Our third storytime of the summer session was all about Bears! Here are the books, songs, rhymes, bounces and flannel stories we shared for our storytime on Bears!
Books We Shared
In Nancy Tafuri’s book, Mama’s Little Bears, we are introduced to Mama Bear and her three baby bears. They are all out fishing on a spring day until the three baby bears run off to explore! They wonder what’s over the hill, what’s under the rock, what’s in the cave, what’s down in the log and what’s up in the tree. They find all sorts of creatures but they don’t scurry away until they disturb a family of owls. As they hurry down the tree, they look for their Mama but can’t see her! Where is she? A sweet story about the need for babies to explore on their own but only if Mama is within eyesight. Clear, bold illustrations and simple text make this the perfect book for infants and toddlers.
Bill Martin’s classic picture book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has a wonderful cadence, teaches colors and animal identification & gives children an opportunity to practice animal sounds. To change things up a bit, we shared a flannel version of the book. Most babies can see colors fairly well by five months but I often like to accompany a picture book story with large, bright flannel pieces. This makes it easier for babies (particularly the tiniest of the group) to identify shapes and colors.
Flannel Boards ~ Nursery Rhyme
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cows in the corn.
But where is the little boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haystack, fast asleep.
Should we wake him? Surely, not now!
For if we do, he’ll surely cry!
Rhymes & Bounces & Songs We Shared
We sing a lot of songs during storytime! You’ll find lyrics to those songs without music here.
Welcome Song
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
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!
Dickery Dickery Dare (bounce)
(to the tune of Hickory Dickory Dock)
Click here for video: Dickery Dickery Dare
Dickery dickery dare,
The pig flew up in the air, (woo!)
The man in brown, brought him back down,
Dickery dickery dare!
Grand Old Duke of York (bounce)
Click here for video: 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 (lift baby up)
And he marched them back again (place baby on lap)
And when they’re up, they’re up (lift baby up)
And when they’re down, they’re down (place baby on lap)
But when they’re only half way up (bring baby halfway up)
They’re neither up nor down! (lift baby up and down)
You are My Sunshine (song)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
And I love you more every day…
Round and Round the Garden (tickle):
Round and round the garden, goes the teddy bear, a one step, a two step, a tickle under there!
Music from CDs We Shared
Children love to sing and dance to music. Here are some of the songs/bounces on CD that we used in storytime.
“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Kathy Reid-Naiman
Clap everybody and say hello, (clap hands)
Clap everybody and say hello,
Clap everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.
Stamp everybody and say hello, (stomp feet)
Stamp everybody and say hello,
Stamp everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.
Wiggle everybody and say hello, (wiggle baby)
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.
Jump everybody and say hello, (lift baby up high)
Jump everybody and say hello,
Jump everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.
Sing everybody and say hello, (wave hi)
Sing everybody and say hello,
Sing everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.
“Ladies Ride” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music
This is the way the ladies ride (bounce baby to rhythm)
Trit trot, trit trot
This is the way the ladies ride early in the morning!
This is the way the gentleman ride, gallop and trot, gallop and trot
This is the way the gentleman ride, early in the morning!
This is the way the farmers ride, clippity cloppety, clippity cloppety
This is the way the farmers ride early in the morning!
This is the way the cowgirls/boys ride, giddy up, giddy up
This is the way the cowgirls/boys ride early in the morning – YEEHAW!!
(REPEAT once more)
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music
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.
“My Little Hands” from Rhythm and Rhyme for Special Times by Jack Hartman and Friends
With my little hands I go clap, clap, clap (clap hands 3x)
With my little feet I go tap, tap, tap (tap feet 3x)
With my little hands I go bye, bye, bye (wave bye 3x)
With my little feet I kick high, high, high (help baby kick feet 3x)
With my little eyes I go peek-a-boo (cover baby’s eyes for peek-a-boo)
With my little lips I say: I Love You! (look at baby and say/sing I love you!)
(Repeat)
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammet & Elaine Bueffel
Click here for video: 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 and dried up all the rain,
So the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
“Goodbye Babies” (in sign)
Click here for video: Goodbye Babies
Goodbye babies, goodbye babies
Goodbye babies, it’s time to say goodbye.
“Now It’s Time to Say Goodbye” (tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Now it’s time to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye,
Now it’s time to say goodbye, we’ll see you all next week!
Extend the Fun at Home
