You can do storytime from anywhere! Just follow the links and instructions below to sing, talk, read, and play together with your child on the go.
Storytimes
Here are some tips for doing storytime anywhere:
- These storytimes work best if you load all the links before starting, but you can also just follow along step by step.
- You can sing along together with the YouTube video songs or without them if you know them already.
- For the best experience, set yourself up in a space where you can go from sitting to standing.
- Feel free to put your own creative spin on any of the songs and activities!
Sing "Hello, Hello" (YouTube) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read Lewis Cardinal’s First Winter by Amy Crane Johnson and Robb Mommaerts (TumbleBook)
Watch, sing, dance along with “Rockin’ Robin” (YouTube)
Do the action rhyme “Two Little Blackbirds” (YouTube)
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named Jack and one named Jill [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill [move one finger behind your back, then the other]
Come back Jack, come back Jill [bring one finger behind back out front, then the other]
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named Jack and one named Jill [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Two little blackbirds flying in the sky [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named low and one named high [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Fly away low, fly away high [move one finger behind your back down low, then the other up high]
Come back Jack, come back Jill [bring back one finger down low, then the other up high]
Two little blackbirds flying in the sky [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named low and one named high [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named quiet and one named loud [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Fly away low, fly away high [move one finger behind your back while whispering, then the other while singing loudly]
Come back quiet, come back loud [bring back one finger in front while whispering, then the other while singing loudly]
Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named quiet and one named loud [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Two little blackbirds sitting in a row [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named fast and one named slow [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Fly away fast, fly away high [move one finger behind your back quickly, then the other slowly]
Come back fast, come back slow [bring back one finger quickly, then the other up slowly]
Two little blackbirds sitting in a row [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named fast and one named slow [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named early and one named late [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Fly away early, fly away high [move one finger behind your back a bit early, then the other late, after you sing the words]
Come back early, come back late [bring back one finger a bit early, then the other late]
Two little blackbirds sitting in a row [hold up index finger on each hand]
One named fast and one named slow [wiggle one finger, then the other]
Read A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis (TumbleBook)
Watch, sing, and dance along to “The Penguin Shuffle” (YouTube)
Read Little Hoot by Amy Kraus Rosenthal and Jen Corace (TumbleBook)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts & Extension Activities
- Make a birdfeeder and watch the birds that come visit
- Watch the penguins at the Georgia Aquarium's Live Cam
- Learn more about owls from the San Diego Zoo
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, January 2021
Sing “Hello, Hello” (video) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner (available on Tumblebooks)
Watch, sing, and dance along with “The Ants Go Marching” (video)
Do the action rhyme “Bumblebee, Bumblebee”
Bumblebee, Bumblebee, landing on my nose [point to nose]
Bumblebee, Bumblebee, landing on my toes [point to toes]
On my arms, on my legs, on my elbows [point to body parts as you say them]
Bumblebee, Bumblebee she lands and then she goes [arms up in the air]
(from www.storytimekatie.com)
Watch/sing and dance along with “I’d Be a Bee” (video)
Read Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin (available on Tumblebooks)
Sing “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” (video)
The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout [move hands up like a spider]
Down came the rain and washed the spider out [move fingers down like rain]
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain [put arms in a circle above your head like the sun]
And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again [move hands up like a spider]
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts and Extension Activities:
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, April 2020
Sing “Hello, Hello” (video) (Directions for movements are in italics)
Hello, Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello, Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello, Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello, Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read Snap! by Hazel Hutchins (available on Tumblebooks)
Watch, sing, and dance along with “Colors All Around” (video)
Do the action rhyme “I See Colors All Around” (directions for movements are in italics)
I see colors all around [move arms in a circle]
Colors up [point up], and colors down [point down]
[as you say the colors, point to something that is that color]
I see red, and I see blue
I see orange, and purple too
I see yellow, I see green
So many colors we have seen
I see colors all around [move arms in a circle]
Colors up [point up], and colors down [point down]
Read Red is a Dragon by Roseanne Thong (available on Tumblebooks)
Sing "I Can Sing a Rainbow" (video)
(This is a great song to use different colored scarves or even different color pieces of paper to show the colors as you sing them)
Read A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis (available on Tumblebooks)
Sing "Goodbye Song"
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts and Extension Activities:
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, April 2020
Sing “Hello, Hello” (YouTube) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read All Aboard the Dinotrain by Deb Lund and Howard Fine (TumbleBooks)
Watch, sing, and dance along with "We Are the Dinosaurs" by Laurie Berkner (YouTube)
Read Tyson the Terrible by Diane and Christyan Fox (TumbleBooks)
Watch and count along with the felt board rhyme "Five Enormous Dinosaurs" (YouTube)
Do the action rhyme "Move Like a Dinosaur"
Can you act like a dinosaur?
Move your body and give a roar! [Roar like a dinosaur]
Spread your arms, way out wide [spread arms to the side and stretch]
Fly like Pteranodon, soar and glide [flap arms like they’re wings]
Bend to the floor, head down low [bend down]
Move like Stegosaurus, long ago [walk around with head low by the ground]
Reach up tall, try to be [reach arms up]
As tall as Apatosaurus eating on a tree [pretend hands are “eating”]
Using your claws, grumble and growl [pretend hands are claws]
Just like Tyrannosaurus on the prowl! [“prowl” around with hands like claws]
Read Digger the Dinosaur by Rebecca Kai Dotlich (TumbleBooks)
Sing "Goodbye Song"
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts & Extension Activities
- Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar by Bob Barner is a nonfiction picture book (TumbleBooks) that is longer than an average storytime book (7 minutes), but is a great one to read and watch for more information about dinosaurs.
- Find dinosaur crafts and activities in the Scholastic Teachables database through the MGPL website. Library card required. Visit our Databases page, follow the Scholastic Teachables link, search for Dinosaurs, and select Pre-K.
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, December 2020
Sing “Hello, Hello” (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root and Jane Chapman (Available on Tumblebooks)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Five Little Ducks” (watch on Vimeo)
Do the action rhyme “All the Little Ducks Go Upside Down” - to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus” (from Let's Play Kids Music)
All the little ducks go upside down
Upside down
Upside down
All the little ducks go upside down
As they dabble at the bottom of the pond
[each time you sing “upside down” bend upside down]
All the little beaks go snap, snap, snap
Snap, snap, snap
Snap, snap, snap
All the little beaks go snap, snap, snap
As they dabble at the bottom of the pond
[each time you sing “snap snap snap” clap hands together]
All the little tails go wiggle, waggle, waggle
Wiggle, waggle, waggle
Wiggle, waggle, waggle
All the little tails go wiggle, waggle, waggle
As they dabble at the bottom of the pond
[each time you sing “wiggle wiggle wiggle” shake your pretend tail]
Watch/sing along with “Elmo's Ducks” (watch on YouTube)
Read Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld (available on Tumblebooks)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Rubber Ducky” (watch on YouTube)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, October 2020
Sing “All the Little Chicks” (to the tune of “Wheels on the Bus”)
All the little chicks say peep-peep-peep
Peep-peep-peep, peep-peep-peep
All the little chicks say peep-peep-peep
Down on the farm
(Repeat with “All the mama chickens lay their eggs” and “the big old rooster says ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’”)
Sing “Old MacDonald”
Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee-i-ee-i-oh
And on the farm he had a cow
Ee-i-ee-i-oh
With a moo-moo here
And moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo
Everywhere a moo-moo
Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee-i-ee-i-oh
(repeat with other farm animals, then have the child think of one and ask them what sound it makes before singing the next verse)
“B-I-N-G-O”
There was a farmer had a dog
And Bingo was his name, oh
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name, oh
(with older kids you can clap away another letter for each verse, with younger kids just sing the first verse twice)
Read Love Is by Diana Adams (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go
Sing “Picked Our Harvest”
Picked an apple, picked an apple (reach up towards the tree branches)
That was growing in the sun (make a circle shape with arms)
First I washed it (rub hands together), then I ate it (take a bite and say ‘mmm!’)
Then I picked another one (reach up again)
(Ask your child to name some fruits or vegetables to pick on the farm. Once they tell you, think about how you would pick it. For example, instead of washing the corn, you shuck it or you cook it and then eat it. Also, some things grow on the ground and some grow on the trees, etc., so you can explore different ways of growing produce and show that in your motions.)
Read One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root (available on Tumblebooks)
Sing “Big Red Tractor” (to the tune of “Little Red Wagon”)
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor (bounce up and down)
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor
Won’t you be my darlin’
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken (move body side to side)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken
Won’t you be my darlin’
I can fix it with my hammer (make hammering motion with hands)
I can fix it with my hammer
I can fix it with my hammer
Won’t you be my darlin’
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor (bounce up and down)
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor
Bumpin’ up and down in my big red tractor
Won’t you be my darlin’
Play “That’s What I Did on the Farm” by Laurie Berkner to wrap up (watch on YouTube)
Prepared by Natalie Roche, October 2020
Sing "Hello, Hello" (YouTube) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read Cuckoo, Cuckoo: A Folktale from Mexico by Sarah Keene and Clare Fennell (BiblioBoard)
Watch, sing, and do actions for “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” (Tumblebooks)
The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout [move hands up like a spider]
Down came the rain and washed the spider out [move fingers down like rain]
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain [put arms in a circle above your head like the sun]
And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again [move hands up like a spider]
Do the nursery rhyme “One Two, Buckle My Shoe”
One, two, buckle my shoe [pretend to tie or Velcro shoes]
Three, four, shut the door [pretend to shut a door]
Five, six, pick up sticks [pretend to pick up sticks]
Seven, eight, lay them straight [pretend to put the sticks in a line]
Nine, ten, a great, big hen! [hold your arms wide to show “big”]
Read Hickory Dickory Dock by J.J. Rudisill (Biblioboard)
Watch and sing along to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (Tumblebook)
Read Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs: A Tale from West Africa by Leah Osei and Katie Saunders (Biblioboard)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts & Extension Activities
- Make a Paper Plate Spider Web (to go along with "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs)
- Make a Cotton Ball Sheep (to go along with "Mary Had a Little Lamb")
- Play the Online “Super Why Saves the Day” Game (a game to learn the alphabet and pre-reading skills by using fairy tales and the characters from Super Why)
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, April 2021
Sing “Doe, A Deer” (video on YouTube)
Doe, a deer, a female deer (make antlers with hands)
Ray, a drop of golden sun (make a circle with arms like the sun)
Me, a name I call myself (point to yourself)
Far, a long, long way to run (move arms like running)
Sew, a needle pulling thread (put index and thumb together and pretend to sew)
La, a note to follow Sew (put your two index fingers together)
Tea, a drink with jam and bread (pretend to drink tea)
That will bring us back to Doe (make antlers with hands)
Sing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Sing “The Ants Go Marching” (video on YouTube)
The ants go marching 1 by 1, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 1 by 1, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 1 by 1
The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all went marching down
To the ground, to go out of the rain
The ants go marching 2 by 2, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 2 by 2, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 2 by 2
The little one stops to tie his shoe
And they all went marching down
To the ground, to go out of the rain
The ants go marching 3 by 3, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 3 by 3, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching 3 by 3
The little one stops to climb a tree
And they all went marching down
To the ground, to go out of the rain
Read Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
To see what he could see
And all that he could see
And all that he could see
Was the other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain
Was all that he could see
“Two Little Blackbirds” (video with hand movements on YouTube)
(For this song, use your index fingers to represent both birds and make them fly in the way that represents their names, as seen in the video. When they fly away, you hide them behind your back and then bring them back again.)
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack, the other named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill
Two little blackbirds flying in the sky
One named Low, the other named High
Fly away Low, fly away High
Come back Low, come back High
Two little blackbirds sitting on a pole
One named Fast, the other named Slow
Fly away Fast, fly away Slow
Come back Fast, come back Slow
“Five Green and Speckled Frogs” (video on YouTube)
5 green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs, yum yum
1 jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were 4 green speckled frogs
(count down to 0, and with the last verse say “then there were no green speckled frogs, goodbye!”)
Read Where Is Croaky? by Eva-Marie Welsh (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “Autumn Hiking Song” by Lorraine Nelson Wolf (video on YouTube)
Prepared by Natalie Roche, October 2020
Sing “Hello, Hello” (video) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read Stretch by Doreen Cronin (available on TumbleBooks)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Shake Your Sillies Out” (video)
Do the action rhyme “We Can Jump” (directions for movements are in italics) (from Storytime Katie)
We can jump, jump, jump [jump up and down]
We can hop, hop, hop [continue to jump, or hop on one foot]
We can clap, clap, clap [clap hands]
We can stop, stop, stop [hold out hands to stop]
We can nod our head for yes [nod head]
We can shake our head for no [shake head]
We can bend our knees a little bit [bend knees]
And sit down really slow [sit down]
Watch/sing and dance along with “Action ABCs (Sesame Street)” (video)
Read Wiggle by Doreen Cronin (available on TumbleBooks)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Hokey Pokey” (video)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts and Extension Activities
- Action Dice: Make large dice to play a fun game that gets you moving.
- Stretch Memory Game: Memory game based on the book Stretch.
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, October 2020
Sing “The More We Get Together” (video)
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together, the happier we'll be
For your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we'll be
The more we read together, together, together
The more we read together, the happier we'll be.
Read big books and small books
Read short books and tall books
The more we read together
The happier we'll be
Read Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn (available on Tumblebooks)
Talk with your child about going to the library. What do they like to do at the library? What is their favorite book?
Sing “Read, Read, Read a Book” (to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Read, Read, Read a Book
Travel anywhere,
Worldwide, you decide,
A book will take you there.
Read, read, read a book,
Beginning to the end,
What a way to spend the day,
A book's a special friend!
Read ABC Letters in the Library by Bonnie Farmer (available on Tumblebooks)
Watch, sing, and mime along with “These Are My Glasses” by Laurie Berkner (video)
These are my glasses
This is my book
I put on my glasses
And open up the book
Now I read, read, read
And I look, look, look,
I put down my glasses
And ooop close up the book!
Read Ook the Book by Lissa Rovetch (available on Tumblebooks)
Sing “If you’re happy and you know it read a book” (video) (directions for movements are in italics)
If you're happy and you know it read a book [read a book]
If you're happy and you know it read a book [read a book]
If you're happy and you know and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it read a book [read a book]
Alternate verses:
turn the page [turn a page], swipe your card [swipe card], tell a friend [hands up to mouth], and, of course, shout "Hurray" [arms up] to finish off your storytime together!
Prepared by Sarah Mitchell-Mace, April 2020
Read Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (available on YouTube)
Sing along with "I Had an Old Coat" by Paul Kaplan (available on YouTube)
Read My Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton (available on YouTube)
Sing “My Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton (available on YouTube: version 1 and version 2)
Activities: Fold-and-tell coat
Prepared by Debbie Wiedeman, April 2020
Sing "Mister Sun" (video with hand movements)
Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun
Please shine down on me
Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun
Hiding behind the tree
These little children are asking you
Please come out so we can play with you
Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun
Please shine down on me
Sing "Climb Aboard the Spaceship" (to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”)
Climb aboard the spaceship, we’re going to the moon
Hurry and get ready, we’re going to blast off soon
Put on your helmet and buckle up real tight
Cause we’re going to the moon and we’ll be out all night
Read Block the Sun, Not the Fun! by Ellen Feinman Moss (available on Tumblebooks)
Recite the poem "The Moon Game"
I’m the moon and I play a game
I don’t always look the same
Sometimes I’m round, a silver sphere
Sometimes just half of me seems to be here
Sometimes I’m a crescent, shaped like a smile
Sometimes I surprise you and hide for a while
Look up in the sky for my friendly light
What shape will I have when you see me tonight?
Discuss what shape the moon will be tonight (this website will tell you the moon phase for the evening)
Sing "Solar System in Motion" (to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)
The earth turns around, the earth turns around
Once a day and every day, the earth turns around
The moon goes round the earth, the moon goes round the earth
Once a month and every month, the moon goes round the earth
The earth goes round the sun, the earth goes round the sun
Once a year and every year, the earth goes round the sun
Read The Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin (available on Tumblebooks)
Recite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
(for this song, tell the child to hold their hands in the air and make their fingers "twinkle" and you can create a galaxy together)
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
Sing "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon" (video with hand movements)
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!
Move to the song "Rocketship Run" by Laurie Berkner (video)
(For this final song, you can blow bubbles together, dance, or even play freeze dance by pausing the music every so often and freezing when it stops. Come up with some space-themed dance moves together too!)
Prepared by Natalie Roche, April 2020
Sing “Hello Hello” (video) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And touch the ground? [touch the floor]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you clap your hands? [clap hands]
Hello Hello [wave]
Can you stomp your feet? [stomp feet]
Can you reach up high? [reach arms up]
Can you turn around? [spin around]
Can you wiggle your fingers? [wiggle fingers]
And sit right down? [sit down]
Read A Cat Named Haiku by Mark Poulton and Dexter Weeks (TumbleBook)
Watch, sing, and dance along with “The Cat Came Back” by Laurie Berkner (video)
Do the action rhyme “If You’re a Pet and You Know It” (To the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re a kitty and you know it say meow [meow like a cat]
If you’re a kitty and you know it say meow [meow like a cat]
If you’re a kitty and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a kitty and you know it say meow [meow like a cat]
If you’re a doggy and you know it wag your tail [“wag” bottom like a tail]
If you’re a doggy and you know it wag your tail [“wag” bottom like a tail]
If you’re a doggy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a doggy and you know it wag your tail [“wag” bottom like a tail]
If you’re a goldfish and you know it swim in your bowl [pretend to swim like a fish]
If you’re a goldfish and you know it swim in your bowl [pretend to swim like a fish]
If you’re a goldfish and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a goldfish and you know it swim in your bowl [pretend to swim like a fish]
If you’re a hamster and you know it run on your wheel [run in place like a hamster on a wheel]
If you’re a hamster and you know it run on your wheel [run in place like a hamster on a wheel]
If you’re a hamster and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a hamster and you know it run on your wheel [run in place like a hamster on a wheel]
If you’re a bird and you know it flap your wings [flap arms like a bird’s wings]
If you’re a bird and you know it flap your wings [flap arms like a bird’s wings]
If you’re a bird and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a bird and you know it flap your wings [flap arms like a bird’s wings]
Read Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat Schories (TumbleBook)
Watch, sing, and clap along with “B-I-N-G-O” (video)
Read I Got Two Dogs by John Lithgow and Robert Neubecker (TumbleBook)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high [wave high in the air]
Wave low [wave toward the ground]
Because it’s time [clap clap]
for us to go [clap clap]
Wave your fingers [wave fingers]
Wave your toes [wave toes]
Wave your bottom [shake bottom]
Wave your nose [wiggle nose]
Wave like that [small wave with fingers]
Wave like this [wave side to side with hand]
Wave your arms [wave arms]
Blow a kiss [blow a kiss]
Crafts and Extension Activities
Find dinosaur crafts and activities in the Scholastic Teachables database through the MGPL website. Library card required. Visit our Databases page, follow the Scholastic Teachables link, search for Pets, and select Pre-K.
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, December 2020
Sing “Hello, Hello” (Watch on YouTube) (directions for movements are in italics)
Hello Hello (wave)
Can you clap your hands? (clap hands)
Hello Hello (wave)
Can you stomp your feet? (stomp feet)
Can you reach up high? (reach arms up)
Can you turn around? (spin around)
Can you wiggle your fingers? (wiggle fingers)
And touch the ground? (touch the floor)
Hello Hello (wave)
Can you clap your hands? (clap hands)
Hello Hello (wave)
Can you stomp your feet? (stomp feet)
Can you reach up high? (reach arms up)
Can you turn around? (spin around)
Can you wiggle your fingers? (wiggle fingers)
And sit right down? (sit down)
Read Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Available on Tumblebooks)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Laurie’s Got a Pig on Her Head” (Watch on YouTube)
Do the action rhyme “This Little Piggie”
(For this traditional nursery rhyme, for each “piggie” you can wiggle one finger, or point to one of your child’s toe)
This little piggie went to market (wiggle thumb or point to big toe)
This little piggie went home (wiggle index finger or point to second toe)
This little piggie had roast beef (wiggle middle finger or point to third toe)
This little piggie had none (wiggle ring finger or point to fourth toe)
And this little piggie, the littlest piggie (wiggle pinkie finger or point to pinkie toe)
Went wee wee wee wee all the way home (tickle up arm or leg)
Watch/sing and dance along with “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (video on YouTube)
Read Chicken, Pig, Cow by Ruth Ohi (Available on TumbleBooks)
Watch/count along with the felt board rhyme “Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean” (Watch on YouTube)
Sing “Goodbye Song”
Wave high (wave high in the air)
Wave low (wave toward the ground)
Because it’s time (clap clap)
for us to go (clap clap)
Wave your fingers (wave fingers)
Wave your toes (wave toes)
Wave your bottom (shake bottom)
Wave your nose (wiggle nose)
Wave like that (small wave with fingers)
Wave like this (wave side to side with hand)
Wave your arms (wave arms)
Blow a kiss (blow a kiss)
Crafts and Extension Activities
There are a number of crafts and activities in the Scholastic Teachables database through the Library website.
Prepared by Amy Goodchild, November 2020
Sing “Little Red Wagon”
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon (bounce up and down)
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darlin’
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken (move body side to side)
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken
Won’t you be my darlin’
I can fix it with my hammer (make hammering motion with hands)
I can fix it with my hammer
I can fix it with my hammer
Won’t you be my darlin’
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon (bounce up and down)
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darlin’
Sing “Wheels on the Bus”
The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town
(people go up and down, horn goes beep-beep-beep, door go open and shut, baby goes wah-wah-wah, parents say I love you, driver says move on back, or any other verses you know)
Sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Row, row, row your boot
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
(With older kids you can also add verses such as “if you see a crocodile don’t forget to scream” or instead make them row slowly or quickly down the stream)
Read All Aboard the Dinotrain by Deb Lund (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “Bicycle Built for Two” (video on YouTube) (alternate lyrics found at kidsongs.com)
(For this song, replace the names listed with child’s or children’s names you are performing this storytime with.)
Ruby, Ruby, give me your answer true
I love riding, do you love it, too?
Slow or fast or faster
You lead, I’ll follow after
The path flies by as you and I
Ride a bicycle built for two
Billy, Billy, give me your answer true
Will you let me pedal along with you?
When you and I go cruising
You’ll thank me for choosing
You to come and have some fun
On a bicycle built for two
Sing “I’m An Airplane” (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”)
I’m an airplane, I’m an airplane (stick out arms to the sides)
Flying high, flying high
I can turn this way (veer the left), I can turn that way (veer the right)
In the sky, in the sky
I’m a helicopter, I’m a helicopter (hold arms up and stick hands out)
Flying low, flying low
I can spin this way (spin to the left), I can spin that way (spin to the right)
Watch me go, watch me go
Read Subway Ride by Heather Lynn Miller (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom” (video with hand movements)
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!
Finish up with “Stop and Go” by Ella Jenkins (video on YouTube)
Prepared by Natalie Roche, October 2020
Sing “Big Snowflakes” (to the tune of “London Bridge”)
(wiggle your fingers down like falling snow)
Big snowflakes are falling down
Falling down, falling down
Big snowflakes are falling down
Now it’s winter!
Sing “This Is The Way That We Get Dressed” (to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)
(Get ready to go outside: put on your winter clothes! Act out each part of the song like you’re putting on winter clothes.)
This is the way that we get dressed
We get dressed, we get dressed
This is the way that we get dressed
On a snowy day
This is the way we put on our gloves
Put on our gloves, put on our gloves
This is the way we put on our gloves
On a snowy day
(Repeat with hat, coat, and boots)
Chant “The Mitten Chant” (from teachingmama.org)
Here is a mitten (hold up one hand)
A warm, fuzzy one (rub hands together)
With a place for my fingers (wiggle your fingers)
And a place for my thumb (wiggle your thumb)
Here are two mittens (hold up both hands)
That fit just right (clasp hands together)
One for my left hand (hold up left hand)
And one for my right (hold up right hand)
These are our mittens (hold up both hands)
As soft as can be (pet the tops of each hand)
A warm pair for you (point to participant)
And a warm pair for me (point to yourself)
Read Lewis Cardinal’s First Winter by Amy Crane Johnson (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “I’m A Little Snowman” (to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little snowman, look at me (make round body with arms)
Here are my buttons, 1, 2, 3 (count buttons on your chest)
When the sun comes out, I cannot play
Watch me slowly melt away (slowly melt body over towards the floor)
Sing “Five Little Snowmen” (to the tune of “Five Little Ducks”)
5 little snowmen standing in a row
Each with a hat and a colorful bow
The sun came out and shone all day
And the red little snowman melted away!
(change the color each time, counting down by 1)
Read Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer (available on TumbleBooks)
Sing “Jingle Bells”
(especially fun if you have shakers or bells you can use at home!)
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh, hey! (repeat)
End with “The Snow Song” by HiDino Kids (video on YouTube)
Prepared by Natalie Roche, October 2020