Tag Archives: library storytime themes

P’s on Earth: A Storytime About the Letter P

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Early Literacy Tip: Write a favorite word on a piece of paper for your child to have. You can even make a game out of drawing a picture to go with it, and asking your child to guess what the word is. This is a great way to build print awareness, and build excitement and curiosity about words in general.

Today, we celebrated the letter P, which is a particularly fun letter. After we drew an upper and lower case P together in the air, we talked about words that started with P. The kids had LOTS of favorites: Pokemon! Peppa Pig! Paw Patrol! Pete the Cat! (Apparently, the key to a successful kids franchise is to use the letter P). I also pulled some items out of my paper bag: a pony, a poodle puppy, and a bottle of paint.

Big OOPS of the Day! Ironically (since it would have been the perfect day for it), I forgot to bring my parachute to the park! I didn’t realize it until I announced, “Time for the parachute!” Oh, the horror! I thought the kids were going to riot. Fortunately, I had the large tarp I always set up for people to sit on, so we used that instead, and it worked just fine. Phew!

NEW: I just added a new element to my storytimes: SECRET WORDS! I wrote words that start with the letter P (mostly fun, concrete things like pirate, playground, popcorn, pizza, panda, etc.) on strips of paper, folded them, and put them in a bag. At the end of storytime, I let each child pick a secret word. One little girl was thrilled to get the word penguin, because it’s her favorite animal to visit at the zoo.

Books:

Plumber Pearl! by Andrea Zimmerman; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

From the author/illustrator team behind Trashy Town, this rhyming story about a busy plumber features lots of fun sound effects. There are also squeaky mice on every page. A new storytime participant happened to bring a toy hedgehog that squeaked to Family Storytime, so I had her squeak it whenever I read the squeak sound in the book.

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

One of my all-time favorite read-alouds. I love to mention that William Steig was also the author of Shrek. This book features a family game where a father and mother cheer up their son Pete by pretending he’s a pizza. I love how the caregivers often act out the motions with their kids (kneading the dough, stretching the dough, tickling the pizza, etc.). It got lots of giggles today at the park!

The Polar Bear in the Garden by Richard Jones

A sweet fantasy story about a little boy who finds a polar bear that fits in his hand. Day by day, the bear grows bigger, and the boy realizes it needs to go home. So, they set out on a boat to find the polar bear’s family.

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird; illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

I love this book so much that I wrote a whole post about it the other day. It features a series of popular nursery rhymes that each get interrupted by “Pop! Goes the Weasel.” For Family Storytime, I gave out play scarves, and had the kids throw them in the air each time I read the word “Pop!” For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I gave out the egg shakers so the kids could play along with the rhymes and songs, and shake the eggs in the air extra hard on the word “Pop!” It was a big hit with both the kids and the caregivers.

Songs:

The Silly Pizza Song

A wonderful song from Signing Time. I usually skip the intro, and only do the sign for pizza (there are a lot of different variations in ASL, but I use the one she demonstrates in the video below with the double Z) and the sign for cheese. I ask the kids to suggest different toppings for each verse. Today we had pepperoni, doughnuts, olives, and apples.

I like pepperoni on my pizza.
I like pepperoni pizza, please.
Put the pepperoni on my pizza,
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

I like apples on my pizza,
I like apple pizza, please.
Put the apples on the pepperoni,
Put the pepperoni on my pizza.
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

When I Was One

A favorite action song that I learned from a coworker. I usually ask the kids to suggest words that rhyme with each number, and we come up with our own verses for two, three, and four.

When I was one, I had some fun,
When I travelled out to sea. (move hand in a wavy motion)
I jumped aboard a pirate ship (jump)
And the captain said to me. (salute)

He said, Go this way! (lean right) 
That way! (lean left) 
Forward! (lean forward) 
Backward! (lean backward) 
When you travel out to sea!”

.When I was two, my hair turned blue…

When I was three, I saw a bee…

Popcorn Kernels

I do this song every week with the play scarves at Family Storytime. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I meant to do it with the parachute and some cotton balls, but somehow forgot to bring both! Luckily, we were able to use our big tarp that I bring for seating, and some wild sweet pea flowers, which actually looked a bit like popcorn (and also start with the letter P!). Here’s a great video of the song from Jbrary:

To the tune of Are You Sleeping? (Frere Jacques)

Popcorn kernels, Popcorn kernels, (Wave scarves)
In the pot, In the pot. (bundle the scarf into your hand)
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em. (shake your hands)
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em.
‘Till they pop! ‘Till they pop! (throw the scarf in the air)

Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

Classic song from 1958, which we did as our instrument play-along. I played it in the key of C (see the chords below), and skipped the key changes.

[C] Well, I saw the thing comin’ out of the sky,
It had [G] one long horn, [C] one big eye.
I commenced to shakin’ and I [F] said “ooh-eee!”,
It [G] looks like a purple people eater to [C] me.

CHORUS:
[C] It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] One-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
A [C] one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater.
[G] Sure looks strange to [C] me.

[C] Well, he came down to earth, and he lit in a tree.
I said, [G] “Mr. Purple People Eater, [C] don’t eat me.”
I heard him say in a [F] voice so gruff:
“I [G] wouldn’t eat you cause you’re so [C] tough!”

CHORUS

I said, “Mr. Purple People Eater, what’s your line?”
He said, “It’s eatin’ purple people and it sure is fine.
But that’s not the reason that I came to land..
I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band.”

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
(We wear short shorts) Flyin’ purple people eater..
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground,
He started to rock, really rockin’ around.
It was a crazy ditty with a swingin’ tune..
Sing A bop bop-A-boppa-loppa-lim-bam-boom.

Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater.
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater.
I like short shorts!..Flyin’ little people eater.
Sure looks strange to me.

And then he went on his way, and then what do ya know?
I saw him last night on a TV show.
He was blowing it out, a’really knockin’ ’em dead..
Playin’ rock and roll music through the horn in his head.

Stay & Play: Paint Sticks

Oh, my goodness, paint sticks were a big hit! We actually bought a set for our libraries several months ago for some activities for school-aged kids, but they work so well for toddlers and preschoolers that a lot of the caregivers at storytime were talking about buying some to use at home.

If you aren’t familiar with them, they are shaped like glue sticks, with a removable cap and a twistable bottom to move them up and down. The paint is tempera, and it glides on so smoothly that it feels like painting with lipstick. The colors are super bright, and the kids LOVED them! I just put out white paper and the paint sticks and they went to town!

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter P? Please share them in the comments below.

An Open Book: A Storytime About the Letter O

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Early Literacy Tip: In books that feature a particular pattern with only one word changed, ask your child to fill in the new word. For example, in Open This Little Book, each animal opens “a little _____ book,” with a different color each time, based on the color of the book’s cover. Using context clues to decipher new words is an important early literacy skill.

This week we celebrated the letter O at storytime. We started by drawing the letter O together in the air (the kids really enjoyed this!). I also talked about how two O’s together making the sound “oo,” and we spent a minute saying fun “OO” words together as I wrote them on my whiteboard: BOO! Coo, Moo, etc. We also talked about words beginning with O (the kids suggested octopus, and I pulled an owl and an octagon out of my bag, and demonstrated an ocarina).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier; illustrated by Suzy Lee

I love to share books that surprise kids with unusual formats (pop-ups, books that open vertically, etc.) This book features a series of increasingly smaller books with different colored covers: Ladybug opens a little green book and reads about Frog, who opens a little orange book and reads about Rabbit, etc. The kids enjoyed calling out the colors of each book.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson

This is one of my all-time favorite picture books: the sweet story of three baby owls waiting for their mother to return. It’s beautifully written and illustrated, and the emotions are so relatable. I especially love the part where the baby owls close their owl eyes and wish their owl mother would come “And she came. Soft and silent, she swooped through the trees to Sarah and Percy and Bill.” The kids enjoyed chiming in on the repeated “I want my Mommy!” line.

One-Osaurus, Two-Osaurus by Kim Norman; illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby

In these storytimes about letters, I like to showcase words that demonstrate how letters don’t always sound the way you expect them to. I think it’s important for kids to know that English isn’t always predictable, so that when they are learning to read later on, they are prepared for surprises that are part of the language itself and not any reflection on their reading ability. So, I wanted to share a picture book featuring the word “one,” which is one of the strangest o-words. This is also a fun, rhyming picture book about dinosaurs hiding, in what turns out to be a game of hide-and-seek.

Octopants by Suzy Senior; illustrated by Claire Powell

This rhyming picture book got lots of laughs. It’s about an octopus trying to buy underpants. He can’t find any, and gets increasingly frustrated, until a shopkeeper points out that his legs are really arms, and all he really needs is an octo-sweater. The page with all the fish in underpants is hilarious!

Songs & Activities:

These Are My Glasses by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Open This Little Book. I use a lot of Laurie Berkner songs, but this one is my all-time favorite. Even older kids, who are sometimes reluctant to participate in action songs, enjoy doing this one.

These are my glasses,
This is my book.
I put on my glasses
And open up the book
Then I read, read, read,
And I look, look, look.
I take off my glasses,
And, WHOOP!, close up the book!

The Waves on the Ocean

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime. I put a fish puppet on the parachute and we waved it up and down. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.

The waves on the ocean go up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
The waves on the ocean go up and down,
All day long!

Simon Says

We played a couple of rounds of Simon Says after reading One-osaurus, Two-osaurus, which ends with the dinosaurs playing the game. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s a classic childhood game where you ask the kids to do a particular action, but only when you start by saying, “Simon Says.”

For example: if you say, “Simon Says, ‘touch your nose,'” they should touch their noses, but if you just say, “touch your ear,” they shouldn’t do anything. It’s a fun listening challenge, and lot of the kids at storytime had never played it before.

Octopus’ Garden by Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr)

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] He’d let us in,
[Am] Knows where we’ve been,
[F] In his octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[Am] I’d ask my friends
To come and see
[F] An octopus’ [G] garden
With me.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] We would be warm
[Am] Below the storm,
[F] In our little hideaway
Beneath the [G] waves.

[C] Resting our head
[Am] On the seabed,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
Near a [G] cave.

[Am] We would sing
And dance around,
[F] Because we know
We [G] can’t be found.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
In an [F] octopus’ garden
In the [G] shade.

[C] We would shout,
[Am] And swim about
[F] The coral that lies
Beneath the [G] waves.

[C] Oh, what joy
[Am] For every girl and boy,
[F] Knowing they’re happy
And they’re [G] safe.

[Am] We would be so happy
You and me,
[F] No one there to tell us
[G] What to do.

[C] I’d like to be
[Am] Under the sea,
[F] In an octopus’ garden
With [G] you.

[F] In an octopus’ garden
With you.
[F] In an octopus’ garden
With [G] you.

Stay & Play: Cup Stamping

This was a simple, if messy, Stay & Play. I just put out plastic trays, and added a few different colors of tempera paint to each one. I gave each child a piece of white paper and a paper cup, and explained that they could dip either the top or the bottom of the cup in the paint and stamp it on the paper to make an “O” shape. Some of them just used the cups as paintbrushes, which got very messy, but they had a wonderful time!

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter O? Please share them in the comments below.

N-Chanting Stories: A Storytime About the Letter N

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Early Literacy Tip: Point out words that share the same letters and sounds (like “La La La” and “Ma Ma Ma” in the book Noisy Night) to help kids learn to keep an eye out for patterns in the words they see.

Last week, we celebrated the letter N. As usual, we started by writing the letter N (upper and lower case) in the air together and then talking about words that started with N. The kids suggested “No,” and “nut.” I pulled a few other items out of a paper bag: a nose flute, a name tag, and a can of nuts (which was really one of those trick cans with a snake inside).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems

I read this with my Family Storytime group, which tends to skew a bit older. It’s a darkly humorous story about a goose who runs into a fox, who invites her to his house for dinner. Every time he invites her to do something (going for a walk in the deep dark woods, going to his house, tasting his soup), a small yellow gosling warns “That is NOT a good idea!” or “That is REALLY NOT a good idea!” In a surprise twist, the goose pushes the fox into the soup, and the book ends with the goslings saying, “We did try to warn him!” The kids loved joining in on the repeated “That is NOT a good idea!” parts.

I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems

One of my favorite Elephant and Piggie books. In this story, Piggie lets Gerald play with her new toy. He throws it in the air, but it breaks when it lands. Piggie is “mad and sad,” and Gerald is sorry, until a squirrel explains that the toy is actually a break and snap toy that’s meant to come apart. The representation of feelings (both named and unnamed) is spot on.

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta; illustrated by Ed Young

Adorable, slightly suspenseful story about a ninja on a nighttime mission. Before he can achieve his goal, the kitchen light comes on and he is caught…and revealed to be a boy trying to sneak some chocolate ice cream from the freezer.

Noisy Night by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Brian Biggs

Fun book about a noisy apartment building, where everyone wonders what’s making the noises in the apartment above them: an opera singer singing “La La La,” a baby cooing, “Ma Ma Ma,” a sheep saying, “Baa Baa Baa,” etc. The kids enjoyed repeating the sounds on each page and trying to guess who is making them.

No, David! by David Shannon

A lot of the kids were already familiar with this popular book. I love to tell them (and their caregivers) that the book was based on drawings that David Shannon made as a child, which his mother saved and sent to him. The kids enjoyed seeing all the ways David gets in trouble, especially the page where he runs down the street naked.

Songs & Activities:

Old MacDonald

We sang this after reading That Is Not a Good Idea in Family Storytime. I always have animal puppets out on all of the chairs for that storytime, and it’s fun to ask the kids to hold up an animal for us to sing about.

[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
And on that farm he [F] had a [C] cow,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
With an moo-moo here, and an moo-moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo.
[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!

Repeat with different animals…

Number Play Activity

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I brought out a foam die and explained that we were all going to clap our hands, but first we would throw the die to see how many times to clap. Once we threw the die (which landed on 5), we counted the dots and then clapped 5 times. Then we tried the same thing with jumping and stomping. I’ve also done this with a second die that has different actions (clapping, jumping, stomping, etc.) on each side.

The Noble Duke of York

We sang this song with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I threw a bunch of small animals on the parachute (one little girl volunteered her stuffed rabbit), and we lifted the parachute up and down with the song. Here’s a Barney video with the tune, in case you’re not familiar with it.

The noble Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them all to the top of the hill, (stretch up high or lift parachute)
And he marched them down again. (crouch down low or lower parachute)
And when you’re up, you’re up. (stretch up high)
And when you’re down, you’re down. (crouch down low)
And when you’re only halfway up,
You’re neither up, nor down. (stretch up high, then quickly crouch down)

No One Like You by Andrea Willis Muhoberac

For years, this was our opening song for Musical Storytime, and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. We used it as our instrument play-along at the end. Click on the triangle for the melody.

I like your [C] eyes.
I like your [F] nose.
I like your [G] mouth.
Your ears, your hands, your [C] toes.
I like your face.
It’s really [F] you.
I [Dm] like the things you say and [G] do.

There’s not a [F] single [G] soul
Who [C] sees the [Am] skies
The [G] way you see them.
Through your [C] eyes.
[F] And aren’t you [G] glad.
[E]You should be [Am] glad.
There’s [C] no one, [G] no one
Exactly like [C] you.

Stay & Play: Nature Rubbings

Really simple, inexpensive Stay & Play, which worked perfectly for Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Before storytime, we gathered several different types of leaves. For the Stay & Play, I put out the leaves, white computer paper, crayons and colored pencils and tape (taping the leaves to the back of the paper keeps them from sliding around). I also gave out picture books for the kids to put underneath their paper, since the tables at the park are a bit bumpy.

I showed the kids how to tape a leaf to the back of the paper, and then flip it over and run the crayon or colored pencil back and forth on the part of the paper where the leaf is. Most of the kids had never done this before and were surprised to see the outline of the leaf appear.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter N? Please share them in the comments below.

First M-Pressions: A Storytime About the Letter M

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask kids to point out the word or words starting with a particular letter in the titles of the books you read. (Example: Can you find a word starting with the letter M?”) Learning to recognize letters is a key part of learning to read, and noticing them in the books they read helps them make the connection between the words they know and say, and the written words they see on the page.

Last week, we celebrated the letter M, a letter which has lots of fun word tie-ins. As usual, we started by drawing the letter M in the air together, and then listed words that started with M. Some of the words the kids suggested were: Mommy, moon, and monster. I also pulled out other items from a paper bag: a mouse puppet, a microphone and a marker.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Llama Llama, Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

I think this is one of the most relatable Llama Llama books (a friend of mine told me recently that whenever her teenaged daughter is upset with her, she asks her, “Llama Llama, mad at Mama?,” which probably just annoys her more, but I thought it was funny). It was also nice to include this book because we read Llama Llama, Red Pajama last week. In this story, Llama Llama gets increasingly frustrated by a trip to the store. When his temper finally explodes, his Mama tells him that she thinks shopping is boring too, but she enjoys being with him.

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

I love this book so much! Every Monday, Mabel’s family watches her take her breakfast and a chair out to the driveway to see the best thing ever: the garbage truck! The descriptions of the garbage truck and its sounds (gah-dump!) are so much fun to read.

Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley

This is a long-time favorite of mine: the rhyming story of a mouse who enjoys playing in a human family’s kitchen, and making a huge mess.

M is for Mango by Atinuke; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

This is an adorable book that uses a series of M words to tell a simple story about a little boy named Mo, whose mango is stolen by monkeys in a small Nigerian village. Perfect for toddler storytimes.

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

We sang this variation of the classic song after reading, Llama Llama, Mad at Mama. I really like adding in other emotions to this song, both because I think it’s important for kids to be able to name and share their “negative” emotions, and also because they love to act them out. If you’re not familiar with the original version, here’s a video from Super Simple Songs.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry “Boo hoo!” (say “Boo hoo!” and pretend to cry)…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!” (“I’m mad!” and stomp feet)…

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”)…

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hooray!”…

Hickory Dickory Dock

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime, and with the play scarves in Family Storytime. With the parachute, I put a mouse puppet on top, and we bounced it up and down with the song. With the play scarves, I had the kids pretend the scarf was a mouse and run it up and down their arms. I use the same tune as the one in this Learning Station video, but add in the additional verses below.

[C] Hickory [G7] Dickory [C] Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse [G7] ran up the [C] clock. (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The [F] mouse ran down. (run fingers down arm)
[C] Hickory [G7] Dickory [C] Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)

Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock. (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went, “BOO!” (cover your face and then uncover it when you yell, “BOO!”)
Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock. (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “Whee!” (run fingers down body quickly)
Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock. (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck four: BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse said, “No more!” (hold hands out palms up and shrug shoulders)
Hickory Dickory Dock! (clap hands)

Monkey See and Monkey Do

I wish I could remember who originally taught me this song, because it’s one of my favorites. You can ask the kids to suggest other actions. I always end with “when you sit back on the ground,” which is a great way to get everyone ready to listen to the next book. Click on the triangle for the tune.

[C] When you clap, clap, clap your hands,
The monkey clap, clap, claps his [G7] hands,
Monkey [C] see, and monkey do,
The monkey [G7] does the same as [C] you!

Repeat with other motions: when you jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.

Mi Cuerpo Hace Musica

One of my storytime families requested this song, which was a perfect fit for our letter M theme. We sang it in Spanish and English like the Learning Groove video below.

[A] Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mis manos hacen Clap! Clap! Clap!
Mis [E7] pies hacen Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
Mi [A] boca hace “La La La!”
[E7] Cintura hace [A] Cha cha cha! (shake your hips)
[A] Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a
Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo [D] hace músic-[A]a


My body, my body makes music!
My body, my body makes music!
My hands go Clap! Clap! Clap!
My feet go Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
My mouth goes, “La La La!”
My hips go Cha Cha Cha!

Stay & Play: Paper Masks

This was a fun and easy storytime, although it definitely helps to have volunteers to prep the masks in advance. Before storytime, I printed a variety of paper masks onto cardstock and cut them out. Unfortunately, the mask in the picture was one that a coworker had cut out years ago, and I don’t know where she found it, but there are a lot of cute mask templates available at FirstPalette.com: Printable Animal Masks | Kids’ Crafts | Fun Craft Ideas | FirstPalette.com

For the Stay & Play, I put out the masks, markers, craft sticks, and tape (for attaching the craft sticks to the back). I also put out some colored feathers and glue, which some kids enjoyed adding to their masks. It was so much fun to see them all modeling their finished masks.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter M? Please share them in the comments below.

L-emental: A Storytime About the Letter L

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Early Literacy Tip: When reading books with predictable or very familiar text, try pausing before you say a word, and let your child fill in the blank (For example, “The cow said, “_____”. Using prediction skills is a key part of learning how to read.

This week, we continued our journey through the alphabet, focusing on the Letter L. We started by drawing the letter L (upper and lower-case in the air together), and then talking about words that begin with L. The kids suggested lollipop, lion, and lamb. I pulled out some items from a paper bag: a ladle, a lid, and a lyre (which I brought around for the kids to strum).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Red Light, Green Lion by Candace Ryan and Jennifer Yerkes

This is a cute book that kept the kids guessing. The text describes how things don’t always work out the way you expect, and demonstrates this on each page by ending with “Red Light, Green Li-” only to begin the next page with “Lion” or “Lifeboat” or “Livestock.” I tried to draw out the “Li…” each time, and the kids would laugh at the unexpected word.

Llama Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

The perfect book for letter L! Most of the kids knew the book already and were excited to see it. It’s such a classic rhyming story about an anxious Llama who gets upset when his Mama doesn’t come when he calls.

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Another classic picture book that a lot of the kids knew. I especially like this one because it’s fun to pause when you read the lines about each animal and have the kids supply the missing word (“Sheep said ____! Cow said _____!”) A sweet, rhyming story about a friendly blue truck who saves a grumpy dump truck with the help of all of his animal friends.

Moo-Moo, I Love You by Tom Lichtenheld and Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I wanted to include a picture book featuring the word “Love,” and this is one of my favorites (although it would also work well for letter M). Full of word play around the word “Moo,” (like “I would jump over the Moo-N for you!”) and sweet, funny pictures of cows, both the kids and their caregivers enjoyed this one.

Songs & Activities:

Red Light, Green Light

After reading Red Light, Green Lion, we played a short game of Red Light, Green Light. Instead of the traditional game of having the kids walk towards me when I said, “Green Light” and stop when I said, “Red Light,” I just had them do different actions (clapping, stomping, etc.) when I said “Green Light” and stop when I said “Red Light.” It works especially well if you hold up pictures of a red light and a green light each time.

Can You See the Color Red?

We sang this after reading Llama Llama Red Pajama. The kids always enjoying pointing to things around them that match each color. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Can you [C] see the color red,
The [F] color yellow, the [G7] color red?
Can you [C] see the color red,
[F] Right here [G7] where you [C] are?

Can you see the color blue… etc.

Love Somebody, Yes, I Do

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with the parachute, shaking it in time with the song.There are lots of different versions of the song, but the one I do is closest to the one in the video by Musicaliti found below. We sang it through three times.

Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody, yes I do!
Love somebody and it’s you, you, you! (point to different people)
You, you, you!

Little Red Caboose

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. For Family Storytime, I had the kids line up to make a train, and we circled the row of shelves next to the storytime space as we sang and shook our egg shakers (it would also be fun with play scarves). There are lots of versions of this song, but the one I do is closest to the Sweet Honey and the Rock version below.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train.

[C] Get your tickets and get on board,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Get your tickets and get on board,
Riding behind the [C] train.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train.

I’ve got a brother on that train,
Riding behind the train.
You’ve got a sister on that train,
Riding behind the train.

[C] Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [G7] train.
Little red caboose,
Little red caboose,
Riding behind the [C] train

Stay & Play: Letter Stamps

This was a super easy Stay & Play, where I just put out our set of letter stamps, along with ink-pads, markers, and other fun stamps. Most of the kids stamped out their names with the help of a caregiver. It’s a great activity for both literacy (searching for each letter) and fine motor skills (figuring out the best way to coat the stamp in ink and press it onto the paper).

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the Letter L? Please share them in the comments below.

Go Fly a Kite! A Storytime About the Letter K

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Early Literacy Tip: Point out words and letters that behave in surprising ways, like the silent K in words like “knot” and “knee.” It’s helpful for kids to know that words don’t always follow the “rules.”

Still working our way through the alphabet! This week was Letter K. As usual, we started by drawing an upper and lower case K in the air together, and I asked the kids if they knew any words that started with K. They suggested koala, Kindergarten, kite and kangaroo. From my paper bag, I also pulled out a kazoo, a set of keys, and a kalimba (also known as a thumb piano. I brought it around for the kids to try).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Before I read this one, I talked about how the letter K is usually silent when it appears in front of the letter N. Out of habit, I usually pronounce “knuffle” this way, although I’ve read that it’s actually based on a Dutch word (knuffel) that’s pronounced “Kuh-nuffle.” However you pronounce it, this is one of my favorite read-alouds, about a little girl whose favorite toy goes missing at the laundromat, and leads her to say her first words.

Mama’s Kisses by Kate McMullan; illustrated by Tao Nyeu

I read this one for Family Storytime, which is a much smaller group, so they were able to find the baby animals hiding in the illustrations throughout the book. A sweet book about four animal mothers looking for their babies at bedtime.

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman

I love this adorable story about a dog named Katie who is so excited when her owner brings home three little kittens that she just can’t stop herself from howling and chasing them around. She feels terrible for scaring them, but somehow it keeps happening, until she falls asleep, and wakes to find the kittens curled up on top of her. This book does such a good job of capturing the “cuteness aggression” that kids often struggle with around pets, and the kids loved howling along with the repeated “AROOOO’s!”

Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand

This book was a great lead-in to our Stay & Play and our last song. It’s a simple story about Bear and Mole making and flying a kite, which flies away and gets stuck in a tree. They are upset at first, until they discover that the lost kite is serving as an umbrella to a grateful nest full of baby birds.

Songs:

The Sleeping Bunnies

We sang this to go along with Knuffle Bunny. It’s one of my favorite songs to use with toddlers and preschoolers because they love lying down and then jumping back up. I usually sing it through three times.

See the little bunnies sleeping (crouch or lie down and pretend to sleep)
‘Till it’s nearly noon.
Come, let us wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still.
Are they ill?
NO! Wake up little bunnies! (jump up)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! (hop!)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

Five Days Old by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Mama’s Kisses. It’s one of my favorite Laurie Berkner songs, because the actions are built into the lyrics.

[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] one day old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] two [G7] days [C] old.
[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] three days old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] four [G7] days [C] old.
[F] One [C] day, I’ll [F] be a [C] year, then [F] I’ll be [C] two, then [G7] three, then four.
[C] As for now I’m [F] sitting here, I’m [C] five days old and [F] no [G7] days [C] more!

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

I’m clapping my hands, I’m one day old…

I’m kicking my legs, I’m one day old…

Getting really tired, I’m one day old…

I’m jumping up, I’m one day old…

Old MacDonald

We sang this with the parachute in Outdoor Musical Storytime after reading Katie Loves the Kitten. I threw different stuffed animals on the parachute each time: a cat, a mouse, and (just for fun) a snake!

[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
And on that farm he [F] had a [C] cow,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!
With an moo-moo here, and an moo-moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo.
[C] Old MacDonald [F] had a [C] farm,
E-I- [G7] E-I- [C] O!

Repeat with different animals…

Let’s Go Fly a Kite by Richard M. Sherman and Robert Sherman

We sang this Mary Poppins song as our instrument play-along at the end. It would also work well with play scarves or ribbon wands.

With [G] tuppence for paper and strings,
You can have your own set of [C] wings.
With your [G] feet on the [G7] ground
You’re a [A] bird in [C] flight,
With your [G] fist holding [D] tight,
To the string of your [G] kite.

Oh, oh, oh,
[C] Let’s go fly a kite!
[G] Up to the highest height.
[D] Let’s go fly a kite,
And [G] send it soaring!
[C] Up through the atmosphere,
[G] Up where the air is clear,
[D] Oh, let’s go fly a [G] kite.

When you send it flying up there,
All at once you’re lighter than air.
You can dance on the breeze over houses and trees,
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite.

Oh, oh, oh
Let’s go fly a kite!
Up to the highest height.
Let’s go fly a kite,
And send it soaring.
Up through the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear,
Oh, let’s go fly a kite!

Stay & Play: Paper Bag Kites

A fun and easy kite craft, with a paper lunch bag as the base. There are lots of different examples online, but the one I used was based on this Crafty with Natalie example: Paper Bag Kite! – Crafty with Natalie.

For the Stay & Play, I put out paper lunch bags, a hole punch, crepe paper, glue sticks, kids scissors, string, markers, and popsicle sticks. The kids decorated their bags with markers and bits of crepe paper, and the grown-ups helped them punch a hole in the bottom of the bag, tie a long piece of string through the hole, and tie and wrap the string to the popsicle stick. It was cute to see them running with their kites, especially at Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs based on the letter K? Please share them in the comments below.

Jackpot! A Storytime About the Letter J

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Early Literacy Tip: Play rhyming games with your kids by asking them to come up with words that rhyme with another word, or asking them to guess which rhyming word you are thinking of. Rhymes are one of the best ways to help kids learn the sounds that make up the parts of words, an essential skill for learning to read later on.

This week, we focused on the letter J for storytime. As usual, I started by having the kids draw a capital and lowercase letter J in the air with me, and then asked them if they knew any words that started with J. They came up with jellybean, jellyfish, and jelly. I also pulled some items out of a paper bag: a jaw harp, a jar, and a jack-in-the-box (which I demonstrated several times. They loved it!).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

This classic book was a childhood favorite of my own kids, and the storytime families were excited to see it too. Rhyming text and large, beautiful illustrations describe a fantasyland full of different kinds of berries and animals.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

I love this book about a young boy named Jabari who decides to jump off of the high dive for the first time, but keeps finding reasons to put it off (thinking of the dive he wants to do, doing his stretches, etc.). His Dad tells him that sometimes when he’s afraid, he takes a deep breath, and discovers that the fear feels more like a surprise. His trick works for Jabari, who finally does his dive. The descriptions and illustrations are perfect for storytime.

Joy by Yasmeen Ismail; illustrated by Jenni Desmond

Very cute story about a kitten’s joy at playing with a ball of yarn, until she takes a tumble. A sweet exploration of different types of feelings. I have a volunteer who helps with Family Storytime, and she acted out the kitten’s motions with a kitten stuffed animal as I read.

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw; illustrated by Margot Apple

Classic rhyming story about a group of sheep who take a joyride in a Jeep. Before I read it, I asked the kids to guess the last word in the title, based on the rhyme and the picture on the front cover.

Songs:

Peanut Butter and Jelly

This is an old camp song that I remember learning in Girl Scouts when I was a kid. Our library actually has a set of props for this, and I used them when I sang the song. I often ask the kids to suggest a type of berry to pick for the jam. At the end, I usually pretend to have peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth, and we all pour and drink a pretend glass of milk. The version I sing is a little different than the one in this Super Simple Songs video (they repeat the “Peanut, peanut butter” line after each action, while I only sing it once per verse. See below.), but the tune is basically the same.

First, you take the peanuts and you pick ’em, (pretend to pick peanuts)
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them, (clap your hands together)
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em. (pretend to spread something on one hand)
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left)

Then, you take the berries and you pick ’em, (pretend to pick berries)
You pick ’em, you pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em.
Then you smash them, you smash them, (clap your hands together)
You smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em.
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em. (pretend to spread something on one hand)
You spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left)

Then you take the sandwich and you bite it, (pretend to bite a sandwich)
You bite it, you bite it, bite it, bite it.
Then you chew it, you chew it, you chew it, (pretned to chew)
Chew it, Chew it.
Then you swallow it, you swallow it, (rub your tummy)
You swallow it, swallow it, swallow it.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly! (wave your hands to the left)
Peanut, peanut butter (wave your hands to the right)
And jelly!” (wave your hands to the left).

Down in the Jungle

For Family Storytime, I gave out play scarves before we sang this one, and then we mimed washing them. I asked the kids to suggest different animals each time we sang it. I use the same tune as the Sing and Learn with Vicky video below:

Down in the jungle where nobody goes,
There’s a little baby elephant washing his clothes.
With a rub-a-dub here, and a rub-a-dub there.
That’s the way he washes his clothes!

Jellies Floating

We sang this with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I threw cotton balls on the parachute and told the kids they were our jellyfish.

To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down.

Jellies floating up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
Jellies floating up and down,
In the sea.

Jellies floating all around,
All around,
All around.
Jellies floating all around,
In the sea.

Jump Up

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. The kids loved jumping up and down as we sang. It’s such a fun and happy song!

[C] Jump up day is breaking
[G7] Jump up let’s get shaking
[C] I know you’re lying down
[F] Jump up and we’ll dance a-[C]round

Jump up bells are ringing
And i hear friends are singing
Oh yea, it’s a crazy sound
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Jump up stand on your tip toes
Reach out grab a rainbow
Turn it upside down
Jump up and we’ll dance it around

Jump up clouds are passing
Look up the sky is laughing
I know we’ll be laughing too
Jump up I want to dance with you

Jump up you know i love you
That’s right i love love love you
A new day is shining down
Jump up and we’ll dance around

Stay & Play: Beaded Jewelry

I actually did a different craft for Family Storytime, but didn’t get to take pictures. For that one, I just put out white cardstock, markers, and kids scissors, and told the kids to draw a picture and then cut it into a jigsaw puzzle. I told them they could challenge their caregiver to put the puzzle together, or have their caregiver cut the pieces and challenge them do to the puzzle.

For Outdoor Musical Storytime though, I put out a large selection of Pony beads and pipe cleaners, and let the kids make beaded bracelets. They always love threading the beads, and it’s a wonderful activity for developing their fine motor skills.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter J? Please share them in the comments below.

The I’s Have It! A Storytime About the Letter I

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask your child to guess what will happen next in a story. This is a great way to make sure they understand what’s happening, and keep them engaged in the book.

This week’s storytime focus was the Letter I. We started by drawing a capital and lower case letter I in the air together (I also wrote them on my whiteboard), and then we talked about the two main sounds that the letter I makes, and some words that start with I. The families suggested igloo, ice cream, and ice. I also pulled three items out of a paper bag: an insect (honeybee puppet), an instrument (a rainstick), and an ink pad.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck by Sorche Fairbank; illustrated Terry Runyan

Cute, rhyming book about waiting for the ice cream truck, but seeing lots of other trucks instead. When I read this in Family Stortyime, one of the kids started pointing to different animals on each page, and saying, “That one’s me, and that one’s my Dad.” And then other kids started joining in. It was so funny and sweet that I think I may ask kids to point to the animal they would like to be in future books with different animal characters.

If You Give A Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff; illustrated by Felicia Bond

Many of the kids were familiar with this book, which I read in a big book format for Outdoor Musical Storytime. It’s a fun one for asking the kids to guess what the mouse will ask for next (my early literacy tip for the week).

The Most Important Thing by Antonella Abbatiello

Different types of animals argue about which trait is the most important (long neck, spiky quills, tall ears, wings, etc.), and they all imagine what they would look like if they had that trait. The kids really enjoyed the pictures showing all the animals with wings or long necks, etc.

If by Sarah Perry

This is an older book, but the ideas and illustrations are imaginative and unforgettable. Each page depicts a different hypothetical scenario, ranging from the magical (if cats could fly) to the creepy (if teeth were toes). The kids were mesmerized by the illustrations (and so were the grown-ups).

Songs:

If You’re Happy And You Know It

Full disclosure: I also sang this song for the letter H last week (as well as Hickory Dickory Dock (below), but it works for both! Plus, it’s the kind of classic song that the kids are usually excited to sing with me.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!”… (stomp feet while saying, “I’m mad!”)

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

We sang this with the play scarves in Family Storytime. I had the kids pretend the scarves were spiders that they “crawled” up their arms, and then threw into the air on the “down came the rain” line.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Hickory Dickory Dock

This was a repeat from last week that we did with the parachute. I put a mouse puppet in the middle of the parachute, and we shook the parachute in time to the song, and lifted it up and down to go with the lyrics.

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The mouse ran down (run fingers down arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went, “BOO!” (cover your face and then uncover it when you yell, “BOO!”)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “Whee!” (run fingers down body quickly)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

If All the Raindrops

I do this traditional song a lot because it works well for so many ages, and gives the kids a chance to suggest their favorite foods for each verse. We sang it as our instrument play-along at the end.

[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a rain it would [G7] be.
[C] I’d stand out- [G7] side with my [C] mouth open [G7] wide,
[C] “Ah, Ah, Ah, [G7] Ah, Ah, Ah, [C] Ah, Ah, Ah, [G7] Ah!”
[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a [G7] rain it would [C] be.

If all the raindrops were ice cream and carrots… etc.

Stay & Play: Stamps & Inkpads

This was one of the easiest Stay & Play’s I’ve done, but the kids really enjoyed it. We have a huge collection of different types of stamps and inkpads, so I just put them all out, along with white paper and markers. They had a great time trying out all of the different stamps. One of the caregivers pointed out that stamping is a great way to practice different types of motor skills, because it takes a while for kids to get the hang of pressing down hard on the inkpad, but also being careful to make sure the ink covers the whole surface, and then using enough force and care to make sure the whole image gets imprinted on the paper.

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs featuring the letter I? Please share them in the comments below.

Hip Hip Hooray: A Storytime About the Letter H

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Early Literacy Tip: When reading a book with a repeated word or phrase, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, pause to let your child fill in the word. You can also point to the word to reinforce their print awareness.

I was so excited this week to see storytime families actively engaging in our focus on letters and letter sounds. One of my regular Family Storytime kids came in announcing the letter of the day before I even said it, and, during our Hat activity at the end, I overheard a grandmother asking her grandson what letter the word hat starts with, and he said, “H!” She even took time to enunciate the “ha- ha- hat.” This was exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to revisit the alphabet in my storytimes: providing caregivers with simple, fun ways to practice basic early literacy skills in their daily routines.

As usual, this week I started by writing the Letter H on my whiteboard, and asking the kids to draw a capital and lowercase letter H in the air with me. Then we talked about the sound letter H makes and some common words beginning with H. I pulled some items out of a paper bag: a toy horse, a toy hippo, a harmonica, and a hat.

Here’s the rest of what we did (a combination of Family Storytime and Outdoor Musical Storytime).

Books:

I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! by Angela Dominguez

I love the Lolo and Birdie books by Angela Dominguez. They are all very simple bilingual stories in English and Spanish, featuring a dinosaur who speaks Spanish, and a bird who translates into English. In this one, Lolo the dinosaur complains that he’s hungry, and Birdie suggests different foods he might like to eat (she is dismayed when he says he would like to eat “un pajaro azul” but appeases him with some galletas instead. It’s also a fun book to use for letter h, because you can point out that h is silent in Spanish. One Family Storytime family loved this book so much that they asked to borrow it.

How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward; illustrated by Diana Sudyka

I read this one at Outdoor Musical Storytime, which is held in one of our County parks, so there are lots of birds all around. I took a moment before I read it to demonstrate the Merlin app (a free app from the Cornell Bird Lab), and how you could use it to identify the bird songs nearby. The book describes different ways to look for birds, with lots of different types of birds hidden in the illustrations.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The kids at Outdoor Musical Storytime were excited when I held this book up, since many of them have it at home. They also enjoyed calling out the names of the different foods the caterpillar ate, and yelling out “hungry!” each time I paused on the line, “But he was still…”

There’s a Mouse in My House by Ross Collins

Funny, rhyming sequel to There’s a Bear in My Chair (which many of the kids had read). In this one, the polar bear complains about the mouse that has settled in his house. He would throw him out, he says, except the mouse knows tai kwon do. He eats like a buffalo, and leaves the bear one pistachio. But when the mouse’s friends show up to throw the bear a party, he decides they are nice after all.

Hooray for Hat by Brian Won

This is such a colorful, fun book, about a variety of grumpy animals who cheer up when someone gives them each a hat. The kids loved joining in on the repeated “Hooray for Hat!” line, which appears in large colorful letters. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I handed out the egg shakers at the end, and we all shook the shakers each time we yelled, “Hooray!”

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

This song is a classic for a reason, although I’ve tweaked it a bit by adding in different emotions. The kids always giggle when we pretend to cry “Boo hoo.” You can ask them to suggest other emotions as well.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re [F] happy and you know it, and you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!”… (stomp feet while saying, “I’m mad!”)

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

Two Little Blackbirds

We sang this after reading How to Find a Bird. I often give out play scarves with this one and have the kids pretend they are birds.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both thumbs)
One named Jack, and the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack! (Put one thumb behind your back)
Fly away, Jill! (Put the other thumb behind your back)
Come back, Jack! (Bring the first thumb out in front).
Come back, Jill! (Bring the second thumb out in the front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud,
One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”)
Fly away, Quiet!
Fly away, Loud!
Come back, Quiet!
Come back, Loud!

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow.
One flew fast!
And the other flew slow!…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate.
One was early, and the other was…late!…

The Butterfly Song

A fun song to go along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

First comes a butterfly (Wave scarf or move your hands like a butterfly)
Who lays an egg. (Make a circle with your thumb and index finger).
Out comes a caterpillar (Wiggle your finger like a caterpillar)
With lots of legs.
Now see the caterpillar spin and spin (Spin the scarf),
A little chrysalis to sleep in (Bundle scarf up in a ball in your hand or make a fist).
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Out of the chrysalis, my, oh, my!
Out comes a beautiful butterfly! (Open up hand and wave scarf).

Hickory Dickory Dock

In Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang this with a mouse puppet on the parachute, lifting the parachute up and down. For Family Storytime, I gave the kids scarves to make pretend mice that ran up and down their arms. Here’s a video from The Learning Station with the tune.

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck one: BONG!
The mouse ran down (run fingers down arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went, “BOO!” (cover your face and then uncover it when you yell, “BOO!”)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “Whee!” (run fingers down body quickly)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands in rhythm)
The mouse ran up the clock (run fingers up arm)
The clock struck four: BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse said, “No more!” (hold hands out palms up and shrug shoulders)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap hands)

The Hokey Pokey

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. Parents always seem to enjoy doing this one with their kids.

[C] You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in,
[G] And you shake it all about!
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all [C] about!

Repeat with left hand, right foot, left foot, head, and whole body.

Stay & Play: Paper Bowl Hats

This was such an adorable project. I got the idea from raisecuriouskids.com.

Before the storytime, I had a volunteer punch holes on either side of each bowl and thread a long piece a ribbon from one hole to the other. For the Stay & Play, I put out the bowls, along with markers, and Washi tape in different patterns. The kids had fun decorating the bowls, and the caregivers helped them tie the ribbon into a loose chin strap. They all looked so cute in their little bowl hats!

Do you have any favorite picture books or songs featuring the letter H? Please share them in the comments below.

G-neral Knowledge: A Storytime About the Letter G

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Early Literacy Tip: Ask your child to search for different characters or items in the illustrations of books, like finding the little mouse on each page of Good Night, Owl. This makes sharing the book a more interactive experience. It will also teach them to look for details in the illustrations, which can help them decipher unfamiliar words when they are learning to read later on.

This week we had fun with ghosts and the word “Go” as we focused on the letter G. As usual, I started by writing the letter G (both upper and lower- case) on my whiteboard and having the kids trace it in the air with me. Then we talked about the two different sounds that G makes. I asked the kids to think of words that start with G (adorably, the first one they suggested was “Grandma”) and then pulled some things starting with the letter G out of a paper bag (a glue stick, a glove, a toy giraffe, and a toy gorilla).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers

A girl who lives in a big haunted house asks the reader for help finding the ghosts she has never seen. Each page features a translucent overlay that makes ghosts suddenly appear in the scene. This book is a hit with kids of all ages!

Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper

Cute story about Little Green, who can only say the word “Go!” He uses this word to help some construction vehicles get their job done, but things quickly get out of control, until Little Red arrives to tell them when to “Stop!” The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Go’s” and “Stop’s.”

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

An adorable giraffe named Gerald longs to dance but is impossibly clumsy, until a cricket helps him find his own music to dance to. A sweet, rhyming story with charming illustrations.

Good Night, Owl by Greg Pizzoli

Owl is all ready for bed, but keeps getting distracted by a “Squeek!” Trying to find the source of the noise leads him to empty his cupboards, pull up his floor, tear down his roof, and knock down his walls, until he finally spots the little mouse who is causing all of the commotion. The kids loved joining in on the “Squeek’s” and looking for the little mouse hiding on each page.

Songs:

We Are Spooky Ghosts

I wish I knew who wrote this song, which I learned many years ago from an Orff Music Curriculum. The original version was “We Are Scary Skeletons” and I often use it at Halloween, where I ask the kids to suggest different spooky things they would like to be. But my favorite way to sing it is with play scarves, where we all get to put the scarves on our heads and pretend to be ghosts. The video below is one I did during lockdown, when I was leading storytimes over Zoom from my house, and improvising with household items.

We are spooky ghosts
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street,
Floating down the street.
We are spooky ghosts
Floating down the street.
We’ll scare you!
BOO!

Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton

We sang this song after reading Giraffes Can’t Dance. It’s such a catchy song, and the kids enjoy pretending to be elephants and monkeys.

[C] Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow.
[G7] Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.
[C] Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
And [G7] we can stay all [C] day.

CHORUS:
[F] We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
[C] How about you, you, you?
[G7] You can come too, too, too! (G7)
We’re [C] going to the zoo, [G7] zoo, [C] zoo!

See the elephants with the long trunk swinging,
Great big ears and a long trunk swinging.
Snuffing up peanuts with the long trunk swinging,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

See all the monkeys, they’re scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Jumping all around and scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Hanging by the long tails scritch, scritch, scratchin’,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

Well, we stayed all day, and I’m getting sleepy,
Sitting in the car getting sleep, sleep, sleepy.
Home already and I’m sleep, sleep, sleepy,
‘Cause we have stayed all day!

We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
So have you, you, you!
You came too, too, too!
We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

But Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.
Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

Go, Go, Go, Stop

I improvised this simple song to sing with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. We sang it a little faster each time.

To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:

Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP! (shake the parachute in time to the song, and freeze on the word STOP!”
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, STOP!

So Glad I’m Here

This is a beautiful song (based, I believe, on a traditional African American gospel song). We used it as our instrument play-along at the end. I especially love this version by Elizabeth Mitchell. I added a final verse that says “I’m so glad you’re here.”

[C] I’m so glad I’m here,
So glad I’m here,
So glad I’m here, here to-[G7]day.
So [C] glad I’m here,
I’m [F] so glad I’m here,
So [G7] glad I’m here, here to-[C]day.

I’m gonna sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here, here today.
Sing while I’m here,
I’m gonna sing while I’m here,
Sing while I’m here, here today.

Love brought me here,
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here, here today.
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here,
Love brought me here, here today.

Joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here, here today.
Joy brought me here,
You know joy brought me here,
Joy brought me here, here today.

I’m so glad you’re here,
So glad you’re here,
So glad you’re here, here today.
So glad you’re here,
You know, I’m so glad you’re here.
So glad you’re here, here today.

Stay & Play: Glue Ghosts

For the Stay & Play, I offered the kids two different ways to make ghosts.

For the first option, I put out black paper, ModPodge, some cardboard squares I cut out of cereal boxes, and googly eyes. I helped the kids pour a small amount of ModPodge on their paper, and gave them each a cardboard square to spread it into a ghost shape. I also provided scissors and white paper, in case they wanted to cut out a mouth. Most of them added lots of googly eyes. Unlike other kinds of white glue, the ModPodge dries into a thick, smooth layer, which makes it look like a transparent ghost.

For the second option, I put out black paper, glue sticks, googly eyes, white paper, and googly eyes, so the kids could cut out ghost shapes and glue them on the black paper.

Do you have any favorite books or songs featuring the letter G? Please share them in the comments below.