Most infants and toddlers learn to wave hello before they utter their first words. Today’s storytimes focused on how animals AND people say hello….cows moooooo, sheep baaaaaaa, dogs wooooffff… People even say hello in different languages: Hola! Ciao! Konichiwa! – we’re all using different words, sounds and symbols to say the same thing – HELLO! I’m here! I want to connect!
Stories we shared:
Some of the songs and movement activities we shared:
Welcome Song (acapella):
Welcome, welcome everyone, now we’re here let’s have some fun. First we clap our hands just so, then we bend and touch our toes…welcome, welcome everyone, now we’re here let’s have some fun!
Hello Babies (in sign) – to the tune of Hello Ladies…
Hello babies, hello babies, hello babies…it’s time to say hello.
This Little Pig (Wee Sing for Baby CD)
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…
Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climed 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 climbed up the spout again.
(You can also replace itsy bitsy spider with big gigantic spider)
Clap Your Hands (Wiggleworms “Love You” CD)
Two Little Blackbirds (Fingerplays and Footplays CD)
My Head My Shoulders My Knees My Toes (sing and act out)
My head my shoulders my knees my toes (repeat 3x)
Let’s all join hands together (clap)
My head my shoulders my knees my toes (repeat 3x, go faster each time)
Let’s all join hands together! (clap)
Flannel board: We want to say hello!
(Sung to tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” The animals/bugs are hidden behind colorful flannel clouds-children have to guess where each animal/bug is…)
Can we find a lady bug?
A lady bug, a lady bug?
Can we find a lady bug?
We want to say hello!
(…green frog, gray squirrel, yellow duck, soft kitty…)
Video: Playtime Maisy