It feels both weird and wonderful blogging about baby storytime right now, during these days of late stage capitalism. Last week was a whirlwind. The President tried to deploy the National Guard to take over my city; trolls threatened to burn down my library for hosting a queer author event (none showed up and we had a wonderful evening!); and I celebrated the fall season with my Book Babies and their families. Room for all feelings?
Sing: Good Morning to You*
Welcome & Gratitude**
Sing: So Early in the Morning…*
Sing: Hello, Friends*
Sing: Who is Here Today?*
Introductions/Sharing: Favorite Fall Sensation
We shared our favorite sensory experiences of the season. We love the sound of crunching leaves, the feel of crisp breezes and the splendid sight of autumn colors!
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big*
Bounce: Toast in the Toaster*
Cuddle: You Be the Ice Cream (Breakfast Style)*
Sing: If You’re Ready for a Story…*
Read: Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley (Big Book)
We sang the text to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot.”
Sing: Can You Shake Along With Me? (Egg Shakers)
Tune: London Bridge
Can you shake along with me,
Along with me, along with me?
Can you shake along with me?
Shake your shaker on your knee!
(repeat with other body parts)
Sing: Way Up High in the Apple Tree (Egg Shakers)
Tune: I’m a Little Teapot
Way up high in the apple tree,
Two little apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples.
Mmm, they were good!
For this rhyme/song, we encouraged the babies to hold onto the egg shakers. Then we stretched their arms up high, shook their little fists and rubbed their baby bellies. We talked about being careful to never shake baby’s head.
Sing: We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop (Egg Shakers)
We wiggle and wiggle and stop.
We wiggle and wiggle and stop.
We wiggle and wiggle and wiggle and wiggle
We wiggle and wiggle and stop!
(repeat with shake)
Lit Tip: Learning Words through Songs
Grown-ups, singing songs is a great way to grow your baby’s vocabulary! Songs with matching movements help your baby learn and understand the meaning of new words. I love this song in particular because it introduces the concept of STOP, which is a very important safety word!
Read: My Colors / Mis Colores by Rebecca Emberley (Lapsit Board Books)
Play: Bubbles
Stay and Play
*Please visit this page to learn more about my regular storytime songs and routines.
**For more about why and how I set storytime expectations, read these posts.
Storytime in the Stacks 