Mel's Desk

There’s nothing particularly wintery about birds, I guess, but since our skill of the month is Vocabulary, this worked well today!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

GUESSING GAME: Where’s Baby Duckling?
I made four different colored eggs from felt, cut them in half with a jaggedy edge. Then I hide a felt duck (this one was from a counting set we have) under one of the eggs. This is a good thing to do first, since you can set up the flannel before everyone comes in. Ask, “Baby Duck, are you in the spotted egg?” Look in each egg till you find the duckling!

BOOK: Wow! Said the Owl by HOPGOOD
This is a cute short new picture book about an owl who stays awake during the day and is amazed by all the colors she sees!

FLANNEL RHYME: Hoot Owl Count

Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three, four.

Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three.

Three hoot owls…

FLANNEL SONG: Owl in the Tree
Sing to: Skip to My Lou.

Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Owl in the tree goes, “Hoo, hoo hoo,”
Skip to my lou, my darling.

Robin in the nest goes, “Tweet, tweet, tweet…”
Duck in the pond goes, “Quack, quack, quack…”
Rooster in the yard goes, “Cock a doodle doo…”

LITERACY TIP: Vocabulary
When children know many words, it’s easier for them to learn to read, because it’s easier to sound out words that you already know! Help them learn by using a variety of terms. Instead of just saying, “Bird,” say, duck, owl, parrot, hen.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we used duck/truck, owl/towel, parrot/carrot, hen/pen

BOOK: Over in the Meadow by WADSWORTH, illus. by David A Carter
This is one of my favorite songs, so I always sing this book! We did the first 6 verses, which in this version includes the owl and let us finish with “crow,” which is a nice lead-in to…

FINGERPLAY: Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds sitting on a wall
Hold pointer fingers out in front of you
One named Peter, one named Paul
Wiggle one finger, then the other
Fly away Peter! Fly away Paul!
Move one finger behind your back, then the other
Come back Peter! Come back Paul!
Bring one finger back in front, then the other

BONUS LITERACY TIP! Acting out little rhymes like these helps build vocabulary, because your movements reinforce what the words mean.

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 been a good winter for a snowy storytime!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Under My Hood I Have a Hat by KARLA KUSKIN

FLANNEL SONG: Boots and Parka, Scarf and Hat
First I put up clipart of each clothing item on the flannelboard. I wanted to share my file, but something is wonky with it! You could also bring in actual items, or ask in your group if anyone has boots on, or wore a scarf today. We talked about where on our bodies we wear a hat, or boots, and so forth. Then we sang this song! Sing it to “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” Touch each part of your body as you sing: feet, chest, neck, and head.

Boots and parka, scarf and hat, scarf and hat
Boots and parka, scarf and hat, scarf and hat
In wintertime we dress like that!
Boots and parka, scarf and hat, scarf and hat!

FLANNEL RHYME: Three Little Kittens

Three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry:
“Oh Mother dear, we sadly fear our mittens we have lost.”
“What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens,
Then you shall have no pie.”

Three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry:
“Oh Mother dear, look here, look here! Our mittens we have found!”
“What! Found your mittens, you good little kittens,
Then you shall have some pie.”

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we did cat/hat, owl/towel, mouse/house, and ended with bear/chair.

SONG WITH PHOTOS: It’s Wintertime, You Know
I like to use big photos from clipart sometimes, and talk about them with the babies. This time I found some wintery images and made up this simple song. I sing a verse, then show the photo that goes with and talk about the picture, usually something very simple, like, “Here’s a shovel! When there’s a lot of snow on the sidewalk we can push it out of the way with a shovel.” Sing this to “The Farmer in the Dell.”

It’s wintertime, you know;
We will have some snow!
We might see a snowman then,
It’s wintertime, you know.

How To Build a Snowman a “Little Scholastic” book

LITERACY TIP: Print Awareness
I went back and showed the parents a page in the last book that had all the parts to build a snowman: carrot, twig, scarf, rocks. I said, “When you’re pointing out all the objects on a page to your baby, don’t forget you can point to the words, too. Say, “Look! Here are the words I read to you!”

FLANNEL RHYME: Five Little Snowmen

Five little snowmen standing in a row;
Each has a hat and a big red bow.
Out came the sun and it shone all day,
And one little snowman melted away.

Four little snowmen…

SONG WITH PROPS: Dance Like Snowflakes
I love popstick puppets for simple props. They take about 5 minutes to make! Sing this to: Are You Sleeping?

Dance like snowflakes,
Dance like snowflakes,
In the air, in the air,
Swirling, whirling snowflakes,
Swirling, whirling snowflakes,
Everywhere, everywhere.

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!

Cold day today, babies! It’s a good time to pretend to be a big, warm bear in a cozy den!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Mama’s Little Bears by NANCY TAFURI

GUESSING GAME: Little Bear, Where is Your Mommy?
Since the bears in Mama’s Little Bears look for their mommy, we did the same thing with this flannel. Four “mommy” animals go on the flannel board, then one by one we match the baby animals to their mommies. “Little Bear, can you find your Mama Bear?”

ACTION SONG: Where Is Thumbkin?

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
Today we did bear/chair, fox/box, mouse/house, owl/towel

BOOK: Walking Around the Garden by JOHN PRATER

TICKLE: Round and Round the Garden

Round and round the garden
Like a teddy bear
Walk fingers over baby’s tummy
One step, two steps,
Tickle you under there!
Tickle baby’s armpit!

BOOK: Teddy Bear Teddy Bear by ANNIE KUBLER

FLANNEL SONG: Roll Over!

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!

Vroom! Vroom! Families are busy this time of year going all sorts of places to shop and to visit.

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Tip Tip Dig Dig by EMMA GARCIA

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

BOOK: Boats by BYRON BARTON

FLANNEL SONG: My Big Blue Boat
Sing to: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Follow the link for a photo of this simple flannel!

I’m sailing in my big blue boat,
big blue boat, big blue boat,
I’m sailing in my big blue boat, on the deep blue sea.

My blue boat has a purple mast…
My blue boat has two red sails…
My blue boat has a yellow flag…

LITERACY TIP: Print Motivation
Books make fantastic holiday gifts! Ask us if you need fresh ideas!

BOOK: Train Leaves the Station by EVE MERRIAM

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!

Halloween is this weekend! I don’t like to get too spooky for the babies, plus I don’t want to assume everyone celebrates this holiday, so I try to stay focused mostly on pumpkins and animals rather than on the supernatural or on dressing up. Though I’m such a big Rosemary Wells fan it made my day to have my friend Max came to storytime dressed as a bunny!

OPENING SONG: Hello Song*

OPENING FINGERPLAY: Open Them Shut Them*

BOOK: Pumpkin Pumpkin by JEAN TITHERINGTON
We have the big book and it works well for baby storytime.

ACTION SONG: Pumpkin, Pumpkin
From our files, I wish I knew who to credit! Sing to Twinkle, Twinkle.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground,
How’d you get so big and round?
Once you were a seed so small,
Now you are a great big ball!
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground,
How’d you get so big and round?

LITERACY TIP: Narrative Skills Narrative skills have to do with learning how to describe things and being able to tell stories. Little stories, like the one in this song, are great for babies to start learning how stories work. “First the pumpkin is a seed, then it is a plant, then it is a pumpkin!”

FLANNEL RHYME: Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh, my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air!”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.”
Then OOOOOO went the wind and OUT went the light,
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

FLANNEL RHYME: Brown Bat, Brown Bat, What Do You See?
My girls brought home a rhyme like this as homemade books in first grade, and when I Googled it, I found versions all over the web. They are lots of fun and include blue monsters, purple goblins, red vampires, green witches…all sorts of great Halloweeny things. I went and stood in front of all our Ellison dies and came up with this set for my little ones. All the grownups chanted it along with me! We’ve read Brown Bear Brown Bear a couple of times already this fall, so this was a great extension.

FLANNEL SONG: A Hunting We Will Go*
I did cat/hat, bat/mat, owl/towel…and spider/glider!

SONG WITH PUPPET: There’s a Spider on the Floor
We have a spider glove puppet that I use for this song.

There’s a spider on my leg, and he’s really really big…
There’s a spider on my tummy, and he feels kind of funny…
There’s a spider on my head, oh, my face is really red…
But he jumps off!
There’s a spider on the floor…

RHYME WITH PUPPET: Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider and sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Many Mother Goose rhymes are little stories, with a beginning, middle and end! Learning these rhymes is another great way to build Narrative Skills.

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!