Friends – Toddlers

Opening Song

Well Hello Everybody, Can You Touch Your Nose

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,
touch your toes?

Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy, rub your tummy?
Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy?

Books

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Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry
The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan

Fingerplay

Where Is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am!
Here I am!

How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away.
Run away.

Where is Pointer?
Where is Middleman?
Where is Ringman?
Where is Pinkie

Traditional Rhymes

This is Big Big Big

This is big big big
This is small small small
This is short short short
This is tall tall tall
This is fast fast fast
This is slow slow slow
This is yes yes yes
This is no no no
Source: Mel’s Desk

Clap, Clap, Clap Your hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands
Clap them now with me
Clap your hands, let me see
Clap your hands with me

Beep, beep, beep your nose
Touch, touch, touch your shoulders
Tap, tap, tap your knees
Shake, shake, shake your feet

Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Themed Rhymes

If You Want to Make a Friend
Tune: “If You’re Happy And You Know It”

If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
If you want a friend that’s new, then say, “How do you do?”
If you want to make a friend, shake a hand.
Source: Preschool Express

Activity Songs

Milkshake Song by Songs for Wiggleworms
She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain by Songs for Wiggleworms

Take Home Craft

Beekle from The Adventures of Beekle! I took my inspiration from a marshmallow version.

Closing Activities

The Alphabet Song
Counting to 10.

Closing Goodbye Song

The Goodbye Train is Leaving
Oh the goodbye train is leaving see you soon, toot, toot.
Oh the goodbye train is leaving see you soon, toot, toot.
Oh the goodbye train is leaving, the goodbye train is leaving
Oh the goodbye train is leaving see you soon, toot, toot

Observations

Super fun storytime. The kids LOVED Bunnies!!! They were soon yelling BUNNIES with me. Milkshake song was also a hit. I had quite a few parents asking me what CD I had used.

Winter (2016) – Preschool

Opening Song

Clap Everybody and Say Hello!

Clap everybody and say hello!
Clap everybody and say hello!
Clap everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Stomp everybody and say hello!
Stomp everybody and say hello!
Stomp everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Jump everybody and say hello!
Jump everybody and say hello!
Jump everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Books

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Do You Want to build a Snowman? by Calliope Glass
The Thing about Yetis by Vin Vogel
Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera

Flannel

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Flannel Mittens. Kids normally really like hide-n-seek games, so I just did a die-cut of different colored mittens. I hid the white snowball for a few rounds and then exchanged the white for the yellow snowball without knowing. We then talked about why we don’t eat yellow snow.

Themed Rhymes

This is the Way We Play in the snow

This is the way we stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow.
This is the way we stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow,
when we go out to play.

This is the way we hop through the snow…
This is the way we spin through the snow…
This is the way we crawl through the snow…
This is the way we sit in the snow…
Source: Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year’s Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins

Dance Little Snowflake
(with scarves)

Dance Little Snowflake.
(Dance)

Dance around the town.
(spin around)

Dance upon your tiptoes.
(walk on tiptoes)

Dance from side to side.
(sway side to side).

Twirling up and down, twirling up and down.
(move arms high up and down low).

While you dance around the town.
(spin around)

Source: Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year’s Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins

I’m A Little Snowman

I’m a Little Snowman, short and fat
Here is my scarf
And here is my hat,
When the snow is falling, come and play.
Sun comes out, I melt away.
Source: I no longer have the source, but there is multiple versions and sources.

It is Winter

It is winter,
It is winter,
Oh, so cold.
Oh, so cold.
Icy, snowy weather,
Long nights and short days,
Winter’s here!
Winter’s here!
Source: The Holiday Zone

Snowball

I made myself a snowball as perfect as could be.
I thought I’d keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas and a pillow for it’s head.
Then, last night it ran away.
But first–it wet the bed.
Source: Shel Silverstein

Snow is Falling Down
(used with scarves)

Snow is falling down,
Shhhhh!
Snow is falling down,
Shhhhh!
Slowly, slowly, very Slowly,
Snow is falling down,
Shhhhh!
Source: Lapsit Services for the Very Young II by Linda L. Ernst

Activity Songs

Snow is Falling, Snow is Falling by Carole Peterson
Let it Go by Disney Frozen (Used scarves)

Closing Goodbye Song

See you later, alligator

See you later, alligator (Wave goodbye)
In a while, crocodile
Give a hug, ladybug (Hug yourself)
Blow a kiss, jellyfish (Blow a kiss)
See you soon, big baboon
Out the door, dinosaur (Point straight ahead)
Take care, polar bear
Wave goodbye, butterfly (Wave goodbye)

Observations

My preschoolers were pretty awesome with this storytime. I did shove quite a bit in, but they all survived and had a grand time. I will advise that the book Do You Want to Build a Snowman? is a bit time consuming and you will have kids wanting to touch the pages. I had the kids do the actions in their seats.

Winter (2016) – Toddlers

Opening Song

Well Hello Everybody, Can You Touch Your Nose

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,
touch your toes?

Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy, rub your tummy?
Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy?

Books

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I’m Cool by Kate & Jim McMullan
Snow Dog, Go Dog! by Deborah Heiligman
Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera

Flannel

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Traditional Rhymes

This is Big Big Big

This is big big big
This is small small small
This is short short short
This is tall tall tall
This is fast fast fast
This is slow slow slow
This is yes yes yes
This is no no no
Source: Mel’s Desk

Clap, Clap, Clap Your hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands
Clap them now with me
Clap your hands, let me see
Clap your hands with me

Beep, beep, beep your nose
Touch, touch, touch your shoulders
Tap, tap, tap your knees
Shake, shake, shake your feet

Themed Rhymes

This is the Way We Play in the snow

This is the way we stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow.
This is the way we stomp through the snow,
stomp through the snow,
when we go out to play.

Dance Little Snowflake
(with scarves)

Dance Little Snowflake.
(Dance)

Dance around the town.
(spin around)

Dance upon your tiptoes.
(walk on tiptoes)

Dance from side to side.
(sway side to side).

Twirling up and down, twirling up and down.
(move arms high up and down low).

While you dance around the town.
(spin around)

Source: Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year’s Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins

Activity Songs

Hat and Jacket, Pants and Boots by Carole Peterson
Let it Go by Disney Frozen (Used scarves)

Take Home Craft

Snowglobe inspired by a craft on We Have Aars.I did not have enough pom poms, so we punched out a bunch of circles.

Closing Goodbye Song

Observations

Both of my crowds were kind antsy. My first crowd I was only able to get through 1 1/2 books while my second crowd got through 2 books. They LOVED the dancing with the scarves. I did lead the dancing in Frozen, as it is kind of a long song.

Penguins – Preschool

Opening Song

Clap Everybody and Say Hello!

Clap everybody and say hello!
Clap everybody and say hello!
Clap everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Stomp everybody and say hello!
Stomp everybody and say hello!
Stomp everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Jump everybody and say hello!
Jump everybody and say hello!
Jump everybody and say hello!
No matter what the weather!

Books

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Waddle! Waddle! by James Proimos
Penguins! by Liz Pichon
Blown Away by Rob Biddulph

Flannel

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Baby Penguins

1 baby penguin makes a wish
(hold up 1 finger and point up)

2 baby penguins catch a fish
(hold up 2 fingers and clap hands)

3 baby penguins slip and slide
(hold up 3 fingers and slide hands around)

4 baby penguins run and hide
(hold up 4 fingers, then hide them)

5 baby penguins look around, calling “Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!”
(hold up 5 fingers and shade eyes with hand)

Now they are found.
(add mama penguin to the board)
Rhyme: Miss Mary Liberry

Themed Rhymes

Penguin Song

I’m a little penguin
Aren’t I cute? (raise arms as if questioning)

I’m a bird
In a penguin suit (flap arms at sides)

My suit has thick feathers,
Black and white (turn around, show off outfit)

I can’t fly
But I swim all right (swimming motions)

I can waddle ’round
On my webbed feet (waddle)

Fresh fish are what
I like to eat! (eating motions)
Source: Abby the Librarian

Penguin Waddle

You put your right wing in,
you take your right wing out,
You put your right wing in and you waddle all about.
You do the Penguin Waddle and you turn yourself around.
And that’s what it’s all about!

You put your left wing in…
You put your right fin in…
You put your left fin in…
You put your beak in…
You put yourself in…
Source: Preschool Express

Penguins Jump!

Penguins jump, penguins dive,
(jump, then dive them to the floor.)

OK, penguins, look alive!
(stand or sit at attention.)

Penguins waddle, penguins walk,
(Waddle in place, walk in place.)

We don’t have any time to talk!
(Shake head “no.”)

Penguins slip, penguins slide,
(Slip and slide from side to side.)

Come on penguins, show some pride!
(Puff out chest.)

Penguins snooze, penguins snore,
(Put hands to one side of head; pretend to sleep)

Wake right up and play some more!
(Wake up and wiggle all over.)
Source: Mentor Public Library

I’m A Little Penguin

I’m a Little Penguin
In the sea.
I can swim as fast as can be!
When I catch a fish, just look at me.
I’m as proud as I can be.
Credit: Step by Step — Penguin Theme

Activity Songs

Doing the Penguin by Sesame Street
The Penguin Song by Carole Peterson

Take Home Craft

My shape penguin was inspired by a craft on Homemade Life.

Closing Goodbye Song

See you later, alligator

Observations

My preschoolers were pretty awesome at this storytime. They had a blast doing their waddles and we totally worked up a sweat with the dance songs. What is even more awesome is that this storytime fell on Penguin Awareness Day.

Penguins – Toddlers

Opening Song

Well Hello Everybody, Can You Touch Your Nose

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,
touch your toes?

Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy, rub your tummy?
Well hello everybody, can you rub your tummy,
rub your tummy?

Books

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Waddle! Waddle! by James Proimos
Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere! by Bob Barner

Flannel

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Baby Penguins

1 baby penguin makes a wish
(hold up 1 finger and point up)

2 baby penguins catch a fish
(hold up 2 fingers and clap hands)

3 baby penguins slip and slide
(hold up 3 fingers and slide hands around)

4 baby penguins run and hide
(hold up 4 fingers, then hide them)

5 baby penguins look around, calling “Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!”
(hold up 5 fingers and shade eyes with hand)

Now they are found.
(add mama penguin to the board)
Rhyme: Miss Mary Liberry

Traditional Rhymes

This is Big Big Big

This is big big big
This is small small small
This is short short short
This is tall tall tall
This is fast fast fast
This is slow slow slow
This is yes yes yes
This is no no no
Source: Mel’s Desk

Bubble, Bubble Pop!

One little red fish
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water.

One little red fish
Swimming in the water,
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble…POP!

Verses: Increase the number and change the color
Source: Mel’s Desk

Themed Rhymes

Penguin Song

I’m a little penguin
Aren’t I cute? (raise arms as if questioning)

I’m a bird
In a penguin suit (flap arms at sides)

My suit has thick feathers,
Black and white (turn around, show off outfit)

I can’t fly
But I swim all right (swimming motions)

I can waddle ’round
On my webbed feet (waddle)

Fresh fish are what
I like to eat! (eating motions)
Source: Abby the Librarian

Penguin Waddle

You put your left wing in…
You put your right fin in…
You put your left fin in…
You put your beak in…
You put yourself in…
Source: Preschool Express

Activity Songs

Doing the Penguin by Sesame Street
The Penguin Song by Carole Peterson

Take Home Craft

My shape penguin was inspired by a craft on Homemade Life.

Closing Goodbye Song

Observations

A pretty fun storytime. For Waddle, Waddle I had the kids waddle in their seats and then throw out their arm and thrust out their chest for belly slide! I had a few kids hollering belly slide later.

Sensory Playtime (November 2015)

November was our second Sensory Playtime and boy, was it a blast! We once again had five stations, but we primarily focused on touch.

Our first station was shredded paper. This was very cost effective but messy! It was probably the favorite station. The kids would bury themselves in the paper, throw the paper up in the air, and make mounds with it.

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Our second station was a messy pile of leaves. The kids again had a blast throwing the leaves up in the air. We did provide a painting of a tree. This offered kids the opportunity to place the leaves on the tree if they wanted. However, they were way more interested in tossing the leaves up in the air.

Our third station was sound bottles. The kids were able to shake them and stack them up. We caught a few kids wondering around with a bottle, but hey, at least they were developing their senses!

Our fourth station was sticky paper. My coworker discovered this idea and we absolutely loved it. We talked about different kinds of tape to use and decided on contact paper. Duct tape seemed too harsh. We saw different ways our patrons interacted with this station. Young babies walked/crawled over it. Older kids would try and pick it up with their hands. We have tagged this one to do again, but maybe put out little items that the kids could stick and unstick stuff to the paper.

Our final station was ice cubes. I froze a bunch of toys into the ice, and the kids objective was to try and melt the ice to get to the toy. These are very cheap toys, so if a toy walks off with a child, it was not the end of the world. Surprisingly, this might have been the second favorite station. I had several of the older kids tell me about it.

American Girl: Maryellen Larkin (December 2015)

Sigh, our last American Girl for 2015 was Maryellen Larkin. I thought it would be appropriate to include her for one of our 2015 sessions, as she is the newest Beforever Doll. I immediately decided to do a 1950s Christmas. I knew that poodle skirts were essential and since Ms. Larkin wanted snow, we would give her snow.

After our traditional powerpoint, we started on the poodle skirt and scarves. I knew this would take longer and wanted the kids to start immediately. I thankfully saved time by having all the felt already cut. The instructions called for a felt poodles, but I didn’t have the time to really cut out 30 plus poodles and went with snowflakes, flowers, and hearts. Thank you die-cut machine!

The girls were each were handed a skirt and scarf. Then each girl got to pick up to five felt pieces to go with their skirt and scarf. The longest portion of this session was the glue gun. I really do not allow the girls to handle the glue guns (I don’t want to explain to a parent how their child got a burn blister), so I rely quite a bit on the adults to assist. I also only had a limited amount of glue guns. I did fix this for future dates.

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Once their felt pieces were glued down, the girls then got to wrap their skirts and scarves for Christmas! I had three different Christmas wrapping paper out. I wasn’t sure if they would like this portion, but they loved it.

I was told by several parents/guardians that their girls were very excited to put their presents under the tree and were just as excited to open them on Christmas Day.

The second activity was snowflakes. Never doubt how much fun kids have making snowflakes out of paper. To throw in some extra excitement, I also did glitter! You either hate glitter or you embrace it! I embrace it and the more the merrier.

The final portion of this session was cookies! I ordered Christmas cookies from a local bakery and made lemonade. It was a great way to end 2015.

American Girl: Grace Thomas (November 2015)

I decided to change up my program for the month of November to incorporate a session for the girl of the year, Grace Thomas. I knew the kids would get a kick out of cooking, so I searched online for easy recipes for this specific program. Here is what we did:

No cooking program should ever be complete without a chef’s hat! I gave the kids the option of making the chef hat for themselves or their dolls. Most of the kids picked making the chef’s hat for the doll. This is where I got the instructions for our hats.

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My hat turned out ok.

After we made our hats we moved on to our apple pie crescent rolls. Everyone became super excited for our first recipe. I do recommend going heavier on the sugar and doing a test at home to figure out what works.

Our last activity was ice cream in a bag. This one was a bit trickier. I did a test run at home and everything went well. However, once at the library, the bags we were using kept leaking! I literally have no pictures from this segment because I was running around getting new bags to put the leaking bags into.

This month’s activity was super fun but exhausting.

Rhyming to Read: Soft Kitty and Dickery Dickery Dare

I’ve been failing at keeping up with my Rhyming to Read program, so there will be some backtracking. Our November Rhyming to Read focused on the Soft Kitty and Dickery Dickery Dare. I have noticed that when you go off the traditional nursery rhymes you have a harder time finding activities to with the kids. I try to make do with what I can.

I had to do Soft Kitty for our November Rhyming to Read! I got some good laughs from parents/guardians who are Big Bang Theory fans, and it was not a difficult rhyme to teach. This was my layout:

Introduction of the Rhyme:
Soft kitty,
Warm kitty,
Little ball of fur,
Happy kitty,
Sleepy kitty,
Purr, purr, purr

I sang it once through and then had everyone sing with it me. We sang it 3x through.
I then had the kids imagine they were holding a cat and sing the rhyme to their kitties.

Action Rhyme:
Can You Meow Like Me
Meow very loudly.
Meow like a giant cat.
Meow in a squeaky voice.
Meow like a scared cat.
Meow like a happy cat.
Meow like a sad cat.
Meow like an angry cat.
Meow in a whisper.

Fingerplay:
We counted each finger as a kitten and then sang this rhyme 2x through.

Five Little Kittens
Five little standing in a row,
(Hold up five fingers.)
They nod their heads to the children so.
(Bend fingers)
They run to the left; they run to the right.
(Run fingers to the left and then to the right.)
They stand up and stretch in the bright sunlight.
(Stretch fingers out tall.)
Along comes a dog who’s in for some fun.
(Hold up one finger from opposite hand.)
ME-OW! See those little kittens run!
(Let fingers run.)

We then hid our hands behind our heads, backs and tushies.

Book: Kittens Grow Up to be Cats by Cecilia Minden

Dance Song: Copycat Me by The Learning Station

Craft:

We then switched gears to Dickery Dickery Dare.

Introduction of the Rhyme: Dickery, Dickery Dare,
Dickery, Dickery Dare,
The pig flew up in the air;
The man in brown
Soon brought him down,
Dickery, dickery, dare.

We sang through it 3x through.

Book: Piggies by Audrey Wood

Action Rhyme:
Dickery, Dickery Dare,
(crouch down low and start to bounce)
The pig flew up in the air;
(jump up in the air)
The man in brown
Soon brought him down,
(start to crouch again)
Dickery, dickery, dare.

I gave the kids a pig on a stick and they were able to fly their pigs into the air. The kids loved jumping in the air with their pigs.

Song: Pig on Her Head by Laurie Berkner.

American Girl: Josefina Montoya (October 2015)

I resumed my American Girl series after our summer reading program and boy, was I excited for what I planned for October. Día de los Muertos! My brain exploded with ideas. I knew Josefina would perfect for this with her storyline.

I started off with my traditional powerpoint. I briefly touched on Josefina losing her mother and how she most likely celebrated Día de los Muertos. I also discussed the customs and traditions celebrated today.

Our first craft was to make a calaveras mask for the participants and their dolls. I found this template. I printed off both the flower and heart mask and downsized the original mask to fit the dolls. I put out markers, sequins, and glue for decoration tools. I saw some pretty cool masks.

Our second craft was nesting dolls. I wanted a craft that would be slightly more modern. I also liked that it correlated with the decorating of the graves on Día de los Muertos.

To add an extra bit of flair to the program, I also incorporated face painting. I choose a simple design and had my two helpers keep to this one choice. At first no one was getting up to get their faces painted, but soon there was a line with ready participants. Here is an image of my helper’s makeup.