Last night, we hosted a Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the library. It was an unusual program, because the kids just dropped their stuffed animals off by 5pm, and then my manager Stephanie and I photographed them in different settings around the library.
There are lots of ways to do these programs. Some branches print a picture of each animal to give to the kids when they come to pick up their stuffies. Others make a slideshow or video to email out to the participants. I wanted to have a literacy component, so I made a simple book template in Microsoft Word. It printed on two pages, front and back, but with eight pages of photos.
The kids were so sweet when they dropped off their animals. Many of them had questions about where the animals were going to sleep, or if they were going to roast marshmallows. We just had the first family come to pick up their stuffy this morning, and the mom and daughter were eagerly looking through the book to find their toy in the photos.
We ended up with 43 animals in all (we didn’t set a limit to the program). When the families dropped off their animals, we asked them to fill out a tag with their name, a name and description of the animal, and a phone number (the template is at the bottom of this post). These we attached to the animals with binder clips. At first, I was planning to make separate nametags for each one, so the tags wouldn’t show in the photos. But we ended up with so many stuffies, that we just tried to clip the tags on the backs of the toys.
We had advertised the program through the schools, and on Facebook groups for local families. It actually brought in a lot of families who hadn’t been to the library before, and ended up signing up for library cards.
In our evening hours, when the library is usually quiet, we had fun arranging the animals reading books together, exploring the staff room, playing on the 3D printer, and reading stories.
The most challenging part of the program was actually arranging the photos in Microsoft Word, which can be a formatting nightmare, especially when you’re in a hurry. I recommend setting the photos to “With Text Wrapping” so that you can fit more on each page. I’m copying a very basic template of our book below. Feel free to use it. Just make sure that when you print, you set it to “Print on Both Sides-Flip Pages on Short Edge” and to “Landscape Orientation.”
Here’s our little book, the Word template we used, and the tags for the animals:
My storytimes are usually pretty silly, but for April Fools’ Day this week, we went even sillier.
I started by telling the kids that I had made them all brownies, and to raise their hands if they wanted one. Then Claire handed out letter E’s that I had cut out of brown paper. At first they were disappointed, but once they understood the joke, the older kids enjoyed offering people “Brown-E’s” themselves.
Here’s what we did for the rest of the storytime:
Books:
Knock, Knock by Tammi Sauer; illustrated by Guy Francis
A sleepy bear is trying to prepare for his long Winter’s sleep, but his friends keep showing up at his door in what turns out to be an extended series of knock-knock jokes. The “Knock-Knocks” are in large red letters, providing the perfect opportunity to point them out on each page and have the kids say them along with you. My coworker, Claire, read the part of the bear, and I read the other animals. A fun introduction to word play and jokes.
Elphie, the elephant, wants to be first in the line for the watering hole, but as the smallest, he has to go to the end of the line. In order to trick the elephants in front of him, he asks you, the reader, to distract them by calling their names, hissing like a snake, squeaking like mice, and shaking the book. The kids enjoyed the participation elements, especially the squeaking!
When Gerald and Piggie see two squirrels having a great time hiding from and jumping out at each other, they decide to give it a try themselves. The trouble is that they both decide to hide on either side of the same rock, and then worry when they can’t find each other. This one is always a lot of fun to read aloud.
Songs & Rhymes
I’m Singing in the Rain
There are lots of different versions of this old camp song, which riffs off the song from the musical by Alfred Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. The punchline is always the last line, where you try to say the “tee-ta-ta’s” while sticking your tongue out. Here’s the version I used:
I’m singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again!
(Spoken) Thumbs up! A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta (Move your thumbs back and forth in front of you) A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta
I’m singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again!
Thumbs up! Knees together! A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta (Put your knees together, and move your thumbs back and forth in front of you) A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta
I’m singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again!
Thumbs up! Knees together! Toes together! A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta (Put your knees and toes together, and move your thumbs back and forth in front of you) A-tee-ta-ta-a-tee-ta-ta-ta-tee-ta-ta-ta
I’m singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again!
To the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It. This is an old Raffi song, although I usually change the lyrics a little. I acted it out with a big toy spider, and encouraged the kids to make spiders with their hands.
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor. There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor. Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor? There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg. Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg. Oh, he’s really, really big, this old spider on my leg. There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.
Now the spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy… Oh, I feel so very funny with this spider on my tummy!…
Now the spider’s on my neck, on my neck… Oh, I’m gonna’ be a wreck, I’ve got a spider on my neck!…
Now the spider’s on my face, on my face… Oh, I’m such a big disgrace. I’ve got a spider on my face!…
Now the spider’s on my head, on my head… Oh, it fills my heart with dread to have this spider on my head!…
Spoken: But it jumps off!
Now the spider’s on the floor, on the floor…
Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor?…
April Fools!
We sang this one as an instrument play-along. Click on the triangle for the tune, or it also works to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It.
[C] April Fools’! April [G7] Fools’! It’s the day when silly pranks don’t break the [C] rules. If your orange juice is pink, When you [F] go to take a drink, Then it’s [C] time to stop and [G7] think, “It’s April [C] Fools’!”
There’s an [C] alligator swimming in the [G7] tub. A zookeeper came and said he needs a [C] scrub. And he asked in quite a rush, If you’d [F] give his teeth a brush… Never [C] mind, I’m only [G7] kidding, April [C] Fools’!
April Fools’! April Fools’! It’s the day when silly pranks don’t break the rules. If your orange juice is gray, Then before you run away, You might wonder if today Is April Fools’!
I’m afraid your birthday cake is full of ants, They came crawling up the side and did a dance. If you don’t mind extra spice, I can cut you off a slice… Happy Birthday, and above all April Fools’!
April Fools’! April Fools’! It’s the day when silly pranks don’t break the rules. If your orange juice is white, And it gives you quite a fright, Then remember it just might be April Fools! APRIL FOOLS!
Stay and Play: Crayon Resist Surprise!
Crayon resist art is one of my favorite things to do with kids, and this interactive twist turned out really well.
Before I put out the watercolor paints, white crayons, paper, cups of water, and paintbrushes, I explained that if you draw or write with a white crayon on white paper, you won’t be able see what you draw at first. But when you paint over the crayon marks with watercolors, it will appear like magic. I encouraged the grown-ups to draw or write something for the kids to “find” with the paint, and they were all really engaged in the process.
What are your favorite stories, songs, or pranks for April Fools’ Day? Please share them in the comments.
This large, colorful picture book describes the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of Spring. There are lots of opportunities to ask the kids about things they see in the pictures: baby birds, bees, kittens, etc. We practiced “melting” together like snowmen, and even talked about a couple of letter sounds on the pages describing things that start with the letters “B” and “W.”
Sweet, funny story about Mole trying to wake up his very sleepy friend, Bear. For this one, I used a tactic I learned from a coworker, where you give the kids a visual cue, like putting your hand by your ear, to tell them to say a certain word or make a certain sound. In this case, I had them snore like a bear, which happened on every page. The ending got lots of laughs.
Every page of this book features a magic word (like “Abracadabra”) and opens up into an extra-long two page spread to reveal a magical change that happens in spring: flowers blooming, eggs hatching, butterflies coming out of cocoons, etc. I had the kids wave their index fingers like magic wands and say the magic words with me. On the page about “confetti trees,” my coworker, Claire, threw pink flower petals into the crowd.
SONGS:
Oh, Mister Sun
This was one of the first storytime songs I ever learned. I usually do the Raffi version (here’s a link to the video):
Oh, [C] Mister Sun, Sun, [F] Mister Golden Sun,
[C] Please shine [G7] down on [C] me!
Oh, [C] Mister Sun, Sun, [F] Mister Golden Sun,
[G7] Hiding behind a tree.
[C] These little children are [G7] asking you,
[C] To please come out so we can [G7] play with you,
Oh, [C] Mister Sun, Sun, [F] Mister Golden Sun,
C] Please shine [G7] down on [C] me!
Here is the Beehive
This is another favorite storytime rhyme that’s always a hit:
Here is the beehive (make a fist with one hand)
Where are the bees?
Hiding away where nobody sees.
Watch, and they’ll all come out of their hive…
One, Two, Three, Four, Five… (hold up each finger as you count)
They’re alive! (Fly your fingers around. I told the crowd they were “tickle bees” so they tickled themselves and their grown-ups)
The Little Bunnies
One of the day care providers who comes to storytime uses this song with her kids, and I have always wanted to try it. We sang it three times, and the kids LOVED it! Claire and I both held up bunny puppets, but also did the motions along with the kids. The motions are pretty self-explanatory, but you can either have the kids physically pretend to sleep and then hop around, or you can have them make bunny ears with their fingers. There are different versions of the song, but the tune I used is the same as in this video by Little Baby Bums Nursery Rhymes for Babies:
See the little bunnies sleeping
‘Till it’s nearly noon.
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still.
Are they ill?
NO! Wake up little bunnies!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!
When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along by Harry Woods
This was a song that my Dad sang a lot when I was little. It was written in 1926. There were a number of robins depicted in the books I read today, and I had been pointing them out whenever they appeared. I also explained that in many places seeing a robin means that it’s the beginning of Spring. Here’s a version performed by Bing Crosby.
When the [C] red, red, robin comes [G7] bob, bob, bobbin’ [C] along, along,
There’ll be no more sobbin’ when [G7] he starts throbbin’ his [C] old sweet [C7] song:
[F] “Wake up! Wake up, you Sleepyhead! [C] Get up, Get up, Get out of bed!
[D] Cheer up, Cheer up, Cheer up, the sun is red.
[G7] Live, love, laugh and be happy.”
[C] What if I’ve been blue?
[G7] Now I’m walkin’ through [C] fields of flowers.
Rain may glisten, but [G7] still I listen for [C] hours, and hours.
[F] I’m just a kid again, [Fm6] doin’ what I did again,
[C] Singin’ a [Am] song.
When the [C] red, red, robin comes [G7] bob, bob, bobbin’ [C] along, along.
STAY AND PLAY: BUTTERFLIES
This was a really simple project, but it worked well, even for the toddlers. I printed out butterfly templates on cardstock (there are lots of options online, but I used this one from Cliparts.co). I put out shredded tissue paper in different colors, along with craft gemstones, and glue sticks. Some of the kids (and grown-ups) got really into decorating their butterflies.
What are your favorite Springtime books? Please share them in the comments.
Since there were two holidays related to color this week (Holi and St. Patrick’s Day), I decided to combine them both into a storytime about colors. Here’s what we did:
This book worked perfectly because it was cloudy and damp in the park today, just like the weather in the book. This is a sweet, rhyming book about three children gathering a rainbow of veggies for their grandfather’s famous Rainbow Stew.
Festival of Colors by Kabir & Suristha Sehgal; illustrated by Vashti Harrison
This is a beautiful book about two kids gathering different types of flowers to crush into colored powders to celebrate the Indian holiday, Holi. When we got to the part where “Poof!” the kids start throwing different colors into the air, my coworker Claire threw colorful play scarves into the crowd. It was a big hit!
This one was admittedly a bit of a stretch for St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s challenging to find St. Patrick’s Day books that are short enough for our storytime crowds. Before I read it, I talked a little bit about St. Patrick’s Day, and held up a picture of a shamrock. I pointed out that shamrocks look similar to clover, (which coincidentally grows all over the picnic area where we hold the storytime), and that many people think that it’s lucky to find a four leaf clover. This is a short cute, story about Bear’s unsuccessful hunt for a lucky clover.
Songs:
Rainbow Round Me by Ruth Pelham
We sang this one after reading Rainbow Stew. I asked the kids to suggest things they might see outside their window. We had a purple dinosaur, a pink horse, a green bear, and a green dog:
When I [C] look outside my [G7] window, There’s a world of color I [C] see. Fiddle-dee-dee, [F] outside my [C] window There’s a [G7] world of color I [C] see.
It’s to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It. It’s fun to come up with your own verses:
[C] If your clothes have any red, any [G7] red,
If your clothes have any red, any [C] red,
If your [F] clothes have any red,
Put your [C] finger on your head!
If your [G7] clothes have any red, any [C] red.
If your clothes have any blue…put your finger on your shoe…
If your clothes have any green…make believe you can’t be seen… (cover your eyes with your hands, and then say, “Peekaboo!”
If your clothes have any black…put your finger on your back…
The Rattlin’ Bog
The harp is the national symbol of Ireland. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a harp, but a coworker gave me an autoharp a few years ago. It’s a little cumbersome for storytime usually, but the kids enjoyed seeing it (I gave them a chance to come up and strum it at the end). Anyway, I used it to strum this traditional Irish song, while the kids played along with the shakers. Here’s a YouTube video of a great version by The Wiggles. The word “rattlin” means splendid, or very good.
[C] O-ro the [F] rattlin’ bog, the [C] bog down in the [G7] valley-o [C] O-ro the [F] rattlin’ bog, the [C] bog down in the [G7] valley- [C] o
[C] And in that bog there was a hole, a rare hole, a [G7] rattlin’ hole With the [C] hole in the bog, And the bog down in the [G7] valley- [C] o.
Now in that hole there was a tree, a rare tree, a rattlin’ tree. With the tree in the hole and the hole in the bog And the bog down in the valley-o.
Now on that tree there was a branch, a rare branch, a rattlin’ branch With the branch on the tree and the tree in the hole, And the bog down in the valley-o.
(Repeat, adding a line each time) Now on that branch there was a nest, a rare nest, a rattlin’ nest…..
Now in that nest there was an egg , a rare egg, a rattlin’ egg…..
Now in that egg there was a bird, a rare bird, a rattlin’ bird…..
Game: Red Light/Green Light
It’s fun to have an excuse to throw in a quick game, like Simon Says, and our color theme gave us a great opportunity to play Red Light/Green Light. I was originally going to have the kids do different actions, like jumping or running in place, but since we had just given out play scarves after reading Festival of Colors, I had the kids wave the scarves instead. I had printed out pictures of red and green traffic lights, and I told them to wave their scarves when I held up the green light, and to stop when I held up the red light. Sometimes I would trick them by saying red light twice in a row, which always got big laughs.
Stay and Play: Flower Painting
I love this activity! It’s so simple, colorful, and tactile. Basically, all I did was put out paper, and a bunch of different types of flowers from my yard: nasturtiums, oxalis, geraniums, and borage (I tried to stick to edible plants). Then the kids used the petals to “paint.” Although the petals don’t last long, they create a lot of color.
Next Monday (March 14) is Pi Day, which is a storytime theme I’ve never explored, but we had a lot of fun trying it today.
My Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd is mostly toddlers and a few preschoolers, so I kept the theme largely to Circles and Pie. But I did want to do a very brief explanation of the number Pi, just in case any of the adults wanted a simple way to explain it. So I began by showing the Greek symbol for Pi, and the first few digits (3.14159265). I explained that the number Pi is a little more than 3, and that it’s a number used to measure circles.
I held up a picture of a circle with a piece of yarn glued around the outside. I had also taped a second piece of yarn (the same length) so that it was folded three times across the middle of the circle, with a little bit sticking out at the end. I told the kids that sometimes you want to be able to know how long the line around a circle is. And an easy way to figure that out is to draw a line across the middle. If you know how long that line is, you can make a line three times as long (plus a little extra). That three plus a little extra is represented by the number Pi.
I pointed out my picture, where the yarn in the middle was folded three times, with a little bit leftover, and said that that piece was just as long as the yarn on the outside of the circle. I then pulled both pieces of yarn off of the circle and held them up to show that they were the same length.
I only took about a minute for this demonstration, which was really basic. I mostly just wanted to convey that the number Pi had something to do with circles, and we were celebrating Pi with books and songs about the food Pie, and other things shaped like a circle.
Adorable story about a cat family who enjoys all but one slice of pie, which is then enjoyed by a mouse family, who leaves six crumbs for a family of ants. In the end, all of the animals enjoy a fresh new pie together.
This is one of my all-time favorite picture books. When Pete’s plans with friends get rained out, his Dad decides it might cheer him up to be made into a pizza. Pete the Pizza gets kneaded, stretched, and twirled in the air, then topped with sauce (water), cheese (pieces of paper), and tomatoes (checkers). After baking in the over (the living room couch), it’s time to slice the pizza! But the pizza runs away, and gets captured and hugged, just in time for the sun to come out. I love that families can participate in the kneading, stretching, and hugging, making this a great lapsit story, even for very young kids.
Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell; illustrated by Petra Mathers
Christopher and Robbie are disappointed because company is coming, and Mommy is too busy to spend time with them. So instead they make a Mom Pie with things that remind them of Mommy: gloves that are soft like Mommy, slippers that are cuddly, and a candle in her favorite color. When Mommy finds out what they are doing, she sits with them on the sofa while their family guests jump in to finish making dinner. The last line (about nothing being better than Mom Pie, except Mommy) drew big “Awwww’s” from the crowd.
Songs:
Alligator Pie
This is a fun, easy rhyme that I learned from an Orff Music lesson years ago. Kids always really seem to like it (today I had a toddler signing “More” every time the rhyme ended). We started out by clapping a steady beat, and then I chanted the words. We chanted Alligator Pie twice, and then I asked for other types of pie to substitute. We did Blueberry Pie and Pumpkin Pie:
Alligator Pie, Alligator Pie,
If I don’t get some, I think I’m going to cry.
Take away my basketball and take away the sky,
But don’t take away my Alligator Pie!
Do You Know What Shape I Have?
I learned this song from my coworker, Angela. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man? I cut out different shapes (circle, square, star, and triangle) out of paper, and put them in a bag. Each time we sang the song, my coworker, Claire, pulled one out of the bag, and we asked the kids what it was:
Do you know what shape I have?
What shape I have? What shape I have?
Do you know what shape I have?
Right here in my hand!
Silly Pizza Song
This song by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman from her Signing Time series is one of my absolute favorites. Here’s a YouTube video with the tune and the signs. I usually just teach the kids the sign for pizza and the sign for cheese, and then I ask them for topping suggestions. Today we had pepperoni, mint, olives, mushrooms, and pumpkin.
Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy by Guy Wood and Sammy Gallop
This is an old song, originally popularized by Dinah Shore. Here’s a link to the tune. We did it as an instrument play-along and the kids were dancing, which was adorable:
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
Makes my [C] eyes light up and my tummy say [G7] “Howdy,”
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
I [C] never get enough of that [G7] wonderful [C] stuff.
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
Makes the [C] sun come up when the heavens are [G7] cloudy.
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
I [C] never get enough of that [G7] wonderful [C] stuff.
[E7] Mama, when you bake,
[A] Mama, I don’t care for cake.
[G7] Mama, make no mistake,
[C] Go to the oven, and [G7] make some ever lovin’
Shoofly pie… (repeat first verse)
Stay and Play: Circle Art
This was really simple and fun, if a bit messy. I put out small pie tins with three different colors of tempura paint in each. Then I gave each child a Dixie cup and a piece of card stock. They had a great time stamping circles all over their papers with the cup (some cups got a little squished in the process, which made for some unusual shapes, but the kids seemed to enjoy that too). I recommend having some baby wipes or paper towels on hand.
What are your favorite books about pie? Please share them in the comments.
Today is National Pig Day! Admittedly this is not a well-known holiday, at least here on the West Coast, but it was the perfect excuse to do a Pig Storytime. Here’s what we did:
Keiko Kasza is one of my favorite authors, and this is my favorite book of hers. When a piglet knocks on the door of a hungry fox, the fox is delighted to have dinner show up right to his door. But, the piglet points out, he is pretty dirty. Shouldn’t the fox give him a bath first? By the end, the piglet has been treated to a bath, a nice meal, and a massage, while the fox collapses exhausted on the floor. The ending always gets a laugh.
This book fit the theme perfectly! Not only is it about pigs, it’s also about storytime. The Book Hog loves everything about books: the way they smell, the way they feel, and the wonderful pictures inside. There’s just one problem: he doesn’t know how to read. Luckily, a helpful librarian offers to read him as many books as he likes, and soon the Book Hog learns to read on his own.
I could have done any of the Elephant and Piggie books, but this one was the best fit for the theme, and for our Pig Mask project at the end. My coworker Angela and I read it together. Piggie is excited because it is Happy Pig Day, the best day of the year. But her friend Gerald is worried that, as an elephant, he can’t join in the celebration. But Happy Pig Day isn’t just for pigs, Piggie says. It’s for anyone who loves pigs. The kids loved joining in on the “Oinky Oink Oinks.”
These was an easy craft, and a lot of fun. I pre-cut eye holes in paper plates, and also printed out noses and ears on pink paper (there are lots of templates online, but the one I used was here. I put out markers, glue sticks, popsicle sticks, and tape (to hold the popsicle sticks), and told the kids they were welcome to make their mask into anything they wanted, or use the pig noses and ears that I provided. Some of them made hybrid animals, like the cat/pig above.
Do you have any favorite books about pigs? Please share them in the comments.
The Loudest Librarian! 
