Stories & Crafts: Family Favorites

April 23, 2024

Books
Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek
Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding Up)

Fingerplay: 2 Little Butterflies
Two little butterflies sitting on a hill
One named Jack, and one named Jill
Fly away Jack, Fly away Jill
Come back Jack, Come back Jill

Other Verses:
Cloud… Quiet.. Loud
Stick… Slow… Quick
Sky… Low…High

Song: Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

Song: Zoom, Zoom by Charlie Hope

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Nursery Rhymes ABC

Bubbles Song: PJ Masks Theme Song by PJ Masks

Bubbles Song: Super Mario Bros. Theme by Video Game Players

Bubbles Song: I’m a Bookworm, Baby! by Sesame Streets’ The Bookworms

Craft: Paper Plate Butterfly
Craft idea from No Time for Flashcards.

Stories & Crafts: Flowers

April 9, 2024

Books
Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
Ava’s Poppy by Marcus Pfister
Like a Dandelion by Huy Voun Lee

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding Up)

Song: Mr. Sun by Raffi

Rhyme: Dig a Little Hole
Dig a little hole (dig)
Plant a little seed (drop seed)
Pour a little water (pour)
Pull a little weed (pull up and throw away)
Chase a little bug (chasing motion)
Heigh-ho, there he goes! (shade eyes)
Give a little sunshine (make sun)
Grow a little rose (smell flower, eyes closed)

Rhyme: Little Seed
Little seed in the ground (Crouch down on the floor, hands covering heads)
Sitting so still (Stay crouching)
Little seed, will you sprout?
Yes, I will! (Jump up)

Scarf Fingerplay: Here is a Green Leaf
Here’s a green leaf, and here’s a green leaf (hold out left thumb, then right)
And that you see makes two (hold up 2 thumbs)
This is the bud that makes the flower (hold palms together)
Now watch it bloom for you (slowly separate palms)

Scarf Song: Fast and Slow by The Laurie Berkner Band

Scarf Song: Dance, Freeze, Melt by Mr. Eric & Mr. Michael

Craft: Handprint Flower Pot
Craft idea from Made to be a Momma.

Stories & Crafts: Trains

March 12, 2024

Books
How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton
The Littlest Train by Chris Gall
Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding up)

Rhyme: Here’s a Little Choo Choo Train
Here’s a little choo choo train
Chugging down the track (chug arms)
Now it’s going forward (lean forward)
Now it’s going back (lean backwards)
Hear the bell ringing (ring a bell)
Now the whistle blows (blow train whistle)
What a lot of noise is makes
Everywhere it goes

Rhythm Sticks Rhyme: Clickety Clack
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
Here comes the train on the railroad track
Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn
Here comes engine number 1
Clickety-clew, clickety-clew
Here comes coal car number 2
Clickety-clee, clickety-clee
Here comes box car number 3
Clickety-clore, clickety-clore
Here comes tank car number 4
Clickety-clive, clickety-clive
Here comes coach car number 5
Clickety-clicks, clickety-clicks
Here’s the caboose, that’s number 6
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
There goes the rain on the railroad track
Chooo-choooo

Rhythm Sticks Song: Choo Choo Train by Patty Shukla

Craft: Egg Carton Train
Craft idea from Hands on as We Grow

Music & Movement: February 9, 2024

Books
What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot by Michelle Robinson
Open Very Carefully by Nick Bromley

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding Up)

Song: The More We Get Together
The more we get together,
together, together.
The more we get together,
the happier we’ll be.
For your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together,
the happier we’ll be.

Scarf Song: Mm Ah Went the Little Green Frog
Mmm ahh went the little green frog one day.
Mmm ahh went the little green frog.
Mmm ahh went the little green frog one day.
And they all went mmm, mmm, ahh.
But…
We know frogs go (clap) shanananana.
(clap) shanananana. (clap) shanananana.
We know frogs go (clap) shanananana.
They don’t go mmm, mmm, ahh.

Sss, ssss went the slippery snake one day
Sss, ssss went the slippery snake
Sss, ssss went the slippery snake one day
And they all went sss, sss, sss
But…
we know snakes go (clap) shoe-be-do-be-do
(clap) shoe-be-do-be-do, (clap) shoe-be-do-be-do
We know snakes go (clap) shoe-be-do-be-do
They don’t go sss, sss, sss

Cheep! Cheep! Went the little yellow bird one day,
cheep cheep went the little yellow bird.
Cheep cheep went the little yellow bird one day
and they all went cheep! Cheep! Cheep!
But….we know that birds go flappy, flappy, flap, flappy, flappy flap, flappy flappy flap,
they don’t go cheep cheep cheep.

Oo Oo went the little brown monkey one day,
Oo Oo went the little brown monkey.
Oo went the little brown monkey one day
and they all went Oo Oo Oo.
But… We know that monkeys go swing -a-ling-a-ling, swing -a-ling-a-ling, swing -a-ling-a-ling,
we know monkeys go swing -a-ling-a-ling they don’t go Oo Oo Oo.

Scarf Song: Animal Freeze Dance by The Kiboomers

Scarf Song: Boa Constrictor by Peter, Paul and Mary

Rhyme: Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey see, monkey do
Little monkey at the zoo
Monkey, monkey in the tree
Can you __ like me?
(jump around, swing your arms, screech, eat a banana, sit down)

Fingerplay: Alligator, Alligator
Alligator, alligator long and green (stretch one arm in front of you)
Alligator, alligator teeth so mean (wiggle fingers of outstretched arm)
Alligator, alligator snapping at a bee (chomp hands together)
Alligator, alligator can’t catch me! (wave finger side to side)

Circle Time: Bubbles Dance Party

Bubbles Song: Down in the Jungle by Action Songs for Kids

Bubbles Song: Goodbye in the Bayou by Jazzy Ash

Song: Goodbye, Friends
(Tune: Frere Jacques)
Goodbye, friends, goodbye, friends
Sing this tune, sing this tune
It’s time to wave goodbye, it’s time to wave goodbye
See you soon, see you soon

(Sing quieter)
Goodbye, friends, goodbye, friends
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Take a deep breath in… [Loud inhale]
Now breathe out goodbye…

Yoga & Breath Play
Yoga Pose of the Week: Flamingo
Standing straight, lift one leg up and hug it. Lift up the other arm, pretending it’s the beak of a flamingo.

Breath Play: Snake Breaths
Sit up tall and breathe in. As you let it out, hiss like a snake for as long as you can.

Stories & Crafts: Winter Animals

January 23, 2024

Books
Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Srinivasan
Little Wolf’s Song by Britta Teckentrup
Got to Get to Bear’s! by Brian Lies

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding Up)

Rhyme: There’s Something in the Snow
There’s something in the snow, now what can it be?
There’s something in the snow that I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound… Hoo, hoo, hoo
A snowy owl is what I found! Hoo, hoo, hoo

GRRRRR, GRRRRR, GRRRRR . . . Bear
Awoo, Awooo, Awoooo . . . Wolf

Song: Polar Bear Action Song by Rachel Rambach
Polar bear, polar bear
Big and strong with snow white hair
Polar bear, polar bear
Watch him move from here to there

Swimming, swimming, swimming in the icy sea
Swimming much faster than you and me
Swimming til he stops and takes a rest
Then swims some more from east to west

Polar bear, polar bear
Lives in freezing arctic air
Polar bear, polar bear
Watch him move from here to there

Swimming, swimming, swimming in the icy sea
Swimming much faster than you and me
Swimming til he stops and takes a rest
Then swims some more from east to west

Polar bear, polar bear
Walks on ice, it’s everywhere
Polar bear, polar bear
Now he’ll stop and sleep right there

Shaker Song: The Walrus Washes His Winter Coat
Oh, the walrus washes his winter coat
down by the wavy ocean.
He adds some water and he adds some soap
and he waits…and he waits…and he waits.

Then the laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes until it’s clean.
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
The laundry shakes and shakes and shakes
The laundry shakes, shakes, shakes
until it’s clean.

The laundry spins, spins, spin . . .

Shaker Song: Shake Your Body Down by The Laurie Berkner Band

Craft: Paper Plate Owl
Craft idea from Our Potluck Family.

Stories & Crafts: Winter

January 9, 2024

Books
Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
We Want Snow! A Wintry Chant by Jamie A. Swenson
A Day so Gray by Marie Lamba

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes by Super Simple Songs (Speeding Up)

Breath Play: Hot Chocolate
Imagine you’re holding a cup of hot chocolate. It’s much too hot to
take a sip, so we’ll have to blow on it. Bring your cup close, breathe in, and gently blow
towards your cup. And again. One more time. Take a sip! Mmm…make that sip last as long as you can.

Song: When It’s Cold by The Laurie Berkner Band

Song: The Snow is on My Head by Sing Play Create

Rhyme: Snowflake, Snowflake
Snowflake, snowflake twirl around
Snowflake, snowflake, touch the ground
Snowflake, snowflake, touch your nose
Snowflake, snowflake, touch your toes
Touch your ear and then your knees
Snowflake, you’re about to freeze!
Snowflake, snowflake, twirl around
Snowflake, snowflake, sit back down

Scarf Song: Dance Freeze Melt by Mr. Eric & Mr. Michael

Scarf Song: I Live Inside a Snowglobe (Shake it Up) by The Laurie Berkner Band

Craft: Foam Cup Snowman
Craft idea from Crafts by Amanda.

PJ Storytime: Hats! Nov. 14, 2023

Books
Hat Tricks by Satoshi Kitamura
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Songs, Rhymes & Fingerplays

Song: Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

Song: The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be

Scarf Rhyme: Grandma’s Glasses

These are Grandma’s glasses
This is Grandma’s hat
This how she folds her hands
And puts them in her lap

These are Grandpa’s glasses
This is Grandpa’s hat
This is how he folds his hands
And takes a little nap
(Snore)

Scarf Song: Silly Hat

On my head, I wear a hat
It’s a very silly hat
That my head will wiggle to and fro
Where else can my silly hat go?

(Repeat: knees, feet, etc.)

Rhyme: Tall Hat

Tall hat (raise arms)
Small hat (lower arms)
Big hat (spread arms)
Baseball cap (hands over eyes)
Let me take them off again
And put them in my lap (hands in lap)

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears
And mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes

(Repeat at varying speeds)

Song: Goodbye, Friends
(Tune: Frere Jacques)

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Sing this tune
Sing this tune
It’s time to say goodbye
It’s time to say goodbye
See you soon
See you soon

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Take a deep breath in…
Now breathe out, “Goodbye!”

Outdoor Storytime: Oct. 13, 2023

Books
The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade & Jennifer Davison
If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Sicuro

Songs, Rhymes & Fingerplays

Song: Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

Song: The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be

Felt Rhyme: Five Little Leaves

Five little leaves on the tree next door
One fell off and then there were four
Four little leaves all over the tree
One fell off and then there were three
Three little leaves before the wind blew
One fell off and then there were two
Two little leaves sitting in the sun
One fell off and then there was one
One little leaf in the tree all alone
The wind blew and blew and now there are none

Scarf Song: Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves are falling down
Falling down, falling down
Autumn leaves are falling down
All around the town
The cold wind blows them all around
All around, all around
The cold wind blows them all around
All around the town
Take a rake and pile them up
Pile them up, pile them up
Take a rake and pile them up
All around the town

Scarf Rhyme: Rain is Falling Down

The rain is falling down
The rain is falling down
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter
The rain is falling down

The sun is peeking out
The sun is peeking out
Peeking here, peeking there
The sun is peeking out

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears
And mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes

(Repeat at varying speeds)

Song: Goodbye, Friends
(Tune: Frere Jacques)

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Sing this tune
Sing this tune
It’s time to say goodbye
It’s time to say goodbye
See you soon
See you soon

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Take a deep breath in…
Now breathe out, “Goodbye!”

Stories & Crafts: Sports

October 3, 2023

Books
A Feel Better Book for Little Sports by Holly Brochmann & Leah Bowen
Sergio Saves the Game! by Edel Rodriguez
Goodnight Basketball by Michael Dahl

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays
Song: Up, Down, Turn Around
Up, down, turn around
Touch the sky and touch the ground
Wiggle fingers, wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders, say hello!

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes (Speeding Up Version) by Super Simple Songs

Rhyme: A Little Ball
A little ball, (form circle with thumb and finger)
A bigger ball, (form circle with hands)
A great big ball I see (form circle with arms)

Now let’s count them.
Are you ready?
One,(form circle with arms)
Two, (form circle with hands)
Three. (form circle with thumb and finger)

Song: Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Super Simple Songs
Take me out to the ball game. (mime baseball bat)
Take me out with the crowd. (Shade your eyes)
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. (Pretend to eat)
I don’t care if I never get back. (Shrug shoulders)
Let me root, root, root for the home team. (pump arm)
If they don’t win it’s a shame. (Cross arms)
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out. (Count on fingers)
At the old ball game! (mime baseball bat)

Rhyme: 5 Little Basketballs
Five little basketballs trying hard to score
One makes a basket, hear the crowd roar!

Four little basketballs . . . (Count Down)

Scarf Song: Bounce the Ball
Bounce the ball, bounce the ball,
On the ground, against the wall.
Bounce it low, bounce it high,
Bounce it right up to the sky!

Bounce the ball, bounce the ball,
On the ground, against the wall.
Bounce it here, bounce it there,
Bounce it outside anywhere!

Bounce the ball, bounce the ball,
On the ground, against the wall.
This one rule you must abide:
Please don’t bounce your ball inside!

Scarf Song: Move with Me by The Learning Station

Craft: DIY Foam Finger
Craft idea from Teeny Tiny Library

Outdoor Storytime: Sept. 15, 2023

Books
Jump! by Scott M. Fischer
Maisy Goes on a Nature Walk by Lucy Cousins

Songs, Rhymes & Fingerplays

Song: Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

Song: The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
For your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be

Scarf Rhyme: Jack in the Box

The jack in the box
Sits so still
Will he come out?
Three, two, one
Yes he will!

Scarf Song: Roly Poly

Roly poly, roly poly
Up and down, up and down
Roly, roly poly
Roly, roly poly
Up and down, up and down

(Repeat: back and forth, side to side)

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears
And mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes

(Repeat at varying speeds)

Song: Walking, Walking

Walking, walking
Walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop
Running, running, running
Running, running, running
Hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop

Bubble Song: Here We Go (feat. Dave Grohl) by Elmo & Big Bird

Song: Goodbye, Friends
(Tune: Frere Jacques)

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Sing this tune
Sing this tune
It’s time to say goodbye
It’s time to say goodbye
See you soon
See you soon

Goodbye, friends
Goodbye, friends
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Take a deep breath in…
Now breathe out, “Goodbye!”