For our second Toddler Storytime of the spring session, we read books about naptime/bedtime.


Books We Shared

Our first story, Everyone is Yawning by Anita Bijsterbosch, was a lift-the-flap book that showed all kinds of animals’ mouths as they yawned.

Our second book, Shhh! This Book is Sleeping by Cedric Ramadier and Vincent Bourgeau, was a bedtime book with a twist–a book that you have to put to bed because it’s very sleepy!


Flannel Board Counting

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
The mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

(Take a monkey away and repeat the rhyme with one fewer monkey, until there are no more monkeys)


Letter of the Day

To emphasize writing skills I have the toddlers practice drawing the letter of the day in the air. Our letter of the day was “N.” We talked about things that start with N, like night, naps, noses, and nests.


Video We Shared

Our film today wasn’t based on a book but it did reinforce what we learned about the Letter N. It was a clip from Sesame Street featuring Ricky Gervais doing a “Celebrity Lullaby” for Elmo, who is having trouble falling asleep. (This is one of my favorites–it always gets a ton of laughs!)

Rhymes & Bounces & Songs We Shared without Music

We sing a lot of songs during storytime!  You’ll find lyrics to those songs without music here.

Here is a Baby

Here is a baby (show index finger)
Ready for a nap
Lay her down on her mother’s lap (put finger on the other hand’s palm)
Cover her up so she won’t make a peep (bring fingers of that palm around the finger that is the “baby”)
And rock her til she’s fast asleep (keeping finger tucked into other hand, sway gently)

Open Shut Them

Open, shut them (open and close fingers)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap hands)
Open, shut them (open and close fingers)
Open, shut them
Place them on your lap, lap, lap (pat knees)
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them (“crawl” your fingers very slowly from your knees up to your face)
Right up to your chin, chin, chin (touch chin)
Open up your little mouth BUT…(open wide!)
Do not let them in! (quickly and abruptly move hands behind your back and smack lips shut)

One Bright Scarf

One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow (gently wave scarf)
Toss it up high (toss the scarf and catch it)
And wave it down low (wave it near the ground)
Wiggle it fast (shake the scarf fast)
And wiggle it slow (wave the scarf slowly)
Hey! (hide scarf) Where did it go?
…Here it is!

(Alternate ending:)

Hey! (put scarf over your or toddler’s face) Where did you go?
(lift scarf)…There you are!

This is the Way We Wash Our Face

(Tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wash our face (rub hands on face)
Wash our face, wash our face
This is the way we wash our face
When we go to bed.

(repeat with other body parts)

This is the way we wash our hands…
This is the way we wash our feet…
This is the way we wash our knees…
This is the way we wash our tummies…

Storytime’s Over

Hands up high! (Put your hands in air)
Now give a big sigh (sigh and bring hands down)
Our storytime’s over
So wave bye-bye (wave)


Music from CDs We Shared

I love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the songs and cds 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.

“Shake Your Sillies Out” from Raffi’s The Singable Songs Collection

You gotta shake, shake, shake your sillies out
Shake, shake, shake your sillies out
Shake, shake, shake your sillies out
And wiggle your waggles away

You gotta clap, clap, clap your crazies out
clap, clap, clap your crazies out
clap, clap, clap your crazies out
And wiggle your waggles away

You gotta jump, jump, jump your jiggles out
jump, jump, jump your jiggles out
jump, jump, jump your jiggles out
And wiggle your waggles away

You gotta yawn, yawn, yawn the sleepies out
yawn, yawn, yawn the sleepies out
yawn, yawn, yawn the sleepies out
And wiggle your waggles away

You gotta shake, shake, shake your sillies out
Shake, shake, shake your sillies out
Shake, shake, shake your sillies out
And wiggle your waggles away


“I’m a Little Teapot/Two Little Blackbirds” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle (bring one hand to waist)
Here is my spout (stick the other hand out like a teapot spout)
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout: (wiggle a little bit)
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (bend in the direction of your outstretched hand)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold both your index fingers out and wiggle them)
One named Jack and the other named Jill (wiggle each index finger)
Fly away Jack and fly away Jill (bring each finger, one at a time, behind your back)
Come back Jack and come back Jill (bring each finger back in front of you one at a time)


“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Walt Disney’s Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 1

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.


Additional Activities

We also did a game of guessing the animals who were partially shown through the hole in an I Spy box, and they were animals with big mouths and BIG yawns:


Continue the Fun

Want more stories about bedtime?  Check these out at your Pasadena Public Library branch: