Often the best blueprints for programming come from what other awesome library professionals have created. Woodridge Public Library did several months of a Baby Activity Kit program which was absolutely brilliant and something I was eager to build upon and tweak to fit my typical kit structure. Babies are difficult to reach with programming amidst the pandemic and I was looking for a way that I could make a beneficial, early literacy-themed kit for them. This particular kit focused on music and movement with materials to make several instruments included. I rounded it off with activity cards and an instructional packet with book recommendations and further resources included.
Inside the kit were materials to create a:
This program would pair well with any pre-K or school-age reading program in a school or library setting.
jingle bell egg shaker
ribbon whisk
gumball capsule bean shaker
Safety was the top priority, so I included small rolls of washi tape in each kit to secure the egg and gumball capsule so that no choking hazard-sized bits would escape their containers.
Photos of the finished products:
The kit came with several items:
Laminated activity card booklet
Packet including instructions, online resources, and book recommendations
Materials to create each instrument
Scarf – there are several purchasing options on Amazon
Images of the activity cards:
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a fully enrolled program. I thought it would be more popular than it turned out to be with 11 out of 30 spots filled. I was toying with the idea of making this a series, much in the way Woodridge Public Library did, but because of the lack of interset I will not be creating addtional Little Learner kits.
Hopefully, if you try this program, you will have more luck with interest. If you would like PDFs or editable files, please please feel free to reach out to bookcartqueens@gmail.com to request the files.
Rhymes designed to get kids up and moving are a staple of any storytime. These aren’t quite Fingerplays (but there may be a lot of overlap). Sometimes they can include Flannel or Magnet pieces. Rhymes are often (but not always) shorter than a song, as they are often used as short breaks to get some wiggles out between longer material. They often develop fine and gross motor skills, practice following directions, and can also connect to any number of other concepts like counting, letter sounds, animal sounds, and more.
I separated Baby Bounce Rhymes, designed for babies in arms or in laps, into a different post. Find those here.
Beyond the songs that had racial slurs in their origins–stop and think for a minute about the words in Baa Baa Black Sheep or I’ve Been Working on the Railroad. Goosey Goosey Gander made me pause when I first heard it in a Mother Goose on the Loose storytime–and the suggested origins of that rhyme don’t make me want to teach it to babies and toddlers.
Before I get further into this conversation, check out this wonderful document with many sources cited regarding the history of some of the songs and rhymes mentioned above and more. I’m sure there are more popular tunes I have missed too. Please comment below, and I’m happy to add and adjust.
I understand that there can be value in the rhythm of Mother Goose and other “traditional” nursery rhymes–but frankly, I grew up only learning a handful of these, and I don’t think I lost much of my childhood from not growing up with the Mother Goose canon. There are plenty of other songs that can teach kids how to count or practice identifying body parts–and once you become aware of the origins of certain songs, they are easy enough to avoid.
But what about the familiar tunes (changing those words)? For me, this comes down to the grandmother in one of my in-person Baby Storytimes who proudly sang “Indian” instead of “finger” when we sang “Ten Little Fingers” to the tune of “Ten Little Indians.” She told her little one that she was so excited to sing a song she grew up with–so she sang the words she knew instead of the words on the screen behind me. The short answer is–let these rhymes–and their tunes–go.
I struggle with this just as I am sure some of you do. Put Your Hands Up High is my hardest rhyme to let go of because I love the motions so much, and it is part of my default, go-to storytime routine. But, it is to the tune of Do Your Ears Hang Low. I’m sure that other problematic tunes have slipped through too in my work–on this post and others on this blog. But there are plenty of other rhymes out there–on this blog and many others–that none of us have an excuse for continuing to use these problematic works.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Movement Rhymes
Baby Hokey Pokey
You put your arms up, You put your arms down, You put your arms up, And you wave them all around You wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, And you tickle, tickle, tickle That’s how the baby pokey goes (clap along) Yeah! (arms in the air)
One little red fish Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water.
One little red fish Swimming in the water, Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble (roll arms) POP! (clap)
Bubble, Bubble, Pop: Baby Shark
One yellow baby shark, Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water, Swimming in the water.
One yellow baby shark, swimming in the water, Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble pop!
Continue with: One blue daddy shark One pink momma shark
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands, Clap them now with me. Clap your hands, let me see! Clap them now with me.
Continue with: Tap your knees Shake your feet Tickle your tummy
Clap Them
Clap them, clap them, clap them so. Clap them high! Clap them low. Clap them left. Clap them right. Clap them, clap them, out of sight!
Continue with: roll them, shake them
Clap Your Feet
Clap, clap, clap your feet. Clap your feet together. Clap, clap, clap your feet. Clap your feet together.
Clap them high! Clap them low. Clap them fast! Clap them slow.
Clap, clap, clap your feet. Clap your feet together. Clap, clap, clap your feet. Clap your feet together.
Cool Cat Boogie
Slide right, shake your tail! Slide left, shake your tail! Now clap, clap, clap. Jump front! Rock and roll! Jump back! Rock and roll! AIR GUITAR!
Dino Ditty
A hungry dino walking down the street Singing dino ditty ditty dum ditty do He’s looking for something good to eat Singing dino ditty ditty dum ditty do He’s big! (He’s big!) He’s strong! (He’s strong!) Won’t be hungry very long…
Do You Like to Jump Around
Do you like to jump around? Jump around, Jump around? Do you like to jump around? Jump and now let’s FREEZE!
Continue with: Roll Clap Shake Jump
Five Little Eggs
Give it a whack, (clap) Hear it crack, (hand behind ear) Drop it in the middle, (pat hands on your lap) One egg frying on the griddle.
Galoomp Went the Little Green Frog
Galoomp (hop) went the little green frog one day Galoomp (hop) went the little green frog Galoomp (hop) went the little green frog one day And his eyes went blinkblinkblink
Repeat with new line added on each time: Arms went flop, flop, flop Feet went splash, splash, splash
Head and Shoulders
Head and shoulders baby 1, 2, 3 Head and shoulders baby 1, 2, 3 Head and shoulders, Head and shoulders, Head and shoulders baby 1, 2, 3
Continue with: Knees and ankles Tummy and back Fingers and toes Shake them all
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (audiation)
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes! Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes! And eyes and ears and mouth and nose! Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes!
Horns and Fangs
Horns and fangs, knees and claws, Knees and claws, knees and claws, Horns and fangs, knees and claws, Eyes, ears, tail, and paws!
I Wake Up My Hands
I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap, Clap, clap, clap, Clap, clap, clap, I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap, And I wiggle my wiggles away!
If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings! If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings! If you’re a pigeon and you know it, And you really want to show it! If you’re a pigeon and you know it, flap your wings!
Shake your tail (shake, shake) Eat your cookies (nom, nom) Drive the bus (zoom, zoom)
If You’re Fancy and You Know It
If you’re fancy and you know it give a curtsey! If you’re fancy and you know it give a curtsey! If you’re fancy and you know it and you really want to show it, If you’re fancy and you know it give a curtsey!
Continue with: Take a Bow Wave to All Your Fans Shout Ooh La La!
If You’re Ready for the New Year
If you’re ready for the new year, clap your hands! If you’re ready for the new year, clap your hands If you’re ready for the new year, If you’re ready for the new year, If you’re ready for the new year, clap your hands!
Continue with: Stomp Your Feet (Stomp, Stomp) Wave Bye-Bye (Bye Bye 2020) Give a Shout (Happy New Year!)
I’m a Little Dump Truck
I’m great big dump truck Full of rocks. Here is my engine. Here is my box. When the crew is ready, Here me shout, “Pull the lever and dump me out!” Shhhhhhhhh!
Magic Butterflies
Five fuzzy caterpillars spinning cocoons Hoping spring will come real soon! With a little bit of magic And the warm sunshine– Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly!
Mix a Cake
Mix the batter, stir the batter Shake some flour in Mix the batter, stir the batter Pour it in a tin
Sprinkle in some chocolate chips Put it in to bake Then open wide the oven door And out comes the cake!
Mix a Pancake
Mix a pancake. Stir a pancake. Pop it in a pan. Fry a pancake. Toss a pancake. Catch it if you can!
Move Your Arms
Move your arms up and down, Up and down. Up and down. Move your arms up and down, Just like me!
Move your hands and clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap. Move your hands and clap, clap, clap, Just like me!
Continue with: feet…stomp, body…up and down
My Heart Is A Zoo
Sometimes my heart wants to clap like a seal. Sometimes my heart wants to hop like a bunny. Sometimes my heart wants to jump like a frog. Sometimes my heart wants to roar like a lion. Sometimes my heart wants to fly like a blue jay.
One, Two, Peek-A-Boo!
One, two, peek-a-boo! You see me, and I see you. I see your nose; yes I do! Time to play peek-a-boo!
Continue with: Hands, Feet, Belly
Open Shut Them
Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Let your hands go clap, clap, clap!
Open, shut them. Opem, shut them. Drop them in your lap, lap, lap!
Walk them, walk them, Walk them, walk them, Right up to your chin, chin, chin!
Open up your little mouth, But do not let them in!
Pinkalicious Turn Around
Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious turn around. Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious touch the ground. Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious jump up high! Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious touch the sky.
Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious bend down low. Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious find your nose. Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious dance to the beat. Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious take a seat!
Put the Beat On
Put the beat on your toes, on your toes. Put the beat on your toes, on your toes. Put the beat on your toes, Put the beat on your toes, Put the beat on your toes, Now we stop!
Continue with: Tummy In your hands (clap)
Roll Roll Sugar Babies
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Roll up high! Roll down low. Roll real fast! Roll real slow.
Roll roll sugar babies, Roll roll sugar babies, Push and pull And clap, clap, clap!
Roly, Poly
Roly Poly, Roly Poly, Up, up, up! Up, up, up!
Continue with: Down, Out, In, Fast, Slow
Row, Drive, Fly
Row, row, row your boat (sway) Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream.
Drive, drive, drive your car So quickly down the street Merrily, merrily, merrily Driving can’t be beat!
Fly, fly, fly your plane Fly your plane so high Merrily, merrily, merrily Way up in the sky!
Chug, chug, chug the train Goes quickly down the track Merrily, merrily, merrily Hear it click click clack!
Slowly, Slowly
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, Creeped the garden snail. Slowly, slowly, very slowly Up the wooden rail.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly Ran the little mouse. Quickly, quickly, very quickly, Round about the house!
Show Me How You Move
Show me how your hands can move, Your hands can move, Your hands can move, Show me how your hands can move, Now show me how they STOP!
Continue with: Feet…stomp Elbows…bend Body…jump
There Was a Crocodile
There was a crocodile, An orangutan, A flying eagle, And a silvery fish.
A bunny, A beaver, A crazy elephant, Da na na na na na Da na na na na na
This is Big
This is big big big. This is small small small.
This is short short short. This is tall tall tall.
This is fast fast fast. This is slow slow slow.
This is yes yes yes yes. This is no no no no.
Tiny Tim
I have a friendly frog. His name is Tiny Tim! I put him in the bathtub, To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water! He ate up all the soap! And now he’s home sick in bed, With bubbles in his throat!
After over a year of planning, I finally launched my library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program! These blog posts often focus more on day-to-day or week-to-week library activities, like reading, programs, and storytimes, but on any random day, I’m also working on a lot of large behind-the-scenes projects too. I’m thrilled to finally be able to share one of those projects with you.
Part 1 focused on the logistics of the program as well as our physical workbook. In this post, I’ll focus on our online component run through ReadSquared.
What is 1000 Books?
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide initiative, adapted by many libraries and educational institutions, to promote reading and encourage child/caregiver bonding through reading.
The goal is simple and pretty self explanatory: read 1000 books together before your child starts kindergarten.
Why run a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program?
A child is more successful in school when an adult actively read, spoke, and engaged with them during the 0-5 years. The more words children hear at young ages, the larger their vocabulary, and the more prepared they will be to learn to read. Setting a high goal with a concrete reward system—like reading 1000 books before starting kindergarten—encourages adults to actively and continuously engage with their children. Children who start out ahead typically end up ahead. Studies show that these early language needs are even higher in lower socioeconomic households.
Other benefits to a 1000 Books program:
Brings a sense of ownership and pride to reading. After completing this program, kids know they accomplished something big.
Builds caregiver knowledge and interest about their role in school readiness.
From a library statistics perspective, 1000 Books programs boost circulation numbers.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten: ReadSquared Program
ReadSquared is one of a handful of online reading program management tools your library can purchase. Using a system like ReadSquared for your online reading program management takes away some of the freedom you would have by creating your own in-house summer reading management website, but, in exchange for unlimited customizability, you get a website that is hosted offsite with a great tech team that is always available to help you fix glitches and change the design of your page.
There are a lot of pros and cons to various online reading program management tools. This isn’t a post about that, but my quick feelings about ReadSquared are that (on the positive side) you do have a lot of customization options compared to its top competitor, Beanstack, and (on the negative side) the core layout of the website isn’t really negotiable, it looks a bit dated overall, and the back side is a bit of an organizational mess. Make sure someone on your team is familiar with basic HTML and has the time and patience to dig through many menus to find the exact editing tool you are looking for.
My library uses ReadSquared for our set-your-own-goal summer reading program and our BINGO-style winter reading program. 1000 Books is our first attempt at a year-round program, and I’m really happy with where we ended up. All the programs are supposed to be able to run smoothly at the same time, though we haven’t tested that out in full quite yet.
Every 1000 Books reader needs a ReadSquared account. They don’t have to use it for recording, but they do need an account so that library staff can keep track of their prizes.
If a family already has an account from a previous summer or winter reading program, they can log in with that account to sign up for this program. Kids can all be linked to the same account, making for easy book logging for the caregiver.
I’m not going to screenshot every element of this process, but to make an online account, we require that participants provide their first and last name, their email address, and a username and password.
Once they login or register, they will be taken to the home page:
Home Page
Families can immediately record their reading on the home page or they can use the various navigation menus to access other features. The home page also includes:
Progress Bar
Sponsor Information
Most Popular Books (books recorded by other participants recently)
FAQs
One important note for libraries considering ReadSquared for a 1000 Books program: at the moment, ReadSquared does not allow for public users to log more than one book at a time. So if a family read 20 books in one day, they do need to add 20 individual books. However, library staff, using the admin side of ReadSquared, can add any number of books at once with one click. So, if a caregiver does not want to type in 100 book titles, they can just stop by or call the library and ask library staff to record the reading for them.
Logging a Book
Families can log a book from the Home Page or the Logging page. When they select “Log Reading” they will be asked to add some information about the book (title, author, review). All of this information is optional–they could just push “Submit” and the system will log one book read.
Logging History
The Logging History page lets families see how many books they have logged (and which titles, if they provided that information).
Badges
That is all the technical content, what about the fun stuff? For our program, readers earn virtual badges whenever they receive an equivalent in-person prize (one for getting started (when they get their workbook) and another badge for every 100 books read). These match the sticker images that they will earn for their workbooks.
Missions
Our physical workbook contains a bunch of early literacy tips for different age ranges, and we wanted to convert that information to our online format (while also promoting other library services and programs). These turned into Missions. Missions don’t earn participants physical prizes, but they do earn a virtual badge.
Our missions and activities include:
Read Together: From birth, your baby can start to learn about reading, like how to sound out words and what direction to hold a book.
Ages 0-2 – Read together…even if just a few pages: Choose a time when your baby is relaxed and happy. Read for as long as your baby is interested. Just a page or two is fine! Try one of these.
Ages 0-2 – Join us for baby storytime: For a schedule of live storytimes, visit the library’s events calendar. Or watch on demand whenever is convenient for you with pre-recorded storytimes on our YouTube channel.
Ages 0-3 – Read a board book: Show your baby a board book. (A board book is made of thick cardboard pages.) Let them explore on their own, even if that means books get chewed on or thrown.
Ages 0-3 – Show babies other babies: Babies love to see other babies! Check out books featuring large, bright photographs of other babies from this list.
Ages 0-5 – Take a picture walk: You don’t have to read the words on the page! Talk or sing about the pictures instead. Identify the animals or colors or make up your own story–time spent with a book helps your child learn how books work.
Ages 0-5 – Sign up for free books: Fill your home library with books! Mailed to your child monthly until their 5th birthday, each book is a free gift for your child to keep. This service is made possible by the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library. Learn more.
Ages 0-5 – Watch a storytime video: Explore book retelling videos by your favorite librarians. Watch one of these videos.
Ages 0-5 – Take a book; leave a book: A wooden box filled with books, a Little Free Library is a mini collection you can browse any time of day. Take home whatever catches your fancy and if you want, bring back one of your own to share with others. No library card required. No fines. No need to return what you borrow. Learn more.
Ages 0-5 – Read a nonfiction book: Read a nonfiction book together. Nonfiction books help babies and toddlers attach words to everyday objects and help preschoolers realize that words represent other things. Try one of these.
Ages 0-5 – Point out the words: Run your fingers under the words on the page as you read them. Little ones will begin to understand that those shapes on the page mean something.
Ages 0-5 – Make books part of your daily routine: Make books part of everyday experiences. Place a bag of books in the car or near the table for meals, or read a book each day for a week before naptime, bedtime, or bath time.
Ages 2-3 – Join us for toddler storytime: For a schedule of live storytimes, visit the library’s events calendar. Or watch on demand whenever is convenient for you with pre-recorded storytimes on our YouTube channel.
Ages 2-5 – Read…and repeat!: Read the same books over and over again. Pause before a predictable word and ask your toddler or preschooler to guess the next word. Or ask what happens next in their favorite story.
Ages 3-5 – Read…upside down!: When reading, hold a book upside down until your preschooler notices. Show them how to hold a book. Talk about the book’s parts, like the cover, pages, title, and author.
Ages 3-5 – Join us for preschool storytime: For a schedule of live storytimes, visit the library’s events calendar. Or watch on demand whenever is convenient for you with pre-recorded storytimes on our YouTube channel.
Sing Together: When you sing, you slow down words. This helps your child hear the smaller sounds, learn syllables, and develop vocabulary. Singing also helps develop listening and memory skills. Singing together is a fun bonding experience – whether you’re a good singer or not!
Ages 0-5 – Dance together: Dance to music that you and your little one enjoy. Try these dance party favorites, free to stream or download with your Westerville Library card.
Ages 0-5 – Listen to your favorite (grown-up) music: Listen to your favorite music – your baby may recognize your grown-up tunes.
Ages 0-5 – Sing together: Sing a tune or nursery rhyme together. For a new song every day, visit daybydayoh.org.
Ages 0-5 – Read a singing book!: Some books have a natural rhythm or rhyme that are great for singing. Read one of these.
Ages 0-5 – Watch a video: Bounce to the rhythm or try out one of these favorite storytimes songs. Watch one of these videos.
Ages 0-5 – Make up a song together: Create songs about everyday activities, such as changing a diaper or putting on clothes.
Ages 0-5 – Adapt a tune: Adapt the tune “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” to “This Is the Way We…” (put on our pants, wash our hands, etc.).
Ages 0-5 – Clap your name: Clap or tap your child’s name. Focus on each syllable. Encourage your toddler or preschooler to try this too–you’ll be surprised how quickly they can find the syllables themselves.
Ages 1-5 – Shake!: Shake to the beat of a familiar rhyme or tune. Grab an item that your baby can grasp, or make a shaker out of an empty water bottle filled with baby-safe items.
Ages 1-5 – Clap to the beat: Clap the syllables of words as you sing. Breaking down words into smaller parts is a useful skill when your child starts reading.
Ages 2-5 – Sing fast and slow: Sing the same song at different speeds to help your little one get used to rhythm and tempo. Try singing familiar tunes faster and faster, then slower and slower.
Ages 2-5 – Freeze dance: Freeze songs are a great way for your child to practice self-control, focus, and listening skills. Turn a favorite song into a freeze dance by starting and stopping the music at random.
Ages 2-5 – Pause: “The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the water….spout!” Pause while singing to allow toddlers and preschoolers to fill in the missing words.
Ages 3-5 – Create silly songs: Create silly songs by making up your own words for familiar tunes. Let your child choose unique animals for “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and unique actions for “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
Ages 3-5 – Print the lyrics: Help your little one recognize that songs are made up of words. Print out the lyrics to your favorite song, then run your fingers under the words on the page as you sing them together.
Play Together: Playing encourages your child to put their thoughts into words, tell stories, problem-solve and imagine. All of these skills will help them become better readers and writers when they start school.
Ages 0-2 – Play peek-a-boo: Play peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo helps babies understand that just because they can’t see something, that object still exists.
Ages 0-5 – Visit the story trail: Enjoy the fresh air, a stroll…and a story. This literacy adventure builds reading skills and creates memories, from start to finish. For all ages. Visit again and again; you may find a different story waiting for you. Learn more.
Ages 0-5 – Play with mirrors: Play in front of a mirror and point to your little one’s body parts.
Ages 0-5 – Borrow a learning kit: Play, sing, write, read, talk and have fun with your favorite little ones while using tip cards to practice early literary skills. Learn more.
Ages 0-5 – Read a playing book!: Some books include games or other interactive elements that are great for encouraging play. Read one of these.
Ages 0-5 – Visit the imagination station: Located in the kids department at the library, this interactive display is regularly transformed into a themed exhibit intended to actively engage, entertain and educate young visitors of all ages.
Ages 0-5 – Play and learn around the house: Running out of ideas? Try these easy activities you can do together with common household objects. Watch now.
Ages 0-5 – Play…and repeat!: Repeat the same game or activity over and over again. You might feel bored, but your little one feels reassurance and builds important connections through repetition.
Ages 0-5 – Play with music: Dance to an action song like “The Hokey Pokey.” Songs that name body parts build physical awareness.
Ages 0-5 – Play with words: When playing, use big words and small words. Use as many words as you can! The more words your child hears, the easier it will be to identify those words when they start reading.
Ages 0-5 – Moo, honk, beep!: Make noises for different toys, like trucks, baby dolls, or animals. Hearing different sounds and experiencing pitches, tones, and volumes helps your little one develop the basics of language.
Ages 2-5 – Play on the go: Play wherever you are! Play “I Spy” on a long car ride or in the grocery store. Introduce new vocabulary each time you play.
Ages 3-5 – Make open-ended art: Explore open-ended activities. Encourage imagination and problem-solving with art supplies for the sake of play, not to make a specific craft.
Ages 3-5 – Go on a letter hunt: Pick a letter and find five items around the house that start with that letter. Try a new letter each day!
Talk Together: When you talk to your child about different events and ideas, it helps them learn new vocabulary and to use words they know.
Ages 0-3 – Say my name: Babies focus on the word spoken immediately after their name. Instead of saying, “Julia, would you like to read a book?” Try saying: “Julia, book! Would you like to read a book?”
Ages 0-3 – Talk with sign language: Babies understand more than they can say. Using gestures, including American Sign Language, is a great way to communicate with your child. Practice words like more, stop, and no. Learn more with these books.
Ages 0-5 – Narrate your day: Talk to your baby all the time, even if they can’t respond quite yet. The more words your baby hears, the larger their vocabulary will grow.
Ages 0-5 – Read a talking book!: Some books encourage talking. Read one of these.
Ages 0-5 – Watch a video: Try some of these games and activities to encourage asking questions. Watch one of these videos.
Ages 0-5 – Pause for 10 seconds.: Pause. Toddlers and preschoolers need 7-10 seconds to process what you asked and create a response. Give them plenty of time to think before moving on to another question.
Ages 0-5 – Ask open-ended questions: When playing, ask your child open-ended questions, such as:
What do you think will happen if…
Can you think of another way to…
What else can you build… Give them plenty of time to respond. Some responses might not be verbal.
Ages 0-5 – Notice excitement: Your child will let you know what interests them by using actions, facial expressions, and speech. When they point out a window or give you a questioning look, put their action into words: “Yes! That’s a squirrel. Look at him running along the fence.”
Ages 0-5 – Talk with your eyes: When talking to your little one, actively make eye contact. Babies and toddlers learn to recognize emotions from facial expressions.
Ages 2-5 – Dial a story: Hear a story read aloud by your Westerville librarians. A great way to entertain kids at bedtime, in waiting rooms, or on rainy days. Available via phone 24/7. Call 614-665-9696. Learn more.
Ages 2-5 – Oops!: Make mistakes on purpose when singing familiar songs or completing familiar activities. Let your toddler or preschooler correct you. Make sure your little one is very familiar with your activity before trying this – you don’t want to confuse them.
Ages 3-5 – Talk about books: Look at a book together. What direction do you hold a book? Identify the parts of a book like the cover, title, author, and illustrator.
Ages 3-5 – Tell a story: Work together to tell a story. Put a series of events in order, tell a familiar story from the pictures, or make up a story using just your imagination.
Ages 3-5 – Talk about new words: Preschoolers learn new words best in context. When you discover some new vocabulary, discuss it at that moment. Try relating the word to a word they already know.
Ages 3-5 – Follow directions: Encourage listening with games that include clear directions, like Simon Says.
Write Together: Giving children opportunities to write, even if it is just scribbles, helps children understand that print can represent spoken words. It can also help children develop eye-hand coordination and the fine motor control they need to hold a pencil.
Ages 0-3 – Pick up sticks: Practice activities that build finger muscles, such as picking up Cheerios and grasping toys.
Ages 0-5 – Read a book about shapes: Learning shapes helps children more easily recognize letters when the time comes. Read a book about shapes.
Ages 0-5 – Watch a video: Practice a fingerplay to build the muscles needed to hold a pencil. Watch one of these videos.
Ages 0-5 – Read a writing book!: Some books encourage writing. Read one of these.
Ages 1-3 – Crumple paper: Practice activities that build finger muscles, such as crumpling paper and grasping small objects like shakers, straws, spoons, and more.
Ages 1-5 – Explore shapes: Explore shapes. Letters are made of shapes, so identifying shapes is a first step towards recognizing letters. Go on a shape scavenger hunt, finding three squares, three circles, and three triangles around your house.
Ages 1-5 – Color and scribble: Encourage your little one to color and scribble. You don’t need a coloring page–coloring outside the lines is just as beneficial as coloring inside them. Grasping a crayon helps build the muscles needed to hold a pencil in school.
Ages 1-5 – Play with letters: Build finger muscles and learn to recognize letters by playing with them! Make letters out of playdough or explore letter magnets.
Ages 2-5 – Write while playing: Incorporate writing into play activities. Write a pretend grocery list. Help your child pretend to take your order at a restaurant. Sign pretend receipts when you play store.
Ages 2-5 – Play with tweezers: Make pick-up games more challenging with a pair of toddler or preschool sized tweezers (plastic child-safe kitchen tongs might work too). Use the tweezers to sort pom poms, cereal, dice, or other small items.
Ages 3-5 – Write about your art: Ask your preschooler to write about their drawing. Even if they aren’t writing letters, this helps them recognize that written words stand for spoken words.
Ages 3-5 – Use scissors: Build writing muscles by practicing an important kindergarten skill: using scissors. Consider one of these activities or make up your own:
Cut lines in the top of a paper towel tube to create silly hair (don’t forget to draw a face too).
Cut along the lines separating paint chips.
Cut through rolled strips of playdough.
Ages 3-5 – Make dots with glue: Create a sheet of paper filled with evenly spaced tiny dots, about the size of the tip of a pencil. Give your child a bottle of liquid glue with a squeeze-top, and challenge them to limit the amount of glue they use–just enough to cover a single dot.
Ages 3-5 – Write together: Keep a journal for you and your child. Encourage them to draw a picture of something they did that day or something they are excited about. Ask them to tell you about their drawing, and write down what they say underneath. Read their words back to them, drawing your finger underneath the words as you say them.
Reading Lists
Our last bonus feature on our ReadSquared page is our 1000 Books Reading Lists. Approximately 40 Reading Lists are filled with book suggestions to help families keep reading. Topics include:
Animals & Pets
Baby Faces
Baby Favorites
Bedtime & Bathtime
Beginning to Read
Being Kind
Change the World
Dinosaurs
Early Literacy: Play Together
Early Literacy: Read Together
Early Literacy: Sing Together
Early Literacy: Talk Togeter
Early Literacy: Write Together
Explore Outdoors
Family Love
Family Read Alouds
Favorite Characters
Getting Dressed
Growing Up
Holidays & Celebrations
Kids Like Me
Laugh Out Loud
Learn Colors
Learn Shapes
Learn the ABCs
Learn to Count
Lift-the-Flap & Pop-Up
Nonfiction Fun
Potty Training
Preschool Favorites
Real Stories: Biographies
Seasons
Siblings
Starting School
Talk About Race
Things That Go
Time to Eat
Toddler Favorites
Unicorns, Fairies, and Everything Magic
Access those lists and more here (without logging in).
…and that is it! All of the different parts of our ReadSquared 1000 Books website. What kind of recording do you use for your library’s 1000 Books program? Share in the comments!
After over a year of planning, I finally launched my library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program last week. These blog posts often focus more on day-to-day or week-to-week library activities, like reading, programs, and storytimes, but on any random day, I’m also working on a lot of large behind-the-scenes projects too. I’m thrilled to finally be able to share one of those projects with you.
And before this gets buried in all the upcoming text, a big shout out to my library’s marketing department who designed the physical book and put up with all of my edit requests.
What is 1000 Books?
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide initiative, adapted by many libraries and educational institutions, to promote reading and encourage child/caregiver bonding through reading.
The goal is simple and pretty self explanatory: read 1000 books together before your child starts kindergarten.
Why run a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program?
A child is more successful in school when an adult actively read, spoke, and engaged with them during the 0-5 years. The more words children hear at young ages, the larger their vocabulary, and the more prepared they will be to learn to read. Setting a high goal with a concrete reward system—like reading 1000 books before starting kindergarten—encourages adults to actively and continuously engage with their children. Children who start out ahead typically end up ahead. Studies show that these early language needs are even higher in lower socioeconomic households.
Other benefits to a 1000 Books program:
Brings a sense of ownership and pride to reading. After completing this program, kids know they accomplished something big.
Builds parent knowledge and interest about their role in school readiness.
From a library statistics perspective, 1000 Books programs boost circulation numbers.
How long will this take?
Parents may be daunted by the large number, but, by just reading one book a day, a child should finish the program in less than three years. Some possible program lengths:
1 book a day = 1,000 books in 3 years
2 books a day = 1,000 books in 1.5 years
3 books a day = 1,000 books in 1 year
5 books a day = 1,000 books in 6 months
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program Specifics
Before starting your program, there are some specifics you need to figure out. These include:
How will participants log their reading?
What are the incentives?
How will you fund the program?
Answers to Participant FAQs
How will participants log their reading?
We give participants two options: a physical, spiral-bound workbook (more info below) and an online system managed through ReadSquared (more on that in a future post).
What are the incentives?
Our incentives include:
Sign up = workbook & pencil
100 books read = 1 sticker for every 100 books read (10 total)
I’ll share pictures of some of these below, but the timeline for purchasing some of these items depends on reaching certain program milestones (such as registering our first 50 kids). So, while I know what I would like to order, specific prize books have not been officially selected yet. For each prize book earned, families will have a choice between three prize book options.
How will you fund the program?
Our program is sponsored by our library’s Foundation. (Those incentives aren’t cheap!) I wanted to make this a program that would really engage our community and keep them participating over the years it will take them to finish, so we chose incentives that will hopefully encourage people to keep participating.
Answers to Participant FAQs
Your library’s answers to these questions might differ, but some of our FAQ include:
What if someone else reads to my child? Count all reading! Books read by caregivers, siblings, grandparents, friends, teachers, librarians, and more all count. Watch a storytime and count those books, too.
What if we read the same book more than once? Every time you read a book, count it in your reading log! Repetition is wonderful for reading development. Your child will notice new details during each reread. If you read Pete the Cat ten times in one day, that counts as ten books read!
We finished! Can we keep reading? Of course! While you can only receive prizes once, we encourage you to keep going. Stop by the library anytime for book recommendations.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Workbook
At sign-up, each reader gets their own physical workbook and a pencil to log their reading. I love our 64-page workbook filled with many pages to log your reading, early literacy tips and book recommendations, advertisements for various library services, and more.
Our workbook begins with a page to label your workbook in case it is lost and to track how long the program took you to complete.
The next spread focuses on how the program works and those frequently asked questions we highlighted above.
Moving on to a spread with a reminder to log online if you would like (more on that in Part 2) and the first of two All About Me pages. This page should be filled out at the beginning of the program, with the second, similar page being filled out after you’ve read 1000 Books.
Next come the early literacy spreads! I love how these turned out. Four age ranges are featured: 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, and 3-5. Each spread has an early literacy tip for read, sing, talk, play and write, as well as 12 book recommendations.
Listing books in a printing of this volume (we purchased 1000 of these logbooks at once!) was quite an endeavor. While we still ended up publishing pages filled with many of my favorite books, some of these were round two or round three suggestions. I worked with our collection development team to find books that we could bulk up on copies of now and that we would hopefully still be able to purchase (or would still own) in 3-5 years, since these log books will be sticking around a while.
Next we have lots and lots of book logging pages. Each page contains 25 images. Each image represents one book. Families can color or check off each image for each book read.
Pages marking 100-book intervals have a special spot for a sticker that participants can pick up at the library. Our marketing department designed and printed our stickers in house on label paper:
But what if a family really wants to write down the names of the books they read? There are a few pages to record up to 30 favorite titles in the workbook, and the online system encourages writing out each title.
Wrapping up the workbook, we have our second All About Me page and advertisements for some of our other library programs and services.
Bye again babies! I’m back to toddlers next week, and I am pulling out some of my favorite content in April. We aren’t sure what summer storytimes will bring yet–fewer virtual storytimes? Outdoor storytimes? No more mask requirements from the state? My question of the week: can you require social distancing in a program if your library no longer requires it overall? Or does social distancing in a program just turn into a suggestion that is encouraged by limiting attendance? What is your library doing as you consider returning to in-person programs and events?
Baby Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme – Wake Up Toes & We Clap and Sing Hello
Early Literacy Tip: Check out our new 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program!
Book Recommendation:Leo Loves Daddy by Anna McQuinn
Song: Clap Your Hands by Old Town School of Folk Music
Action Rhyme: These Little Fingers
These little fingers go Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle These little fingers go Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle And now they’re on my…HEAD!
Continue with: tummy, feet
Bounce: A Bouncing We Will Go
A bouncing we will go, A bouncing we will go, Hi ho the derry o, A bouncing we will go.
Babies, babies, babies! Continuing the storytime routine with lots of repeated favorites this week (but a new book!). I just wrapped up Brooke Newbery‘s Babies in the Library UW-Madison course, giving me some new ideas to help refresh programming for this age (and so many great play ideas…for whenever play can return!). Everything around programming is a question right now, but I’m looking forward to thinking about ways to increase services for babies in the next few years.
Hello babies! A new book and one new-to-me rhyme this week. Looking ahead at Toddler Storytime next month–have you found any great new toddler books lately? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Baby Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme – Wake Up Toes & We Clap and Sing Hello
Early Literacy Tip: Babies focus on word spoken immediately after their name.
Book Recommendation:I Love You, Baby Burrito by Angela Dominguez
Song: Baby 1, 2, 3 by Peter & Ellen Allard
Action Rhyme: Clap Your Feet
Clap, clap, clap your feet, Clap your feet together. Clap, clap, clap your feet, Clap your feet together.
Clap them high! Clap them low! Clap them fast! Clap them slow!
Bounce: Dump Truck
Dump truck, dump truck bumpin’ down the road. Spillin’ out gravel as you travel with your load. Bumpety, bumpety, bump, bump, bump. Dump truck, dump truck, dump truck, DUMP!
More babies! I’m close to a full year of virtual storytimes now–not quite there yet, but more on that soon. There are more than 50 virtual storytime outlines on this blog already! We are now officially one year since my last in-person baby storytime. (And playtime! I miss playtime.) I’m proud of the virtual work I’ve done over the last year, but I am starting to get itchy for some kind of change. I don’t necessarily know if I want things to be what they were, entirely, but I want…something? Hmmmm. Not entirely sure, but for now, more baby content.
Hello? Babies? I’m back! It has been a few months since I’ve planned a Baby Storytime program (at our library, that means ages 0-23 months). I’m happy to get back into the groove. Much of this week is repeated content that I am very familiar with, as I have Pigeon Storytime on Saturday (well, today by the time this is posted!), so I wanted to make this storytime as easy as possible.
Baby Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme – Wake Up Toes & We Clap and Sing Hello
Early Literacy Tip: When playing, have fun making noises like animal sounds or truck sounds. Hearing different noises and experiencing different pitches and volumes helps baby’s language development.
Book Recommendation:The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell
Song: Wheels on the Bus by Jay Laga’aia
Action Rhyme: Baby Hokey Pokey
You put your arms up, You put your arms down, You put your arms up, And you wave them all around You wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, And you tickle, tickle, tickle That’s how the baby pokey goes (clap along) Yeah! (arms in the air)
Continue with: legs, whole baby
Bounce: Tiny Little Babies
Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’, Tiny little babies love bouncin’ so. Tiny little babies love bouncin’ bouncin’ Tiny little babies love bouncin’ yeah.
Bounce to the left, Bounce to the right, Now hug that baby nice and tight.
Flannel and magnet activities are a staple of storytimes–especially my virtual storytimes! While I’ve always enjoyed these activities, we typically had very large in-person storytime audiences. I’ve never had the best vision, and I was always the kid (and adult) who was stuck in the back of a crowded room and who couldn’t see the tiny shapes on a flannel board or magnet board. I have some tricks to still make flannel and magnet activities work in a large crowd–mostly giant magnet and flannel pieces on a board I’m holding up high–but I like the intimacy of a virtual storytime where everyone can see everything I am doing.
While I love the cuteness of a high quality flannel set (Mister Keith is the flannel making king), I personally lean more towards magnet sets. I can stumble my way through making a nice flannel set I am happy with, but more often I try to find high quality images to create my own magnet sets. These can be printed over and over and laminated for reuse. Magnets stick a bit better for me (on a cookie sheet I hold up) are are generally less likely to fall off than flannel board pieces.
Looking for more flannel and magnet activities for your storytimes? Your one stop shop is Flannel Friday. Their Pinterest boards are regularly updated and filled with a world of cuteness.
Looking for more storytime tools? Check out our Storytime Resources page for links to more content.
Flannel and Magnet Activities
Animal Guessing Game (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
B-I-N-G-O
There was a farmer who had a dog And BINGO was his name-o B-I-N-G-O B-I-N-G-O B-I-N-G-O And BINGO was his name-o
The Bridge Is Up
A book retelling of The Bridge Is Up by Babs Bell.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?
Retelling of Brown Owl, Brown Owl, What Do You See?, a spooky book adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Retelling of the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Count the Balloons(Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Red Balloons, red balloons, how many do we see? Red balloons, red balloons, count them now with me!
Dear Zoo
Retelling of the book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.
Dinosaur Behind a Door
Dinosaur, dinosaur playing hide and seek! Are you behind the yellow door? Let’s take a peak!
Dog’s Colorful Day
Retelling of the book Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd.
Down Around the Corner
Down around the corner at the bakery shop Were five yummy/fancy cupcakes with sprinkles on top. Along comes a…. With a dollar to pay. She picks out a cupcake and takes it away.
Fancy Nancy, Fancy Nancy Playing hide and seek. Are you behind the __ teacup? Let’s take a peek!
Fancy Words (Fancy Nancy)
Paired Words:
Hello – Bonjour
Great – Fantastique
Sad – Crestfallen
Pretty – Glamorous
Thank You – Merci
Goodbye – Au Revoir
Five Fancy Peacocks
One fancy peacock feeling mighty fine Spreading his tail in the bright sunshine. Another peacock has come to play. Now two fancy peacocks have a great day.
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
Five Ferocious Lions
Deep in the jungle, what did I hear? Five ferocious lions roaring loud and clear. ROAR! said the lions. SCAT! said I. And one ferocious lion ran away… Goodbye!
4, 3, 2, 1…
Five in the Bed
There were five in the bed, And the little llama said “Roll over! Roll over!” And they all rolled over And one fell out.
Five Little Bats
Five little bats sleeping in a tree Hanging upside down Where no one else can see. The sun sets and the moon shines bright, And one little bat flies out of sight.
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day. Over the hill and far away. Mother duck said QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! But only four little ducks came back.
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Eggs
Give it a whack, (clap) Hear it crack, (hand behind ear) Drop it in the middle, (pat hands on your lap) One egg frying on the griddle.
Five Little Fishies
Five little fishies, swimming in the sea Teasing Baby Shark – “You Can’t Catch Me!” Along comes Baby Shark, as quiet as can be… And SNAPS that fishy right out of the sea!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Owls
Five little owls sitting in a tree Shouting “hoo, hoo, hoo” As loud as can be!
One flew away, And then there were… 1, 2, 3, 4!
Five Little Penguins
Five little penguins playing in the snow, Slipping and sliding to and fro.
One looked up and yelled “Oh no!” “I see a great big ball of snow!”
Rolling down the hill it stopped with a splat, All that’s left is a fuzzy hat.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Five big snowballs wearing fuzzy hats, Rolled back home dressed just like that!
Five Little Pigeons
Five little pigeons jumping on the bed One fell off and bumped his head! The driver called the doctor, and the doctor said No more pigeons jumping on the bed!
Continue with: 4, 3, 2, 1
Five Little Pigeons Sitting in a Tree
Five little pigeons sitting in a tree One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three four!
Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean
Five pigs so squeaky clean Cleanest pigs you’ve ever seen. Wanted to go outside and play. Oink! Oink! One jumped into the mud. Landed with a great big THUD Now there are four pigs so squeaky clean.
Five Sharks in the Bathtub
Five sharks in the bathtub, Going for a swim. Knock, knock. Splash, splash. Come on in!
Froggy Gets Dressed
Retelling of the book Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.
Get Dressed Fancy (Fancy Nancy)
It’s time to put our dress on, Dress on, Dress on, It’s time to put our dress on 1, 2, 3!
Continue with: shoes, gloves, glasses, crown
Now that we’re all dressed! Now that we’re all dressed! Now that we’re all dressed! Let’s be FANCY!
Go Away Big Green Monster
Retelling of book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly.
Goodnight Moon
Retelling of the book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
The Great Big Enormous Turnip
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Retelling of the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff.
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean
Retelling of the book I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Retelling of the book Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino.
The Little Old Lady Who Was NOT Afraid of Anything
Retelling of the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.
L-L-A-M-A
There was a llama who wore pajamas, And Llama was his name-o! L-L-A-M-A L-L-A-M-A L-L-A-M-A And Llama was his name-o!
Llama Llama Playing Hide and Seek
Little Llama, Little Llama Playing hide and seek. Are you behind the __ bed? Let’s take a peek!
Letter Matching (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
Oh, have you seen the letter W The letter W, the letter W Oh, have you seen the letter W? It makes the sound wuh-wuh-wuh
Little Blue Truck
A retelling of the book Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle.
Little Crab, Little Crab
Little crab, little crab, Where do you hide? Are you in the…shell? Let’s look inside!
Little Fox, Little Fox
Little fox, little fox Are you in the YELLOW box?
Little Monster, Little Monster
Little monster, little monster Playing hide and seek!
Are you behind the __ door? Let’s take a peak!
Little Mouse, Little Mouse
Little mouse, little mouse, Are you in the…. RED house?
Little Snail, Little Snail
Little snail, little snail, Are you in the _ pail?
Little Spider, Little Spider
Little spider, little spider, Playing hide and seek!
Is spider behind the __ leaf? Let’s take a peak!
Magic Butterflies
Five fuzzy caterpillars spinning cocoons Hoping spring will come real soon! With a little bit of magic And the warm sunshine– Clap, clap, clap, there’s a butterfly!
Make a Pig
Marco the Polar Bear
Marco the polar bear As white as the snow Sat on the ice Where the cold waters flow
“Lunch! I need lunch!” he said. “I’ll make a wish!” He stuck out his paw And came up with a fish!
What color is it?
Move Over, Rover
Retelling of the book Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont.
My Heart Is a Zoo
Sometimes my heart wants to clap like a seal. Sometimes my heart wants to hop like a bunny. Sometimes my heart wants to jump like a frog. Sometimes my heart wants to roar like a lion. Sometimes my heart wants to fly like a blue jay.
N-A-N-C-Y
I know a girl who is so fancy, Nancy is her name-o! N-A-N-C-Y N-A-N-C-Y N-A-N-C-Y And Nancy is her name-o!
Old Brass Wagon
Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Circle to the side, old brass wagon. Now there’s one my darling!
Continue with: Oval to the side Square in the middle Triangle up high Rectangle down low Heart to the back We’ll stop at six my darling!
One Dinosaur Went Out to Play
One dinosaur went out to play, On a giant fern one day. She had such enormous fun, That she called for a friend to come… OH DINOSAUR!!
One Elephant in the Bathtub
One elephant in the bathtub, Going for a swim, Knock, knock (clap) Splash, splash (slap knees) Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3 – all fell in!
One Elephant in the Bathtub (Elephant & Piggie)
One elephant in the bathtub, Going for a swim! Knock, knock! (clap, clap) Splash, splash! (slap legs) Come on in! (wave)
Continue with: 2, 3, 4
One Red Sock
Retelling of the book One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler.
Our Friend Rocky Has Some Tools
Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O. And with those tools he had a hammer, E-I-E-I-O. With a bang, bang here and a bang, bang there. Here a bang, there a bang, everywhere a bang, bang. Our friend Rocky has some tools, E-I-E-I-O!
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Retelling of the book Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean.
Pete the Cat Playing Hide and Seek
Pete the Cat, Pete the Cat, Playing hide and seek. Is Pete behind the __ shoe? Let’s take a peek!
Pigeon Playing Hide and Seek
Pigeon, Pigeon playing hide and seek Are you behind the yummy cookie? Let’s take a peek!
Piggie, Are You in a Book?
Piggie, piggie, where so you hide? Are you in the __ book? Let’s look inside!
Pinkalicious, Where Do You Hide?
Pinkalicious, Pinkalicious, Where do you hide? Are you in the pink __? Let’s look inside!
PIZZA (BINGO)
There was a treat that’s good to eat And pizza is its name-o! P-I-Z-Z-A P-I-Z-Z-A P-I-Z-Z-A And pizza is its name-o!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
A retelling of Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (book)
Retelling of the book Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera.
Polar Bear’s Underwear (rhyme)
Oh where oh where have my underwear gone, Oh where or where can they be? I’ve looked up high, and I’ve looked down low. Did someone hide them from me?
Red Truck, Red Truck
A transportation adaptation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Six Little Valentines
Six little Valentines were sent to my house, The first one said, “I love you, From Mouse.”
Five little Valentines in my mailbox, The second one said, “Be mine, Love Fox.”
Four little Valentines full of love, The third one said, “You are sweet, From Dove.”
Three little Valentines just for me. The fourth one said, “Bee my honey, Love Bee.”
Two little Valentines mailed with care. The fifth one said, “Here’s a hug, From Bear.”
The last little Valentine, from my friend Jay. This one said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Snowball Hide and Seek
Snowball, snowball Cold and round! Behind which mitten, Can you be found?
Tickle Monster
Retelling of the book Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau.
Tip Tip Dig Dig
Retelling of the book Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia.
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Retelling of the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Walking Through The Jungle
Walking through the jungle, What do I see? I think it was a….elephant! Trumpeting at me!
We’re Going on a Bug Hunt
We’re going on a bug hunt! We’re gonna catch a bug one! What a sunny day. Are you ready? Okay!
Oh my! A ladybug! A red and black ladybug. Crawling on a leaf. Crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Continue with: Bumblebee…buzzing through the air Grasshopper…hopping through the grass Dragonfly…darting across the sky Butterfly…fluttering through the air Spider…spinning its web Time to go home…Goodbye!
Who Stole the Cookies
Cat stole the cookies from the cookie jar. Who me? Let’s see!
Couldn’t be! Then who?
Zuma, Are You in a Boat?
Zuma, Zuma, where so you hide? Are you in the __ boat? Let’s look inside!
