I Love Bugs! Baby Lap Time, 8/1/13

I Love Bugs! Baby Lap Time, 8/1/13

My co-worker who normally does this story time was under the weather today, so she asked me to cover for her. I was more than happy to do so - it was great to be back at baby lap time!

Book: I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern
I especially liked the way I read today. I was in perfect "baby voice." Perhaps having a break from this story time has done me good!

Rhyme with Puppets: I’m a Little Bumblebee
Babies love puppets. Their little eyes were just mesmerized.

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Bouncing Song: All the Little Babies

Book: Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
I really enjoyed how much the adults enjoyed this book. I thought it might be too lengthy but the sing-song rhyming seemed to appeal to everyone. A nanny even checked it out at the end of  the session.

Songs with Butterfly Puppet: Fly Like a Butterfly / Flutter Flutter Butterfly
I asked the grown-ups to help the babies make butterfly wings, and one little girl did it all on her own and kept it up for the entire first song! Amazing!

Rhyme with Stick Puppets: Two Little Houseflies / Fireflies / Dragonflies
I changed the words to Two Little Blackbirds and did rhymes about three different pairs of "flies."

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: ABCs


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Colors: Green Baby Lap Time, 5/30/13

 Colors: Green Baby Lap Time, 5/30/13

Book: Little Garden by Lucy Richards
This sweet little book tells us who makes the various sounds we hear in the garden. The babies were into it. Their adults were not. 

Flannel Board Song: Oh Yellow Flower
Bless those parents who picked up the tune and sang right out! They were a good example for some of our moms who just didn't feel like paying attention today.

Rhyme: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two

Song: All the Little Babies

Book: In the Tall Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
This book is a bit long for babies, believe it or not. They would have done better had it been half the length.

Song: I’m a Little Green Frog

Song: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon 

 Song: Go In and Out the Window 

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

Rhyme with Cow Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song: Row Your Boat

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

ABCs: B is for Baby Lap Time, 5/16/13

 ABCs: B is for Baby Lap Time, 5/16/13

Book: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes
This is a bit much for a baby audience. I think I'd only use it with toddlers in the future.

Rhyme: Two Little Blackbirds
At least two babies tried to hold up their fingers and do this with me, and that was a surprise, since one was brand new to story time, and this hasn't been a regular rhyme for us lately.
 
Song: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two

Book: Where is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz
I was surprised this didn't go over better. The parents didn't even seem interested.

Song: All the Little Babies
It's a good thing we do this song every week because I had a coughing fit and lost my singing ability in the middle of it. Thankfully, the moms knew all the words and kept on without me. After two more spoken rhymes, I was okay  to sing again. the

Flannel Board Rhyme: Hippety Hop Hippety Hay
I like this simple rhyme - we tap our knees on the "hippety-hop" part and clap when all the bunnies are gone.

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Song: Buzzing Buzzing Bumblebee
The babies were even into puppets this morning! Weird day. 

Song: Flutter Flutter Butterfly

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: ABCs


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Concepts: Opposites Baby Lap Time, 5/9/13

Concepts: Opposites Baby Lap Time, 5/9/13  

We overbooked a little bit and ended up with a huge group this morning, but despite the chaos, it was one of the best sessions ever! 
 
Book: Big Little by Leslie Patricelli
I rarely read two books by the same author in a single session, but no one does opposite board books better than Leslie Patricelli! We had a great time with this book - the parents got a lot of laughs and the babies seemed mesmerized. 

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big 
For this one, I encouraged the parents to make the motions where baby could see them instead of trying to have their little infant arms make all the motions  themselves. That seemed to work well.

Song: Go In and Out the Window 
I have always known this song as a complicated song involving large groups and specific instructions. But when I found a version of it online the other day, I was inspired to adapt it for babies. For the first verse ("go in and out the window") we rocked forward and backward with babies (and in my case, a sock monkey) in our laps. For the second, we lifted our babies/monkey up into the air and slowly brought them back down. It was hugely successful, and it's my new favorite baby activity!

Song: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon 
I love it when songs accidentally fit the theme. I often use this as a bounce, and the up and down motion made it perfect for this story time! 

Song: Tony Chestnut

Book: Quiet Loud by Leslie Patricelli
As I always do when I read this book, I asked  the adults to make a "shhh" sound following each quiet page. What they also did, unprompted, was make all the loud noises, too! It was great!

Flannel Board: Let’s Make a Noise

Song: Row Row Row Your Boat
Song: ABCs
My new routine when I don't use the ukulele is to tap my knees the first time through, and clap my hands the second time through. 

Rhyme:  One Two

Song: All the Little Babies 

Song with Puppets: Did You Ever See...?


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Builders and Diggers Baby Lap Time, 5/2/13

Builders and Diggers Baby Lap Time, 5/2/13

This is a hard theme to use with babies, if you want to do an entire story time centered on the theme. But it works fine if you interpret "construction" to include anything with buildings, and if you don't worry whether every activity suits the theme.  (The monkey in the picture is Girl Monkey, a present from my husband for Easter, which served as my "baby" for lap time this week.)

Book: I Love Tools by Philemon Sturges
I decided to use this book with the babies at the last minute. I don't think they understood much of it, but the bold illustrations got their attention, and we did introduce some new vocabulary. 

Song: Dump Truck Song
This was a huge hit! 

Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two

Book: My City by Rebecca Emberley
This is a bilingual book, but I only read the English vocabulary. I modeled again how to read these simple board books aloud, and though the adults didn't seem to know what to make of it, everybody clapped at the end.

Song with Stick Puppet: I'm a Builder
I like to sing at least one new puppet song each session if I can - usually connected to the theme, because that is typically pretty easy to do. This was a great one, which I found at the last minute, and used with one of my construction worker flannel board pieces. The babies got a kick out of all the adults singing "Tap-a-tap-a-tap-tap."

Rhyme with Cow Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle
This is another favorite. I tap my knees, then lift the cow into the air, while the babies get lifted up by their caregivers.

Bouncing Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song with Sun Puppet: Mr. Sun

Song: Row Your Boat

Song: Where is Big Toe? 
I always throw this song in when I feel like story time is running short and I don't have a clock to look at. 

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Yummy in my Tummy Baby Lap Time, 4/25/13

 Yummy in my Tummy Baby Lap Time, 4/25/13

 Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: I Love to Eat by Amelie Graux
This book is a very basic board book that simply shows an object and labels it. I modeled reading this book by expanding on what was already on the page. It seemed to go over well.

Song: C is for Cookie
This was a cute sing-along. I used stick puppets to hold up a cookie, then a banana, a slice of pizza, and a grapefruit. The parents all knew the tune, so it worked perfectly!

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two

Book: Lunch by Denise Fleming
This book doesn't usually go over that well, but I found it easier to read to the babies than to larger groups.

Song with Stick Puppet: Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Song: A Bouncing We Will Go

Rhyme with Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It



I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Music! Music! Music! Baby Lap Time, 4/18/13

 Music! Music! Music! Baby Lap Time, 4/18/13

 

This was a great group this morning. Lots of smiling, attentive babies, and lots of wonderfully  active and involved mommies! (No daddies this time around.)
 
Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Baby Dance by Ann Taylor
It amazes me how mesmerized the babies are by  rhyming text. Most of them stared at me rather than  the illustrations!

Song: A Bouncing We Will Go
This song is a great idea, which I borrowed from KCLS. It was definitely the best-received bounce I have ever used, even more popular than All the Little Babies!

Book: Hush Little Baby by Shari Halpern
The parents got a kick out of this - some of them didn't seem to know it, but laughed at some of  the rhymes - others sang right along with me!

Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two, One Two
As the adults learn this, they are getting better and better about interacting with their babies as we say it. The clapping in the final verse is a big hit with one of  the babies whose mom told me she only just learned to clap a week ago!

Flannel Board Rhyme: There’s Music in a Hammer
I found a couple versions of this rhyme online and combined them to make my own:

There's music in a hammer when you bang it on a nail.
There's muic in a shovel when you tap it on a pail.
There's music in a kitty-cat when you step upon her tail.
 Meeeeowww! 

Flannel boards are always hit and miss with babies, but whenever I include them, the few kids who are crawling or standing will always come right up to get a closer look. I don't expect a four month old to get much out of the visual aides, but the almost-toddlers really do like them. The parents seemed puzzled by this one, but the rhyme and animal sound make it a fun one anyway.

Rhyme: The Baby in the Cradle

Song: All the Little Babies

Song with Puppets: Did You Ever See a....?

Song: Row, Row, Row, Your Boat

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It
 

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Spring Animals Baby Lap Time, 4/11/13

 Spring Animals Baby Lap Time, 4/11/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Hop! by Phyllis Root
I haven't used this book in a couple of years, and it wasn't as great as I remembered. It rhymes, though, and the babies did seem to enjoy hearing the language.

Rhyme: Hop Your Bunnies

Song: All the Little Babies

Book: In My Nest by Sara Gillingham
This would not have been my first choice for a baby story time book, but it worked out okay.

Rhyme with stick puppets: Two Little Blackbirds
My birds do not stay on my stick puppets because the birds are too large. Next time we might have to do this on the flannel board.

Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: One Two, One Two
We'll keep using this one for a few weeks. It's catching on.

Rhyme: Mother and Father and Uncle John

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Rhyme with Puppets: I’m a Little Bumblebee
This group liked this rhyme much more than others I have shared it with recently.

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Where is Big Toe?
This is the perfect song to plug in when the program is running short and everybody's attention is still with you.

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Signs of Spring Baby Lap Time, 4/4/13

 Signs of Spring Baby Lap Time, 4/4/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin 

Book: Planting Seeds by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
This was a good baby read-aloud. We didn't count each bunny, but we counted to ten once on the last page.

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Song with Puppets: Did You Ever See?
One little guy was so in love with the puppets he wanted to be right next to me the whole time!

Song: Tony Chestnut
I am always surprised when a group doesn't get this song, but it happened again today.

Rhyme: One Two, One Two
This is a new rhyme for me, and it was a huge hit. I'm definitely adding it to my mental list of surefire baby lap time successes.

Rhyme: Two Little Blackbirds (with stick puppets)
I did this rhyme three times, using the plain birds shown on the flannel board in the photo. I stuck them on popsicle sticks to it was easy to make them fly away and come back. Babies were mesmerized; parents were great at participating!

Book: The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson

Bounce Rhyme: One I Love You
This was a new bounce, and it wasn't as well received as I would have thought. I think the last phrase - "bouncing buckaroo" - puzzled some of my non-native English speakers. I wonder if there's something else I could that would rhyme just as well...

Bouncing Song: All the Little Babies

Rhyme with Cow Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song with Puppets: All the Cows Say... 

Flannel Board Rhyme: Hippety Hop
I normally don't do flannel boards for the babies, but these pieces are nice and big and the  rhyme is short and sweet. It was a success!

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It 


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Down on the Farm Baby Lap Time, 3/21/13

 Down on the Farm Baby Lap Time, 3/21/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: I Love You a Bushel and a Peck illustrated by Rosemary Wells
I opted not to sing this one, and I have no idea whether people even realized it was a song. My grandma used to sing this to me when I was little, and I always got a kick out of it. Alas, I think these folks just thought it was a poorly written picture book.

Song with Stick Puppets: Baa Baa Black Sheep
I did this song stick puppets and changed the color of the sheep each time through. This particular group of babies LOVED puppets.

Rhyme with Puppet: Dickery, Dickery Dare
This was surprisingly well-received and at least one person in the room besides me seemed to know it. 

Book: Animal Sounds by Aurelius Battaglia
I know these types of books seem lame to adults, but the babies were wide-eyed the whole time.

Song with Puppets: All the Cows Say...

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: Row Your Boat

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

It's Raining, It's Pouring Baby Lap Time, 3/14/13

 It's Raining, It's Pouring Baby Lap Time, 3/14/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Rain Dance by Kathi Appelt

Song with Animal Puppets: Rain Rain Go Away 

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Head and Shoulders

Book: Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson 
This book was not a hit at the big drop-in story time on Tuesday, but at least one baby giggled through the entire thing at this lap time, so it was worth trying it again.

Song: It’s Raining on Your Head

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Row Your Boat

Song: I’m a Little Green Frog

Rhyme with Puppet: A Little Frog in a Pond Am I


Song: Sing a Happy Song

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Up, Up, and Away! Baby Lap Time, 3/7/13

Up, Up, and Away! Baby Lap Time, 3/7/13

This was a lovely group of moms and babies (most of whom were in the 5-8 month range). All the adults sang along with me, and made the motions for every song, and best of all, they did their own  thing. Some held babies on their laps; others laid baby on a blanket or on their knees. They all took everything we did and made it their own. (I don't know if this is related, but I didn't bring a baby prop with me, and that seemed to take off the pressure to do things the "right" way.)  The books were not hugely popular - I think the adults are confused when we read books to babies. The babies loved all the puppets. I'll have to get back into the habit of printing out large clip art images and using them with stick puppets at this program.   

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Higher Higher by Leslie Patricelli

Rhyme with Cow Puppet: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song with puppet: Mr. Sun

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Head and Shoulders

Book: What Can You Do in the Wind? by Anna Grossnickle Hines


Song with Stick Puppets: I’m a Little (Red) Kite


Song: Tony Chestnut

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers


Song: Bumpin’ Up and Down

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: If You’re Happy

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes Baby Lap Time, 2/28/13

 Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes Baby Lap Time, 2/28/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin


Book: Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson
The adults always like this one, and I was glad I thought to use it today since we had lots of very tiny babies who were still too small to really participate in very much. Though I offered all three books to the room to possibly check out, this is the only one that went. 

Song: Head and Shoulders

Rhyme: Where Oh Where Are Baby’s Fingers? 

Book: What's On My Head? by Margaret Miller
I sang about each object in the book, to the tune of Mary Wore Her Red Dress. The adults got a lot of laughs out of  the pictures of the baby with a puppy dog on his head.

Song:  All the Little Babies
We had a few bigger babies who like to bounce, so we did once bouncing song. I liked the way some of the moms with tiny babies used this as an opportunity to gently rock them.

Song: Tony Chestnut

Book: Whose Knees Are These?  by Jabari Asim

Song: Where is Big Toe?
I really need to find a more newborn-friendly alternative to this song! It was fine for the 6-8 month olds, but not so much for the little 2 month olds.

Song: Row Your Boat

Songs: ABCs / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song with Stick Puppets: Mary Had a Little Lamb
We sang about different colored lambs, which were red as a rose, green as  the grass, blue as  the sea, and black as the night. I think I want to start doing more with stick puppets for this group again.


Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
 
I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

The Very Talented Eric Carle Baby Lap Time, 2/21/13

 The Very Talented Eric Carle Baby Lap Time, 2/21/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Song with Puppets: When Lions Get Up in the Morning

Book: 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle

Song: Goodnight

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Head and Shoulders

Book: With Us, on Earth and Sea by Eric Carle

Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: All the Little Babies

Songs with Shaker Eggs:

• ABCs 
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Sing a Happy Song

Rhyme: Where is Baby’s Belly Button?

Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Sending You My Love Baby Lap Time, 2/14/13

Sending You My Love Baby Lap Time, 2/14/13

 (This week's theme is Valentines and mail.) 

A few babies slept through the entire session. Most of the adults were quiet and seemed puzzled by me. We had a lot of first-timers who did not register for next time, so it will probably be a whole different ballgame again next week.

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Song: When Lions Get Up in the Morning

Book: My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

Rhyme with Stick Puppets: Two Little Lovebugs (based on Two Little Blackbirds)

Rhyme with Puppets: I’m a Little Bumblebee

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Will You Be My Valentine?

Book: All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri
Two groups in a row didn't like this one. I have always had good luck with it before, so it must be an off day.

Song: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Kisses

Song: You Are My Sunshine

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

1 2 3 Count with Me! Baby Lap Time, 2/7/13

 1 2 3 Count with Me! Baby Lap Time, 2/7/13

Rhyme: Cheek Chin 

Book: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Song: One, Two, I Love You

Book: 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines
 
Rhyme: 1, 2, 3, the Bumblebee

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Eyes Nose Cheeky Cheeky Chin

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

Song: Where is Big Toe?

Song: Head and Shoulders Baby 

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Let's Read About Pets! Baby Lap Time, 1/31/13

  Let's Read About Pets! Baby Lap Time, 1/31/13

Today's baby lap time went wonderfully well.  All the grown-ups sang along and participated, and the babies got a big kick out of holding their own foam stars during Twinkle Twinkle. A couple of the moms  really loved the animal sounds book.  Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel wasn't the hit I expected, but I might need to practice my delivery.



Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Oink, Moo, Meow by Sterling Publishing Company

Rhyme with Puppets: Two Little Kittens

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Head + Shoulders

Book: The Rabbit by John Burningham

Rhyme: Hop Your Bunnies


Rhyme: Clap Your Hands

Rhyme: Where Oh Where are Baby’s Fingers?

Song: All the Little Babies

Rhyme: Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star


Song: There's a Star Upon My Head

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Here We Go! Baby Lap Time, 1/24/13

 Here We Go! Baby Lap Time, 1/24/13 

Click here to download this week's handout.

I'm still getting a handle on this story time. The regulars so far are very reserved moms who smile shyly from their seats but seem reluctant to participate. Many of them approach me individually and say they love the activities, so I know they're into it, but the vibe during the story time is so far one of awkwardness. This will probably change as their babies get a bit older (many are 2-3 months right now!) and they learn the songs I repeat each week. 

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Boats by Byron Barton

Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song: Head and Shoulders, Baby

Song: All the Little Babies

Book: Red Truck, Yellow Bus by Scholastic Inc.

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Rhyme: I’m a Little Bumblebee

Song: Where is Big Toe?

Rhyme: Mother and Father and Uncle John

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle 

Song: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

Edited to add: We also read Truck Duck by Michael Rex, but I'm not sure where it fell in the line-up.

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

We Love to Read! Baby Lap Time, 1/17/13

  We Love to Read! Baby Lap Time, 1/17/13

  Click to download this week's handout.

(The picture above shows a flannel board - We're Going Down to the Library - that I didn't end up using.)

Rhyme: Cheek Chin 

Rhyme: Look at this Book

Song: If You’d Like to Read a Book 

Book: It’s a Little Book by Lane Smith

Song: Tony Chestnut

Song:  Head and Shoulders

Song: All the Little Babies

Poem: Letter Parade! from Good For You! by Stephanie Calmenson
I found some clip art of children wearing letters on their shirts and made my own book out of this rhyme. It didn't get a great reaction, but this was a reserved group of moms with babies on the younger side. (I can't share the book I made here because the clipart is copyrighted, but if you want to see a copy, leave a comment and I'll send it to you.)

Song: ABCs

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Song: Where is Big Toe?

Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle

Song: The More We Read Together...

This session has made me rethink whether I want to do themed story times for the babies. I think I probably will for some of the easier ones, but I also need to revisit my older story time posts for this age and pull out the greatest hits, and just stick with those. This session was fine, and I received some lovely compliments, but I didn't feel that it was my best.


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.

Welcome to Winter! Baby Lap Time, 1/10/13

Baby Lap Time is back! Beginning with this week, this is now a weekly program. We still require people to register, but now it's week by week instead of in six week blocks. I can't say everyone is thrilled with the new system, but it is more fair, and it is also more manageable for the children's staff. This was a great session - not everyone came, but those who did were engaged and very willing to participate. 

 Welcome to Winter! Baby Lap Time, 1/10/13 

Click to download this week's handout. 

Rhyme: Cheek Chin
I used my new hedgehog puppet (see my Flannel Friday post tomorrow to meet him!) as my "baby" for this rhyme, and it went very well.

Book: Oh! by Kevin Henkes
People laughed at the way I read the word "oh!" but I think it was in a friendly way.

Song with Poster: I’m a Little Snowman
I created the snowman in the picture at the top of this post so we could have a visual to go with the song. The babies seemed to love it, especially one little boy who came crawling right up to touch it.

Song: A Hat Goes On My Head
We sang this song without the flannel board pieces because I don't think babies pay much attention to small images at a distance. All the parents sang with me, and I saw two babies imitating my motions!

Song: Dance Like Snowflakes
My husband and I cut out and covered in Contact paper 60 snowflakes last night so that I would be sure to have enough for every adult to hold two. We sang this song three times, and the parents were great about participating, except the one mom who said no thanks when I tried to hand her snowflakes.

Song: There's a Snowflake on My Head (based on Raffi's There's a Spider on the Floor)
This one was fun to do as well. Some people put snowflakes on their own heads, others put them on their babies' heads. Even the babies who didn't really participate loved holding onto a snowflake. 

Song: Tony Chestnut
There was a mom sitting right next to me who "got" this song before anyone else, and I loved seeing how much it tickled her.

Song: Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Blue Sled

Book: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
The parents got really into this, asking the animals what they hear right along with me and repeating the animal names for their babies.

Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

Song: Old MacDonald

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big


I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.