Our last Toddler storytimes of the Winter session featured stories all about spots, dots, and the creatures that have them.


Books We Shared

 
So many different animals have spots.  And as we found out in Spectacular Spots by Susan Stockdale, many of them are spectacular!  This is a great rhyming introduction to spots on animals.  And if you child is interested in learning more about any of them, there is more information on each creature featured in the back of the book.


Our second book was the classic seek and find spectacular Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill.  With its fun lift-the-flaps everyone in storytime helped us search for the dog who just wouldn’t eat his dinner.


Flannel Board Story

Dog’s Colorful Day
 
(Adapted from the book Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story about Colors and Counting by Emma Dodd).

Dog is a white dog with one black spot. But as he goes through his day he gets blue paint on his fur, red jam, a green grass stain and more.  Read about his adventures in this great story that combines colors, numbers, and a lot of fun.


Counting Song Flannelboard

10 Ladybugs

Counting time, it’s counting time
So let’s all sing a simple rhyme

Ten little ladybugs, here we go
Let’s all count them as I put them in rows.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Ten little ladybugs, again we go
Now let’s count them nice and slow
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Ten little ladybugs, in neat rows
Let’s count them as away they go
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10


Video We Watched

“Spots” from Good Morning Maisy.

Maisy’s shorts are yellow and spotted – just like her friend leopard!  What else can they find that has spots?


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.

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)

For a video of me (Jennifer) doing this rhyme, watch the video below

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.)

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

Sometimes it’s fun to sing along with music.  Here are some of the songs and cds used in today’s storytime.


“Wake Up Toes” from Morning Magic by Joanie Bartels

Wake up toes, wake up toes
Wake up toes and wiggle, wiggle wiggle
Wake up toes, wake up toes
Wake and wiggle in the morning

Other verses:
Wake up feet…
Wake up legs…
Wake up arms…
Wake up hands…
Wake up head…


“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes
My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes
My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes
Let’s all join hands together


“Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
life is but a dream.

Other verses:
Twist, twist, twist your boat
Bounce, bounce, bounce your boat…
Sway, sway, sway your boat…
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your boat…
Tickle, tickle, tickle your boat…


“Two Little Blackbirds” from Fingerplays and Footplays for Fun and Learning by by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack and the other named Jill
Fly away Jack
Fly away Jill
Come back Jack
Come back Jill
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill
One named Jack and the other named Jill


Continue the Fun

Want more books about shapes?  Check out some of these books at your Pasadena Public Library branch: