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
- My favorites 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.
I Really Want to See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi
Taro Gomi is a hidden gem in the world of children's literature. He has so many books, and they are all written in sparse, simple language with fantastic illustrations and gentle, positive messages. This one is about a child who wants to see their grandma, and the grandma wants to see them, so the two keep passing each other on the road across town to visit the other one. They finally meet in the middle and have a picnic!
Movement Song
After all this time, I've finally found out who sings the version of Baby Shark I've been using for years, and located a YouTube video for it! Now you get to hear the actual version I use in storytime. I like it because it's slower than the version that's recently gone viral, giving the kids more time to figure out their movements and sing along. I used it for grandma storytime because there's a grandparent shark... I think they're actually saying "grandpa," but it's hard to tell for sure, so I just went with it.
"Grandma, Grandma, Look and See"
(Start with the flowers already up on the board.
Bolded text is the part kids can be encouraged to chant along with you.)
Grandma, Grandma, look and see!
I brought a butterfly home with me (put butterfly on board)
Grandma says to let wild things be, so I set my butterfly free.
Grandma, Grandma, look and see!
I brought an inchworm home with me (put worm on board)
Grandma says to let wild things be, so I set my inchworm free.
Grandma, Grandma, look and see!
I brought a songbird home with me (put bird on board)
Grandma says to let wild things be, so I set my songbird free.
Grandma, Grandma, look and see!
I brought a slimy frog home with me (put frog on board)
Grandma says to let wild things be, so I set my slimy frog free.
Grandma, Grandma, look and see!
Dad brought a kitten home for me (put kitten on board)
Grandma approves and I agree--seems like the perfect pet for me!
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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