For our fourth storytime of the winter session we read stories about bathtime!  As a special treat we had the library bubble machine blow magical bubbles while everyone walked into the story hour room.  (We had to prepare for all of the bubble baths taking place during storytime.)

FUN FACT:  Did you know that your toddler actually benefits from sensory play with bubbles?  Take a look at this blog post from mother and occupational therapist, Christie.  She provides some great reasons (besides having fun) for blowing bubbles with your toddler.  Click here:  Mama OT

What follows are the books, rhymes, songs, and flannel boards we shared.


BOOKS WE SHARED

 

Dini Dinosaur by Daniel Roode is a book about a dinosaur who has to learn the ins and outs of taking a bath!  The easy part is playing and getting dirty.  The hard part is jumping into the bath too soon!  You see Dini forgets to take off his shoes, clothes and hat before he dives in to “scrub-a-dub-dub.”  This picture book is cumulative, funny and sweet – a great way to talk about bathtime with your toddler.

Emma Dodd’s picture book, Dog’s Colorful Day is a great concept book about colors and counting that ends in a bath for Dog.  The book recounts Dog’s adventures in getting dirty.  He starts off with one black spot on his left ear but manages to gather a green grass stain, a squirt of orange juice, a purple marker smudge, a blue paint splotch and more!  At the end of the day Dog has a total of 10 spots and desperately needs a bath!!  The bold visuals, the build up of spots and the familiar bathtime ritual at the end make this a mesmerizing book for toddlers.

*See the accompanying flannel board activity below.


Flannel Boards We Shared

Five Elephants in the Bathtub*

One elephant in the bathtub
Going for a swim.
Knock, knock, (Clap twice with “Knock, Knock.”)
Splash, splash, (Splash knees twice with “Splash, Splash.”)
Come on in!  (Motion with both hands to come in.)
Two elephants in the bathtub…etc.
(Until…)
Five elephants in the bathtub
Going for a swim.
Knock, knock,
Splash, splash,
They all fell in!
**Click here for the finger play version of this rhyme Five Elephants Rhyme

Dog’s Colorful Day

This flannel accompanied the reading of the book –  Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd (see above).

 

After collecting all of those “COLORFUL” spots you can see why Dog needed to take a BATH!


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

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 – Video:  Itsy Bitsy

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


Here is a Bubbles Song you can sing at home while blowing (and popping) bubbles with your toddler! It also involves a little counting.


Video We Shared

Bathtime

 


Continue the Fun

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