Storytimes

At my library, there are between two and three children's librarians on staff at any given time. We try to rotate between storytimes so our regular families have a chance to get comfortable with all of us, but we all have our favorites. Below are links to the storytime lesson plans that I have personally put together and given.

Teen volunteer holding his new bff!

Click the title links for breakdowns of individual programs by date.

Baby Lapsit 
My personal favorite, this is a storytime for birth to 16 months where we focus on developing the language center of an infant's brain and early motor skills with songs, clapping, stretching, lap bounce activities, reading board books, and community playtime at the end where both babies and caretakers can interact in an unstructured environment.

Saturday Storytime
This storytime is for ages 0-5 and takes place once a month. I wanted working families and others who aren't able to come to the library on weekday mornings to get the same great experience for their littles, so I started a Saturday morning storytime!

Learn and Grow with Rhythm and Flow

I am partial to this program, also for ages three to five, because it's my baby. I developed this rhythm-based program myself because I am a lifelong music lover. I also firmly believe that being exposed to rhythm and music from an early age makes you a better reader later in life. The kiddos and I talk about what makes music happen with music-based vocabulary words, rhythm sticks, egg shakers, movement songs, and counting the syllables in our names.

Preschool Storytime

This storytime for three- to five-year-olds focuses on kindergarten readiness. We review letters and numbers in the books and felt stories, dance to movement songs, and finish with a coloring sheet or craft. This is also the storytime where we have the most special guests, like visiting children's authors looking to promote their books.

Sign Language Storytime

This program is monthly, instead of weekly. It is for newborns through age 5, and we focus on a different theme each month. We learn several signs and practice them by reading books and singing songs that use those words. This is also the first storytime where I've incorporated an AV element in the form of watching videos!

Toddlertime
Toddler Time is for kids ages 16 months to 2 years. We read to slightly longer stories than in Baby Lapsit, practice following one- and two-step directions, and dance to fun movement songs. We also usually include a coloring sheet or short craft at the end.