Tag: garden

Garden Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
The cover of the book My Garden. The illustration is of a child wearing a straw hat and pink t-shirt standing in front of a flower garden.

Song: “Will Our Flowers Bloom?” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The seeds from the pack go in the ground, (poke with finger)
In the ground, in the ground.
The seeds from the pack go in the ground.
Will our flowers bloom?

The rain from the sky goes drip drip drop, (flutter fingers down)
Drip drip drop, drip drip drop.
The rain from the sky goes drip drip drop.
Will our flowers bloom?

The sun above is bright and hot, (arms make a circle over head)
Bright and hot, bright and hot.
The sun above is bright and hot.
Will our flowers bloom?

Our little seeds are sprouting fast, (fingers grow upward)
Sprouting fast, sprouting fast.
Our little seeds are sprouting fast.
Look! Our flowers bloomed! (cup hands, then spread open)

Book: Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry
The cover of the book Big Yellow Sunflower. The illustration is a sunflower that takes up the whole cover with a bee and two ladybugs on the petals.

Song/Video: “Dance for the Sun” – Kira Willey: Dance for the Sun

Yoga: Flower pose

Social Story: Hurry Up!: A Book About Slowing Down by Kate Dopirak, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
The cover of the book Hurry Up!: A Book About Slowing Down. The illustration is of a child lying in a field full of flowers and looking at a butterfly with a dog.

Closing Song

Craft: Cupcake liner flowers
A photo of colorful cupcake liners glued to a yellow piece of paper with green stems and leaves drawn beneath them.

Snail Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: The Rainbow Snail by Karin Åkesson
The cover of the book The Rainbow Snail. The illustration is of a snail with a rainbow for a shell.

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)
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Action Song: “Driving Round in My Car”
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom!

Book: Slug in Love by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Nadia Shireen
The cover of the book Slug in Love. The illustration is of a cute, smiling slug on top of a heart that encircles the title. Additional text on the cover says, "Who wants to hug a slug called Doug?"

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

Fingerplay: “Slowly, Slowly”
Make a snail with your fist and thumb, and creep it up your arm as you sing.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail.

Scurry your fingers quickly up your arm.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly into his little house.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Ring Song: “Driving Round in My Car” (drive using a ring as the steering wheel)
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom!

Ring Song: “The Ring in the Dell” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The ring goes side to side, (reach to each side)
The ring goes side to side,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The ring goes side to side.

Additional verses:
Up and down (touch sky, touch ground)
All around (draw circle in sky)
Front and back (hold in front and hide behind back)

Ring Song: “Can You Roll Your Ring?” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
Can you roll your ring like this, (both arms roll inside ring)
Just like this?
Can you roll your ring like this,
Just like this?
Can you roll your ring like this,
‘Round and ’round and ’round your wrist?
Can you roll your ring like this,
Just like this?

Additional verses:
Drive (steering wheel) Oh, a stop sign! Don’t you miss!
Spin (spin fast on one wrist) OR Twirl (spin in circle with ring above head) And also blow a kiss
Fan (fan wrist) And give the air a mist
Wear (place over head) And give your head a twist
Float (skim back and forth) Like a happy, swimming fish
(Credit: Leah Portz)

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

Closing Rhyme

Snail Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: The Rainbow Snail by Karin Åkesson
The cover of the book The Rainbow Snail. The illustration is of a snail with a rainbow for a shell.

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)
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Action Song: “Driving Round in My Car”
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Driving round in my little red car,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom!

Book: Boom Snot Twitty by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Renata Liwska
The cover of the book Boom Snot Twitty. The illustration is of a bear lying down and tossing paper airplanes, a snail sitting, and a bird with a basket containing a ball of yarn.

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

Fingerplay: “Slowly, Slowly”
Make a snail with your fist and thumb, and creep it up your arm as you sing.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail.

Scurry your fingers quickly up your arm.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly into his little house.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Shake your shaker, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Shake your shaker, shake shake, shake,
Shake your shaker.

Additional verses: Shake your shaker high/low/fast/slow
(Credit: Jbrary)

Shaker Eggs: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
Verses: Give a shake, give a tap, clap your hands

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

Closing Rhyme

Garden Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

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

Book with Puppets: Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
The cover of the book Up, Down, and Around. The illustration is of two children and a dog in a garden full of bugs and vegetables looking up at a huge cornstalk.

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)

Rhyme: “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 really can’t see.
I hear its funny sound…
Ribbit—Ribbit—Ribbit
A Frog is what I found!
Ribbit—Ribbit—Ribbit

Fingerplay: “Here is the Beehive”
Here is the beehive, (make fist)
But where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they’ll come creeping out of the hive.
One! Two! Three! Four! Five! (open hand one finger at a time)
BZZZZZZ!!!!! Back in the hive, bees! (buzz and tickle)
(Credit: King County Library System)

Book: Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry
The cover of the book Big Yellow Sunflower. The illustration is a sunflower that takes up the whole cover with a bee and two ladybugs on the petals.

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: “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)

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

Closing Rhyme

Worm Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: The World of Worm: Shapes by Esther van den Berg
The cover of the book The World of Worm: Shapes. The illustration is of an apple, a musical triangle, and a die with three pips floating in the air above a worm.

Song: “Wiggle Dance” – Danny Go!

Book: Earthworms by Megan Borgert-Spaniol
The cover of the Backyard Wildlife book Earthworms. The cover has a photograph of an earthworm curled up with a bright pink background.

Song: “Rainy Day” – The Squeegees: Veggie Soup

Song: “The Gardener Digs the Soil” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The worms mix up the soil, (pretend to dig)
The worms mix up the soil,
High ho, the derry oh,
The worms mix up the soil.

Additional verses:
The gardener plants the seeds… (pretend to plant seeds)
The rain falls on the ground… (flutter fingers down to ground)
The sun shines bright and warm… (hold hands in circle overhead)
The seeds begin to grow… (slowly raise hands from ground)
Flowers all around… (hold hands outstretched)
Fresh vegetables to eat… (pretend to eat)

Book: Worms for Lunch? by Leonid Gore
The cover of the book Worms for Lunch? The illustration is of a monkey and a rabbit fishing using a banana and a carrot for bait when a worm crawls on their boat and they both look over at it.

Song: “Fruit Salad Salsa” – Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito

Song: “When I Woke Up Today” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero

Closing Rhyme

Spring Story Time – Family

Opening Song

Book: Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry
The cover of the book Big Yellow Sunflower. The illustration is a sunflower that takes up the whole cover with a bee and two ladybugs on the petals.

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)
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Book: Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book of Colors by Petr Horáček
The cover of the book Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book of Colors. The illustration is of a large red, orange, yellow, and green butterfly.

Puppet Rhyme: “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.

I hear its funny sound…
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT
A FROG is what I found!
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT

Additional verses:
THUMP – Rabbit
SQUEAK – Mouse
CAW – Crow
TWEET – Bird
BUZZ – Bee
WIGGLE – Caterpillar
FLUTTER – Butterfly

Book: Wiggly Worms by Neon Squid, illustrated by Tinna Guo
The cover of the book Wiggly Worms. The illustration is of a large, pink worm with a serene face that is curled in a spiral surrounded by four smaller worms.

Shaker Eggs: “Shake Your Shakers”
Shake your shakers in the air,
Shake it here, shake it there,
Shake your shakers in the air,
Shake your shakers.
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

Closing Rhyme

Spring Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

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: Spring, duck, flowers

Book: Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives
The cover of the book Five Little Ducks. The illustration is of a white mama duck floating in a pond with five yellow ducklings.

Fingerplay: “Here is the Beehive”
Here is the beehive,
But where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they’ll come creeping out of the hive.
One! Two! Three! Four! Five!
BZZZZZZ!!!!! Back in the hive, bees!

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)

Roll-a-Rhyme: Roll the nursery rhyme cube

Book: Spring! by Leslie Patricelli
The cover of the book Spring! The illustration is of two small children wearing raincoats and boots jumping in puddles.

Lap Rhyme: “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: “Bumpity Bumpity Goes the Dump Truck”
Bumpity bumpity goes the dump truck.
Bumpity bumpity goes the dump truck.
Bumpity bumpity goes the dump truck.
Dump out the load. (tip baby to the side)
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

Shaker Eggs: “Mr. Sun” – Raffi: The Best of Raffi

Closing Rhyme

Plants Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
The cover of the book Growing Vegetable Soup. The illustration is of a red tomato in a bright green box inside the bright red cover.

Song: “The Gardener Digs the Soil” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The gardener plants the seeds. (pretend to put a seed in the ground)
The gardener plants the seeds.
Heigh-ho, let’s watch it grow,
The gardener plants the seeds.

Additional verses:
The rain falls on the ground… (flutter fingers down to ground)
The sun shines bright and warm… (hold hands in circle overhead)
The plant begins to grow… (slowly raise hands from ground)
The bud opens up… (put palms together then move palms apart)
The flower smiles at me… (big smile)

Book: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
The cover of the book My Garden. The illustration is of a child wearing a straw hat and pink t-shirt standing in front of a flower garden.

Puppet Song: “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.

I hear its funny sound…
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT
A FROG is what I found!
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT

Additional verses:
THUMP – Rabbit
SQUEAK – Mouse
CAW – Crow
TWEET – Bird
BUZZ – Bee
WIGGLE – Caterpillar
FLUTTER – Butterfly
(Credit: SurLaLune Storytime)

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.

Scarf Song: “One Bright Scarf”
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow. (hold in hand)
Wiggle it high, (wiggle scarf above head)
Wiggle it low. (wiggle scarf by knees)
Shake it fast, (wiggle scarf quickly)
Shake it slow. (wiggle scarf slowly)
Where did it go? (put it behind back, bring out empty hands)

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

House Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Do Lions Live On Lily Pads? by Melanie Walsh

Song: “The Elevator Song”
Oh the city is great and the city is grand,
There’s a whole lot of people
on a little piece of land,
And we live way up on the 57th floor,
and this is what we do when we go out the door.

We take the elevator up, and the elevator down,
Take the elevator up, take the elevator down,
Take the elevator up, and the elevator down,
And we turn around.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: In My Nest by Sara Gillingham, illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

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, wipers, money, driver, kids, babies, grown-ups

Flannel Rhyme: “Some Houses”
Some houses are wood and some are stone.
But let’s build one with shapes alone.

Start with a square, but we won’t stop.
Add a triangle up on the top.
Then a rectangle for the door.
Now square windows 1, 2, 3, 4!
A little circle just for fun.
Now our shape house is all done!
house
(Credit: Finger Tales by Joan Phelps)

Fingerplay: “Houses”
Here is a nest for robin, (cup both hands)
Here is a hive for bee, (fists together)
Here is a hole for bunny, (make a circle)
And here is a house for ME! (make a roof)
(Credit: Perry Public Library)

Shaker Eggs: “Can You Shake Along With Me?” (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Can you shake along with me?
Along with me, along with me,
Can you shake along with me?
Put your shaker on your…knee!

Repeat with different body parts
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

Closing Rhyme

Fruit Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Song: “In My Garden” – Raffi: Raffi’s Box of Sunshine

Book: Odd Dog by Claudia Boldt

Puppet/Flannel: “Five Red Strawberries”
Five red strawberries, sweet to the core.
Bear came and ate one and then there were four.

Four red strawberries, growing near a tree.
Bear came and ate one and then there were three.

Three red strawberries, for you and you and you.
Bear came and ate one and then there were two.

Two red strawberries, sitting in the sun.
Bear came and ate one and then there was one.

One red strawberry, left all alone.
Bear came and ate it and then there were none.
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

Book: Orangutangled by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Aaron Zenz

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

Book: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Song: “Fruit Salad Salsa” – Laurie Berkner: Victor Vito

Closing Rhyme