Categories
Class Visits Story Times

Monster Storytime

A monster themed storytime great for Halloween or anytime you’re feeling a little spooky! I did this storytime for my regular public storytime and for a few class visits. Worked out well in both settings.

Hello song

Book 1: Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

This book is actually a song by children’s performer Laurie Berkner. First, we read the book and practiced the moves. Then we played the song together. It worked out really well! 

Theme Song: Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

Re-focus song

Book 2: Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

Not only is this book a classic, but I love doing it alongside Monster Boogie because the two books together show that some “monsters” in life may look scary but are actually fun & welcoming, while some monsters are just straight up monsters who need to be told to go away!

Favorite songs and goodbye!

 

Categories
Story Times

Hugs & Love Storytime

Hello songs

Book 1: Can I Give You A Squish? by Emily Neilson

Theme Song: Skidamarink

Skidamarink a dinky dink skidamarink a doo (touch elbows and wave hands)
I love you (hug baby or yourself)
Skidamarink a dinky dink skidamarink a doo (touch elbows and wave hands)
I love you (hug baby or yourself)
I love you in the morning (touch hands above head)
And in the afternoon (touch hands around belly)
I love you in the evening (touch hands toward floor)
And underneath the moon (move hands back up to sky)
OH Skidamarink a dinky dink skidamarink a doo (touch elbows and wave hands)
I love you (hug baby or yourself)

Transition song

Book 2: Give Me A Snickle! by Alisha Sevigny

Favorite songs and goodbye!

 

Categories
Story Times

Garden Storytime

This was a special storytime I did for a local community garden organization. The kids had lots of fun and it was a treat to be outside in a sunny beautiful garden!

Hello songs

Book 1: Miguel’s Community Garden by Janay Brown-Wood (I have been just LOVING her books lately!)

Theme song:

Wake Up Bunnies!

(have all the children pretend to be asleep)

See the little bunnies sleeping til it’s nearly noon
Come and let us gently wake them with a merry tune
Why so still?
Are they ill?
Wake up soon
WAKE UP! WAKE UP BUNNIES!
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop

Transition song

Book 2: A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy

Theme Song #2: Snake in the Grass

Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Oh no! I see a snake
So I better run really fast!
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Oh no! I see a snake
So I better walk really quietly
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Oh no! I see a snake
So I better run really fast!
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Snake snake snake in the grass
Oh no! I see a snake
So I get in my car and I drive away Beep Beep!

Goodbye song

 

 

 

Categories
Story Times

Baby Themed Storytime

Hello songs

Book 1: Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by Janay Brown-Wood

Theme Songs:

Charlie Chaplin Diaper Song

(baby can sit on grown-up’s lap or grown-up can lay baby down on knees or floor as if they’re changing a diaper)

Charlie Chaplin went to France
To teach the babies how to dance
First they did the rumba, the rumba, the rumba
Then they did the kicks, the kicks, the kicks
Then they did the samba, the samba, the samba
Then they did the splits, the splits, the splits

Open Shut Them

Open shut them
Open shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap lap lap
Creep them crawl them
Creep them crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth but do not let them in!

Peekaboo Song

Peekaboo
Peekaboo
I see you
I see you
I see your button nose
I see your tiny toes
Peekaboo
I see you

Transition song

Book 2: Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla

Favorite songs and goodbye!

Categories
Story Times

Snow & Winter Storytime

This snowy storytime was a very successful virtual program! I tried to really pump up the levels of interaction so that the children who attended remained engaged the whole time.

Book 1: I Love Snow! By Zeta Elliott

A simple, excellent read aloud book for that snowy time of year. Children of all backgrounds and abilities play in the snow in different ways, but also experience the gray slushy side of a snowy winter. Despite this, they still continue to love snow in the end!

Felt Board Theme Game: Snowman Mitten Hunt

In this interactive felt board game, the children helped the snowmen find the missing mitten. Each snowman was a different color, and each snowman was hiding a different colored mitten. We shouted “Snow man, snow man where is your mitten???” and revealed each one until we found the missing yellow mitten.

Transition Song

Book 2: Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda

A super interactive book in which children help the bunny ski down the mountain until she eventually falls into her own burrow, where mom has hot chocolate waiting for her.

Favorite Songs (with Peter the bunny puppet) and Goodbye!

Categories
Story Times

Horse Story Time

This was such a special story time. Many of my story times have been outdoors this summer (Summer 2021), so as a fun treat I invited our local mounted park rangers to crash story time! The kids just loved it!

 

Hello songs

Book 1: Hello, Day! by Anita Lobel

Theme Song:

This might be the easiest theme song ever as it only has one phrase. With baby on your lap you sing the William Tell Overture using the phrase “Giddy-up.” It’s super simple but you can get so silly with it!

Re-focus song

Book 2:  Giddy Up! Let’s Ride! by Flora McDonnell

Favorite songs and goodbye!

 

Categories
Story Times

Playing Pretend/Imagination Story Time

Hello songs

Book 1: Meeow and the Little Chairs by Sebastien Braun

Theme Song:

This was a great theme song because while it’s about playing pretend, it’s also about cats. The end also leads nicely into the second book.

I’m A Little Kitty Cat

I’m a little kitty cat
Nice and sweet
Here are my whiskers, here are my feet
When I go out hunting mice beware
Because you might just have a scare!

Re-focus/transition song

Book 2: Can You Make A Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Favorite songs and goodbye!

Categories
Story Times

Feelings & Emotions Story Time

Hello song

Book 1: I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont

A wonderful modern alternative to Dr. Seuss if you’re not into that right now.

 

Theme Song:

Shake My Sillies Out

I’ve gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away

I’ve gotta clap, clap, clap my crazies (or kookies) out
Clap, clap, clap my crazies out
Clap, clap, clap my crazies out
And wiggle my waggles away

I’ve gotta jump, jump, jump my jiggles out
Jump, jump, jump my jiggles out
Jump, jump, jump my jiggles out
And wiggle my waggles away

I’ve gotta yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out
Yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out
Yawn, yawn, yawn my sleepies out
And wiggle my waggles away

I’ve gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away (on the last wiggle my waggles I always turn around and wiggle my butt, the kids love it!)

Re-focus song

Book 2: Why The Face? by Jean Jullien

Favorite songs and goodbye!

 

Categories
Story Times

Dinosaur Story Time

Hello songs

Book 1: Hi, Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter

Theme Song: 

I’ve done a couple different theme songs for this story time. My latest one was playing Laurie Berkner’s We Are The Dinosaurs on a loud speaker and doing big fun movements along with the song.

I’ve also done this song:

Dino-Pokey

Put your claws in. Put your claws out.
Put your claws in and scratch them all about. Do the dino-pokey and turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.

Put your teeth in… chomp them all bout. Put your feet in…stomp them all about. Put your tail in…wag it all about.

Re-focus song

Book 2: We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin

Favorite songs and goodbye!

Categories
Story Times

Lions, Tigers & Bears Story Time (Toddler/Family)

Hello songs

Book 1: It’s A Tiger by David LaRochelle

Theme Song: 

Bear Song

Grizzly bears are big and brown, big and brown, big and brown
Grizzly bears are big and brown
And live in the woods
Polar bears are soft and white, soft and white, soft and white
Polar bears are soft and white
And live in the cold
Teddy bears are just my size, just my size, just my size
Teddy bears are just my size
To cuddle with at night

Re-focus/transition song

Book 2: If you”re Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition by James Warhola

Favorite songs and goodbye!