Mel’s Desk

Our fall storytime sessions start today after a month off, and Mother Goose rhymes make for a fun and familiar way to welcome old friends back and to make new friends feel comfortable. See last fall’s version here!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Big Fat Hen by BAKER
An oversized picture book with bold colors for little eyes.

ACTIVITY: Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds, sitting on a wall
hold up pointer fingers
One named Peter, one named Paul
wiggle one finger, then the other
Fly away Peter! Fly away Paul!
tuck one hand behind back, then the other
Come back Peter! Come back Paul!
bring one hand back to front, then the other

SONG: Baa Baa Black Sheep
I use pop stick puppets (made from clip art–here’s a version you can use) with this song, and sing it with different color sheep.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used crow/snow, sheep/Jeep, hen/pen, and bear/chair.

BOUNCE: Royal Duke of York
Many thanks to Anne and Brianna for the great Twitter conversation we had about this old rhyme! We talked about different variations (Is the Duke “royal,” “grand,” or “merry”?) and Anne reminded us that with older kids we can skip, jump, and hop up the mountain after we march, and Brianna taught us the “rolling” verse that I end with here. Yay for Twitter colleagues!

Oh, the royal Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
Bounce baby in lap
He marched them up the mountaintop
Lift baby up!
And marched them down again
Set baby in your lap again

Oh, when you’re up, you’re up
Lift baby up!
And when you’re down, you’re down
Set baby in your lap again
And when you’re only halfway up
You’re neither up nor down!
Bounce baby in lap

He rolled them to the left
Tilt baby to one side
He rolled them to the right
Tilt baby to the other side
He rolled them over upside down
Tilt baby gently backwards in your lap!
Oh, what a silly sight!
Bring baby back upright

ACTION RHYME: Pat A Cake

Pat a cake pat a cake
Baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Clap baby’s hands together
Pat it
Pat baby’s tummy
And roll it
Roll baby’s hands over each other
And mark it with B
Trace the letter B on baby’s tummy
And put it in the over for Baby and me!
Clap again!

BOOK: Diddle Diddle Dumpling by PEARSON
This is small in size, but the illustrations about a bedtime routine (Daddy falls asleep reading to baby!) are wonderful.

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
Researchers have found that kids who go to kindergarten with a few Mother Goose rhymes memorized have an easier time learning to read than kids who don’t! Nursery rhymes introduce babies to the rhymes and rhythms of words, and that intimate knowledge really does give them a head start.

ACTION SONG: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

How many rockets do babies see in their day-to-day lives? Not many! But talking about new things helps build our babies’ vocabularies!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Higher! Higher! by PATRICELLI
I SO wanted this book to win a Caldecott. I think it’s perfect.

FLANNEL RHYME: 5 Little Rockets
My version of 5 Little Pumpkins!

5 little rockets zooming off in space
The first little rocket said, “Let’s have a race.”
The second little rocket said, “Line up in a row!”
The third little rocket said, “Ready, set, go!”
The fourth little rocket said, “Beep beep beep.”
The fifth little rocket said, “You can’t catch me!”
Then roar went their engines and blink went their lights
And five little rockets zoomed out of sight.

LITERACY TIP: Vocabulary
Don’t hesitate to talk about places or objects that your baby hasn’t encountered yet. Just remember to help them out by giving them a little context for their new ideas. Say, “Look, here’s a rocket! A rocket flies in the sky like an airplane or a helicopter, but it can go much, much farther away. It can go all the way to the moon!”

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used king/swing, and rocket/pocket.

FLANNEL SONG: If You’re Going to the Moon
Sing to: If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots
If you’re going to the moon, this is what you have to do,
If you’re going to the moon, wear your boots.

…wear your gloves
…wear your helmet

BOOK: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by ME!
I was frustrated with the book versions of this song that were available to me, so I made another big book over the weekend! Here’s what one of the spreads looks like. If you’re curious, you can read about the process and my take on it.

ACTION SONG: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
I just put a big star shape on the flannelboard while we sang this together.

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Revamped a Bathtime storytime so I could read Pete the Cat today!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Pete the Cat by LITWIN
I know not everyone loves this book but I am one of the ones who does!

ACTION SONG: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Pete LOVES his shoes! What makes you happy?

FLANNEL SONG: 5 Clean and Squeaky Pigs
I found this rhyme in our storytime files years ago; I don’t know if someone here found it or made it up! Sing it to: 5 Green and Speckled Frogs. I stole the idea for pigs clean on one side and dirty on the other from Miss Mary Liberry!

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a big THUD
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used cat/hat, pig/wig, whale/pail, and mouse/house

BOOK: Trashy Town by Zimmerman
I skipped one or two of the places Mr Gilly goes to, make this shorter for the babies.

ACTION SONG: This Is the Way
I got out our scarves and we pretended they were washcloths while we sang this song! Sing it to: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.

This is the way we wash our arms
Wash our arms, wash our arms
This is the way we wash our arms
When we’re in the bathtub.

Also wash your legs, tummies, heads…

LITERACY TIP: Vocabulary
Songs like “If You’re Happy” and “This Is the Way” help build young children’s vocabulary by pointing to body parts as you name them.

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by THOMAS
It’s always a good day when you can read a Jan Thomas book!

LITERACY TIP: Print Awareness
When you have a book like What Will Fat Cat Sit On? that has really big words, point to them every now and then when you read. You will start to help your baby make the connection between the words that you say and the print on the page.

FLANNEL SONG: Down Around the Corner
I use this song over and over again. We go to different kinds of stores and buy different things! Sing it to “Five Little Ducks.”

Down around the corner at my mom’s pet store
Were five little cats and not one more
Along came someone with a nickel to pay
And they bought a little cat and they took it away.

ACTION RHYME: I Have Fur
This is one of the first rhymes I wrote when I started trying to make up my own!

I have fur upon my back
Pat baby’s back
I have whiskers just like that
Trace whiskers on baby’s cheeks
I have ears–I flick them twice
Hold up the first two fingers of each hand on your head so baby can see your “ears” or touch baby’s ears
I have paws for catching mice!
Hold your hands in front of you like paws, then clap them together when you say “catching!”

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used cat/hat, parrot/carrot, fish/dish, and dog/log

BOOK: Doggies by Boynton
I made a homemade big book out of this favorite board book.

GUESSING GAME: Little Dog, Are You In the Green House?
Follow the link for more about this activity!

BOUNCE: Ride Away

Ride away ride away
Bounce baby on lap
Johnny will ride
He shall have a pussycat
Tied to one side
Slip baby to one side
He shall have a puppy dog
Tied to the other
Slip baby to the other side!
And Johnny will ride to see his grandmother

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Is your summer off to a good start? This storytime actually turned out to be a little too long, and at each session I wound up skipping one or two things. But I like everything so much I kept it all in for this post!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Buzzy’s Big Beach Book by ZIEFERT
This little picture book has two “chapters” in it. I read the second story, called “Brave Buzzy,” which starts, “Daddy says, ‘Okay Buzzy, let’s get wet.’ / But Buzzy isn’t ready yet!”

BOUNCE: Gonna Swim In the Ocean
I wrote this bounce a few years ago. I think it’s fun to play when you’re sitting with your baby on the edge of the wading pool. Bounce them on your lap, with your feet in the water, then dip their feet into the pool when you say “Wet!” In storytime you can just open your legs and dip babies between them.

Gonna swim in the ocean
Gonna fish with a net
Gonna wade in the water
And I’m gonna get WET!

PHOTO CARDS: Going to the Beach
Every once in awhile I show photos from clip art to the babies. Sometimes we sing a simple song, like today, other times we just talk about each photo. I think photo cards are a great way to model open ended questions for the grown-ups, and they help fill in a gap if you’re not finding a great book you want to share. Sing this to “The Farmer in the Dell.” Repeat for every photo, and stop and talk about each object before you go on. My photos are of red crabs, a seagull, a sailboat, a shovel and pail, and a seashell. I ended with the boat today so we could sing the rowboat song next!

I’m going to the beach
I’m going to the beach
I think I’ll see a seagull there
I’m going to the beach.

ACTION SONG: Splashin’ Up and Down
Sing to: “Bumpin’ Up and Down In My Little Red Wagon”

Splashin’ up and down in my little red rowboat
Splashin’ up and down in my little red rowboat
Splashin’ up and down in my little red rowboat
Won’t you be my darling?
Bounce baby on your lap

Lookin’ out to sea in my little red rowboat…
Shade eyes with your hand

Wavin’ to a whale in my little red rowboat…
Wave!

Don’t stand up or you might tip over!
Lean baby to right or left!

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we started with goat/boat and bee/sea, then used bug/jug and frog/log, which hinted at our next book.

BOOK: Jump! by FISCHER
I included this book today because all the animals splash in the water at the end. Great way to cool off in the hot sunshine!

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
I’m still plugging our Baby and Toddler “Make a Splash!” Summer Reading Program for our literacy tip!

FLANNEL SONG: 5 Green and Speckled Frogs

FLANNEL: Summer Shapes
Read about this flannel over here!

SONG WITH RATTLES: Mr Sun
I handed out egg shakers and we shook, rattled and rolled while Raffi sang “Mr Sun”!

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Our Summer Reading Program starts this week! Our babies and toddlers have their own “Make a Splash” reading record!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: There Once Was a Puffin by JAQUES
My mom used to read this poem to my sister and I when we were kids. It is still one of my all-time favorites to share!

FLANNEL SONG: 5 Little Puffins Flew Out One Day
Adapted from 5 Little Ducks, of course! The puffin in There Once Was a Puffin has tea with the fishes, so I added that in.

5 little puffins flew out one day
Over the cliffs and far away
Mama Puffin said, “Where can they be?”
But only four came back for tea!

SONG WITH PUPPETS: Did You Ever See a Fishy?
Sing to “Did You Ever See a Lassie?” I used several puppets and sang a few verses.

Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?
Swim this way, swim that way, Swim this way, swim that way,
Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used puffin/muffin, fish/dish, crab/cab, and whale/pail.

BOOK: Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish by GROVER
I discovered this on Readertotz!

BOUNCE: Fishes Swim
From Clare Beaton’s Playtime Rhymes

Fishes swim in water clear
Move hand up and down across body
Birds fly up in to the air
Flap arms
Serpents creep along the ground
Palms together for snake
Boys and girls run round and round!
Wiggle feet or stomp

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
Make sure to sign up your babies for our Summer Reading Program!

SCARVES: Octopus’ Garden by The Beatles
I handed out scarves and played Octopus’ Garden while we played with them!

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Here’s an update to last fall’s Bodies storytime!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: I Can Help by COSTELLO

This is a wonderful story for baby and toddler storytimes! It has really short sentences, but lots of meaning is carried in the bright and clear illustrations so the narrative is rich and there is lots to talk about.

ACTION SONG: If You’re Happy and You Know It

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used duck/truck and parrot/carrot, since a duck and a bird are in the first book. Then I tossed in bear/chair and fish/dish.

BOOK: Whose Toes Are Those? by ASIM

If you like this bouncy, rhyming book, look for Whose Knees Are These? by the same author.

ACTION SONG: Where Is Big Toe?
Sing to: Where is Thumbkin?

Where is big toe? Where is big toe?
Here I am; here I am!
Touch baby’s toe
Wiggle, wiggle, big toe
Wiggle, wiggle, big toe
Wiggle baby’s toe
My big toe, my big toe.

Where is elbow…bendy, bendy elbow
Where is tummy…squishy, squashy tummy
Where are two eyes…winky blinky two eyes
Where are two hands…happy clappy two hands

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
Don’t forget to sign up for summer reading! Even babies and toddlers can participate!

BOOK: What’s On My Head? by MARGARET MILLER

This is the book my husband and I give as a new baby present!

ACTION SONG: Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes

Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

There was lots of sunshine this weekend–and lots of rain on the way! Gardens need both rain and sun to grow!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Small Seed by NICHOLLS
Another great book for babies from Little Scholastic! Lots of rhyme and repetition as the small seed grows into a sunflower.

FINGERPLAY: Big Round Sun

Big round sun in the summer sky
Hold arms in circle over head
Waved to a cloud that was passing by
Wave!
The little cloud laughed as it started to rain
Wiggle fingers downward for rain
And out came the big round sun again.
Hold up arms in circle above head again

FLANNEL SONG: If It’s Raining Outside
Sing to: If You’re Happy and You Know It.

If it’s raining outside, wear your boots,
If it’s raining outside, wear your boots,
If it’s raining outside, then your boots will keep you dry
If it’s raining outside, wear your boots.

…wear your coat
…wear your hat
…bring your umbella

BOOK: Lenny in the Garden by WILSON-MAX
I can’t think of a single book Ken Wilson-Max has illustrated that HASN’T made me happy just to look at it.

BOUNCE: I’m A Little Beetle
I wrote this little rhyme a few years ago. Bounce babies in laps, then lift them up when you say, “Fly!” You can use it with toddlers and preschoolers, too–just have them JUMP when you say “Fly!”

I’m a little beetle
And I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me,
I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little bumblebee…
I’m a little ladybug…

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used things we’d find in a garden: bee/tree, ants/pants, parrot/carrot, and frog/log.

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
Make sure your babies see you are a reader, too! Show them your garden catalogs, or the sports pages, or your latest book from the library. We are powerful models for our kids! If they see that we read, they are more likely to become readers themselves.

BOOK: Big Yellow Sunflower by BARRY
This folds out to a big beautiful flower! Practice holding the pages before you read this in storytime, but the effort is worth it…the flower is so bright and big enough for everyone to see!

FLANNEL RHYME: Out in the Garden

Out in the garden
Growing in the sun
Were 5 pretty flowers
And I picked one!

Out in the garden
Growing in the sun
Were 4 pretty flowers
And I picked one!

Etc.

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Another farm storytime!?! At least this one has two new chicks flannels! Thanks to Miss Jennifer, who also likes Charlie Chick, and whose Chickens storytimes sparked some ideas!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Clip-Clop by SMEE
Simple, repetitive and fun!

BOUNCE: Trot Trot to Boston

Trot trot to Boston
Trot trot to Lynn
Trot trot to Grammy’s house
Bounce baby gentle on your lap
But don’t fall IN!
Gently drop baby between your legs!

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used the animals from Clip-Clop, pig/wig, duck/truck, dog/log, and cat/hat.

BOOK: Rosie’s Walk by HUTCHINS
I have the big book, which makes this more fun to share. One day after storytime, an 18-month-old toddler came up to look at Rosie’s Walk, and as she turned the pages, she stopped and shook her head and said, “Nooooooo!” to the fox on every page!

FINGERPLAY: Here Is the Beehive

Here is the beehive
Make a fist with one hand, and cover it with the other
Where are the bees?
Hidden inside where nobody sees.
Watch as they come out of the hive!
One, two, three, four, five!
Lift up your hand, and open your fist to show five fingers.

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
As the weather gets better and you head out and about, don’t forget to put a board book or two in your diaper bag or backpack!

FLANNEL RHYME: Ten Fluffy Chickens
I found this on The Best Kids’ Book Site and immediately was struck by the image of yellow chicks emerging from white eggs, so I made this flannel. It is very cute and I am very happy!

Five eggs and five eggs
Add a clutch of eggs each time you say “five eggs”
And that makes ten
Sitting on top
Add the hen
Is Mother Hen
Cackle cackle cackle
Clap hands as you say Cackle!
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chickens
Flip over each clutch of eggs.
Yellow as can be.

BOOK: Charlie Chick by DENCHFIELD
Charlie is so one of my favorites.

FLANNEL RHYME: One Little Chick
A rhyme with chicks of different colors sparked this idea instead!

One little chick was gray
And one little chick was brown
One little chick was yellow
And one was upside down!

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!

Here’s a different version of last fall’s Things That Go storytime. Toot toot!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Toot Toot Beep Beep by EMMA GARCIA

FLANNEL RHYME: Purple Car, Purple Car, What Do You See?
My colleague Carol does a rhyme like this with real toy cars and trucks, but I color copied the vehicles from Toot Toot Beep Beep instead! I copied them at 150% so they would be nice and big. Just do the Brown Bear, Brown Bear thing: “Purple Car, Purple Car, what do you see? I see a red jeep looking at me.” When I borrow images from a book for a flannel like this, I always use them along with the book, or I have the book with me and say, “These great pictures are by [artist] and from this book.” They deserve the credit!

ACTION SONG: The Wheels on the Bus

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we did duck/truck, rocket/pocket, sheep/jeep, and goat/boat

BOOK: Train by CHRIS DEMAREST

This was one of four little board books by Chris Demarest. They are short and sweet and rhyme and are great for baby storytime, but I don’t think they are in print any longer. We had the Bus one at home with our girls, and I can still recite most of it by heart!

TICKLE: This Little Train

This little train ran up the track
Trail fingers up baby’s arm from fingers to shoulder
It went Choo Choo!
Tap baby’s nose!
And then it ran back.
Trail fingers back down baby’s arm.

The other little train ran up the track
Trail fingers up baby’s other arm from fingers to shoulder
It went Choo Choo!
Tap baby’s nose!
And then it ran back.
Trail fingers back down baby’s arm.

SONG: Down at the Station

Down at the station early in the morning
See the little pufferbellies lined up in a row
See the engine driver pull his little handle
Puff Puff Choo Choo! Off we go!

ACTION RHYME: This is Big Big Big*

CLOSING SONG: Sneeze Game*

*Check out the My Baby Storytime page for the words and/or citations for these weekly activities!