Our summer session of Toddler Storytime is underway. Each week you’ll find a blog post that covers the books, rhymes, songs, flannel stories, fingerplays, puppets and video we shared. There will also be some information about the benefits of reading, singing and talking to your toddler.
For our very first storytime of the session we enjoyed reading and singing about BEARS! Below you’ll find a record of everything we shared!
BOOKS WE SHARED
Thank You Bear by Greg Foley is a sweet story about a bear who finds a wonderful box and decides to gift it to his friend, Mouse. On the way to seeing Mouse he runs into quite a few naysayers; sadly, no one thinks the box is that great. However, when Bear actually runs into Mouse, Mouse thinks the box is PERFECT! It is so perfect that he crawls inside and makes it his home! (As you can see we pulled out a box after reading the book and when we opened the lid we found Hunter the library mouse hiding inside.)
Bear & Hare Where’s Bear? by Emily Gravett is all about two pals playing hide and seek. First it is Bear’s turn to hide and Hare has to count to 10 and look for him. Bear doesn’t do a very good job of hiding (it’s a little difficult to hide when you are so BIG) so Hare decides to hide. Unfortunately, Bear isn’t very good at seeking either. Bear looks for Hare under a blanket and ends up falling asleep! Hare is waiting and waiting to be found and finally gets up from his hiding place and begins to panic when he cannot find Bear. He yells “I WANT BEAR!” The story ends with Hare and Bear finding each other – a happy ending!
Flannel Board Songs We Shared
Listen to these two children’s librarians sing the Grizzly Bears song which we sang together during our first storytime! The lyrics are sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb. You can sing along at home with your baby. (I’ve provided the lyrics below):
Grizzly Bears Song
Grizzly bears are big and brown,
big and brown, big and brown.
Grizzly bears are big and brown
and live in the woods.
Polar bears are soft and white.
soft and white, soft and white
Polar bears are soft and white
and live where it is cold.
Teddy bears are just my size,
just my size, just my size,
Teddy bears are just my size
to cuddle with at night.
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain!!!!
To see what he could see.
But all that he could see (clap twice)
But all that he could see (clap twice)
Was the other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain!!!!
Was all that he could see!
Click onto the animated video clip below to hear the melody to the nursery rhyme song, The Bear Went Over the Mountain. This version is a bit longer than the one we sang during Infant storytime. There are many variations on this song so you’ll notice mine is a bit different from the one in the video clip. Hope you have fun with it!
Action Songs & Fingerplays We Shared
We share a lot of songs, bounces & rhymes during storytime! You’ll find lyrics/words to those songs & rhymes we shared without CD accompaniment here.
Welcome, Welcome Everyone (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
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!
Clap Everybody and Say Hello! (see “CDs section” below to find this song in our CD collection)
Clap everybody and say hello, clap everybody and say hello, clap everybody and say hello, no matter what the weather
Stamp everybody… (stamp feet)
Wiggle everybody… (wiggle your body)
Jump everybody… (jump up and down)
Sing everybody… (open arms wide)
Roll Your Hands (see “CDs section” below to find this song in our CD collection)
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! (quietly tap feet)
Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.
Shake, shake, shake your feet as quickly as can be! (quickly shake feet onto the ground)
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. (keep rolling until the end of the song)
Open Shut Them – Video: Open Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them, (open and close hands)
Give a little clap, clap, clap. (clap three times)
Open shut them, open shut them (open and close hands)
Put them in your lap, lap, lap. (place hands in lap and bounce them 3X)
Creep them, crawl them, creep them crawl them, (crawl fingers up arms)
Right up to your chinny chin chin. (place fingers on chin)
Open up your little mouth (open mouth and say ahhhhhh)
But do not put them in!! (put hands behind your back)
This is Big
This is big, big, big (stretch hands far to sides)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (hold palms close vertically)
This is tall, tall, tall (hold palms far apart vertically)
This is fast, fast, fast (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Credit: Mel’s Desk
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – Video: Twinkle Twinkle
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.
Itsy Bitsy Spider – See video below.
Closing Songs
You are My Sunshine (short version)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
And I love you more every day.
Goodbye Friends (in sign) – Video: Goodbye Friends
Goodbye friends, goodbye friends,
Goodbye friends, it’s time to say goodbye.
Music from CDs We Shared
Children love to sing and dance to music. Here are some of the action songs & rhymes on CD that we used in storytime. Click onto the CD titles to find these items in our library catalog.
“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel
“Roll Your Hands” from Toddlers on Parade by Kathy Reid-Naiman
“I’m a Little Teapot” from Toddler Favorites by Music for Little People
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel
“ABC” from Go Baby Go! Baby Loves Jazz by Baby Loves Jazz Band
Two Little Blackbirds” from Circle Time: songs and rhymes for the very young by Lisa Monet
“We’re Going to the Market” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel
Video We Shared
Goodnight Gorilla…
Continue the Fun
If you want to read more books about BEARS, make sure to check these out from your local Pasadena Public Library!
