Yesterday (May 1) was National Mother Goose Day, so this week we had a great time celebrating famous nursery rhymes in Family Storytime and Outdoor Musical Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Mary Had a Little Lamp by Jack Lechner; illustrated by Bob Staake

Hilariously silly parody of Mary Had a Little Lamb, about a little girl who takes her lamp everywhere. It got a lot of laughs, especially from parents, and they all loved the ending.

Hickory Dickory Dog by Alison Murray

Cute parody of Hickory Dickory Dock, featuring a dog named Rufus who follows a little boy to school and gets covered in glue, paint, leaves, and food.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

This extended version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider is always a hit with a wide range of ages. The illustrations are colorful and adorable (I especially love the spider wearing sunglasses at the end).

Cindy Moo by Lori Mortensen; illustrated by Jeff Mack

Adorable rhyming story about a cow who hears the rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle and decides to jump over the moon. None of her attempts work, however, until a rainstorm comes and creates a puddle on the ground that reflects the moon.

Songs:

I’m a Little Teapot

This is a classic nursery song for a reason. The kids always love it, and most of them know it already. Here’s a video by Sing with Bella with the melody and the motions.

I’m a little teapot, short and stout.
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up, here me shout!
Just tip me over and pour me out.

Hickory Dickory Dock

I did this one with a mouse puppet. We followed up the version below by putting the mouse puppet on the parachute, and lifting the parachute up and down. Here’s a video from The Learning Station with the tune.

I did this one with a mouse puppet. We followed up the version below by putting the mouse puppet on the parachute, and lifting the parachute up and down.

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)

…the clock struck two: BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “boo!” (cover eyes with hands, then peekaboo)

…the clock struck three: BONG! BONG! BONG!
The mouse went “whee!” (slide fingers down body)

There’s a Spider on the Floor

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 mimed the actions with a spider puppet, while the kids made 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?…

Throw It Out the Window

This is a silly song I remember from my childhood. I stuck to the nursery rhymes that didn’t involve throwing living things, but it was a fun song to do for our instrument play-along at the end. Here’s a video by Michael Rosen with the tune:

[C] Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone.
But [G7] when she got there the cupboard was bare,
So she [C] threw it out the window.

CHORUS
The [C] window, the window, the second-story window
[G7] With a heave and a ho, she gave a big throw,
And [C] threw it out the window.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he.
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl,
And threw them out the window.

CHORUS

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb, and pulled out a plum,
And threw it out the window.

CHORUS

Stay & Play: Paper Teapots

This was a SUPER easy Stay & Play craft. All I did was print out a teapot coloring sheet from Super Coloring, and put out markers, dot markers, googly eyes, and gem stickers. The kids had a great time decorating their teapots.

Do you have favorite books or songs based on nursery rhymes? Please share them in the comments below.