For our first Toddler Storytime of the spring session, we read books about eggs.


Books We Shared

Our first story, Egg by Kevin Henkes, showed four eggs, one of which isn’t hatching, but it’s about to yield a big surprise!

Our second book, Except If by Jim Averbeck, continued the theme of the unpredictable surprises of eggs, as well as exploring the many different kinds of creatures who hatch from them.


Flannel Board Story

Five Little Eggs

I borrowed these from Jennifer Driscoll, who got the idea from Preschool Favorites by Diane Briggs on page 138.

There are five little eggs
And what do we see
They’re about to crack open
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.

The first egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little purple dinosaur
Looking at me.

The second egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a funny little platypus
Looking at me.

The third egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a snappy little alligator
Looking at me.

The fourth egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little green turtle
Looking at me.

The fifth egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little yellow chicken
Looking at me.

“My baby!”
said the mother hen,
as happy as can be.

“Mommy!” said the chick.
“Did you meet all my sisters and brothers?”
“What!” shrieked Mother Hen,
“My goodness me.”


Flannel Board Counting

Five Little Easter Eggs/span>

Rhyme from Loving2Learn

Five little Easter eggs,
lovely colors wore,
mother ate the blue one
and then there were four.
Four little Easter eggs,
two and two you see,
daddy ate the red one
and then there were three.
Three little Easter eggs,
before I knew,
sister ate the yellow one
and then there were two.
Two little Easter eggs,
oh what fun,
brother ate the purple one
and then there was one.
One little Easter egg,
see me run,
I ate the green one
and then there were none.


Letter of the Day

To emphasize writing skills I have the toddlers practice drawing the letter of the day in the air, and on the flannelboard. Our letter of the day was “E.” We talked about things that start with E.


Video We Shared

Our film story, based on the book Max’s Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells, showed what happens when big sister Ruby teases Max that she will find all the Easter eggs and win the chocolate chicken in the Easter egg hunt.

Songs and Rhymes We Shared Without Music

Eggs in a Nest

I gave everyone a rhyme with a picture of a nest, and I cut slits in the picture for people to put their fingers. Then I encouraged the toddlers or their parents to say the rhyme with me and use their fingers to be the baby birds poking through their eggs.

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)

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 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)
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
Wiggle everybody and say hello,
No matter what the weather.

Jump everybody and say hello, (jump)
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.


“Hello & How Are You?” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music. We basically just shook our shaker eggs to this because it has a great rhythm! This song is basically the same each verse, but in three languages: English, French and Spanish.

Hello, hello, hello and how are you?
I’m fine, I’m fine, and I hope that you are too
Hello, hello, hello and how are you?
I’m fine, I’m fine, and I hope that you are too

Now everybody clap your hands (clap)
clap your hands, clap your hands
Now everybody clap your hands
Come on and clap your hands

Bonjour, bonjour (hello, hello)
Un petit mot d’amour (a loving word:)
Bonjour, bonjour
Bonjour pour tous les jours! (hello for every day!)

Now everybody stomp your feet (stomp)
stomp your feet, stomp your feet
Now everybody stomp your feet
Come on and stomp your feet

Hola, hola (hello, hello)
Hola y ¿cómo estás? (hi and how are you?)
Estoy bien, muy bien (I’m well, very well)
y espero que tú tambien (and I hope you are too)

Now everybody wave hello (wave)
wave hello, wave hello
Now everybody wave hello
Hello, hello, hello


“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)


“Los Pollitos” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music–Not sure I would do this again with toddlers though. I think the Spanish threw people a little bit.

English lyrics:

Baby chicks are singing
“Pío, pío, pío, (make index fingers and thumbs into the beaks of two chicks)
Mama, we’re so hungry, (rub tummy)
Mama, we’re so cold!” (rub shoulders)
Mama goes out searching (put a hand on your brow like you’re squinting to see something)
for some wheat and corn
Mama feeds them dinner (hold out hands)
And she keeps them warm (hug hands to chest)

Under Mama’s wings (flap arms like a chicken)
all cuddled in the hay (wiggle)
Baby chicks are sleeping (put hands beneath head like a pillow)
Until the next day


“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.


Continue the Fun

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