Tag Archives: baby storytime

While we look at moving back into the library (I’m back in the library two days a week now–starting today!), virtual programs continue. We are discussing how to transition to filming in the library, especially since our building will most likely be opening to the public soon, any regular programming spaces are being used for quarantine of deliveries or returns, and an open-office staff space with no area for private filming. Returning to the library gives others staff members who don’t have the at-home tech an opportunity to film storytimes…but that also means restarting a learning curve about the technology and the differences between an in-person and virtual storytime, at a time when the patron expectation in program quality is higher (after all we’ve been doing this a while).

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip: Babies understand more than they can say. Using gestures, including simple hand signs is a great way to communicate with your little one. More, Stop, and No are great words to practice.

Book: Leo Loves Baby Time by Anna McQuinn

Song: She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain by Old Town School of Folk Music

Action Rhyme: Head and Shoulders

Bounce Rhyme: Old Grey Mare

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Bounce: Two Little Boats

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Song: The Tickle Song by Rainbow Songs

Puppets: Jump!

— Find more Book Retelling activities. —

Manipulative: Stuffed Animals

Closing Song: Skinnamarink

I am bouncing with ages quite a bit in June, and while I will be presenting two more virtual preschool storytimes this month, I am also back to Baby Storytimes the whole month. I’m excited to be back with babies, though not so much to have to live up to my coworker’s adorable baby who made appearances throughout May.

As I expected, I am recycling some of my content here that I used in the first six weeks. Repetition is good for this age, and I also keep to a more strict routine with this age range week to week (though I am reordering my middle slightly). I have had more time than I may have had in the library, so I was able to do more research than usual, and I am planning to scatter a few new content pieces throughout, especially new body rhymes and puppet activities, which will mean a couple new videos a week.

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Intro Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip: Talk to your baby as you go about your day, even if they can’t respond with words yet. Encourage, listen, and respond to your baby’s babbling.

Book: Peek-a-Baby by Karen Katz

Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Old Town School of Folk Music

Action Rhyme: Make Your Arms Go Up

Bounce Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Bounce: Here We Go Bumpy Boo

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It by Old Town School of Folk Music

Puppets: Brown Bear, Brown Bear

— Find more Book Retelling activities. —

Manipulative: Scarves

Closing Song: Skinnamarink

Week 6 of virtual baby storytime! (And my last baby set for a while as a I pass the baby baton off to my coworker Sarah and her actual baby.)

There is some more repetition here from previous weeks than usual, which isn’t too surprising for me. I generally have a set of my best storytime material (developmentally appropriate, early literacy connections, parent and child response, I enjoy) that I tend to rotate through over about 4-6 weeks. I sprinkle in new material regularly too, but the repetition is good for everyone.

I’m getting ready to shift to Toddlers on Monday, which is a bit of an adjustment for me, though not quite as much as I expected. A lot of activities that I’ve stopped using in Baby Storytime because they involved too many full body motions (jumping, spinning) work great for toddlers. I’m also breaking out of my box a little bit because, while I’m keeping a sense of routine like I do with babies, I’m not trying to also bring the comfort and familiarity of the routine of our regular in-library programs. I don’t regularly present toddler storytimes (and neither did my coworker doing virtual toddler storytimes before me)–so I get to make up my own rules.

But for now…one more week of babies!

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Introduction Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip & Book Recommendation

We talked about reading this week, including little one’s impatience and lack of attention span being completely okay.

Action & Body Rhymes

Songs

Movement & Bounce Rhymes

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Puppet Time

Manipulative Time – Scarves

Closing Song

DIY Play – Spider Web Baskets

Week 4 of virtual baby storytime! I am finally at a 30 minute storytime, woot!

Views dropped this week, with about 35 watching live and about 60 one-minute-views before the livestream was taken down. However, we did have more comments from regulars than we did on previous recent recordings. I’m also not sure if people just didn’t want to see my face twice in one week.

Folks on one of the state library web meetings also mentioned dropping viewers, and they had some interesting feedback regarding Facebook Live algorithms starting to stop notifying people when they go live due to the frequency–they could tell based on the decrease in impressions on their posts.

I’ve seen some libraries live streaming to multiple sources at once via two different devices, which is interesting. We have such a large built-in audience on Facebook, though we are also getting quite a response from our registered school age events. I can’t quite picture Zoom or a similar software working well though, just based on the number of meetings I’ve sat in on where people won’t turn their mute on–one person has rustling papers or pets in the background, and suddenly their face is the only one anyone participating can see, even if they aren’t the person talking or hosting. Any solutions out there?

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Introduction Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip & Book Recommendation

We talked about writing this week, including fine motor activities and shape recognition.

Action & Body Rhymes

Fingerplay

— Find more Fingerplays. —

Songs

Movement & Bounce Rhymes

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Puppet Time

Manipulative Time – Stuffed Animals

Closing Song

DIY Play

Week 3 of virtual baby storytime! I think I am finally getting the hang of my timing. I’m closer to 30 minutes anyway.

Lyrics or links for any activities are in the YouTube video descriptions AND due to a wonderful tip from Ontarian Librarian, now in the background of my videos!

Generally, our view numbers are lower than where we started, but they are still fairly solid, with 40-50 live views the entire time for most storytimes. We have been receiving less patron comments, but the ones we do get are from regulars, which makes me happy to know that there are some WPL patrons that are watching and enjoying what we do.

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Introduction Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip & Book Recommendation

Action & Body Rhymes

Magnet Activity

— Find more Flannel and Magnet Activities. —

Songs

Also used Grand Old Duke of York by Rainbow Songs, but my video was blocked due to copyright.

Movement & Bounce Rhymes

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Puppet Time

Manipulative Time – Scarves

We also played Sittin’ in My High Chair by Rainbow Songs, but I was not able to include that portion of the video due to copyright.

Closing Song

DIY Play

Week 2 of virtual baby storytime! Our library just announced we will remain closed through May, so there will be a few more weeks of this content to come.

I did not use all of these pieces in the livestream this week. I am trying to figure out how I continue to cut 1-2 things per run through, and I STILL end up 10 minutes over. Every time. I think the more I practice the more directions I add in, which is good, but which also makes my storytime longer. So cutting things isn’t currently helping. I’ll get there.

In an effort to conserve time, since cutting content didn’t seem to help, I also went from three to two repeats of each rhyme (which is what I do regularly in the library). I didn’t see any comments that were sad about this switch, so I’m going to stick with it for now. I want to try to give our regular attendees as similar an experience as possible to what we do in the library, so I don’t want to cut entire sections of the storytime if I don’t have to. At least for me, I think that familiarity and structure helps a lot right now.

Lyrics or links for any activities are in the YouTube video descriptions.

More Baby Storytime Content:

• Baby Storytime Music Playlist
• Baby Storytime YouTube Playlist

Baby Storytime Introduction Song & Rhyme

Early Literacy Tip & Book Recommendation

Action & Body Rhymes

Songs

Also used The Tickle Song by Rainbow Songs.

Movement & Bounce Rhymes

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

— Find more Baby Bounce Rhymes. —

Puppet Time

Manipulative Time – Scarves

Closing Song

DIY Play