Month: August 2022

Butterfly Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert

Song: “The Butterflies in the Yard” (Tune: “The Wheels On the Bus”)
The caterpillars are wriggling around, (Wriggle around)
Wriggling around, wriggling around.
The caterpillars are wriggling around,
All around the yard.

Additional verses:
The caterpillars are building a cocoon… (Roll into a ball)
The butterflies are flying around… (Fly around)

Book: Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horáček

Song: “There’s a Tiny Caterpillar On a Leaf” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle, (Wiggling action)
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle,
There’s a tiny caterpillar, there’s a tiny caterpillar,
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.

Additional verses:
There’s a big, fat caterpillar on a leaf, munch, munch… (Munching action)
There’s a pretty butterfly on a leaf, flutter, flutter… (Fluttering action)

Song: “Butterfly Song” – David Landau: Rocket to the Moon

Puppet Show: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Rhyme

Whale Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Puffin Peter by Petr Horáček

Song: “The Ocean Song” (Tune: “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”)
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand. (put your arms out wide)
There are lots of tall ships and very little land. (hands together up, and then down)
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor (snuggle into your hammock)
And this is what we do when we go out the door: (open up a door)

We ride the waves up, we ride the waves down (rollercoaster arms up and down)
We ride the waves up, we ride the waves down (or stand up and down)
We ride the waves up, we ride the waves down (or lift your baby up and down)
And we turn around. (roll your hands around each other)
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Song: “An Orca Whale” (Tune: “Ram Sam Sam”)
An orca whale, an orca whale, (arm waves across body like whale in waves)
Little sea scallops, (hands open and close like a shell)
And an orca whale.
An orca whale, an orca whale,
Little sea scallops,
And an orca whale.
Sea otter, sea otter, (fists beat on chest)
Little sea scallops, and an orca whale.
Sea otter, sea otter,
Little sea scallops, and an orca whale.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Flannel: “Five Whales in the Bathtub”
One whale in a bathtub, going for a swim.
Knock, knock, splash, splash, come on in!

Repeat, counting up to five whales:
Five whales in a bathtub, going for a swim.
Knock, knock, splash, splash, they all fell in!

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” – Joanie Bartels: Bathtime Magic

Book with Puppets: Tanka Tanka Skunk! by Steve Webb

Closing Rhyme

Pizza Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien

Song: “Make a Pizza” (Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
I can make a pizza! You can, too!
Listen and you’ll know just what to do.

Every little baker loves mixing, mixing
Every little baker loves mixing dough!

Chorus:
Flour to the left, flour to the right
Now tie your apron nice and tight

Every little baker loves kneading, kneading
Every little baker loves kneading dough!

Every little baker loves tossing, tossing
Every little baker loves tossing dough!
(Credit: Abby the Librarian – modified with added chorus)

Flannel: “Build a pizza” (give children felt ingredients for board)

Book with Puppets:“Hi, Pizza Man!” by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel
Hi, Pizza Man! book cover

Song: “If You Wanna Eat Some Pizza” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands!
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands!
If you like bubbly cheese then just say, “Pizza please!”
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands!
(Credit: Awesome Storytime)

Rhyme: “Pizza Man, Pizza Man”
Pizza man, pizza man turn around.
Pizza man, pizza man touch the ground.
Pizza man, pizza man reach up high.
Pizza man, pizza man touch the sky.
Pizza man, pizza man find your nose.
Pizza man, pizza man touch your toes.
Pizza man, pizza man find your knees.
Pizza man, pizza man sit down, please!
(Credit: Modified from childhood; idea from Awesome Storytime)

Closing Rhyme

Pond Story Time – Baby

Opening Song: “My Bubble Floats Over the Ocean”
My bubble floats over the ocean,
My bubble floats over the sea,
My bubble floats over the ocean,
Oh, bubbles make me so happy!
(Credit: CSLP 2022)

Sign Language: Frog, turtle, drink, eat, bubble

Book: Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond by Mary Quattlebaum, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Rhyme: “I Had a Little Turtle”
I had a little turtle, his name was Tiny Tim, (sign for turtle)
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim. (sign for swim)
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap, (signs for drink and eat)
And now he’s sick in bed with bubbles in his throat. (sign for bubble)
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, pop,
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, pop!
(Credit: WCLS Libraries)

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Are You Sleeping?”)
Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
up, up, up
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
down, down, down
down, down, down

Roly poly, roly poly
out, out, out
out, out, out
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
in, in, in
in, in, in

Roly poly, roly poly
fast, fast, fast
fast, fast, fast
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
slow, slow, slow
slow, slow, slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Flannel: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”
Five green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious grubs (yum, yum!).
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool.
Now there are four green and speckled frogs.

Repeat, counting down until there are no green and speckled frogs.

Book: In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

Lap Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Repeat with: bounce, sway, tickle

Lap Song: “Little Frog”
A little frog in a pond am I,
Hippity, hippity, hop. (bounce)
And I can jump in the air so high, (lift)
Hippity, hippity, hop! (bounce)

Lap Song: “Oh I Wish I Was a Little Bar of Soap”
Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap. (lift baby)
Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap.
Oh, I’d slippy and I’d slidey over everybody’s hidey (tickle)
Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Scarf Song: “Peek-a-boo” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo,
I see you, I see you
I see your button nose, I see your tiny toes,
Peek-a-boo, I see you.
(Credit: Sacramento Public Library)

Scarf Song: “My Scarf Goes Up”
My scarf goes up, (throw)
My scarf comes down, (catch)
My scarf waves around, around, around. (wave around)
My scarf goes in, (crumple inside hands)
My scarf comes out, (pull back out)
My scarf flies about, about, about. (wave around)
(Credit: Sacramento Public Library)

Closing Rhyme

Swimming Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Action Rhyme: “Swimming”
Swimming in the water cool and bright, (pretend to swim)
I kick my feet with all my might, (kick feet)
And when I’m tired I turn and float, (spin and hold arms out)
Pretending that I’m a boat! (rock hands)
I like to hold my breath and dive, (take a breath and bend down)
I swim beneath the water and count to five. (count to five)
Wow! What a dive!
(Credit: Hummingbird Educational Resources)

Book: Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Song: “Swimming, Swimming”
Swimming, swimming (mime swimming)
In the swimming pool (outline rectangle with fingers)
When days are hot (fan yourself)
When days are cold (shiver)
In the swimming pool. (outline rectangle with fingers)
Breaststroke, sidestroke, (mime both strokes)
Fancy diving, too. (make diving hands)
Don’t you wish you never had anything else to do? (shrug)
(Credit: Miss Nina – Music & Movement for Preschool)

Book: Swim Swim Sink by Jenn Harney

Song (if time): “The Goldfish” – Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito

Closing Rhyme

Boat Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Boats by Byron Barton

Nursery Rhyme (with poster): “Rub a dub dub”

Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Songs for Wiggleworms

Book: Little Boat by Thomas Docherty
Little Boat book cover

Flannel: “Five Little Boats” (Tune: “Five Little Ducks”)
Five little boats went out one day (Hold up 5 fingers)
Over the waves and far away (Move hand up and down)
With the wind, they begin to rock (Lean side to side)
One little boat returns to the dock.

Repeat until there are no sailboats left.
(Credit: Adapted from Storytime Katie and Adventures of a Bookworm)

Rhyme: “Motorboat, Motorboat”
Motorboat, motorboat, go so slow, (Move arms in a circle slowly or lie on back and bicycle legs)
Motorboat, motorboat, go so fast, (Move arms in a circle fast or move legs)
Motorboat, motorboat, step on the gas! (Use foot and pretend to step on gas)
VROOOOOM!
(Credit: Upstart Promotions)

Song: “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” (sway kids back and forth)

Book: Old MacDonald Had a Boat by Steve Goetz, illustrated by Eda Kaban

Song: “My Big Green Boat” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
I love to row in my big green boat, (Pretend to row)
Big green boat, big green boat.
I love to row in my big green boat
Out on the deep blue sea.

My big green boat has two white sails, (Raise arms above head and wave gently)
Two white sails, two white sails.
My big green boat has two white sails
Out on the deep blue sea.

So come for a row in my big green boat, (Pretend to row)
My big green boat, my big green boat.
So come for a row in my big green boat
Out on the deep blue sea.
(Credit: Upstart Promotions)

Song: “All the Fish” – Sue Schnitzer: Wiggle and Whirl, Clap and Nap

Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Rhyme

Fish Story Time – Baby

Opening Song: “My Bubble Floats Over the Ocean”
My bubble floats over the ocean,
My bubble floats over the sea,
My bubble floats over the ocean,
Oh, bubbles make me so happy!
(Credit: CSLP 2022)

Puppet Song: “Did You Ever See A Fishy?” (Tune: “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”)
Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy,
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way, and that way and this way?
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?

Repeat with: octopus, whale, shark
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Sign Language: Fish, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple

Book: Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins

Fingerplay: “Once I Caught a Fish Alive”
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (raise one finger at a time)
Once I caught a fish alive.
6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (raise fingers second hand one at a time)
Then I let him go again.
Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so. (clasp right pinky with left hand)
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on my right. (wriggle right pinky finger)
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

Flannel: “Bubble, Bubble, Pop!”
One little red fish (hold up fish)
Swimming in the water, (swim the fish around)
Swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water.

One little red fish
Swimming in the water,
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP! (clap hands)

Additional verses:
Two little blue fish…
Three little yellow fish…
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Little White Fish by Guido van Genechten

Lap Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Repeat with: bounce, sway, tickle

Lap Song: “We’re Sailing on the Sea” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
We’re sailing on the sea, (rock side to side)
We’re sailing on the sea,
Float up and down and all around,
We’re sailing on the sea.

Lap Song: “Tiny Little Fishies”
Tiny little fishies love swimming, swimming,
Tiny little fishies love swimming round. (x2)
Swim to the left, swim to the right,
Now hug that fishy nice and tight. (x2)

Scarf Song: “All the Fish” – Caspar Babypants: I Found You!

Scarf Song: “Wave Your Fish Up and Down” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Wave your fish up and down,
Up and down, up and down,
Wave your fish up and down,
Wave your fish.

Scarf Song: “We Shake Our Fins Together”
We shake our fins together,
We shake our fins together,
We shake our fins together
Because it’s fun to do.

We shake them way up high,
We shake them way down low,
We shake them in the middle
Because it’s fun to do.

Closing Rhyme

Sea Monsters and Pirates Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song (virtual only): “Wave Everybody and Say Hello” (Tune: “Skip To My Lou”)
Wave everybody and say hello,
Wave everybody and say hello,
Wave everybody and say hello.
How are you today?

(Repeat with: splash, Arr!)

Opening Song (outdoor only): “Bread and Butter”

Book: The Skeleton Pirate by David Lucas

Song: “Creatures of the Sea” (Tune: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”)
We’re the creatures of the sea,
The ocean is our home.
And in the seas there lives a whale
Who loves to play and roam.
With a spout spout here and a spout spout there.
Here a spout, there a spout,
Everywhere a spout, spout.
We’re the creatures of the sea,
The ocean is our home.

Additional verses:
Fish – swish swish
Crab – pinch pinch
Seal – bark bark
Octopus – wibble wobble

Book: Dinosaur Pirates! by Penny Dale

Action Song: “If You’re a Pirate and You Know It” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck. (swish, swish)
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck. (swish, swish)
If you’re a pirate and you know it, then you’ll hear the sea winds blowin’.
If you’re a pirate and you know it, swab the deck. (swish, swish)

Additional verses:
Walk the plank (stomp, stomp)
Say ahoy! (Ahoy!)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Book: Monsters in the Briny by Lynn Becker, illustrated by Scott Brundage

Closing Rhyme

Art Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Arty!: The Greatest Artist in the World by William Bee

Action Song: “This Is the Way We Stir the Paint”
This is the way we stir the paint,
Stir the paint, stir the paint,
This is the way we stir the paint
So early in the morning.

Additional verses:
Dip our brush
Paint the paper
Frame the picture
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Big Book: Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Mouse Paint book cover

Folder Story: “Scat the Cat”

(Credit: Adapted from Dr. Jean)

Pop-up Book: 600 Black Spots by David A. Carter
600 Black Spots

Closing Rhyme

Craft (from 2016): Free-form shape art with black spots
art preschool story time craft