Baby Storytime: Flower Garden

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!