Mel's Desk

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!

Yes, babies, it IS all about you!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Bouncy Baby by BEGIN SMART
This is one of the new Begin Smart books. I love the bright, happy pictures!

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!

BOUNCE: I’m a Little Cuckoo Clock!
Rock babies gently back and forth on your lap as you say the verse. Then lift them up in the air for each “Cuckoo!” Lots of our baby storytime providers at my library do this one every week. Here’s my version.

Tick tock, tick tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
It’s one o’clock!
CUCKOO!

Tick tock, tick tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
It’s two o’clock!
CUCKOO! CUCKOO!

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today our rhymes were little things, because babies are little! Bug/rug, ants/pants, frog/log, etc.

BOOK: Yummy Yucky by PATRICELLI
Leslie Patricelli has the magic touch when it comes to books for babies. This one, with all the objects–good and bad–that babies get into, is a super fit for our theme!

LITERACY TIP: Narrative Skills
When you’re talking to your baby, don’t just say, “Oh, that’s yucky,” or “That duck is silly.” Tell them why, too! You’re giving them lots of good describing words, and helping them learn about their world.

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

FLANNEL RHYME: Five Little Babies
I used five of my baby faces for this rhyme!

by Melissa Depper

Five little babies sitting in their cribs
The first one said, “I need another bib!”
The second one said, “I wish I had my ball.”
The third one said, “I wish that I could crawl!”
The fourth one said, “Oh, when can we play?”
The fifth one said, “It’s been a busy day.”
Then Shhhhh went the mommies and out went the lights,
And five little babies said goodnight.

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!

It’s springtime! We all feel wiggly after a long winter!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Very Hungry Caterpillar by CARLE

SONG: Little Arabella Miller
I learned this off a Wee Sing CD. Sing it to Twinkle, Twinkle. I use this Folkmanis caterpillar/butterfly as a prop!

Little Arabella Miller
had a fuzzy caterpillar
First she put it on her mother
Then upon her little brother
They said, “Arabella Miller,
Take away your caterpillar!”

Little Arabella Miller
Took her fuzzy caterpillar
Put it on a branch so high
Soon to be a butterfly
They said, “Arabella Miller,
Now we love your caterpillar!”

ACTION SONG: Caterpillar, Caterpillar
Sing to: Are You Sleeping?

Caterpillar caterpillar
Wiggle fingers of one hand
In the tree, in the tree
Spread arms like branches
First you wiggle this way
Wiggle hand left
Then you wiggle that way
Wiggle hands right
Look at me, look at me
Point to self

BOOK: Jump! by FISCHER
FUN new book with super rhymes.

LITERACY TIP: Narrative Skills
Simple books like this with repeated patterns are great ways for very young children to test their predicting skills. Before you turn the page, ask your child, “What’s going to happen next?”

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 bug/rug, bee/tree, ants/pants, and spider/glider!

FLANNEL SONG: Ladybugs’ Picnic
This is the classic Sesame Street song! Find it here.

ACTION SONG: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Bonus literacy tip! Lots of nursery rhymes are really little stories. Learning these rhymes helps children understand how stories work: they have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

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!

Babies love playing peekaboo with the people they love and the faces they know!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Peekaboo Morning by ISADORA

LITERACY TIP: Phonological Awareness
You may get a little bored saying “Peekaboo!” over and over again, but your baby LOVES it when you do. Babies need to hear words repeatedly to learn the sounds that make them up. Being able to hear all the separate sounds in every word will be a big help when they start to learn to read!

GUESSING GAME: PEEKABOO HOUSE
This little manipulative set is in our Peekaboo Baby Storytime Kit! Our Programming Department has developed and gathered books, resources, puppets, flannels on different themes, and staff can request the kits to help them build their storytimes. This house set comes with a suggestion to sing the following song to the tune of “London Bridge.” But you could also talk through a set of questions instead of sing. You could say, “What is in my house? My house has something with four legs, and a flat top. We put our dishes on it for dinner. What is it? The table!” This set is from Lakeshore, but I can not find it on their website to give you a link!

What is in my purple house, purple house, purple house?
What is in my purple house? Let’s look and see.

A yellow table with brown legs, with brown legs, with brown legs,
A yellow table with brown legs, in my house.

There’s the bathtub painted blue…
Oh look, here’s a big red chair…
Now I see a purple bed…

Now you’ve seen what’s in my house, in my house, in my house,
Now you’ve seen what’s in my house, in my house.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today I tried to find objects you’d find in a house. Bear/chair, bug/rug, fish/dish & mouse/house …

BOOK: Where’s Spot? by ERIC HILL

SONG: Where Is Thumbkin?
I just do thumbs, pointer fingers, and pinkies!

BOOK: Baby Says Peekaboo! by DAVE KING/DK

FLANNEL RHYME: One Little Baby
I used five of my baby faces for this rhyme!

One little baby rocking in a tree
Two little babies splashing in the sea
Three little babies crawling on the floor
Four little babies knocking on the door
Five little babies playing hide and seek
Keep your eyes closed…
Till I say “peek!”

BOUNCE: Great A Little A
Bounce baby on your knees!

Great A, little a, bouncing B
Cat’s in the cupboard, and can’t see me!

PLAY: Mirrors
The Storytime Kit also comes with 15 hand mirrors! So I handed them out and let the babies explore while I asked questions. If they wanted to do their own thing, that was just fine! If they wanted to listen and follow along to me, that was fine, too. I asked simple questions like, “Do you see your nose? Can you touch your nose? Where are your eyes? Can you close your eyes?” The babies can hold on to the mirrors for the last two activities, and play with them after storytime, too.

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 day of learning about same & different, to help build Letter Knowledge!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Little White Fish Gets Bigger by GUIDO VAN GENECHTEN

This is a super cute board book I was lucky enough to come across on the Barnes & Noble bargain table…I don’t know that they are still available, which is a shame, because this series is PERFECT for baby storytime! Bold pictures, repetitive text, simple story.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
I tried to use animals that were in Little White Fish: fish/dish, whale/pail, crab/cab.

SONG: Three Little Fishies
I love this song, it always makes me happy to sing the doot-doots. While I was researching versions and hand-motions, I came across Miss Marilee’s Music, a site with some great videos of kids singing songs as well as some super music-and-movement ideas! Here’s Miss Marilee’s video and this is the version I wound up singing today:

Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Lived 3 little fishies and their momma fishy too
“Swim,” said the momma fish, “Swim if you can!”
And they swam and they swam right over the dam.

Doot doot dittum dattum wattum choo
Doot doot dittum dattum wattum choo
Doot doot dittum dattum wattum choo
And they swam and they swam right over the dam.

Stop! Said the momma fish, “Or you will get lost!”
But the 3 little fishies didn’t wanna get bossed!
The 3 little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea.

They swam and they swam and it was a lark
Then all of a sudden, they saw a BIG shark!
Back to the pool in the meadow they swam
And they swam and they swam back over the dam!

BOOK: Maisy Big, Maisy Small by LUCY COUSINS

LITERACY TIP: Letter Knowledge
Books are great ways to introduce new concepts to little ones, but babies REALLY learn by doing! Acting out opposites helps them understand their meanings. Understanding differences is the first step to being able to recognize and understand the differences in how the letters look!

ACTIVITY: Roll, Roll, Sugar Babies
Thanks to Reading Chick for teaching me this one!

Roll roll sugar babies
Roll roll sugar babies
Roll babies hands over each other like Wheels on the Bus
Push
Gently push baby’s arms…lean forward or back if they are sitting on your lap, or pull on their arms if they are lying on their backs. Remember to make sure the motion is “pushing” from their point of view!
Pull
Gently pull baby’s arms
Clap clap clap
Clap!

You can also do other opposites together, like “Up” and “Down” and “Right” and “Left”.

BOUNCE: Royal Duke of York

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

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!