For our last Toddler Storytime of the spring session, we read books about frogs.

Our first story, Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack, was a fun story of constantly-changing fortune, as a frog jumps from one danger to another. “Ah Ha” were the only two words in the book!

Our second book, Ribbit by Jorey Hurley, introduced us to the frog life cycle with pictures illustrating one word at a time.


Flannel Board Song

Five Little Speckled Frogs

I usually do this with all frogs, but I misplaced one of them, so I acted surprised to find a baby pretending to be a frog hiding in my flannel set!

Five little speckled frogs
Sitting on a speckled log
Eating a most delicious fly — Yum, Yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four little speckled frogs!

(keep singing, removing one at a time until there are none left)


Letter of the Day

To emphasize writing skills I have the toddlers practice drawing the letter of the day in the air. Our letter of the day was “F.” Unfortunately I misplaced the flannel I had for this, but we talked about things that begin with F, like flower, fox, friend, family, and frogs!

Video We Shared

I screened several videos about frogs, but they seemed boring to me. Then I got the idea to show a Kermit the Frog clip from Sesame Street. So I showed a funny clip of Kermit directing a forgetful cowboy in “Oklahoma,” and getting frustrated when the cowboy sings things like “AAAAAklahoma” and “EEEEEEEklahoma.”


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.

Open Shut Them
Open, shut them (open and close fingers)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap (clap hands)
Open, shut them (open and close fingers)
Open, shut them
Place them on your lap, lap, lap (pat knees)
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them (“crawl” your fingers very slowly from your knees up to your face)
Right up to your chin, chin, chin (touch chin)
Open up your little mouth BUT…(open wide!)
Do not let them in! (quickly and abruptly move hands behind your back and smack lips shut)

Peekaboo
Peekaboo, Where are you
Hiding in your…place! Peekaboo!

Peekaboo, I see you
And your smiling…face! Peekaboo!

One Bright Scarf
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Toss it up high
And wave it down low
Wiggle it fast
And wiggle it slow
Hey! Where did you go?

Mr. Bullfrog
Here’s Mr. Bullfrog (make a fist)
Sitting on a rock (put fist on palm)
Into the water he jumps
KERPLOP! (clap loudly)

We used puppets to enact some of these:

MM-AA Went the Little Green Frog
MM-AA went the little green frog one day (mimic a frog opening and closing its mouth by closing and opening fingers)
MM-AA went the little green frog
MM-AA went the little green frog one day
And his little froggy pals went MM-AA, MM-AA, MM-AA-AA.

Little Green Frog
A little green frog in a pond am I
Hoppity, hoppity, hop
I sit on a lily leaf high and dry
Hoppity, hoppity, hop
And watch all the fishes as they swim by (wiggle hands)
Hoppity, hoppity, hop
How I make the water fly (throw hands up)
Hoppity, hoppity, hop
SPLASH! (clap hands)

(Adapted from Perry Public Library)

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

I love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the songs and cds 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.


“Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by 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…


“I’m a Little Teapot/Two Little Blackbirds” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

I’m a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle (bring one hand to waist)
Here is my spout (stick the other hand out like a teapot spout)
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout: (wiggle a little bit)
“Tip me over and pour me out!” (bend in the direction of your outstretched hand)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold both your index fingers out and wiggle them)
One named Jack and the other named Jill (wiggle each index finger)
Fly away Jack and fly away Jill (bring each finger, one at a time, behind your back)
Come back Jack and come back Jill (bring each finger back in front of you one at a time)


“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Walt Disney’s Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 1

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.


Additional Activities

We played with puppets, scarves and hats!


Continue the Fun

Want more stories about frogs?  Check these out at your Pasadena Public Library branch:


Angie Donkin Show and Summer Reading Program

I told everyone at storytime that we have a special performance by Angie Donkin for the whole family next Tuesday, June 6th at 10 am. No signup is required for this show. Also we are starting our Summer Reading Program this weekend! You get a free board book or picture book just for signing up! You’ll also get a game board for tracking the days you spend reading together this summer. The program runs from June 3rd til July 29th. Hope to see many of you here for that!

We’ll have our next session registration day on June 20th. Priority registration for Pasadena residents is from 9-11 am on Tuesday June 20th, and then at 11 am we open it up to residents of other cities. If you come for priority registration please remember to bring proof in the form of ID or a bill addressed to you. We do not accept signups by phone until 12 pm on the 20th.

Have a wonderful summer everyone!