I think I did a slow storytime for preschoolers a while ago, and I thought it might be fun to use with toddlers.  I didn’t have enough good slow stories to round things out, so I decided to make it a fast & slow storytime.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands, Clap Your Hands” from Tickles and Tunes by Kathy Reid-Naiman

MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*

BOOK:

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric Carle

MOVEMENT: “Reach for the Ceiling” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

MOVEMENT: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

COUNTING SONG:*

10 Turtles

FLANNELBOARD:
Fast and Slow

(Flannelboard pattern & rhyme from 2’s Experience Felt Board Fun by Liz & Dick Wilmes. Art by Janet McDonnell)

Have the vehicles behind the board.  Put one vehicle on the board at a time, and ask the audience if it goes fast or slow. When they answers, move the vehicle across the board at the correct speed.  You can also make the noises the vehicle makes as you move it. Take this piece of the board, and then repeat with the next vehicle.  This is nice one because you can lengthen it or shorten it depending on your audience.  Those are all the flannel pieces I have for this pictured on the board – I didn’t actually use them all.

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

MOVEMENT: Itsy Bitsy Spider

BOOK:

Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee

MOVEMENT: “Two Little Blackbirds” from Fingerplays and Footplays by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass

VIDEO:

“The Balloon Ride” from Peppa Pig: The Balloon Ride

MOVEMENT:  Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
  
Book: Faster! Faster! by Leslie Patricelli
Book: Mini Racer by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Book: Late Nate in a Race by Emily Arnold McCully
Flannelboard: The Giant Carrot (it has a snail!)

HOW IT WENT:
Storytime went so much better this week!  Yay!  You know how when you talk to someone but you’re not sure if it made any difference?  That’s how I was left feeling at the end of last week, but SOMETHING must have happened, because everyone sat with their child and participated today.  Yay!  We are even handing out balloons as a promotion for a future event, and even with those, the kids were awesome.  I did start by telling the parents since I knew balloons could be a distraction that I would need their help today.   Maybe I just need to use that approach more.  It’s a helping environment.  Whatever it was that happened, it was a nicer storytime.

When I was picking materials for this storytime I wasn’t sure that “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly” said the Sloth would work with toddlers.  I did skip over a few of the animals asking Sloth about his habits, but on the whole it seemed to work really well.  I think I would use that again.

ATTENDANCE:  10 am:  31 people      11 am: 38 people

* For these songs, please see my Storytime Movements & Music page