Baby Storytime: Mice

One plus about doing storytimes for so long is that there’s a lot of plans in your files to reuse when you’re busy. One minus about doing storytimes for so long is that you can get a little tired of reusing your plans! I challenged myself to make an all-new storytime for my babies, and here it is!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Where? by LIONNI
I grabbed up this set of four Lionni board books earlier this year. I used Where? today because I wanted to keep the focus on the mice, but there’s also When?, What?, and Who? In this one, we look for the mice in the grass, trees, and in shoes.

FINGERPLAY: Baby Mice
I found this on Storytime Source Page, always an amazing resource for me!

Where are the baby mice?
Squeak, squeak, squeak (Cover eyes)
I cannot see them
Peek, peek, peek (Peek-a-boo)
Here they come from a hole in the wall (Make hole with fingers)
1-2-3-4-5… That’s all! (Count fingers)

TICKLE: Hurry Scurry Little Mouse
“Now that we’ve found the baby mice, where are they going to go?” You can find this one all over the place, but I like this pdf booklet from Pierce County.

Hurry scurry little mouse
Starts down at your toes
Touch baby’s toes

Hurry scurry little mouse
Past your knees he goes
Walk fingers to baby’s knees

Hurry scurry little mouse
Past where your tummy is
Tickle baby’s tummy

Hurry scurry little mouse
Gives you a mousy kiss
Touch baby’s lips then give a kiss!

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used mouse/house, along with other small creatures like snail/pail, bee/tree, and bug/rug.

BOOK: In My Patch by GILLINGHAM
I did cartwheels when I discovered this series! I prop the book on my four fingers and stick my thumb in the puppet and wiggle it a bit while I read the simple text on each page. The wiggling and the cutouts help engage the babies and the stories aren’t too long to share with them. Plus there’s a ton of them! Bear, owl, ladybug, goldfish, dolphin, monkey…I’ve been slowly stocking up!

LITERACY TIP: Reading
Grownups, books like this one with interactive elements, puppets, popups, lift the flaps, cutouts–all give your children something new and fresh and extra to explore while you read together. We want our babies to think books are fun and exciting, so look for ways to mix up your reading time! Reading with your babies is the number one best way to help them become readers later on.

BOUNCE: I Had a Little Mouse
“Do you think the mouse liked to nibble on the pumpkins in her patch? What else to mice like to eat? Cheese! Except for the mouse in this rhyme. Let’s bounce and find out!” I learned this song from the Deschutes Library.

I had a little mouse that never would eat his cheese
All he ever wanted to do was bounce upon my knees
Bounce upon my knees, bounce upon my knees
All he ever wanted to do was bounce upon my knees

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!