Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Christmas Storytime for Head Start 12/18/19

Book read:
The House that Santa built by Dianne De La Casas

Let's All Do a Little Clapping 
(Tune:"We Wish You a Merry Christmas", modified from Storytime Katie)
Let's all do a little clapping,
Let's all do a little clapping,
Let's all do a little clapping,
and spread Christmas cheer!

I'm a little green tree (from Step by Step Childcare)
I'm a little green tree in the house
Here is my trunk (arm straight up)
Here are my boughs (arms to the side)
Decorate me now with lights so fine (move arms across body)
Then plug me in and watch me shine! 

Where is Santa? (from Step by Step Childcare)

Where is Santa? Where is Santa? (put hands behind back)
Here I am! Here I am! (make a big belly with your arms)
Merry, merry Christmas!
Merry, merry Christmas!
Ho ho ho! Ho ho ho! (put hands behind back)

The Reindeer Pokey
You put your antlers in, (bow head forward)
You put your antlers out, (lean head back)
You put your antlers in,
And you shake them all about (shake head)
You do the Reindeer Pokey and you turn yourself around,
That's what it's all about!
Other verses include hooves (feet), tail, red nose, and reindeer self.


Jingle bells

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Baby Storytime 12/12/19

Book read: 
Silly Little Goose by Nancy Tafuri

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do!
Repeat with different actions: clap hands, nod heads, sway side to side, say hello, etc.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock baby)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (lift baby once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (lift baby twice)

Jingle Bells (with bells)

1, 2 Shake It On Your Shoe (from Jbrary)

1, 2, shake it on your shoe.
3.4 shake it on the floor.
5. 6 shake it really quick.
7, 8 hold it up straight.
9, 10 shake it with your friends!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

If you're happy and you know it (with parachute)

Literacy tip of the week: Sensory experiences are important to your baby's learning. Try to allow them to interact with the world around them as much as possible.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Letter H Storytime 12/10/19 and 12/11/19

Book read:
Whose hat is that? by Anita Bijsterbosch

Other book suggestions:
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Silly Hat Song (with scarves, from SurLaLune Storytime)
(Tune: This Old Man)
On my head, I wear my hat.
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro
Where else can my silly hat go?
(Repeat using foot, elbow and knee)

Let's All Do a Little Clapping 
(Tune:"We Wish You a Merry Christmas", modified from Storytime Katie)
Let's all do a little clapping,
Let's all do a little clapping,
Let's all do a little clapping,
and spread holiday cheer!
Other actions can include stomping, jumping, twirling, etc. 

Jingle Bells (H is for "Hey!")


Craft: We used bingo daubers to decorate a printout of the Letter H.

Literacy tip of the week: Books make great holiday gifts!

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Baby Storytime 12/5/19

Book read:
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton (board book set)

The Jingle Song (from Pasadena Library)
We jingle up high,
We jingle down low,
We jingle fast,
We jingle slow,
We jingle to the ceiling,
We jingle to the ground,
We jingle and we jangle and we dance all around!

Mother and Father and Uncle John (from Mother Goose on the Loose Workshop)
Mother and Father and Uncle John (child on adult's knees)
Went to town one by one. (bounce)
Father fell off (lean to one side)
Mother fell off (lean to other side)
But Uncle John rode on and on! (bounce) 

Wheels on the bus

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

Parachute play: We bounced flannel "peas" on our parachute to make "pea soup".  

Literacy tip of the week: Correctly recalling animal sounds (like in Moo, Baa, La La La) will help build your baby's self confidence.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Train Storytime 12/3/19 and 12/4/19

Book read:
A train goes clickety-clack by Jonathan London

Other book suggestions:
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Emma Garcia
Freight Train by Donald Crews 

I'm a Train (from Perry Public Library)
I'm a choo-choo train (roll baby's arms)
Chugging down the track,
First I go forward (lean forward)
Then I go back (lean back)
Now my bell is ringing,
Hear my whistle blow (toot like a train whistle)
What a lot of noise I make, (cover ears)
Everywhere I go! (stretch out arms)

Chugg Chugg Chugg (tune of "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom", from Adventures of a Bookworm)
Chug, chug, chug,
We're riding on a train!
Chug, chug, chug,
In sunshine and in rain.
If you want to get somewhere,
Climb aboard and pay the fare!

The Wheels on the Train
The Wheels on the Train go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the train go round and round.
All through the town.
Additional verses:
The people on the train go bumpety-bump.

The bell on the train goes ding-ding-dong.
The whistle on the train goes whoo whoo whoo.

Parachute play: We practiced going up and down with the parachute. We also shook the parachute and chugged like a train. 

Craft: We used a train template and toilet paper rolls to make trains.

Literacy tip of the week:
If a book is not holding your child's attention feel free to take a reading break.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

I'm Hungry Storytime 11/26/19

Book read: 
Who's Hungry? by Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt

Other book suggestions: 
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

If you're hungry and you know it

I feel so crazy I jump in the soup by Laurie Berkner

Milkshake Song (with shakers, from Jbrary)

You take a little a little milk, pour some milk.
And you take a little cream, pour some cream.
You stir it all up,
You shake and you'll sing..a 1,2,3,4..

Milkshake, milkshake, shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake, shake it all up!
Milkshake, milkshake, shake it all up! 

Pea Soup (with parachute, modified from What Happens in Storytime)
One little pea jumped into the pot (bounce once)
And waited for it to get nice and hot.
Two little peas jumped into the pot (bounce twice)
And waited for it to get nice and hot.
Three little peas jumped into the pot (bounce three times)
And waited for it to get nice and hot.
Four little peas jumped into the pot (bounce four times)
And waited for it to get nice and hot.

Craft: We made a collage of food pictures.

Literacy tip of the week: Water is vital for neurotransmission. Keeping the brain hydrated boosts learning!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Baby Storytime 11/21/19

Book read:
Big fat hen by Keith Baker

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do!
Repeat with different actions: clap hands, nod heads, sway side to side, say hello, etc.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Mother and Father and Uncle John (from Mother Goose on the Loose Workshop)
Mother and Father and Uncle John (child on adult's knees)
Went to town one by one. (bounce)
Father fell off (lean to one side)
Mother fell off (lean to other side)
But Uncle John rode on and on! (bounce)

Swing me over the ocean (from Jbrary)
Swing me over the ocean,
Swing me over the sea,
Swing me over the garden,
And have me home for tea! 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

Wheels on the Bus 

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from Born to Read)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock baby)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (lift baby once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (lift baby twice)

Literacy tip of the week: Experiences that involve several senses (like bubbles) help strengthen brain connections.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ms. Kelly's Favorites 11/19/19 and 11/20/19

Book read: 
Plinka Plinka Shake Shake by Emma Garcia

Other book suggestions: 
Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson

Hello (modified from "Goodbye" by Yogibrarian)
Bread and butter, toast and jam,
Let's say hello as quiet as we can!
Hello! (in high squeaky voice)
Other verses: loud, fast, slow, high, low, etc. 

The Jingle Song (from Pasadena Library)
We jingle up high,
We jingle down low,
We jingle fast,
We jingle slow,
We jingle to the ceiling,
We jingle to the ground,
We jingle and we jangle and we dance all around!

Here we go up, up, up (from Reading with Red)

Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we go back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we go round and round! (turn around)

Do as I'm doing (from Jbrary)
Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me!
Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me!
Follow with a variety of actions


Wheels on the bus 

The Elevator Song (with parachute, from Jbrary)
Oh the city is great and the city is grand.
There's a whole lot of people on a little piece of land.
And we live way up on the 57th floor.
This is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
And we turn around.

Craft: We made fall trees with tree printouts and toilet paper rolls.

Literacy tip of the week: Share your childhood favorites with your little one. It will help demonstrate to them a love of reading!

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Halloween Storytime 10/31/19

Book read:
Mouse's First Halloween by Lauren Thompson

Other book suggestions:
Just say Boo! by Susan Hood
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley

If you're a ghost and you know it
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say "Boo"! (shout BOO!)
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say "Boo"!
If you're a ghost and you know and you really want to show it,
If you're a ghost and you know it, just say "Boo"!

If you're a bat and you know it, flap your wings! (flap your arms like wings)
If you're a bat and you know it, flap your wings!
If you're a bat and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a bat and you know it, flap your wings!

If you're a werewolf and you know it, give a howl! (howl)
If you're a werewolf and you know it, give a howl!
If you're a werewolf and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a werewolf and you know it give a howl!

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

Itsy Bitsy Spider (with parachute)

Bouncing tissue paper "ghosts" on the parachute

Craft: We decorated a "mummy" with tissue paper.

Literacy tip of the week: Holidays are a great time to introduce new vocabulary. For instance, "skeleton" and "spooky" are words we use most around Halloween.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Baby Storytime 10/17/19

Book read: 
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Hands are Clapping (from Reading with Red)

Hands are clapping,
Clap, clap, clap,
Hands are clapping,
Clap, clap, clap,
Hands are clapping,
Clap, clap, clap,
Clap your hands my darling!
Repeat with other actions

Where oh where are baby's fingers? (from Jbrary)
Where oh where are baby's fingers?
Where oh where are baby's toes?
Where oh where is baby's bellybutton?
Round and round it goes!

Wheels on the Bus

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

Hickory Dickory Dock (with parachute)

Literacy tip of the week: Diaper changing time is a great opportunity to fit in a song together.

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Monsters Storytime 10/15/19

Book read:
My monster mama loves me so by Laura Leuck

Other book suggestions: 
Go away Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
Bedtime for monsters by Ed Vere
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau 

Monsters Galore (modified from Storytime Katie)
Monsters galore, can you roar? (roar)
Monsters galore, can you soar? (fly)
Monsters galore, can you snore? (pretend to sleep)
Monsters galore, fall on the floor! (fall down)

Monster, Monster (to the tune of "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around")
Monster, monster, turn around, (turn in a circle)
Monster, monster touch the ground, (touch ground)
Monster, monster, show your shoe, (lift up foot)
Monster, monster, how old are you? (have child give their age)
Monster, monster, reach up high, (reach hands above head)
Monster, monster, blink your eyes, (blink eyes)
Monster, monster slap your knees (slap knees)
Monster, monster, sit down please! (sit down) 

Five Little Monsters Jumping on the Bed (with cut out monsters)

Craft: We colored a printout of monsters.

Literacy tip of the week: Playing pretend is important for kids to develop their storytelling skills. 

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Baby Storytime 10/10/19

Book read:
Faster, faster by Leslie Patricelli (board book set)

Giddyup, Giddyup (from King County Library System)
Giddyup, giddyup ride to town, (bounce baby on your lap)
Giddyup, giddyup, up and down.
Giddyup fast, (bounce quickly)
Giddyup slow, (bounce slowly)
Giddyup, giddyup, WHOA! (dip baby backwards)

These little hands of mine (to the tune of "This Little Light of Mine", from 2019 CSLP manual)
These little hands of mine,
I'm going to make them clap!
These little hands of mine,
I'm going to make them clap!
Make them clap, make them clap, make them clap!
Other verses: feet stomping, body bouncing


Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

Pop goes the weasel (with parachute)

Motorboat, motorboat (with parachute)

The Elevator Song (with parachute, from Jbrary)

Oh the city is great and the city is grand.
There's a whole lot of people on a little piece of land.
And we live way up on the 57th floor.
This is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
And we turn around. 

Literacy tip of the week: Babies tend to love reading books with pictures of other babies.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Orange Storytime 10/8/19 and 10/9/19

Book read: 
It's a Tiger! by David Larochelle

Other book suggestions: 
Autumn Orange by Christianne Jones
Pumpkin Heads by Wendell Minor

The great big lion (to the tune of Shortnin' Bread, modified from Verona Storytime)

The great big lion loves jumping, jumping,
The great big lion loves jumping high.
Other actions include: spinning round, running fast, roaring loud, etc

If I were a leaf

If I were a leaf,
I'd jump down from my tree, (jump)
I'd dance in the wind, (dance)
I'd fly in the breeze, (pretend to fly)
Falling softly to the ground I'd spin in the air (spin around)
Then I'd land on the ground. (fall down) 
I just don't know where. (shrug shoulders)

Ring around the pumpkin (from The Lion is a Bookworm)
Ring around the pumpkin,
Orange and round,
Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds,
We all fall down!

Literacy tip of the week: Play is an important part of literacy development. It builds a child's storytelling skills and imagination!

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Baby Storytime 10/3/19

Book read:
I love all of me! by Lorie Ann Grover

Wake up Feet (modified from Jbrary)
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
Wake up and wiggle in the morning!
(for additional verses use different body parts)

Come along and march with me (from Storytime Underground)
Come and march along with me,
Along with me.
Come and march along with me,
So early in the morning.
(Other actions can include spinning, hopping, bouncing, flying, etc)


Here we go up, up, up (from Reading With Red)
Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we go back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we go round and round! (turn around) 

Let's Go Riding in an Elevator (from Jbrary)
Let's go riding in an elevator (hold baby in front of you)
An elevator, elevator. (rock back and forth)
Let's go riding in an elevator!
First floor (lift baby, raise up on each floor)
Second floor,
Third floor,
Fourth floor,
Down, down, down! (bring baby down to ground) 

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Floating Bubble Song

Literacy tip of the week: Repeating songs and rhymes will help you baby remember them.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Letter O Storytime

Book read:
Night Owl by Toni Yuly

Other book suggestions:
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish by Dr. Seuss
I'm not cute by Jonathan Allen
I'm the biggest thing in the ocean by Kevin Sherry

The Owl Pokey (from Pasadena Library)
You put your right wing in,
You put your right wing out,
You put your right wing in and you shake it all about!
You do the owl pokey and you fly yourself around,
That's what it's all about!
(other verses: tail feathers, claws, etc)

Open them shut them (from Sunflower Storytime)
Open shut them, open shut them (open and shut both hands)
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap hands three times)
Open shut them, open shut them (open and shut both hands)
Put them in your lap (lay hands flat on your legs)
Creep them, creep them (creep them up legs, body, all the way up to chin)
Creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin
Open up your little mouth (open mouth and hold fingers outside of mouth)
But do not let them in! (shake finger ‘no’)

I'm a Little Pumpkin (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little pumpkin, orange and ground (hold arms in a circle)
Here is my stem, (place fist on your head)
There is the ground. (touch the ground)
When I get all cut up, don't you shout!
Just open me up and scoop me out! (pretend to scoop the pumpkin out) 

Open up the barn door (with puppets, modified from SLC Book Boy)
Open up the barn door to bring in some hay,
There's a horse inside saying "Neigh, Neigh, Neigh!"
Open up the barn door singing "Tra-la-la!"
There's a sheep inside saying "Baa, baa, baa!"
Open up the barn door saying "How do you do?"
There's a cow inside saying "Moo, moo, moo!"

Craft: We made owl puppets with paper bags and an owl template.

Literacy tip of the week: The more you read and talk to your child the more new vocabulary words they will hear.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Baby Storytime 9/26/19

Book read:
Early Bird by Toni Yuly

Little Bird (from Storytime Katie)
I saw a little bird go hop, hop, hop. (hop)
I told the little bird to stop, stop, stop. (hold hand out for stop)
I went to the window to say "How do you do?" (handshake)
He wagged his little tail and away he flew. (shake tail and fly away)

Here we fly up, up, up (modified from Reading With Red)
Here we fly up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we fly down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we fly back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we fly round and round! (turn around)

Autumn leaves are falling down (adapted from Jbrary)

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down, (flutter hands towards ground)
Autumn leaves are falling down, all around town.

The wind will blow them round and round, round and round, (spin)
The wind will blow them round and round, all around town.

Autumn leaves are dancing round, dancing round, dancing round (dance)
Autumn leaves are dancing round, all around town.

Wheels on the Bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.  

If you're happy and you know it (with parachute)

Literacy tip of the week: Babies may have a short attention span but every little bit of reading time matters!

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Fall Storytime 9/24/19 and 9/25/19

Book read:
When the leaf blew in by Steve Metzger

Other book suggestions:
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson 

The Fall song (modified from Jbrary's Seasons Song
Leaves are falling, what should I do?
Leaves are falling, what should I do?
Leaves are falling, what should I do?
What should I do in the fall?

I'll rake them up, that's what I'll do!
I'll rake them up, that's what I'll do!
I'll rake them up, that's what I'll do!
That's what I'll do in the fall.
Other verses: It's getting colder/put on my jacket, Apples are growing/pick and eat them

Autumn leaves are falling down (adapted from Jbrary)
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down, (flutter hands towards ground)
Autumn leaves are falling down, all around town.

The wind will blow them round and round, round and round, (spin)
The wind will blow them round and round, all around town.

Autumn leaves are dancing round, dancing round, dancing round (dance)
Autumn leaves are dancing round, all around town.

Autumn Animals (to the tune of Frere Jacques, from KCLS)
Bears are sleeping, bears are sleeping. (pretend to sleep)
Birds fly south, birds fly south. (pretend to fly)
Squirrels are storing acorns, squirrels are storing acorns,
In their mouths, in their mouths. (pretend to eat) 

One bright leaf (with scarves, adapted from Storytime Underground)

One bright leaf, waiting for the wind to blow,
Wave it high, wave it low,
Throw it high!
Where did it go?

Craft: We made a collage with leaf stickers.

Literacy tip of the week: Letting your child use the pictures of their favorite book to read to you is a great way to build their confidence as a reader.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Baby Storytime 9/19/19

Book read: 
Look at the baby by Kelly Johnson

Wake up Feet (modified from Jbrary)
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
Wake up and wiggle in the morning!
(for additional verses use different body parts)

1, 2, 3 Baby's on my knee (from Jbrary)
1, 2, 3 Baby's on my knee! (bounce baby)
Rooster crows, and away they go! (lift baby)

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do!
Repeat with different actions: clap hands, nod heads, sway side to side, say hello, etc.


Wheels on the Bus

If you're happy and you know it

I've got rainbows in my bubbles (from Yogibrarian)

I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.
I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.
When I look up at the sun I've got rainbows everyone.
I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.

Literacy tip of the week: Bouncing songs are a great way to help your baby physically feel the sounds in words.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Red Storytime 9/17/19 and 9/18/19

Book read: 
Red truck by Kersten Hamilton

Other book suggestions:
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney 

Way up high in the apple tree
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up high)
Five red apples smiled at me. (hold up five fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (shake)
Down came an apple, and boy was it good!

Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arms up high)
Four red apples smiled at me (hold up four fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (shake)
Down came an apple, and boy was it good! 

Red, red, red (from Storytime All Stars)
Red, red, red, touch your head.
Blue, blue, blue, touch your shoe.
Brown, brown, brown, touch  the ground.
Black, black, black, touch your back.
Pink, pink, pink, give a wink.
Gray, gray, gray, shout hooray!

Wheels on the Fire Truck (version of "Wheels on the Bus")
The wheels on the fire truck go round, and round.
The wipers on the fire truck go swish, swish, swish.
The people on the fire truck go up and down, up and down.
The hose on the fire truck goes squirt, squirt, squirt.
The siren on the fire truck goes "Whoo, Whoo, Whoo".

Pizza Man (from Storytime Katie)
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, pizza man (clap hands)
Make me a pizza as fast as you can.
Roll it (roll hands)
Toss it (toss scarf in the air)
Sprinkle it with cheese (sprinkling motions)
Put it in the oven (pushing motion)
And bake it fast please!

Craft: We used bingo daubers to decorate an apple pattern.

Literacy tip of the week: Adapting familiar songs with new words is a great way to make them new and interesting to your child.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Baby Storytime 9/12/19

Book read: 
My hands say hello by Mary Murphy

My hands say hello (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby the Librarian)
My hands say hello
My hands say hello
Every time I see my friends
My hands say hello
Repeat using other body parts.

1, 2, 3 Baby's on my knee (from Jbrary)
1, 2, 3 Baby's on my knee! (bounce baby)
Rooster crows, and away they go! (lift baby)

If you're happy and you know it

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 

10 Little Bubbbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")

One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air. 

Literacy tip of the week: Animal sounds are a great way to expose babies to the sounds in language.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Above and Below Storytime 9/10/19 and 9/11/19

Book read:
Plant the tiny seed by Christie Matheson

Other book suggestions: 
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
A dog named Doug by Karma Wilson  

Up pop the flowers (to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel", from Hummingbird Educational Resources)
We plant some seeds in the dirt. (pretend to plant seeds)
The rain falls in a shower. (raise arms and wiggle fingers to ground)
The sun comes out and what do you know? (squat down)
Up pop the flowers! (jump up)

If You're a Tree and You Know It
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high. (reach high)
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high.
If you're a tree and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a tree and you know it grow up high. 
Other verses include: Touch your roots (touch toes), and Wave Your Leaves (wave arms)


Can you shake along with me? (from Jbrary)
Can you shake along with me,
Along with me, Along with me?
Can you shake along with me?
Put your shaker (under or over) your (insert body part)!

Here we go up, up, up (from Reading with Red)

Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we go back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we go round and round! (turn around)

Craft: We made "rainbows" by coloring coffee filters with markets and wetting them with a water bottle.

Literacy tip of the week: Directional words are important to reinforce because they will be used often when kids are learning to write letters and words.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Baby Storytime 8/8/19

Book read:
Baby Bedtime by Mem Fox

This Is The Way (with scarves, from Mel's Desk)
This is the way we wash our arms,
Wash our arms, wash our arms.
This is the way we wash our arms,
When we're in the bathtub.
(repeat using legs, tummy, head, etc)

Peekaboo (with scarves, from Jbrary
Peekaboo, peekaboo,
I see you! I see you!
I see your button nose.
I see your tiny toes.
Peekaboo! Peekaboo!  

My Little Baby (to the tune of Shortin' Bread, modified from Verona Storytime)

My little baby loves bouncing, bouncing,
My little baby loves bouncing round.
My little baby loves bouncing, bouncing,
My little baby loves bouncing round.
Lean to the left, lean to the right, now hug that baby nice and tight!
Other actions include: jumping high, spinning round, dancing fast, flying high, etc)

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 
 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

The Elevator Song (with parachute, from Jbrary)
Oh the city is great and the city is grand.
There's a whole lot of people on a little piece of land.
And we live way up on the 57th floor.
This is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
And we turn around.

Literacy tip of the week: Repetition is an important way to build connections in your baby's brain.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

No Place Like Home Storytime 8/6/19

Book read: 
Do lions live on lily pads? by Melanie Walsh

If you're happy and you know it

The ants go marching

Little Chick, Little Chick (from Storytimes and More)

Little Chick, Little Chick,
Come out and play!
What color barn are you in today? 

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Boing, boing, squeak (with puppets on parachute, modified from Storytime Katie)

Boing, boing, squeak! Boing, boing, squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house, he's been there for a week.
He bounces in the kitchen, he bounces on the floor,
He bounces up and up and down, and bounces out the door!
Repeat with other animals and appropriate sounds

Craft: We decorated paper bag houses and stuffed them with packing peanuts so they would stand.

Literacy tip of the week: Recognizing the difference between colors and shapes will prepare your child to recognizes the differences between letters.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Baby Storytime 8/1/19

Book read: 
Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli

Here we fly up, up, up (modified from Reading With Red)

Here we fly up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we fly down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we fly back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we fly round and round! (turn around)
 
Let's go riding in a rocket ship (modified from "Let's go riding in an elevator", with parachute)
Let's go riding in a rocket ship!
Let's go riding in a rocket ship!
Up, up, up we go!
Down, down, down we come!

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do! 

Wheels on the bus 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Literacy tip of the week: Try to point out items in the pictures as you read with your baby. It helps them learn about the world and build their vocabulary.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Out of this world songs and stories 7/30/19

Book read: 
Firefly home by Jane Clarke

Other book suggestions:
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
Old MacDonald's Things that Go by Jane Clarke
Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

If you're a firefly and you know it 
Actions: Flap your wings (move arms), Blink lights (open and close hands), Make a trail (move finger through air)

This is Big (from Mel's Desk)
This is big, big, big. (arms wide)
This is small, small, small. (bring arms together)
This is short, short, short. (crouch down)
This is tall, tall, tall. (reach high)
This is fast, fast, fast. (run fast)
This is slow, slow, slow. (run slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes. (shake head yes)
This is no, no, no. (shake head no)

Come along and march with me (from Storytime Underground)
Come and march along with me,
Along with me.
Come and march along with me,
So early in the morning.
(Other actions can include spinning, hopping, bouncing, flying, etc)


Craft: We used bingo daubers to stamp fireflies in a jar printout. Then we added construction paper wings and heads to the fireflies. 

Literacy tip: Tracing the words and shapes in a book with their fingers will help prepare your child for making the shapes in letters.
 

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Baby Storytime 7/25/19

Book read: 
Five little chicks by Nancy Tafuri

Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle (from Jbrary)
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle,
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle,
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle,
Won't you go to the moon with me?

Other verses:
My space suit's on and my boots are too...
We step on the moon and we bounce up and down...

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")

One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Literacy tip of the week: Reading to your baby should not be stressful. Go with the flow and know that every minute counts!

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Letter U Storytime 7/23/19

Book read: 
The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendelbach

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Underwear (from Miss Sarah's Storytime)
Head, shoulders, knees and underwear!
Head, shoulders, knees and underwear!
Eyes and ears and mouth and underwear!
Head, shoulders, knees and underwear!

Here we go up, up, up (from Reading With Red)
Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we go back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we go round and round! (turn around)

Up and down (from Storytime Katie)
Put your arms up,
Put your arms down,
Put them through the middle and move them all around.
One arm to the left,
And one arm to the right.
Give yourself a hug and hold on tight!

The Grand Old Duke of York
The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill (lift arms in the air)
And he marched them down again (touch ground)
And when they're up, they're up. (lift arms)
And when they're down they're down. (touch ground)
But when they're only halfway up (raise hands halfway)
They're neither up nor down. (reach up then down)

Leaky Umbrella by Jim Gill

Rain on the grass (with scarves, from Jbrary)
Rain on the grass (wave on ground)
Rain on the tree (wave in air)
Rain on the roof (put hands above head)
But not on me! (hands over head)

Literacy tip of the week: Directional concepts such as up and down are important when you child learns to write.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Baby Storytime 7/18/19

Book read: 
Star Baby by Margaret O'Hair

These little hands of mine (to the tune of "This Little Light of Mine", from 2019 CSLP manual)
These little hands of mine,
I'm going to make them clap!
These little hands of mine,
I'm going to make them clap!
Make them clap, make them clap, make them clap!
Other verses: feet stomping, body bouncing

I'm a little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Rocketship version of "Motorboat, motorboat" (with parachute)

The chute is on my head (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Laughter and Literacy)
The chute is on my head, the chute is on my head!
Hi ho the dairy-o, the chute is on my head!
The chute goes up and down, the chute goes up and down!
Hi ho the dairy-o, the chute goes up and down!
The chute goes fast and slow, the chute goes fast and slow!
Hi ho the dairy-o, the chute goes fast and slow!
The chute is on my head, the chute is on my head!
Hi ho the dairy-o the chute is on my head!

Literacy tip of the week: Songs and books are great for keeping baby distracted during diaper changing time.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Rockets and Space Storytime 7/16/19

Book read:
On the launch pad by Michael Dahl

Other book suggestions:
Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm off to the moon! by Dan Yaccarino
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers

I'm a little rocket (from Mel's Desk, to the tune of "I'm a little teapot")
I'm a little rocket, tall and thin. (reach hands up high)
Here is my nose cone. (make triangle with hands)
Here are my fins. (touch feet)
When I get all fired up, launch begins.
Watch me rise and see me spin!  (spin around)

Who is the astronaut (from CSLP manual, using puppets)
Who is the astronaut with ears so long and funny?
She hops around the rocket ship.
She's a bunny!
Who is the astronaut jumping on a long?
"Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit!"
It's a frog!
Who is the astronaut with the long tail of course?
"Neigh, neigh!"
It's a horse!
Who is the astronaut with four legs and a horn?
We rarely ever see one.
It's a unicorn!

Let's go riding in a rocket ship (modified from "Let's go riding in an elevator", with parachute)
Let's go riding in a rocket ship!
Let's go riding in a rocket ship!
Up, up, up we go!
Down, down, down we come!

Rocketship version of "Motorboat, motorboat" (with parachute)

Craft: We made space collages with space stickers.

Literacy tip of the week: Peeling stickers is a great way to help your child develop the fine motor skills needed for writing.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Baby Storytime 7/11/19

Book read:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (big book)

Twinkle Little Star

Wheels on the Bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Pretending countdown and "blastoff" into space

Literacy tip of the week: Babies have eyesight that is still developing, so larger books are a great way to help them see the pictures as you read with them.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Moon and Stars Storytime 7/9/19

Book read:
Journey to the Moon: A pop up lunar adventure by Andy Mansfield

Other book suggestions: 
Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm off to the moon! by Dan Yaccarino
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers

ASL Sign of the Week: Stars

If you're going to the moon (from Mel's Desk)
If you're going to the moon wear your boots.
If you're going to the moon wear your boots.
If you're going to the moon, this is what you have to do.
If you're going to the  moon wear your boots.
Other verses include: wear your gloves, wear your helmet, etc.

Bumpin' up and down
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle, (bounce)
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle,
Bumpin' up and down in my little space shuttle,
Won't you go to the moon with me?
Other verses: Flying all around among the stars, Stomping all around on the moon, etc.

When the moon comes up (from CSLP Early Literacy Manual)
The moon comes up when the night begins (make circle with arms)
Sometimes it's full (spread arms wide)
Sometimes it's thin (move arms close together)
It shines on the houses, it shines on the trees (flutter fingers)
It shines on you and it shines on me! (point)

Five Stars Counting (with flannelboard)
No little stars, next to the sun. One shoots by and then there is one.
One little star with nothing to do. Another shoots by and then there are two.
Two little stars, winking at me. Another shoots by and now there are three.
Three little stars, blinking once more. Another shoots by and then there are four.
Four little stars, wait for another to arrive. Another shoots by and now there are five.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star 

Craft: We decorated a moon template with torn paper.  

Literacy tip of the week: Made up words like "bloop" are fun way to help kids learn to recognize the sounds that make up words.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Baby Storytime 6/13/19

Book read: 
Hello Day by Anita Lobel

Good Morning Everybody (adapted from Hello Everybody from Jbrary)
Well good morning everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose?
Well good morning everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose?
Well good morning everybody can you touch your toes, touch your toes, touch your toes?
Well good morning everybody can you touch your toes?
(Other actions can include clap your hands, jump up high, stomp your feet, etc)
 
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Wheels on the Bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock! (jump twice) 

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.


Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Let's Fly Storytime 6/11/19 and 6/12/19

Book read: 
A plane goes ka-zoom by Jonathan London

Other book suggestions:
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek
I love planes! by Philemon Sturges
I love bugs! by Emma Dodd

Here we fly up, up, up (modified from Reading With Red)
Here we fly up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we fly down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we fly back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we fly round and round! (turn around)

I'm a little airplane (to the tune of "I'm a little teapot", from here)
I'm a little airplane, in the sky!
Here is my left wing and here is my right (reach one arm up at a time)
First I speed to take off (run)
Then I fly!
I tip my wings as I soar by!

We're going on vacation in a plane (from Laura Armstrong)
Oh we're going on vacation in a plane (walk)
Oh we're going on vacation in a plane (walk)
Oh we're going on vacation!
Oh we're going on vacation!
Oh we're going on vacation in a plane.
Other verses: Flying oh so high, flying very low, landing very gently

Butterfly, Butterfly (from Perry Public Library)
Butterfly, butterfly dancing all around (hook thumbs and fly fingers up and down)
Butterfly, butterfly now you're on the ground (flutter fingers to the floor)
In a tree hard to see, now you've flown away (flutter fingers up and behind back)
Butterfly, butterfly please come back and play (flutter fingers to the front again)   

Craft: We made "planes" out of Popsicle sticks and decorated a picture with cotton ball clouds.

Literacy tip of the week: Imagining in songs and games is great preparation for the imagining required when reading.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Baby Storytime 6/6/19

Book read: 
Baby Party by Rebecca O'Connell

Hello Everybody (to the tune of from Jbrary)
Well hello everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose?
Well hello everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose?

Well hello everybody can you touch your toes, touch your toes, touch your toes?
Well hello everybody can you touch your toes?
(Other actions can include clap your hands, jump up high, stomp your feet, etc)

Popcorn, Popcorn (with parachute, from Storytime Katie)
Popcorn, popcorn, put it in the pot.
Shake it up! Shake it up! (shake baby)
Pop pop pop! (bounce three times)    

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Pop Goes the Weasel (with parachute)

Motorboat (with parachute)

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Beach Fun Storytime 6/4/19 and 6/5/19

Book read:
Beach Day by Karen Roosa

Other book suggestions: 
Sandy Feet, Whose Feet? by Susan Wood
Penguin on vacation by Salina Yoon 

On our way to the beach (modified from Storytimes and More, to the tune of "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush")
Here we go marching down the road, down the road,
Here we go marching down the road, on our way to the beach today!
Additional verses can include: running, tiptoeing, stomping, flying, etc.  

Waves at the Beach (to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus") (from Preschool Education)
The waves at the beach go up and down, up and down, (move up and down)
The waves at the beach go up and down, all day long.

Other verses:
The crabs at the beach crawl back and forth, (crawl)
The lobsters at the beach go snap, snap, snap, (clap hands together)
The jellyfish at the beach go wibble, wobble wobble, (sway back and forth)

One little fish (with bubbles, from Jbrary)
One little fish,
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water,
Bubble, bubble, bubble,
Pop, pop, pop!

Sand Castle (from Pasadena Library)
Sand Castle at the beach, (hands over head)
I built you big and strong,
A wave washed up on the sand,
Whoosh! You were gone. (swing arms)

Craft: We decorated a seahorse template with torn paper.

Literacy tip of the week: Ask your child what they see in the pictures as you read together. It is a great way to promote conversation about the story.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Baby Storytime 5/30/19

Book read:
Besos for Baby by Jen Arena (board book set)

Clap your hands (to the tune of Frere Jacques, modified from Yogilibrarian)
Clap your hands, clap your hands,
Touch your toes, touch your toes.
Do a little jumping, do a little jumping.
Tap your nose, tap your nose. 

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Literacy tip of the week: If English isn’t your first language, speak to your child in the language you know best. This allows you to explain things more fluently so your child will learn more.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Letter T Storytime 5/28/19 and 5/29/19

Book read:
Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia

Other book suggestions: 
It's a tiger! by David LaRochelle
My truck is stuck! by Kevin Lewis
Dragons love tacos by Adam Rubin 

Turn around (To the tune of Frere Jacques, from Yogilibrarian)
Turn around, turn around,
Touch your toes, touch your toes.
Do a little jumping, do a little jumping,
Crouch down low, crouch down low. 

Tickle Toes by Jim Gill

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)

Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)
 

Way up high in the apple tree (modified from Literary Commentary)
Way up high in the apple tree, (lift arms)
10 little apples smiled at me!
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (shake back and forth)
Down came the apple, (wave hands towards ground)
Boy was it good!

Craft: We decorated a template of the letter T with bingo daubers.

Literacy tip of the week: Songs and books can be adapted to be done in different ways as your child gets older. It is a great way to provide some repetition and familiarity yet still keep things new.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Baby Storytime 5/23/19

Book read: 
Uh-oh! by Rachel Isadora

Friend of Mine (to the tune of "Mary Had a A Little Lamb", from Kelly's Kindergarten)
Will you be a friend of mine, friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine and (insert action) around with me?

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Literacy tip of the week: Follow your baby's cues to know when it is time to stop reading.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Unicorn and Dragon Storytime 5/21/19 and 5/22/19

Book read:
Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert by Morag Hood

Other book suggestions:
Dragons love tacos by Adam Rubin
You don't want a unicorn by Ame Dyckman
Me and my dragon by David Biedrzycki

Fly Dragon Fly (modified from Johnson County Library, to the tune of "Skip to My Lou")
Fly, fly, fly dragon fly!
Fly, fly, fly dragon fly!
Fly, fly, fly dragon fly!
Fly around with me!   

If you're a unicorn and you know it
If you're a unicorn and you know it shake your mane,
If you're a unicorn and you know then your magic will really show it.
If you're a unicorn and you know it shake your mane.
Other possible actions: Twitch tail, show your horn, prance around

We are dragons (from Pasadena Library)
We are dragons,
We have wings (wave scarves)
We can fly and do dragon things.
We can breathe fire (hold scarf to face and blow)
Swish our tails,
And travel for miles without leaving trails!

Craft: We painted dragons made of half paper plates and construction paper tails and heads.

Literacy tip of the week: Imagining creatures such as unicorns and dragons will help your kids develop their storytelling skills.

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Baby Storytime 5/16/19

Book read: 
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do!
Repeat with different actions: clap hands, nod heads, sway side to side, say hello, etc.  

Dancing Animals (from Librarian Lisa's Storytimes)
This is the way the bunnies hop,
The bunnies hop,
This is the way the bunnies hop,
So early in the morning!
(Other actions can include any other animal and accompanying movement)


Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes  

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Literacy tip of the week: Books with bright pictures, such as "Hooray for Fish" will help hold your baby's attention.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Pets Storytime 5/14/19 and 5/15/19

Book read:
Bark Park by Trudy Krisher

Other book suggestions: 
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Gilbert Goldfish wants a pet by Kelly DiPucchio

If you're a pet and you know it (modified from Miss Meg's Storytime)
If you're a dog and you know it shake your tail!
If you're a dog and you know it shake your tail!
If you're a dog and you know it and you really want to to show it,
If you're a dog and you know it shake your tail!  
Other verses can include: cat/pounce like this, fish/move your fins, hamster/run in place) 

Funny Bunny Hop (from Preschool Education)
Funny little bunny goes hop, hop, hop!
Funny little bunny please stop, stop, stop!
Wiggle your ears and crinkle your nose.
Then wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, right down to your toes!

One little fish (with scarves, from Jbrary)
One little fish,
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water,
Bubble, bubble, bubble,
Pop, pop, pop!

Pet voices (with puppets, modified from Jen in the Library)
This is my (insert animal). It makes a sound like (insert animal sound).

Craft: We made cat puppets using a template and paper lunch bags.

Literacy tip of the week: Encourage your child when they "pretend" to read. It is actually showing you how much they enjoy and understand books!

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Baby Storytime 4/18/19

Book read:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr.

Come along and march with me (from Storytime Underground)
Come and march along with me,
Along with me.
Come and march along with me,
So early in the morning.
(Other actions can include spinning, hopping, bouncing, flying, etc)


This is a Choo-Choo Train
This is a choo-choo train (bounce)
Puffing down the track.
Now it's going forward. (lean forward)
Now it's going back. (lean back)
Now the bell is ringing.
And the whistle blows.
What a lot of noise it makes,
Everywhere it goes!   

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Motorboat (with parachute)

If you're happy and you know it (with parachute) 

Literacy tip of the week: Singable books, such as "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" are a great way to change up your reading routine.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Ms. Kelly's Favorites Storytime 4/16/19 and 4/17/19

Book read: 
It looked like spilt milk by Charles Shaw

Other book suggestions:
Is everyone ready for fun? by Jan Thomas
Tap the magic tree by Christie Matheson
Play this book by Jessica Young

If you're a cloud and you know it
If you're a cloud and you know it float around (raise arms and sway)
If you're a cloud and you know it then you'll really want to show it.
If you're a cloud and you know it float around.
Other actions: Make it rain (wave hands to floor), Make it thunder (stomp) 

Put your hands up high (from 2016 CSLP Manual)
Put your hands up high,
Put your hands down low,
Put your hands to the side,
And wiggle just so.
Put your elbows to the front.
Put your elbows in back.
Put your elbows to the side,
And "Quack, Quack, Quack!"

Monkey See, Monkey Do (from Perry Public Library)
Monkey see, monkey do,
Little monkey in the zoo,
Little monkey in the tree,
Can you (insert action) like me?

I've got rainbows in my bubbles (from Yogibrarian)
I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.
I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.
When I look up at the sun I've got rainbows everyone.
I've got rainbows in my bubbles yes I do.

Wheels on the bus

Popcorn, Popcorn (with parachute, from Storytime Katie)

Popcorn, popcorn, put it in the pot.
Shake it up! Shake it up! (shake baby chute)
Pop pop pop! (bounce chute three times)

Craft: We made cotton ball clouds.

Literacy tip of the week: Share your favorite books and songs with your little one! It will help them learn to place importance in books and words.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Baby Storytime 4/11/19

Book read:
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Dancing Animals (from Librarian Lisa's Storytimes)
This is the way the bunnies hop,
The bunnies hop,
This is the way the bunnies hop,
So early in the morning!
(Other actions can include any other animal and accompanying movement)


Baby Goes Bouncy Boo from Jbrary
Baby goes bouncy boo, (bounce baby on knees)
Baby goes bouncy by,
Baby goes bouncy be,
All upon my knee.

I'll bounce you to the left, (bounce to the left)
I'll bounce you to the right, (bounce to the right)
I'll bounce you up, (lift baby)
I'll bounce you down, (bring baby down)
I'll bounce you out of sight. (lift baby)

Wheels on the bus

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

If you're happy and you know it (with parachute) 

Literacy tip of the week: No matter what you read to your baby the exposure to words and experience of time together will provide benefits later on.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Letter E Storytime 4/9/19 and 4/10/19

Book read: 
First the egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Other book suggestions: 
What to do if an elephant stands on your foot by Michelle Robinson
Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall
How do dinosaurs eat their food? by Jane Yolen

Hello Everybody (to the tune of from Jbrary)
Well hello everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose, touch your nose?
Well hello everybody can you touch your nose, touch your nose?

Well hello everybody can you touch your toes, touch your toes, touch your toes?
Well hello everybody can you touch your toes?
(Other actions can include clap your hands, jump up high, stomp your feet, etc)

Do your ears hang low? (with scarves)  

This is the way (from Miss Katie's Storytime Wiki)
This is the way I stomp my feet,
Stomp my feet, stomp my feet.
This is the way I stomp my feet,
Cause I'm an elephant!
Other actions can include: Wave trunk, shake tail, etc.

The Elevator Song (with parachute, from Jbrary)
Oh the city is great and the city is grand.
There's a whole lot of people on a little piece of land.
And we live way up on the 57th floor.
This is what we do when we go out the door:
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down.
And we turn around.

Craft: We decorated a letter E with eye stickers.

Literacy tip of the week: Running your finger along text as you read helps your child learn the direction that words are read in English.

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Baby Storytime 4/4/19

Book read:
Baby Day by Jane Goodwin and Davina Bell

We Hit the Floor Together (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby Librarian)
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
We hit the floor together,
Because it's fun to do! 

Giddyup, Giddyup (from King County Library System)
Giddyup, giddyup ride to town, (bounce baby on your lap)
Giddyup, giddyup, up and down.
Giddyup fast, (bounce quickly)
Giddyup slow, (bounce slowly)
Giddyup, giddyup, WHOA! (dip baby backwards) 

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)
 
Wheels on the bus


Literacy tip of the week: Play is an important part of learning. It will introduce your baby to new words and ideas!

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Money and Counting Storytime 4/2/19 and 4/3/19

Book read: 
Benny's Pennies by Pat Brisson

Counting Pokey (from A-Z Kids Stuff)
You put one finger up, (finger up)
You put one finger down. (finger down)
You put one finger up and you shake it all around. (shake finger)
You give a shakey-shakey and turn it all about,
That's how you learn to count! (continue singing as many numbers as desired)

Numbers Jump

Pop Goes the Weasel (with parachute)

Hickory Dickory Dock (with parachute)

Craft: We colored a money themed coloring page.

Literacy tip of the week: Singing a song with numbers is a great way to expose your child to number related vocabulary.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Baby Storytime 3/28/19

Book read: 
Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla 

Friend of Mine (to the tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb", from Kelly's Kindergarten)
Will you be a friend of mine, friend of mine, friend of mine?
Will you be a friend of mine and (insert action) around with me?

I'm a little cuckoo clock (from KCLS)
Tick tock, tick tock, (rock back and forth)
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's one o'clock!
CUCKOO! (jump once)

Tick tock, tick tock,
I'm a little cuckoo clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
It's two o'clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO! (jump twice)
 
Wheels on the bus


Hippety Hop (from Perry Public Library)
Hip, hip, hippety hop, (bounce baby)
Hippety, hippety hop,
We'll hop around the room today,
Until it's time to stop! (stop) 

Here we go up, up, up (from Reading With Red)
Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go down, down, down! (touch floor)
Here we go back and forth! (sway side to side)
And here we go round and round! (turn around)

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles,
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

If you're happy and you know it (with parachute)  

Literacy tip of the week: Babies need repetition to learn new words and concepts, so don't be afraid to repeat books and songs.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Birds Storytime 3/26/19 and 3/27/19

Book read:
Hooray for Birds! by Lucy Cousins

Other book suggestions:
Chicken in space by Adam Lehrhaupt
Birds by Carme Lemniscates
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

ASL Sign of the Week: Bird

Little Bird (from Storytime Katie)
I saw a little bird go hop, hop, hop. (hop)
I told the little bird to stop, stop, stop. (hold hand out for stop)
I went to the window to say "How do you do?" (handshake)
He wagged his little tail and away he flew. (shake tail and fly away)

Little Birds (from Storytime Katie)
Little birds, little birds, jump up and down. (jump)
Little birds, little birds, don't make a sound! (finger to lips)
Little birds, little birds, tiptoe to me. (tiptoe)
Little birds, little birds, bend your knees! (bend knees)
Little birds, little birds, peep, peep, peep. (peep)
Little birds, little birds, sleep, sleep, sleep. (pretend to sleep)
Little birds, little birds, fly to the leaves. (fly)
Little birds, little birds, sit down please. (sit) 

Shake, Shake, Shake (to the tune of "Do your ears hang low?", from Storytimes and More)
Can you shake your egg up high?
Can you shake your egg down low?
Can you shake it side to side?
Can you shake it by your toe?
Can you shake it really fast?
Can you shake it really slow?
Can you shake your egg?

Everyone can shake (with shakers, modified from Jbrary)
Everyone can shake, shake, shake
Everyone can shake, shake, shake
Everyone can shake, shake, shake
And now it's time to stop.
Additional verses: 
Everyone can tap, Everyone can clap, Everyone can wave, etc.

We made our chicken puppet "fly" on our parachute.

Craft: We decorated a bird template with bingo daubers.

Literacy tip of the week: If you child is interested in a topic you have read with them about it is a great opportunity to do a little further research with them.