Month: May 2023

Outer Space Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max

Song: “If You’re Going to the Moon” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots. (stomp stomp)
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.

Additional verses:
Wear your suit (ziiiip!)
Wear your gloves (clap clap)
Wear your helmet (pat your head)
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Flannel: If Pluto Was a Pea by Gabrielle Prendergast, illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings

Song: “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
If you want to take a trip
climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,
Blast off!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Snakes in Space by Kathyrn Dennis

Closing Rhyme

Firefighter Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Rhyme: “This Is Big”
This is big, big, big. (stretch hands far to sides)
This is small, small, small. (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short. (hold palms close vertically)
This is tall, tall, tall. (hold palms far apart vertically)
This is fast, fast, fast. (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow. (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes. (nod head)
This is no, no, no. (shake head)

Song: “Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck”
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck! (x 3)
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Additional verses: Turn the corner, climb the ladder, spray the fire hose
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: Firefighter Duckies! by Frank W. Dormer

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus”
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town!

Additional verses:
Horn/beep-beep-beep
Wipers/swish-swish-swish
Doors/open and shut
Babies/up & down
Parents/I love you

Song: “Open Shut Them”
Open shut them, open shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open shut them, open shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, crawl them
Creep them, crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open wide your little mouth…
But do not let them in.
(Credit: Laurie Berkner)

Flannel: “5 Big Fire Engines”
Five big fire engines
Racing down the road.
One finds a hydrant and hooks up its hose.
The rest call the station and the fire chief says,
“There are more fires farther ahead!”

Repeat with 4, 3, and 2 fire engines.

One big fire engine
Racing down the road.
It finds a hydrant and hooks up its hose.
All the fire engines put out those fires.
See any more?
Turn those tires.
Sirens roar!

Scarf Song: “Wave Your Scarf” (Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Wave, wave, wave your scarf,
As slowly as you can.
Wave your scarf, wave your scarf,
As slowly as you can.

Additional verses:
Wave, wave, wave your scarf, as quickly as you can…
Swing your arms (slowly, quickly)
Stomp your feet (slowly, quickly)

Scarf Song: “You’ll Wave Your Scarf”
You’ll wave your scarf and I’ll wave my scarf.
We’ll wave our scarves together.
You’ll wave your scarf and I’ll wave my scarf,
In warm or wintry weather.

Additional verses:
You’ll throw your scarf…
You’ll twirl with your scarf…
You’ll shake your scarf…

Scarf Rhyme: “Popcorn Kernels”
Popcorn kernels (wave scarves overhead)
In the pot. (make their scarves ‘disappear’ by bunching them up in their fists)
Shake them, shake them, shake them (shake fists)
‘Til they POP! (toss scarves up into the air)

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

Closing Rhyme

Garden Story Time – Baby

Opening Song: “Hello Bubble”
Hello bubble, hello bubble,
Come and land, come and land,
Right in the middle, right in the middle,
Of my hand, of my hand.

Puppet Song: “When Ducks Get Up in the Morning”
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.

Repeat with other animals/sounds
(Credit: King County Library System)

Sign Language: Garden, flower, bugs

Puppets: Who’s in the Garden? by Phillis Gershator, illustrated by Jill McDonald
Who's in the Garden? book cover

Fingerplay: “Round and Round the Garden”
Round and round the garden,
Like a teddy bear. (trace circles on baby’s hand)
One step, two steps,
A tickle under there! (crawl up their arm and tickle armpit)
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Fingerplay: “Five Fat Peas”
Five fat peas in a peapod pressed,
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest.
They grew and they grew and they wouldn’t stop.
They grew and grew until they popped!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Song: “Ten Little Flowers”
One little, two little, three little flowers,
Four little, five little, six little flowers,
Seven little, eight little, nine little flowers,
Ten flowers in the spring.

Give them rain and lots of sunshine,
Give them rain and lots of sunshine,
Give them rain and lots of sunshine,
So they’ll grow up tall.
(Credit: Modified from The Holiday Zone)

Flannel: “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

Book: Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Up, Down, and Around book cover

Lap Song: “Bunny Hop”
Hop, hop, hop along,
And bounce on someone’s knee,
Higher & higher & higher & higher,
Bunny-hop with me.

Lap Song: “A Bouncing We Will Go” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
A bouncing we will go, a bouncing we will go,
High-ho the dairy oh, a bouncing we will go.

Repeat with rocking and tickling
(Credit: King County Library System)

Lap Rhyme: “I’m a Little Beetle”
I’m a little beetle (bounce baby)
And I wiggle all day. (wiggle baby)
If you get too close to me, (hug baby)
I’ll FLY away! (lift baby)

Additional verses:
I’m a little bumblebee…
I’m a little ladybug…
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Shaker Eggs: “The Valley of Vegetables” – Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers”
Shake your shaker up.
Shake your shaker down.
Shake it side to side.
Shake it all around.
Shake it on your shoulders.
Shake it on your head.
Shake it on your knees,
And shake it right to bed!

Closing Rhyme

Earth Day Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: What Can You Do with a Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Katie Kath

Song: “Tree Song” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Movements: Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air. Move arms straight out for the branches. Touch upper body with hands when saying “trunk.” Touch legs when saying “roots.”
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots,
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots,
Trees are important to me and to you,
Leaves, branches, trunk and roots, trunk and roots.
(Credit: KinderNature)

Book: The Earth is Good by Michael DeMunn, illustrated by Jim McMullan

Song: “Tap, Tap, Tap” – Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer: Get Set for School Sing Along

Movement/Yoga: Tree pose

Social Story: Big Earth, Little Me by Thom Wiley, illustrated by Kate Endle

Closing Rhyme

Craft: Earth suncatchers

Earth Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song: “Bread and Butter”

Book: Reuse This Book! illustrated by Emma Morris

Song: “To Help Our Mother Earth” (Tune: “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we pick up trash,
Pick up trash, pick up trash.
This is the way we pick up trash
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we turn off the light,
Turn off the light, turn off the light.
This is the way we turn off the light
To help our Mother Earth.

This is the way we plant a seed,
Plant a seed, plant a seed.
This is the way we plant a seed
To help our Mother Earth.

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

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

Book: It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! by Mary Lindeen

Song: “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Book: The Earth and I by Frank Asch

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

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

Closing Rhyme

Tree Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola

Action Rhyme: “Once I Was a Seed”
Once I was a seed and I was small, small, small.
I grew into a tree and now I’m tall, tall, tall!
My branches sway in the breeze so soft.
And when it’s autumn, all my leaves fall off!
(Credit: Storytime in the Stacks)

Flannel: “The Green Grass Grew All Around”

Book: The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern

Shaker Eggs: “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers”
Shake your shaker up.
Shake your shaker down.
Shake it side to side.
Shake it all around.
Shake it on your shoulders.
Shake it on your head.
Shake it on your knees,
And shake it right to bed!

Closing Rhyme

Nature Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Dig In! by Cindy Jenson-Elliott, illustrated by Mary Peterson

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
up, up, up
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
down, down, down
down, down, down

Repeat with: out/in, fast/slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Flannel Song: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Way up high in the apple tree,
Two red apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could,
Dooowwwwwwwn came an apple,
Mmmm, it was good!

Repeat with other fruit.

Book: Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson

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.

Puppet Song: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”
Five green and speckled frogs
Sitting on a speckled log,
Eating the most delicious bugs. Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool.
Now there are four green and speckled frogs. Glub, glub!

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

Book: Look and Listen by Dianne White, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake shake.
Shake your shakers, shake, shake, shake,
Shake your shakers.

Additional verses:
Shake your shakers high, high, high
Shake your shakers low, low, low
Shake your shakers fast, fast, fast
Shake your shakers slow, slow, slow

Shaker Eggs: “Egg Shakers Up”
Egg shakers up.
Egg shakers down.
Egg shakers dancing all around the town.
Dance them on your shoulders.
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your knees,
And tuck them into bed!

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

Closing Rhyme

Body Story Time – Baby

Opening Song: “Hello Bubble”
Hello bubble, hello bubble,
Come and land, come and land,
Right in the middle, right in the middle,
Of my hand, of my hand.

Puppet Song: “When Ducks Get Up in the Morning”
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say

Repeat with other animals/sounds
(Credit: King County Library System)

Sign Language: Hungry, eat, thirsty, drink, more, all done

Book: All of Baby, Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

Song: “This Is the Way We Clap Our Hands”
This is the way we clap our hands,
Clap our hands, clap our hands.
This is the way we clap our hands,
So early in the morning.

Additional verses:
This is the way we tap our toes…
This is the way we touch our nose…
This is the way we pat our head…

Rhyme: “These are Baby’s Fingers”
These are baby’s fingers,
These are baby’s toes,
This is baby’s belly button,
Round and round it goes.

Flannel: “Hey Diddle Diddle”
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Book: Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham

Lap Song: “Bunny Hop”
Hop, hop, hop along,
And bounce on someone’s knee,
Higher & higher & higher & higher,
Bunny-hop with me.

Lap Song: “Bouncing, Bouncing, Baby on My Knee”
Bouncing, bouncing, baby on my knee.
Bouncing, bouncing, 1 – 2 – 3!

Clapping, clapping, baby on my knee.
Clapping, clapping, 1 – 2 – 3!

Rocking, rocking, baby on my knee.
Rocking, rocking, 1 – 2 – 3!
(Credit: Jbrary)

Lap Rhyme: “Cheek, Chin”
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
cheek, chin, NOSE.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
Cheek, chin, TOES.
Cheek, chin, cheek, chin,
UP BABY GOES!
(Credit: King County Library System)

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

Scarf Song: “Peek-a-Boo”
Peekaboo, peekaboo,
I see you, I see you,
I see your button nose,
I see your tiny toes,
Peekaboo, I see you.

Closing Rhyme

Dragon Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light

Song: “Dragon Pokey”
You put your claws in, you take your claws out,
You put your claws in, and you scratch them all about!
You do the Dragon Pokey and you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all about!

Additional verses:
Feet in/stomp them all about
Teeth in/chomp them all about
Tail in/swing it all about

Book: Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Derek Anderson
waking dragons cover image

Song/Video: “Reach for the Sun”

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “dragon”

Social Story: Now by Antoinette Portis

Closing Song

Craft: Dragon cups
crepe paper dragon story time craft

Bugs Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: A Good Place by Lucy Cousins

Song: “Roly Poly” (Tune: “Frère Jacques”)
Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
up, up, up
Roly roly poly
roly roly poly
down, down, down
down, down, down

Repeat with: out/in, fast/slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Song: “Bumblebee, Bumblebee” (Tune: “Jingle Bells”)
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
Landing on my nose,
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
Now he’s on my toes.
On my arms, on my legs, on my elbows,
Bumblebee, oh bumblebee,
He lands and then he goes.

Pop-up Book: Snappy Little Bugs by Claire Nielson and Dug Steer, illustrated by Derek Matthews

Flannel: “Ten Little Grasshoppers”
One little, two little, three little grasshoppers,
Four little, five little, six little grasshoppers,
Seven little, eight little, nine little grasshoppers,
Ten grasshoppers in my yard.

Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me (slap thighs to rhythm)
Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me,
Grasshoppers, grasshoppers, hopping all around me,
Ten grasshoppers in my yard.

Ten little, nine little, eight little grasshoppers,
Seven little, six little, five little grasshoppers,
Four little, three little, two little grasshoppers,
One grasshopper in my yard.

Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
One grasshopper in my yard.
grasshopper
(Credit: 2008 CSLP Manual)

Shaker Eggs: “Caterpillar, Caterpillar” – Kira Willey: Dance for the Sun

Flannel: I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern or Puppets: The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn, illustrated by Jack Tickle
love bugs cover image

Closing Rhyme