We had the luck o’ the Irish with us during our toddler storytime today.  We read about all things green, counted out some shamrocks and played a guessing game with a friendly leprechaun.  It was all in a day’s fun here at PPL!


Books We Shared

Finding a green sheep isn’t easy when you encounter SO MANY sheep along the way!  In Mem Fox’s book, Where is the Green Sheep? , there are blue sheep, red sheep, bed sheep, bath sheep, sun sheep, scared sheep, brave sheep – you get the picture.  As we turned the pages we kept trying to find the GREEN sheep.  (By the way, he finally showed up on the very last page and he was ASLEEP!)  An excellent book for toddlers – suspense, colors, moon, stars, circus – this book has just about everything to keep a toddler’s interest.

Brenda Vaccaro Seeger’s book, Green, was the perfect pick for a storytime about St. Patrick’s Day!  This is a beautiful book – the illustrations are lush and each page is a surprise, highlighting various things in nature that are green.  A bit long for toddlers so I shortened it by a few pages.


Flannel Board Stories

 Five Green Shamrocks

One green shamrock, in the morning dew
Another one sprouted
and then there were two!

Two green shamrocks, growing beneath a tree,
Another one sprouted
and then there were three!

Three green shamrocks, by the cottage door,
Another one sprouted
and then there were four!

Four green shamrocks, near a beehive,
Another one sprouted
and then there were five!

Five little shamrocks, bright and emerald green,
Think of all the luck
these shamrocks will bring!

Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Where’s Your Gold?

We played a fun game with our visiting leprechaun.  He hid his gold nugget in one of the pots.
The children had to guess which pot held the gold!

Was it the red pot? the purple pot? the orange pot?  the blue pot?
It took us quite some time before we found out the gold was hidden in the GREEN pot!

Leprechaun, leprechaun, tiny and bold
I’m on the lookout for your gold!

Is it in the _____ pot?


Rhymes, Fingerplays & Songs We Shared

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.

Open Shut Them

Open, shut them. (Spread fingers wide, then close into fists)
Open, shut them. (Spread fingers wide, then close into fists)
Give a little clap, clap, clap. (Clap hands on “clap”)
Open, shut them. (Spread fingers wide, then close into fists)
Open, shut them. (Spread fingers wide, then close into fists)
Place them in your lap, lap, lap (Pat lap with hands on “lap”)
Creep them, crawl them (creep fingers up stomach to chin)
Creep them, crawl them (creep fingers up stomach to chin)
Right up to your chin, chin, chin (tap chin with hands on “chin”)
Open up your little mouth (open mouth wide and pretend to put fingers in)
But do not let them in! (Hide hands behind your back quickly)

Roll Your Hands

Roll, roll, roll your hands as fast as fast can be.  (roll hands)  Do it now, let me see, do it now with me!
Clap, clap, clap your hands as loud as loud can be. (clap hands)   Do it now, let me see, do it now with me!
Tap, tap, tap your feet as softly as can be.   (tap feet) Do it now, let me see, do it now with me!
Stamp, stamp, stamp your feet as quickly as can be.  (Stamp feet)  Do it now, let me see, do it now with me!
Roll, roll, roll your hands as fast as fast can be.   (roll hands)  Do it now, let me see, do it now with me!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider (L shape with both hands.  Place thumb of one hand on forefinger of the other)
went up the water spout.   (“walk” your fingers up thumb to forefinger, alternating.)
Down came the rain and (wiggle fingers and bring then downward)
Washed the spider out. (make baseball “safe” motion)
Out came the sun and (hands above head in a circle)
and dried up all the rain. (hands out at side of body)
And the itsy bitsy spider (L shape with both hands.  Place thumb of one hand on forefinger of the other)
went up the spout again. (“walk” your fingers up thumb to forefinger, alternating.)

I’m a Little Teapot

I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout

When I get all steamed up, hear me shout!
Just tip me over and pour me out, tip me over and pour me out!

You are My Sunshine

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!

Goodbye Friends (in sign)

Goodbye friends, goodbye friends, goodbye friends…it’s time to say goodbye!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle little star (open and close fingers into fist to make star)
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high, (move hands up)
Like a diamond in the sky. (make a diamond shape with hands)
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are. (open and close fingers into fist to make star)


 Video We Watched

“Where’s the (Green) Frog?” 
(from Baby’s first word stories ~ Pets)

Continue the Fun

Love sharing stories with your little one at home?  Check out some of these books about St. Patrick’s Day at your Pasadena Public Library branch: