My
Toddlertime format is:
- Intro and hello
- Book
- Toddlers are basically babies who can run away from you, so I tend to look for books with no more than two lines of text per page. When they're that age, kids are still figuring out how books work, how you hold and treat them, and looking at the pictures. They will listen to the story and participate if the book has an interactive element, so anything that will keep them engaged verbally or physically is Toddlertime gold.
- Movement song
- This is the time for a longer movement song. Ideally one that corresponds to your theme, but that's not a requirement. Some themes just aren't compatible with music, and that's okay.
- Felt story (or Book #2)
- My favorite felt stories are the ones where the kids have to help you chant, identify colors, count with you, or sing a song.
- Movement song(s)
- Depending on how much time we have, I'll use one 2-3 minute song or two that are under a minute long.
- Goodbye
- 10-15 minute toy time
- Toddler attention spans are short! In this storytime, I only plan 15-20 minutes of content because that's about as long as you can hold their attention. After that, we do a short community playtime with educational toys to give kids the opportunity to learn to play in a group, and parents the opportunity to meet and interact with one another.
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravet
This book repeats a chant on almost every page: "Monkey and me, Monkey and me, Monkey and me, we went to see." I taught the chant before starting the book, and then encouraged the kids and caregivers to chant with me while practicing the ASL sign for "monkey." It was a great way to keep everyone engaged in the story and avoid wiggles.
Movement Song
"Five Little Monkeys"
I like to do this song in sign language. It includes several every-day signs, like the numbers up to five, "mom," "call," "hurt," and "no more" which doubles as the very useful sign "all done."
 |
| Monkey |
 |
| Jumping |
 |
| Fall off |
 |
| Hurt head |
 |
| Mom |
 |
| Call |
 |
| No more/All done |
Book #2
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
This is a classic that I grew up with, and is timeless in my opinion. It's short and fun, and the kids get to help you guess where the animals are hiding. And of course, there are monkeys.
Movement Song
"Peek-a-Boo"
I went simple with this song today. It's very short, and somehow magically quiets a crowd of restless toddlers with very little effort.
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