Wheels All Day - Family Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-6 years old.  

Opening #1: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling body part chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast!
Roly poly, roly poly, oh so slowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, hands on your head.
Roly poly, roly poly, hand on your feet.

(Repeat with other body parts)

Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Colored Cars in the Basket
(I happened to get ahold of a bunch of wood cars of a variety of colors.  I handed out the cars, then asked the children to bring them up to the basket as I called out their color.  Afterwards, we counted how many cars we had.) 

  

  

Book #1: What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince, illustrated by Giles Laroche  

Stand-up activity: “Wheels On the Bus” traditional action song from Toddler Tunes by Cedarmont Kids   

Sit-down activity: “Little Red Wagon” action song from Wiggleworms Love You

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

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

  

Book #2: Freight Train by Donald Crews

Book #3: Giant Pop-Out Vehicles: A Pop-OutSurprise Book by Meagan Bennett (lift-flap, pop-up)

***Parent literacy tip:  Talk about putting toys in ordinal number order (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc.) to expand your child’s vocabulary and knowledge about numbers.  This can be done in any language!            

Closing music with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner

  

 

Art activity: Color, cut, and glue traffic lights       

Optional other books:
The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom
Supertruck by Stephen Savage  

 

 

 

  

Here Come the Animals - Baby Toddler Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years old.  

Opening #1: Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum; 
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

 

 

Book: Here Come Poppy and Max by Lindsey Gardiner

***Literacy tip: When you read a book to your child, running your finger under the text teaches them that you are reading words on the page. 

Stand-up activity: I’m a Duck/Goose (sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques," adapted by Carol Hopkins from a song found at Step By Step Child Care)

I'm a duck, I'm a duck
(sign language for duck)
Watch me waddle, as I walk
(waddle walk)
Hear me when I talk, hear me when I talk
Quack, quack quack! Quack, quack, quack!

I'm a goose, I'm a goose
(sign language for goose)
Watch me sway, as I walk
(waddle walk)
Hear me when I talk, hear me when I talk
Honk, honk, honk! Honk, honk, honk!

 

Sit-down activity: On My Toes There Is a Flea (action rhyme I found at https://pasadena-library.net/kids/2018/zoo-infant-storytime/ but have seen elsewhere)   

On my toe there is a flea
Now it’s climbing on my knee
Past my tummy, past my nose
On my head where my hair grows
On my head there is a flea
Now it’s climbing down on me
Past my tummy, past my knee
On my toe… Get off, you flea!

 

Lap rhyme #1: Tick Tock (lap bounce)

(bounce baby from leg to leg)

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick, tock, tick tock, now it is one o’clock… Cuckoo!
(raise baby up for each cuckoo)

(repeat for other times of day)
Now it is two o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Now it is three o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

 

Lap rhyme #2: Counting Bubbles (counting rhyme I learned during a BrainDance workshop)

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, top.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then place hands on top of head)

Three bubbles, four bubbles, five bubbles, drop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then drop hands to lap)

Six bubbles, seven bubbles, nine bubbles, pop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then clap hands loudly in front of body)

Ten little bubbles floating down!
(twinkle hands down to floor)

Now let’s blow _____ bubbles.
(This is a breath exercise.  Pick a number and pretend to blow that number of bubbles through hand.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles with a loud clap after blowing it up.  I count the bubble while I do the clap.) 

 

Lap rhyme #3: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional body parts action song)

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes and, ears and, mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

   

Transition: Come A’ Look And See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the music CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

 

Letter of the day: "P” is for Poppy

 

 

Flannelboard: A Squirrel Lives In a Tree (to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" that I found at the Program Palooza blog by Carol Simon Levin)

A squirrel lives in a tree.  A squirrel lives in a tree
He’s as cozy as he can be -- A squirrel lives in a tree.

(more verses)
A snail lives in a shell…Oh, yes it suits him very well.
A bear lives in a cave…He comes out to give a wave.
A fish lives in the sea…We will all just let him be.
A bird lives in a nest…That’s where she goes to take a rest.

      

Closing song with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner 

 

 

 

 

Wheels - Baby Toddler Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years old.  

Opening #1: Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum; 
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

 

 

Book: Maisy Drives the Bus by Lucy Cousins

***Literacy tip: Talk about putting toys in ordinal number order (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc.) to expand your child’s vocabulary and knowledge about numbers.  This can be done in any language! 

Stand-up activity: Nice Friendly Bus Driver (not sure where I picked up this song sung to the tune of "The Noble Duke of York")

The nice, friendly bus driver,
He had a green bus
He drove it up a hill
And then he drove it down.
So, when you're up you're up!
And, when you're down you're down!
But when you're only halfway up,
You're neither up nor down.

(Repeat going faster)

 

Sit-down activity: “Wheels on the Bus” movement song from Toddlers On Parade by Kimbo

Lap rhyme #1: Tick Tock (lap bounce)

(bounce baby from leg to leg)

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick, tock, tick tock, now it is one o’clock… Cuckoo!
(raise baby up for each cuckoo)

(repeat for other times of day)
Now it is two o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Now it is three o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

 

Lap rhyme #2: Counting Bubbles (counting rhyme I learned during a BrainDance workshop)

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, top.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then place hands on top of head)

Three bubbles, four bubbles, five bubbles, drop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then drop hands to lap)

Six bubbles, seven bubbles, nine bubbles, pop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then clap hands loudly in front of body)

Ten little bubbles floating down!
(twinkle hands down to floor)

Now let’s blow _____ bubbles.
(This is a breath exercise.  Pick a number and pretend to blow that number of bubbles through hand.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles with a loud clap after blowing it up.  I count the bubble while I do the clap.) 

 

Lap rhyme #3: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional body parts action song)

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes and, ears and, mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

   

Transition: Come A’ Look And See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the music CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

 

Letter of the day: "W” is for wheels

 

 

Flannelboard: Wheels On a Hippopotamus (rhyme I was introduced to by a librarian at the King County Library System)

You see
Wheels on a car
And on a train.
Wheels on a truck,
And a jumbo plane. 
You see
Wheels on a van,
A bike,
A bus,
But you don’t see wheels on a hippopotamus - -
Unless she’s roller-skating!

      

Closing song with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner 

 

 

 

 

Wild Animals - Family Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-6 years old.  

Opening #1: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling body part chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast!
Roly poly, roly poly, oh so slowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, hands on your head.
Roly poly, roly poly, hand on your feet.

(Repeat with other body parts)

Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Lots of Little Owls (color literacy flannelboard adapted by Carol Hopkins from a rhyme found at https://www.northmankato.com/sites/default/files/images/Owl%20Miss%20You%20Storytime.pdf) 

(Hand out colored owls to the children.  Instruct the children to place their owl on the flannelboard when their color is said in the rhyme.  Start off with one solitary owl on the board.)

One little owl when the moon was new,
Along came some more, and they were blue.

Lots of little owls perched high in the tree,
Along came some more, and they were green.

Lots of little owls flew down for a drink,
Along came some more, and they were pink.

Lots of little owl flew around the town,
Along came some more, and they were brown.

(Count the owls on the board)
_____ little owls saying, “Whoo! Whoo!” 
Then they all flapped their wings and they flew away.

 

Book #1: Roar: A Book of Animals Sounds by Katerina Kerouli (lift-flap)   

Stand-up activity: “If I Was a Bird” action song from Wiggleworms Love You  

Sit-down activity: Slithering Sliding Snake  (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

Here comes a slithering, sliding, slinking snake
Her mouth goes "Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"
Here eyes go blink, blink, blink
Her tongue goes "Thrp, thrp, thrp."
First she slinks to the right
Then she slides to the left
And finally she slithers out of sight

 

***Parent literacy tip:  When you read a book to your child, running your finger under the text teaches them that you are reading words on the page.          

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

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

  

Book #2: If You’re Happy And You Know It by Jane Cabrera  

Closing music with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner

Art activity: I drew a feather shape on watercolor paper.  The children then painted with watercolor paints and glued feathers to the paper.      

Optional other books:
Run! By Guilherme Karsten
Fangs by Katrine Crow (board book)
 

 

 

 

 

Cleaning Up - Baby Toddler Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-2 years old.  

Opening #1: Skinnamarink (action song from Car Songs: Songs to Sing Anywhere by Dennis Buck from Kimbo)

Opening #2: Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum (fingerplay)

Sticky, sticky bubblegum, bubblegum, bubblegum; 
Sticky, sticky bubblegum;
Stuck to your __________.
1, 2, 3, PULL!

(Repeat with more body parts)

 

 

Book: Maisy Cleans Up by Lucy Cousins

Stand-up activity: This Is the Way We Wash (action song to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" that I adapted)

This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
When we get all dirty.

This is the way we scrub our face...
This is the way we rub our ears...
This is the way we rinse our hair...
This is the way we sponge our tummies... 

 

Sit-down activity: The Walrus Washes His Winter Coat (adapted from one I found at Jbrary)

Oh, the walrus washes his winter coat
Down by the wavy ocean; 
He adds some water, and he adds some soap,
And he waits, and he waits, and he waits.

Then the laundry in the washing machine shakes, shakes, shakes,
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes,
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes until it's nice and clean.

Then the laundry in the washing machine spins, spins, spins,
The laundry spins and spins and spins,
The laundry spins, spins, spins, until it's nice and clean.

 

Lap rhyme #1: Tick Tock (lap bounce)

(bounce baby from leg to leg)

Tick tock, tick tock, I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick, tock, tick tock, now it is one o’clock… Cuckoo!
(raise baby up for each cuckoo)

(repeat for other times of day)
Now it is two o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Now it is three o’clock… Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

 

Lap rhyme #2: Counting Bubbles (counting rhyme I learned during a BrainDance workshop)

One bubble, two bubbles, three bubbles, top.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then place hands on top of head)

Three bubbles, four bubbles, five bubbles, drop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then drop hands to lap)

Six bubbles, seven bubbles, nine bubbles, pop.
(pat legs with hands for each number chanted, then clap hands loudly in front of body)

Ten little bubbles floating down!
(twinkle hands down to floor)

Now let’s blow _____ bubbles.
(This is a breath exercise.  Pick a number and pretend to blow that number of bubbles through hand.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles with a loud clap after blowing it up.  I count the bubble while I do the clap.) 

 

Lap rhyme #3: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (traditional body parts action song)

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes and, ears and, mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

 

***Literacy tip: Songs and rhymes at storytime help build young children’s vocabulary, that is why we point to body parts or move to the words we say.   

Transition: Come A’ Look And See (fingerplay song I first picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb but can also be found on the music CD The Baby Record by Bob McGrath)

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

 

Letter of the day: "C” is for clean

 

 

Flannelboard: Five Clean and Dirty Pigs (counting down rhyme I found at the Storytime Katie blog at https://storytimekatie.com/2011/05/06/flannel-friday-5-clean-and-dirty-pigs/ ) 

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a big THUD
Then there were four squeaky clean pigs.

      

Closing song with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner

 

 

 

 

Favorite Storytime Books - Family Storytime

A Tuesday morning storytime for ages 0-6 years old.  

Opening #1: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music

Opening #2: Roly Poly Oh So Fast (hand rolling body part chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Roly poly, roly poly, oh so fast!
Roly poly, roly poly, oh so slowly.
Roly poly, roly poly, up.
Roly poly, roly poly, down.
Roly poly, roly poly, hands on your head.
Roly poly, roly poly, hand on your feet.

(Repeat with other body parts)

Roly poly, roly poly, hands in your lap.

 

 

Literacy activity flannelboard: Pop, Pop Bubble Numbers (number literacy flannelboard chant written by Carol Hopkins)

I like to pop.
I like to pop.
I like to pop, pop bubbles!
Soapy bubbles, soapy bubbles,
With a {_one_} on them. 

(Repeat with other numbers. Finish by counting how many bubbles were placed on the board)

 

  

Book #1: My Car by Byron Barton  

Stand-up activity: “The Wheels On the Bus” traditional action song from Toddler Tunes by Cedarmont Kids

Sit-down activity: Some Cars (action chant adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Some cars are big
Some cars are small
Some cars can honk their horns with a BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The wheels on the cars go fast
The wheels on the cars go slow
The wheels on the cars go really, really fast
And then come to a stop!

 

***Parent literacy tip:  Songs and rhymes at storytime help young children build vocabulary, that is why we point to body parts or move to the words we say.        

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

Come a' look a' see, here's my mama, 
(point to thumb)
Come a' look a' see, here's my papa, 
(point to index finger)
Come a' look a' see, my brother tall, 
(point to tall finger)
Sister, baby, 
(point to ring, then baby finger) 
I love them all. 
(Kiss the fingertips of your finger family) 

  

Book #2: Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

Book #3: Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield, illustrated by Ant Parker (pop-up) 

Closing music with egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner

  

Art activity: Create jingle sticks!  String three bells onto a length of pipe-cleaner.  (I use the one-inch bells during storytime so that they are not choking hazards.)  Wrap the pipe-cleaner around a large craft stick.  Color the craft stick with pens.   

Optional other books:
Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson