Tag: toddler

Storytime: Pockets

Posted on by msemilylibrary

I find pockets in clothing are kind of exciting. You can store treasures that you find on your adventures. And if you’ve walked around without any or adequate pockets (ahem, women’s clothing, I’m looking at you), you know how much you miss them when they’re gone.

I was actually surprised at how few books about children and their pockets there were to be found in my library – I wonder if the waning popularity of letting children roam and explore outdoors makes pockets a little less important to today’s children. Or perhaps it hasn’t been a publishing trend. In any event, I was inspired by the new book The Pocket Book by Hinrichs & Breckenreid, and bought a couple others for the collection to support this theme. In addition, we talked about kangaroos and their incredible biological pockets, as well as their adorable joeys.

I was extra crafty for this session, too. In addition to creating some pockets for the flannel board, I knit a little worm finger puppet and used my sewing machine to add some pockets to an apron. I enjoy crafting a lot so this was fun!

Early Literacy Tip: Crafts and activities like our lacing pocket develop fine motor skills, which means strengthening and developing accuracy in our finger muscles. These are the same muscles they will need for writing. And writing a P for Pocket or your child’s name help develop their letter knowledge. The activities you do with your children all work together to help build a strong foundation for reading later on. -adapted The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Do your clothes have any pockets today? Mine do, and that’s always exciting! You can put all kinds of things in your pocket to save for later.

First, let’s find a pocket! Maybe your pocket is pretend, maybe it’s real.
At the end of the song, we talked about what they would want to put in their pockets. I got some good answers, such as a rock, their pet, or a hand!
Action Song: Where’s Your Pocket? (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Where’s your pocket? Where’s your pocket?
Find it now, find it now
What will you put in it? What will you put in it?
Tell me now! Tell me now!
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

where's your pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of overalls with pink arrows pointing to three visible pockets. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This book is a bit abstract, so we spent some time looking at the items on the page and what they could represent.
Read: The Pocket Book by Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs & Julia Breckenreid (TT) (FT)

the pocket book book cover

I also tried this sweet book about a joey who’s afraid of everything. The kids enjoyed making the noises of the animals that joey encounters. In the session I read this book, I moved the kangaroo rhyme up to directly follow the book, then kept the order of the other activities the same.
Read: Pouch! by David Ezra Stein (TB)

pouch book cover

This rhyme works with anything – just think of a one-line hint to put in the middle to describe your object. I kept two of the hints from the Wielded Pen’s original post, but replaced the clock and the flashlight with small toys – a bouncing ball and a matchbox car.
When creating the felt, I cut two pieces of felt for each pocket and hand-sewed them together with embroidery floss and glued die-cut numbers on the fronts. Because they needed to hold a bit of weight and stay up on the board, I added some extra Velcro to the backs to keep them stuck on. It worked, and they held the weight of the toy car without an issue. Of course, you could always print pictures of the items instead of using real items.
Let’s try a guessing game. I have four pockets up on the board. Can you guess what’s inside each of them? I’ll give you a hint.
Rhyming Game: What’s In My Pocket? (TT) (TB) (FT)
I have a little pocket where something can hide
[Hint!]
Do you know what’s inside?

Hints from storytime:
…It opens doors and starts the car (key)
…It’s used to draw in a coloring book (crayon)
…It’s fun to bounce and catch outdoors (ball)
…When we play it rolls and I say “vroom!” (toy car)
Source: The Wielded Pen

what's in my pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a plain pocket with a question mark above it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A fun song that was new to me. The recording is nice, with the instrumentation dropping out each time a finger is lost, but I wanted a bit more space in between the verses for us to count the remaining fingers, so I just sang the tune myself. Mar’s recording (linked below) is helpful as she gives some tips and tricks for adults.
When I put my hand in my pocket, I can keep all my fingers warm. But have you ever lost something in your pocket?
Action Song: Five Fingers in My Pocket (TT) (TB) (FT)
I’ve got five fingers in my pocket (show hand & put in pocket)
Five fingers hidden away
Five fingers in my pocket
Look! Aww, one went away! (show hand with 4 fingers)

Count down to no fingers, then bring 5 out again
Last line: Five fingers here to stay!
Source: Music with Mar via Story Tree

Five fingers in my pocket thumbnail, with a graphic of a the outline of a hand holding up four fingers with the thumb hidden. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I didn’t happen to have a finger puppet for a worm, so I looked to see if there were any free knitting patterns out there. Of course there were! This was a quick and relatively easy (if you know how to knit in the round on dpns) pattern from Chem Knits for a cute stripey worm made from a small amount of fingering weight yarn.
Oh! I felt something in my pocket. Something that wiggles!
Fingerplay: Wiggly Worm (TT) (TB) (FT)
Wiggly is a wee worm who wiggles everywhere
Can you keep your eyes on it as it wiggles here and there?
Wiggly starts down at my toes
And wiggles all the way up to my nose!
It wiggles back down without a peep
Creeps into my pocket and goes to sleep
Source: King County (WA) Library System

photograph of knitted worm finger puppet that is blue and beige stripes with large black eyes.

wiggly worm thumbnail, with a graphic of an orange and green striped worm. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I remembered that my predecessor had a couple of “storytime aprons,” and as I was planning this session I thought one had a bunch of pockets on it. But when I looked, one was a “flannel” apron with a fuzzy surface and standard pockets at the bottom, and the other was just a regular apron. So I cut out some pocket shapes from felt and sewed the extras on the regular apron for this pocket zoo.
I have a special apron that has LOTS of pockets! Wow! What do you think is in these pockets? Would you believe that I have a zoo in my pockets?
Puppet Song: Pocket Zoo (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Old MacDonald)
In my pocket is a zoo, E I E I O!
There’s a froggy in there, too E I E I O!
With a ribbit-ribbit here and a ribbit-ribbit, there
Here a ribbit, there a ribbit
Everywhere a ribbit-ribbit!
In my pocket is a zoo, E I E I O!
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

photograph of a burgandy apron with five extra pockets on the bib - purple, green, orange, and blue. a finger puppet is peeking out of each of these - frog, snake, tiger, and dog.

pocket zoo thumbnail, with a graphic of four white pockets with animals peeking out from them: frog, monkey, snake, and pig. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

There’s an animal at the zoo who is very special, and has a pocket that they use to carry their babies around. Do you know what animal that is? A kangaroo! What would you call a baby kangaroo? A joey
Action Rhyme: Brown Kangaroo (TT) (TB) (FT)
The brown kangaroo Is very funny
She leaps and she runs and she hops like a bunny
And on her tummy is a pocket so wide
Her baby jumps in and goes for a ride
Source: Rachel Anne Mencke Blog

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

I had this one in my back pocket (ha, ha) but didn’t need it as we had plenty to do in the time available.
Have you ever picked flowers and put them in your pocket? Let’s play a game.
Action Song: Ring Around the Rosie
Ring around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down!

Cows are in the meadow,
eating buttercups
Thunder, lightning,
We all stand up!
Source: traditional

ring around the rosie thumbnail, with a graphic of a pocket full of pink and yellow flowers. The pocket has a heart patch sewn on. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My groups really enjoy when we do songs with my ukulele, so I kind of shoehorned this one in. But it made me think about that song that mentions “sunshine in my pocket,” and everyone likes this one.
I have one more thing in my pocket – a song!
Ukulele Song: You Are My Sunshine (TT) (TB) (FT)
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

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for You Are My Sunshine here!

thumbnail of You Are My Sunshine ukulele songsheet.

You Are My Sunshine thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Joey in a Pocket Lacing Craft (TB) (FT)
This craft was originally inspired by this post by Saroj Ghoting on her blog (which has a lot of great resources for early literacy asides in storytime). I modified it a bit, adding a little paper joey to add in the pocket. Doing the lacing was a bit of a stretch for my littlest crafters, but with their grownups’ help they were all able to do it. Some of my crafts are extremely simple (just decorating with paint or stickers, for example), and some are a little more involved. I think it’s good to have a mix of easy and challenging in addition to offering many craft mediums.
I didn’t find any scrapbook paper in my library’s craft stash, so I just printed pockets with some fun patterns using Canva. (I started with a plain one and colored it as my example, but decided to go with the patterns for the group.) To get the crafts ready, I printed and cut out the pockets from cardstock and paired them with a half sheet of plain cardstock. I then punched holes – the trick here is to make sure all your edges are close enough for the hole puncher to reach. I put a little bit of painter’s tape on to keep the pocket from shifting around, then removed it when all the holes were punched. You also need an even number of holes if you want your yarn to start and end from the back. I taped the end of the yarn to the back and threaded the first hole to get them started. I also wrapped the end of the yarn with tape to make a shoelace-like aglet to make it easier to do the lacing (the only step I forgot to photograph.)

Click here to download the joey and pocket pattern!

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
A Pocket Full of Kisses – Audrey Penn & Barbara Leonard Gibson
What’s in Your Pocket? – Heather L. Montgomery & Maribel Lechuga
A Dress with Pockets – Lily Murray & Jenny Løvlie
Sharko and Hippo – Elliott Kalan & Andrea Tsurumi
The Whole Hole Story – Vivian McInerny & Ken Lamug
A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes – Elizabeth Garton Scanlon & Robin Preiss Glasser
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? – Eric Carle
Marsupial Sue – John Lithgow & Jack E. Davis
Wombat – Philip Bunting
A Pocket for Corduroy – Don Freeman

This storytime was presented in-person on 11/4, 11/5, & 11/6/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Dress Up Party

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

maisy dresses up book cover.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Hats

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

where's walrus book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

thumbnail for "my bonnie" ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Socks & Shoes

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Here’s a storytime theme I’ve never done before, and let me tell you: it was a lot of fun! All the activities seemed to land well and there was a ton of enthusiasm for Pete the Cat (of course.) I was slightly worried because there were no prop activities (scarves/shakers/etc), but it really was okay. I got to see lots of cute kiddo shoes as everyone was proud to show theirs off. And I broke out my collection of fun socks to wear on storytime days.

Early Literacy Tip: Tiptoeing helps to develop good balancing skills. Show your child how to walk on tiptoes (and not the sides of their feet.) You can also try making it a game – challenge your child to tiptoe and be as quiet as a mouse as they do an activity. This can also be a more positive way to reduce the playtime noise level (for at least a little bit!) -adapted The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about something we wear. Something we wear on our feet. Hats? Shirts? No! Socks and shoes! Socks & shoes are super! They protect your feet, can come in fun patterns, and sometimes even light up!

Activity: Sock Matching (TT) (TB) (FT)
Hm, I did some laundry before work today, but I didn’t have time to sort it! Will you help me match these socks?
Inspired by Singin in the Stacks, as well as Miss Mary Liberry, who made this activity as a flannelboard with an awesome array of felt socks in a myriad of colors and patterns, plus a sweet “dryer” made from a cardboard box. I had big plans to make my own version, but alas, time was short. As it dawned on me I wouldn’t be able to make it in time, I had the eureka moment when I realized that regular socks would stick to the flannelboard. AND I could put my regular socks in any kind of bag or basket and it would work, even if it’s not quite as cute as an adorable miniature clothes dryer. So I chose a few pairs of my own fun socks that had some different characteristics, and we did the activity – hooray! (I ended up using only four pairs of socks, just to keep the activity short.

Photo of 10 adult sized socks on a flannelboard, 5 pairs: navy with hot dogs, teal with purple dots, gray with cactuses, purple with an alpine pattern, and neon orange no-show socks.

Now that our socks are all sorted out, now I need to organize all the shoes in the house. Can we sort them from smallest to largest? Who has the smallest shoes, Baby or Daddy?
Action Rhyme: Shoes (TT) (TB) (FT)
(move hands further and further out)
Baby’s shoes
Child’s shoes
Mommy’s shoes
Daddy’s shoes
GIANT SHOES!
Source: Librarian Is on the Loose

Shoes thumbnail, with a graphic of a very small red sneaker and a very large brown boot. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Something new this week – instead of reading only one book, I retold two books using the flannelboard. When I do a retelling, I always show the book cover to reinforce that the story came from a book (and they can check it out!)
Flannel Retelling: One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler (TT) (TB) (FT)

One red sock book cover

One red sock flannel, with a purple hippo, pink chair, two red socks, and one each white, pink, blue, green, gray, and white with black polka dots.

See more info on this flannel, including a free template.

Have you ever noticed that you can move a little differently when you’re wearing a nice pair of socks? Let’s try it out!
I took my shoes off and slid around for this one.
Action Song: Let’s Put On Our Socks (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Hickory Dickory Dock)
Hickory, dickory, dock, Let’s put on our socks
We’ll walk around without a sound
When we put on our socks

…We’ll tiptoe around and won’t be found…
…We’ll slide around the slippery ground…
…We’ll dance around and jump and bound…
Source: Stratford Library

let's put on our socks thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of fun socks, blue with pink dots, with a yellow toe, heel, and ribbing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Remember the nursery rhyme that starts by putting on our shoes?
This was a good transition for me to actually put my shoes back on.
Action Rhyme: Buckle My Shoe (TT) (TB) (FT)
1, 2, Buckle my shoe (touch toes)
3, 4, Shut the door (clap)
5, 6, Pick up sticks (wiggle fingers upright)
7, 8, Lay them straight (one hand in other, fingers straight)
9, 10, A big fat hen! (arms wide)
Source: traditional

one two buckle my shoe thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of buckled child's shoes and a brown hen. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What kind of shoes are you wearing today? How might we describe my shoes? (color/pattern) Take a moment here with your grownup and talk about your shoes – what’s something we can say to describe them?
We started with my shoes, then had two or three volunteers tell us something about their shoes.
Action Rhyme: Old Shoes, New Shoes (TT) (TB) (FT)
Old shoes, new shoes,
[Name] is wearing [description] shoes
One, two, three, four
Now I stomp them on the floor!
Source: Storytime Katie

old shoes new shoes thumbnail, with a graphic of a dirty boot with the sole detached from the body, and a pair of brown child's boots with a clean sparkle graphic. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Pete is wearing some bright white shoes. But not for long!
Our second book retelling! I had several families reciting this one with me. Flannel was inspired by Flannelboard Fun.
Read/Retell Flannel: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean & Eric Litwin (TT) (TB) (FT)

pete the cat i love my white shoes book cover.

pete the cat flannel set, with a Pete that is sitting so only two front legs are showing, wearing white high top sneakers. also pictured is a pile of blueberries and blue sneakers, strawberries and red sneakers, a puddle of mud and brown sneakers, and a bucket of water.

Mm, Pete’s story made me hungry for some berries! Can we go pick some?
Any opportunity for kids to get a lift from their grownups is a good one.
Action Song: Pop Goes the Berry (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Pop Goes the Weasel) (walk or dance in circle)
All around the strawberry fields
We picked some juicy berries
We brought them home and washed them off,
Pop! Goes the berry! (jump or lift up)
Source: Jbrary

pop goes the berry thumbnail, with a graphic of cute cartoon fruit with faces: strawberry, blackberry, gooseberry, blueberry, and raspberry. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Talking about our shoes and socks makes me appreciate my toes.
To give shoes and socks equal time, I wrote one more verse about socks. I had grownups singing along to this jazzy tune on the second verse, so you know it’s catchy!
Body Song: Everybody Knows (TT) (TB) (FT)
Everybody knows I love my toes
Everybody knows I love my toes
I love my shoulders, my knees, my elbows, and my nose
But everybody knows I love my toes

Everybody knows that I love my shoes
Everybody knows that I love my shoes
I love my shirt, my pants, my hat and you
But everybody knows I love my shoes

Everybody knows that I love my socks
Everybody knows that I love my socks
In socks I’ll run, I’ll jump, tiptoe and walk
Everybody knows I love my socks
Source: Singin in the Stacks, last verse original

everybody knows thumbnail, with a graphic of two unmatched child's shoes - a high top and a mary jane, and two unmatched socks - purple and white and pink and blue. All have a heart design incorporated on them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Sock and Shoe Design (TB) (FT)
After a couple of weeks of paint and messy crafts, I went simple. I found an outline of a sock and a shoe (high top!) and let the kids design and decorate them however they wanted. I gave them dot markers, stick-on jewels and foam stickers, ribbon, and pom poms. Easy and fun. Both craft sessions went longer than usual since they worked on these longer than usual and didn’t get to toys until later 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)

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Duck Sock Hop – Jane Kohuth & Jane Porter
New Shoes – Chris Raschka
Lizette’s Green Sock – Catharina Valckx
Rock Your Mocs – Laurel Goodluck & Madelyn Goodnight
Emily’s Shoes – Joan Cottle
Which Shoes Would You Choose? – Betsy Rosenthal & Nancy Cote
The Sock Thief – Ana Crespo & Nana Gonzalez
Kicks – Van G Garrett & Reggie Brown
Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? – Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier
One Shoe, Two Shoes – Caryl Hart & Edward Underwood
A Pig, a Fox, and Stinky Socks – Jonathan Fenske
One Two That’s My Shoe! – Alison Murray
It’s Shoe Time! – Bryan Collier

This storytime was presented in-person on 10/7, 10/8, & 10/9/24.

Storytime Handout:

thumbnail of handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Squeaky Clean

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

See another take on this theme at this Bathtime post.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download the Cleaning Up flannel printable here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

how do you take a bath book cover

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

bubble bath pirates book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download a ukulele songsheet for Little Bar of Soap here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rubber duck printable (print on yellow copy paper)

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Messy

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Making messes and being messy are just part of life for a baby or toddler! This week we celebrated the mess and the ability to be creative while being messy, while still reiterating that after making a mess we clean up. (Though we’re going more in depth for getting clean next week.)

We don’t get our parachute out for indoor storytime often, but I thought of a few ways to tie it in. It’s always a treat, especially when we add some objects to the ‘chute to bounce around. I also went all in for our messy craft, and everyone enjoyed playing with shaving cream (and the whole room smelled like a barbershop!)

Early Literacy Tip: Messes are a fact of life for little ones. Give your child opportunities to be “messy” and play creatively, then reinforce the idea that all messes eventually get cleaned up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we are making a mess! Do you ever make a mess? Maybe when you’re eating? Or when you go outside and play? Sometimes making messes can be fun, but it’s always good to clean up after we make a mess.

Let’s pretend to make a big mess outside – let’s make Mud Pies!
This doesn’t actually rhyme, and I struggled a bit when planning how exactly to present it. I finally settled on slowing the middle part down and making exaggerated motions, and it worked! Everyone seemed to be into it. I also changed from “mud cake” in the original to “mud pie,” which is what I always called them. Maybe a regional difference?
Action Chant: Make a Mud Pie (TT) (TB) (FT)
Make a mud pie in the mud, mud, mud (pat lap)
Digging… (digging motion downward)
Scooping… (scoop hands upward)
Patting (pat hands in air)
It’s so much fun! (hands out, emphasizing)

[Where else should we make a mud pie? How about our head!? Scoop together some mud…]
Make a mud pie on your head, head, head… (pat head)
Digging… Scooping… Patting…
It’s so much fun!
(repeat: toes, tum)
Source: Tacoma Public Library

Make a mud pie thumbnail, with a graphic of a pile of mud in a gray tin, with rocks and worms coming out, and topped with a dandelion. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This is such a fun book. We tickled and mimed all the different body parts as they were mentioned, which kept everyone engaged.
Read: Applesauce Is Fun to Wear by Nancy Raines Day & Jane Massy (TT) (FT)

applesauce is fun to wear book cover

We added spots to Dog’s coat on the flannelboard as we read the story.
Read: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd (TB)

dog's colorful day book cover

flannel pieces showing dog with one black spot on his ear, and 9 additional spots off to the side - red, brown, blue, pink, gray, yellow, purple, orange, and green.

Those babies got food all over them! [Dog got so messy!] A food that is especially messy for me is spaghetti! Let’s do a rhyme about spaghetti.
I mentioned that we could say “daddy” or “auntie” or “grammy” or any other appropriate word in place of “mommy.”
Action Rhyme: Spaghetti (TT) (TB) (FT)
Spaghetti on my tummy
Spaghetti on my nose
Spaghetti on my elbows
Spaghetti on my toes

Wipe it off my elbows
Wipe it off my toes
Oops, here comes mommy
I forgot to wipe my nose!
Source: Tacoma Public Library

spaghetti thumbnail, with a graphic of a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with noodles messily draped over the edge. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Can you think of an animal who loves to make a mess?
For these groups I did only three pigs, which was the perfect length. This flannel is from the now-defunct (and sorely missed) Sunflower Storytime. You can download my copy of their printable below.
Counting Song: Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Five Green and Speckled Frogs)
Five pigs so squeaky clean,
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play, Oink! Oink! (clap, clap)
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a great big thud
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs (count down)
Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer online)

Download Sunflower Storytime’s flannelboard template here.

flannelboard pieces for Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean - five printed and laminated ovals containing a cartoon pig in each. The first two have brown splotches on them, the last three are clean pink. The dirty pigs face right and the clean pigs face left.
five pigs so squeaky clean thumbnail, with a graphic of five pigs: three clean and two dirty. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What else is pink and can make a big mess if you’re not careful?
Song: Sticky Bubble Gum (TT) (TB) (FT)
(Spoken intro)
Did you bring your bubble gum?
What about pretend bubble gum?
Can you find some pretend bubble gum in your pocket? Reach in and get it out.
Unwrap it, and stick the wrapper back in your pocket – we don’t want to litter!
Is your gum pink like mine is?
Let’s pop it in and start chewing
Is it soft and squishy? Is it yummy?
Let’s blow an imaginary bubble – show me with your hands as you blow it
Bigger, bigger – oh, no it popped!
There’s sticky bubble gum everywhere. Pull it off your forehead, nose, chin…
Now squish it all together in a big sticky ball of bubble gum.
And SMASH IT!
Oh, no, it’s so sticky that my hands are stuck together.
The only way I know to get them unstuck is to sing the sticky bubble gum song.
(Singing)
Sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Bubble gum, Bubble gum
Sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum
Sticking your hands to your knees! and UN-STICK!
Source: Carole Peterson (see her perform this, including the guided intro, at https://vimeo.com/95412823)

Sticky bubblegum thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of lips blowing a pink bubble. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s get out our parachute! Can we practice a little bit with this song?
My sheet has shaker eggs on it, I just didn’t feel like making a new one. It works.
Parachute Song: Shake and Shake and STOP (TT) (TB) (FT)
We shake and we shake and we STOP
We shake and we shake and we STOP
We shake and we shake and we shake and we shake
and we shake and we shake and we STOP!
(try other motions – wave, wiggle, reach, etc)
Source: Jbrary

we shake and STOP thumbnail, with a graphic of two shaker eggs (blue and purple) with motion lines around them. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s take a trip down the road. It’s a dirt road, so hopefully we don’t get messy!
But of course, we did!
Parachute or Bounce: A Smooth Road (TT) (TB) (FT)
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and wave gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, shaking gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster and rougher)
Oh, no! A hole! (lift parachute up and then down)
Source: Jbrary

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

I put in these “indoor snowballs” that we had in storage, and they LOVED seeing them bounce and pop up.
I’m hungry! Let’s make some popcorn! I’m going to put some popcorn kernels in the parachute!
Parachute or Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques, sing each line 2x)
Popcorn kernels (wave chute)
In the pot (add pompoms)
Shake them, shake them, shake them (shake)
’til they POP! (pop pompoms up into the air)
Source: Jbrary

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

This is a great way to put the parachute away. I left the “popcorn” in so it would go everywhere when the parachute flew, and asked everyone to help clean up the mess when we were done.
Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Skip to my Lou)
(kids go under the parachute and adults raise and lower)
Up, up, up it goes,
Down, down, down so low
Raise our parachute to the sky
Count to 3 and watch it fly
Spoken:
Up on one…
Down on two…
Up on three…
and FLY! (adults let go and leader pulls ‘chute in to themselves)
Source: Gymboree

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

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

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

Craft: Marbled Paper with Shaving Cream (TB) (FT)
We made marbled paper, but the product was really not the point. It was a messy craft! Each kid got a tray, a smock, a half sheet of cardstock, and a craft stick. Their grownup put shaving cream in their tray and dripped a couple of drops of liquid watercolor paint in it, which they could then swirl around. I reminded them to swirl, not mix, since you want the colors to stay separate and not blend. Then they put their cardstock on top and tapped it down to make contact with the paint and cream, lifted it up and scraped off the excess cream using old empty gift cards. Then they could play in the cream! I had a couple buckets of water around the room and each table had a moistened towel to help with clean up. They put their dirty smocks in a bin and I took care of the rest. It took a lot of time to clean up after, but it was worth it! Putting plastic tablecloths on that I could just ball up and throw away helped a lot.

The finished product and the setup:

The aftermath (or “craftermath”)

Play Time
We didn’t have time for toys today after the craft!

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Splat! – Jon Burgerman
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! – Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen & Zachariah OHora
Off-Limits – Helen Yoon
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story – Patrick McDonnell
Uh-Oh! – Rachel Isadora
Hogwash! – Karma Wilson & Jim McMullan
I’m Dirty!- Kate & Jim McMullan
Roy Digs Dirt – David Shannon
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night – Refe & Susan Tuma
Trashy Town – Andrea Zimmerman, David Clemesha, & Dan Yaccarino

This storytime was presented in-person on 9/16, 9/17, & 9/18/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

Storytime: Shapes

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

big box of shapes book cover

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

kitty and cat bent out of shape book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s warm up our scarves by doing some shaking.
Scarf Song: Shake it to the East (TT) (TB) (FT)
Shake it to the east, shake it to the west
Shake it all around and then you take a rest
Shake your scarves up, shake your scarves down
Shake it, shake it, shake it and then you settle down
Source: Jbrary

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

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

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

My scarf it is a rectangle…

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

My scarf it is a triangle…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s sing to Mr. Sun to help us play outside! Shake along or make a circle shape with your arms.
Ukulele Song: Mr. Sun (TT) (TB) (FT)
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you

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

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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

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

Storytime: Counting/Numbers

Posted on by msemilylibrary

After last week’s alphabet theme, this week we’re celebrating numbers and counting. I have to say that I found this week easier to plan. There are lots of counting and number rhymes and songs to choose from!

We also got out our rhythm sticks (which for me are unsharpened neon-colored pencils). Keeping a beat and counting a certain number of times is a natural use of sticks, though I bet you could adapt many of those rhymes to shaker eggs.

Early Literacy Tip: Learning the numbers in order is a great first step to math literacy. Working on showing numbers out of order, counting down as well as up, and identifying different numbers of items is a great way to develop those skills further.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Last week, we talked about the alphabet – letters are the foundation of reading! This week, we’re talking about numbers and counting – the foundations of math. Let’s practice counting!

Number Flannel
This was from a pre-made set purchased from Oriental Trading. Unfortunately they only include 0-9 digits, so I made my own extra 1 to make 10. I had it up throughout this program.

Number flannel thumbnail, with a graphic of the numbers 1-10.

One of the easiest ways to count is on our fingers. I have 10 fingers! How many do you have? Let’s see what we can do with them.
I did my best to not be ableist here by asking how many fingers they have, instead of assuming they all had ten. I have indeed had kids in the past with a malformed hand and it’s possible some kids might have a different number of fingers. Something to keep in mind when deciding whether to use this one!
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers (TT) (TB) (FT)
I have ten little fingers And all they all belong to me
I can make them do things Would you like to see?
I can squeeze them up tight I can open them wide
I can clap them together And make them all hide
I can wave them up high Wave them down low
I can hold them together just like so
I have ten little fingers And they all belong to me
Do you have ten little fingers? Let’s count and see!
Source: Jbrary

ten little fingers thumbnail, with lyrics only. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s test our listening!
Chant: Show Me One (TT) (TB) (FT)
Show me a one, one – (hold up 1 finger)
You’ve got your one! You’ve got your one!
(count up to 5, then choose random numbers or actions)
Source: Jbrary

Show Me One thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a hand with one finger up, labeled "1" and a second hand with two fingers up, labeled "2." click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This is a great title, very simple and short. The illustrations really tell the story, so we talked through what the dog was doing on each page.
Read: One Two That’s My Shoe! by Alison Murray (TT)

one two that's my shoe book cover.

A fun game of hide and seek – the illustrations on this one are very dynamic, and again it is quite simple. There was a lot of roaring happening as we read!
Read: One-Osaurus, Two-Osaurus by Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby (TB) (FT)

one-osaurus, two-osaurus book cover.

Here’s the traditional version of this rhyme.
This one played very well after One Two That’s My Shoe, so we did it to accompany that book, but skipped it after One-Osaurus.
Action Rhyme: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (TT)
1, 2, Buckle my shoe (touch toes)
3, 4, Shut the door (clap)
5, 6, Pick up sticks (wiggle fingers upright)
7, 8, Lay them straight (lay one hand in other w/ fingers straight)
9, 10, A big fat hen! (arms wide)
Source: traditional

one two buckle my shoe thumbnail, with a graphic of a pair of buckled mary jane style children's shoes and a brown hen. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Are you good at jumping? I know you’re doing great at counting! Let’s put them together.
Recorded Song: Jumping and Counting (TT)
Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense”

Those dinosaurs sure had fun with their game. Let’s get our fingers out again – and play our own game. We’re going to tell a story using our fingers and numbers. This story is about some friends who go out dancing!
Though I don’t usually make a lyric sheet for recorded songs, I thought it would be helpful for everyone to see what “finger dance” is coming next.
Recorded Song: One From the Left (TB) (FT)
Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Vote for Jim Gill”

One from the left thumbnail, with a graphic of a line drawing of a hand on each side of the name of the dance holding up that number of fingers. 1- whoop de do, 2- snips galore, 3 - the finger mix, 4- bend and straight, 5 - clap and clap and clap and clap again. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

What are these? Carrots! How many do we have? (count) Who likes to eat carrots? (We do!) Someone else loves carrots, and is very hungry. Rabbit would like some lunch.
Lady Librarian Life used peas and a slightly different rhyme that I adapted to carrots because I already had them. Puppets eating food always seem to be a hit.
Rhyme: Down in the Garden (TT) (TB) (FT)
Down around the corner
In the garden we found
Four crunchy carrots
Growing from the ground
Along comes a rabbit
Who wants something to munch
She takes one carrot
And eats it for lunch – Nom, nom, nom!
(count down)
Source: adapted from Lady Librarian Life

down in the garden flannel, showing the number flannel with four orange carrots under the 1-4. Also pictured is a pink bunny puppet and the lyric page.

down in the garden thumbnail, with a graphic of a pink bunny sitting next to a mound of dirt with four carrot tops growing from it. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

You have been doing so great with counting, let’s learn the first three numbers in Spanish! Does anyone here like hot chocolate? A molinillo is used to stir and mix hot chocolate traditionally in Mexico, where chocolate originated.
Such a fun and simple song. We did it without rhythm sticks the first session, but I realized that they can easily be incorporated by tapping the rhythm on the first part and using them to stir when we get to bate bate. I actually have a decorative molinillo, so I showed it and demonstrated how it works.
Ukulele Song: ¡Chocolate! (TT) (TB) (FT)
(a leader sings each line and the group echoes it)
Uno, dos, tres, CHO (Uno, dos, tres, CHO)
Uno, dos, tres, CO (Uno, dos, tres, CO)
Uno, dos, tres, LA (Uno, dos, tres, LA)
Uno, dos, tres, TE (Uno, dos, tres, TE)
¡Chocolate! (¡Chocolate!) ¡Chocolate! (¡Chocolate!)
¡Bate! ¡Bate! (¡Bate! ¡Bate!) ¡El chocolate! (¡El chocolate!)
Source: traditional; check out the version by José-Luis Orozco

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail for Chocolate ukulele songsheet.

a decorative molinillo, painted with different patterns in black, white, mustard, and rust colors.

chocolate thumbnail, with a graphic of a molinillo and traditional pitcher as well as a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s practice some different ways to tap our sticks.
Rhythm Sticks Chant: Bread and Butter (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bread and butter,
Marmalade and jam
Let’s tap our sticks
As high as we can!
(repeat, change underlined word. Try low, fast, slow, loud, quiet, etc)
Source: Jbrary

bread and butter thumbnail, with a graphic of a piece of bread with butter and a knife, a jar of marmalade, and a jar of grape jam. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Rhythm Sticks Song: Count the Beat (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (tap in rhythm)
8 9 10, 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 – 9 – 10!
Source: Jbrary

count the beat thumbnail, with a graphic of two sets of unsharpened pencils, crossed and in pink and yellow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Jbrary has this one as a shaker egg song, so I adapted to work with rhythm sticks. The “tap again” and “that’s the end” lines came from Storytime Katie.
Rhythm Sticks Rhyme: One, Two, Tap it on Your Shoe (TT) (TB) (FT)
1, 2, Tap it on your shoe
3, 4, Tap it on the floor
5, 6, Stir and mix
7, 8, Stand up straight
9, 10, Tap it again! (repeat)
2nd time: That’s the end!
Source: adapted from Jbrary

one two tap it on your shoe thumbnail, with a graphic of two green unsharpened pencils to either side of the lyrics. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

My group seemed a little antsy, so I cut this one from the last session.
Rhythm Sticks Rhyme: So Glad to See You (TT) (TB)
I’m so glad to see you,
I really couldn’t wait
Can you tap your sticks
While you count to 8?
(tap 8 times. Repeat with different actions, such as tap your shoulder, tap the floor, alternate sticks, roll sticks)
Source: Librerin

so glad to see you thumbnail, with a graphic of the numbers 1-8 in a decorative font on colorful circles, and a crossed set of unsharpened blue pencils. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Counting Leaves Craft (TB) (FT)
I found this worksheet at Hello Wonderful. I simplified by not doing the circular stickers in the middle of each flower. I have two green stamp pads and four tables for crafts. So I split them between two, and also provided some green finger paint on every table, so that’s why my leaves look different.

craft showing five flowers with increasingly tall stems. In the center of each flower is a number, 1-5 (with the tallest stem showing 5). The flowers are colored with crayons and each stem has a fingerprinted number of leaves corresponding with the number on the flower. The first three are pale green (stamp pad), the last two are a much darker green (fingerpaint)

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Counting Kisses – Karen Katz
Goodnight, Numbers – Danica McKellar & Alicia Padrón
One is a Piñata – Rosanne Greenfield Thong & John Parra
Swallow the Leader – Danna Smith & Kevin Sherry
Counting Kindness – Hollis Kurman & Barroux
Ten in the Bed – Jane Cabrera
My Bus – Byron Barton
Two Dogs on a Trike – Gabi Snyder & Robin Rosenthal

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/19, 8/20, & 8/21/24.

Storytime Handout:

handout including recommended books, rhymes, and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Alphabet

Posted on by msemilylibrary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flannel showing multicolored capital letters on a blue background.

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

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

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

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

Animalphabet book cover

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

chicka chicka boom boom book cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

apples and bananas ukulele songsheet thumbnail.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets – Sara O’Leary & Jacob Grant
Oops Pounce Quick Run – Mike Twohy
The Racecar Alphabet – Brian Floca
Eating the Alphabet – Lois Ehlert
K Is for Kindness – Rina Horiuchi & Risa Horiuchi
Z Is for Moose – Kelly Bingham & Paul O Zelinski
B Is for Bananas – Carrie Tillotson & Estrela Lourenco
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack – Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin

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

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhymes and song lyrics.

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

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

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

Storytime: Sports

Posted on by msemilylibrary

We are back to indoor storytimes after a lovely summer outside, and I started with a Sports theme. I’m not much of an organized sports person myself, but I recognize all the good that can come from involving kids in sports and promoting physical activity for fun. Add in all the excitement that comes from the 2024 Paris Olympics and it was a great theme to explore. Plus, I found a bunch of kids sports equipment in our library storage from a long-ago grant; I’m always keen to use what we have.

Early Literacy Tip: Early experiences help to form the architecture of the brain and lay a strong foundation for both social and emotional development. Playing with other children at a young age, experiencing the fun of taking turns and sharing, and discovering that it is fun to pass a ball or beanbag to someone else and then get it back are great ways to learn important social and emotional skills. adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today our theme is about sports! Sports are games that people play that help them move their bodies (which makes us feel good) and they are fun! Sometimes it can take lots of practice to learn how to play a sport really well. Can we think of some sports? There’s a big worldwide gathering of people who are the very best at their sports called the Olympics. Every four years they do it during the summer, with sports like swimming, soccer, running, gymnastics and much more. On other years, they do it during the winter, with sports like skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, and snowboarding.

Activity: Stretching (TT) (TB) (FT)
The first thing an athlete should do before doing any sports is to warm up their bodies with some stretching! Let’s stretch down to our toes, up to sky, to the left, to the right, make a star shape, opposite toe touch.

Many sports use a ball. Let’s do a rhyme and see if we can identify these.
This is the first flannel I’ve made in a good while! I made two sets of little, big, and biggest balls – since so many sports balls are different sizes, it was fun to brainstorm which ones to do. After they identified the first three balls, we did the rhyme. Then I got out the second set for them to identify, and we did it again. Lastly, we counted all the balls that were on the board – six!
Flannel/Fingerplay: Little, Big, Biggest
A little ball (make a circle with your fingers)
A bigger ball (make a larger circle with your hands)
A great big ball I see (make a large circle with your arms)
Can you count them?
1 – 2 – 3 (make 3 circles again)
Source: Storytime Katie

Sports balls flannel, showing two small balls (a white and gray golf ball and an orange ping-pong ball), two medium sized balls (a green tennis ball and a white baseball with red lacing) and two large balls (an orange basketball and a black-and-white soccer ball)

Little big biggest thumbnail, with a graphic of a golf ball, a tennis ball, and a basketball. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

This worked quite well for my active group.
Read: Bounce by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin (TT) (FT)

book cover for bounce

I tried this one with my older group, and it was okay. Not as exciting as Bounce – probably would do better with preschoolers.
Read: Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play by Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook (TB)

Book cover for Clothesline clues to sports people play

Can we train like Olympians?
We didn’t do all of the actions, I think I chose four for each session. The flannel was made using graphics from Canva.
Action Song: See the Olympians (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb) (act out each verse)
See the runners Run, run, run
Run run run, Run run run
See the runners Run, run, run
At the Olympics!

Additional verses:
Swimmers swim… Riders jump… Gymnasts twirl…
Cyclists pedal… Soccer team kick… Crew row…
Source: Storytime in the Stacks

Photo of See the Olympians flannelboard, with printed and laminated pictures of the olympic rings, an equestrian jumping a hurdle, a woman running, a cyclist on a bicycle, a four person crew team rowing, a rhythmic gymnast in dancer pose with a long ribbon prop, a woman swimming, and a man kicking a soccer ball.

See the Olympians thumbnail, with a graphic of a light brown skinned girl with a ponytail running with a race number on her shirt. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A fun game that isn’t in this year’s Olympics but will be next time is baseball.
Action Song: Baseball Player (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Baseball player, Baseball player (get in batter’s stance)
Swing the bat, Hit the ball (pretend to swing)
Run around the bases, Run around the bases (run in place)
Home run! Home run! (cheer)
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

Baseball player thumbnail, with a graphic of a Black girl with a long ponytail swinging a baseball bat and connecting with a ball. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I like this rhyme a lot, but I didn’t end up using it in any of my sessions. By this time they were all getting a little squirrely so we skipped ahead to the beanbag activities.
Being a good sport means treating each other with respect, win or lose. After a game is done, athletes shake hands with their competitors on a good game.
Rhyme: Good Game
When all the goals are scored (pretend to kick)
And the final score is on the board (point to scoreboard)
We go up to the other team who came (step forward)
And always shake hands and say, “Good game!” (shake hands)
Source: Handley Regional Library System (VA)

Good game thumbnail, with a graphic of three pairs of hands shaking in a row. All of the hands have different skin shades, from dark brown to light. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Beanbag Intro: Try to balance the bean bags on our hand (palm first, then back), foot, and head. Then try to toss up and catch.

Let’s start by listening to the directions on this song.
Beanbag Action Song: The Beanbag Song (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Happy and You Know It)
Put your bean bag on your toes, on your toes
Put your bean bag on your toes, on your toes
Put your bean bag on your toes,
Then move it to your nose
Put your bean bag on your nose, on your nose

Additional verses:
Put your bean bag on your knee…
Then shake it just like me…

Put your bean bag on your hair…
Then toss it in the air…
Source: Allegan (MI) District Library

Beanbag Song thumbnail, with a graphic of 4 square beanbags - yellow, purple, red, and blue. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

The original rhyme talks about a tightrope, but because I was tying it to the Olympics, I went with balance beam. To be honest, this one didn’t go great. Our beanbags are very slippery synthetic fabric, not a grippy cotton, so we all had a lot of trouble. I changed the rhyme in my third session!
Can you balance the beanbag on your head and walk like a gymnast on a balance beam?
Beanbag Rhyme: Balance Beam (TT) (TB)
With my bean bag on my head
I stand so very tall
I walk along my balance beam
And will not let it fall
Source: adapted from Allegan (MI) District Library

Balance beam thumbnail, with a graphic of a girl with a yellow beanbag on her head, with her arms to both sides as if balancing. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s try tossing and catching by ourselves, and then maybe with a partner (like your grownup!)
Beanbag Rhyme: Here Is a Beanbag (FT)
Here is a beanbag I keep on the shelf
I can toss it and catch it all by myself
Here is a beanbag that I toss to you
Please catch it and toss it right back to me too
Source: Storytime with Ms. Kelly

Here is a beanbag thumbnail, with a graphic of a square orange beanbag with motion lines. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A classic sports song – all the grownups sang loud for this one!
Ukulele Beanbag Song: Take Me Out to the Ballgame (TT) (TB) (FT)
(toss and catch the beanbag through the song)
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack
I don’t care if I ever get back
‘Cause it’s root, root, root for the home team
If they don’t win it’s a shame
For it’s one… two… three strikes you’re out
At the old ball game
Source: traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail for Take Me Out to the Ball Game Ukulele Songsheet, with a graphic of a smiling baseball with stick figure arms waving.

Take me out to the ballgame thumbnail, with a graphic of a baseball. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

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

Craft: Olympic Rings Art (TB) (FT)
I’ve done this craft before, and I love the simplicity of the process art which turns out looking cool. Instead of toilet paper tubes (another staff member needs them and our stash is low), I used plastic egg halves, which worked just as well.

Play Time
Instead of our usual toys, we did some sports conditioning with our bean bags, balls, and some equipment. I think we got the sports equipment from a grant, and it was very nice to use with the group. They had fun, it was a novelty, and (thankfully!) no one complained that they didn’t see the usual toys! I set it up station-style, and let everyone go where they wanted. It was toddler chaos as you can imagine, but in a good way. The stations included Balance Beam, Beanbag Toss, Ball Toss, Catch, Racquet Balance, and Beanbag Slalom.

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

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

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

Tickle the stars thumbnail, with a graphic of blue and pink stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Baller Ina – Liz Casal
Jabari Jumps – Gaia Cornwall
Jake at Gymnastics – Rachel Isadora
Karate Kids – Holly Sterling
Maisy Plays Soccer – Lucy Cousins
Olympics! – B.G. Hennessy & Michael Chesworth
Together We Swim – Valerie Bolling & Kaylani Juanita
Watch Me Throw the Ball! – Mo Willems
Peanut Goes for the Gold – Jonathan Van Ness & Gillian Reid
Olympig! – Victoria Jamieson
Goodnight Football – Michael Dahl & Christina Forshay

This storytime was presented in-person on 8/5, 8/6, & 8/7/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

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