang & Hyewon Yum Crown – Derrick Barnes & Gordon C. James We Sang You Home – Richard Van Camp & Julie Flett Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite – Stacey McAnulty & Edward Hemingway Vroom! – Barbara McClintock
This storytime was presented in-person on 1/16, 1/17, & 1/18/23.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for: (TT) Toddler Time, ages 1-2 (TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5 (FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
I’ve been wanting to do a New Year’s program for a while, after having seen fabulous posts from other librarians like Fat Girl Reading, Librerin,Book Cart Queens, and Storytimes at the Library. I finally committed and it was tons of fun! We had a turnout of 43 kids with 32 adults, for a total of 75 – larger than any storytime I’d done before. Our library is always closed on the actual New Year’s Eve, so we celebrated the eve of the eve on December 30.
My scope was a little wider than my usual storytimes (babies and toddlers ages 0-3.5), but I still wanted this to be a “storytime” kind of program. The description let caregivers know that the program was geared to kids ages 2-6, but older and younger siblings were welcome. The registration allowed anyone 0-8 sign up, to accommodate kids who might not be developmentally in line with their actual age.
This felt like a program that I spent a lot of time preparing and thinking about – from the structure and activities, to timing and supplies – it was on my mind for at least a month and a half! It was scheduled from 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, which gave me a very strict timeline in order to hit the noon countdown just right. I wanted the crafts to actually be used with the storytime, so we started with them, and I budgeted 10 minutes to get two crafts done. Definitely something I would change next time! It actually felt like I was checking people in for almost the whole 10 minutes. Thankfully, everyone was gracious. There were 5-6 families who just had infants or babies with them that forwent the crafts altogether, and everyone seemed to get at least partially done by the time we started activities.
Storytime was budgeted 15-18 minutes, then the countdown. After that, there were options for different station activities families could do, so it dispersed the crowd a bit while still allowing for engagement. I led a dance party, we had photo ops, coloring and worksheets, a scavenger hunt, and anyone who didn’t finish a craft could still do that.
I’ll definitely try this program again next year, with some lessons learned and confidence from having the experience under my belt already.
Early Literacy Tip: Connecting your child to holidays and traditions is an important part of their cultural knowledge. Using a song like Hickory Dickory Dock or Tick Tock to demonstrate the tradition of staying up until midnight forms new connections in the brain, and helps them learn to see relations that will eventually help with reading comprehension. In addition, use books to find out what other cultures do to celebrate common holidays to learn more about the world around us.
Scavenger Hunt
This activity was actually available to anyone all day long. Using Canva, I assembled twelve icons representing typical New Year’s activities and symbols and hid them all around the children’s department. There were handouts showing each picture and as kids found them they could check it off their sheet. When they found them all they got a sticker from our stash. Simple and cheap, and it was a big hit. I know a lot of libraries do scavenger hunts regularly, but ours had not. We may need to start!
As mentioned above, I had two crafts that I wanted everyone to make BEFORE we started storytime, and I gave them 10 minutes to do it. (Ha.) We made crowns with 2023 on them, and noisemakers made of paper plates and dry cereal. I tried to emphasize to adults to get the crafts functional and then let the kids decorate them in any time remaining, and I also tried to make it as easy as possible. It worked fine for the kids that were there on time, but I had a lot of stragglers who didn’t get a chance to make everything. It worked out, and I had shaker eggs available for anyone who didn’t get their noisemaker finished before we started, which alleviated any upsets. We opened the divider between our two adjacent children’s program rooms so half was used for crafts, and the other half was for storytime. It was nice to have the room for both without having to move anything during the program.
Crowns I cut large sheets of construction paper (18×24″) in half lengthwise using a zig-zag. 24 inches seemed just a little too short to fit around an average 5 year old’s head, so each crown was one full length strip stapled to a half a strip (which was pre-done, so all they needed to do was glue on their numbers and staple it to fit their child’s head.) I used all different colors and used our die-cut machine to punch out 2s, 3s, and 0s, and there were crayons for decorating. I’d considered putting out stickers, too, but I simplified.
Noisemakers I saw a Pin from Kiddie Crafts 365 for paper plate noisemakers that looked perfect for Noon Year’s Eve. I provided paper plates, dry cereal for inside, colorful strips of construction paper, crayons and lots of staplers.
Storytime
At 11:38, I gave a two-minute warning to finish up crafts, and then started our first song at 11:40. That allowed people to trickle over from the crafts area even after we started. Throughout the whole storytime, I had a countdown projected on the wall. You can make a customized countdown at timeanddate.com (the pre-made New Year’s one can’t be changed from the actual New Year’s midnight, so I couldn’t use that one.) It was extremely helpful to be able to glance up to see it at any time.
Set up w/ books and projected countdown on the left and all the props + bubble wrap squares on the right
Welcome! We are here to celebrate the new year – which year will it be? 2023! Let’s start with a little celebration song. Now, we’ll be doing some motions, but when Jim Gill sings “WAIT…” we are going to freeze. Ready?
Welcome/Recorded Song: Can’t Wait to Celebrate We clap our hands when we get together Clap our hands to celebrate We clap our hands when we get together My friends and I can hardly wait… To stamp our feet….. To wave hello….. To bounce up and down… To clap our hands… Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Irrational Anthem & More Salutes to Nonsense”
Talk: So why are we celebrating? Well, the calendar is changing from the end of one year to the next year. We should note that there are other calendars that change from one year to the next at a different time than this one – some people celebrate those new years instead of or in addition to this one! Each have special traditions that make them special. Does anyone know of a new year’s tradition? Party, fancy clothes, countdown, ball drop, fireworks, midnight kiss, auld lang syne, resolutions, good luck foods – peas, greens, cabbage, pork.
One thing people do is cheer the moment it changes from one year to another. That means staying up until midnight and watching the clock! Let’s do a song about the clock. Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock Hickory, dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock the clock struck one (clap once) the mouse ran down, hickory dickory dock!
…two… the mouse said, boo! …three… the mouse said, whee! …four… the mouse said, no more! Source: Jbrary
One of my favorite parts of New Year’s Eve is the dancing! There are often parties where you can dance and have a good time. Let’s read a book about dancing! I absolutely love this book – the illustrations are so fun. I was really glad that it was available as an e-book so I was able to check that out and project it on the wall so everyone could see. Since my audience skewed a little older than my usual group, I was also happy I could do a longer book like this one for them! Read: How Do You Dance? by Thyra Heder
Another tradition when the new year comes is to make a lot of noise! You’ve made some beautiful noisemakers here. Let’s use them in this song! I wanted to make sure we used those noisemakers a lot during the storytime. Shaker Song: Shake it To the East Shake it to the east Shake it to the west Shake it all around and Then you take a rest
Shake your shakers up Shake your shakers down Shake it, shake it, shake it, and Then you settle down Source: Jbrary
Waiting for the countdown is making me hungry – let’s make some popcorn! 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
Shaker Song: If You’re Ready for the New Year (tune of If You’re Happy & You Know It) If you’re ready for the New Year shake up high If you’re ready for the New Year shake up high If you’re ready for the New Year If you’re ready for the New Year If you’re ready for the New Year shake up high! (change action: wave bye-bye (to the old year), shake it fast, slow, low) Source: Book Cart Queens
At this point I only had one more song planned, and looking at my countdown I had 6 minutes to go! (I guess I went faster than I had in practice.) So I pulled out the back up book that I’d planned if my group was too young for the longer How Do You Dance. (By the way, there is a serious gap in books about the New Year – publishers, take note! The only picture books in our library were way too long (and there were very few of them), so I had to ILL a couple board book titles out of desperation. Corduroy had a slightly better story and beat out Happy New Year Spot by Eric Hill.) Read: Happy New Year, Corduroy by Don Freeman & Lisa McCue
It’s almost time for our countdown! Let’s practice with this song. It’s a take on one of our favorite storytime songs, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, but it’s the NY Edition! Lifting Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (NY Edition) Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, The year is changing soon Zoom zoom zoom, The year is changing soon If you want to make a wish Hold it tight inside your fist Zoom zoom zoom, The year is changing soon In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year! Source: Jbrary
Countdown
So, many of the libraries who wrote up their Noon Year’s programs culminated in a balloon drop and/or confetti of some kind. I was not excited about that – messy, lots of possible failures and disappointment with a drop that didn’t work (plus our ceilings aren’t very high), as well as the potential for scared kids at popped balloons, not to mention the choking hazard balloons can be. So, brainstorming alternatives, we went with stomping bubble wrap and blowing bubbles, and the kids loved it. It’s so much less messy, still noisy but not scary, and sustains the excitement for as long as the bubble machine is going!
So after two runs through Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we had three minutes left on the countdown, which was perfect. I handed out a square of bubble wrap to each kiddo (with help from some of the grown-ups!) and got us in place, watching the clock. With a minute and a half, we went into one of my backup noisemaker songs, We Wiggle and We Wiggle and We Stop, to fill the last few seconds of time. Which… took us up to 5 seconds (I must have forgotten to look up often enough!) but that was fine! We counted down 5 seconds, then jumped and stomped and chased bubbles while shouting Happy New Year! I started my Noon Year playlist on Spotify, which starts with Caspar Babypants’ Days Gone By (which is basically Auld Lang Syne). It’s kind of long and slow, so I was able to turn the volume down after we’d had a few minutes of bubbles and announce to everyone what would be happening next.
Stations
So after the countdown, we had a few things that families could do.
Dance Party I stayed in the storytime area and hosted a dance party! I had extra shakers and scarves available to use throughout. My playlist was mostly kids movement songs, but I sprinkled in a couple grooving pop hits as well. As you see, Can’t Wait to Celebrate and Days Gone By were both on the playlist, so the dance party started with Pop, Pop, Pop, and I kept the bubble machine going through that one before putting it away. The total music time was a little over 30 minutes, but I actually skipped a couple songs and ended with the Baby Bear Waltz at 12:25. I only had two die-hard families that stuck it out with me the whole time, but we had fun! The others petered out maybe halfway through.
Photo Booth Families could snap a photo for the new year, using props if they wanted. I used black butcher paper to make the backdrop, with a purchased Happy New Year banner and some gold glittery shapes (I was slightly worried they’d get pulled down, but they were intact at the end!) I printed the year and our library logo, plus a little “tag us” hashtag for social media purposes. A colleague was available to help take pictures (and oversee that end of the room since I was busy dancing!) The props were a purchase from Etsy seller GlitterInkDesigns, and I was really happy with them. There were a TON of options (like, 55?) in the printable, and there were lots that had nothing to do with drinking. The photo booth props I saw at Party City were almost all about being drunk and champagne toasts (fine for an adult party, but not so great for my purposes.)
Make a Wish Wall “What is your wish for 2023?” We had post it notes and pens available to see what kids wanted in the year ahead. I started us off with “Walks in the park” and “Time for reading.” After the program, we moved the sign and existing notes to a window right by our children’s door, and have had lots of wishes added!
Some of my favorites include “that dinosaurs would come back,” “I could get another german shepard,” “get better at bike without training wheels,” “[scribbles] learn to write my numbers [in an adult hand],” and “for chocolate chips.”
Year in Review and Coloring Sheets It seems a little silly for little kids to make New Year’s resolutions, but I really liked the idea of a “Year in Review” sheet that they and their grownups could fill out. It includes some “resolution-y” kinds of things like what/where they would like to “learn,” “go,” or “try” in the new year but the emphasis is not on improvement. I also had a coloring sheet on the back of my usual take-home page that includes book suggestions, song, and rhyme lyrics. Of course, all the craft materials were still out on this side of the rooms, so kids could finish or start their crafts if they hadn’t already.
As mentioned above, there’s a serious dearth of books available on New Year’s. When I started thinking outside the box, to dancing and celebrations/parties, I had a lot more options. Here are other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) ABC Dance – Sabrina Moyle & Eunice Moyle The More the Merrier – David Martin & Raissa Figueroa Night Before New Year’s – Natasha Wing & Amy Wummer Baby Party – Rebecca O’Connell & Susie Poole If You Give a Pig a Party – Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond Everybunny Dance! – Ellie Sandall Where is Bina Bear? – Mike Curato How Do You Wokka-Wokka? – Elizabeth Bluemle & Randy Cecil Hilda Must Be Dancing – Karma Wilson & Suzanne Watts Duck Sock Hop – Jane Kohuth & Jane Porter
This storytime was presented in-person on 12/30/22.
Everyone loves cookies, right? I did this theme for the first time before starting this blog, but even so, I made a lot of changes to my old plan for this year. I looked for more activities to suit the age I work with now, and replaced an extensive prop story use of the “Ten Little…” song melody that I’d used before I knew better. I think this is a better mix. I also had a fairly different plan for the younger Book Babies program than the one for the older Teddy Bears (Family time skewed younger, so I used the same plan as BB), with a different slate of songs and rhymes in addition to the books.
To be honest, the actual programs went a little haywire – I had a couple of kids/families that were pretty wired up and I felt off my game. That happens. I generally either plow on or just cut short what I’m doing in favor of going to either the next song with movement or finishing up with Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, always our last song. That didn’t really help this time! What kinds of strategies do you use when kiddos are extra wiggly and distracted?
Early Literacy Tip: Showing a child how to follow a recipe not only introduces print in a new way, but also develops early math skills through measuring. It also teaches the ability to follow directions. For babies, set out a small tub filled with uncooked beans or rice. Give them a scoop and let them play while you’re in the kitchen.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* (BB) (TB) (FT)**
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* (BB) (TB) (FT) This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. This week was shoulders and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (BB) (FT)
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)
Intro: Mmm, today I’m in the mood for cookies! Let’s make some cookies together.
Rhyme: Pat a Cake (Cookie Style) (BB) (FT) Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s man (clap hands together) Bake me a cookie as fast as you can Roll it (roll hands) And pat it (pat lap) And mark it with a “C” (draw a C in the air or on baby’s belly) And put it in the oven for you and me! (point) Source: adapted from the traditional
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story* (BB) (TB) (FT)
Read: Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington (BB) (FT)
I love this book, but it didn’t really work well for my group. This was the EXTRA wiggly group, so that may have been a factor, but I did notice with this retelling that it seemed a missed opportunity that “but the Cow loves cookies” was not consistently repeated after everygrouping. The repetition of the other animals made the book drag a little, too. The lilting rhymes help, but I think this is better for a little older kids. Read: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson & Marcellus Hall (TB)
Tickle: Round and Round the Batter Bowl (BB) (FT) Round and round the batter bowl (circle on baby’s belly) One, two, three! (gentle poke on each number) A little here, a little there (touch both cheeks) As tasty as can be! (tickle or nibble belly!) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
I did this and Here’s a Cup for all three programs, but for Teddy Bears we did them before our book. Rhyme: Making Cookies (BB) (TB) (FT) (mime each action unless otherwise indicated) I am making cookie dough (point to self) Round and round the beaters go (roll hands) Add some flour from a cup Stir and mix the batter up Roll them, cut them nice and neat Put them on a cookie sheet Bake them, count them, 1, 2, 3 (count with fingers) Then serve them to my friends for tea! Source: Jen in the Library
The arms on my Scaredy Squirrel puppet that I usually use as my “little one” when I demonstrate rhymes are not long enough for this to work! I asked a grownup to help me demonstrate, then we did the rhyme twice more. Fingerplay: Here’s a Cup (BB) (TB) (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
Even though I didn’t read The Cow Loves Cookies for these sessions, I used my cow puppet to gobble up all the cookies. Click the source link to get Jessica’s template for the sugar cookie flannel!(I made six cookies, but only used five for this group) Puppet/Flannel Rhyme: Down Around the Corner (BB) (FT) Down around the corner at the bakery store Were five sugar cookies with frosting galore! Along came a cow looking for a treat… She saw those cookies and she took one to eat! (count down) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
So this is the song I adapted to replace the “Ten Little” melody. In the past I had a flannel oven, cookie sheet, and 10 cookies that a volunteer helped me make at my old library and followed the prop story from One Little Librarian (the blog is now not available to the public). I had left the flannel at that library and didn’t make a replacement, so this was just an action song for us. BUT, I did have laminated cookies for all the kids that I gave out during the “cool the cookies” verse that they fed to Cookie Monster later in the session. Action Song: This Is the Way We Make Cookies (TB) (tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush) This is the way we pour the flour, Pour the flour, pour the flour This is the way we pour the flour To make our cookie treats
Additonal verses: Now we cream the butter & sugar… This is the way we stir the dough… Bake the dough… Cool the cookies… Eat the cookies… Source: original
You know who else loves to eat cookies? Cookie monster! This was made with a fairly high resolution picture of Cookie Monster, printed on cardstock and laminated, then attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper. Song: C is for Cookie (TB) C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie – Starts with C! Source: Sesame Street, From the Album “Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites”
After this rhyme, the kids took their paper cookies and fed them to Cookie Monster. Action Rhyme: Cookies Up (TB) Cookies up! Cookies down! Hold your cookie & turn around Cookies up! Cookies down! Wave your cookies all around Source: adapted from One Little Librarian
I wanted to make this a little longer, so made up the second and third verses. I’m particularly proud of the “mustachy” couplet! I asked everyone to join in on the echoes, and either raise their hands or do a lift there. Ukulele Song: I Wish I Were a Little Cookie Crumb (BB) (TB) (FT) (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!) Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!) I’d go crumby, crumby, crumby Over everybody’s tummy Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
Additional verses: Oh, I wish I were a little chocolate chip (chocolate chip!)… I’d be melty and sweet And leave chocolate in your teeth…
Oh, I wish I were a cold glass of milk (glass of milk!)… I’d go splishy splishy splashy And leave you a cute mustachy… Source: verse 1, North Mankato Taylor Library (MN), verses 2 & 3, original
One last song for the babies! Let’s wash up our faces from all the messy cookie crumbs! Body Song: Eyes, Nose, Cheeky, Cheeky, Chin Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin Eyes, nose cheeky cheeky chin Cheeky cheeky chin, nose, eyes Source: King County (WA) Library System
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (BB) (TB) (FT)
Craft: Cookie Design Craft We had giant cookies that could be decorated with crayons and adhesive foam shapes, mounted on another sheet of construction paper. I encouraged the kids to think about what flavor their cookie might have, and if they had a special name for their recipe.
Play Time The babies 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* (BB) (TB) (FT)
Goodbye Rhyme: Tickle the Stars* (BB) (TB) (FT)
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? – Mo Willems Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? – George Shannon & Julie Paschkis Baker Baker Cookie Maker – Linda Hayward & Tom Brannon If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond May I Please Have a Cookie? – Jennifer E. Morris Gingerbread Baby – Jan Brett Good Night, Knight – Betsy Lewin The Cookie Fiasco – Dan Santat Stop and Smell the Cookies – Gibson Frazier & Micah Player
This storytime was presented in-person on 12/12, 12/13, & 12/14/22.
**These symbols indicate the program sessions I used the activities for: (BB) Book Babies, ages 0-2 (TB) Teddy Bears, ages 2-3.5 (FT) Family Time, ages 0-3.5
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 