Our Infant Storytime was all about butterflies today! We read a special slide-and-seek book by Emma Parrish which was a big hit. Each page asks, “Where is Flutterby Butterfly?” This leads us on a search for our special butterfly as we move through a bird’s nest, flowers, a beehive, a spider’s web and more. It is only on the very last page that we find our butterfly. Colorful, interactive and suspenseful (from a baby’s perspective, of course), this board book is a good choice for an infant or toddler storytime.
In place of a second book, I told the story of the Surprise Butterfly in a Box using a caterpillar finger puppet, a butterfly finger puppet and a box.
The fuzzy little caterpillar
Crawled up to look at me!
He wiggled and I giggled.
Friends we soon would be,
So I put him in a box, I did!
Don’t you crawl away, I said.
But the next time I opened the lid,
Out flew a butterfly instead!
We also made some butterflies appear with a special rhyme!
Five Little Caterpillars…
Five little caterpillars spinning their cocoons (roll hands)
Hoping that spring would be here soon (cross fingers)
With a little bit of magic (flutter fingers)
And some warm sunshine (circle arms overhead)
Clap, clap, clap for a butterfly (clap hands three times and pull a flannel butterfly out of a basket)
Of course, we also had our usual songs and bounces as well as a nursery rhyme and tickle. All are listed below (with lyrics):
OUR OPENING SONGS:
Welcome, Welcome
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!
Clap Everybody and Say Hello!
Clap everybody and say hello,
Clap everybody and say hello,
Clap everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather…
REPEAT verse with Stamp, Wiggle, Jump & Sing
(Kathy Reid-Naiman, Sally Go Round the Sun CD)
OUR BOUNCES:
Tiny Little Babies
Tune: Shortnen’ Bread
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’
Tiny little babies love bouncin’, yeah!
Tiny little babies love bouncin’, bouncin’
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ yeah!
Sooo…bounce to the left, bounce to the right,
Now hug that baby nice and tight!
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’
Tiny little babies love bouncin’, yeah!
The Grand Old Duke of York
The grand old Duke of York,
He had 10,000 men,
He marched them up to the top of the hill, (hold baby up in the air)
And he marched them down again! (bring baby down to lap)
And when they’re up, they’re up, (hold baby high again)
And when they’re down, they’re down, (bring baby back down to lap)
And when they’re only halfway up, (hold baby halfway up from lap)
They’re neither up (bring baby up)
Nor down! (bring baby back down to lap)
TRANSITION ACTIVITY:
From the Diaper Gym CD
My Little Hands
With my little hands I go clap clap clap
With my little feet I go tap tap tap
With my little arms I wave bye bye bye
With my little legs I kick high high high
With my little eyes I say peek-a-boo
With my little lips I say I love you!
With my little hands I go clap clap clap
With my little feet I go tap tap tap
With my little arms I wave bye bye bye
With my little legs I kick high high high
With my little eyes I say peek-a-boo
With my little lips I say I love you!
OUR MIDWAY BOUNCE:
From the Wee Sing For Baby CD
This is the Way the Ladies Ride
Trit Trot
Trot to boston
Trot, Trot, Trot
OUR NURSERY FLANNEL:
Hey Diddle Diddle…
Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon! The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon!
OUR TICKLE:
These are baby’s fingers, (touch child’s fingers)
These are baby’s toes, (touch child’s toes)
This is baby’s belly button, (touch child’s tummy)
Round and round it goes! (gently tickle child’s tummy)
OUR CLOSING SONGS:
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
(See video clip.)
Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun that dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again!
Mr. Moon from the Toddlers on Parade CD by Carol Hammett & Elaine Bueffel
Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon, you’re out too son
The sun is still in the sky…
So go back to your bed and cover up your head
And wait ’til the day goes by….
Goodbye Babies (in sign) – to the tune of “Goodnight Ladies”
Goodbye babies, goodbye babies, goodbye babies, it’s time to say goodbye