Baby/Toddler Story Time, 1/31/12

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle (2011)
This book is absolutely perfect for toddlers. The red alligator was their favorite. 

Rhyme: Wiggle Fingers

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Book: Everything Has a Place by Patricia Lillie, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri
Nancy Tafuri's illustrations work so well for story time because they're big and bold. 

Song: Shake My Sillies Out
I am beginning to burn out on this song, but any alternative I've tried has never worked nearly as well. I like doing it with the shaker eggs for the babies, but pretending to yawn is starting to feel very forced. 

Song: I'm a Little Teapot 
I have started singing pretty much everything I do at home to the tune of this song. I think it's permanently imprinted on my  brain. 

Song: There's a Little Wheel a-Turnin' In My Heart 

Flannel Board Song: How Much is that Doggie in the Basket? 
My flannel board window is MIA, so I only had the basket and wagon available to me this morning. I wound up gathering a collection of animals from a variety of flannelboards:

• the dog and cat from Farmer in the Dell
• the snake, mouse, and turtle from Hibernation 
• the bird from Five Little Apples 

Then we put each one in the basket and sang about it:
How much is that doggie in the basket?

The one with the waggily tail.
How much is that doggie in the basket?

I do hope that doggie's for sale!

Additional verses:

• kitty... long, twitching tail
• mouse... gray skinny tail 
• snake... slithering tail 
• bird...feathery tail 
• turtle...heavy thick shell

The kids got so into it. The ones who could walk and talk loved saying the animal names, and I saw kids literally standing in their parents' laps to get a better look at what was happening in the basket. My only regret is that so many of the animals I used were so tiny!

 Song: If You're Happy and You Know It (a cappella)

• ...clap your hands
• ...stomp your feet
• ...pat your knees
• ...beep your nose
• ...tickle your tummy
• ...shout hooray

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: One Little Finger

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This