Tag: ukulele

Summer Storytimes: All Together Now, Part I

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Welcome back to the blog! My library’s Summer Reading Program is officially over, and I am deep into planning the fall. Summer is so busy that I take a break from blogging, but it was a great season, and I’d love to share it with you. I implemented all I learned in the last couple of years doing outdoor programming, and I think it was the best yet, despite worse weather and air quality this year (boo.)

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 “All Together Now,” with an emphasis on kindness and community. I focused on a different aspect of this each week for seven weeks in June and July. My program themes then were Community, We Work Together, Kindness, Family, Animal Helpers, and Helping Hands. More detail on how these were interpreted below. I also simplified the usual age requirements that I normally have for my indoor programs through the rest of the year. (So, instead of a Toddler Time for 1-2 year olds on Mondays and a Teddy Bear time for 2-3.5s on Tuesdays, I offered Family Time for 0-3.5 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.) Siblings are always welcome, and I don’t have a limit to the number of families who can participate, so the programs are open to all.

For each session, we had about 15-20 minutes of storytime rhymes, songs, and a book, 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. I added a section of parachute songs weekly, too, which was a treat for everyone. It was easy to do thematically – “A parachute is hard to have fun with by yourself. You need some friends and have to work ‘all together!'”

I also am all about simplicity and repetition over the summer. I have a lot of moving parts, set up and tear down to deal with, so I don’t change a lot in the storytime part and plan everything ahead so I am purely in “execute” mode rather than worrying about planning or learning songs. I changed one song and the book each week, and had a mixture of weekly, rotating, and unique stations. Since so much was the same, I’ll write up the whole summer in two posts: this first one focusing on the storytime half, and the second post focusing on all of the hands-on stations!

And, in addition to being back from hiatus, I finally bit the bullet and bought a domain name and WordPress subscription. Welcome to the ad-free Storytime with Ms. Emily Library experience! Please let me know if anything is wonky or links not working correctly in the transition.

The Plan: Storytime Portion

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: jump, twirl, run, splash, hop, swim, stretch, stomp, wave, sway, march, lean, roll [arms,] hug)
Source: Jbrary

Intro: Our summer reading program is “All Together Now” and it is all about how wonderful things can happen when we work together. Short intro to the weekly theme (see below)

Themed Song (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! A parachute is really hard to have fun with all by yourself. We need friends, and we need to work together!

Parachute Song: Let’s Go Riding in an Elevator
Let’s go riding in an elevator, Elevator, elevator (parachute up and down)
Let’s go riding in an elevator, Ride along with me!
First floor, Second floor, Third floor, Fourth floor, Fifth floor… (shake parachute low, and get progressively higher)
And down, down, down, down, down! (lower parachute)
Source: Jbrary

I remind everyone to start rowing very gently, then after the first verse, say, “Oh, the wind is picking up, can we row more firmly?” and before the third verse, “Oh, no, there’s a storm! Row as strongly as you can!”
Parachute Song: Row Your Boat (3 verses)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently/Firmly/Strongly down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
(Wave the parachute gently, then firmly, then wildly!)
Source: traditional

Breathing Break
Whew, all that rowing got me out of breath! 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.

Most people know the first verse, but the second verse is probably newer and much less well known. It was a fun way to get us “up” from falling down. We did this one twice, walking in one direction and then the other.
Parachute Song: Ring Around the Rosie
(walk in a circle with parachute)
Ring around the rosie,
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down! (fall and stay seated)

Cows are in the meadow, (crouching by the ‘chute)
Eating buttercups
Thunder, lightning, (shake the parachute)
we all stand up! (stand)
Source: traditional

It actually took a few weeks for the adults to “get” this one. Repetition is good for them, too. 🙂
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
I have eight 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. We’ll go into further detail on these in the next blog post.

Everybody loves bubbles! The trick to doing bubbles outside, I’m finding, 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

CD album cover for Nathalia's Dream a Little

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

Weekly Themes

Week 1: Friends 6/6, 6/7/23

Intro: Friends are the people who we love to play and hang out with, and who help us out when we need it. I love making new friends!

Themed Song: All Together Now I played this one on my ukulele, and asked the group to participate by doing the “response” part of the “all together now” chorus. If you don’t want to sing this one, play the original recording by the Beatles or the cover by Caspar Babypants.
I got the chord sheet from Jim’s Ukulele Songbook. It’s a great resource since he’s got a lot of functionality built into the site and among other things you can change the key of any of the songs and print sheets very easily. I prefer to play and sing this one in the key of G.

Themed Read: Who Has Wiggle Waggle Toes? by Vicky Shiefman & Francesca Chessa This is a story of friends having fun together. Can you join in?

Week 2: Community 6/12, 6/13, 6/14/23

Intro: We live in a community of people, and the people in our community help each other. Some people have jobs that let them help others every day.

I played this one on my ukulele and took suggestions from the group. I prompted them by asking, “who helps us when we’re feeling sick?” if there was a lull.
Themed Song: Community Helpers Song
(tune of Farmer in the Dell)
The teachers teach the kids
The teachers teach the kids
Heigh-ho, they help us so
The teachers teach the kids

Choose 3-5 verses!
The firefighters put out the fires….
The crossing guards help us cross…
The librarians find us books….
The dentists check our teeth…
The doctors keep us well…
The farmers grow our food…
The mail carriers deliver the mail…
Custodians keep us clean…

Click for a ukulele songsheet for “Farmer in the Dell”

I encouraged the group to give a cheer for every page to keep interest up.
Themed Read: Cheer: A Book to Celebrate Community by Uncle Ian Aurora & Natalia Moore

Week 3: We Work Together 6/19, 6/20, 6/21/23

Intro: Working together really makes things go smoother.

Instead of the ukulele this week, we did the ASL motions.
Themed Song: The More We Get Together
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together, The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends
The more we get together, The happier we’ll be

The more we read together… (ASL for read)
We’ll read big books and small books
Read short books and tall books…

The more we work together the stronger we’ll be… (ASL for work)
Source: traditional, ASL for verse one

Themed Read: Blocks by Irene Dickson

Week 4: Kindness 6/26, 6/27, 6/28/23

Intro: One important way to work together is to show kindness. Being kind means thinking of others and doing what you can to be a good neighbor.

The root of all kindness, I believe, is love. Here’s a traditional song your grownups might remember from their childhoods!
Themed Song: Skinnamarink
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening, underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink, Skinnamarinky-doo, I love you!
Source: traditional, motions from Jbrary

Themed Read: How Kind! by Mary Murphy

Week 5: Family 7/3, 7/5/23

Intro: We can start working together with the people who are closest to us – our families! Who are the people in your family?

Here’s a song for all the people in our families – listen carefully! I included some different iterations to try to be as inclusive as possible. To keep things from getting too long, I sometimes combined (grandma and grandpa). Pairing it with a silly action (and telling grown-ups that they count, too) increases the fun.
Themed Song: If You Have a Brother
(tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man)
If you have a brother
A half-brother, a step-brother
If you have a foster-brother
Please stand up!
Repeat with other family members: sister, mommy, daddy, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandpa, grandma, etc. Ask for suggestions!
Pair with other silly actions: raise your hand, stick out your tongue, wiggle your foot, jump up and down, pat your head, etc.
Source: Abby the Librarian (though I changed the tune)

Themed Read: The Family Book by Todd Parr

Week 6: Animal Helpers 7/10, 7/11, 7/12/23

Intro: Does anyone have a pet at home? Did you know that some animals have important jobs, helping their humans? Some animals help humans who need them to get around or keep them safe. Some animals help soothe people who are lonely or need an animal to help them calm down. Today we are celebrating these animal helpers.

I talked briefly about different helper animals and what they do – including miniature horses, who can be used for the visually impaired! Cats and bunnies are generally therapy animals. I used puppets for each, and asked what sound each one made – including the rabbit! “You’re right, rabbits are quiet! But they can be helpful by being snuggly!”
Themed Song: Animal Helpers Song
(tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
The dog helps his owner with a woof, woof, woof
Woof, woof, woof
Woof, woof, woof
The dog helps his owner with a woof woof
All day long!

The cat helps her owner with a meow, meow, meow…
The horse helps their owner with a neigh, neigh, neigh…
The bunny helps her owner with a snuggle, snuggle, snuggle…
Source: adapted from the traditional

So, I kind of realized after planning that this dog was not a working dog but a pet – the vest threw me off. It still seemed like the best option as far as length. If you know a better option, please let me know in the commets!
Themed Read: Best Day Ever! by Marilyn Singer & Leah Nixon

Week 7: Helping Hands 7/17, 7/18, 7/19/23

Intro: Who likes to be a helper? What are some ways you might help at home? Putting toys away, set the table, put laundry in the hamper, play with a younger sibling, etc.

Since we use this tune for our transitional song, which comes right after this one, I saved the “clap” action for that one and went right into it. I also played ukulele for this one!
Themed Song: If You’re Helpful and You Know It
(tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re helpful and you know it, stomp your feet
If you’re helpful and you know it, stomp your feet
If you’re helpful and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re helpful and you know it, stomp your feet

If you’re friendly and you know it, peekaboo…
If you’re thoughtful and you know it, shout hooray…
Then go right into “If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands”
Source: adapted from the traditional

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

Themed Read: Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer

Tune in to the next post to learn more about all the sensory stations – like the Fly Swatter Slap, Pool Noodle Sort, Ping Pong Fishing, Mystery Water, Feed the Croc, and more!

Storytime: Let’s Picnic

Posted on by msemilylibrary

One last May storytime to blog!

Going on a Picnic was actually my very first theme for storytimes I did on my own in a brand new position at a new library. I wasn’t blogging at that time, of course. I revisited it last month, updating some of the activities.

Early Literacy Tip: Singing games where we do motions as a group (like “Picnic in the Park”) encourage social responsiveness. These activities also help your child learn to feel comfortable in a group setting. When your child begins school, such positive associations will help them adjust to being part of a class.

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

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

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

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

Intro: As we get closer to summertime, I start thinking about some of the fun things we can do outside. One of those is to have a picnic! A picnic is a meal you eat outside. You might do other things like fly a kite, play ball, even take a nap!

I had a bag of flannel picnic pieces that I made a couple years ago for Five Hungry Ants (below), and Raffi’s song, Going on a Picnic, both of which mention certain foods. I think I added a couple of other items to fill it out. After the first session, I learned to do groups of things, not individual pieces for each verse! “Let’s pack some fruits and vegetables! How about dessert?” It just shortened the song to fit my audience’s attention span. The foods stayed up while we read our book, then the ants came!
Rhythm Rhyme: Pack a Lunch (TT) (TB) (FT)
(slap knees in rhythm to the rhyme)
Going on a picnic
Gotta pack a lunch
What should we bring to
Munch, munch, munch?
Let’s bring….
(how many picnic items can you think of?)

Optional last verse:
Ready for a picnic,
Ready with a lunch,
Now we’re ready to
munch, munch, munch!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Felt board with various picnic foods, including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, slice of watermelon, red apple, bowl of salad with carrots and tomatoes, glass of lemonade, slice of cake on a plate, chocolate chip cookie, and salt and pepper shakers.

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

This one was okay. I’m not a huge fan of the Mouse books, but it did feature things I was going to talk about like watermelon and ants.
Read: Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan (TT)

mouse's first summer book cover

This is such a funny and silly book, but also takes a little explaining for the littlest ones to get what’s going on. The adults were chuckling and smiling the whole way through, though, and even the littles seemed to really like the pictures.
Read: Pignic by Matt Phelan (TB) (FT)

Pignic book cover

For time, I only added four ants. It’s not a bad idea to start your counting songs and rhymes at numbers other than five on occasion. I believe the original source said she tosses the ants behind her after the big sneeze, and that has always gotten a lot of giggles for me. 🙂
We packed our lunch, and now it’s time to eat it! But we’re not the only ones who are hungry. Look who is coming to our picnic!
Counting Rhyme: Five Hungry Ants (TB) (FT)
Five hungry ants, marching in a line
They come upon a picnic, where they could dine
They marched into the salad
They marched into the cake
They marched into the pepper
Oh-uh! That was a mistake! AH-CHOOOOOO! (remove an ant!)
Four hungry ants…
(Continue to count down)
Source: Miss Mary Liberry blog

Same felt board as above, but with five black ants with small googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae added to the top.

I modified the fruit just slightly from the Jbrary version, but it might be fun to brainstorm fruits and fit them into the structure of the song with your group (probably better with an older group).
Oh, good, the ants are gone! Let’s dig in. One thing that’s tasty at a picnic is a fruit salad!
Action Song: Fruit Salad (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Watermelon, watermelon (big circle with hands)
Strawberry, strawberry (chop with hands on each syllable)
Ba-a-a-a-nana, Ba-a-a-a-nana, (swing arms down, rocking)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)

Pomegranate, pomegranate (pinch fingers)
Clementine, clementine (hold hands together then open)
Pi-i-i-i-neapple, pi-i-i-i-neapple (peak fingers & move around)
Fruit salad, fruit salad! (dance it out!)
Source: Jbrary

A good one to have in the back pocket, but I didn’t end up using it for time reasons. In the past, I encourage the room to really hit the “Boom Boom Boom” hard – A) because it’s fun and B) because at that point in the song I need a big breath!
Oh, no! The ants are back!
Song: The Ants Go Marching
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb,
And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
(count up)
…two by two, tie his shoe…three by three, climb a tree…four by four, shut the door…five by five, take a dive
Source: traditional

I pretty much did as Michael Rosen does in this video, but encouraged the group to repeat the first four lines as call and response. Once again, as my sessions continued, I shortened to fit our attention. Three obstacles (grass, river, and mud) plus the cave seemed just about right. You can download my reminder sheet here. When we found the bear, I put on my Folkmanis baby bear puppet, which they loved!
It can be fun to play some games when you are on a picnic. Can we pretend to go hunting for a bear?
Retelling/Chant: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury (TT) (TB) (FT)
We’re going on a bear hunt (We’re going on a bear hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one! (We’re gonna catch a big one!)
What a beautiful day! (What a beautiful day!)
We’re not scared! (We’re not scared!)
Oh, no! GRASS – Long, wavy grass
We can’t go OVER it, We can’t go UNDER it
We have to go THROUGH it
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Repeat, going through a River, Mud, a Forest, s Storm, a Cave, finding the bear, and then running back through everything to home.
Source: traditional, as performed by Michael Rosen

I saw the first verse on a library blog, and decided to write some more verses to give the whole story of a day at a picnic. It was fun to come up with the rhymes, and figure out some action to go with each one just like She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain.
Ukulele/Action Song: Picnic in the Park (TB) (FT)
(tune of She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!) (come here motion)
Oh, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)
Bring some lunch and bring a ball,
There’ll be so much fun for all
Yes, we’ll all go on a picnic in the park (let’s go!)

Oh, we’ll eat some chips and sandwiches outside (yum, yum)… (rub tummy)
Fruit salad and lemonade
Taste so good out in the shade…

We’ll play a game of tag or hide and seek (ready or not!)… (cup hands around mouth)
Run around, lickety split
I’ll tag you and then you’re it…

Oh, the sky is getting darker, will it rain? (drip drop)… (wiggle fingers down)
Thunder rumbles, then grumbles more
Pack our stuff before it pours…

(slowly)
I’m glad we had a picnic in the park (yawn)… (cover mouth)
We ran around and ate our lunch
Had some fun, all right a bunch…
Source: verse one by Rhyming Reasor (found on the picture of the handout, not in the text of the blog post),
remaining verses are original

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Picnic in the Park” here!

thumbnail for picnic in the park songsheet

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

Craft: Watermelon on a Stick (TB) (FT)
I made a point of letting them know that watermelon is one of my favorite fruits when we added it to the felt board. (Purportedly my word for it as a toddler was “Oh, Boy” since that’s what everybody said when it came out!) So our craft this week was to make paper plate watermelon slices on a stick! Color the plate, fold, and staple (hint – most staplers will staple through a craft stick!) Add some seed shapes and you’re done!

Picture of watermelon craft - paper plate colored pink in the middle and green around the edge, folded in half and stapled to a large craft stick. Black paper seeds are glued on.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Truck, Truck, Goose! – Tammi Sauer & Zoe Waring
This Is the Way a Baby Rides – Susan Meyers & Hiroe Nakata
Pie Is for Sharing – Stephanie Parsley Ledyard & Jason Chin
Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic – Alexandra Boiger
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack – Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin
The Watermelon Seed – Greg Pizzoli
In Our Backyard Garden – Eileen Spinelli & Marcy Ramsey
I Really Want a Bigger Piece! – Harriet Ziefert & Travis Foster
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! – Bob Barner

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/15, 5/16, & 5/17/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: At the Pond

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Summer is coming, so I’ve been a little slow with blog posts!

A pond storytime is a lot of fun, since there are lots of extension activities that go along with pond animals – ducks, frogs, fish, turtles, even bugs! I actually had several extra rhymes and songs in reserve that I didn’t end up using in the time we had, but might be good alternate options for you.

Early Literacy Tip: Rhymes can help children look a bit more carefully at the natural world around them. Take the opportunities that rhymes offer to have conversations with your child. The rhyme “There Was a Little Turtle” gives you a chance to talk about turtles – where they live, what they eat, and that some kinds of turtles might bite!

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

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

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

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

Intro: Today we are talking about a special ecosystem where plants and animals live together – a pond! Can anyone think of something they might find in or near a pond? Fish, ducks, turtles, frogs, mosquitos, water beetles, dragonflies, water lilies, reeds, mud…

This is such a fun rhyme! I’d done it in my Baby program but not for this group. The person who posted it to the Storytime Solidarity Facebook Group didn’t have a source, so if anyone knows where it came from or who wrote it, please let me know!
Bounce/Lift: Fishy, Fishy, Fishy (TT) (FT)
Fishy, fishy, fishy goes swishy, swishy, swishy (bounce)
Flip flop, flip flop, flip flop (rock side to side)
Uuuuup, (lift baby high in air) KERPLOP! (return baby to lap)
Source: Storytime Solidarity

I used my hands to do the motions as if they were duck “flippers,” except for the quacking of the beak.
Action Rhyme: Little Baby Ducklings (TT)
Little baby ducklings- dash, dash, dash
Jumped in the duck pond- splash, splash, splash
When their Mother called them- quack, quack, quack
Little baby ducklings- swam right back
Source: Preschool Express

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

Read: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming (TT)

Book cover for In the Small Small Pond

What a lovely book. It’s very simple, just various animal and nature noises, but the colored pencil illustrations are exquisite, and the pacing lends itself so well to a group. I ask everyone to make the rain and thunder noises with lap pats and big claps, then we slowly ease back for the end of the book.
Read: A Perfect Day by Jennifer Yerkes (TB) (FT)

book cover for A Perfect Day

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

Song: All the Fish (TT) (TB) (FT)
All the fish are swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water:
Bubble, bubble, bubble, SPLASH!

All the ducks are quacking…
All the frogs are jumping…
All the kids are splashing…
Source: Caspar Babypants (from the album I Found You)

I didn’t end up using this one.
Rhyme: I Caught a Fish
One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish alive
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Then I threw it back again
Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so
Which finger did it bite? This little finger on my right
Source: traditional

Action Rhyme: A Fat Little Frog (TT) (FT)
A fat little frog came hop, hop, hop!
He jumped on a log with a plop, plop, plop
He sat very still and he rolled his eyes
Then out came his tongue to catch some flies!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I had a puppet (well, a plastic bath squirter for the fish…) for each verse, which made this one very engaging.
Song: Mmm-ah (TB) (FT)
Mmm-ahh (stick out tongue) went the little green frog one day,
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day,
And they all went mmm, mmm, ahh
But… We know frogs go (clap) sha-na-na-na-na (wiggle arms)
Sha-na-na-na-na, Sha-na-na-na-na
We know frogs go sha-na-na-na-na
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh!

Bloop, bloop went the little blue fish one day…
But… we know fish go kissy-kissy-kiss
Quack, quack went the yellow duck one day…
But… we know ducks like to shake a tail feather… (shake bottom)
Source: Jbrary, duck verse original

a green frog puppet, a yellow duck puppet, and a small blue plastic fish bath squirter.

Another one that didn’t end up happening. So many great songs for pond animals!
Counting Song: Five Green & Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious bugs (yum, yum)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs
(count down)
Credit: traditional

Ukulele Song: Six Little Ducks (TB) (FT)
Six little ducks That I once knew
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones, too
But the one little duck
with the feather on his back
He led the others with a quack, quack, quack
A quack, quack, quack, A quack, quack, quack
He led the others With a quack, quack, quack
Source: traditional, as sung by Raffi

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “Six Little Ducks” here!

Six Little Ducks songsheet thumbnail

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

Craft: Lily Pad (TB) (FT)
To make a cute little lily pad, we started with small green paper plates with a small wedge cut out. I provided die-cut frogs and flowers, plus a small strip of red paper curled around a pencil for the frog’s tongue. With googly eyes and some crayon details, they turned out pretty cute.

craft with a green plate with a small wedge cut out, decorated with a pink paper flower and frog with googly eyes and a long curly strip of red paper for a tongue.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Scoot! – Cathryn Falwell
Ducks Away! – Mem Fox & Judy Horacek
Song of the Water Boatman – Joyce Sidman & Beckie Prange
The Wide-Mouthed Frog – Rex Schneider
Over and Under the Pond – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
At the Pond – Geraldo Valério
I’m a Duck – Eve Bunting & Will Hillenbrand
At the Pond – David Elliott & Amy Schimler-Safford
Maisy Goes on a Nature Walk – Lucy Cousins

This storytime was presented in-person on 5/8, 5/9, & 5/10/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: Earth Day

Posted on by msemilylibrary

An environmentally-minded storytime for Earth Day or any day! We talked about littering, recycling, planting trees, and using gas-free transportation options – not bad for thirty minutes and a room full of two-year-olds.

Early Literacy Tip: Your recycling bin can become a craft store! Looking for different uses for ordinary items encourages creativity and inventiveness, skills that help children be ready to learn. You may be surprised at the different things that can be made from (clean) plastic containers, cardboard tubes, and other recyclable materials. Your child thrives on your encouragement, but let them be creative and decide what to do with the materials.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day! That’s a day when we celebrate the amazing place our planet is, and we work to clean up the Earth’s air, water, protect plants and animals, and make the earth a great place to live for generations to come. Here’s a poem by Kelly Roper about what we can do for Earth Day.

After reading this the first time, it felt a little preachy and kind of boring (no motions to do, etc). I decided to skip it for my other sessions.
Poem: In Celebration of Earth Day (TT)
In celebration of Earth Day, Why not plant a tree?
It will produce fresh air, And be a joy for all to see.
In celebration of Earth Day, Go and visit a local park.
Get back in touch with nature,
Its sights and sounds in light and dark.
In celebration of Earth Day Try to be more aware,
Of how your actions affect this world
And devote yourself to its care
Source: by Kelly Roper, via Stratford (CT) Library

Something that a lot of people do to celebrate Earth Day is planting trees. Let’s do that with this rhyme.
Action Rhyme: Be a Seed (TT) (TB) (FT)
Be a seed, small and round (make a fist)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (open fingers)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake hands and body)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary

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

I really loved this book, and it was pretty perfect for this age group – though I do have a few caveats. I skipped a couple pages both to shorten it and also… I wished the page about eating less meat featured a plate full of vegetables instead of a barnyard scene. C’mon. I also skipped the “Looking after our backyards” page. I don’t know, I could see how that can be environmentally friendly, but there’s also people who “look after their backyards” by applying lots of chemicals and planting non-native plants and so on. The wording could have been more precise, I think. Nevertheless, I did end up using this book for all three sessions!
Read: Change Starts With Us by Sophie Beer (TT) (TB) (FT)

book cover for change starts with us

This ended up being a backup book that I didn’t use. It does have beautiful pictures and may be inspirational to keeping the Earth clean and beautiful, but since it wasn’t explicitly about being a good steward of the Earth, it didn’t fit quite as well when I only read one book.
Read: Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre

book cover for thank you earth

Bounce: Bumping Up and Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon (bounce)
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darlin’? (lift or tilt)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken… (bounce then lean)
(what else can you use to get around without a car? A green bicycle, a blue scooter, your pink sneakers?)
Source: adapted from the traditional

This one was fun. I had made a “recycling bin” from a blue ILL bin and just printed the recycling symbol to tape on the sides. I used it both for this and the “Picking Up Litter” song. The kids loved when I took each bottle and gulped it down. We also talked a little about colors, flavors, and sizes. I used permanent markers to color the labels.
Flannel/Counting Song: Five Bottles of Juice (TT) (TB) (FT)
Five bottles of juice on the wall
Five bottles of juice… Glug, glug, glug!
Put one in the recycling bin
Four bottles of juice on the wall!
(count down)
Source: Jen in the Library

Flannel pieces with five differently-shaped bottles of varying sizes. the first has a picture of a carrot on the label, the second a grape, the third an apple, the fourth an orange, and the fifth a pineapple. The bottle labels match the colors of the fruit and the lids match the labels.

I wasn’t exactly sure how this one would go, but it was a hit. When I started pulling crumpled up paper out of my bag and tossing it on the floor, eyes got wide! The most difficult part for me was remembering the rhyme while walking around and tossing enough trash that everyone would be able to grab some.
Song: Litter Bug (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Once there was a litter bug
Who went from town to town
Throwing out his garbage
That landed on the ground
The garbage grew so high
That when he turned around
The litter bug got buried
And could not make a sound! EEK!
Source: Yogibrarian

They LOVED getting to pick up all the trash and put it in the recycling bin. We repeated the song until it was all picked up.
Song: Picking Up Litter (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Paw Paw Patch)
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Picking up litter and putting it in the bin
Way down yonder, at the library!
Source: Yogibrarian

a canvas tote bag sits next to a blue recycling bin with a white recycling symbol visible on the side. Crumpled up white paper can be seen inside both.

It’s always great to end with a ukulele song, especially one that has a very familiar and repetitive tune that grownups pretty much know. I have an inflatable ball with a realistic Earth printed on it and I encouraged kids to pass it around to each other. Before they started I asked grownups to help it move along. We only had one instance where it got thrown, so I call that a win.
Song: We’ve Got the Whole World (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of He’s Got the Whole World)
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands
We’ve got the whole world in our hands

We’ve got the rivers and the oceans, in our hands…
We’ve got the air all around us, in our hands…
Be kind to plants and animals – in our land…
We’ve got to work together to clean the Earth…
Source: adapted from King County (WA) Library System and DARIA

inflatable beach ball with the earth printed on it. The earth has clouds and the land varies from green to brown. It looks like the Earth from space.

Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “We’ve Got the Whole World” here!

Thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Coffee Filter Earth (TB) (FT)
This was a little more involved than my usual crafts, but I think they enjoyed it. We started by using washable markers and coloring a coffee filter blue and green. Then they came up to me, where together we sprayed the filter with water on a plastic messy tray. Then they hung up their filter on yarn I’d strung up to dry. They could then go back and make stars on their black construction paper. We played and did our goodbye songs, and they could glue down their Earth if it was dry at that time.

Craft showing a blurry blue and green earth glued to a piece of black construction paper. White chalk stars were drawn around the earth.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
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

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/17, 4/18, & 4/19/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with suggested books, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Trains

Posted on by msemilylibrary

From the Little Engine to the Little Caboose, trains are a storytime hit. I learned a couple of new-to-me songs in prepping for this week’s storytime, and boy, are they catchy! Be prepared to chugga-chugga and whoo-whoo all the way through your program.

Early Literacy Tip: Toddlers love playing word games — repeating rhymes, singing songs and reciting chants. Rhyming words, even if they are nonsense, help them understand that language is made up of strings and patterns of phonemes, or individual sounds. Being able to hear these in oral language develops skills that help reading written language later.

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

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

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

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

Intro: Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, CHOO CHOO! The storytime train is pulling into the station! It’s time to celebrate trains!

I bought a wooden train whistle just for this rhyme, and everyone got excited when I gave it a toot – kids and adults alike! It actually was the inspiration for our craft today.
Action Rhyme: Choo Choo Train (TT) (TB) (FT)
Here’s a little choo choo train chugging down the track (chug arms)
Now it’s going forward (chug forward)
Now it’s going back (chug backwards)
Hear the bell ringing (ring a bell), Now the whistle blows (woo!)
What a lot of noise it makes everywhere it goes!
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

Tickle Rhyme: Down the Track (TT) (FT)
Chugga-chugga Chugga-chugga, Choo-choo!
The train runs down the track (walk fingers up one arm)
Chugga-chugga Chugga-chugga, Choo-choo!
And then it runs right back (walk fingers down)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

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

Numbers, senses, noises, scenery – there’s a lot packed into this simple book.
Read: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Emma Garcia (TT) (FT)

book cover for chugga chugga choo choo

This one is very visually appealing, but there are times that the rhyme scheme changes or is a little awkward, so be sure to practice ahead of time. I lean in to the hissing and ask the kids to help me.
Read: Snakes on a Train by Kathryn Dennis (TB)

book cover for snakes on a train

I modified this one slightly to match the train cars from Donald Crews’ Freight Train. I found these beautiful printables from kizclub.com and printed and laminated them for this flannelboard. Of course, it’s super long so it’s hard to take a picture. In my program I ended up just making two parallel lines.
Flannel/Counting Rhyme: Clickety Clack
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes the train on the railroad track!
Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn, Here comes ENGINE number 1
Clickety-clew, clickety-clew, Here is COAL CAR number 2
Clickety-clee, clickety-clee, Here is BOX CAR number 3
Clickety-clore, clickety-clore, GONDOLA CAR is number 4
Clickety-clive, clickety-clive, Here comes CATTLE CAR number 5
Clickety-clicks, clickety-clicks, HOPPER CAR is number 6
Clickety-cleven, clickety-cleven, Here’s TANK CAR number 7
Clickety-clate, clickety-clate, Little red CABOOSE is number 8!
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
There goes the train on the railroad track! Choo-choo! Goodbye!
Source: Storytime Katie

Picture of printed and laminated train flannelboard pieces: Black engine and black coal car, purple boxcar, blue gondola car, green cattle car, yellow hopper, orange tank car, and red caboose

This one actually messed me up – after singing it, I could not get the tune of “Wheels on the Bus” in my head. This happens to me on occasion, where a tune just completely escapes me. Sigh. In any event, this is a really cute song, and I was glad to learn it.
Song: The Little Red Train Going Down the Track (TT)
There’s a little red train going down the track
Look at the wheels go clickety clack

Chorus: And the train wheels are rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling
And the train wheels are rolling, rolling right along

There’s an engine in the front and a caboose in the back
Look at those wheels go clickety clack… (chorus)

The little train goes to the top of the hill,
It goes very slow but it gets there still
It gets to the top and it goes back down
Look at the wheels go around and around (chorus)
Source: Kathy Reid-Naiman via Jbrary

After having trouble the first session with the “Little Red Train” song, I skipped it for the last two sessions and I was able to recall the Wheels on the Bus tune. Whew. Those groups really enjoyed the motions on this one.
Song: The Wheels on the Train (TB) (FT)
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
All along the track

The whistle on the train goes toot, toot, toot…
The conductor on the train says, “All aboard!”…
The people on the train go bounce, bounce, bounce…
The engine on the train goes chug, chug, chug…
Source: Jen in the Library

I remember this one from my childhood, though we didn’t count down then, just sang it with one peanut. For some extra silliness, blow a raspberry after singing “peanut butter.” The video below isn’t the tune I remember, though, it’s more like this one.
Fingerplay: Three Peanuts (TB) (FT)
Three peanuts sat on a railorad track (hold up three fingers)
Their hearts were all a-flutter (flutter hand on chest)
Around the bend came Number 10 (make wide around motion)
Whoo-whooo (pull train whistle cord), Peanut Butter!
(count down)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

This is a barnstormer of a song – it goes fast but is so much fun.
Song: Little Red Caboose (TT) (TB) (FT)
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug,
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on its back, back, back, back
Coming down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train, Woo-woo!

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

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

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

thumbnail for ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Cardboard Train Whistle
I couldn’t flaunt my train whistle without letting the kids make one of their own! Essentially, we made a simple kazoo using a toilet paper tube, wax paper, and a rubber band. The instructions call for making a small hole somewhere along the exposed edge (i.e. not under the wax paper) which I pre-made. I also pre-cut circles of wax paper. I provided dot markers for decoration, but any paint or markers would work. I tried drawing a train on mine – it was not super successful. An all-over design would likely work better! Lastly, it can be tricky to “play” a kazoo – you can’t blow into it, you have to hum, so we practiced a little when they were done making theirs.

Picture of cardboard tube kazoo, with a circle of waxed paper attached to the top with a rubber band, and a crude picture of a red train engine painted on the side.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Mr. Complain Takes the Train – Wade Bradford & S. britt
Freight Train – Donald Crews
Listen Up! Train Song – Victoria Allenby
And the Train Goes… – William Bee
I Like Trains – Daisy Hirst
I Can Make a Train Noise – Michael Emberley & Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
How to Train a Train – Jason Carter Eaton & John Rocco
Choo-Choo School – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Mike Yamada
I’m Fast! – Kate & Jim McMullan

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/3, 4/4, & 4/5/23.

Storytime Handout:

storytime handout with suggested books, rhyme, and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: The Seeds of Spring

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Springtime in Indiana is capricious, but thankfully we had some warm days, some rain, and some early blooms to reflect on. Although an ostensibly “springtime” theme, I focused mostly on seeds and plants. I’ve done gardening themes before, and I’ve also done a couple of sessions on bugs (here and here) that might also fit into this theme, if you are looking for more ideas.

Early Literacy Tip: Learning directional words like up, down, above, and below is foundational to learning to write letters. When you use words like these with your child and you gesture to show what you mean, you’re setting them up to learn how to write later on.

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

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

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

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

Intro: This week is the first official day of spring. Every day, the days are getting a little bit longer, the weather changing like the season, but moving toward getting a little warmer, and the little seeds that have been in the ground all winter long are starting to wake up!

As simple as this is, it worked really well for all three groups.
Fingerplay: During the Spring (TT) (TB) (FT)
During the spring, it often showers (flutter fingers down)
Or the sun shines for many hours (form circle with arms)
Both are very good for the flowers! (cup hands, extend arms)
Source: Storytime Katie

Fingerplay: Dig a Little Hole
Dig a little hole, Plant a little seed
Pour a little water, Pull a little weed
Chase a little bug, Heigh-ho, there he goes!
Give a little sunshine, Grow a little rose
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime via Storytime Katie

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

Read: A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis (TT) (FT)

What a beautiful book this is. I love its playfulness and gentleness.
Read: How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival (TB)

Fingerplay: Five Plump Peas
Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one)
they grew, & they grew, & they grew, & never stopped (hands get wider and wider)
They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then clap!)
Source: Carole Stephens

Rhyme: Be A Seed
Be a seed, small and round
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground.
Shake your leaves for all to see
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree!
Source: Jbrary

Action Rhyme: A Big Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of A Ram Sam Sam)
A big green leaf, a big green leaf (hold hands apart)
Little ladybug (pinch fingers close)
On a big green leaf (x2)

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

Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf (TT) (TB) (FT)
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Rhyme: Here is a Green Leaf (TT) (TB) (FT)
(start by crumpling scarf between both hands)
Here is a green leaf, and here is a green leaf (show thumbs)
and that, you see, makes two
Here is the bud that makes the flower (show a tiny bit of the scarf)
Now watch it bloom for you! (open hands to let scarf expand)
Source: Jbrary

Scarf Rhyme: Little Seed (TB) (FT)
(start by scrunching scarf in one hand)
Little seed in the ground
Sitting oh, so still
Little seed, will you sprout?
YES, I WILL! (pull scarf up out of hand)
Source: Lady Librarian Life

Ukulele 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)

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Dot Painted Flowers
Pretty simple. I used two die cuts to make flowers on white construction paper, and provided light blue backing paper, glue sticks, and dot markers.
I’d also read a great article on how radishes are a great veggie for children to grow, since they are very quick to both sprout and mature. I bought a package of radish seeds and gave them out with some simple instructions.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
And Then it’s Spring – Julie Fogliano & Erin E. Stead
If You Plant a Seed – Kadir Nelson
Flower Garden – Eve Bunting & Kathryn Hewitt
On a Snow-Melting Day – Buffy Silverman
A Seed is Sleepy – Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long
Emile and the Field – Kevin Young & Chioma Ebinama
My Garden/Mi Jardín – Rebecca Emberley
Lola Plants a Garden – Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw
How a Seed Grows – Helene J. Jordan & Loretta Krupinski
Planting a Rainbow – Lois Ehlert

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/20, 3/21, & 3/22/23.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Storytime: Shadow Tales

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Doing a storytime about shadows is fun and exciting. It’s also a bit logistically difficult. I think I’ve seen others do this theme around Groundhog Day, but I hadn’t actually made that connection in my mind when I scheduled this for late February. I’d done this theme once before, pre-pandemic, and at that time I brought in one of those heavy-duty work lights with the halogen bulbs that have lots of scary warning stickers on them. For several of our rhymes and songs, we’re making motions and looking for our shadows to imitate us. Back then, I was able to put that big light toward the back of the room to shine on the group and project our shadows on the front wall, but I had a lot fewer kids attending then, and their grownups were more fastidious about keeping them within arms length. This time around, the only good place to put it was front and center, and I now have a larger and more mobile group. I just didn’t feel comfortable with that setup. I had a desk lamp I was able to use for my shadow theater, but it wasn’t a good fit for the wider room. A coworker let me borrow her ring light, but the light was too diffused to throw much of a shadow. Instead, we made do. I had a few flashlights, and when I lowered the main lights, there were still some can lights on the ceiling that stayed on and we were able to throw some shadows on the floor.

All that to say – it was still totally worthwhile to do, even with all the technical difficulties! Just lowering lights in storytime is fun and exciting, and a shadow made with a handheld flashlight still demonstrates the science, even if not everyone can see their distinct shadow at the same time.

Early Literacy Tip: Sharing nonfiction titles, even in an abbreviated way, helps introduce your child to new concepts, vocabulary, and general knowledge of the world around them. You can look at the pictures and read captions or paraphrase the “big ideas” of a book to create an age-appropriate experience with a factual book on a subject like shadows.

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

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

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about shadows! A shadow is a dark spot that is made when light shines past something solid, like us! Let’s make some shadows on the walls. I’m going to lower the overhead lights and turn on this bright light behind us. Can you see our shadow on the wall? [This ended up being floor!]

I usually use this rhyme as a “filler,” but since it makes some nice big movements, it was a good option to do and see our shadow selves doing as well.
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Read: Share individual pages from What Makes Shadow by Clyde Robert Bulla & June Otani. This is where I shared our literacy tip.

Book cover of What Makes a Shadow?

Let’s try this rhyme and see what our shadows do.
Action Rhyme: My Shadow Movements (TT) (TB) (FT)
If I walk, my shadow walks
If I run, my shadow runs
And when I stand still, as you can see
My shadow stands beside me
When I hop, my shadow hops
When I jump, my shadow jumps
And when I sit still, as you can see
My shadow sits beside me
Source: Johnson County (Kansas) Library (link no longer functional)

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

Instead of reading a book here, I performed the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff using shadow puppets. I just improvised the traditional story on memory, but the novelty of the shadow theater was riveting for the little ones and I highly recommend trying this sometime! I found a puppet and scenery template for this story at this website and increased the size to fit about 11×17 inches, which fit nicely on the box I used. I liked this story because it only had four characters, and only two were “onstage” at one time, so I felt like I could handle that by myself pretty easily. I watched this Hallmark Channel video as a guide to how to make the theater (the side hole for manipulating the puppets is really helpful.) I didn’t make the box look super nice or fancy, but sketched a little theater outline on the outside with the help of a ruler. You can’t actually see it when it’s dark and the play is going on, so you really don’t need to do that. If you do need a script, there are lots of versions out there, in picture book form as well as by searching for “Billy Goats Gruff Script.”
Shadow Theater: The Three Billy Goats Gruff (TT) (TB) (FT)

Let’s try to retell that story with this rhythm rhyme!
We didn’t use rhythm sticks, but patted our laps and did the hand motions option from Jbrary.
Story Rhyme: Billy Goats Trip Trap (TT) (TB) (FT)
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Across the bridge they come
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Crossing one by one
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Baby takes a stroll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Over the sleeping troll
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Louder taps I hear
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Middle goat is near
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Stomps the biggest goat
Trip, trap, trip, trap, Troll goes in the moat!
Source: Jbrary (see motions there)

Action Rhyme: Shadow, Shadow (TB)
Shadow, shadow turn around
Shadow, shadow touch the ground
Shadow, shadow dance on your toes
Shadow, shadow touch your nose
Shadow, shadow jump up now
Shadow, shadow take a bow
Shadow, shadow stomp your feet
Shadow, shadow take your seat.
Source: Storytimes and More

You can use pretty much any clip art here, I was inspired by Sunflower Storytime (website now unavailable) and Storytimes and More (link below). I found several of the same images they used. I laminated my printout and also a black piece of cardstock, then cut both out together to make the image and the art. Most are fairly easy, and the kids were excited to tell me each object until the last one, the sandwich on the plate, which was a difficult one. I got some good guesses, like a boat, but they laughed to see the actual picture.
Flannelboard Game: Guess That Shadow (TB) (FT)
I’m a shadow, look at me
Guess whose shadow I might be!
Source: Sunflower Storytime and Storytimes and More

Flannelboard for guess that shadow, showing clipart objects and black "shadows" in the exact shape. Includes a tree, house, bird, cupcake, airplane, and sandwich on a plate with a decorative toothpick sticking out of it.

I wanted them to have the opportunity to try puppet theater, so I made some spider puppets (a die cut spider on a craft stick) and we did the Itsy Bitsy Spider, using our opposite arm as the water spout. With all the lighting issues, only my shadow really made it on the wall, but we sang through it twice and I told them this will look amazing on their bedroom wall tonight with their grownup helping with a flashlight. They all loved that they were allowed to take their spiders home.
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (TT) (TB) (FT)
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Source: traditional

Spider puppet showing a black spider die cut taped to a craft stick.

I didn’t actually play this for any of the storytime sessions, we just ran too long. But it’s a good one if you do have time.
Ukulele 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)

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

thumbnail of Mr. Sun ukulele songsheet

Another optional activity, which I didn’t use (or even plan to use), but I did include on my handout, is the classic Sesame Street video of Grover and his Furry Little Shadow.
Video: My Furry Little Shadow
Source: Sesame Street

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

Craft: Shadow Tracing (TB) (FT)
I encouraged grownups to use their phone’s flashlight feature or one of my traditional flashlights (I had about four available) to cast a shadow on a piece of paper using one of our farm animal toys or plastic trucks, then the kids could trace the shadow. ALTERNATELY, since I understand that this is on the higher skill spectrum for this age, they could just draw and color whatever they wanted. I had about half and half, so it was good to have both options out there. No original picture for this one, just a borrowed one from the site that inspired the idea, the Dad Lab.

Photo showing a preschooler tracing the shadow of a toy horse on a white sheet of paper.
Image from The Dad Lab

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Shadows – April Pulley Sayre & Harvey Stevenson
The Three Billy Goats Gruff – Jerry Pinkney
I Love My Shadow – Hans Wilhelm
Groundhug Day – Anne Marie Pace & Christopher Denise
Shadow – Suzy Lee
Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow – David Biedrzycki
Footprints and Shadows – Ann Dodd & Henri Sorensen
Maisy Goes Camping – Lucy Cousins
Moonbear’s Shadow – Frank Asch
The Night World – Mordicai Gerstein
Shadows and Reflections – Tana Hoban

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/20, 2/21, & 2/22/23.

Storytime Handout:

Handout with suggested books rhyme and song lyrics.

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

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

Storytime: I Love Being Me

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Instead of a Valentine’s theme, I wanted to do a program on loving and appreciating ourselves this February. I learned some new songs and my groups did a lot of self-hugs.

This is a topic near and dear to me, and in one of my asides, I noted to the group that kids generally do a pretty good job loving themselves, but it’s a harder task for us grown-ups. I reminded them that finding ways to be loving and compassionate to ourselves as adults sends a great message to our kids that our bodies don’t have to look a certain way for us to appreciate them, and we can celebrate our smarts, our creativity, our problem-solving, our kindness as well as our bodies and all the amazing things they do for us.

Early Literacy Tip: Self-confidence is an attribute that you can teach your children as they play, learn, and read with you. Don’t forget that they pick up so many cues from us even when we’re not paying attention. Being positive about your own body and self is a great way to model it for them – both now and as they grow and change.

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

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

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

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

Intro: February is a month full of love – who are some of the people you love? Don’t forget to love YOU. You are special and there’s no one else exactly like you. Loving yourself gives you the foundation to love others.

The orginal rhyme said “my fingers can snap” but most of my kids can’t snap yet, so I changed it to wiggle!
Rhyme: All of Me (TT) (TB) (FT)
My hands are for clapping, My arms can hug tight
My fingers can wiggle, Or turn out the light
My legs are for jumping, My eyes help me see
This is my body, And I love all of me!
Source: Miss Sarah’s Storytime

Rhyme: Up & Down (TT) (TB) (FT)
Put your arms up, Put your arms down
Put them in the middle, Move them all around
One arm to the left, One arm to the right
Give yourself a hug, And hold on tight!
Source: Mansfield/Richland County (OH) Public Library

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

This is just a perfect book for this age. Lots of adorable kids in the illustrations, and body parts to touch and tickle.
Read: I Love All of Me by Lorie Ann Grover & Carolina Búzio (TT) (FT)

book cover for I Love All of Me

I love that this one looks at the whole person.
Read: Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds (TB)

book cover for Be You

Our bodies are so amazing, let’s test them out.
Rhyme: Touch Your Nose (TT) (TB) (FT)
Touch your nose, touch your chin,
That’s the way this game begins.
Touch your eyes, touch your knees,
Now pretend you feel a breeze.
Touch your hair, touch one ear,
Touch your two cheeks right here.
Touch your elbows where they bend,
That’s the way this touch game ends.
[I added: okay, now reach a little farther and give yourself a big hug!]
Source: King County (WA) Library System

I love my body, but I also love other things about myself. Here’s some of them!
The original song uses the “love” verse as a chorus and repeats it. It also is sung a little differently. I simplified by singing it the same as the other verses and used it as the last verse.
Ukulele Song: I Am Kind (TT) (TB) (FT)
I am kind – I’ll be your friend, will you be mine?
I can share a smile, I am kind

I am brave – I do it though I feel afraid
I can do the hard things, I am brave

I am wise – Solving problems that arise
Finding new solutions, I am wise

I am strong – I’m OK when things go wrong
I know I can do it, I am strong

I am love – I wrap my arms around myself
In a great big hug, I am love!
Source: Lindsay Munroe featuring Raffi, from the album I AM KIND: Songs for Unique Kids

Download a ukulele songsheet here!

Thumbnail for I Am Kind Ukulele songsheet

Rhyme: Make a Heart (TT) (TB) (FT)
I put my hands together,
This is how I start
I curve my fingers right around,
And I can make a heart!
Source: Verona Story Time

Shaker Rhyme: Egg Shakers Up (TT) (TB) (FT)
Egg shakers up, egg shakers down
Egg shakers dancing all around the town
Dance them on your shoulders, Dance them on your head
Dance them on your knees, And tuck them into bed!
Source: Jbrary

I absolutely love this song. Gives me the feels every time. The toddlers were running out of steam, so we skipped this song for them and went straight to the hokey pokey. For everyone else, I just encouraged them to shake their shakers along with the music.
Ukulele/Shaker Song: I Love My Body (TB) (FT)
I love my body from my head to my toes
I love my face, my eyes, my mouth, my nose
I love the way I look when I look in the mirror
I stand a little closer just to see a little clearer

Who is that? It’s me! And I am looking good as good can be
So, what do I say? I tell myself I love me every day
I hope you can, too! You’re worthy of your own love, it is true
So what do we say? We tell ourselves we love us, every day!
Source: Mother Moon

Download a ukulele songsheet here!

thumbnail for I Love My Body ukulele songsheet

Shaker Song: The Hokey Pokey (TT) (TB) (FT)
You put your right arm in,
You take your right arm out,
You put your right arm in
and you shake it all about,
You do the hokey pokey,
and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about! (clap, clap)
(repeat with arms, legs, head, whole self)
Source: traditional

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

With one group I did this after Zoom, Zoom, Zoom and before our craft, and with the others I did it after cleaning up toys and before our Goodbye song and rhyme. I think it worked best before saying goodbye, but it worked either way!
Affirmation (TT) (TB) (FT)
I am KIND (hands outstretched)
I am BRAVE (hands on hips)
I am SMART (finger to your head)
I am STRONG (arms curled up)
I am LOVED (give yourself a hug)
Today is an awesome day! (fist pump)
Source: adapted from Miss Sarah’s Storytime

Craft: Valentine to Yourself (TB) (FT)
Very simple concept and execution. Write your name on the heart. Talk with your grownup about some of the things you love about yourself, and ask them to help you write a few on your (die-cut) heart. Decorate with stickers and crayons.

Craft showing a pink scalloped heart shape with the name EMILY written vertically down the middle, with "I like my smile" "My hands let me be creative" "I am friendly" "I am kind" also written on it, decorated with hearts, stars, stickers, and jewels.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Be Who You Are – Todd Parr
Bodies Are Cool – Tyler Feder
I Love My Body Because – Shelly Anand, Nomi Ellenson, & Erika Rodriguez Medina
Lovely – Jess Hong
I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes! – Linda Davick
Beautifully Me – Nabela Noor & Nabi H. Ali
I Am Golden – Eva Chen & Sophie Diao
Who Will You Be? – Andrea Pippins
From Head to Toe – Eric Carle

This storytime was presented in-person on 2/13, 2/14, & 2/15/23.

Storytime Handout:

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

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

Storytime: Keeping Warm (Warm Clothing)

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Although I did a “snow” theme a couple of weeks ago, I still had activities and ideas I couldn’t fit into that program and which followed more of a theme of warm winter clothing.

I think I overplanned a bit for this session, and we skipped several things I had on my list, but it’s better to have too much material than too little. My third session was the one I was planning to retell Froggy Gets Dressed in, but – ironically enough – we had some snow and ice and cancelled programming that day!

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

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster* (TT)

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big*

Intro: When it’s cold outside we need to dress warmly – did anyone wear their Coat today? Hat/boot/mitten/scarf/etc.

Bounce: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Blue Sled (TT) (TB)
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Bumping up and down in my little blue sled
Won’t you be my darling? (lift)

Hit a rock and we all fell over… (lean to sides)
Source: adapted from the traditional

Let’s come inside to drink something hot. Ready to put the kettle on?
Action Song: I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB)
I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle (crook one hand to hip)
Here is my spout (hold other hand out to side)
When I get all steamed up then I shout:
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to the side of the spout)
Source: traditional

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

I think this is more entertaining for the adults than for the kids, but it’s cute and quick and goes through several winter clothing choices.
Read: Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin & Fumi Kosaka (TT)

Book cover for Under My Hood I Have a Hat

A newer book about a bundled-up turkey who gives away his warm clothes to friends on the farm. Lots of funny puns and silly illustrations!
Read: Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, & Chad Otis (TB)

book cover for Cold Turkey

Fingerplay: Warm Mittens (TT) (TB)
I wiggle my left hand, I wiggle my right
Inside of my mittens so warm and so tight
I wiggle my pinkie, I wiggle my thumbs
So when I make snowballs My hands don’t get numb!
Source: Adventures of a Bookworm

This was one of the songs that I skipped for time purposes. Another reason is that I hadn’t really worked out what motions to pair with the song, which made it feel awkward to me. If I figure it out, I’ll gladly try again – I am a fan of the My Bonnie tune!
Song: My Sweater
(tune of My Bonnie)
My sweater is warm and cozy
My sweater is warm and dry
When I play in very cold weather
Oh bring me a sweater to wear
Oh bring me, bring me,
Oh bring me a sweater to wear, to wear
Bring me, bring me, oh bring me my sweater to wear
Source: Johnson County (KS) Library

This was a fun alternative to the usual tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, with a little built-in anticipation and silliness!
Action Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Boots (TT) (TB)
(tune of London Bridge)
Hat, coat, pants, and boots (touch head, shoulders, knees, and toes)
Pants and boots, Pants and boots
Hat, coat, pants, and boots
Mittens… (wiggle hands) Earmuffs! (hands over ears)
(repeat, changing the last item to other clothing or accessories, including silly ones – scarf, glasses, bow tie, umbrella, etc)
Source: adapted from Storytime Secrets

This probably should have been done earlier, maybe before the book – it didn’t flow very well in this spot.
Bounce: Baby’s in a Bundle (TT)
Baby’s in a bundle
Baby’s very warm
Baby’s very happy
In the snowstorm
Source: Handley Regional Library System (VA)

I was pretty excited to do this one, but we ended up not having time in the Teddy Bear session, and Family Time was cancelled for weather. I printed and laminated the Froggy and clothing pieces from Kizclub.com (they have lots of great resources!). I enlarged it to fit 11×17″ instead of 8.5×11″, and that seemed like a better size for a flannel for everyone to see. After laminating, I attached velcro dots to hold the clothing in place according to the story. To help them blend in, I colored the velcro with different Sharpie markers, and was pleased at how well they are hidden. This is definitely going to come out again in the future!
Retelling: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London & Frank Remkiewicz

Download my story cheat sheet here

Ukulele Song: Fuzzy Wuzzy Blanket (TT) (TB)
(tune of the Oscar Mayer jingle)
Oh I wish I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket
That is what I’d truly like to be
‘Cause if I were a fuzzy wuzzy blanket
Everyone would snuggle up with me!

Additional verses:
…fuzzy wuzzy beanie…
…fuzzy wuzzy scarf…
…pair of fuzzy mittens…
Source: Book Besotted Librarian Blog

Click here for a ukulele songsheet of this tune (words are for Pepperoni Pizza)

thumbnail of "I Wish I Were a Pepperoni Pizza" ukulele songsheet

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

Craft: Warm Hat Suncatcher (TB)
Inspired by this mitten project at Kinder Craze, I took a look at our library’s die cut designs and realized we had a winter hat die. This was better than mittens since I’d only have to cut out one per kid, and it would use less contact paper. I made an outline for the brim and the main body of the hat and asked volunteers to cut it out, then stuck the outline on a piece of contact paper, replacing the backing paper until we were ready to craft. I then provided tissue squares and another piece of contact paper to seal it all up. I relied on grownups to cut out the shape, punch a hole, and string some yarn through for a hanger. It was a bit more intensive craft, but everyone enjoyed piecing the tissue paper and making colorful designs for their hats. Again, our Family Time program was cancelled due to weather, so I packaged up the materials for that group and offered it in the next week as a Take and Make packet.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Three Little Kittens – Barbara McClintock
Lost. Found. – Marsha Diane Arnold & Matthew Cordell
Extra Yarn – Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
A Sled for Gabo – Emma Otheguy & Ana Ramírez González
Not Now, Cow – Tammi Sauer & Troy Cummings
A Hat for Minerva Louise – Janet Morgan Stoeke
Winter Babies – Kathryn O Galbraith & Adela Pons
Winter is the Warmest Season – Lauren Stringer
Sweater Weather – Matt Phelan

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/23 & 1/24/23.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics

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

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

Storytime: Favorites

Posted on by msemilylibrary

Oof, it’s been awhile… (Cue the Critical Role crew) It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but I’ll catch up!

I’d done a version of a “Favorites” theme before as a virtual-only program, and transforming it into something that worked for live in-person sessions wasn’t too difficult, but took a little thought. For one, I had a lot of favorite songs and rhymes I wanted to incorporate, more than before. I also was worried about the “voting” aspect – with quite a few kids, I didn’t want to have votes for several different things and then I would have to choose anyway.

So instead, I decided to incorporate an element of chance with a foam six-sided die. I split my favorite rhyme and song selections into groups of six. They seemed to naturally fall into groups of fingerplays, action songs, some scarf songs, and ukulele songs. I added a couple here or there, took a few off the list, and that was it for the planning. For books, I looked at my Goodreads to find my top rated picture books from the last couple of years. It was remarkably quick to plan. (Proponents of themeless storytimes may be thinking – “That’s what I do every week!”)

There was an element of visuals that took a little more work. I always print out the words to our songs and rhymes on an 11×17″ sheet and flip them as we move through storytime. For visual interest, I include a little icon or picture on almost every page. To help make the selections, I printed and laminated the icon from all the songs to put up on the board under the numbers 1-6. That way the group (and I) had a visual cue as to which song corresponded with each die roll. My stack of song sheets was a lot larger than usual, but it worked just fine.

This was a lot of fun. My songs consisted of some favorites that everyone knew – Two Little Blackbirds, I’m a Little Teapot, Wheels on the Bus – but I also explained that some of them were favorites of mine that they may not have heard before. Some just never fit with my previous themes. That mix of familiar and unfamiliar seemed to add some excitement.

Early Literacy Tip: Talking with your children, especially as you share books, is one of the best ways to develop your children’s vocabulary. In books they see things they might not otherwise see, like different kinds of animals. Take advantage of expanding their vocabulary by talking with them about the pictures in books.

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

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

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

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* (FT)

Intro: Today I wanted to do some of my favorite storytime songs, rhymes and books. Some might be new to you, but some might be your favorites, too! I have so many favorites, I picked too many, so we are going to get some help in what we do today!

Flannelboard marked "Favorites" at the top, then numbered 1-6. Icons are: 1 peapod 2 blackbirds facing each other, 3 teapot with smiley face 4 snail and mouse 5 grandfather clock with mouse 6 beehive surrounded by bees

For each group of songs, I put up the icons and said the titles. If I got a lot of “Little Teapot!” just from that, I’d make that one of our choices. Otherwise, we rolled the foam die to decide (no repeats!)
Fingerplay: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list:
1. Five Plump Peas (FT)
2. Two Little Blackbirds
3. I’m a Little Teapot (TT) (TB)
4. Slowly, Slowly
5. Hickory Dickory Dock (TT)
6. Here is the Beehive (TB) (FT)

Five Plump Peas
Five plump peas in a peapod pressed (make a fist and cover with the other hand)
One grew, two grew, and so did all the rest (raise all fingers on first hand one by one)
they grew, and they grew, and they grew, and never stopped (hands get wider and wider)
They grew SO BIG that the peapod… POPPED! (hands spread as wide as possible, then CLAP!)
Source: Jbrary

Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds (pointer fingers up)
Sitting on a hill
One named Jack (wiggle one finger)
One named Jill (wiggle the other finger)
Fly away, Jack (first finger hides behind back)
Fly away, Jill (second finger hides behind back)
Come back, Jack (first finger returns)
Come back, Jill (second finger returns)
Source: traditional

I’m a Little Teapot
I’m a little teapot, Short and stout
Here is my handle (crook one hand to hip)
Here is my spout (hold other hand out to side)
When I get all steamed up then I shout:
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (tilt body to the side of the spout)
Source: traditional

Slowly, Slowly
(fist with thumb sticking out is “snail,” which crawls slowly up one arm, then the other)
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail

(fingers wiggle up one arm then the other quickly, then tickle under the chin)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse
Quickly, quickly very quickly ‘Round about the house
Source: Jbrary

Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory, dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock (fingers scurry up arm)
The clock struck one (pause and clap once)
The mouse ran down (fingers scurry down arm)
Hickory dickory dock

…2, the mouse said, “boo!” (hands splay out)
…3, the mouse said, “whee!” (arms go wide)
…4, the mouse said, “no more!” (shake finger)
Source: Jbrary

Here is the Beehive
Here is the beehive (make fist)
But where are all the bees? 
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (open fingers)
They’re alive! Buzz, buzz, buzz! (tickle)
Source: Jbrary

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

For each group, I gave them a choice between two of the four that I chose for the week, and they voted. Of the four, only Mel Fell was not chosen. All were fun, but I think Animals Go Vroom! got the best response!
Read: Animals Go Vroom! by Abi Cushman (TT)
Read: Strollercoaster by Matt Ringler, Raúl the Third, Elaine Bay (TB)
Read: Just In Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano & Christian Robinson (FT)
Read: Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor

Flannelboard marked "Favorites" at the top, then numbered 1-6. Icons are: 1 fish jumping from water splash 2 gray sleeping cat, 3 coyote silhouetted in front of moon 4 cartoon hippo 5 a girl hugging a dog 6 bananas with smiley face

Action Song: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list:
1. All the Fish (TT)
2. The Old Gray Cat (FT)
3. Five Coyotes
4. Hippopotamus on the City Bus (FT)
5. My Dog Rags (TB)
6. Bananas Unite! (TT) (TB)

All the Fish
All the fish are swimming in the water (hands zig zag in front)
Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, …SPLASH!
(both hands corkscrew upwards, then clap together)

All the ducks are quacking… (hand opens and closes like a duck)
All the frogs are jumping… (jump!)
All the kids are splashing… (slap hands downward as if splashing)
Source: Caspar Babypants, from the album I Found You

The Old Gray Cat
The old gray cat is sleeping,
Sleeping, sleeping (cradle head in hands)
The old gray cat is sleeping
In the house (hands join together above head)

The little mice are creeping… (tiptoe and hands “paw” forward)
The little mice are nibbling… (hands come to mouth)
The old gray cat is creeping… (hands “stalk” forward)
The little mice are hiding… (hide face with hands)
So the old gray cat is sleeping… (cradle head in hands)
Source: King County (WA) Library System

Five Coyotes
Five coyotes, sittin’ on a hill
Just sittin’ and a howlin’ at the moon: Aahh-ooo!
One coyote had his fill
So he went to sleep and snoozed – Snore!
(Count down)
Source: adapted by Rebecca Ballard from Nancy Stewart

Hippo on the Bus
(bounce or slap thighs rhythmically until the last line of each verse)
A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (squish face or hug baby)

A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus
Yes, a cow, a cow, a cow got on the bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“Mooooove over!” (lean far to one side)

A snake…“Sssssssssit down!” (motion hand down or fall thru knees)
A sheep…“Baaaack up!” (lean far back)
Source: Jbrary

My Dog Rags
I have a dog and his name is Rags
He eats so much that his tummy sags (arms circle in front of tummy)
His ears flip flop and his tail wig wags (flop hands up and down by ears, then wiggle bottom)
And when he walks, he goes zig zag! (zig zag hands together)

(repeat motions above)
He goes flip flop, wig wag, (pause) zig zag (x3)
I love Rags and he loves me! (hug self)
Source: Jbrary

Bananas Unite
Bananas……unite! (arms meet and extend above head)
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas (x2) (one arm opens to the side, then the other)
Chop bananas, chop chop bananas (x2) (one hand chops across other palm)
Mash bananas, mash mash bananas (x2) (palms mash together)
Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas (x2) (bring hands to mouth)
Goooooooooo BANANAS! (wild arms)
Source: Jbrary

Flannelboard marked "Favorites" at the top, then numbered 1-6. Icons are: 1 girl peeking from open elevator 2 kids on schoolbus, 3 car on a bumpy road 4 four kids, touching their head shoulders, knees, and toes 5 cuckoo clock with bird popping out 6 rocket ship

These were clear favorites in every class, so we chose the same songs this grouping!
Action Song 2: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 2 from list:
1. The Elevator Song
2. The Wheels on the Bus (TT) (TB) (FT)
3. A Smooth Road
4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
5. Tick, Tock
6. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (TT) (TB) (FT)

Elevator Song
Oh, the city is great and the city is grand!
There’s a whole lot of people (hands go wide)
On a little piece of land (hands come together)
And we live way up on the 57th floor (point up)
And this is what we do when we go out the door: (point out)

(either lift baby up and down, or reach tall and crouch down)
We take the elevator up and the elevator down,
Take the elevator up, take the elevator down
Take the elevator up and the elevator down
And we turn around (spin in a circle)
Source: Jbrary

I usually only do 3 or 4 total verses for this – sometimes there are favorites so I’ll ask what else the bus does.
Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go 
Round and round, round and round, round and round (fists circle)
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town!

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish… (arms pivot back and forth)
The doors on the bus Open and shut… (arms move apart and together)
The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep… (hand mimes pushing a button)
The driver on the bus says “Move on back”… (cock thumb back to shoulder)
The people on the bus go Up and down… (bounce body up and down)
The baby on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah”… (fists wring at eyes)
The parents on the bus say “Shh, shh, shh”… (lift forefinger to lips)
Source: traditional

A Smooth Road
A smooth road! (repeat x4) (slowly, and sway baby gently)
A bumpy road! (x4) (a little faster, bouncing gently up and down)
A rough road! (x4) (even faster, bouncing and adding erratic swaying)
Oh, no! A hole! (tip over, lift up, and/or let them fall safely through your knees)
Source: Jbrary

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
(touch each body part as it’s mentioned)
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes!
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes
Eyes and ears and a mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, Knees and toes! (can repeat, singing faster)
Source: traditional

Tick, Tock, Tick Tock
Tick tock, tick tock (bounce or sway baby on lap)
I’m a little cuckoo clock
tick tock tick tock
Now I’m striking one o’clock: cuckoo! (lift on each cuckoo)
(repeat, counting up)
Source: Jbrary

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
(rhythmically slide hands past each other)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you’d like to take a trip (fingers walk up opposite arm)
climb aboard my rocket ship (repeat on other arm)
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
In 5…4…3…2…1…BLAST OFF!
(count on hands, crouch lower and lower, then jump, or lift baby)
Source: Jbrary

Flannelboard marked "Favorites" at the top, then numbered 1-6. Icons are: 1 jack in the box 2 popcorn, 3 two kids playing peek a boo 4 compass pointing east 5 purple scarf 6 a boat with oars

Scarf Songs: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 3-4 from list:
1. Jack in the Box (TT) (TB) (FT)
2. Popcorn Kernels (TT) (TB) (FT)
3. Peek a Boo
4. Shake it to the East (TB) (FT)
5. One Bright Scarf (TT)
6. Row Your Boat (TT) (TB) (FT)

Jack in the Box
(scrunch scarf up in one fist)
Jack in the box (shake fist in rhythm with rhyme)
Sits so still
Will he come out?
Yes, he will! (pull scarf out from fist and wave)
Source: Jbrary

Popcorn Kernels
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels (wave scarf overhead)
In the pot, in the pot (bunch up in fist)
Shake them, shake them, shake them / shake them, shake them, shake them (shake fists)
‘Til they POP, ‘til they POP (toss scarves up)
Source: Jbrary

Peekaboo
(tune of Frère Jacques)
Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo,
I see you, I see you (alternately hide face and reveal with scarf)
I see your button nose, I see your tiny toes (touch nose and toes)
I see you! Peek-a-boo!
Source: Jbrary

Shake it to the East
Shake it to the east (shake scarf to one side)
Shake it to the west (then to the other)
Shake it all around and (shake in a circle)
Then you take a rest (clasp hands, stilling scarf)

Shake your scarves up
Shake your scarves down
Shake it, shake it, shake it, and
Then you settle down
Source: Jbrary

One Bright Scarf
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow (wave scarf)
Toss it up high, and wave it down low
Wiggle it fast, and wiggle it slow (hide the scarf behind back, under shirt, etc)
Hey! Where did it go? (bring out) Here it is!
Source: Jbrary

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat (hold both ends of scarf across body, then move forward and back like oars)
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily (wave scarf)
Life is but a dream! 

Rock, rock, rock your boat (rock body and move scarf up and down)
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to SCREAM! (Aaah!) (wave scarf wildly)

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

Flannelboard marked "Favorites" at the top, then numbered 1-6. Icons are: 1 a sun with a top hat 2 an apple and banana with smiley faces, 3 whale with pink and blue polkadots on its tail 4 two kids dancing 5 basset hound cartoon 6 sun with smiley face

I let them keep their scarves to dance with during our last song.
Ukulele/Dancing Songs: Let the dice or popular consensus choose 1 from list:
1. Mr. Sun
2. Apples & Bananas (TT) (TB)
3. Down By the Bay
4. Shake My Sillies Out (FT)
5. How Much is that Doggie in the Window?
6. You Are My Sunshine

For chord and lyric song sheets to any of these songs, check out the Ukulele Song Sheet page!

Mr. Sun
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you
Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young

Apples and Bananas
(begin with the correct pronunciation, then change the long vowel sounds for each verse to a, e, i, o, and u)
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

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

Down by the Bay
Down by the bay, Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home, I dare not go
For if I do, my mother will say:
“Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail, 
Down by the bay?”

…goose kissing a moose…
…fly wearing a tie…
…bear combing his hair…
…see llamas eating pajamas…
…have a time you couldn’t make a rhyme…
Source: Raffi, from the album Singable Songs for the Very Young

I decided to change “crazies” to “kookies” to help destigmatize mental health issues.
Shake My Sillies Out
I gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away!

I gotta clap, clap, clap my kookies out…
I gotta jump, jump, jump my jiggles out…
I gotta stretch, stretch, stretch my stretchies out…
I gotta yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out…
Source: Raffi, from the album Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?
How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!)
The one with the waggily tail?
How much is that doggie in the window? (Woof woof!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale

Kitty…meow…whiskers so long
Birdie… tweet tweet…flappity wings
Rabbit…hop hop…hoppity legs
Fishy… glub glub… swimmity fins
Source: traditional

You Are My Sunshine
You are my sunshine, My only sunshine
You make me happy When skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear, How much I love you
Please don’t take My sunshine away
Source: traditional

Craft: My Favorites Coloring Sheet (TB) (FT)
Last week’s craft, the puffy snow paint, was pretty involved, so it was really lovely (on my end) to just print out some pages and put them out with our crayon bins. The kids didn’t complain. This is a sheet I created using Canva for the last Favorites session (at a different library), so I just reused it. You can download a copy here.

Coloring sheet with My favorite... animal, color, food, toy, book, and thing to do outside

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (for this theme, just choose your favorites!)
Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse – Jane Godwin & Blanca Gómez
Bathe the Cat – Alice B McGinty & David Roberts
I Love You Because I Love You – Mượn Thị Văn & Jessica Love
Off-Limits – Helen Yoon
Pokko and the Drum – Matthew Forsythe
You Matter – Christian Robinson
Nanette’s Baguette – Mo Willems
Everybody in the Red Brick Building – Anne Wynter & Oge Mora
The Day You Begin – Jacqueline Woodson & Rafael López
Thank You, Omu! – Oge Mora
Crash, Splash, or Moo! – Bob Shea
Lulil & the Language of Tea – Andrea Wang & Hyewon Yum
Crown – Derrick Barnes & Gordon C. James
We Sang You Home – Richard Van Camp & Julie Flett
Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite – Stacey McAnulty & Edward Hemingway
Vroom! – Barbara McClintock

This storytime was presented in-person on 1/16, 1/17, & 1/18/23.

Storytime Handout:

storytime handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics. Includes: Find all of the rhymes and songs we may have chosen here: https://bit.ly/3ICgnQI

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

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