Baby Storytime: Dinosaurs!

A dinosaur theme fits perfectly with the “vocabulary” early literacy skill we are highlighting this month.

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Dinosaur Vs Bedtime by SHEA

ACTION SONG: All Around the Swamp
Sing to: The Wheels on the Bus

Pteranodon’s wings went flap, flap, flap
Flap, flap, flap,
Flap, flap, flap,
Pteranodon’s wings went flap, flap, flap
All around the swamp.

Triceratop’s horns went poke, poke, poke…
Apatosaurus’ mouth went munch, munch, munch…

LITERACY TIP: Vocabulary
Everybody knows at least one preschooler who can rattle off the names of dozens of dinosaurs. There’s a reason for that! Preschoolers’ brains are wired to learn as much vocabulary as possible. So don’t underestimate them: give them all the words you can! Use the most specific terms possible and they will soak them up like a sponge.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
I know dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes, but we went with big things today: house/mouse, whale/pail, boat/goat, tree/bee.

BOOK: Dinosaur Roar! by STICKLAND

FLANNEL SONG: One Dinosaur Went Out to Play
Sing to: Five Little Ducks Went Out to Play
I got these incredibly cute dinosaur shapes from an old issue of Copycat Press.

One dinosaur went out to play
On a giant fern one day
She had such enormous fun
That she called for another dinosaur to come:

Raise hands to cup mouth, and call loudly: Oh, Diiiiiiiiiinosaur!

Slap hands on thighs to make “running” sounds.

Two dinosaurs went out to play…
Three dinosaurs…
Four dinosaurs…

Five dinosaurs went out to play
On a giant fern one day
They had such enormous fun
That they played until the day was done!

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!