I wanted to celebrate the season, but not with a holiday-specific themed storytime. So I figured toys would be a good choice. It also goes well with the emphasis on play I am adding to the library, thanks to a recent grant from the California State Library
MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*
MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands, Clap Your Hands” from Tickles and Tunes by Kathy Reid-Naiman
MOVEMENT: Open Shut Them*
MOVEMENT: My Wiggles*
BOOK:
Matthew’s Truck by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Hideko Takahashi
MOVEMENT: “Reach for the Ceiling” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel
MOVEMENT: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
COUNTING SONG:*
10 (Toy) Boats
FLANNELBOARD:
Here Comes the (Toy) Choo-Choo Train
from Judy Sierra’s The Flannel Board Storytelling Book
Here comes the (toy) choo-choo train,
Puffing down the track.
First comes the engine,
The freight cars are in back.
Now the bell is ringing,
Now the whistle blows.
What a lot of noise it makes
Everywhere it goes!
FLANNELBOARD:
Bears
(forgive me, I cannot remember where I got the words for this rhyme.)
(to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Grizzly bears are big and brown,
Big and brown, big and brown.
Grizzly bears are big and brown,
And live in the woods.
Polar bears are soft and white,
Soft and white, soft and white.
Polar bears are soft and white,
And live in the cold.
Teddy bears are just my size,
Just my size, just my size.
Teddy bears are just my size,
To cuddle with at night.
MOVEMENT: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music
MOVEMENT: Itsy Bitsy Spider
BOOK:
My Old Teddy by Dom Mansell
MOVEMENT: “Two Little Blackbirds” from Fingerplays and Footplays by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass
VIDEO:
“Spot’s Favorite Toy” from Storytime with Spot
MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
Book: Meeow and the Little Chairs (or any Meeow book) by Sebastien Braun
Book: Book! by Kristine O’Connell George, illustrated by Maggie Smith
Book: Everybody Has a Teddy by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Sophie Allsopp
Book: Red Light, Green Light written by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max
Book: Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
Book: The Rainy Day Puddle by Ei Nakabayashi
Video: “Spot’s Hobbyhorse” from Storytime With Spot
Flannelboard: The Toy Shop (with all traces of Christmas removed)
HOW IT WENT:
While I had some issues with the cd player and sound, our IT person came out and fixed that between storytimes, so it was better for this one. I got to sing along with the cd. However, I think sound from the DVD is now only coming out of one speaker. Must check into that.
This storytime went pretty well. I originally thought I was going to use a different flannelboard with the older kids, but both of them went so well at the infant storytime that I just decided to continue with it for toddler time. I did a dd a few different rhymes in to storytime today — the kids seemed to have a hard time settling down, and I always feel like My Wiggles creates a nice calm before a story.
ATTENDANCE: 10 am: 33 people 11 am: 39 people
* For these songs, please see my Storytime Movements & Music page
Jen in the Library 
