Who doesn’t like ice cream? No one in my storytime sessions, that’s for sure. We had an enthusiastic bunch for this sweet theme. August was a great time for me to do it, since it’s still summery but since our Summer Reading Program was over I didn’t need to tie it to the overall SRP theme.
As usual, I planned more than I had time for, so I cut my two flannel rhymes, but I will include them here for you. This storytime week I also did my monthly Stories and Stations evening program for ages 0-5, which is a shortened version of my daytime program with the addition of stations. It was fun to come up with an ice cream sensory bin, and of course, I had to do a little “research” at our local ice cream shop!
Early Development Tip: Scientific studies have shown that children develop best when they have a strong, positive relationship with a nurturing adult. This helps not only their physical development but their intellectual development as well. Hugs and kisses can be just as important as flash cards in getting a child ready for success in school. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*†‡
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*‡
Intro: Summertime is a great time for a sweet, cold treat – ice cream! What’s YOUR favorite flavor?
Let’s do a little rhyme about ice cream in a bowl. Can you make a bowl shape with your arms? [Most of them used both arms to make a circle in front of them.] Wow, that’s a big bowl – you must be hungry for ice cream! Action Rhyme: Ice Cream in a Bowl‡ Ice cream, ice cream, in a bowl (make a circle with arms) Ice cream, ice cream, nice and cold (shiver) Ice cream, ice cream, what a treat (clap three times) Ice cream, ice cream, good to eat (rub tummy) Source: The Learning Curve via Pinterest
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*‡
My coworker and I presented this title several weeks ago at our library’s end-of-summer ice cream social, and we decided to do it again for storytime! She came in as my guest and did most of the reading, and I did a lot of the “reactions” like the dino growls and played my ukulele during the song bits. We based our rendition on the book trailer music, and I used the chords A and E7 back and forth (sorry, no official song sheet!) It was so fun, and we had everyone singing and dancing by the end. Read: Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin & Tom Lichtenheld‡
A very sweet book with a cool collage illustration style with cut out photographs mixed with the art. It has a lot of opportunities for making “emotion” faces and talking about our feelings. Backup Read: Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield
I went to the ice cream shop and I got all my favorites on a cone! How many scoops of ice cream did I get? I did this one the first session and almost ran out of time at the end, so I scrapped it the second and third times. It is cute, though, and gives some opportunity to talk about ice cream flavors and colors. I start with four scoops since five seems like an extreme amount of ice cream! Flannel printout from Literary Hoots. Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Ice Cream Incident Four scoops of ice cream with sprinkles on top I licked one scoop and it went PLOP! (count down to zero)
Who is this? Bunny might like some ice cream, too! I was thinking about all this ice cream that sadly fell on the ground, and thought that maybe some animals would be super happy to find a treat like that. I picked out four animal puppets and kind of matched their color to the color of ice cream they eat, though you could definitely use any animal. There’s also that element of matching a color with a flavor for more conversation opportunities. Again, I was worried about time, so didn’t actually do this one, unfortunately. Puppet/Counting Rhyme: Lucky Day! Four scoops of ice cream sitting on the ground Along comes a bunny, sniffing around “I think strawberries are such a treat!” What color ice cream will she eat? PINK!
additional verses: frog… cool mint / bear… chocolate / chipmunk… vanilla Source: original (Ms. Emily Library)
This was a good time to say this week’s early literacy tip. Tickle: You Be the Ice Cream You be the ice cream (nuzzle baby, say, “mmm”) I’ll be the freezer (give baby a shivery hug) You be the lemon (kiss baby’s cheek, make a sour face) And I’ll be the squeezer (give a little squeeze) You be the hot dog (squirt some mustard on) And I’ll be the bun (give a cozy hug) You be the baby (give a little bounce) And we’ll have some fun! (give a hug and a tickle!) Source: Jbrary
Time to get our ribbons out! Can you pretend your ribbons are ice cream cones? I chose ribbons this week because that’s what the librarian used in the video for On Top of My Sundae. I explained a little by saying you can pretend your ice cream is a bit melty and dripping. For this rhyme, I changed the last line from “put your ice cream on the ground” since no one wants their ice cream on the ground! Ribbon Chant: Ice Cream UP‡ Ice cream up! Ice cream down! Hold your ice cream and turn around Ice cream up! Ice cream down! Wave your ice cream all around Source: One Little Librarian via Librionyian
An ice cream sundae can be a fancy treat – it has sauce like hot fudge or caramel, maybe some nuts or sprinkles, whipped cream, and – a cherry on top! But what happened here? Ribbon Song: On Top of My Sundae‡ (tune of On Top of Old Smokey) On top of my sundae All covered in sauce I lost my poor cherry It really got lost It rolled off of the table And onto the floor And then my poor cherry It rolled out the door It rolled into the garden And under a bush And then my poor cherry It turned into mush So if you like your sundaes All covered in sauce Hold on to your cherry Or it will be lost! Source: Sno-Isle (WA) Libraries
To make a milkshake, you mix milk with cream – ice cream! Ribbon Song: The Milkshake Song‡ You take a little milk – pour some milk! And you take a little cream – pour some cream! You stir it all up, You shake it and you’ll sing… Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up! Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up! Milkshake, milkshake shake it up, shake it up! Milkshake, milkshake shake it all up! Source: Old Town School of Folk Music, from the album Songs for Wiggleworms via Jbrary
I think the best way to enjoy ice cream is outside on a nice sunny day. Ukulele/Ribbon Song: Mr. Sun‡ Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Please shine down on me Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Hiding behind a tree These little children are asking you To please come out so we can play with you Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Please shine down on me Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young
Craft: Ice Cream Scene I die cut circles in pastel colored construction paper and also cut brown cones and gray bowls. Kids could construct their ideal ice cream, adding extras like cherries or sprinkles with crayons.
And I remembered to take a picture of the setup, too!
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*‡
‡ For our evening Stories and Stations version of this program, we did only the activities above with a double dagger ‡ (instead of Wake Up Feet, we do Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop). After collecting our ribbons and before Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we released to stations! I put out toys and puzzles on the rug, and set stations up at the tables around the outside of the room.
Art Station: Ice Cream Scene – plus paint! I went a little more involved with this art station, adding paint and cardboard paint stamps to the supplies. I think the older kids enjoyed the ability to use different art supplies. I made the cardboard stamps by die-cutting some cardboard circles and adding a little handle. This craft was inspired by The Artful Parent.
Gross Motor Station: Beanbag Toss Not themed, but an additional fun station. Though I noticed only when setting up that our bean bags are kept in an old ice cream tub!
Fine Motor Station: Craft Stick Sort Another unthemed station that I’ve used many times!
Sensory Station: Pom Pom Ice Cream Sensory Bins Definitely themed, and a lot of fun to create! I scavenged all our pom poms from the library craft supply, and added paper ice cream cones, ice cream cups (donated by our local ice cream shop, where I did some additional “research,”) ice cream scoops and a couple measuring cups.
Toys and Puzzles Our regular baby toys and puzzles, as well as soft food, babies in a basket, and lacing cards came out as another option for play. I didn’t capture a picture of this one.
After 20 minutes of free station time, I ring our bell to gather everyone again in the storytime room. Everyone helps put away the toys and puzzles before we end with our last two songs.
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Paletero Man – Lucky Diaz & Micah Player Pick Me! – Max Amato Should I Share My Ice Cream? – Mo Willems The Ice Cream Vanishes – Julia Sarcone-Roach Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck – Sorche Fairbank & Terry Runyan The Little Ice Cream Truck – Margery Cuyler & Bob Kolar The Nice Dream Truck – Beth Ferry & Brigette Barrager I Want Ice Cream! – Elisabetta Pica & Silvia Borando What Can You Do with a Paleta? – Carmen Tafolla & Magaly Morales
This storytime was presented in-person on 8/25, 8/26, & 8/27/26.
Welcome back, readers! I hope you have had a wonderful summer. I personally love summer at the library – even if it is busy and sometimes exhausting. I love seeing how much our families love being here, the excitement of the littles, and the appreciation of grownups for giving them something fun to do.
Our library generally uses the theme and graphics from the Collaborative Summer Library Program, or CSLP, a national initiative that helps libraries plan summer programming. This year’s theme was “Unearth a Story,” and we used some of the weekly theme ideas from the CSLP manual and used them mainly to choose a weekly book and rhyme for our outdoor storytime with sensory stations. I do have an indoor backup option when the weather is bad, but this year I only had to do that once, thankfully. When we are outside we have plenty of space, so I’m happy to take all comers, but if we’re indoors I do need to conform to fire code, so I ask for registration but make a note that if the weather is good anyone can come even if the program is “full.”
For each session, we spend about 15-20 minutes of storytime rhymes, songs, and a book, including parachute play, then 20 minutes of free play at various sensory stations. We end with bubbles and a goodbye song. Stations are a really great way to promote socializing, practice skills like sharing and being gentle, and allow for unstructured play, which science tells us is so important to learning and development.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, much of this may be familiar, but I did add some new stations or different spins on old stations this year. You can see previous summer program write-ups here.
I don’t think any of my colleagues took photos of the group this year, so here’s one from a previous year.
Repeating Weekly Plan Each week, the structure of the storytime was the same, with only two parts that changed depending on the theme: a themed rhyme and the book. (Stations changed weekly.) All the other songs and rhymes were the same:
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends (tune of Goodnight, Ladies) Hello, friends! Hello, friends! Hello, friends, it’s time to say hello! Hello, [name 1], hello, [name 2]! Hello, [name 3], it’s time to say hello! (repeat as needed) (ASL motions: salute for “hello,” then take the index fingers on each hand and you link them together as though they are hugging each other back and forth for “friends”) Source: Glenside Public Library District
Warm-Up Rhyme: We Wiggle and Stop (Use the ASL sign for the word “stop” – one hand “chops” across the opposite hand) We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP We wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle and we wiggle And we wiggle and we wiggle and we STOP (We wiggled every week, but then added 2 more motions. Motions we did throughout the summer: stomp, twirl, jump, climb, run, stretch, march, tiptoe, wave, sway, roll [arms,] hug) Source: Jbrary
Intro: Our theme this summer is Unearth a Story. That means we are digging down to find some amazing things. Short intro to the weekly theme (see below)
Themed Song/Rhyme (see below)
Transition Song: If You’re Ready for a Story (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) If you’re ready for a story, if you’re ready for a story, If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands (clap, clap) Source: Miss Keithia (my predecessor)
Themed Book(see below)
Parachute! It’s time to get out our parachute and see what kind of fun we can unearth! We have two different parachutes – one is a smaller (maybe 8′?) that I use indoors on occasion (and we used as an art station as you’ll see below in the Repeated Stations section), but the one I use outdoors is much bigger – maybe 20′ in diameter.
Let’s start by doing some digging. As I mentioned in this post, these three parachute activities just came to me last March as I was starting to plan summer reading. The trick to this one is remembering which direction your voice is supposed to go, especially if you are used to singing the original. I figured out that “First level” should be the same note as the word “dig” in the last line above it, “Dig along with me!”I usually did this one twice, the first time finding something ordinary (a pebble, acorn, worm, etc) and the second time finding a dinosaur bone, which leads into the next song. Parachute Song: Let’s Go Digging (tune of Let’s go Riding on an Elevator) Let’s go digging deep in the earth, in the earth, in the earth Let’s go digging deep in the earth, dig along with me! [Let’s pretend this is the ground level and dig down!] (start with chute high and high voice) First level, second level, third level, fourth level, fifth level… (voice goes down) [Oh, look! I found a fossil!/buried treasure/worm/dino bone] And up, up, up, up, up! (voice goes up) Source: piggyback lyrics by Ms. Emily Library
Dinosaur fossils can be found underground. Can you pretend to be a dinosaur? Can you be a MARCHING dinosaur? This was a favorite – I even had adults singing along with me. I always did this one three times. The first time we marched. Then I said, “Can you pretend to be a tiny dinosaur, trying to sneak past a big T-Rex? Let’s be quiet and TIPTOE!” The third time I said, “Oh, no, the T-Rex saw us! Now we have to RUN!” and did it very fast. At the end I’d say, “Whew! We got away!” I wasn’t sure how well they could “make the parachute flat” but honestly they did pretty great! Parachute Song: We Are the Dinosaurs We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching (wave chute in steady beat) We are the dinosaurs, whaddaya think of that? We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching We are the dinosaurs we make the earth flat (pull parachute back to make flat) (tiptoeing, jumping, running, etc) Source: Laurie Berkner, from the album Whaddaya Think of That?
Breathing Break Whew, I am out of breath from all that running! I’m ready for a breathing break. Let’s take a big breath in and lift the parachute up, then breathe out and lower it. We’ll repeat a few times.
At this point the kids are usually darting under the parachute, so I go with it! Okay, if grown-ups can grab the edges of the parachute, kids can go underneath if they want (if you prefer to just watch from the outside, that’s always fine!) Let’s start by waving low and slow. Another rhyme that somehow came to me in the middle of the night! It worked very well – the grownups quickly caught on to when to raise and lower the ‘chute. The kids loved that last line when the parachute comes down on top of them! We did it twice each week. Parachute Rhyme: I’m a Worm I’m a worm and I’m wiggling so slow (wave low, slowly) I help to make the flowers grow (raise parachute high on “grow”) But when I see a bird I wiggle quickly down (wave and lower chute quickly) Where I can wiggle and play underground! (wave low to ground) Source: original (Ms. Emily Library)
Okay, grown ups – for our last parachute song we’re going to let the parachute fly – so let go at the very end after we count down and I say “FLY.” Parachute Song: Parachute Fly (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
Release to Stations This year I had I had nine stations each week, which involve a mixture of dry, wet, and art/creativity stations. We spend about 20 minutes before I ring the bell to call everyone back to the grassy area. See more detail below.
Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind of your group! Recorded Bubble Song: Pop, Pop, Pop by Nathalia From the album “Dream a Little,” available on Spotify
Goodbye Song: See You Later, Alligator (tune of Clementine) See you later, alligator (wave with one hand, then the other) In a while, crocodile (open and shut arms like a croc’s mouth) Give a hug, ladybug (hug yourself or a loved one) Blow a kiss, jellyfish! MWAH! (move hand like a jellyfish then blow a kiss!) Source: King County Library System
Repeated Stations There are a few stations that I use every single week. They are easy but popular, and I like having a mix of familiar and novel stations. You can see stations for the individual weeks below, but these were available all summer.
Pouring Station So simple, so easy, yet so compelling! I a few years ago, I asked coworkers to collect clean plastic recyclables with wide openings and visited Goodwill for some additional pitchers. We had measuring cups and funnels in our materials, as well as a hard plastic baby pool, which is the perfect container. I fill the pool with the plastic bins and fill them randomly with water, plus some extra in the pool. Original idea from Busy Toddler.
Kinetic Sand I have a few kids who go to this station every week and stay there the whole time! I have two big clear plastic bins (which are actually drawers from an old storage bin, kinetic sand, and recycled fruit cup containers that had fun shapes and plastic shovels. This year we added some other fun things in different weeks – the plastic dinos from week one’s art station, worms, jewels, plastic gold coins, etc. I kept a sheet underneath this station to catch any stray sand that escapes the bins. Because the sand is not taste-safe, I do warn the caregivers that if their kiddo is still exploring with their mouth, they may want to skip this station.
Color the Parachute My library has an interesting smaller parachute (maybe 8 foot diameter?) that came plain white and was advertised as “decorate it yourself!” When I inherited it, there were a small scattering of names from who knows how long ago and the rest was depressingly empty. In the last few summers I was determined to fill it up. I laid it out each week and set it as a station inside the gazebo, with a small handful of permanent markers. I’m happy to say that it looks MUCH better now, and it’s super fun for me to look at the names and remember kids who have aged out of my programs. There’s still plenty of space to draw and write, so I imagine I’ll be using this as a station for at least a few more years.
Rinse Station Okay, so this isn’t really a “station” where kids come to play, but it was a creative-by-necessity solution for me doing messy art outside where there wasn’t access to a sink to wash hands. I just got two buckets (I think they were from the car wash area in Walmart!), fill them with water and put dry towels nearby. I don’t have to worry about going through tons of wet wipes or paper towels, it’s an easy way to soak my paint-messy art materials at the end of the program, and it’s just a simple solution.
Intro: This week we’re talking about dinosaurs! We know about dinosaurs because people have *unearthed* their bones.
I varied whether I did the themed song or the book first, just depending on what made the most sense to me.
Themed Ukulele Song: One Dinosaur Went Out to Play (tune of Five Little Ducks) One dinosaur went out to play By a giant fern one day She had such enormous fun That she called for another dinosaur to come: Oh, Diiiiiiiiiinosaur! (slap hands on thighs)
(count up to 5) Last line: …That they played until the day was done! Credit: Mel’s Desk
Themed Read: Dig, Dig, Dinosaur by Anjali Goswami & Maggie Li. I love that this is written by an actual paleontologist, and the big flaps and die cuts make it really exciting. I asked everyone to get out their shovels and “dig, dig, dig” when I read that part.
Week 1 Stations I don’t feel the need to theme every station to every week, but if there’s a way to add a little of the themed flair in, I am all for it. That was an easy thing to do with a dinosaur theme! So our art station and movement station were dino themed, and I threw in an extra dinosaur dry sorting station I had made in the past.
Pool Noodle Soup (Wet) I cut sections of pool noodles and used them in different ways, starting with this wet station. (The dry station shows up week 2.) I two identical plastic containers and added water, the noodles, some ladles and slotted spoons. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from Happy Toddler Playtime.
Fly Swatter Slap(Wet) Again, using my materials in different ways by using flyswatters in both wet and dry stations on different weeks. The wet station included the (clean) swatters and ping pong balls that I drew flies on plus some squeeze bottles, and uses two drawers from a plastic bin container. The swatters were hand-shaped and different colors. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from My Bored Toddler.
Beanbag Sort (Dry) We have these beanbags from Lakeshore Learning that are different colors and shapes. They’re a super easy station where kids can play and sort with them in several ways.
Craft Stick Sort (Dry) I made these a few years ago – I noticed I had these boxes of dot painters that have small holes already in the top. I colored a ring around each hole a different rainbow color and added colored craft sticks for a fine motor and color identification station. The colored rings are getting a little faded so next year I’ll have to re-color them! I put them in the small plastic bins I store the kinetic sand in so they don’t get wet in the dewy grass or lost too easily.
Clothespin Dinos (Dry) This is another station that I had made several years ago, and seemed perfect to add to a dino themed week. Kids match the numbered and colored clothespins to the correct stegosaurus and work on their grip strength at the same time. I talk more about making these at this post from 2022. Download a template for the Clothespin Stegosaurus here!
T-Rex Slalom (Dry, Movement) This year I decided to add a movement station each week. This was an easy one to make with our athletic cones. I printed some T-Rex graphics and laminated them, then taped them to the sides of the cones and provided some beanbags for an extra challenge. The cones are pretty close in the picture – they got spread out a little more when we started.
Dino Prints (Art) I can’t believe I didn’t get a setup picture of this one! We purchased a set of plastic dinosaurs and used them several times throughout the summer for various stations, but this was the first one. I added fun neon tempera paint to some containers (cleaned out Lean Cuisine trays are a great size and shape for dipping paint crafts!) and set the dinos out. I did have my sample that I created for a virtual storytime, so there’s a photo of that. The dinosaur feet weren’t completely flat, so it was a bit more difficult to get a good print than I had expected, but it didn’t seem to matter much to our participants.
Intro: This week we’re talking about buried treasure. Have you ever imagined following a treasure map and finding something shiny buried deep and hidden away?
This was a cute one, although the commentary by the brother felt a little awkward to me. Themed Read: What a Treasure! by Jane & Will Hillenbrand
Are you ready to do our own treasure hunt? Themed Rhyme: Going on a Treasure Hunt We’re going on a treasure hunt! (call and response first 3 lines) I’ve got my shovel I’m not scared Uh-oh, look at that tall, wavy grass We can’t go over it We can’t go under it We have to go through it Swish, swish, swish, swish
(additional verses) Uh-oh, look at the big, wide river… Splash, splash, splash, splash Uh-oh, look at all that mud… squish, squish, squish, squish Uh-oh, Look at that deep, dark, cave! Creep, creep, creep, creep
Look, there’s the treasure chest!, It’s full of treasure! Hooray!! Uh-oh, what’s that sound? It’s a pirate!! Run!!! Quick, back through the cave! Creep, creep, creep, creep Run through the mud! Squish, squish, squish, squish Swim the river! Splash, splash, splash, splash Run through the grass! Swish, swish, swish, swish Run through our yard! Up the stairs, Into the house, Close the door Whew! We’re safe, That was a close one. Let’s not go treasure hunting anymore Source: The Kiboomers
Ice Treasure Hunt (Wet) I did a version of this in 2023but it feels like it worked out better this time. Instead of using a quart-sized container, I used some sandcastle buckets we have, layering a few treasures at a time and adding water to make a big block of treasure-filled ice. The containers had a good amount of texture along the sides so it was harder for the layers of ice to detach and float to the top of any new water layer. There were also some large Halloween candy bowls that I used as well, which were harder to keep the layers from floating, but we managed it somehow. We had two days of this station, so we made four ice blocks total. Inside were fake gold coins, medium sized seashells, some of our dinosaur figurines from week 1, large plastic diving gems, large 2″ pompoms, and river rocks. I filled the big drawer bins with just a few inches of water from the hose, then provided the orange buckets (sans ice) and squeeze bottles filled with water as hot as I could get it from the tap. When we released to stations 20 minutes into the program, the water was warm but not too warm, and I put the ice blocks in the bins from a cooler. The kids really worked diligently to get the treasure out, and the blocks were big enough that there was still ice left at the end of the program! I realized that the treasure was kind of fun stuff, but I didn’t want kids to be taking it home, so I put out a basket nearby with a sign as our “Treasure Chest.” The sign asked kids to collect the treasure in the chest to save for the next group. I found the photos for the sign at Kids Activity Zone. The first photo shows the bins with just water – I kept the ice blocks in a cooler until it was station time. But I was able to snap a couple of pictures of the kids playing!
Mystery Water (Wet) Inspired by this Pinterest pin from bright_little_brains, I used some plastic cookie cutters we had in storage, traced their shapes on a large sheet of paper, and laminated. The water was mixed with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and several drops of food coloring to make the water murky. I also added some of my toy pirate gold to each bin. Unfortunately, the cookie cutters weren’t very heavy and kind of floated to the top, but it wasn’t a disaster and the kids enjoyed the activity anyway.
Pool Noodle Sort (Dry) Using the pool noodle slices (from Pool Noodle Soup), I taped a dowel rod to four small plastic cones in red, green, yellow, and blue. Kids could then thread the colored noodles on to the cones. Original idea from this Pin (no blog).
Feed the Croc (Dry) I’d made one of these a couple years ago but it somehow got used and broken in the meantime. My kind coworker then made me two replacement crocodiles! With a few metal tongs at Goodwill and ping pong balls, it’s a cute fine motor station. Nom, nom, nom! Original idea from Mama OT.
Beanbag Toss (with hula hoops) (Dry/Movement) A simple beanbag toss for this week’s movement station – I used square beanbags and two hula hoops.
Dot Painting (Art) Using our stash of dot painting markers, I created dot coloring sheets that had to do with our themes – a pig in mud, treasure chests, sand castle, treasure map, and some dinosaurs. Did you know you can make any traditional coloring sheet a dot sheet just by adding circles? I do it in Canva and it’s pretty easy. I keep the dots at about .5″ to .75″ in diameter and just add them to big areas. It works better with pages with big open spots rather than lots of detail.
Intro: This week we’re talking about worms! Worms are a little wiggly and slimy, but they are so cool! They help keep the dirt loose and full of nutrients so plants can grow.
The original on this one has Wiggly going back into a pocket and going to sleep, but since we’re talking about unearthing I had him go back down to the ground. Themed Rhyme: Wiggly Worm 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 Digs a hole and goes to sleep Source: King County (WA) Library System
I got a good number of laughs at this one, but it felt like it was mostly from grownups. It might be a better choice for the preschool set. My backup is the very sweet How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival, and I think it may have been a better choice. Themed Read: What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins
Ping Pong/ Worm Fishing (Wet) This was basically a station I’d done before, Ping Pong Fishing, but with fake fishing lure worms added in. I didn’t even change the sign. I had written the alphabet on ping pong balls and used them, the worms, and colanders, sieves, and slotted spoons in the bin. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from the Imagination Tree.
Lemon Sensory Bin (Wet) Mm, this is always one of my favorite stations! It’s super easy and smells so good. I bought a bag of lemons and we divided them among our sessions, which ended up being about 1.5 lemons per day. We cut them up into slices and added them to a bin with water along with ladles. I did announce that there was a lemon bin before breaking for stations just in case there was an allergy issue, but no one had a problem. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from Taming Little Monsters.
Colored Ball Sort (Dry) This ball sort and drop was made a few years ago with Baker & Taylor boxes (RIP), but oriented different ways so one was tall and skinny and one was low and squat. I had purchased ball pit balls and supplied different colors to each box. Original idea from Taming Little Monsters.
Pompom Sort (Dry) An easy station – I just saved a couple of egg cartons, then poured a handful or two of different colored/sized pompoms into them and provided small metal ice tongs. After a couple of years, my egg cartons are starting to get a little raggedy, so I’ll plan to replace them next year! Original idea from Laughing Kids Learn.
Worm Art Finger Painting (Art) I knew I wanted to do worm art, so used some of the fake fishing lure worms from the worm fishing (there were plenty in a pack) and provided finger paints for process art. I think the way the worm rings showed up in the artwork was really very cool. I saw quite a few blogs who were doing something similar, but none of them had pictures that conveyed what I wanted when I was creating the sign, so I found a nice photo of spaghetti painting from The Imagination Tree that worked really well.
This was a left behind page, but it’s so cool how you can see the worm rings!
Intro: So far we’ve talked about very BIG things and very SMALL things, Dinosaurs and worms. But wait, not all dinosaurs were BIG!
Themed Read: Tiny Dino by Deborah Freedman I didn’t read the “facts” that went along with the story, but very briefly explained them if they weren’t self evident.
I’ve known this rhyme for a very long time, but it always stopped at “yes, yes, yes, no, no, no.” But sometime before summer I saw a woman on Instagram doing the rhyme with her baby (which I definitely need to incorporate into Book Babies) and she had a whole other verse! I added it on here and we enjoyed especially the great big hug. Action Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big (extended version) This is big, big, big (hold arms out to side) This is small, small, small (cup hands together) This is short, short, short (flat hand lowers) This is tall, tall, tall (flat hand reaches up) This is fast, fast, fast (circle fists quickly) This is slow, slow, slow (circle fists slowly) This is yes, yes, yes (nod head) This is no, no, no (shake head)
This is up, up, up (reach up) This is down, down, down (reach down) This is square, square, square (trace a square in the air) This is round, round, round (trace a circle) This is left, left, left (shake left hand) This is right, right, right (shake right hand) This is great big hug and hold on tight (hug self or grownup) Source: Mel’s Desk, 2nd half adapted from IG happybabbler
Sponge Play (Wet) Another repeat from years past, but very simple and popular with the littlest ones. I have some simple shapes like rectangles, squares, triangles, and circles, but there are also some ocean animals in there since I made them when the SRP theme was “Oceans of Possibility.” Original idea (and photo on the sign) from Little Lifelong Learners.
Scooping Blocks (Wet) Lego Duplos plus water and scoopers! This one was fun for its obvious purpose, but added bonus: some kids actually took the Duplos out of the water and put them together! We had all the Duplos already, and I added some of the sorting blocks from our baby toys to the mix, as well as ladles, colanders, and sieves. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from My Bored Toddler.
Racquet Balance (Dry/Movement) This actually turned out to be one of the most popular of the movement stations, primarily with older siblings who enjoyed flipping the square beanbags like pancakes. We got most of our athletic equipment from a grant from the Young Athletes of the Special Olympics, and it’s been really nice to have. I reused the T-Rex cones, too.
Ice Painting (Art) Again, somehow I missed getting a picture of this one. But it’s always got a wow factor, and I get questions from multiple adults on how I made the ice cubes. I use liquid watercolors – 5-6 drops per cube filled the rest of the way with water. Small craft sticks make a handle, and I keep the ice cube trays in a cooler in the shade until we’re ready for stations, then get them out to use. They do melt a bit as the program goes, but you actually want that to get the paint going. Photo shared here was from 2023, on a day that we were indoors. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from ARTventurers.
Intro: This week we’re talking about the earth itself – in other words, DIRT! Dirt can be very fun to play with. Have you ever made a mud pie?
Themed Action Chant: Make a Mud Pie 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
I thought this one would go over better than it did – maybe it was just a touch too long? I liked that it talked about a lot of the topics from the previous few weeks, including treasure and worms! Themed Read: Roy Digs Dirtby David Shannon
Dino Bath (Wet) My first year doing outdoor stations I did an animal washing station, which included two bins of dirt and two bins of clean water with soap in it. I didn’t want to just dig dirt from outside and I didn’t want potting soil with fertilizer in it, so I bought this coconut coir which really didn’t work very well – the water didn’t absorb and it never really made “mud,” which was my intention. This year I wanted to do dino washing, but was trying to think my way around the issues I had the first time around. Then I saw this post from Busy Toddler and they framed it as a Dino Bath, which eliminated the need for the mud and solved all my problems. I had everything I needed: dino figures, no tears baby shampoo, kid toothbrushes and dish scrubbers. The baby shampoo bottle is included in the photo for the blog, but I put it away during the program.
Ice Play (Wet) Another repeat from years past. I bought a large bag of ice each morning before my program and kept it in a cooler, adding it to the bins JUST before they were played in (so there’s no ice shown in the photos I took before the program). Ladles, colanders, and sieves were added for handling the ice. I reminded everyone to take a break if their fingers started to get too cold. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from Busy Toddler.
Ball Toss (Dry/Movement) We had two semi-soft balls in our athletic equipment, but I was hoping to have some more, so I added some round fish squirter bath toys that we had in our prize stash from many years ago. Add buckets and you’ve got an easy movement station.
Fly Swatter Painting (Art) A messy but very fun art project, using (re-using) supplies from other stations. Kids wielded fly swatters to slap at paint, making some very interesting abstract art. I think the best method turned out to be adding some dots of paint to the paper, then letting the kids aim for them, rather than trying to spread paint on the swatter. I’m grateful for good weather all that week, since this is very much an outdoor activity. Original idea (and photo on the sign) from Play Teach Repeat.
Intro: This week we’re talking about stories of the past, which can take some digging to find. Have you ever heard a story from your parents or grandparents about what life was like when they were little kids?
Here’s a silly rhyme about a grandma and a grandpa – they both wear glasses and hats! I really emphasize grandpa’s glasses and hat being BIG and use a low growly voice, and of course we do loud snores. Action Rhyme: Here are Grandma’s Glasses Here are grandma’s glasses (make circles around eyes) And here is Grandma’s hat, (fold hands on top of head) Here’s the way she folds her hands (fold hands) And puts them on her lap. (place hands in lap)
Here are Grandpa’s glasses, (make BIGGER circles around eyes) Here is Grandpa’s hat, (make BIG hands on top of head) Here’s the way he folds his arms (fold arms) And has a little nap. (pretend to sleep/snore) Source: Storytime Secrets
Such a beautiful book. I got a lot of smiles for this one. Themed Read: Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Flower Sensory Bin (Wet) To stock this bin, we ask our local Kroger florist for donations of flowers and greenery that are past their prime and may be destined for the trash. This year, they gave us a whole pail full of cuttings, with lots of variety, including roses, mums, carnations, and even a sunflower. A true sensory feast!
Whisking Bubbles (Wet) Using our trusty no-tears baby shampoo once again, this was a simple set up with water, soap, whisks, and a few measuring cups for scooping. I love the way this one smells. I included the shampoo bottle in the photo for this blog, but did not have it out during the program.
Beanbag Toss with Buckets (Dry/Movement) We did a beanbag toss in week two, but switched to bucket targets instead of hula hoops this time around. (In week two, the buckets were being used for the Ice Treasure Hunt.)
Chalk Art (Art) Because the area where we do outdoor storytime has bricks laid down instead of concrete, we can’t really do chalk art on the ground (if we did, that’s totally what I’d do here!). Instead, I provide black construction paper with the sidewalk chalk and let them be creative!
I took a few extra photos this year, to help give a sense of our space and layout. If you ever have questions about any outdoor storytime or sensory stations, feel free to ask!
A wide angle of our space, showing the gazebo to the left, picnic table to the right on bricked area, with a large grassy area beyond, with sheet-covered stations along the left and across the back near the library building in the background.
Another shot of the stations covered in sheets, and the wide grassy area where families can lay their blankets or camp chairs, as well as where we do our parachute activities.
The storytime cart, showing the large parachute and extra sheets on the bottom shelf, a basket of small items (sunscreen, extra batteries, pencil, bell, tissues, etc), a bottle of bubble solution, fish-shaped bubble machine, and extra towel on the second shelf, and the personal PA speaker, water cup, books, and storytime plan on the top.
Back to indoor storytimes next week – upcoming themes include Art, Garbage Trucks, Ice Cream, and more!
April 22 is Earth Day! Here is our Stories & Stations* storytime, planned by my wonderful colleague (we alternate planning weeks.) There were a few activities that were planned but for time reasons weren’t ready, so we made adaptations. It was a good reminder that our families like the experience of storytime, and they roll with us on our themes, but all the theming is really more for our ease of planning and not really something our 2- and 3-year-olds care about. It’s okay to repeat activities. It’s okay to go off-theme. Everything we do should be to promote early literacy and associate the library and books with fun, and all the rest is icing!
This week’s prop was beanbags, which I don’t use often enough in my regular storytimes! It was really great to see everyone shaking, tossing, and balancing their beanbags and having a really fun time with them.
*We are doing a new format for our storytimes in a transition period of personnel change and calling it Stories & Stations (you can read the whole saga of the whys and hows at this post.)
Early Development Tip: Moving to music, dancing, swaying, running, and jumping help young children feel rhythm and begin to understand how their bodies work. Such movements also help them gain muscle control and improve their balance, which all contributes to your child’s gross motor development. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* Even with a larger number of kids, I still go around and sing this with everyone’s name. The kids really do love it, and it helps me learn names and storytime participants to learn each others’ names.
Warm Up Song: Wiggle and Wiggle and STOP* This week I did “Stomp” and “Roll” (arms) in addition to Wiggle.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* Okay, this one *seems* to be better for younger kids, but all I have to do is encourage the older kids to jump as high as they can at the end and it is instantly perfect for a 5 year old, too. I always give the option for a lap bounce and lift as well.
Intro: Today is a very special day called Earth Day! Our Earth gives us so many wonderful gifts: the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the crunchy apples we eat for a snack. Today people all over the world are on a mission to be kind to our Earth. We might check the ground for “lost” trash, or turn off the lights when we’re not home – there are lots of actions we can take to help keep our world clean, green, and beautiful.
Let’s start with a story about things we can do to help the Earth. Sometimes it just makes more sense to start with our book and then go to the themed activity. Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
Even though this is a board book, it is a relatively large format one, so it still works for reading to a group. It’s cute and age appropriate, although I always skip the page about eating less meat that shows a barnyard scene. It just feels a little too omnivore-shaming – I don’t disagree with the sentiment, but I wish the illustration featured a plate full of vegetables instead. Read: Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer
I read this title for my evening program, and it worked okay. Some of the points made feel just a little too simplified. Read: The Earth Book by Todd Parr
Here’s an old song about loving our Earth. Someone wrote a new verse for Earth Day – let’s sing them both together! Ukulele Song: This Land Is Your Land (Earth Day Edition) This land is your land, This land is my land From California to the New York Island From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters This land was made for you and me
This land is your land, This land is my land Let’s work together to make it better From the tall green forests to the clear blue waters This land depends on you and me Source: Woodie Guthrie, Earth Day verse from Santa Clarita Public Library
Let’s get out some beanbags! Let’s see, can you gently toss your beanbag and catch it? Okay, can you let your beanbag drop to the ground? How about tossing it from one hand to the other – if you can’t toss, then try just moving it from hand to hand. Okay, you are ready for our first beanbag rhyme! I’ve adapted the traditional Tommy Thumbs rhyme for different uses – like for egg shakers and scarves. It also works for beanbags, but the motions are a little bit different since they are especially fun to toss and drop. Beanbag Rhyme: Beanbags Up Beanbags up (toss gently) Beanbags down (let drop) Beanbags dancing all around (toss from hand to hand) Beanbags on your shoulder Beanbags on your head Beanbags on your tummy And tuck them into bed! (between two hands) Source: adapted from the traditional Tommy Thumbs
Earth Day is a great time to celebrate all the animals of the planet. How about the frog? Can you pretend your beanbag is a frog? We start by bouncing our “frogs” on our toes – at the end, I made my frog jump extra high on the “Ribbit!” Then you can move to any other body parts. Beanbag Song: Froggy’s Hopping (tune of Round the Mulberry Bush) Froggy’s hopping on my toes On my toes, on my toes Froggy’s hopping on my toes… RIIIIIIBBIT! Source: Allegan District (MI) Library
Mmm, the earth provides so many delicious things to eat! Can you pretend your beanbag is an apple now? Beanbag Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree Way up high in the apple tree (beanbags/fists up) Two red apples smiled at me (wiggle apples) I shook that tree as hard as I could (shaking motion) Down came the apples… (beanbags/fists fall) And mmm, they were good! (rub tummy) Source: traditional
Okay, it’s beanbag hard mode now! Can you balance your beanbag on your head?! If that’s too difficult, you can try balancing it on your hand, instead. Beanbag Rhyme: Walk Along the Tightrope With my bean bag on my head I stand so very tall I walk along my tightrope And will not let it fall Source: Allegan District (MI) Library
After collecting our props, we released to stations! I let everyone know that I’d put out toys and puzzles in the current room, so they could stay if they wanted, and opened the door to the other room for everyone else to go to stations. I’m noticing that some of the youngest kiddos are staying to just play with toys the whole time and not bothering with stations, which is totally fine.
Art Station: Fingerprint Stamped Flowers I think originally we were planning to use actual flowers on the stamp pad, but that seemed too fragile for a bunch of kids to cycle through. So instead, we made flowers using our own fingerprints! We have these large stamp pads that are perfect for this sort of craft. This was a nice one since it didn’t require a lot of clean up (like the paint crafts from the last few weeks!)
Gross Motor Stations: Walk the Plank I think this was originally going to be a different activity, but we just grabbed a sign from a previous program (Oceans of Possibilities) and taped a line on the floor. Kids still enjoyed it!
Gross Motor Station 2: Animal Habitat Building Another borrow, this time from the Baby Animals program a few weeks ago. We got out our big blocks (like Legos, but much bigger!) to build habitats for some of our animal puppets. I love how the kids can be so creative in what they build with fairly limited materials.
Fine Motor Station 1: Seed Sorting & Cut the Grass This was a re-use of two stations from the Garden program. It’s always good to have several activities available!
Sensory Station: Kinetic Sand Another quick one from the past is kinetic sand – and it’s always a hit. We had some little colorful animal figurines that were hidden in the sand.
Toys and Puzzles Our regular baby toys and puzzles, as well as soft food, babies in a basket, and lacing cards came out as another option for play. I didn’t capture a picture of this one.
After 20 minutes of free station time, I ring our bell to gather everyone again in the storytime room. Everyone helps put away the toys and puzzles before we end with our last two songs.
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) To Change A Planet – Christina Soontornvat & Rahele Jomepour Bell Thank You, Earth – April Pulley Sayre The Earth Book – Todd Parr My Friend Earth – Patricia MacLachlan & Francesca Sanna Stand Up! Speak Up! – Andrew Joyner We Are Water Protectors – Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade Milk and Juice – Meredith Crandall Brown Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival – Lindsay Moore What a Wonderful World – Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & Tim Hopgood The Old Boat – Jarrett Pumphrey & Jerome Pumphrey Lights Out – Marsha Diane Arnold & Susan Reagan Earth Day – Emma Carlson Berne & Mike Bundad Go Green With Sesame Street – Jennifer Boothroyd & Mary Lindeen A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth – Tory Christie & Luciana Navarro Powell Home – Matt De La Peña & Loren Long What Does It Mean to be Green? – Rana DiOrio & Addy Rivera Sonda On Earth – G. Brian Karas A Pocket Full of Rocks – Kristin Mahoney & E.B. Goodale I Love Our Earth – Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, Dan Lipow Home – Isabelle Simler
This storytime was presented in-person on 4/22 & 4/23/26.
So remember back in January when I was trying to figure out how to do a “Community” storytime that was not about community helpers? So this week we actually DID the community helpers theme! See, there’s a method to my madness. This was a really great storytime – the activities flowed into each other very well and made sense. I presented it twice, first to a morning toddler group and second to an evening group for kids 5 and under and their families. Both went well!
Early Development Tip: Play a game of “I Spy” while doing errands with your child and point out various community helpers. Take this opportunity to build your child’s vocabulary and talk about different ways people help each other. -North Olympic (WA) Library System
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: A few weeks ago, we talked about our community – it’s made up of people who care for and help each other. Anyone can be a helper! But some people have special helping jobs. So, who are some of those people? Let’s celebrate them today.
Here’s a rhyme about some of those helpers and the jobs they do. A throwback – this was a fun one and I love how it both highlights some community helper jobs but also asks kids to ask how they will be a helper. Fingerplay: This Little Helper This helper builds our houses (thumb) This helper brings our mail (pointer) This helper teaches the children (middle) And this one has groceries to sell (ring) And this little helper, yes, it’s me (pinky) When I grow up, what kind of helper will I be? Source: North Olympic (WA) Library System
Now, if we’re going to use our helping hands, let’s get them warmed up. Shoutout to my fellow Indiana library for sharing this! This is such a fun song, and worked really well for both age groups. You could use this as a general movement song anytime. Really exaggerate the slow and the fast! Action Song: Fun with Hands (tune of Row Your Boat) Roll, roll, roll your hands As slowly as can be Roll, roll, roll your hands Do it now with me Roll, roll, roll your hands As fast as fast can be Roll, roll, roll your hands Do it now with me (repeat: clap, shake, wave) Source: Carmel Clay (IN) Public Library
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
The guessing game nature of this one makes it automatically interactive, and it’s easy enough for the littles to guess, too. Read: Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook & Andy Robert Davies
I really liked this one, and thought it might be a good option for the evening/older group. Unfortunately, either they weren’t in the mood or it was just a little too abstract for them. Read: Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan
What do these helpers do? This was fun as a ukulele song, though I think I would feel a little more awkward if I didn’t have a uke in my hands, since there aren’t really any hand motions to do. I originally thought I’d make a flannel for this one, but I just relied on my rhyme sheet graphics to point out some different jobs, and that worked just fine. Ukulele Song: Community Helpers Song (tune of Farmer in the Dell) The teachers help us learn The teachers help us learn Heigh-ho, they help us so The teachers Help us learn!
Other job ideas: Firefighters put out fires… The doctors keep us well… The farmers grow our food… Mail carriers deliver the mail… Crossing guards help us cross… Librarians find us books… Source: Intentional Storytime
Who brings our mail? A letter carrier! Another great movement rhyme. I tried to “paint a picture” with every verse. So for example, I said, “what if the mail carrier was late? They’d RUN!” “What if there was a big dog sleeping in the yard and they wanted to sneak by? They’d tiptoe!” “What if they were feeling silly? They would jump/skip” etc. Action Rhyme: Little Letter Carrier I am a little letter carrier Who loves nothing better Than to walk, walk, walk (walk in place) To deliver your letter! (repeat with other actions like run, hop, skip, spin, march, etc) Source: Jen in the Library
Let’s get out our shakers! Teachers are big helpers. They help us learn our ABCs! Let’s shake along while we sing. Did I really need a rhyme sheet for the Alphabet Song? Maybe not. But I liked having a visual! Shaker Song: The Alphabet Song Source: traditional
Farmers and farm workers help by growing and picking our food! Can you pretend your shaker is an apple? Shaker Rhyme: Way Up High in the Apple Tree Way up high in the apple tree (raise shaker(s) up) I saw two apples looking at me I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake) Down came the apples… (drop shaker) And mmm, they were good! (rub belly) Source: traditional
Construction workers make the buildings, including our houses! What tools do they use? This one worked really well for the shakers, even if it wasn’t originally intended for that. Shaker Rhyme: A House for Me The builders’ hammers go tap, tap, tap (tap shaker in opposite hand) And the saws go see-saw-see (move shaker forward and back across opposite arm) They hammer and hammer And they saw and saw And they build a house for me (peak hands above head) Source: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
Wee-ooo, wee-oo! Oh, no, it sounds like the fire truck is going by. Can we be firefighting helpers and fight a fire? And again, this wasn’t originally a shaker tune, but it works so well! Action/Shaker Song: Hurry, Hurry Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck (turn a steering wheel with shaker in one hand) Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (ring a bell/shake shaker)
Additional verses: Turn the corner (lean far left and right) [We’re here, we need to climb up] Put the ladder up, (climb a ladder) [Can you put out the fire with your fire hose?] Spray the fire hose (hold a hose and move it back and forth)
[Wow, you put out the fire! You are heroes! Okay, time to go back to the station. But we don’t need to hurry anymore, right?] Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck Slowly, slowly, drive the fire truck Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! Source: adapted from Old Town School of Folk Music from the Songs for Wiggleworms album
Astronauts and scientists help us by learning more about our world and our universe! Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: High Five Card I don’t know how I thought of this one, it just came to me. I had browsed other “community helper” crafts, many of which included hats or pictures of little people wearing different uniforms, which felt like a lot of prep and cutting things out. Then I thought, we’ve been talking about helpers, why not thank a helper? And the theme is “helping HANDS!” This went well with our early learning tip, as well. So all it required was some paint for the handprints, crayons for writing inside, and printed off cards. Paint can be a little messy, but it was not too bad and everyone liked their cards!My hand was a bit big for the space I left in the middle in my sample, but the littles’ hands fit perfectly.
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Firefighter Flo! – Andrea Zimmerman & Dan Yaccarino Fire Chief Fran – Linda Ashman & Nancy Carpenter Leo Gets a Checkup – Anna McQuinn & Ruth Hearson Someone Builds the Dream – Lisa Wheeler & Loren Long Thank a Farmer – Maria Gianferrari & Monica Mikai Teachers Rock! – Todd Parr Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut – Derrick Barnes & Gordon C James Blue Bison Needs a Haircut – Scott Rothman & Pete Oswald The Loud Librarian – Jenna Beatrice & Erika Lynne Jones Stanley the Mailman – William Bee Pigs Dig a Road – Carrie Finison & Brian Biggs Millie Waits for the Mail – Alexander Steffensmeier
This storytime was presented in-person on 3/25 & 3/26/26.
Who doesn’t love rainbows? They’re so magical, and yet they are a great way to talk about science! For our storytimes the week of St. Patrick’s Day, we chose to do a rainbow theme. It’s related (find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!) but only tangentially, so it incudes everyone whether they celebrate the holiday or not. My coworker decided to focus on the colors of the rainbow, and although we did some color activities, I also talked about the weather aspect of rainbows. Springtime seems to be a prime time for the conditions to be right to make a rainbow. I think you could also borrow some of these activities for a Pride themed storytime in June. So there are lots of ways to use a rainbow theme!
Early Development Tip: Weather and seasons are things your children experience and can relate to. Try using their experiences to talk about the science behind weather, like rainbows. Sometimes we ourselves don’t know all the facts, but we can find out right along with our children by using books at the library. Simple scientific knowledge about everyday events gives children a strong foundation for later school learning. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: It’s almost springtime, and we will be seeing a lot of different kinds of weather. It can be cloudy and cold one day and sunny and warm the next day! It may rain, and it could even snow! What’s the weather like today? Let’s do a song about different kinds of weather.
Let’s see if you can tell me the weather based on these symbols. I chose just four of these to do – snow, wind, rain, and sun.You can download my printable flannel template here! Ukulele/Flannel Song: What’s the Weather? (tune of: Clementine) What’s the weather, what’s the weather, What’s the weather, everyone? Is it windy, is it cloudy, Is there rain, or is there sun? Source: Jbrary
When there is sunshine right after rain, it makes a… rainbow! Wow, how beautiful! What colors do we see? I made a very simple rainbow flannel with half-circles of the colors – I didn’t count on the fact that stacking that much felt makes for a very thick rainbow! It did stay up on the board, though, so it works. I also talked a bit about how scientists differentiate between the lighter blue and the darker blue called indigo, but in our song we’ll just say the color blue to cover both. I changed the words a bit as the original said “only seen on rainy days” which felt not quite precise enough for me. (I admit I can be an unnecessarily nitpicky person!) Flannel Song: Rainbow Colors (tune of Twinkle Twinkle) First comes red and orange, too Shiny yellow, green and blue Purple ends the arc up high When rain and sun meet in the sky First comes red and orange too Yellow, green, blue, and purple, too! Source: adapted from Metropolitan (OK) Library System
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
Another interactive book with Ploof! In this sequel, Ploof is trying to make a rainbow. I love that it touches on uncomfortable feelings without making them “bad” and that it celebrates trying. Read: Paint with Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser
A sweet book with flowers the color of the rainbow. Backup Read: The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson
What do we need to make a rainbow again? Fingerplay: Big Round Sun Big round sun in the springtime sky 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 [And what else came out?] A rainbow! Source: King County (WA) Library System
Let’s do one more weather rhyme. I added the rainbow verse to tie everything together! Fingerplay: Rain Is Falling Down Rain is falling down, SPLASH Rain is falling down, SPLASH Pitter patter, pitter patter Rain is falling down, SPLASH
Sun is peeking out, PEEK Sun is peeking out, PEEK Peeking here, peeking there Sun is peeking out, PEEK
Rainbow in the sky, WOW! (arc hand across, then make “exclamatory wow” hands (open to interpretation)) Rainbow in the sky, WOW! So many colors do I see Rainbow in the sky, WOW! Source: adapted from Jbrary
It’s time to get our scarves out! And what’s this? My ribbons! You can choose one scarf and one ribbon. I would suggest choosing two different colors! Can we make a rainbow with all these colorful scarves and ribbons? I don’t use our ribbons often, so this was a great opportunity to hand them out – I figure why not add more color!? They really enjoyed throwing their scarves up in the air on this one. Scarf Rhyme: Make a Rainbow Let’s wave our scarves high! Let’s wave our scarves low! Let’s wave our scarves fast! Let’s wave our scarves slow! Now let’s crumple up our scarves One, two, three… RAINBOW! Source: Librionyian
Wave your scarves over your head! I think I originally saw this as a parachute song (though I didn’t note that source), with a parachute that only has red, yellow, green, and blue. To make it a rainbow, I changed the lyrics to also include orange and purple. I don’t love doing the same tune more than once in a storytime, but this one and Rainbow Colors were far enough apart that it didn’t seem too odd. Scarf Song: These Are the Colors (tune of Twinkle, Twinkle) Red and yellow, Green and blue Orange and purple over you Red as an apple, Green as a tree Yellow as the sun, And blue as the sea Red and yellow, Green and blue Orange and purple over you Source: adapted from Storybook Stephanie
Look, it’s raining again! Another opportunity to let our scarves drop. Is a scarf drop the storytime equivalent of a mic drop? I think so! We did rain and sun, naturally. Scarf Rhyme: Rain on the Green Grass Rain on the green grass, (shake low) Rain on the trees (shake high) Rain on the roof (hold above head) But not on me! (drop) Source: Jbrary
Let’s dance our rainbow scarves. Can you listen for your colors? Okay, so most of my kiddos are too little to both know what colors they have and wait to do a motion during their color. But it’s fun anyway. Note that the rhyme sheet is two pages long, though the preview below shows just the first page. Click the thumbnail to download the full PDF. Scarf Rhyme: Rainbow Dancers Rainbow dancers: Let’s get ready Hold your scarves nice and steady Hear the colors of the rainbow Listen for your time to go Shake red… Shake orange… Shake yellow… Shake green… Shake blue… Shake purple! Red scarves: turn around Orange scarves: up and down Yellow scarves: reach up high Green scarves: fly, fly, fly Blue scarves: tickle your nose Purple: touch your toes Everybody dance around, Swirl your scarves Up and down Now: Shake purple… Shake blue… Shake green… Shake yellow… Shake orange… Shake red! Rainbow dancers dance around Scarves swirl up and Scarves swirl down Our colorful dance is at an end Thank you, thank you, All my friends! Source: Jbrary
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: Paint a Rainbow My colleague had planned this craft, inspired by ABCDeeLearning, and she used color-coordinated pompoms held by wooden clothespins dipped in paint to make the rainbow. I decided to go an easier route and just got out our dot markers. At one time we had four of each rainbow color (which is one for each table I set up for crafts), but over time we’ve either lost a couple markers or they’ve gone dry. I replaced those with the pompoms and paint, but only needed to replace three missing markers, so it was not a lot of mess and trouble for me. Add some cotton balls and liquid glue and it’s an easy peasy craft!
And here’s my setup on each table.
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Rainbow Bear – Bill Martin, Michael Sampson, Nathalie Beauvois Planting A Rainbow – Lois Ehlert A Rainbow of Rocks – Kate DePalma Black Is a Rainbow Color – Angela Joy & Ekua Holmes The Rainbow Snail – Karin Åkesson Colors All Around – Wiley Blevins & Elliot Kreloff Elmer and the Rainbow – David McKee How Do You Eat Color? – Mabi David & Yas Doctor Bear Sees Colors – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman Rainbow Hat – Hong Hai Rainbow – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace Raindrops to Rainbow – John Micklos Jr. & Charlene Chua Wow, Said the Owl – Tim Hopgood
This storytime was presented in-person on 3/18/26.
Here’s a new take on a Moon storytime theme, planned by my fabulous coworker. In the past I’d separated the idea of the moon in a scientific way, talking about space and astronauts in one program (2019, pre-blog) and the idea of the moon “from the ground” – as an object we see in the sky at night and tell stories about and give almost human qualities to. In this program, both aspects are given some time to shine! There were a couple of songs that had a count-down to blast-off that we’d considered (in addition to our evergreen Zoom, Zoom, Zoom), so I did cut one of them to save feeling repetitive, but I’ll include both below as a resource. Note that most of the rhyme sheets and the MOON shapes flannel were made/designed by her and not me!
See other versions of this theme from 2020 and 2022.
Early Literacy Tip: Talk about the shapes you see with your children! Circles and triangles are often parts of letters. Being able to see shapes will help children later recognize letters. from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: What’s something big big big that comes out at night? The Moon!
Flannel Activity: Spelling with Shapes What shape is the Moon? A circle! Let’s spell the word, MOON. Can you spot any shapes in this word? The Os are circles! And this shape (triangle!) fits into the M and the N. I had a few older siblings who jumped on this activity and were very excited to let us know the answers. For the younger, it may have been a little more difficult, so supplying the answers is fine.
So the moon is round like a circle – kind of like our faces! Fingerplay: The Moon is Round The moon is round – As round can be (trace the circle of your face) Two eyes, a nose, (point at eyes and nose) And a mouth like me! (point at mouth, then hug baby or self) Source: Jbrary
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
We have a large board book edition of this in our office collection, in addition to our circulating hardback. Both have really fun fold-out pages, but the circulating one understandably has been pretty beat-up. Our office edition was perfect, though, and all those fold-out pages are wow-inducing! Read: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Love this story of the moon that helps a little boy feel close to his grandpa. Read: Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper
Sometimes the moon is hard to find. When it’s cloudy out, it can be covered up. Let’s see if we can find the hide and seek moon. My take on the classic guessing game flannel. I reused the moon from my Five Coyotes set and created some clouds in dreamy sunset/twilight colors.We identified each color before we started since they were a little amorphous. Flannel Board Rhyme: Find The Moon Little moon, little moon, shining bright Which cloud are you hiding behind tonight? [Can you make a big wind gust to blow that cloud away? Woosh!] Source: original
Some people actually get to go to the moon! They are called astronauts! Outer space is not easy to be in, so they have to wear very special clothes to protect them. Action Song: If You’re Going To The Moon (tune of Happy and You Know It) If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots (stomp, stomp) If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots (stomp, stomp) If you’re going to the moon, this is what you have to do If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots (stomp, stomp)
Additional Verses: …wear your suit (ziiiip) …wear your helmet (pat head) …wear your gloves (clap, clap) Source: Harford County (MD) Public Library
Now that we are suited up, it’s time to go! Counting Rhyme: Climb Aboard The Spaceship (tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider) Climb aboard the spaceship We’re going to the moon Hurry and get ready We’re going to blast off soon Put on your helmets And buckle up real tight Here comes the countdown Let’s count with all our might 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- Blast Off! Source: Preschool Express
Time to get out our scarves! Shake them out, make sure they are working! Can you pretend your scarf is a blanket? This wasn’t originally a scarf rhyme, but it works well, with an opportunity to snuggle the scarf under your chin at the beginning, and to throw it up in the air at the end (they loved that part!) Scarf Rhyme: Sun And Moon Moon comes out, Sun goes in (moon is a crescent as one hand and sun is other, fingers outstretched) Here is a blanket to cuddle your chin Moon goes in, and Sun comes out Throw off the blankets and wiggle about! Source: Sunflower Storytime (no longer online)
I’ve done a modified version of this before, but I think these are the original Romper Room lyrics. Scarf Song: Sky Stretch Bend and stretch, Reach for the stars There goes Jupiter, Here comes Mars Bend and stretch, Reach for the sky Stand on tippy toes, Oh so high! Source: Romper Room via Molly Whuppie
This is the one I cut – it was just too similar to Climb Aboard the Spaceship. Scarf Song: I’m A Little Astronaut (tune of I’m A Little Teapot) I’m a little astronaut flying to the moon My rocket is ready, we blast off soon I climb aboard and close the hatch 5-4-3-2-1, off we blast! Source: Preschool Express
Ready to dance in outer space? Scarf/Ukulele Song: Baby Bear Waltz 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing with bears 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Dance ‘round the chairs 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 That’s what we’ll do 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing with you 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltz round the room 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Dance ‘round the moon 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Glide past the stars 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing to Mars Source: Kathy Reid Naiman, from the album Say Hello to the Morning
Here’s a slow song about the moon. You can snuggle up with your grown up or pretend your scarf is a blankie if you like, or dance and sway. Scarf/Ukulele Lullaby: I See the Moon (tune of Hush, Little Baby) I see the moon and the moon sees me Down through the leaves of the old oak tree Please let the moon that shines on me Shine on the ones I love
Over the mountain, over the sea Back where my heart is longing to be Please let the moon that shines on me Shine on the ones I love Source: Jbrary
The most appropriate time for this one we do every week! Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft/Activity: Telescopes A very simple craft – we used toilet paper rolls, paint sticks, and foam shape stickers to create our own telescopes to see the moon.
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Moonlight – Helen V. Griffith & Laura Dronzek Kitten’s First Full Moon – Kevin Henkes Like the Moon Loves the Sky – Hena Khan & Saffa Khan The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House – Ida Pearle City Moon – Rachael Cole & Blanca Gómez Can’t Sleep – Chris Raschka Hello, Moon – Evan Turk Moonday – Adam Rex Moonlight – Stephen Savage Music for Mister Moon – Philip C Stead & Erin E Stead The Mouse Who Ate The Moon – Petr Horáček Goodnight, Moon – Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd Astronaut – Lucy M. George & AndoTwin Moon – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace Snail in Space – Rachel Bright & Nadia Shireen Rocket Beams, Lunar Dreams – Chiara Colombi & Scott Magoon
This storytime was presented in-person on 1/14 & 1/15/26.
Early Literacy Tip: Groups of items like our cookie feltboard (where there is a mix of colors, sizes, and shapes of the same kind of item) give a great opportunity to practice some early math skills. We can count, compare, practice recognizing shapes and colors, build descriptive vocabulary, and more. Try asking about differences and similarities, sizes, and what ifs like how many cookies should cow buy if she wants to get a cookie for herself and a cookie for her friend? adapted fromStorytime in the Stacks
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: Today we’re going on a sweet adventure, because we’re celebrating cookies! It’s the time of year when people like to bake sweet treats for each other. Who here likes cookies? Who’s made their own cookies before?
Let’s pretend we’re in a big kitchen today, and all of us are the bakers. Can we put our chef’s hats on for this first rhyme? Action Rhyme: Pat-A-Cake (Cookie Edition) Pat a cake, pat a cake, Baker’s man Bake me a cookie as fast as you can Roll it, And pat it, and mark it with a “C” And put it in the oven for you and me! Source: adapted from the traditional
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
Fun rhyming, with opportunities to make farm animal noises and a repeated phrase to encourage interaction. Read: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson & Marcellus Hall
A book about all the people who are involved in the making of cookies, from the farming of the wheat to sewing the oven mitts. I didn’t end up using it, but a good backup. Read: Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar by George Shannon & Julie Paschkis
There are a lot of steps to making cookies. Do you still have your baker’s hat on? Let’s get out a big mixing bowl (curve arm to the side). We’ll start by pouring out some flour. I tried to imitate actual cookie making while still having a different motion for each verse. Action Song: This Is the Way We Make Cookies (tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush) This is the way we pour the flour, (shaking motion into the “bowl”) Pour the flour, Pour the flour This is the way we pour the flour To make our cookie treats
additional verses: Mix butter & sugar… (stir) Spoon the dough… (scoop) Bake the dough… (two hands forward into an “oven”) Cool the cookies… (wave hand or blow) Eat the cookies… (ASL for eat) Source: original piggyback
We made some delicious looking cookies! Should we put them in our bakery and see who might want to buy one? I have six felt cookies (template from Storytime Shorts!), and we started there (even though the rhyme sheet says five). When we got to the last cookie, I asked the cow if she was still hungry, and she shook her head no. “There’s one cookie left – let’s save it for later in our cookie jar.” So I “put” the cookie in a toy picnic basket we have and walked behind the easel, then stuck the cookie in the mouth of my alligator puppet, as a set up for “Who Took The Cookie” later. Counting Rhyme: Down Around the Corner Down around the corner at the bakery store Were six sugar cookies with frosting galore! Along came a cow looking for a treat… She saw those cookies and she took one to eat! Source: Storytime Shorts
Should we make some special cookies? How about gingerbread people? Action Rhyme: Mix and Stir Mix and stir and pat in the pan I’m going to make a gingerbread man With a nose so neat and a smile so sweet And gingerbread shoes on his gingerbread feet Source: Jbrary
Let’s check on our last cookie. OH NO, it’s GONE! So much drama! The adults all knew this and chanted along. I used puppets I had: Kitty, Frog, Bear, and last, Alligator. Alligator came out with the cookie in his mouth, and when he said “not me” it fell on the floor to great hilarity. I asked if we should let Alligator eat the cookie, and both of my groups said no! So I took the cookie and told him he should find something else to snack on. Puppet Rhyme/Game: Who Took the Cookie? Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? Kitty took the cookie from the cookie jar Meow, me? Yes, you! Not me! Then who? Repeat with any animal puppets you may have. Source: adapted from the traditional
Let’s clean up! I actually mimed this as cleaning the bowl and our faces, but gave the belly option for littles. Tickle Rhyme: Round The Batter Bowl Round & round the batter bowl (circle on baby’s belly) One, two, three! (gentle poke on each number) A little here, a little there (touch both cheeks) As tasty as can be! (tickle or nibble baby’s belly!) Source: Storytime in the Stacks
At this point I handed out our cookie props – laminated cardstock cookies with various colored frosting. I asked everyone to take a look at their cookie and talk with their grownup about how it looks, including what color it is. Prop Activity: Cookie Colors Who has a red cookie? Green? (all the colors) Who has a ROUND cookie? (everyone!)
A good action rhyme for any props – I’ve used it for penguins, bunnies, and more! Action/Prop Rhyme: Cookies Up! Cookies up! Cookies down! Hold your cookie & turn around Cookies up! Cookies down! Wave your cookies all around Source: adapted from One Little Librarian (no longer published)
Raise your cookies when you repeat a phrase! So this is a fun song to sing and play, but it does require a little set up. I let the group know that the song sounds best if they repeat the end phrase (“cookie crumb” in the first verse) in a high pitched voice, and they could raise and wave their cookies when they did that. We practiced a time or two and the song went perfectly!I wanted to make the song a little longer, so made up the second and third verses. I’m particularly proud of the “mustachy” couplet! Ukulele/Prop Song: I Wish I Were a Little Cookie Crumb (tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It) Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!) Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!) I’d go crumby, crumby, crumby over everybody’s tummy Oh, I wish I were a little cookie crumb (cookie crumb!)
additional verses: Oh, I wish I were a little chocolate chip (chocolate chip!)… I’d be melty and sweet and leave chocolate in your teeth…
Oh, I wish I were a cold glass of milk (glass of milk!)… I’d go splishy, splishy, splashy and leave you a cute mustachy… Source: vs 1, North Mankato Taylor Library (MN), vs 2 & 3, Ms. Emily
You know who else loves to eat cookies? Cookie monster! This was made with a fairly high resolution picture of Cookie Monster, printed on cardstock and laminated, then attached to an empty tissue box covered in blue paper. We sang the song to Cookie Monster first, then I asked if anyone wanted to feed their cookie to him, since he was VERY hungry! A good way to collect the props – just be sure to make lots of growly “nom nom nom” noises when he’s eating! Prop Song: C is For Cookie C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me Yes, C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me C is for cookie, That’s good enough for me Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie – Starts with C! Source: Sesame Street, From the Album “Sesame Street Platinum All-Time Favorites”
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft/Activity: Homemade Play Dough Not exactly a craft, but my colleague made some homemade play dough (undyed so it looked like cookie dough) and we set out a bunch of cookie cutters and let the kids play with it. There was a little quarter-sheet handout with the recipe on it (from Jessica Etcetera) they could take home and make. It’s a cooked recipe so we couldn’t do it in the library. It stayed nice and soft for the four days we used it, and on the last day I offered it to anyone who wanted to take some home.
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) A Big Mooncake For Little Star – Grace Lin The Smart Cookie – Jory John & Pete Oswald Cookies For Elmo – Erin Guendelsberger & Ernie Kwiat Cookie Time – Jessie Sima If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond Stop And Smell The Cookies – Gibson Frazier & Micah Player The Cookie Vote – Margaret McNamara, Daniel Bernstrom, & G. Brian Karas The Cookie Fiasco – Dan Santat Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? – Bonnie Lass, Philemon Sturges, & Ashley Wolff The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School – Laura Murray & Mike Lowery
This storytime was presented in-person on 12/17 & 12/18/25.
Winter makes me want to feel cozy, so here’s a new-to-me storytime theme: Blankets! I expanded it a bit beyond blankets to bedtime in general because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find enough material for just blankets, so it was nice to have that flexibility. I actually had trouble finding a lot of books appropriate for toddlers about having a special blanket or lovey at my library. So expanding to bedtime helped with book selection, but I mostly focused on blankets and loveys like teddy bears in our rhymes and songs.
Unfortunately, I was sick the day of this storytime so I never got a chance to present it, though my wonderful coworkers stepped in for me. I’ll definitely have to try it again sometime.
Early Literacy Tip: Singing a lullaby while putting your baby to sleep will help them settle down. Singing lullabies to your older children will bring them back to that safe, calm, soft place and will also help to settle them down. So continue singing lullabies, even when your children are no longer babies. from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: Today we are talking about bedtime! Who loves bedtime? (grownups?!) Okay, sometimes bedtime is hard, but it’s important that we get good sleep every night so that our bodies can rest and grow and be healthy. Maybe you have something that helps you at bedtime. Maybe it’s a special song your grownup sings, a certain book you read together, or a lovey or stuffy or special blanket that you sleep with.
Action Rhyme: Time for Bed Time for bed, time for bed Fluff up the pillow Lay down your head Pull up the blanket Tuck it in tight Close your eyes And sleep all night Source: Storytime Katie
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
I think Sydney Hanson has got to win the award for most adorable animal illustrations. This is one of those “let’s reverse psychology you into going to sleep” but it’s so darn cute. And I love the wide variety of animals represented. There’s one page that talks about a little ape with their blanket, but that’s the only blanket connection. Read: Close Your Eyes: A Book of Sleepiness by Lori Haskins Houran & Sydney Hanson
This and the companion Bird Bath are really fun, very simple titles that my little one loved. This one has a great rundown of the bedtime routine, and Cat has both a blanket and a teddy bear. Okay, technically it’s about naptime and not bedtime proper, but it works in every other aspect. Read: Cat Nap by Steve Antony
Who has a special blanket? What color is it? I had fun making this flannel, trying to do different patterns with different hues of each color. Guessing Rhyme: Blanket Colors I once had a blanket, It was fluffy and new. I once had a blanket, And its color was… (blue)
I once had a blanket, The prettiest I’ve seen I once had a blanket, And its color was… (green)
I once had a blanket, Soft as a pillow I once had a blanket, And its color was… (yellow)
I once had a blanket, At the foot of my bed I once had a blanket, And its color was… (red) Source: Anne’s Library Life
OH! There is a teddy bear under this blanket who wants to play hide and seek! I had the teddy under the blanket as I put it up with the previous flannel. This rhyme doesn’t mention the color as you say it, so you have to set it up each time – which blanket do you think bear is under? Okay, let’s check the red blanket! Flannel Game: Where is Teddy Bear? Teddy bear, teddy bear, Are you under there? Source: Anne’s Library Life
I know a song that teddy bear likes to hear! The Jazzy Ash version of this is superb, and fun that it speeds up with each repetition. Action Song: Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, wave up high Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, wink one eye Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, bend your knees Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, flap in the breeze Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, climb up to bed Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, rest your head Source: traditional, as recorded by Jazzy Ash
The last line is the only reason this rhyme fits with the theme, but it’s a good movement one. Fingerplay: Dance Your Fingers Dance your fingers up, Dance your fingers down Dance your fingers side to side Dance them all around Dance them on your shoulders Dance them on you head Dance them on your tummy and put them all to bed (tuck under arms) Source: Storytime Katie
This was an optional add for me based on time, but I think my coworker did do it! Ukulele Song: I Wish I Were a Fuzzy Wuzzy Blanket (tune of the Oscar Meyer Jingle) Oh, I wish I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket That is what I’d truly like to be For if I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket Everyone would snuggle up with me! Source: Book Besotted Librarian Blog
I hadn’t done this scarf song before, so it’s always nice to switch things up. I planned to sing “Blanket” instead of scarf Scarf Song: Wave Your Blanket/Scarf/Stuffy (tune of London Bridge) Wave your blanket up and down Up and down, up and down Wave your blanket up and down Wave your blanket
additional verses: left and right – fast and slow – high and low – around and around Source: Jbrary
If you bring your blanky everywhere, it may get dirty and need a wash. My idea was to really play up the washing and laying out to dry motions. And the original text had PB at lunch and mustard at snack time, but it made more sense to switch those in my mind. Just a personal preference! Scarf Rhyme: Wash My Blanket At breakfast time, oh me, oh my Milk spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my Have to wash my blanket And lay it out to dry
Repeat with: Lunch time – mustard / Snack time – peanut butter / Dinner time – spaghetti
At bedtime, oh me, oh my Cookie crumbs fell on my blanket – oh me, oh my Have to shake my blanket out, No time to wash or dry I need my blanket, It’s time for beddy bye Source: Anne’s Library Life
It’s almost bedtime and I’ve still got some wiggles! Let’s dance with our blankies. Recorded Song: Dancing Scarf Blues from the album “Dancing Feet” by Miss Carole
*Yawn* I think it’s time for bed. Let’s sing a lullaby. Can you wave your scarf gently? Scarf Lullaby: Twinkle, Twinkle Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are Up above the world so high Like a diamond in the sky Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are Source: traditional
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: Bear’s Blanket This craft was inspired by the Fun With Friends at Storytime blog. Apparently the image was inspired by the book Stormy Night by Salina Yoon (which my library does not own). I actually borrowed the book from my home library just to read it, and I didn’t see this image anywhere! Maybe she drew it in the style of Yoon? Anyway, I used my own magic to create a copy for myself, put it on cardstock, folded in half, and cut away the top of the blanket to show bear’s head. We used tissue paper squares to create his quilt. Because it is clearly Yoon’s artwork I don’t feel comfortable sharing my template for this one publicly, sorry.
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Blanket: Journey to Extreme Coziness – Loryn Brantz Sloth Wasn’t Sleepy – Kate Messner & Valentina Toro I Love You, Baby Burrito – Angela Dominguez The Twins’ Blanket – Hyewon Yum Sleepy Snuggles – Diana Murray & Charles Santoso I’m Not Sleepy! ¡No tengo sueño! – Angela Dominguez Go Sleep in Your Own Bed – Candace Fleming & Lori Nichols The Best Bed for Me – Gaia Cornwall Farm Lullaby – Karen Jameson & Wednesday Kirwan Dreamland – Noah Klocek
This storytime was presented in-person on 12/10/25.
**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
It’s the end of November, so that means it’s time for the annual “Feeling Thankful” theme! I try not to repeat themes more than every 2 or 3 years, but this one is close to my heart and I’ve done it every year since 2019. (I wasn’t blogging that year, so I don’t have a post for that one!) It’s fun but also a storytime that promotes mindfulness and a bit of a slowing down to think and feel and appreciate.
Every year I tweak the program just a bit to keep it fresh for myself as well as for any of my regulars who have been with me for a year or more. This year I introduced the song and book “May There Always Be Sunshine” by Jim Gill. I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with him in person a few months ago and it hit me that this is a perfect song for feeling thankful. I was even inspired to create a new craft based on it and it was a big hit.
This is also a great opportunity for me to slow down and say THANK YOU for being a reader. I hope these posts are helpful to you whether you are a fellow librarian, a teacher, caregiver, or anyone else who is interested in early literacy. I love being part of a profession that is generous with our ideas, and I am thankful for all the librarians and teachers who have helped me find my footing in storytime by sharing their materials online.
Early Literacy Tip: When we are warm, fed, safe, and snuggled with someone we love, our brains release a chemical called serotonin. This makes us feel good, but it also has the effect of helping us learn. When you snuggle with your child and sing and read together, their brains soak up the language they hear and the serotonin helps make that learning permanent. Snuggling, talking, and singing with your child helps get them ready to read. Source: Mel’s Desk
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: What does it mean to feel thankful? When someone does something nice for you, saying “thank you” lets them know we appreciate them and are happy they did what they did! We can also think for a moment about all the good things in our lives and feel happy about them, too. Let’s practice saying “thank you” with this rhyme.
Figuring out how to do this rhyme without the middle finger AND using it to do the ASL sign for I love you is one of my proudest moments. 🙂 Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin, Where is Thumbkin? Here I am, Here I am, How are you today, Friend? Very well, I thank you. Run away, run away.
(repeat with pointer, pinky, then all three) Where are three friends, Where are three friends? Here we are, Here we are, How are you today, Friends? Very well, we thank you. I love you, I love you. Source: adapted from the traditional rhyme by Ms. Emily
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
I’ve shared books by Monique Gray Smith in the past, but this was a new-to-me title. It’s perfect for feeling thankful, because it describes the feeling of gratitude – your heart fills with happiness! It also is short and simple and references things that can make the readaloud more interactive. “Let’s imagine the scent of our favorite thing baking – can you breathe in deep and imagine it?“ It’s also great to share that both the author and the illustrator are indigenous (I read their tribal heritages from the bio at the back), and that November is Native American Heritage Month. Read: My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith & Julie Flett
This was my backup title, but I didn’t end up using it this year. It’s a board book, so it’s not very big, but it does work for my group. It focuses mostly on HOW to say thank you, both in words and in actions. Read: The Thank You Book by Danna Smith & Juliana Perdomo
I’m grateful for my body and the senses that I use to experience the world. Here’s a rhyme about 4 of the 5 senses. (AFTER – which senses did we talk about?) I learned this one from my home library’s storytime. I loved that so many of the pages in My Heart Fills with Happiness were tied to the senses. Action Rhyme: Two Little Eyes Two little eyes to look around Two little ears to hear a sound One little nose to smell what’s sweet One little mouth that likes to eat! Source: Ms Shelby & Ms Robin at Indy PL Find it online at King County (WA) Library System
Which of the senses did we miss talking about? Touch! Here’s a tickle rhyme to engage our sense of touch! I’m thankful for the bees that pollinate our plants and make us honey Tickle Rhyme: Here Is the Beehive Here is the beehive, but where are all the bees? (make fist) Hidden away where nobody sees Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers) They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle) Source: Jbrary
I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you – something I love and something I’m always thankful for are books and reading! Here’s a fun song about someone who wears glasses when she reads a book. We practice making glasses with our hands, and then a book. We open and close the book several times before we get started with the song! Song: These Are My Glasses These are my glasses, this is my book I put on my glasses and open up the book Now I read, read, read And I look, look, look I put down my glasses and Whoop! Close up the book! Source: “Whaddaya Think of That?” by the Laurie Berkner Band
Scarf distribution: I am thankful for songs we can sing with our scarves! Will you practice with me – wave high, low, in a circle, throw and catch!
I’m thankful for all of the beautiful plants, especially the trees. Can we pretend to be a little acorn? We start by scrunching up our scarves in our fists and crouching low to make our bodies small like a seed. Scarf Rhyme: Be a Seed Be a seed, small and round (crouch, with scarf scrunched) Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (stand up) Shake your leaves for all to see (shake arms and scarf) Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (stretch tall) Source: Jbrary
I’m thankful for delicious food that we can make and eat with our loved ones. Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels (tune of “Frère Jacques”) Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarves overhead) In the pot, in the pot (bunch up scarf in your fist) Shake them, shake them, shake them! Shake them, shake them, shake them! (shake) ‘Til they POP! ‘Til they POP! (toss scarves up into the air) Source: Jbrary
I’m thankful for toys and games to play. We did this one three times each session. They loved throwing the scarves up! Scarf Rhyme: Jack in the Box Jack in the box (scrunch scarf up in fist) Sits so still Will he come out? Yes, he will! (throw scarf in the air) Source: Jbrary
This flannel was made from the template created by Mel at Mel’s Desk!I add the flannel pieces as the recorded song mentions them (if you’re playing ukulele for this one, you could go over the pieces first and then sing the song. I love the recorded version so I usually let Raffi do the singing.) Before or afterwards is a good time to mention today’s early literacy tip, whichever flows more naturally for you. We’re going to do a quiet song now. This one is nice to snuggle to. If you’d like to snuggle with your grownup, that’s great. If not, no need to force it, but let’s listen to the words and all the things we can be thankful for. Flannel/Ukulele Song: Thanks a Lot Thanks a lot, Thanks for sun in the sky Thanks a lot, Thanks for clouds so high Thanks a lot, Thanks for whispering wind Thanks a lot, Thanks for the birds in the spring Thanks a lot, Thanks for the moonlit night Thanks a lot, Thanks for the stars so bright Thanks a lot, Thanks for the wondering me Thanks a lot, Thanks for the way I feel Thanks for the animals, Thanks for the land, Thanks for the people everywhere Thanks a lot Thanks for all I’ve got Thanks for all I’ve got Source: From the Album “Baby Beluga” by Raffi
This is an old song – originally in Russian, and it’s very simple, just four lines. But children’s musician Jim Gill started singing it. When he performs it for a group of kids, he always asks them what they’d always want there to be. He collected his favorites and made a book from them! [show book and a few of the pages] So take a moment and think about what you are thankful for and that you want there to always be. We sang the original four lines, then I took suggestions. No suggestion too silly or wrong! We were thankful for Ariel, Rapunzel, trucks, cats, naptime (from an adult!), and more. I finished the last line by saying “storytime” and I got lots of nods and yeses from the grownups! A note on the songsheet – I changed the key to fit my voice better (always a good thing to do to make you feel comfortable!) Recorded or Ukulele Song: May There Always Be Sunshine May there always be sunshine May there always be blue skies May there always be family May there always be me Insert the things you are grateful for! Source: Jim Gill, from the album “Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes”
Craft: May There Always Be… Booklet Another idea I got from Jim Gill’s workshop was to create a craft for kids to create their own “May There Always Be…” book. I used a technique I learned from zines to fold a 11″x17″ sheet of tabloid paper into an eight-page book, and printed a front, back, and “may there always be” on each inside page. I branded mine to my library, but I made an unbranded version that you can download as well! The trick with folding is to make your folds as precise and as sharp as you can. I use a bone folding tool to help. See the helpful graphic below for help folding and cutting from Anna Brones blog (where she has a very nice intro to zines and how to create them).
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*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Thank a Farmer – Maria Gianferrari & Monica Mikai Thank You, Everything – Icinori & Emilie Robert Wong Thank You, Omu – Oge Mora The Thankful Book – Todd Parr We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga – Traci Sorell & Frané Lessac The Thank You Book – Mo Willems Thank You, Earth – April Pulley Sayre The Thank You Letter – Jane Cabrera When We Are Kind – Monique Gray Smith & Nicole Neidhardt The Blue Table – Chris Raschka Thank You, Neighbor! – Ruth Chan Gracias/Thanks – Pat Mora & John Parra Bear Says Thanks – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman To Dogs, With Love – Maria Gianferrari & Ishaa Lobo Grandma’s Tiny House – JaNay Brown-Woods & Priscilla Burris
This storytime was presented in-person on 11/19 & 11/20/25.
**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
Returning to the theme I skipped last week – Things that Go! Honestly, with this theme the challenge is choosing what NOT to include. There are so many rhymes, songs, books and activities that go along with cars, trucks, busses, planes, boats, and trains. And that’s not even including the construction and work equipment that could fall into the mix!
So, I tried to highlight each of the main categories of vehicles and use rhymes and songs that I like. I also broke out the rhythm sticks for this program! We use shakers and scarves regularly in storytime, but less often rhythm sticks. This age group (0-3.5) find them a little harder to manipulate, and my own cache of rhymes and songs that use them is slim. But I had a windshield wiper rhyme I’ve been wanting to use, as well as the motions from Jbrary for Wheels on the Bus that worked perfectly for the theme. Keeping a few props that are less used isn’t a bad thing, either. It increases the novelty and fun factor when they do come out.
Early Literacy Tip: The use of small percussion instruments such as bells, shakers, drums, and rhythm sticks helps children with muscular development and coordination, and games that give them the opportunity to stop and go and do specific movements help them develop their impulse control to follow directions! adapted from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet* This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: What goes vroom, vroom, and beep beep? Cars! What about Chugga choo choo? Splash, splash? It’s so fun to think about all the ways we can get around – with things that go!
I’ve got a long black rectangle, and three colored circles. What colors do I have? Red, yellow, and green. Look at what these shapes make all together! If you’re driving in your car or truck, you might see this on the road. We go over the ASL sign for stop before we start, and it’s a good time to mention that freeze rhymes/songs are great for practicing impulse control! Action/Flannel Rhyme: Green Means Go Green means “GO!” Go! Go! Go! (roll arms quickly) Yellow means “Slow.” Slow… slow… slow. (roll arms slowly) Red means “STOP!” (ASL sign for stop: one hand making a chopping motion onto flat opposite hand) Go! Go! Go! (roll fast) Slow… slow… slow. (roll slow) Stop! (ASL sign for stop) Source: Jbrary
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
The fun of this title is that the sound and die-cut showing an animal turns out to actually be the sound of the vehicle the animal is driving/riding in! Clever and fun. The pictures are a bit small and complex, so it’s a difficult book to share with a large group. Read: Animals Go Vroom! by Abi Cushman
This is a new-to-me book that I just happened to see on the shelf in my library. It’s simple and exciting and covers a range of vehicles. We pretended to be in each vehicle as it came up, with toots and chugga-chuggas and airplane arms. Read: On the Go Awesome by Lisl H Detlefsen & Robert Neubecker
Time to go on a trip! How will we get there? Let’s start on this boat! I love when I can build flannels from pieces I already have. The car is from “Five Cars so Squeaky Clean” and the plane is from “Guess Whose Shadow.” I just had to add a boat and bus to make it complete. Action/Flannel Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat/Car/Plane/Bus Row, row, row your boat (row arms) Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream!
Drive, drive, drive your car (steering wheel with hands about 6″ apart) Gently down the street Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a treat
Fly, fly, fly your plane (airplane arms) Gently in the sky Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Watch the clouds go by
Drive, drive, drive your bus (steering wheel with hands about 12″ or more apart) Gently down the way Stop to let some people out To ride another day Source: Grandview Heights Public Library (this is the source I had in my notes, but I’m not finding a link now)
I am so glad that I saw Jessica’s post at Storytime in the Stacks with some new verses for this classic bounce rhyme. I use them often with my little one, and it inspired me to come up with a few more! They have been fun to share with my library kids both here and in my Book Babies programs. We don’t always do all of the animals, but it’s fun to take suggestions for the audience. Speaking of taking the bus, there’s an animal that likes to get on! Rhythm Rhyme: Hippopotamus on a City Bus (slap thighs rhythmically or bounce baby until the last line of each verse) A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus Got on, got on, got on a city bus And all, and all, and all the people said, “You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)
Additional verses: A cow… “Mooooove over!” (lean far to one side) A snake…“Ssssssit down!” (fall thru knees) A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back) A chicken… “Buk-buk-buckle up!” (hug over waist) A horse… “Howdy, neigh-bor!” (wave) A pig… “Oink we glad to see you!” (snuffly kisses) A bee… “Buzz off!” (buzz and tickle) Source: Jbrary, Storytime in the Stacks (chicken/horse), and original verses (pig/bee)
We haven’t yet talked about one of my favorite things that go – trains! I encouraged them to think about whether they want to use their arms or legs the first time we went through this one. Then before the second time, I said they could choose a different limb, OR they could see if it’s okay to do the rhyme on their grownup’s arm or leg. We had a couple of enthusiastic older kids who chose the latter! And since I had a full train flannel set, I went ahead and put up a short train so we could talk about the caboose before the next song, too. Tickle Rhyme: This Little Train This little train ran up the track (walk fingers up arm or leg) It went Choo! Choo! (tap nose or belly button) And then it ran back (walk fingers back down) The other little train (other arm or leg) ran up the track It went Choo! Choo! And then it ran back Source: King County (WA) Library System
Which car goes at the end of the train? This is a fun song – and it inspires great chugga motions! Our program room is right next to the preschool one, and we often coordinate programs at the same time. One of the moms popped her head in after their session and asked “Did you do the train song?” Apparently her kiddo (who had formerly been one of my regulars) heard it in the other room and recognized it from my virtual program on trains! She said, “We probably account for half of your views on that video!” LOVE. Ukulele Song: Little Red Caboose Little red caboose chug, chug, chug Little red caboose chug, chug, chug Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train Smokestack on its back, back, back, back Coming down the track, track, track, track Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug Little red caboose chug, chug, chug Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train Always at the end, end, end, end Comin’ round the bend, bend, bend, bend Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!
Always on time, time, time, time Comin’ down the line, line, line, line Little red caboose behind the train, train, train Never running late, late, late, late Comin’ through the gate, gate, gate, gate Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo! Source: Lindsay Munroe, from the album I Am Kind
Rhythm Stick Intro: Let’s practice! Can you make your sticks go Fast & Loud? Slow & Quiet? In a Circle? Rest them on your shoulders? Tap the ground? Okay, listen carefully! Fast, Quiet, Shoulders, etc. Our rhythm sticks are actually just unsharpened pencils, which are more manageable for little ones (and less likely to hurt when accidentally bonking someone else.) I learned this intro and practice from the Laptime and Storytime blog.
Okay, it’s time to get in the car. Let’s fasten our seatbelts and car seats! We’re ready to head out – wait, it’s raining! What can we do when it’s raining? Rhythm Stick Rhyme: Windshield Wipers It’s a rainy day and down the street we go It’s only raining a little bit so the wipers are going SLOW (Swish…swish…swish…swish)
It’s starting to rain more now but it’s not a disaster We know what we need to do: Make the wipers go FASTER! (swish, swish, swish, swish)
Oh no, it’s really pouring now We hope that it won’t last Turn those windshield wipers up and they’ll go FAST-FAST-FAST! (Swish-Swish-Swish-Swish!)
The rain is slacking off again We’re not sad to see it go We’ll turn those windshield wipers down and they’ll go back to SLOW (Swish…swish…swish…swish)
Oh, look, is that the sun I see? And here comes one last drop The rain has stopped now, Yessiree, and we turn our wipers OFF! (Swish…ker-chunk!) Source: One for the Books blog
Page 1 of 2 pictured, PDF includes both pages
Okay, I think you’ve proven that you are ready. Can you be a bus driver? Let’s get into the bus! All the verses below work well with rhythm sticks, and I added a steering wheel one. Rhythm Stick Song: The Wheels on the Bus The wheels on the bus go round and round, Round and round, round and round The wheels on the bus go round and round All through the town!
Additional verses: The doors on the bus go open and shut… The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish… The people on the bus go up and down… The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink… The driver on the bus says, “Move on back”… The [steering] wheel on the bus goes turn, turn, turn… Source: traditional, stick movements from Jbrary
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: My library is going through a transition, where our interim programmer who covered my maternity leave is no longer doing the Monday/Tuesday sessions while the new person who will be the permanent full time programmer is getting onboarded. Because we were down two sessions that are often full, I offered to do a second session back-to-back on Wednesdays. So, no crafts in the month of October. Crafts will be back in November!
Play Time I put out a laundry basket of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older toddlers and siblings, we have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, plastic farm animals, and lacing cards and I rotate among a few of these options each session. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. The clean up bit is good practice for them – I often say “it’s hard to say goodbye to toys, so that’s why we practice every storytime!” I think that helps the grown ups who may be embarrassed that their kid is crying or refusing to put a toy away. So much of what we do in storytime is practicing skills, and I don’t expect the kids to “do it right’ every time, or even most times.
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*
SO many other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme) Towed By Toad – Jashar Awan Beep! Beep! Vehicles on the Go – Byron Barton Not Just the Driver! – Sara H Ackerman & Robert Neubecker Listen Up! Train Song – Victoria Allenby The Babies on the Bus – Karen Katz Red Canoe Shows Up at Two! – Victoria Allenby Never Take Your Rhino on a Plane – KE Lewis & Isabel Roxas The Sleeper Train – Mick Jackson & Baljinder Kaur Is This the Bus for Us? – Harriet Ziefert & Richard Brown On This Airplane – Lourdes Heuer & Sara Palacios Honk, Honk, Vroom, Vroom – Jennifer Shand & Barbara Vagnozzi Snakes on a Train – Kathryn Dennis Whose Vehicle Is This? – Sharon Katz Cooper & Amy Muehlenhardt Vroom! – Barbara McClintock Trucky Roads – Lulu Miller & Hui Skipp Puppy Bus – Drew Brockington Hooray for Trucks! – Susan Hughes & Suharu Ogawa Harbor – Donald Crews The Airport Book – Lisa Brown Look Up High! Things That Fly – Victoria Allenby Truck, Truck, Goose! – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring Monster’s Trucks – Rebecca Van Slyke & Joe Sutphin
This storytime was presented in-person on 10/15/25.
