Saturday Storytime February 2019: Rainbows

This storytime is for ages 0-5, but I've decided to structure it as a combination of Toddlertime and Preschool Storytime.

My formula for Saturday Storytime is:

Intro and Hello
Learn Theme Signs
Book #1
Movement Songs
Felt Story/Song
Book #2
Movement Song
Goodbye Song
Bubbles
Take-Home Craft

Intro and Hello
Hello Song
"Hello Friend"
Before turning on the music, I teach the kids (and grownups) the American Sign Language sign for "friends." Then we boogie, wave, and sing hello to all our friends!

Friend

Warming Up Motor Skills

"Open, Shut Them"

Stretching
"Tall/Small"
This is a short, easy stretch the preschoolers especially get a kick out of.

Learn Theme Signs
Our theme this week is rainbows, so we learned the signs for "colors" and "rainbow."

Rainbow

Colors

Book #1
Hideaway Hedgehog and the Magical Rainbow by Lisa McCue
A super cute tale of a mama hedgehog who stumbles into a leprechaun's golden pot to have her babies, this story can easily be brought to a toddler or preschool level depending on how much dialogic reading you incorporate. It's also adorable that each baby has a different magic power corresponding to their unique color.

Movement Song

"I See Something Blue"

I like to play this song and encourage the kids to find things around the room that match the color the singers mention. This song is pretty mellow and slow-moving, which is good for two reasons. One, it gives even the youngest storytimer a chance to find something of that color and point it out. Two, we all get a chance to practice the signs for the four colors named in the song as well as "color" and "rainbow" at the end.

Felt Story/Song

Today we did a felt story that I didn't make up myself, but tweaked from Rainbow Stew and made my own version. I'm probably over-analyzing, but it really bugged me that everything going into the rainbow stew pot was, in fact, a fruit. So Rainbow Fruit Salad was born. Since the chant was the same for each verse, I encouraged everyone to chant and do the motions along with me.

Red fruit: apple

Orange fruit: orange

Yellow fruit: banana

Green fruit: pear

Blue fruit: blueberries

Purple fruit: grapes

(Put apple and red part of rainbow on felt board)

Chop up an apple, put it in the dish. (mime chopping fruit)

Stir and stir as much as you wish. (mime stirring a large bowl)

Look inside, what color will it be? (hand above your eyes as if looking)

The prettiest red that you ever did see! (ASL sign for "red")

~repeat with all other fruits in rainbow order~

(All fruits and rainbow pieces should be on the board)

Chop up all the fruit, put it in the dish. (mime chopping fruit)

Stir and stir as much as you wish. (mime stirring a large bowl)

Look inside, what color will it be? (hand above eyes as if looking)

The prettiest RAINBOW that you ever did see! (ASL sign for "rainbow")

Movement Songs

Today we did our movement songs with scarves, starting with an a cappella rhyme that ends with everyone throwing their scarf into a pile to make a rainbow:

Wave your scarf high, wave your scarf low.

Wave your scarf fast, wave your scarf slow.

Crumple up your scarf and throw it on three.

One, two, three, whee!

"Color Song"

(vid to come)

"The Freeze" by Greg and Steve

This one has nothing to do with colors, but it was so much fun to make up dances with scarves in between freezes!

Goodbye Song

"Until We Meet Again" from Out of the Box
When we sing this song, I help them recall the sign for friends, and teach them a couple others as we sing. After a while, storytime regulars start to look like native signers!

Goodbye

Friend

Meet

Bubbles
I like to play the two following songs while I blow bubbles for the group.
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles
Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

Take-Home Craft
Since this is a monthly storytime with a theme, I thought it would be fun to provide families with a craft based on the theme to work on when they get home. I put everything needed for the craft in baggies, including an instruction sheet so they know how to do the project once they get home. It's a rainbow fish that helps the child's fine motor skills develop as they practice going over, under, and over again.

Giving a take-home craft as families leave the storytime room is a good way to extend the learning experience after families have left the library. Also, it's a great way to provide a literacy-based craft without having to clean up afterward.

Books to Display:

• How the Finch Got His Colors—Guertin
• Princess Rosie’s Rainbows—Killion
• Elmer and the Rainbow—McKee
• Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed)—Adamson
• Curious George Discovers the Rainbow—Cherrix
• The Leprechaun Who Lost His Rainbow—Callahan
• The Greedy Rainbow—Chandler 

Saturday Storytime January 2019: Feelings

This storytime is for ages 0-5, but I've decided to structure it as a combination of Toddlertime and Preschool Storytime.

My formula for Saturday Storytime is:

Intro and Hello
Learn Theme Signs
Book #1
Movement Songs
Felt Story/Song
Book #2
Movement Song
Goodbye Song
Bubbles
Take-Home Craft

Intro and Hello

Hello Song

"Hello Friend"
Before turning on the music, I teach the kids (and grownups) the American Sign Language sign for "friends." Then we boogie, wave, and sing hello to all our friends!

Friend

Warming Up Motor Skills

"Open, Shut Them"

Stretching

"Tall/Small"

This is a short, easy stretch the preschoolers especially get a kick out of.

Learn Theme Signs

Our theme this week is feelings, so we learned the signs for "feel," "happy," "sad," and "grumpy."

Happy

Sad

Grumpy/Angry

Book #1

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

This is one of my favorite storytime books because it's fun to read, and the kids love grumpy bird's transformation from grumpy to part of his happy friend group. 

Movement Songs

"Clap Your Hands"

"Feelings"

I like to do this song twice because it's only 40 seconds long. This also gives the kids a second chance to get all the movements down.

Felt Story/Song
"If You're Happy and You Know It"

After identifying the emotions each face seems to be feeling, we sang " If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands" for the happy face. Then we did the following verses for the other faces:

If you're sad and you know it, say boo hoo. BOO-HOO!

If you're surprised and you know it, say oh my. OH MY!

If you're scared and you know it, give a shriek. AAHHH!
If you're silly and you know it, make a face. (make silly face)

Book #2
Love by Stacy McAnulty
This book is new to our library, and a complete delight! Super diverse, super sweet, and few enough words to keep a group of wiggly kiddos engaged as storytime winds down.

Movement Song
"If You're Happy and You Know It" by Mr. Jon
We sang it a cappella already, but this is another good time to practice signing "happy" and get our wiggles out with a special appearance of the hilarious Tickle Bugs.

Goodbye Song
"Until We Meet Again" from Out of the Box
When we sing this song, I help them recall the sign for friends, and teach them a couple others as we sing. After a while, storytime regulars start to look like native signers!

Goodbye

Friend

Meet

Bubbles
I like to play the two following songs while I blow bubbles for the group.
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles
Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

Take-Home Craft

Since this is a monthly storytime with a theme, I thought it would be fun to provide families with a craft based on the theme to work on when they get home. This month I put everything needed for the craft in baggies, including an instruction sheet so they know how to do the project once they get home. It's a feelings wheel made of two paper plates, a brad, stickers showing different emotions, and whatever decorations the child would like to add. 

Giving a take-home craft as families leave the storytime room is a good way to extend the learning experience after families have left the library. Also, it's a great way to provide a literacy-based craft without having to clean up afterward.

Here's a video I took of my demo wheel in action:

And here is the "how to" sheet included in the craft bags:

(Click image to enlarge)

My Baby Lapsit Hello and Goodbye 2018

I'll share my revelation about toddlers again on this post: Toddlers are not small preschoolers; they are big babies! (I want this slogan on a t-shirt). I have recently realized that toddlers, at my library defined as age 16-36 months, have much more in common with babies than they do with preschoolers. Toddlers are babies who can run away.

For this reason, in 2018 I am working on making Baby Lapsit and Toddler Time more similar to each other. I am using the same three hello songs in Baby Lapsit as I am for the toddlers, with some changes to the parent tips to acknowledge that the infants aren't quite as physically developed as the toddlers.

Click here to see my 2018 Toddler Time hello and goodbye.

In Baby Lapsit, we now begin with an a cappella greeting song instead of one with recorded music. I changed it because I feel the baby and toddler age groups benefits the most from chanting and singing without musical accompaniment. Even though the kids may not be verbal yet, this makes it easier for their grownups to sing the songs to them at home.

Hello: "This Is the Way We Wave Hello"

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave hello,
Wave hello, wave hello.
This is the way we wave hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Clap hands to the beat)
This is the way we clap hello,
Clap hello, clap hello.
This is the way we clap hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Stamp feet to the beat)
This is the way we stamp hello,
Stamp hello, stamp hello.
This is the way we stamp hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave hello,
Wave hello, wave hello.
This is the way we wave hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

This video shows the melody we sing to, but it uses different lyrics.

The other two hello songs are the same as 2017. They are good for baby, toddler, and preschool audiences.

Warming Up Motor Skills: "Open, Shut Them"

On this song we do the movements described in the lyrics: open our hands, close our hands, clap three times, put our hands in our lap, creep our fingers up to our chin, and don't let them in our mouths.

Stretch: "Tall/Small"

This is a short, easy stretch the preschoolers get a kick out of. While we're stretching, I like to encourage them to reach for the ceiling, touch their toes, then make themselves into a tiny ball.

Click here to listen to the version I use

My parent tip: I make sure to emphasize that grownups and babies should stretch at whatever level they are currently operating on. The grownup can keep the baby on their lap and help them stretch their arms up. The grownup can stand themselves and hold they baby while they stretch. The grownup can balance the baby while the baby stands on the floor, and help them stretch there. Wherever both are most physically comfortable is where I encourage them to try this gentle stretch.

This is where the rest of the storytime comes in. And then...

Goodbye: "This Is the Way We Wave Goodbye"

Know what's great for tiny, developing brains? Repetition.
Know what's great for tiny, developing brains? Repetition.
(Typed it twice to make a point.)

I like to use "One, Two Hands" and "Peek-a-Boo" as an unofficial signal that the end of Baby Lapsit is coming. Added bonus, it's never too early to start naming body parts with this Laurie Berkner classic or figuring out object permanence by playing peekaboo.

The version of "Peek-a-Boo" I use.

Our goodbye song for Baby Lapsit and Toddler Time is now also a cappella, and a repeat of our new hello song. We just substitute "hello" for "goodbye." Doing this song twice per storytime gets the melody and movements in the kids' heads that much quicker. If they're not scream-singing "This is the way we blankety-blank" about everything they do for the rest of the week, I haven't done my job.

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye.
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Clap hands to the beat)
This is the way we clap goodbye,
Clap goodbye, clap goodbye.
This is the way we clap goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Stamp feet to the beat)
This is the way we stamp goodbye,
Stamp goodbye, stamp goodbye.
This is the way we stamp goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye.
This is the way we wave hello,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

Bubbles! "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles" and the Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

The last thing I do at every storytime is blow bubbles. The kids go crazy over them! The best part is when a baby sees bubbles for the first time. It blows their mind and they make the best face.

I play the same songs every time so they get to know that after we say goodbye, we have bubbles for the duration of two songs, and then storytime is over until next week. Our regulars know this is the way it always goes, which is a great introduction to establishing routines in other aspects of life as they grow.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles
Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

Community Play Time
Baby Lapsit is unique in that the families are encouraged to stay for 15-20 minutes after storytime for a special playtime. I bring out a bin of toys and play some quiet background music, and it's just a fun, unstructured play session where babies can socialize with other little beings close to their age, and caregivers can also chat with each other and make connections. I've seen many friendships and even play groups or preschool co-ops get started this way!

My Toddler Time Hello and Goodbye 2018

We're only a third of the way through 2018... I might as well share what I've been doing differently in our Toddler Time hello and goodbye since roughly January.

First of all, I have made an amazing discovery about the 16-36 month age group. They are not smaller preschoolers; they are bigger babies! Toddlers are basically infants with the ability to run away from you. For this reason, I have decided to disconnect my Toddler Time and Preschool Storytime activities, and instead more closely link Toddler Time and Baby Lapsit.

In Toddler Time, we now begin with an a cappella greeting song instead of one with recorded music. I changed it because I feel the toddler age group benefits the most from chanting and singing without musical accompaniment. It makes it easier to sing the songs with their grownups at home, and they'll remember the songs more if their voices are the only thing making the music.

Here is our *shiny and new* good morning song:

Hello: "This Is the Way We Wave Hello"

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave hello,
Wave hello, wave hello.
This is the way we wave hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Clap hands to the beat)
This is the way we clap hello,
Clap hello, clap hello.
This is the way we clap hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Stamp feet to the beat)
This is the way we stamp hello,
Stamp hello, stamp hello.
This is the way we stamp hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave hello,
Wave hello, wave hello.
This is the way we wave hello,
Hello, hello, hello!

This video shows the melody we sing to, but it uses different lyrics.

The other two hello songs are the same as 2017. They are good for both toddler and preschool audiences, and "Open, Shut Them" comes with a built-in parent tip.

Warming Up Motor Skills: "Open, Shut Them"

On this song we do the movements described in the lyrics: open our hands, close our hands, clap three times, put our hands in our lap, creep our fingers up to our chin, and don't let them in our mouths.

My parent tip: It's great to do a motor skill-strengthening exercise like this once a day with your toddler. You can make it fun with a game or a song, and it will help strengthen their muscles and help with coordination as their bodies and minds develop.

Stretch: "Tall/Small"

This is a short, easy stretch the preschoolers get a kick out of. While we're stretching, I like to encourage them to reach for the ceiling, touch their toes, then make themselves into a tiny ball.

Click here to listen to the version I use

This is where the rest of the storytime comes in. And then...

Goodbye: "This Is the Way We Wave Goodbye"

Know what's great for tiny, developing brains? Repetition. 

Know what's great for tiny, developing brains? Repetition.

(Typed it twice to make a point.)

Our goodbye song for Toddler Time is now also a cappella, and a repeat of our new hello song. We just substitute "hello" for "goodbye." Doing this song twice per storytime gets the melody and movements in the kids' heads that much quicker. If they're not scream-singing "This is the way we blankety-blank" about everything they do for the rest of the week, I haven't done my job.

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye.
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Clap hands to the beat)
This is the way we clap goodbye,
Clap goodbye, clap goodbye.
This is the way we clap goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Stamp feet to the beat)
This is the way we stamp goodbye,
Stamp goodbye, stamp goodbye.
This is the way we stamp goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

(Wave both hands)
This is the way we wave goodbye,
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye.
This is the way we wave hello,
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!

Bubbles! "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles" and the Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

The last thing I do at every storytime is blow bubbles. The kids go crazy over them! I play the same songs every time so they get to know that after we say goodbye, we have bubbles for the duration of two songs, and then storytime is over until next week. Our regulars know this is the way it always goes, which is a great introduction to establishing routines in other aspects of life as they grow.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles
Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

My Baby Lapsit Hello and Goodbye

I like to do the same introduction and conclusion to every Baby Lapsit, so both babies and parents/caregivers can get used to the songs and sing along with me.

Artist tip: I love Laurie Berkner for everything, but especially for the babies because most of her songs have clear movements that go along with the words. She has a lot of albums and most of her songs are winners for kids under five because she speaks clearly and has a voice that makes them want to listen!

Hello: "The More We Get Together"
I like to tell parents that it's never too early to learn to clap on the beat, because learning about rhythm helps stimulate the language center of the brain. They clap on the beat today, and they're better readers tomorrow! During this song we clap on the beat, point to our fellow storytime goers on "your friends," and point to ourselves on "my friends."

Warming up Motor Skills: "Open, Shut Them"
On this song we do the movements described in the lyrics: open our hands, close our hands, clap three times, put our hands in our lap, creep our fingers up to our chin, and don't let them in our mouths.

Stretch: "Tall/Small"
For this song, I make sure to emphasize that grownups and babies should stretch at whatever level they are currently operating on. The grownup can keep the baby on their lap and help them stretch their arms up. The grownup can stand themselves and hold they baby while they stretch. The grownup can balance the baby while the baby stands on the floor, and help them stretch there. Wherever both are most physically comfortable is where I encourage them to try this gentle stretch.
Click here to listen to the version I use

This is where the rest of storytime comes in. And then...

Transition Song: "Peek-a-Boo"
For some reason, this song makes babies and younger toddlers drop whatever they're doing and pay attention. It's great. I sometimes use it with the preschoolers because you're never too old for a silly game, but I use it every single week with the babies. Their grownups love it too; I've heard back from a few moms that they sing it at home!
Click here to listen to the version I use

Goodbye: "Skidamarink"
I use this song for the babies' goodbye rather than one that actually says "goodbye" because it promotes positivity and love between baby and grownup. In storytimes with the older kids I'm giving them an opportunity to say goodbye to me and the program room, but the babies aren't operating on that emotional level yet. They're still working on forming bonds with their caregiver, and I think this song promotes that.
Click here to listen to the version I use

Also, I found this video from an adorable vintage kids show I've never heard of. They do the movements just like I do in storytime.

Bubbles!

The last thing I do at every storytime is blow bubbles. The kids go crazy over them! I play the same songs every time so they get to know that after we say goodbye, we have bubbles for the duration of two songs, and then storytime is over until next time. Our regulars know this is the way it always goes, which is a great introduction to establishing routines in other aspects of life as they grow.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles

Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

Community Play Time

Baby Lapsit is unique in that the families are encouraged to stay for 15-20 minutes after storytime for a special playtime. I bring out a bin of toys and play some quiet background music, and it's just a fun, unstructured play session where babies can socialize with other little beings close to their age, and caregivers can also chat with each other and make connections. I've seen many friendships and even play groups or preschool co-ops get started this way!

My Music and Rhythm Time Hello and Goodbye

Hello: "Hello, Hello"
Since Learn & Grown with Rhythm & Flow and Shake, Boogie, and Bop are so high energy, I like to start these programs with a more mellow good morning song than other storytimes. I like this one because it has built-in movements and stretches.

Warming Up Motor Skills: "Open, Shut Them"
On this song we do the movements described in the lyrics: open our hands, close our hands, clap three times, put our hands in our lap, creep our fingers up to our chin, and don't let them in our mouths.

This is where the rest of the storytime comes in. And then...

Goodbye: "Until We Meet Again"
Before singing this song at the end of Learn & Grow, we learn a vocabulary word: clave. Clave is a type of rhythm used mostly in Afro-Cuban music, characterized by it's three-two beat. When I teach the word to preschool-age kids, I have them count to three, pause, and count to two, then do it again with clapping. The Out of the Box goodbye song is to a clave pattern, so after we learn what the word means, we practice clapping the clave pattern as we say goodbye to our friends.

In Shake, Boogie, and Bop, I stick to my usual American Sign Language signs as we sing the song.

Friend(s)

Meet

Goodbye

Bubbles!

The last thing I do at every storytime is blow bubbles. The kids go crazy over them! I play the same songs every time so they get to know that after we say goodbye, we have bubbles for the duration of two songs, and then storytime is over until next time. Our regulars know this is the way it always goes, which is a great introduction to establishing routines in other aspects of life as they grow.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles

Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song

My Preschool Storytime and Toddler Time Hello and Goodbye

I like to do the same introduction and conclusion to every Preschool Storytime, so both babies and parents/caregivers can get used to the songs and sing along with me.

Hello: "Hello Friend"

Before turning on the music, I teach the kids (and grownups) the American Sign Language sign for "friends." Then we boogie, wave, and sing hello to all our friends! 

Friend(s)

The song is pretty repetitive with four identical verses. I used to use all four verses, but before moving to the Mesa system I edited it down to only two. They still catch on to the signs and movements by the end, without getting bored. 

Click here to listen to the version I use

Warming Up Motor Skills: "Open, Shut Them"

On this song we do the movements described in the lyrics: open our hands, close our hands, clap three times, put our hands in our lap, creep our fingers up to our chin, and don't let them in our mouths.

Stretch: "Tall/Small"

This is a short, easy stretch the preschoolers get a kick out of. While we're stretching, I like to encourage them to reach for the ceiling, touch their toes, then make themselves into a tiny ball.

Click here to listen to the version I use

This is where the rest of the storytime comes in. And then...

Goodbye: "Until We Meet Again"

I was thrilled to finally find this song. Since I started doing storytimes, I wanted it to be my goodbye song. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find in a non-pirated, reliable format! The kids at the library are too young to remember this show, but I watched "Out of the Box" religiously as a kid and always loved the song they sang at the end. 

When we sing this song, I help them recall the sign for friends, and teach them a couple others as we sing. After a while, storytime regulars start to look like native signers!

Friend(s)

Meet

Goodbye

Bubbles!

The last thing I do at every storytime is blow bubbles. The kids go crazy over them! I play the same songs every time so they get to know that after we say goodbye, we have bubbles for the duration of two songs, and then storytime is over until next time. Our regulars know this is the way it always goes, which is a great introduction to establishing routines in other aspects of life as they grow.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Bubbles

Yo Gabba Gabba Bubbles Song