Baby & Me Storytime: July 17, 2018

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on July 17, 2018.

Book:
Baby Signs illustrated by Joy Allen

Songs:

Hello, Friends!

(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

We're glad you came today!

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. 

The Shape-Up Song
(tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

We're jumping up and down.
We're jumping up and down.
We're getting lots of exercise.
We're jumping up and down.

Ideas for additional verses:
Let's bend and touch our toes...
Let's reach and touch the sky...
Let's kick our legs up high...
We're stomping our feet...
We're waving hello...


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!

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

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

Rhymes:

Toast in the Toaster

I’m toast in the toaster, (gently bounce)

I’m getting very hot.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, (sway side to side)

Up I pop! (raise baby into the air)

Slowly, Slowly, Very Slowly

Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail.

(walk fingers over baby)

Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the wooden rail.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse!

(run fingers over baby)    

Quickly, quickly, very quickly up into his house!

Our activity this week was Bean Bags!

Each Baby & Me 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).

Fun For All Storytime: Let's Listen!

This Fun For All Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on July 5, 2018.

Let's Listen!

Books:
Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator, illustrated by Alison Jay

Hear That? by Tama Janowitz, illustrated by Tracy Dockray
(Because of time and the large number of children present, we did not get to read this story.  I encourage parents to check out this book and enjoy it with their kiddos!)

Songs:

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

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

Let's Make Some Noise by Raffi

Are You Sleeping?
Are you sleeping? (repeat)
Brother John? ...
Morning bells are ringing...
Ding, ding, dong...

For this echo song I handed out sleigh bells to half of the children, encouraging them to keep their instruments quiet during the first half of the song (it's harder than you might think!!), then playing them during the second half.  The other half of the children waited patiently for their turn to play the bells.  After singing the song FOUR times we still didn't manage to get Brother John out of bed!!


Activity:

Can You Guess The Sound?
Children and adults were invited to use their best listening skills to give names to the sounds they heard.  The sound effects we listened to included:
* Helicopter
* Donkey
* Crying Baby
* Clock
* Chain Saw
* Fart
* Cuckoo Clock
* Door Bell
* Hair Dryer
* Turkey
* Rain and Thunder

You can probably guess which sound effect got the biggest reaction from the children!!!

Fun For All Storytime: Whooo Likes Moo-sic?!

This Fun For All Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on July 12, 2018.

Whoo Likes Moo-sic?!

Books:

Farmer Joe and the Music Show by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Barnyard Boogie! by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Allison Black

Songs:
Let's Make Some Noise by Raffi


Old MacDonald 
We sang this song using hand puppets to help us visualize each animal.  Here are some of the animals we sang about:

We had a good laugh at the thought of having a crocodile on Old MacDonald's farm!

Activity:

After singing Old MacDonald - with the help of some Storytime friends who held up each animal puppet as we sang - the children were given the supplies to make their own stick puppets.

Baby & Me Storytime: July 3, 2018

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on July 3, 2018.

Book:
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Songs:

Hello, Friends!

(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

We're glad you came today!

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. 

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


I Can Make My Baby Smile

(tune: “Muffin Man”)

I can make my baby smile,(or laugh)

My baby smile, my baby smile.

I can make my baby smile

When I tickle his (or her, or your) toes!

Additional verses: nose, tummy, feet, chin, etc.

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

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

Rhymes:

Tony Chestnut

Tony Chestnut knows I love you!
(point to your toes, knees, chest, head, nose, eyes,

then hug arms to chest)

Tony knows!  Tony knows!

(point to your toes, knees and nose, then repeat) 

Tony Chestnut knows I love you! 

(point to your toes, knees, chest, head, nose, eyes,
then hug arms to chest)
That's what Tony knows! 

(point to your toes, knees and nose)

'Round and 'Round the Garden

'Round and 'round the garden,
Goes the little mouse.
(draw circles on baby's palm with your finger - or - draw circles on baby's back or tummy)
Up, up, up he creeps
(walk your fingers up baby's arm)
Up into his house.
(tickle under baby's arm)

'Round and 'round the garden,
Goes the teddy bear.
(draw circles on baby's palm with your finger - or - draw circles on baby's back or tummy)
One step, two steps,
(walk your fingers up baby's arm)
Tickle you under there!
(tickle under baby's arm or chin)

Our activity this week was Hand Puppets!

Each Baby & Me 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).

Fun For All Storytime: "Let's Make Some Music!

This Fun For All Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on June 21, 2018.

Let's Make Some Music!

Books:
Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal

Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Songs:
Let's Make Some Noise by Raffi

The Noise Song by Joe Wise

Half the greatest noises in the whole wild world come from me...
Come from me and you, oh,
Half the greatest noises in the whole wide world come from me...
From me and you!

Activity:
After reading "Our Marching Band", I mentioned to the children how fun it would be if WE could form a marching band.  I asked if any of the children had brought a musical instrument with them to storytime.  After lamenting the fact that no one had an instrument, one youngster came forward and pointed to the box of rhythm instruments laying on a nearby table.  "I know, Mrs. B.!  We can use THESE instruments!"
So that's what we did!  Children and parents were invited to choose a rhythm instrument and then we marched our band right through the library!