Today we explored the many creatures that come from eggs! I saw the book What Will Hatch? a while ago and just knew I needed to do an infant toddler storytime using it. I find that some of my best storytimes come when I am really inspired by a new title.
MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*
MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music
MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*
BOOK:
What Will Hatch? by Jennifer Ward
MOVEMENT: “Roll Your Hands” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel
MOVEMENT: Itsy Bitsy Spider
COUNTING SONG:*
Eggs
FLANNELBOARD:
5 Little Eggs
Template & Story from Preschool Favorites by Diane Briggs
This story originally calls for ten eggs, but I thought that might be a little long for the toddlers. I shortened things to ten, and changed the rhyme a bit to fit what I needed. Start with all the baby animals covered with eggs. Remove the egg as indicated in the rhyme for each.
There are 5 little eggs
And what do we see
They’re about crack open
“My goodness me!”
said Mother Hen.
The first egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little purple dinosaur.
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.
The second egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little fuzzy owl.
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.
The third egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a funny little platypus.
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.
The fourth egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a green little turtle.
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.
The fifth egg cracks open
And what do we see
It’s a little yellow chicken.
“My goodness me,”
said Mother Hen.
“This one looks like me!”
Said the mother hen.
“But I love them all equally!”
In between each of the verses I ask if this is the Hen’s baby. When the audience answers no I continue on to the next verse.
MOVEMENT: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music
FLANNELBOARD:
Five Eggs and Five Eggs
Template and Rhyme taken from Storytime Katie who got it from Mel’s Desk
Five eggs and five eggs
(Add a clutch of eggs each time you say “five eggs”)
And that makes ten
Sitting on top
(Add the hen)
Is Mother Hen
Cackle cackle cackle
(Clap hands as you say Cackle!)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chickens
(Flip over each clutch of eggs.)
Yellow as can be.
BOOK:
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
MOVEMENT: “Two Little Blackbirds” from Fingerplays and Footplays by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass
VIDEO:
“The Most Wonderful Egg in the World” from Giggle Giggle Quack…and More Funny Favorites
MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS IDEAS:
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting
Eggs 1 2 3 by Janet Halfmann
Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri
DVD: “Eggs” from Good Night, Maisy
HOW IT WENT:
This was a great storytime, and I’m really happy it went well. The books seemed to work, and both flannelboards went over nicely too. When I turned over the eggs in Five Eggs and Five Eggs all the audiences went “awwww” so that was a fun reveal. I wasn’t sure the Video I picked worked, because the first group seemed a little restless, but the second group did better, so maybe it was ok. Maisy might be a better option for next time though.
ATTENDANCE: 10 am: 41 people 11 am: 34 people
* For these songs, please see my Storytime Movements & Music page
Jen in the Library 
