Author: Christi Makos

Trees Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Trees by Lemniscates

Action Rhyme: “A Tree Is a Home”
A tree may be a home for bird (flap arms like a bird)
A tree may be a home for bee (buzz your hand around)
A tree may be a home for snake (slithering snake)
A tree may be a home for monkey (swing your arms)
Hmmm. I wonder if a tree would make a good home for me? (point to self)

Book: Shake the Tree by Chiara Vignocchi, Paolo Chiarinotti, Silvia Borando

Flannel Story:  Stuck  by Oliver Jeffers
Stuck flannel

Song: “The Trees Are Growing”
The trees are growing high, (raise arms overhead)
The trees are growing high.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing high.
(Other verses: The threes are growing roots, The trees are growing leaves)

Book:  Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Song (with shaky eggs): “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Song: “Can You Shake Your Egg?” (Tune: “Have You Ever Seen?”)
Can you shake your egg with me,
egg with me, egg with me?
Can you shake your egg with me
and put it on your (head, knee, belly, etc.)?

Closing Song

Craft: Make Your Own 3D tree

Green Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign language: Grass, Outside

Book: Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Green book cover

Song: “The Little Green Frogs” – Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel: It’s Toddler Time

Rhyme: Little frog
A little frog in a pond am I, (lap)
Hippity, hippity, hop. (bounce)
And I can jump in the air so high, (lift)
Hippity, hippity, hop!

Song: “Let’s Tap Our Feet Together” (Tune: “The More We Get Together”)
Let’s tap our feet together, together, together
Let’s tap our feet together because it’s fun to do.

Additional verses:
Clap our hands
Touch our nose
Touch our ears 

Book: Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek
Where is the Green Sheep book cover

Song: “Hop, hop, hop along” (Tune: “Row Your Boat”)
Hop, hop, hop along (hop)
Or bounce on someone’s knee (bounce)
Higher and higher and higher and higher (lift)
Bunny hop with me. (hop)

Rhyme: Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed (hold hands in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did the rest. (Put fingers up one by one.)
They grew and they grew and did not stop,
Until one day that pea pod POPPED! (clap hands together.)

Song: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs” (with frogs on a log)

Puppets/Book: Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
book cover

Song (shaky eggs): “Green Eggs and Ham” – The Seussetts: Songs from Dr. Seuss

Closing Song

Spring Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

old bear cover image

Song: “It Is Springtime” – Junior Jukebox: Four Seasons

Book: Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na

Rhyme: “Little Brown Rabbit Popped Out of the Ground” (There Was an Old Lady”)
A little brown rabbit popped out of the ground, (Make fist with right hand. Open 2 fingers- like ears – on “popped.”)
Wriggled his whiskers and looked around. (Wriggle fingers.)
Another small rabbit who lived in the grass (Make fist with left hand.)
Popped his head out and watched him pass. (Pop up 2 fingers on left hand.)
Then both the small rabbits went hoppity hop, (Make both fists hop them up and down.)
Hoppity, hoppity, hop, (Continue to hop fists up and down.)
Till they came to a wall and had to stop. (Stop hopping hands.)
Then both the small rabbits turned themselves round, (Twist hands at wrists.)
And hurried off home to their holes in the ground. (Run hands quickly behind back.)
(Credit: Early Play Rhymes)

Flannel: “There’s something in my garden”
There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound….
Ribbit – Ribbit – Ribbit
A Frog is what I found!
Ribbit-Ribbit-Ribbit

Repeat with other animals, such as a crow (caw-caw-caw), mouse (squeak-squeak-squeak), rabbit (thump-thump-thump), bird (tweet-tweet-tweet) etc.
(Credit: Sunflower Storytime)

Song: “Won’t you plant your seeds with care” – Kathy Reid-Naiman: Say Hello to the Morning

Puppets/Book: Puddle Jumpers by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Nancy Cote

Closing Song

Craft: Bunny puppet

Rain Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee

Song: “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Raindrops”
One little, two little, three little raindrops,
Four little, five little, six little raindrops,
Seven little, eight little,
Nine little raindrops,
Ten little raindrops on my head.
(repeat with raindrops on other body parts, like nose, toes, etc.)
(Source: King County Library System)

Song: “If All of the Raindrops” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Songs for Wiggleworms

Book: Splish, Splash Ducky! by Lucy Cousins

Song: “It’s raining/Itsy-bitsy spider medley” – Music for Little People: 101 Toddler Favorites

Song: “La Arana Pequinita” – Cantarima: Canciones Tradicionales

Book: Rain Dance by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Emlie Chollat

Song: “Little Raindrops” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Little raindrops falling down, falling down, falling down
Little raindrops falling down, falling to the ground

Additional verses:
Bigger raindrops – clap
Giant raindrops – stomp
(Source: Jbrary)

Song: “This is the Way we Clap our Hands” – Kimbo Educational: Teach a Toddler

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

Closing Song

Craft: “R” is for Rain

Day Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign language: Sun, Day

Book: All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Nikki McClure


Rhyme: One, two three,
Baby’s on my Knee.
Rooster crows
And away he goes.

Rhyme: Roly poly
Ever so slowly.
Roly poly
Faster, faster, faster.

Book: Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Loren Long

Rhyme: The moon is round
As round can be
Two eyes
A nose
And a mouth like me!

Song: “You Are My Sunshine” – Elizabeth Mitchell: You Are My Sunshine 

Song: “I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap” (Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
They’re a part of me.

Additional verses:
I can make my feet go stomp, stomp, stomp, etc…
I can make my hands wave bye, bye, bye…

Book: A Good Day by Kevin Henkes

Song (shaky eggs): “Beautiful Day” – Kheswa: Putumayo Kids Presents Picnic Playground Musical Treats From Around the World

Closing Song

Pets Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Pet This Book by Jessica Young, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

Song: “The Bunny Pokey” – Junior Jukebox: Animals

Song: “If You’re a Cat and You Know It”  (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a cat and you know it say meow, meow.
If you’re a cat and you know it say meow, meow.
If you’re a cat and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a cat and you know it say meow.

Additional verses:
If you’re a cat and you know it lick your paws…
If you’re a cat and you know it pounce like this…
(Source: Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan)

Book: Domino by Claire Masurel, illustrated by David Walker

Flannel: Dog houses
Little dog, little dog, are you in the green house? Is this the green house? No, this is the red house. No, little dog, you are not in the red house, etc.

(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Song: “Bingo” – Pamela Conn: Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals

Book: I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs
I Spy Pets book cover

Song: “Sleeping bunnies”(ukulele)
See the little bunnies sleeping till it’s nearly noon (G / D / C / G )
Come and let us gently wake them with a merry tune (C / G / D / G )
Oh how still, are they ill, wake up soon (C / C / D / G )
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop (G / C / G / D / G / C / G D / G)

Song: “Put Your Finger in the Air” – Bob McGrath: Sing Along with Bob #2

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

Closing Song

Craft: Cat made out of “C”

 

ABCs Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

Action Rhyme: “Five Little Peas”
Five little peas in a pea pod pressed. (hold fists in front of you with your knuckles pressed together)
1 grew, 2 grew, and so did all the rest. (on one hand pull one finger out of the fist at a time as you count up)
They grew and they grew (begin to pull hands apart)
And they did not stop, (hands are as wide apart as possible now)
Until one day, that pod went, Pop! (clap hands loudly)

Action Rhyme: “Alphabet Beat”
First clap your hands.
Then stomp your feet.
Everybody do the alphabet beat.

Apple, Apple, Apple – a – a – a,
Apple, Apple, Apple – a – a – a,
Wave your arms high. Swing your arms low.
The alphabet beat is the way to go.

Blue, Blue, Blue – b – b – b
Blue, Blue, Blue – b – b – b
Move to the left. Move to the right.
The alphabet beat is way out of sight.

Car, Car, Car – c – c – c
Car, Car, Car – c – c – c
Now give a high five to a nearby friend.
The alphabet beat has come to the end!

Book: Square Cat ABC by Elizabeth Schoonmaker

Activity: “ABC Exercise Cards”

Song: “A is for Alligator”
A is for alligator – Chomp, Chomp, Chomp! (open and close arms in front of you like alligator jaws)
B is for bouncing – Bop Bop Bop! (hop around)
C is for circles around and around! (turn in a circle)
D is for dizzy when we all sit down! (sit down)

Book: Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! by Mike Twohy

Song: “Clap your Hands” – They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABCs

Video: “Can You Find It?” – They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABCs

Closing Rhyme

Craft: Squishy Sensory Shaving Cream Writing Bags
Instructions:
Fill a sandwich bag about 1/3 of the way with shaving cream.
Add a few drops of food coloring.
Seal the bag tight.
Squish around food coloring and shaving cream until well mixed.
Tape the top of the bag closed.
Use a cotton swab to practice writing and pre-writing skills!

Shopping Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign language: Store, Wait

Book: Bebé Goes Shopping by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Steven Salerno

Rhyme: The moon is round
As round can be
Two eyes
A nose
And a mouth like me!

Rhyme: Roly poly
Ever so slowly.
Roly poly
Faster, faster, faster.

Book: Market Day by Lois Ehlert

Rhyme: To Market, To Market
To market, to market, To buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, Jiggety-jig.
To market, to market, To buy a fat hog. Home again, home again, Jiggety-jog.
To market, to market to buy a sweet treat. Home again, home again, apples to eat. To market, to market to buy a plum bun. Home again, home again, market is done.

Song: “I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap” (Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
They’re a part of me.

Additional verses:
I can make my feet go stomp, stomp, stomp, etc…
I can make my hands wave bye, bye, bye…


Rhyme: One, two three,
Baby’s on my Knee.
Rooster crows
And away he goes.

Book: Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margot Apple
Sheep in a Shop book cover

Song (shaky eggs): “Pretzel Store” – Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz

Closing rhyme

Sharks Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book w/ Puppet: I’m a Shark by Bob Shea

Song: Two little sharks, in the deep blue sea
One named Leonard and one named Lee
Swim away Leonard, swim away Lee
Come back Leonard, come back Lee!

Song: “Clap Your Hands” by Pete Seeger: American Folk, Game, and Activity Songs for Children

Book: Bored! Bored! Bored! By Jill Newton

Flannel: One little blue shark
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
One little blue shark
Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble
POP!
Additional verses: We repeated with different colors and numbers of sharks.

Song: “The Creatures in the Sea”
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp,
Chomp, chomp, chomp,
Chomp, chomp, chomp!
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp,
All day long.

Additional verses:
The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim…
The crabs in the sea go pinch, pinch, pinch…
The dolphins in the sea go jump and splash…
The clams in the sea go open and shut…
The octopus in the sea go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…

Book:  Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt

Song/Video: “Baby Shark”

Closing rhyme

Craft: Paper Sharks

Elephant Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign language: Elephant

Book: I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Rhyme: Roly poly
Ever so slowly.
Roly poly
Faster, faster, faster.

Song: “I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap” (Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
Clap, clap, clap
I can make my hands go clap, clap, clap
They’re a part of me.

Additional verses:
I can make my feet go stomp, stomp, stomp, etc…
I can make my hands wave bye, bye, bye…

Book: Always by Emma Dodd
always cover image

Rhyme: The moon is round
As round can be
Two eyes
A nose
And a mouth like me!

Fingerplay: “Up the Hill”
Here goes a turtle up a hill, creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy (crawl up arm)
Here goes a rabbit up a hill, boing, boing, boing, boing (bounce up arm)
Here goes a snake up the hill, slither, slither, slither, slither (slide up arm)
Here goes an elephant up the hill, thud, thud, thud, thud (clap up arm)
Here comes an elephant down the hill, boom, boom, boom, boom, CRASH! (bounce down, clap hands for crash)
(Credit: adapted by Storytime Katie)

Song: “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”

Rhyme: One, two three,
Baby’s on my Knee.
Rooster crows
And away he goes.

Book: The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na
thingamabob cover image

Song (shaky eggs): “Elephant in There” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

Closing rhyme