wrist ribbons – Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

up down and around and goodnight veggies book covers

Stories & Stations: Garden

Posted on May 8, 2026May 15, 2026 by msemilylibrary

This week we celebrated spring with a gardening theme! We are doing a new format for our storytimes in a transition period of personnel change and calling it Stories & Stations (you can read the whole saga of the whys and hows at my last post.)

I had worked with a community member earlier in the year to do a one-off all-ages drop-in evening program about gardens, so I reused some of those activities in the planning for this, and added a few others. Gardens and gardening is a fun theme – you can talk about flowers, vegetables, bugs, dirt, weather, the earth, and the environment – so many possibilities!

See another version of this theme from 2021.

up down, and around book cover, showing kids by a large corn stalk

goodnight, veggies book cover, showing a cutaway side vew of a garden, with two beets on either side of a worm wearing a sneaker and hat.

Early Development Tip: Helping children hear the smaller sounds in words, the syllables, by clapping them out is one way to develop their phonological awareness. Children can hear the syllables more easily than each individual sound in words. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*
Even with a larger number of kids, I still go around and sing this with everyone’s name. The kids really do love it, and it helps me learn names and storytime participants to learn each others’ names.

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

Warm Up Song: Wiggle and Wiggle and STOP*
This week I went with garden themed actions so in addition to wiggling, we also did “dig” and “pick” – digging was a little frenetic, which is fun, but for “pick” I said that we’re picking some delicate berries, so we were very fastidious! Spinning the actions in different ways (do it slowly! Make your voice quieter! Pick as high up on the berry bush as you can!) is a great way to give this song some dynamics.

we wiggle and stop thumbnail, with a graphic of two pink worms. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*
Okay, this one *seems* to be better for younger kids, but all I have to do is encourage the older kids to jump as high as they can at the end and it is instantly perfect for a 5 year old, too. I always give the option for a lap bounce and lift as well.

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

Intro: Today we’re talking about gardens and gardening. It’s fun to grow plants and this is the time of year we see little plants start to grow. In a garden, you can grow flowers or vegetables or fruit. Do any of you have a garden at home?

A garden can attract a lot of wildlife! Let’s see who else is enjoying our veggies!
I made this flannel set awhile ago, it’s always nice to get more use out of them. For time, I only did the frog, crow, mouse, and worm.
Guessing Game: Something In My Garden
There’s something in my garden, Now, what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,That I can’t really see.
I hear its funny sound…. RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT
A … FROG is what I found! RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT

Repeat with other animals found in a garden.
Ribbit – Frog – bugs from a lettuce plant
Thump – Rabbit – nibbling a carrot
Squeak – Mouse – tasting a blackberry
Caw – Crow – pecking at some corn
Buzz – Bee – gathering pollen from a flower
Wiggle – Worm – chewing an old leaf
Flutter – Butterfly – sipping nectar from a hyacinth
Source: Storytime Katie

Laminated printed "flannel" showing a frog, lettuce plant that has bugs on it, rabbit, carrot, crow, corn, mouse, blackberry, worm, flat brown leaf, hyacinth flower, bee, and butterfly.

something in my garden thumbnail, with a graphic of a rabbit hiding behind some carrot greens and a frog behind some lettuce. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s play a game with some gardening words. We are listening for the syllables that make up the words – a syllable has the smaller sounds in words.
I planned to do garden, flower, worm, vegetable, but was running behind so we only did garden and vegetable!
Word Game: Super Duper
Super duper, 1 – 2 – 3
Can you say this word with me?
Say it! Clap it! Pat it! Tap it! Whisper it! Shout it!
Practice words and separate the syllables for great early learning!
Source: Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

super duper thumbnail, with a graphic of a red and yellow diamond shaped superhero insignia with the word wow in the middle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

This is an oldie but a goodie, and I make it interactive by telling the group to either stand up or raise their arms when I say UP, crouch or touch the floor when I say DOWN, and either spin their bodies or their arms when I say ALL AROUND.
Read: Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres & Nadine B Westcott

Another awesome title for my backup – I love the illustrations so much, especially that cool worm with his knee sock, sneaker, and hat.
Read: Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray & Zachariah OHora

Let’s get out our ribbons! I know a song about a little teapot, do you? I was thinking about gardening, and something we use in the garden also has a handle and a spout – a watering can! So let’s be watering cans to help our gardens grow.
We go straight to our props after the book! This week was our wrist ribbons. There’s no need to theme these prop activities, but if I can find some kind of thread, I can’t help myself. I kind of balled up the ribbons in my hand until the last line and let them be the “water” coming out. I am sure someone else could change the “steamed up” line to be more like a watering can, but I never got there.
UPDATE: Miss Liz from the Bethel Library in CT sent me her PERFECT words to replace the “steamed up” line. Thank you, Miss Liz! I’ve updated the rhyme sheet.
Ribbon Song: I’m a Little Water Can
I’m a little water can short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
~~When I get all steamed up then I shout:~~
When it’s time to water then I shout:
“Tip me over and pour me out!”
Source: adapted from the traditional, with help from Miss Liz from the Bethel Library (CT)

i'm a little water can thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow watering can tipped and watering a small sprout. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

I usually do this one as a shaker song, but it works just as well with scarves or ribbons.
Ribbon Song: Wave Your Ribbons High
(tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
You wave your ribbons high
You wave your ribbons low
You wave your ribbons fast, fast, fast
And then you wave them slow
Source: Harris County (TX) Public Library

wave your ribbons thumbnail, with a graphic of blue, yellow, and green ribbons. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

A garden needs pollinators like bees and butterflies!
This one was originally a beanbag rhyme. It works really well with ribbons or scarves, too! For the last line, we threw our ribbons up in the air and caught them.
Ribbon Rhyme: Butterfly, Butterfly
Butterfly, butterfly in the sky
Flap your wings and up you fly
Back and forth to and fro
Up, up, up and… Away you go!
Source: Evansville-Vanderburgh Co (IN) Public Library

butterfly butterfly thumbnail, with a graphic of a yellow and blue butterfly. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

King County shows the first two lines as a chorus repeated between every other two lines, but for time I just did it straight through. The tune I did was something akin to Going to Kentucky (which I think sounds like some traditional clapping/jump rope songs like Miss Lucy had a baby…)
Ribbon Song: I Have a Little Streamer
I have a little streamer, I wave it in the air
I wave it over here and I wave it over there
It can be a flag waving way up high
It can be a sailing ship slowly floating by
It can be a carousel going round and round
It can be a shooting star falling to the ground
It can be a branch swaying in the breeze
It can be a flying kite caught up in the trees
Source: King Co (WA) Library System

little streamer thumbnail, with a graphic of a pennant flag, a shooting star, and a kite. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

After collecting our props, we released to stations! I let everyone know that I’d put out toys and puzzles in the current room, so they could stay if they wanted, and opened the door to the other room for everyone else to go to stations. I’m noticing that some of the youngest kiddos are staying to just play with toys the whole time and not bothering with stations, which is totally fine.

Art Station: Garden Process Art
We cut the tops off brussels sprouts and celery into sticks to do some paint stamping, and also had brown paint and brushes and dried beans for kids to create their gardens however they liked. I was inspired by this post by Buggy and Buddy.

garden art station, with messy trays with brown construction paper, plates with paint, brussels sprouts and celery, and bowls with dried beans.

Gross Motor Stations: Weed Toss & Garden Yoga
This is just a beanbag toss game with a sign to help kids imagine their beanbags are weeds in the garden that need to be pulled and tossed into the bucket. I also had a poster with “Garden Yoga Poses” over by the rug, but I didn’t see anyone doing them and I forgot to get a picture. The free printable poster is from Childhood 101.

garden weed toss, showing beanbags and buckets with a sign on the wall explaining that the beanbags are weeds to pull and toss

Fine Motor Station 1: Seed Sorting
Someone put this container on the free table in our break room – it was originally for tea, and has six compartments in a box with a hinged lid. It was perfect for this! I printed some labels and added some dried seeds from our seed library and beans from the sensory bins. There were tongs for older kids to practice, but anyone could sort the seeds using their fingers, too.

seed sorting station, showing a box with 6 sections. a mix of seeds are in the two middle sections, and the four others are labeled: sweet corn, lima beans, pinto beans, and black beans.

Fine Motor Station 2: Match the Seed to the Plant
I did some extra stations since I had these activities leftover from the previous program. This was a set of cards that show a plant and a seed that could be matched. The cards are a free printable from Preschool Powol Packets. I did modify the cards: cards said something like “sunflowers” and “sunflower seeds” which felt too easy. I kept the label on the plant but removed it from the seeds.

Garden seed match card station, showing cards with either a plant or its seed for matching.

Fine Motor Station 3: Cut/Tear the Grass
I’ve used this activity before, and it’s a fun one. We put out safety scissors for the older kids, but younger ones can tear. It works on lots of developmental skills, including crossing the midline as well as pincer grip/scissor manipulation. Plus it’s fun to see what is hidden! I taped a few of the sheets to the edge of the table so they were vertical, but put the others down flat for varying ways to interact. Download a printable PDF of the artwork here!

cut the grass station, showing green construction paper sheets with 1 inch strips cut halfway down to make grass. Underneath are papers with various things that may be found in grass: flowers, apples, bugs, etc.

green construction paper sheets with 1 inch strips cut halfway down to make grass. Underneath are papers with various things that may be found in grass: flowers, apples, bugs, etc. Pictured is a leaf and a pillbug

Sensory Station: Garden Sensory Bins
I made these for that earlier program (mentioned in the intro, above) and I knew we had a garden theme planned, so I’d saved everything, making this a really easy station! The “dirt” was made of a mix of dried black beans and pinto beans (giving it a look of potting mix with perlite in it) and added various “garden” things like shovels, fake flowers and foliage, plastic bugs and critters like frogs and salamanders, little seed starter peat pots, pom poms. Like last week’s kinetic sand station, I put this one on a fitted sheet held down by two tables to make cleanup easier.

garden sensory bin, showing two bins on a fitted sheet with black beans and various gardening toys like shovels, plastic bugs, fake flowers, plant labels, and small seed starter containers

Toys and Puzzles
Our regular baby toys and puzzles, as well as soft food, babies in a basket, and lacing cards came out as another option for play. I didn’t capture a picture of this one.

After 20 minutes of free station time, I ring our bell to gather everyone again in the storytime room. Everyone helps put away the toys and puzzles before we end with our last two songs.

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Miguel’s Community Garden – JaNay Brown-Wood & Samara Hardy
Lola Plants a Garden – Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw
Here Are the Seeds – JaNay Brown-Wood & Olivia Amoah
How to Say Hello to a Worm – Kari Percival
No Nibbling! – Beth Ferry & AN Kang
Prunella – Beth Ferry & Claire Keane
Flower Garden – Eve Bunting & Kathryn Hewitt
My Garden – Kevin Henkes
Planting a Rainbow – Lois Ehlert
Jayden’s Impossible Garden – Mélina Mangal & Ken Daley
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt – Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden – Jenan A. Matari & Aya Ghanameh
The Hidden Rainbow – Christie Matheson
Uncle John’s City Garden – Bernette G. Ford & Frank Morrison
No, No, Gnome! – Ashlyn Anstee
See Marcus Grow – Marcus Bridgewater & Reggie Brown

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/15/26.

Storytime Handout:

handout with book suggestions, rhyme and song lyrics.

*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

paint with ploof and the hidden rainbow book covers

Storytime: Rainbows

Posted on April 3, 2026April 2, 2026 by msemilylibrary

Who doesn’t love rainbows? They’re so magical, and yet they are a great way to talk about science! For our storytimes the week of St. Patrick’s Day, we chose to do a rainbow theme. It’s related (find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!) but only tangentially, so it incudes everyone whether they celebrate the holiday or not. My coworker decided to focus on the colors of the rainbow, and although we did some color activities, I also talked about the weather aspect of rainbows. Springtime seems to be a prime time for the conditions to be right to make a rainbow. I think you could also borrow some of these activities for a Pride themed storytime in June. So there are lots of ways to use a rainbow theme!

paint with ploof book cover, showing a cloud painting a rainbow in the sky

the hidden rainbow book cover, with flowers arranged in the colors of the rainbow

Early Development Tip: Weather and seasons are things your children experience and can relate to. Try using their experiences to talk about the science behind weather, like rainbows. Sometimes we ourselves don’t know all the facts, but we can find out right along with our children by using books at the library. Simple scientific knowledge about everyday events gives children a strong foundation for later school learning. –from The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen & Saroj Ghoting

Welcome Song: Hello, Friends*

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

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

Lifting Rhyme: Toast in the Toaster*

Intro: It’s almost springtime, and we will be seeing a lot of different kinds of weather. It can be cloudy and cold one day and sunny and warm the next day! It may rain, and it could even snow! What’s the weather like today? Let’s do a song about different kinds of weather.

Let’s see if you can tell me the weather based on these symbols.
I chose just four of these to do – snow, wind, rain, and sun. You can download my printable flannel template here!
Ukulele/Flannel Song: What’s the Weather?
(tune of: Clementine)
What’s the weather, what’s the weather,
What’s the weather, everyone?
Is it windy, is it cloudy,
Is there rain, or is there sun?
Source: Jbrary

Download a ukulele songsheet for What’s the Weather here!

what's the weather ukulele songsheet thumbnail

What's the weather flannel, showing eight circles with a blue background and various weather symbols: sun, wind, clouds, sun behind clouds, snow, rain, cloud with lightning, and fog

what's the weather thumbnail, with a graphic of four blue circles with weather symbols on them: wind, clouds, rain, and sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

When there is sunshine right after rain, it makes a… rainbow! Wow, how beautiful! What colors do we see?
I made a very simple rainbow flannel with half-circles of the colors – I didn’t count on the fact that stacking that much felt makes for a very thick rainbow! It did stay up on the board, though, so it works. I also talked a bit about how scientists differentiate between the lighter blue and the darker blue called indigo, but in our song we’ll just say the color blue to cover both. I changed the words a bit as the original said “only seen on rainy days” which felt not quite precise enough for me. (I admit I can be an unnecessarily nitpicky person!)
Flannel Song: Rainbow Colors
(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
First comes red and orange, too
Shiny yellow, green and blue
Purple ends the arc up high
When rain and sun meet in the sky
First comes red and orange too
Yellow, green, blue, and purple, too!
Source: adapted from Metropolitan (OK) Library System

rainbow colors thumbnail, with a graphic of watercolor splotches running together in red, orange, yellow, green blue, indigo, and purple. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Transition: If You’re Ready for a Story*

Another interactive book with Ploof! In this sequel, Ploof is trying to make a rainbow. I love that it touches on uncomfortable feelings without making them “bad” and that it celebrates trying.
Read: Paint with Ploof by Ben Clanton & Andy Chou Musser

A sweet book with flowers the color of the rainbow.
Backup Read: The Hidden Rainbow by Christie Matheson

What do we need to make a rainbow again?
Fingerplay: Big Round Sun
Big round sun in the springtime sky
Waved to a cloud that was passing by
The little cloud laughed as it started to rain
Then out came the big round sun again
[And what else came out?] A rainbow!
Source: King County (WA) Library System

big round sun thumbnail, with a graphic of a smiling yellow and orange sun. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s do one more weather rhyme.
I added the rainbow verse to tie everything together!
Fingerplay: Rain Is Falling Down
Rain is falling down, SPLASH
Rain is falling down, SPLASH
Pitter patter, pitter patter
Rain is falling down, SPLASH

Sun is peeking out, PEEK
Sun is peeking out, PEEK
Peeking here, peeking there
Sun is peeking out, PEEK

Rainbow in the sky, WOW!
(arc hand across, then make “exclamatory wow” hands (open to interpretation))
Rainbow in the sky, WOW!
So many colors do I see
Rainbow in the sky, WOW!
Source: adapted from Jbrary

rain is falling down, rainbow edition thumbnail, with a graphic of a rainbow with a cloud in front of it and a sun behind it. the graphic is behind the text on the last verse. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to get our scarves out! And what’s this? My ribbons! You can choose one scarf and one ribbon. I would suggest choosing two different colors! Can we make a rainbow with all these colorful scarves and ribbons?
I don’t use our ribbons often, so this was a great opportunity to hand them out – I figure why not add more color!? They really enjoyed throwing their scarves up in the air on this one.
Scarf Rhyme: Make a Rainbow
Let’s wave our scarves high!
Let’s wave our scarves low!
Let’s wave our scarves fast!
Let’s wave our scarves slow!
Now let’s crumple up our scarves
One, two, three… RAINBOW!
Source: Librionyian

make a rainbow thumbnail, with a graphic of rainbow colored lines radiating in an arc. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Wave your scarves over your head!
I think I originally saw this as a parachute song (though I didn’t note that source), with a parachute that only has red, yellow, green, and blue. To make it a rainbow, I changed the lyrics to also include orange and purple. I don’t love doing the same tune more than once in a storytime, but this one and Rainbow Colors were far enough apart that it didn’t seem too odd.
Scarf Song: These Are the Colors
(tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)
Red and yellow, Green and blue
Orange and purple over you
Red as an apple, Green as a tree
Yellow as the sun, And blue as the sea
Red and yellow, Green and blue
Orange and purple over you
Source: adapted from Storybook Stephanie

these are the colors thumbnail, with a graphic of a green tree with red apples on it, and a yellow sun rising over a blue sea. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Look, it’s raining again!
Another opportunity to let our scarves drop. Is a scarf drop the storytime equivalent of a mic drop? I think so! We did rain and sun, naturally.
Scarf Rhyme: Rain on the Green Grass
Rain on the green grass, (shake low)
Rain on the trees (shake high)
Rain on the roof (hold above head)
But not on me! (drop)
Source: Jbrary

rain on the green grass thumbnail, with a graphic of rain falling on and around a yellow umbrella. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Let’s dance our rainbow scarves. Can you listen for your colors?
Okay, so most of my kiddos are too little to both know what colors they have and wait to do a motion during their color. But it’s fun anyway. Note that the rhyme sheet is two pages long, though the preview below shows just the first page. Click the thumbnail to download the full PDF.
Scarf Rhyme: Rainbow Dancers
Rainbow dancers: Let’s get ready
Hold your scarves nice and steady
Hear the colors of the rainbow Listen for your time to go
Shake red… Shake orange… Shake yellow… Shake green… Shake blue… Shake purple!
Red scarves: turn around
Orange scarves: up and down
Yellow scarves: reach up high
Green scarves: fly, fly, fly
Blue scarves: tickle your nose
Purple: touch your toes
Everybody dance around,
Swirl your scarves Up and down
Now: Shake purple… Shake blue… Shake green… Shake yellow… Shake orange… Shake red!
Rainbow dancers dance around
Scarves swirl up and Scarves swirl down
Our colorful dance is at an end
Thank you, thank you, All my friends!
Source: Jbrary

rainbow dancers thumbnail, with a graphic of a large wavy rainbow behind the text. Rhyme sheet is 2 pages but thumbnail only shows one. click the image to download a non-branded PDF with both pages

Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!*

Craft: Paint a Rainbow
My colleague had planned this craft, inspired by ABCDeeLearning, and she used color-coordinated pompoms held by wooden clothespins dipped in paint to make the rainbow. I decided to go an easier route and just got out our dot markers. At one time we had four of each rainbow color (which is one for each table I set up for crafts), but over time we’ve either lost a couple markers or they’ve gone dry. I replaced those with the pompoms and paint, but only needed to replace three missing markers, so it was not a lot of mess and trouble for me. Add some cotton balls and liquid glue and it’s an easy peasy craft!

rainbow dot craft on white coverstock with dotted colored arcs and cotton balls making clouds on each end of the rainbow.

And here’s my setup on each table.

craft set up, showing a rainbow coloring sheet with cotton balls, rainbow dot markers, and liquid glue

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

Goodbye Song: See You Later Alligator*

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Rainbow Bear – Bill Martin, Michael Sampson, Nathalie Beauvois
Planting A Rainbow – Lois Ehlert
A Rainbow of Rocks – Kate DePalma
Black Is a Rainbow Color – Angela Joy & Ekua Holmes
The Rainbow Snail – Karin Åkesson
Colors All Around – Wiley Blevins & Elliot Kreloff
Elmer and the Rainbow – David McKee
How Do You Eat Color? – Mabi David & Yas Doctor
Bear Sees Colors – Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Rainbow Hat – Hong Hai
Rainbow – Marion Dane Bauer & John Wallace
Raindrops to Rainbow – John Micklos Jr. & Charlene Chua
Wow, Said the Owl – Tim Hopgood

This storytime was presented in-person on 3/18/26.

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

book covers for merdaddy, mermaids fast asleep, and can I give you a squish

Storytime: Merfolk

Posted on August 22, 2025August 22, 2025 by msemilylibrary

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.

Merdaddy book cover, showing a bearded merman holding a small merchild with fish in the background

Mermaids fast asleep book cover, showing a mermaid hugging a merchild with fish all around

Can I give you a squish book cover, with an enthusiastic merboy with arms raised looking at friends dolphin, crab, octopus, and fish.

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* †

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

I'm a little merkid thumbnail, with a graphic of a merkid wearing a t-shirt with fish, a dolphin, and a whale's head visible. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

did you ever see a mermaid thumbnail, with a graphic of a merfolk tail (only). click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

the ocean song thumbnail, with a graphic of a clipper ship sailing on waves, with a merfolk's tail visible. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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!

rockabye merchild ukulele songsheet thumbnail

rockabye merchild thumbnail, with a graphic of a small merchild with med brown skin and dark curly hair sleeping on a nautilus shell as a pillow. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

flannel showing five merkids with different colored hair and tails: yellow mermaid (in funbuns), red merboy with straight hair, green mergirl with a braid, blue mergirl with a bob, and purple merboy with curly hair.

One little merkid thumbnail, with a graphic of a dark skinned mermaid jumping out of the water. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

the waves in the sea thumbnail, with a graphic of a fish, crab, and mischievous merboy. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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!

Thumbnail of "Down By the Bay" ukulele song sheet

down by the bay merfolk edition thumbnail, with a graphic illustrating each verse. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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!

craft showing merboy and mergirl coloring sheets colored with dot markers and with large sequins glued to a couple of tail dots.

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: Dance with Me

Posted on April 27, 2024May 10, 2024 by msemilylibrary

Dancing is such a broad topic, you could really do a series on dance! This theme really seemed to work especially well for each of my sessions. I think having a lot of gross motor opportunities plus music appealed to them. Plus, we got out our wrist ribbons for the first time. Everyone loved waving theirs around.

Early Literacy Tip: By integrating movement and literacy, children use more of their senses to retain information. Movement stimulates the brain and memory.

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

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

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

Intro: I love to dance! How about you? It’s so fun to listen to music and move your body. Before we do some moving and grooving, let’s loosen up with some stretching.

Stretch: We stretched down and touched our toes, stretched high up, out to the sides, made a big star shape with our arms and legs out, then lastly crossed the midline by touching opposite hands to opposite feet. (Next level stretching!) I added another quick development tip here about how crossing the midline develops some key brain functions!

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big* I just mentioned in the last blog post that I rarely do this rhyme anymore, but I actually made it a part of this week’s plan. It was a good next step after stretching.

This is Big Big Big thumbnail, with a graphic of an anthropomorphic ruler. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

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

Read: Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall (TT) (TB) (FT)
This was extremely interactive and fun. The kids followed along as I did the motions and sound effects. We talked about how fox was feeling and how it’s always nice to clap at the end of a performance.

Read: Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown
I do love this title and its companion book, Farmyard Beat, but Everybunny Dance was so good I used it for all three sessions.

Can we count some ballet dancers on our fingers?
I didn’t end up using this one, purposely for the first session, and then realizing that adding it to the agenda for the other sessions would make everything run too long. The graphics for this flannel I got many many years ago, and am not sure of the source.
Counting Rhyme: Five Ballet Dancers
Five ballet dancers, prancing on their toes
They twirl and spin and jump
then off the stage one goes (count down)
No ballet dancers are left – what do we do now? We applaud!
Source: Jen in the Library

printed and laminated flannelboard showing five animals dancing. A pig in a dress, a mouse in shorts, a lavender cat doing splits, a bunny executing a jeté leap, and a frog in shorts waving his arms.

five ballet dancers thumbnail, with a graphic of the animals from the flannelboard. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Our fingers can do their own dancing!
Fingerplay: Dance Your Fingers (TT) (TB) (FT)
Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down
Dance your fingers side to side,
Dance them all around
Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on you head
Dance them on your tummy,
and put them all to bed (tuck under arms)
Source: Storytime Katie

dance your fingers thumbnail, with a graphic of hands with diverse skin tones walking and waving. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Now we need to warm up our feet.
Action Rhyme: Walking, Walking (TT) (TB) (FT)
(tune of Frère Jacques) (each line 2x)
Walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop
Running, running, running
Now we stop! (ASL sign for stop)

Tiptoe, tiptoe
Hop, hop, hop
Dancing, dancing, dancing
Now we stop!
Source: adapted from Jbrary

walking, walking thumbnail, with a graphic of four animals dancing, rabbit, cat, dog, and bear. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Pass out wrist ribbons. I believe we got these from Lakeshore Learning – they are nice and silky and just the right length for kiddos.

rainbow colored wrist ribbons drying on a table. The wristbands sit on the table while the ribbons drape over.

Here are my ribbons drying after the program. PS – I wash my scarves, ribbons, and any other fabric with Soak. I’ll put them in the sink, fill with cold water, add a small squeeze of Soak Unscented, and let them sit for about 15 minutes. No need to rinse, I just squeeze out the water and let them air dry. It’s wonderful, baby safe and really works. I don’t think these ribbons had ever been washed before, and the first sinkful of cloudy water showed it. By the third day, the water was clear and the ribbons were looking brighter.

Who is this? A sheep! A sheep who likes to dance…
Puppet Song: Dancing Sheep (TT) (TB) (FT)
Shh! It’s time to go to sleep
But into my bedroom one sheep creeps
“Don’t go to bed,” the one sheep said
“I would rather dance instead!”

Soon he was…

Dancing on the ceiling!
Dancing on the floor!
Dancing on the window!
Dancing on the door!

He kept on… (repeat the chorus, speeding up)

“Stop that dancing, silly sheep
It is time to go to sleep!”
Soon the sheep lay on the floor
Soon the sheep began to snore
Then I started… (repeat chorus until tired)
Source: Jen in the Library, video at Deschutes Public Library

dancing sheep thumbnail, with a graphic of a dancing sheep on the top, bottom, and both sides of the sheet. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Well, that was silly! I think the thing for us to do now is… a silly dance contest!
I rely pretty heavily on my flip chart of song lyrics to remind me what to do next, so even though there are too many words to print for this song, I still made a sheet for it.
Recorded Song: Silly Dance Contest (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Jim Gill, from the album Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

silly dance contest thumbnail, with a graphic of various animals dancing: bear, frog, alligator, elephant, snake, cat, rabbit, dog, sheep, fox, and turtle. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

Breathing Break: 5 Finger Breathing (TT) (TB) (FT)
Whew! I need a breathing break. Will you breathe with me? We’ll take a big breath in while we trace up our finger, and let it out as we trace down.

How about a nice slow song? A waltz! A waltz is a dance of threes. It goes, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (demo a box step). A waltz is also a partner dance! If you have someone you’d like to dance with, now’s the time!
Many of our grownups picked up their little ones to dance, which was exactly what I hoped would happen!
Ukulele Song: Baby Bear Waltz (TT) (TB) (FT)
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing with bears
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Dance ‘round the chairs
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 That’s what we’ll do
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing with you
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltz round the room
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Dance ‘round the moon
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Glide past the stars
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 Waltzing to Mars
Source: Kathy Reid Naiman, from the album Say Hello to the Morning

Download a ukulele songsheet for Baby Bear Waltz!

baby bear waltz thumbnail, with a graphic of bears prancing with magic wands and stars. click the image to download a non-branded PDF

It’s time to shake the sillies out!
Recorded Song: Shake My Sillies Out (TT) (TB) (FT)
Source: Raffi, from the album In Concert with the Rise and Shine Band

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

I let them keep their wrist ribbons for this one, and collected them after.
Action Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!* (TT) (TB) (FT)

Craft: Ribbon Sticks (TB) (FT)
Now they get to make their own ribbons for dancing! I cut lengths of crepe paper streamers to about 2.5 feet, then cut them down the length to get them a bit thinner and get more material out of what I had. (You can stack 6-8 streamers and cut them together easily.) I used jumbo craft sticks and had grownups staple the streamers to the sticks. (Did you know staplers go through craft sticks?!) They were very excited to make their own ribbons and everyone wanted to show them to me as soon as they were done! (My example one was a little sad – I took the reject streamers that were too short or a little crumpled.)

a ribbon stick with four multi colored streamers attached to a craft stick.

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

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

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

Other books I had available for families to browse (and may work for you on this theme)
Firebird – Misty Copeland & Christopher Myers
Hilda Must Be Dancing – Karma Wilson & Suzanne Watts
John’s Turn – Mac Barnett & Kate Berube
I Got the Rhythm – Connie Schofield-Morrison & Frank Morrison
Boys Dance – John Robert Allman & Luciano Lozano
Amy Wu & the Ribbon Dance – Kat Zhang & Charlene Chua
Duck Sock Hop – Jane Kohuth & Jane Porter
How Do You Dance? – Thyra Heder
Téo’s Tutu – Maryann Jacob Macias & Alea Marley
Bea at Ballet – Rachel Isadora

This storytime was presented in-person on 4/15, 4/16, & 4/17/24.

Storytime Handout:

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

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