Toddler Storytime: Thank You!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on November 15, 2017.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most 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).

Reading:

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr

All of Me! A Book of Thanks by Molly Bang

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

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


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!)

If You're Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. (2x)
If you're happy and you know it
then your face will surely show it.
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.


I Am Thankful
(tune: "London Bridge")

For my friends and family,
family, family,
For my friends and family,
I am thankful.

For the pets we love so much,
love so much, love so much,
For the pets we love so much,
I am thankful.

For my house that's nice and warm...
For my friends who like to play...
For my food that tastes so good...

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

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

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us today?

Our green box held a variety of Thanksgiving/autumn themed activity sheets that I printed from the totschooling website.  This is a great site for all kinds of activity ideas for toddlers!

I also handed out this fun game for the little ones to play with an adult:

The idea and design came from planningplaytime.com.
As your child reaches in and pulls out a Skittle, use the card to guide the child's response, such as, (for a purple Skittle) "I am thankful for my Nana!" or (for a yellow Skittle) "I am thankful for the splash pad at the zoo!"
I hope parents will enjoy this exercise in gratitude with their children!

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