Tag Archives: infants

Flannel Friday – The Bear Went Over the Mountain

Posted on by
17

Another simple one for today’s Flannel Friday.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain
Bear Went Over the Mountain 1    Bear Went Over the Mountain 2
Pattern & Song from: Mother Goose’s Playhouse by Judy Sierra
(song adapted by me, a little)
If you do infant and toddler storytimes, and don’t have this book yet, it’s so worth getting!

The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
To see what he could see.
But all that he could see,
But all that he could see,
But all that he could see was
The other side of the mountain.
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
was all that he could see.

The best part is the reversible bear.  You make him move up the mountain on one side, and then flip him over to sing it all over again and move him up the other side of the mountain.   Judy Sierra also suggests making this into a stick puppet, which I need to do.

And isn’t the fact that he has a backpack so rugged?

Here’s a copy of the bear pattern:

BearPuppet

Katie at Storytime Secrets hosts the Flannel Friday Roundup this week!

Flannel Friday – Where is Your Bellybutton?

Posted on by
7

For today’s Flannel Friday I have a really simple flannelboard that I love using with my infant and toddler storytimes, especially when I am doing a “body” theme.

Where is Your Bellybutton?
Where is Your Bellybutton
Pattern and idea from: Flannelboard Stories for Infants and Toddlers by Ann Carlson & Mary Carlson

Begin by saying:

This is baby’s head.
Where is your head?
Have child or parent identify their head.

Continue identifying as many body parts as you wish.  Don’t forget to include the bellybutton though — as everyone knows (and is reinforced when I do this activity), bellybuttons are HILARIOUS!

Owls – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
2

We finished up our Fall Infant Storytime with Owls!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: In the Toaster*

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony*

BOUNCE: Icky Bicky Soda Cracker*

BOOK:
Good Night Owl by Hutchins
Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins

I skipped the page where you repeat all the bird noises again in this reading.  I would have done that if I had an older audience.

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
One Night Owl
One Night Owl Flannelboard
Pattern via Google Images Search

(to tune of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain)
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
There was one night owl in the tree:
Hoo!  Hoo!
Oh, he called up to the sky to an owl flying by,
And the owl came and joined him happily:
Hoo!  Hoo!

Repeat with two night owls, three, and four.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:
Wow Said the Owl by Hopgood
Wow! said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

TICKLE: Chicken in the Barnyard*

NURSERY RHYME:
Little Bo Peep
Little Bo Peep Flannelboard 1Little Bo Peep Flannelboard 2

Pattern and rhyme from Mother Goose’s Playhouse: Toddler Tales and Nursery Rhymes with Patterns for Puppets and Feltboards by Judy Sierra

Little Bo Peep
has lost her sheep
and doesn’t know where
to find them.

Leave them alone
and they’ll come home.
Wagging their tails
behind them.

I do this as is suggested by Sierra in her book.  I hide the sheep as they go up on the flannelboard behind bushes.  We say the rhyme once through, then “look” for the sheep.  Once the sheep are revealed we count them all together, and say the rhyme together once more.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 Owl Babies DVD Owlet's First Flight by Modarressi Hoot Hoot by Powell
Book: Owl Babies by Waddell
Book: Owelet’s First Flight by Modarressi
Book: Hoot! Hoot! by Powell

HOW IT WENT:

Since this was my last infant storytime for this session I decided to do a quick review of all the different bounces we had learned during the past ten weeks.  It seemed a  good way to keep those ideas fresh for parents.  I could have done the same with the tickles, I suppose, but the children seem to enjoy the bounces more.  I really need to make a flannelboard of Good-Night, Owl! because I think that would translate beautifully into that type of storytelling.  Also, I could probably stand to find a few better, younger books for infants on owls for the next time I do this theme.

ATTENDANCE: 18 people

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

Safari – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
Reply

Today was an adventure in African animals

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: Icky Bicky Soda Cracker*

BOOK:
Do Crocs Kiss by Yoon

Do Crocs Kiss? by Salina Yoon

I skipped the bear page and the owl page this time in this book.

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
One Fierce Lion (filed with flannelboards under Lions – Count Up Rhymes)
Lions Counting Rhymes Flannelboard

Rhyme adapted from ABC Literacy Storytimes: Storytimes to Promote Literacy and Learning by Marilyn Lohnes
Pattern via Google Images Search

(to tune of Frere Jacques)
One fierce lion, one fierce lion —
Hear him roar, hear him roar
Calling for another, calling for another
There’s one more, There’s one more.

Continue counting for 2, 3

Four fierce lions, four fierce lions.
There’s no more, there’s no more.
Hear them ROAR!

I do this as a call and response song where I sing the first line and then the audience repeats it back to me.  It seems to work well that way.  And even though I have five lions featured in the picture, I only do this rhyme up to four.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Whose Tail by Lloyd

Whose Tail? by Sam Lloyd

TICKLE: Chicken in the Barnyard*

NURSERY RHYME:
Jack Be Nimble
Jack Be Nimble Flannelboard

Flannelboard from Little Folk Visuals

Jack be nimble
Jack be quick
Jack jumped over the candlestick.

I do this rhyme as a bounce as well.  First we say the rhyme just on its own.  Then I explain that the parents and “jump” their baby from one leg to the other when Jack jumps over the candlestick.  We do it together this way a few times.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Dear Zoo by Campbell

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
Little Elephant by Ford When the Elephant Walks by Kasza Splash by McDonnell
Little Elephant by Miela Ford
When the Elephant Walks by Keiko Kasza
Splash! by Flora McDonnell

Flannelboard: Five Elephants in the Bathtub

HOW IT WENT:
This storytime went well.  I’m trying to find some good larger size board books to use with the infants and toddlers, and Whose Tail? seemed to be a good choice.  It isn’t the largest format size, but the pictures are bright and colorful, so it seemed to work well.

ATTENDANCE: 24 people

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

Blankets – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
Reply

The weather is turning colder, and it’s a nice time to snuggly up with a cozy blanket.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: Icky Bicky Soda Cracker*

BOOK:

Where Can It Be? by Ann Jonas

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Blanket Colors

I once had a blanket.
It was fluffy and new.
I once had a blanket,
And its color was __________ (blue).

I once had a blanket,
The prettiest I’ve seen.
I once had a blanket,
And its color was ________ (green).

I once had a blanket,
Soft as a pillow.
I once had a blanket,
And its color was _______ (yellow).

I once had a blanket,
At the foot of my bed.
I once had a blanket,
And its color was ________ (red).

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Dinosaur’s Binkit by Sandra Boynton

TICKLE: These Are Baby’s Fingers*

NURSERY RHYME:
Humpty Dumpty

Pattern and Rhyme from Mother Goose’s Playhouse by Judy Sierra

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses
And all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

BOUNCE: Ladies Ride*

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 
Oh, Brother by Kathy Mallat

HOW IT WENT:
Blankets may not be the most dynamic theme out there, but I thought it worked pretty well.  I really liked Dinosaur’s Binkit as a read aloud, which was nice since I wasn’t sure it would work because of its size.  The stories were a little short this time, which is why I added the Ladies Ride bounce at the end.  Usually I would do that to music from the album Wiggleworms Love You by the Old Town School of Music, but I didn’t have that on hand so we did it acapella.

ATTENDANCE: 28 people

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

Thanksgiving – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
1

With two days left until Thanksgiving, this was a wonderful day to celebrate all that we are grateful for.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: Icky Bicky Soda Cracker*

BOOK:

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Turkey Wore His Rainbow Feathers
(filed under Turkey Feathers in my flannelboard files)

Pattern from Felt Board Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes
Song from Everything Preschool

Here’s a turkey. (Place the turkey on the flannelboard.)
But he’s missing something!  What is he missing? (wait for audience to answer)
Feathers!
What color is this feather? (Bring out the red feather)
Red!  That’s right!  Let’s put it on the turkey.  (Place the feather on the turkey.)
(now sing, to tune of Mary Wore Her Red Dress)
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather.
Turkey wore his red feather all day long.

(Continue adding color feathers and singing)

Last Verse:
Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers.
Turkey wore his rainbow feathers all day long.

You can use as many feathers of different colors as you would like.  Since I was doing this with infants, I just did the generic rainbow colors as seen in the first photo.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Over the River and Through the Wood: A Song for Thanksgiving by Lydia Maria Child.  Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

TICKLE: These Are Baby’s Fingers*

NURSERY RHYME:
This Little Piggy

This little piggy went to market.
This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef.
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went wee! wee! wee!
All the way home.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*\

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
 
Biscuit is Thankful by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Down on the Farm by Marrily Kutner  (It has a turkey in it)

HOW IT WENT:
I liked Thanks for Thanksgiving as a story, but I did paper clip two of the pages together to make the story a little bit shorter.  While I usually try not to alter the books in any way, for these rhyming stanza books sometimes I find they work better for the younger crowd that way.  This was my first time using the Turkey Wore His Rainbow Feathers flannelboard, and that was a really great one.  I like finding new ways to incorporate concepts into my storytimes.  Over the River and Through the Wood is another book that I clip the pages on — this time the double page spreads that show grandfather and grandmother getting read for Thanksgiving dinner.  I show the first one, but then clip the others.  If I were sharing this book one-on-one with a child, I wouldn’t do that, but I think it flows better for me to now show the images in between.  I also sang that book, so that was fun.

ATTENDANCE: 25 people

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

Getting Dressed – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
Reply

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo*

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony*

BOOK:

Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
How Do I Put It On?

Pattern and Song from 2’s Experience Felt Board Fun by Liz and Dick Wilmes
Adapted from the book How Do I Put it On? by Shigeo Watanabe

My friend bear wants to get dressed by himself.  But I think he may need your help.
He puts on his shirt.  (Place shirt flannelboard piece on bear’s legs.)
Is that where his shirt goes? (Wait for audience to respond No.)
NO?  Where does it go? (Wait for audience to respond)
Oh, over his head!  (Place shirt correctly on bear.)


Continue this with all the pieces of clothing untill bear is fully, and correctly, dressed.


Ok, so bear has his hat, shirt, pants, and shoes!  He is ready to go!

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Whose Shoes? by Margaret Miller

TICKLE: These Are Baby’s Fingers*

NURSERY RHYME:
The Old Woman

Rhyme by Beatrix Potter,  and patterns and rhyme found in The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra.

You know the old woman who lived in a shoe?
And had so many children’s she didn’t know what to do?
I think that if she lived in a little shoe-house
That old woman was surely a …mouse!

Place the mouse behind the shoe for the first part of the rhyme.  When you reveal that it is a mouse, lift the shoe!

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

HOW IT WENT:
I think Under My Hood I Have a Hat is a good book to use, however I had more mixed results with Whose Shoes?  Of course, I didn’t expect my infants to join in and guess, but I do think the big bright pictures are good for little ones, and I like that a baby’s shoe is included.  However, I do think it was a little long for the infants, so I cut out “ballet shoes”.  This was my first time using “These are Baby’s Fingers” as a tickle, and I think that one was a hit.  Also, I really need to remake my the shoe for The Old Woman — it’s just too dark to be seen on our black flannelboard.

ATTENDANCE: 28 people

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

Monkeys & Apes: Wonderful Primates! – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
1

I was originally planning on just a monkey themed storytime, but there are a lot of good ones about there about gorillas too, so I had to throw those in.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony

BOOK:

Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Five Little Monkeys

Pattern and Song from Felt Board Fingerplays by Liz and Dick Wilmes

Five little monkeys
jumping on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Continue counting down until no monkeys are left.

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

TICKLE: Slowly, Slowly Very Slowly

NURSERY RHYME:
Pop Goes the Weasel

Song and patters from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra.

All around the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought it was all in fun
POP! Goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle
That’s the way the money goes
POP! Goes the weasel.

Make the weasel two-sided, with a different bright color on each.  When you say POP! flip the weasel from one side to the other.

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over

HOW IT WENT:
This was a nice storytime.  While Little Gorilla is rather long, it’s such a sweet story, and the illustrations are wonderful.  When I did the flannelboard with this age, I actually only used 4 monkeys instead of the full 5 to make things a little bit shorter. 

ATTENDANCE: 27 people

Halloween – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
Reply

With today’s date, what else could we do but a Halloween storytime.  I invited the kids to come in costumes, and we had some great ones: a home-crocheted caterpillar costume, a strawberry, lots of Halloween themed shirts, and a cute pumpkin bib.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo

BOUNCE: Ride a Little Pony

BOOK:

On Halloween by Lark Carrier

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Mouse’s Halloween House


Pattern and Story from Mother Goose’s Play house by Judy Sierra

One day in the fall, a little gray mouse found a big orange house.  She nibbled a hole in the middle, to make a door.  And she nibbled two holes up near the top, to make two windows.  And then she nibbled a wide hole near the bottom, so that all her children could run in and out.  Then she put a candle inside to light up the darkness.

The mouse’s little house
was a sight to be seen.
It was a jack-o’-lantern —
Happy Halloween!

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

BOOK:

Duck and Goose Find a Pumpking by Tad Hills

This is a board book, but it comes in a great larger size that is perfect for sharing with a group.

NURSERY RHYME:
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater
 
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater
had a wife, and could not keep her.


Put her in a pumpkin shell,
and there he kept her very well.

Flannelboard from Little Folk Visuals

TICKLE: Slowly, Slowly Very Slowly

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over

HOW IT WENT:
I thought this was a pretty fun storytime.  Things seemed to move and flow well.  Since I haven’t done a Halloween storytime for this age group, I was a little hesitant about what books to choose — you never know what will frighten someone.  But neither of these books did, so that was great. It’s so much fun to see all the little kids dressed up!

ATTENDANCE: 36 people

Farm – Infant Storytime

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes, you just want a theme that you know has some good books ready to go for it.  Farms is a great one to use for those days.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song

MOVEMENT: Peek-a-Boo

BOUNCE: In the Toaster

BOOK:

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo by Steve Lavis

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
Old MacDonald

Pattern and Song from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra

BOUNCE: “Smooth Road to London Town” from A Smooth Road to London Town: Songs from the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program by Kathy Reid-Naiman

 

BOOK:

 

Peek-a-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti

TICKLE: Slowly, Slowly, Very Slowly

NURSERY RHYME:
Hey Diddle Diddle

Flannelboard pieces from Little Folk Visuals

MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney

MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over

HOW IT WENT:
Overall, it was a pretty good storytime.  I liked both books and thought they worked well with the audience.  It’s always nice to do a flannelboard with a song the parents already know so they can join in.

ATTENDANCE: 28 people