Another magical storytime! This time, we headed to the sea to swim with the merfolk. Now, remember, not all merfolk are mermaids! We talked about mermen, merdaddies and mermommies, merboys and mergirls, merkids, merchildren, even merbabies. I love how the books available also reflect an array of merfolk. Merfolk come in all skin tones, hair and tail colors, even body types (though it’s a little harder to find those.)
You can find another magical creatures theme (which included merfolk) from 2020, and a merfolk only theme from 2022.
Early Literacy Tip: Learning how to deal with big feelings is one crucial way we can help our child’s development. The act of taking slow, deep breaths triggers a cascade of mind-body systems that can result in increased comfort, relaxation, vigor, and alertness, and reduced symptoms of confusion, anxiety, stress, sadness, and anger – and it works fast. Taking a breathing break regularly gives kids the practice for using this tool when they really need it.
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends* †
Warm Up Song: Wake Up, Feet*
This is a repeated song that everyone seems to enjoy. I always begin and end with feet and tummies, but find two other body parts to wiggle in the middle. I rotate between elbows, cheeks, hips, noses, arms, chins, thighs, heads, shoulders, ears, knees, and fingers.
Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Intro: Today we’re celebrating magical, imaginary beings that live in the ocean – merfolk! Maybe you’ve heard of mermaids, mermen, merkids? Merfolk are legendary creatures that are half human and half fish. It’s fun to imagine what they might be like!
I wonder what it would be like to live in the ocean like the merfolk?
My hand motions for this one were a little random. In fact, a lot of our hand motions for this theme were similar, though that didn’t seem to bother anyone. I waved my hand vaguely behind me for the tail, jumped my hand up and down like a dolphin, and opened hands wide for big whales. The ocean was a smaller up and down like waves and the last line was a swishing motion with hands together.
Action Song: I’m a Little Merkid
(tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little merkid, see my tail
My friends are the dolphins and also the whales
I live in the ocean big & blue
I love to swim with the little fish, too!
Source: adapted from Bayviews.org
Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*
A merchild looks up to Merdaddy and they have fun together under the sea, until… it’s time to get out of the bath! I loved that Merdaddy has a bigger body type and that we saw a lot of sea life that we could imitate as we read.
Read: Merdaddy by Wednesday Kirwan
My backups. Can I Give You a Squish is a great one about consent, too!
Backup titles: Mermaids Fast Asleep by Robin Riding & Zoe Persico OR Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson.
Can we pretend to be mermaids and mermen?
For the last verse, we got very quiet and pretended to sleep. When the song was over, I said, “Wake Up! It’s time for another song!”
Action Song: Did You Ever See a Mermaid?
(tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie)
Did you ever see a mermaid, a mermaid, a mermaid
Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way
Swim that way and this way
Did you ever see a mermaid swim this way and that?
additional verses:
…a merman flip this way and that?
…merbabies sleep this way and that?
Source: adapted from Barberton Public Library
Most merfolk live in the ocean. Let’s do the Ocean Song! Grown-ups can lift you up, or you can do the wave motions with me.
Lifting Song: The Ocean Song
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand
There are lots of big ships but very little land
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor
And this is what we do when we go out to shore:
We ride the waves going up
We ride the waves going down
We ride the waves going up
We ride the waves going down
We ride the waves going up
We ride the waves going down
And we turn around!
Source: adapted from Jbrary
After the Ocean Song, I’m invariably ready for a breathing break.
Breathing Break: Ocean Breath
Whew, I need a breathing break after that one! Can we make the sound of the ocean with our breath? Take a big breath in, hold it for just a moment, then let the wave crash – TCHHHHHHH! Let’s breathe for five waves.
I feel so much calmer! Let’s sing a merchild lullaby together. Can you rock your merbaby?
I wrote this one a couple years ago when I used the Mermaids Fast Asleep book, but it’s still fun.
Lullaby: Rockabye, Merchild
(tune of Rockabye, Baby)
Rockabye, merchild In the deep sea
Let the tide soothe you And cuddle close to me
When the waves break High up above
Sleep sound and dream sweetly
For you’re safe and loved
Source: original by Storytime with Ms. Emily Library
Download a ukulele song sheet for this song!
To avoid using the “10 little” song melody, I do this one like Caspar Babypants. We talked about each merkid’s color as well as the number between each verse.
It’s time to get out our wrist ribbons! Come on up and pick out a color you like. [Practice “Bubble, splash” part] Oh, your ribbons look like seaweed!
Flannel/Ribbon/Counting Song: One Little Merkid
One little merkid swimming in the water
Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water
One little merkid swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, …SPLASH! (count up)
Source: adapted from Caspar Babypants’ All the Fish and Verona Storytime
Ribbon Song: The Waves in the Sea
(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The waves in the sea go up and down (big up and down motions)
Up and down, up and down
The waves in the sea go up and down, All day long!
additional verses:
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish… (dart prayer hands forward and side to side)
The crabs in the sea go snap, snap, snap… (pinch fingers)
Merkids in the sea go splash, splash, splash… (go wild!)
Source: adapted from the traditional
One last song with our ribbons – dance however you’d like! This is a silly one!
I’m always tickled to write new verses for this song, and then do my best to illustrate them using clipart in Canva!
Ukulele/Ribbon Song: Down By the Bay
Down by the bay, Where the merbabies 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?”
additional verses:
…mermaid swimming in lemonade…
…a merman knitting an afghan…
…a merkid riding a squid…
…have a time you couldn’t make a rhyme…
Source: traditional, original merfolk verses by Storytime with Ms. Emily Library
Download a ukulele songsheet for Down By the Bay!
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*
Craft: Merfolk Dot Marker Sheets with Sequins
I like an easy craft every so often. I used these merkid sheets a few years ago, and adapted coloring sheets to be sure we had merboys as well as mermaids. The mermaid sheets are from The Artisan Life and the merboys are from Simple Everyday Mom. Did you know you can make any coloring sheet into a dot marker sheet? I used Canva, but you could certainly do the same thing in Publisher. Just add .75 inch dots to the sheet on blocks of color (avoiding faces and slender limbs like arms). Because merfolk need some sparkle, I had large sized sequins and gems available to add wherever they liked!
Play Time
I put out a laundry basket of baby toys – rattles and cars, sorters and stackers, toy phones and spinners. For the older toddlers and siblings, we have foam blocks, soft food toys, puzzles, plastic farm animals, and lacing cards and I rotate among a few of these options each session. We play for 5-10 minutes at the most, then I ring the bell and ask the kids to help me clean up. The clean up bit is good practice for them – I often say “it’s hard to say goodbye to toys, so that’s why we practice every storytime!” I think that helps the grown ups who may be embarrassed that their kid is crying or refusing to put a toy away. So much of what we do in storytime is practicing skills, and I don’t expect the kids to “do it right’ every time, or even most times.
Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*
Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Mermaid and Pirate – Tracey Baptiste & Leisl Adams
Julián Is a Mermaid – Jessica Love
Sounds Like Joy – Yesenia Moises
How to Spot a Mermaid – Jane Yolen & Sally Deng
Oona – Kelly DiPucchio & Raissa Figueroa
The Little Mermaid – Jerry Pinkney
Mermaid Day – Diana Murray & Luke Flowers
I Am a Meadow Mermaid – Kallie George & Elly MacKay
Goodnight, Mermaid – KJ Oceanak & Allie Ogg
You’re My Sparkly Mermaid – Joyce Wan
Grumpycorn – Sarah McIntyre (it’s about a unicorn writing a story about mermaids!)
This storytime was presented in-person on 8/20 and 8/21/25.
Storytime Handout:
*Lyrics to these songs can be found on the Repeated Songs & Rhymes page.
† Click the image of rhyme/song sheets to download a non-branded PDF
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 