Toddler Storytime

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.

Books:
Te Amo Bebe, Little One by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Maribel Suarez

Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka
 

Songs:

Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)


Good Morning!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Good morning! (echo)
How are you? (echo)
I'm so glad to see you! (echo)
Wesley is too! (echo)


If You're Ready For a Story
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Clap your hands and stomp your feet,
Make your hands all nice and neat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.



Skinnamarink

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon, oh,

Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-doo
I love you!

Here is a Youtube video of this song!



Activities:
For those who could stay after Storytime, children had three activities from which to choose.  The first is a Tic-Tac-Toe game made out of an empty Valentine's Day chocolate box.  To make your own game at home, first empty the chocolates out of the box.  (I'll let you figure out what to do with the chocolates!).

Then use a marker to make a tic-tac-toe board in the bottom of the box.  I used a red permanent marker, then outlined it with a black marker.  Two colors of Hershey's Kisses, M&Ms, or any other kind of markers can be used instead of Xs and Os.  For this age, rather than making it competitive, help your child figure out what would be the best move.  Try putting several red/white markers down, leaving one place where your child can put down his colored marker to "win".  This will help your child with pattern recognition, an important pre-literacy skill!

Children could also spend some time lacing beads onto plastic lanyard to make a necklace.  While the adults will say it is a great way to improve a child's eye-hand coordination, pattern recognition, and fine motor skills, the children will tell you it is just, plain FUN!

Our third activity was lacing, using pink and white plastic lanyard 

and laminated heart cutouts.

Having fun lacing a beaded necklace.

Next week we'll continue our tour of Henry Doorly Zoo as we learn about those terrific people who take care of the animals: Zookeepers!

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.