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 fifth storytime of the session we enjoyed a bit of magic!  Below you’ll find a record of everything we shared!

Fun FACT:  Imaginative, pretend play is a wonderful way for your child to learn how one thing can stand for another (for example:  a stick can become a “magic” wand).  It helps your child develop language skills and more.  Click onto the link below to read about how playing leads to learning.

Click here: Playing


Books We Shared

 

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horácek is the perfect book for toddlers.  There is so much to look at and think about with its bright, bold illustrations and the mystery of the lost butterfly.  Lucy sees a beautiful butterfly in the garden, along with a bright green beetle, a brilliant blue dragonfly, some red ladybugs, and many more flying and crawling things. But when will the colorful butterfly come back? (We used a little magic to bring her back to life at the very end of the story; not only does she reappear – she “pops up” in 3-D!)

Anton Can Do Magic by Ole Konnecke was originally published in German but it translates beautifully into English.  What little kid doesn’t want to make magic happen?  Anton tries to make a tree disappear but it doesn’t work!  So he goes for a bird!  That works (but only because the bird flies away).  Then there are those pesky friends that come by who really don’t believe he can make anything disappear.  Well they may be right but what they don’t realize is that Anton can make things reappear!  A great story about hopefulness, pretend play and the “magical” power of helping your friends.


Flannel Board & Finger Puppets We Shared

Butterfly Magic

10 fuzzy caterpillars spinning cocoons (spin hands)

Hoping spring will come here soon (cross fingers)

With a little bit of magic (wiggle fingers in the air)

And the warm sunshine (make a circle with your arms overhead)

Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly! (Clap hands three times and pull out a butterfly from your magic hat!)

Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly!

Repeat until all 10 butterflies are on the flannel board.

  


Fuzzy Little Caterpillar (& a little Butterfly Magic)

The fuzzy little caterpillar crawled up to look at me.

He wriggled and I giggled, friends we soon would be!

So I put him in a box, I did.

Don’t you crawl away I said!

But the next day when I opened the lid, out flew a butterfly instead.

 


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.

Incy Wincy Spider or Itsy Bitsy Spider (interchangeable):


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

Peppa Pig – Flying a Kite & Other Stories

Mummy Pig’s Birthday


 

Continue the Fun

If you want to read more books about Magic make sure to check these out from your local Pasadena Public Library!