Book: Leaves in Fall by Martha E. H. Rustad

Song/Puppet: “So many Leaves are Falling on the Ground”

So many leaves are falling on the ground
Orange ones, yellow ones and even brown.
But the one little leaf that rhymes with…
Is my favorite color, it’s the color…

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

Book: In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Song: (Tune: “London Bridge”)

Autumn leaves are in the trees…All over town.
Autumn leaves are falling down…All over town.
Autumn leaves are whirling round…
Everybody rake them up…

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus” – Toddlers on Parade

Book: That Pup! by Lindsay Barrett George

Song: (Tune: Twinkle, twinkle)

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)

(Source: Step by Step Childcare)

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

Song: “Gray Squirrel” – Kathy Reid-Naiman: When It’s Autumn

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

Craft: Leafy hedgehogs

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Bear Story Time – Toddler

September 7, 2017September 7, 2017

Opening song with bear puppet

Rhyme: My Bear (using puppet)

My bear is looking all around.
My bear is sniffing at the ground.
My bear is looking at my toes.
My bear can kiss me on the nose.
My bear can whisper in my ear.
What’s he saying? Can you hear?
My bear can hide behind me,
But wherever I go, my bear can surely find me.
(Credit: Yorba Linda Public Library)

Book: If You Were a Panda Bear by Florence and Wendell Minor

Flannel: (from My Storytime Life blog)
Polar bear’s not tired,
He wants to play!
He wants to catch the RED ball today.
Is this the red ball? (etc.)

Song: “Goin’ on a Bear Hunt” – Greg and Steve: Kids in Action

Book: Bear and Hare: Where’s Bear? by Emily Gravett

Song: Grizzly Bears (Tune: “Mary Had A Little Lamb”)

Grizzly bears are big and brown, (stretch up tall)
Big and brown, big and brown,
Grizzly bears are big and brown,
And live in the woods.
Polar bears are soft and white, (rub arms)
Soft and white, soft and white,
Polar bears are soft and white,
And live where it’s cold.
Teddy bears are just my size, (hug pretend bear)
Just my size, just my size,
Teddy bears are just my size,
To cuddle with at night.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Song: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around” – The Wiggles: Taking Off

Song: If You’re A Bear and You Know It (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a polar bear and you know it…clap your paws
If you’re a black bear and you know it…show your teeth

Song: “The Wheels on the Bus” – Toddlers on Parade

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

Goodbye rhyme

Craft: Bear on tissue paper squares and paper plate

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Construction Story Time – Toddler

July 28, 2017July 31, 2017

Opening Song

Sign Language: Hammer, screwdriver

Book: The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage

Rhyme:
Brick by brick
By brick by brick,
My building’s so high,
It’s scraping the sky.
(Place fists one on top of the other, going higher each time.)

Brick by brick
By brick by brick,
My building will sway
When the wind blows this way.
(Sway left, then right.)

Brick by brick
By brick by brick,
Now I’m ready to stop
And a flag goes on top.
(Open one fist and wave hand left and right.)

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: The Irrational Anthem

Book: Old MacDonald Had a Truck by Steve Goetz

Flannel/Rhyme:
Hannah needs her hammer lots and lots.
Is it hiding in the [color] toolbox?
Have children choose a color each time, and look underneath the toolbox for the missing hammer.

Song: This is the way we pound our nails,
Pound our nails, pound our nails.
This is the way we pound our nails
So early in the morning.

Repeat with:
Saw the wood
Turn the screw
Stack the bricks
Stir the paint
Paint the walls

Book: The Construction Crew by Lynn Meltzer

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

Closing Rhyme

Craft: Paper bulldozer

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Recycling/Earth Story Time – Toddler

July 28, 2017July 31, 2017

Opening Song

Sign Language: Rain

Book: Big Earth, Little Me by Thom Wiley

Rhyme: Bananas Unite!
Peel bananas, peel peel bananas. (Repeat.)
Chop bananas, chop chop bananas. (Repeat.)
Mash bananas, mash mash bananas. (Repeat.)
Eat bananas, eat eat bananas. (Repeat.)
Gooooo bananas!

Song/Flannel: Five bottles of juice on the wall,
Five bottles of juice,
Put one in the recycling bin,
Four bottles of juice on the wall…
(Continue until none are left.)

Repeat with five cartons of milk.

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: The Irrational Anthem

Book (with whale puppet): All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon

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

Closing Rhyme

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World Story Time – Toddler

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

Opening Song

Sign Language: World

Rhyme (with puppet): Little hedgehog in a bag, sitting so still.
Will she come out? Yes, she will!
She looks to the left, and she looks to the right.
She looks straight ahead, then POPS! out of sight.

Book: Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz

Song: “Clap Your Hands” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You

Flannel/Rhyme: Counting to Ten in English and Spanish
One, two, and three
Four, five, and six
Seven, eight, and nine,
I can count to ten!
Ten, nine, and eight,
Seven, six, and five,
Four, three, and two,
Counting down to one!

Uno, dos, y tres,
Cuatro, cinco, y seis,
Siete, ocho, nueve,
¡Cuento hasta diez!
Diez, nueve, ocho,
Siete, seis, y cinco,
Cuatro, tres, y dos,
¡Cuento hasta atrás!

Rhyme: 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!

Far far far, we’re going to the stars…
Fun fun fun, we’re going to the sun…

Rhyme (with puppets): Walking through Africa,
What do I see?
I see a tumbili (monkey) looking at me!

Repeat with:
tembo (elephant)
kiboko (hippo)
chura (frog)

(Credit: Miss Meg’s Storytime)

Book: Everywhere the Cow Says “Moo!” by Ellen Weinstein

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: The Irrational Anthem

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

Closing Rhyme

Craft: Paper Earth with torn-paper continents

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Breakfast Story Time – Toddler

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

Opening song

Sign language: banana

Book: Breakfast Time by Julia Noonan

Rhyme: Four fat sausages frying in a pan
one went pop the other went bam.
Three…
Two…

Song: “Be Bananas” – Stuart Stott and Tom Pease: Celebrate!

Book: Ellie’s Breakfast by Sarah Garland

Song: “If You Like Your Eggs Scrambled” (Tune: “If You’re Happy & You Know It”)
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands
Yes, they’re yummy and they’re yellow
So you’ll be a happy fellow
If you like your eggs scrambled, clap your hands

If you like your eggs fried, jump up high…
If you want bacon with your eggs, wiggle your legs…

Song (with shaky eggs): “I Know a Chicken” – Laurie Berkner: Whaddaya Think of That?

Book: Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Song: “This is how I do it” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

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

Activity: cereal sorting game

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Bug Story Time – Toddler

April 20, 2017

Opening song

Sign language: bug

Book: Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner

Song/Flannel: “10 Little Grasshoppers”

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

Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
Grasshopper, grasshopper, hopping all around me,
One little grasshopper in my yard.

Song: “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

Book: I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern

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.

Song: “The Ants Go Marching” – Old Town School of Music: Songs for Wiggleworms

Book: Caterpillar’s Wish by Mary Murphy

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Song: “Bodies 1-2-3” – Peter and Ellen Allard: Sing It! Say It! Sway It! Vol. 2

Song: “This is how I do it” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

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

Closing rhyme

Craft: Paper plate bees

Stop and Go Story Time – Toddler

April 14, 2017April 14, 2017

Opening song

Sign language: stop, go

Book: Red Light, Green Light by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max

Song: Twinkle, twinkle traffic light
Shining on the corner bright.
Red means stop, green means go,
Yellow means go but take it slow.
Twinkle, twinkle traffic light
Shining on the corner bright.

Rhyme: Green says, “Go” (march in place quickly)
Go! Go! Go!
Yellow says, “Slow!” (march slowly)
Slow…slow….slow
And red says “stop!” (stop suddenly)
Go !Go! Go! (move fast)
Slow…slow….slow (move slowly)
and STOP! (stop)
(Repeat and allow children to pretend they are cars driving down the street)

Book: On the Go Time by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marieka Heinlen

Flannel: Chickie, Stop and Go by Norman Gorbaty

(Credit: Sunflower Storytime)

Song: “Silly Dance Contest” – Jim Gill: The Sneezing Song and other Contagious Tunes

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Book: Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Song: “This is how I do it” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

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

Closing rhyme

Craft: Stoplight necklace

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Spring Story Time – Toddler

April 6, 2017April 6, 2017

Opening song

Sign language: spring

Book: Abracadabra, It’s Spring! by Anne Sibley O’Brien, illustrated by Susan Gal

Flannel: There’s something in my garden

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

Book: Spring by Julie Murray

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

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

Book: Dig In! by Cindy Jenson-Elliott

Song: “This is how I do it” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

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

Closing song

Craft: Coloring sheet “u” with die-cut umbrella

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Mem Fox Story Time – Toddler

March 22, 2017

Opening song

Sign language: green

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

Song/rhyme: “Dancing Sheep”

Shhh! It’s time to go to sleep (put finger to mouth, pretend to sleep)
But into my bedroom one sheep creeps. (creep fingers)
“Don’t go to bed,” the one sheep said.
“I would rather dance instead!”

Soon he was… (draw these words out)
Dancing on the ceiling! (move hands above head in “dancing” motion)
He was dancing on the floor! (move hands on floor as mentioned above)
He was dancing on the window! (move hands to one side)
He was dancing on the door! (move hands to other side)

He kept on…Dancing on the ceiling! (sing faster)
He was dancing on the floor!
He was dancing on the window!
He was dancing on the door!
(repeat several times getting faster each time through)

“Stop that dancing, silly sheep.
It is time to go to sleep!”
Soon the sheep lay on the floor.
Soon the sheep began to snore.

So I started … (draw these words out)
Dancing on the ceiling!
I was dancing on the floor!
I was dancing on the window!
I was dancing on the door!

(Credit: susanmdailey.com)

Book: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury