Since I get so much inspiration for storytimes from other blogs, I’d thought I’d start posting my own here.
I like to do themes for my Baby Storytimes (as well as my regular ones). The themes really just tie the books together, along with maybe a fingerplay or two. Most of the rhymes and songs are repeated every week, regardless of the theme.
Why eggs? Because September is National Chicken Month, of course. Our monthly Family Storytime will feature some chicken stories, so it seemed only fitting to have at least one Baby Storytime focus on eggs.
Here’s what we did:
Opening Song: “Hi, Hello, and How are You?”
Hi, Hello, and How are you?
How are you? How are you?
Hi, Hello, and How are you?
How are you today?
Book: Except If by Jim Averbeck
Action Rhyme: “These are Baby’s Fingers”
These are baby’s fingers
These are baby’s toes
This is baby’s belly button
Round and round it goes!
Action Rhyme: “This is My Right Hand”
This is my right hand, I hold it up high.
This is my left hand, I touch the sky.
Right hand, left hand, roll ’em around.
Left hand, right hand, pound, pound, pound!
(Repeat for feet)
Song: “Grand Old Duke of York”
Song: “Pop! Goes the Weasel”
Book: The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend
Flannel Song: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (Flannel pieces from ArtFelt)
Song: “B-I-N-G-O”
Bouncing Rhyme: “This is the Way the Ladies Ride”
We go through this one twice. In our version, the last line on the first time through is, “This is the way the cowboys ride!” and on the second time through, it’s the cowgirls’ turn.
Flannel Song: “Do You Have a Red Feather?” (pattern from Storytime Magic by Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker, made by me)
Fingerplay: “Five Eggs and Five Eggs”
Five eggs and five eggs
That makes ten.
Sitting on top
Is the Mother Hen.
Crack-crack-crack!
What do you see?
Ten little chicks,
Cute as can be!
Book: Roly-Poly Egg by Kali Stileman
Flannel Song: “I Love My Rooster” (variation of the song “I Had a Rooster” – I use “green leafy tree” in place of “yonder tree”, and I use the flannel pieces from the ArtFelt “Old MacDonald” set)
Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Song: “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”
Song: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
Closing Rhyme: “This is Big Big Big” (Mel’s Desk)
Closing Song: “The More We Get Together”