Mothers Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

• Book #1 – Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

• Stand-up Activity – "If You're Happy and You Know It" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

• Bridge - Open, Shut Them (fingerplay)

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

• Flannelboard - Five Little Ducks (traditional song)

• Book #2 – My Mom Is Fantastic! by Nick Butterworth

• Activity – "Come A' Look A' See" (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

• Closing - Scarves to the song "Popcorn Calling Me" from Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner

 

• Art Experience – Create a Mother's Day card that says, "The earth laughs in flowers." a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The card was decorated with muffin cup flowers glued to the card.  For a personal touch, the children were to use an ink stamp pad to stamp their fingerprints into the center of each muffin cup (or really, anywhere on the card).  I used card stock for the card which I pre-printed the quote on by running it through the library's copy machine.  

• How It Went - The art activity did not go as I intended.  I meant to make the Mother's Day card a type of special momento of the children by including their tiny little fingerprints.  But most of the parents would not let their children touch the stamp pads.  Very unfortunate.  I did have baby wipes on hand so I am not sure why the parents were hesitant to do this messy art project.