Our second storytime of the summer session was all about the concept of OPPOSITES ~ fast & slow, yes & no, black & white, day & night and so on!
Exposing your baby to concepts through books, songs and rhymes contributes to brain development. Just think of the neural connections your baby’s brain is making during our 20 minutes together!
The US Department of Education has a great webpage which outlines the benefits of reading aloud to your child, along with suggestions on how to maximize the fun and learning when you share this activity together. If you want to access that information, click here: USDeptEducation
For now, here are the books, songs, rhymes, bounces and flannel stories we shared for our storytime on Opposites!
Books We Shared
Lucy Cousin’s book, Maisy Big, Maisy Small, takes us on a journey of opposites. There is Maisy hot and Maisy cold, Maisy slow and Maisy fast, Maisy thin and Maisy thick… (you get the picture). Simple language and bright, bold colors make this concept book a perfect lap sit or read aloud for infants.
A Garden of Opposites by Nancy Davis reveals some opposites you might find in the garden. How so? Well there is the inside of an apple (the core) and the outside of an apple (the shiny red shape), there is a bird asleep in the nest and a few little birds awake, there is the open flower and the closed flower – the opposites in this book are less obvious yet the illustrations make them come alive and encourage interaction between parent/caregiver and baby.
Flannel Boards ~ Nursery Rhyme
Little Bo Peep
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them.
Leave them alone and they’ll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.
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…
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
