Beach Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konagaya, illustrated by Masamitsu Saito, translated by Yuki Kaneko

Song with Cards: “Going to the Beach” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
I’m going to the beach,
I’m going to the beach!
I think I’ll see a (say a beach item) there,
I’m going to the beach.

Repeat with other beach items, holding up a card with a picture of the item each time.
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

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

Book: Senses at the Seashore by Shelley Rotner

Song: “The Waves at the Beach” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves at the beach go up and down, (raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves at the beach go up and down,
All day long.

Additional verses:
The sun at the beach goes shine, shine, shine… (open and close hands)
The crab at the beach goes pinch pinch pinch… (pinch fingers)
The seagulls at the beach go flap, flap, flap… (flap arms)
The clams in the sea go open and shut… (open and clap hands)
(Credit: SurLaLune Storytime)

Song: “Little Red Wagon” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You

Book: On My Swim by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Christina Leist

Song: “Having Fun at the Beach” – The Wiggles: Splish, Splash, Big Red Boat!

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

Shaker Eggs: “Mr. Sun” – Raffi: Singable Songs for the Very Young

Closing Rhyme

Beach Story Time – Sensory Friendly

Opening Song

Book: Sea, Sand, Me! by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Song: “The Waves at the Beach” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves at the beach go up and down, (raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves at the beach go up and down
All day long.

Additional verses:
The sun at the beach goes shine, shine, shine… (open and close hands)
The crab at the beach goes pinch, pinch, pinch… (pinch fingers)
The seagulls at the beach go flap, flap, flap… (flap arms)
The children at the beach have fun, fun, fun… (clap hands)
(Credit: Jen in the Library)

Book: Hot Dog by Doug Salati

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

Movement: Learn the yoga pose “crab”

Social Story: There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Laurel Molk

Closing Song

Craft: Paper plate seagulls

Ocean Story Time – Toddler

Opening Song

Book: I Hear You, Ocean by Kallie George, illustrated by Carmen Mok

Song: “The Waves in the Sea” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves in the sea go up and down, (raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves in the sea go up and down
All day long.

Additional verses:
The shark in the sea goes snap, snap, snap… (clap your hands)
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish… (swish back and forth)
The boats in the sea go toot, toot, toot… (make blowing horn motion)
The crabs in the sea go back and forth… (move side to side)
The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble… (wiggle)

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

Song: “Baby Shark” – Pinkfong

Book: Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins

Scarf Song: “We Wave Our Scarves Together”
We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s fun to do.

Wave them up high,
Wave them down low,
Wave them in the middle
Because it’s fun to do.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Scarf Song: “Four Corners”
My scarf has four corners,
Four corners has my scarf.
And if there weren’t four corners,
It would not be my…scarf.

Additional verses:
My hat…
My blanket…
My cape…
My pillow…

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

Ocean Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: I Hear You, Ocean by Kallie George, illustrated by Carmen Mok

Song: “The Waves in the Sea” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves in the sea go up and down, (raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves in the sea go up and down
All day long.

Additional verses:
The shark in the sea goes snap, snap, snap… (clap your hands)
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish… (swish back and forth)
The boats in the sea go toot, toot, toot… (make blowing horn motion)
The crabs in the sea go back and forth… (move side to side)
The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble… (wiggle)

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)

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

Song: “Baby Shark”

Song: “Slippery Fish”
Little crab, little crab, scuttling in the water,
Little crab, little crab, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a…

Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by an…

Octopus, octopus, squiggling in the water,
Octopus, octopus, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a…

Great white shark, great white shark, lurking in the water,
Great white shark, great white shark, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!
Oh, no! It’s been eaten by a…

Humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water,
Humongous whale, humongous whale,
Gulp!… Gulp!… Gulp!… BURP!
(Cover your mouth.) Excuse me!
(Credit: Storytime Katie and Jbrary)

Book: I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs

Scarf Song: “We Wave Our Scarves Together”
We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s fun to do.

Wave them up high,
Wave them down low,
Wave them in the middle
Because it’s fun to do.
(Credit: Jbrary)

Scarf Song: “Four Corners”
My scarf has four corners,
Four corners has my scarf.
And if there weren’t four corners,
It would not be my…scarf.

Additional verses:
My hat…
My blanket…
My cape…
My pillow…

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

Ocean 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: “Have You Ever Seen a Narwhal?” (Tune: “Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?”)
Have you ever seen a narwhal, a narwhal, a narwhal,
Have you ever seen a narwhal swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way, swim this way and that way?
Have you ever seen a narwhal swim this way and that?

Repeat with: whale, seal, octopus, etc.
(Credit: CSLP 2022)

Sign Language: Ocean, swim, fish, shark

Book: Pop-Up Peekaboo!: Under the Sea by Clare Lloyd, illustrated by Elle Ward

Song: “The Waves in the Sea” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves in the sea go up and down, (Raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves in the sea go up and down
All day long.

Additional verses:
The shark in the sea goes chomp, chomp, chomp… (Clap your hands)
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish… (Swish back and forth)
The boats in the sea go toot, toot, toot… (Make blowing horn motion)
The jellies in the sea go jiggle, jiggle, jiggle… (Wiggle baby)
The clams in the sea go open and shut… (Open and shut arms)
(Credit: SurLaLune Storytime)

Flannel Song: “Bubble, Bubble, Pop!”
One little red fish
Swimming in the water,
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: Increase the number and change the color of the fish.
(Credit: Jbrary)

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

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: “The Ocean Song” (Tune: “Do Your Ears Hang Low”)
Oh, the ocean is great and the ocean is grand. (arms up)
There are lots of tall ships and very little land. (palms facing and held up high)
And we sleep down deep in a hammock near the floor, (rock arms like hammock)
And this is what we do when we go out the door: (move arm like opening door)
Ride the waves going up, ride the waves going down, (arms up and down) (x3)
And we turn around. (roll forearms around)
(Credit: Jbrary)

Lap Song: “Swing Me Over the Ocean”
Swing me over the ocean (swing to the right)
Swing me over the sea (swing to the left)
Swing me over the garden (swing to the right)
And have me home for tea. (cuddle in the middle)
(Credit: Jbrary)

Book: You Are My Baby: Ocean by Lorena Siminovich

Shaker Eggs: “Baby Shark” – Pinkfong

Closing Rhyme

Beach Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Little Houses by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Song with cards: “Going to the Beach” (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
I’m going to the beach,
I’m going to the beach!
I think I’ll see a (say a beach item) there,
I’m going to the beach.

Repeat with other beach items.
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Book: Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konagaya, illustrated by Masamitsu Saito, translated by Yuki Kaneko

Song: “Little Red Wagon” – Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You

Flannel (virtual only): “Five Little Sandcastles”
Five little sandcastles built by the shore,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were four.

Four little sandcastles built by you and me,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were three.

Three little sandcastles built by me and you,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were two.

Two little sandcastles built in the sun,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there was one.

One little sandcastle built just for fun,
Along came a wave and WHOOSH!
there were none.
(Credit: Story Tree)
5 little sandcastles

Book (outdoor only): Jules vs. the Ocean by Jessie Sima

Book (virtual only): Hide and Seek Harry At the Beach by Kenny Harrison

Song: “The Waves in the Sea” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The waves in the sea go up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The waves in the sea go up and down,
All day long.

The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap,
Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap.
The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap,
All day long.

The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish,
All day long.

The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot,
Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot, toot.
The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot,
All day long.

The crabs in the sea go back and forth,
Back and forth, back and forth.
The crabs in the sea go back and forth,
All day long.

The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble,
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wibble, wobble, wibble.
The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble,
All day long.

Book (virtual only): Beach Baby by Laurie Elmquist, illustrated by Elly MacKay

Book (outdoor only): There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell! by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee

Song (outdoor only): “Baby Shark” – Pinkfong

Closing Rhyme