Real and Pretend

Presented at Miss Jenny's and Miss Amy's Golden Hills Head Start classrooms on Monday, October 29, 2012.

Books:
Hi Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel

Honk! Honk! by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom

Pick a Pet by Shelly Rottner and Cheo Garcia

Activities:

Our Hands Say Hello!

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!

Sleeping Time

Down goes the sun and up comes the moon,
(bend down, then get up)

It will be sleeping time soon.
(place head on hands as is asleep)

Birds are quiet in their trees,
(place hands in underarms, folding elbows downward)

Cows and horses rest on their knees.
(Kneel down, touch chin to chest)

Sleepy children are tucked into bed,
(yawn, close eyes)

With good night kisses upon their heads.
(make kissing sound)


Song:

Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

Mrs. B's Pre-Sliced Banana: Real or Pretend?

At Storytimes today I showed the children a banana and asked them if it was real or pretend.  The general consensus was that it was real!  I then told them that it was a special banana that was pre-sliced before it is peeled!  When I peeled the banana and showed them the slices, I admitted that there aren't really bananas that grow, pre-sliced, on trees.  It was just a trick I played on them!  To see how I did it, click here.

I enjoyed the time I spent with the children and teachers this morning!  Miss Jenny's class sang several songs with me, including "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", The ABC Song" and "Clap Your Hands".  Because of all their wonderful singing, I ran a little late and didn't have as much time with Miss Amy's class, although they also treated me to their rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and their own version of "The Chicken Dance"  I look forward to seeing the children again next month!

I Like Orange!

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, October 24, 2012.
Presented at Welcome School on Friday, October 26, 2012.

Books:

Carrot Soup written and illustrated by John Segal

I Don't Want to Take a Bath by Julie Sykes, illustrated by Tim Warnes

The Strange Egg written and illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma

Songs:

Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.

What else can you do?  Pat your head? Wiggle your toes? Rub your tummy?  The possibilities are endless!



Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(This song was not used at Welcome School)


The Orange Pokey

You put your pumpkin shape in, you put your pumpkin shape out.
You put your pumpkin shape in and you shake it all about.
You do the Orange Pokey and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

2)...leaf shape in...
3)...butterfly shape in...
4)...basketball shape in...

For this activity the children were given 2 or more orange shapes (basketball, pumpkin, butterfly and leaf), then were asked to hold up the appropriate shape for each verse.


Activities:

Our Hands Say Hello!

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!

(This activity was not used at Welcome School)

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Book:

You & Me, Baby by Reiser and Gentieu

Songs:

Hands Up High
(tune: "London Bridge")

First we have our hands up high, hands up high, hands up high.
First we have our hands up high, then we clap them!

Then we roll our hands down low, hands down low, hands down low.
Then we roll our hands down low, then we hide them!


Welcome Song!

At Storytime we had (child's name) today.
We're so glad, let's shout "Hooray"!

We repeat this song until all adults have had a chance to introduce themselves and their children/grandchildren, and all the little ones have been sung to!



Activities:

Slowly, Slowly

Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail.

Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the wooden rail.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly 'round about the house!


Jelly

Jelly on my head,

Jelly on my toes.

Jelly on my shirt and

Jelly on my nose.

Laughin' and a'lickin',

Having me a time,

Jelly on my belly,

But I like it fine!


I Have a Little Heart

I have a little heart

 and it goes thump, thump, thump.

It goes right on beating

When I jump, jump, jump!

I get a special feeling

When I look at you.

It makes me want to give you

A kiss or two!


Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"


Our playtime activity today was puzzles!  So many ways to explore puzzles, whether it's trying to fit pieces into their spaces, feeling the soft fur on a rabbit puzzle piece or the long hair on a dog puzzle piece, looking at the pictures and colors on each piece, or even seeing how they taste!

Papa Bear and Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, October 23, 2012.


Books:

Razzamadaddy by Linda Walvoord, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa

Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Jack's New Boat by Sarah McMenemy

Grizzly Dad by Joanna Harrison

Activities:

I Wiggle My Fingers

I wiggle my fingers,
I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my shoulders,
I wiggle my nose.
Now I have no more wiggles in me.
I'll put my hands down as quietly as can be.


Teddy Bear Rhyme

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, reach up high.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the sky.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, pat your knees.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, sit down, please!


Song:

Let's All Hammer

Let's all hammer with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer.
Let's all hammer with one hammer all day long!
(Pretend to hammer with one fist)

Additional verses:
Let's all hammer with two hammers... (Pretend to hammer with both fists!)
Let's all hammer with three hammers... (Hammer with both fists and tap one foot!)
Let's all hammer with for hammers... (Hammer with both fists and tap with both feet!)
Let's all hammer with five hammers... (Hammer with both fists, tap with both feet and nod your head!)

(At tonight's event the children and adults used rhythm sticks to hammer in time to the song, then added their feet and head for the last three verses!  I'm not sure who was having the most fun...if I hadn't been playing guitar I would have taken pictures!)

Children were sent home tonight with two fun games to play with their Papa Bear.  Here are the URLs if you want to make additional copies.  I printed our copies on cardstock for durability:

http://www.education.com/files/133001_133100/133028/play-jack-o-lantern-race.pdf

 

http://www.education.com/files/133001_133100/133025/play-monster-mix-ups.pdf

 

Along with seeing friends who are "regulars", we had a chance to make some new friends and say hello again to a special friend, Benny, visiting from Germany with his Papa Bear and Mama Bear! 

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on Thursday, October 18, 2012.
Presented at Golden Hills Early Head Start on Thursday, October 25, 2012.

Book:

Barney Plays Nose to Toes by Margie Larsen and Mary Ann Dudko

Songs:

Hello Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!

(After singing this the first time I repeat the song, substituting the child's name for the word "friends".  We do this until everyone has been introduced and all the children have been serenaded!)

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you are!


These Little Fingers
(tune: "Mulberry Bush")

These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And now they're on my head!

We like to sing this song using a number of different actions and parts of the body.  After we wiggle our fingers, we might pat our heads, rub our tummies, tap on our feet, tug on our ears, etc.


Activities:

A Flea on My Toe

On my toe there is a flea.
Now it's climbing past my knee,
Past my tummy,
Past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea.
Now it's climbing down on me,
Past my tummy,
Past my knee,
On my toe,
Take that, you flea!

Use your tickling fingers to trace the flea's path from your child's toe to head and back down again.  We especially like to shake our feet to get that nasty flea off our toe!

Popcorn!

Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Pour the corn into the pot.
(rub palms of hands together briskly)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Take and shake it 'til it's hot.
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Lift the lid.  What have you got?
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop... pop... pop...
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
POPCORN!
(raise arms or lift baby gently into the air!)


It's Raining!

It's raining!  It's raining!  (fingers move down in front of face to make "rain")
How the wind does blow! (move arms left and right to represent wind)
Raindrops falling from the sky, (adult makes "rain" fall on child's head)
Oops!  One landed on my nose! (point to nose)

We repeat this rhyme, changing the last word to different parts of the body, e.g. knee, ear, shoulder, foot, etc.) 
And, of course, we always end with "tummy" and a chance for a gentle tickle!

Community Helpers

Presented to Mrs. Goosen's and Ms. Songster's Kindergarten classes at Cornerstone Christian School on Monday, October 15, 2012.


Wesley the Turtle and I - and my puppet friend the Firefighter -

enjoyed seeing all the eager students at Cornerstone this week!  They have been learning about Community Helpers, so I was asked to visit - to represent the librarians of the world!

The students asked about a book-making project that I brought with me last year.  We wouldn't have had time for it this year, but here is information on how to make your own book!  This terrific blog  shows one way to make it, using a crayon for the book spine.  I have also made them using a drinking straw.  You could even try using a stick or a pencil!

http://drjeanandfriends.blogspot.com/2012/09/heres-crayon-for-you.html

Thanks to the students and teachers at CCS for giving me an opportunity to do what I love best: share with others my love of books and reading!

Books:
Five Trucks by Brian Floca

(Five trucks are needed for one special job.  Can you use the clues to figure out what job they perform?)

Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

("Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the trashy town!")

Career Day by Anne Rockwell

(Each child in Mrs. Madoff's class brings a visitor who tells the group about his or her job.)

Song:

Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck!
(tune: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little")

Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Additional verses:

Hurry, hurry, turn the corner!...

Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder...

Hurry, hurry, squirt the water...

Final Verse:
Slowly, slowly, back to the station,
Slowly, slowly, back to the station,
Slowly, slowly, back to the station,
Now our work is done!

Activities:

Career Riddles (answers below!):

1. When your car has a flat, I can fix it just like that!  Who am I?

2. When you're outside, using your feet, I will help you cross the street.  Who am I?

3. When your house is more drab than the others, I'll make it like new!  You choose the color!  Who am I?

4. At your church you might see me some day, I lead the service, I sing and I pray.  Who am I?

5. Fire!  Fire! 9-1-1.  I fight the blaze until it's done.  Who am I?

6. I get up early just to bake your cookies, rolls, bread and cake.  Who am I?

7. Stitches and itches, slips and falls, colds and flu, I fix them all.  Who am I?

8. I'm there for you both night and day, so you are safe at home and away.  Who am I?


Answers:
1) mechanic  2) crossing guard  3) painter  4) minister  5) firefighter  6) baker  7) doctor  8) police officer

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue West High School Early Head Start on Thursday, October 11, 2012

Book.:

Will You Wear a Blue Hat?  a Rookie Toddler Book by Scholastic

Songs:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you are!



Eensy Weensy Spider

The eensy weensy spider went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again.



Hello, Friends!
(tune: Goodnight Ladies)

Hello, friends.  Hello, friends.  Hello, friends,
We're glad you came today!

Repeat the verse, inserting a child's name in place of the word "friends".
Repeat until everyone has had a chance to be greeted!


Ten Little Tootsies
(tune: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little")

One little, two little, three little tootsies,
Four little, five little, six little tootsies.
Seven little, eight little, nine little tootsies,
Ten little tootsie toes!

Ten little, nine little, eight little tootsies,
Seven little, six little, five little tootsies.
Four little, three little, two little tootsies,
One little tootsie toe!


Activities:

A Flea on My Toe

On my toe there is a flea.
Now it's climbing past my knee,
Past my tummy,
Past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea.
Now it's climbing down on me,
Past my tummy,
Past my knee,
On my toe,
Take that, you flea!



Dance Your Fingers Up

Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down.
Dance your fingers to the side and dance them all around.

Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your tummy and put them all to bed.



Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Today I introduced the practice of "story walking" with the parents and babies.  Today I used "Will You Wear a BLUE Hat? by Scholastic as our example.  The Every Child Ready to Read curriculum encourages story walking as a way to experience a book before actually reading it with your child.  Story walking involves such things as pointing out the title, author and illustrator of a book, looking at the pictures and talking about what is happening,  introducing new words, and expanding language by using descriptive words.  This monologue will become a dialogue as your child's verbal skills develop.  As I turned the pages, I pointed out some (but not all) of the pictures, making observations such as, "The little boy has three hats.  What color do you think he'll pick?  Will he pick the one with tassels?",  "He needs some mittens.  Where mittens go on his ears?",  "He needs a scarf for his neck.  Where is YOUR neck?" 
At this stage our babies are listening, and before long they will start joining in the conversation! 

Dinosaurs!!! Toddler Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Thursday, October 11, 2012.

 Books:
                                                        
Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney

Dino-Pets by Lynn Plourde

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton

Songs:

First We Wave Our Hands Up High

(tune: "London Bridge")

First we wave our hands up high, hands up high, hands up high.

First we wave our hands up high.  Then we clap them!

Then we shake our hands down low, hands down low, hands down low.

Then we shake our hands down low.  Then we hide them!

 

Did You Ever See a Dinosaur?
(tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Did you ever see a dinosaur, a dinosaur, a dinosaur?
Did you ever see a dinosaur chomp this way and that?
Chomp this way and that way
Chomp this way and that way
Did you ever see a dinosaur chomp this way and that?

Did you ever see a dinosaur stomp this way and that?
Did you ever see a dinosaur roar this way and that?
Did you ever see a dinosaur fly this way and that?


Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

Activities:

Our Hands Say Hello!

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Book:

Will You Wear a Blue Hat?  a Rookie Toddler Book by Scholastic

Songs:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you are!



Eensy Weensy Spider

The eensy weensy spider went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again.



Welcome to Storytime!
(tune: Old McDonald)

At storytime we have (child's name) today.
We're so glad, let's shout hooray!


Ten Little Tootsies
(tune: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little")

One little, two little, three little tootsies,
Four little, five little, six little tootsies.
Seven little, eight little, nine little tootsies,
Ten little tootsie toes!

Ten little, nine little, eight little tootsies,
Seven little, six little, five little tootsies.
Four little, three little, two little tootsies,
One little tootsie toe!


Activities:

A Flea on My Toe

On my toe there is a flea.
Now it's climbing past my knee,
Past my tummy,
Past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea.
Now it's climbing down on me,
Past my tummy,
Past my knee,
On my toe,
Take that, you flea!



Dance Your Fingers Up

Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down.
Dance your fingers to the side and dance them all around.

Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your tummy and put them all to bed.



Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Pajama Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, October 9, 2012.

Books:

One Special Day by Lola M. Schaefer

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex

Sleepy Me by Marni McGee

Sleepy Places by Judy Hindley

Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters

Mmm,mmm, FOOD!

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Thursday, October 4, 2012.

Books:

Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley

"Hi, Pizza Man!" by  Virginia Walter

Crunch Munch by Jonathan London

Songs:

First We Wave Our Hands Up High

(tune: "London Bridge")

First we wave our hands up high, hands up high, hands up high.

First we wave our hands up high.  Then we clap them!

Then we shake our hands down low, hands down low, hands down low.

Then we shake our hands down low.  Then we hide them!

Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.



Activities:

Our Hands Say Hello!

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.

Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!

Five Red Apples

Five red apples growing on a tree.
(raise hands out to form branches)

There's some for you and some for me!
(point to others, then to self)

When we shake the tree just so,
(shake body)

Five red apples will fall below.
1...2...3...4...5!
(close, then open fist as though dropping each apple)


Mrs. B's Pre-Sliced Bananas!
I shared bananas with the children at Storytime today.  But these weren't ordinary bananas...these were pre-sliced bananas!  Here is a video from our Storytime:

And now... to learn how I made my pre-sliced bananas:

http://www.ehow.com/video_4971801_slice-unpeeled-banana.html


Enrichment Activity:
Talking with your child is an important and fun activity that will benefit your child as he gets ready to read.  This week, and in the coming weeks, engage your toddler in conversation as you do your grocery shopping. Here are some sample conversation starters:

* At home: ("What are some fruits we can add to our list?  Are there any pickles in the fridge, or do we need to buy more?")
* As you go down the aisles: ("There are the green beans.  Do we need any green beans today?"  Do you see any other vegetables we can buy?")
* At the checkout counter: ("Let's put all the cold items on the counter first.  Can you help me find the cold foods?")

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

Book:

How Many? by Judy Nayer

(Sorry, no book cover photo available)


Songs:

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.



Activities:

A Flea on My Toe

On my toe there is a flea.
Now it's climbing past my knee,
Past my tummy,
Past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea.
Now it's climbing down on me,
Past my tummy,
Past my knee,
On my toe,
Take that, you flea!

Our parents and grandparents seem to especially enjoy this one during storytime!  You can creep your fingers up and down your child's body, stopping at each mentioned part.  On the last line, you can tickle or kiss your child's toes, or help them gently shake their leg!

Pizza, Pizza, Pumpernickel

Pizza, Pizza Pumpernickel,
(gently pat child's legs in rhythm on the underlined syllables)
My little baby shall have a tickle.
(gently pat child's leg in rhythm on the underlined syllables)
One on the nose,
(gently tickle child's nose)
And one on the toes,
(tickle toes)
And one on the tummy
(gently pat child's leg in rhythm on the underlined syllables)
where the pizz-a goes!
(gently pat child's tummy in rhythm on the underlined syllables)


Peek-a-Boo is a great game to play with your infant.  At Storytime we sometimes use our hands to cover our eyes.  Other times we might use a baby blanket, 2 beanbags, or a puppet!  It's fun to be creative!

One Little Baby Rocking in a Tree

One little baby rocking in a tree. (adult gently rocks child)
Two little babies splashing in the sea. (adult/child make "splashing" motion)
Three little babies crawling on the floor. (move hands in "walking" motion in front of child)
Four little babies knocking at the door. (make a fist and "knock" in the air)
Five little babies playing hide and seek. (cover eyes with hands)
Don't look!  Don't look!
Until I say...PEEK! (uncover eyes)



Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Today I introduced the practice of "picture walking" with the adults and babies.  We used "How Many?" by Judy Nayer (ours is in Big Book form) as our example today.  The Every Child Ready to Read curriculum encourages picture walking as a way to experience a book before actually reading it with your child.  Picture walking involves such things as pointing out the title, author and illustrator of a book, looking at the pictures and talking about what is happening,  introducing new words, and expanding language by using descriptive words.  This monologue will become a dialogue as your child's verbal skills develop.  As I turned the pages, I pointed out some (but not all) of the pictures, making observations such as, "Look at those gray and white kittens.  This one has his mouth open.  What do you think he is saying?  Meow-meow.  This picture has some little yellow fish.  Do you have fish at your house?  Have you seen fish at the zoo?  Maybe after Storytime you can see the library's fish!" 
At this stage our babies are listening, and before long they will start joining in the conversation! 

New Books for September! - Toddler Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

Books:

My Friend Fred by Hiawyn Oram and Rosie Reeve

Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres

On My Way to the Bath by Sarah Maizes

Songs:

First We Wave Our Hands Up High

(tune: "London Bridge")

First we wave our hands up high,

hands up high, hands up high.

First we wave our hands up high.
Then we clap them!

Then we shake our hands down low,

hands down low, hands down low.

Then we shake our hands down low.
Then we hide them!

Storytime Has Ended

(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

Storytime has ended, has ended, has ended.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

(Children wave to each other as we continue)

'Til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet, 'til we meet.

Storytime has ended 'til we meet again.

Activities:

Our hands say hello with a clap, clap, clap.

Our feet say hello with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap, clap, clap,

Tap, tap, tap.

Turn around and take a bow.

Sit right down. It's Storytime now!


For this week's enrichment activity  I encouraged the children and adults to spend some time walking outside during these beautiful autumn days.  I challenged them to listen for the sounds that the leaves make as they are being blown around, as they are being raked or walked over.  This is a great opportunity to experiment with making sounds!  Can you imitate the different sounds you hear?