Baby Lap Time, 5/6

I have stopped doing themes altogether, I hope. Instead, I'm kind of dividing the story time into three little segments in my mind. Today, the first segment was about mice and counting, the second about mothers and Mother's Day, and the third, nature and animals. This isn't something I announced to the audience or anything, but it really helps me structure the session if I can pair each book with a song and/or rhyme.

Opening Song: Clap Along With Me
This is my official opening song for baby laptime now. It feels good to have a regular starting point!

Book: One Gray Mouse by Katherine Burton and Kim Fernandes (1995)
This book doesn't have much in the way of plot, and it's not even an especially useful counting book, but it has an interesting illustration style - the images are made with modeling compound, which give them a 3-D look, and the colors are bright and engaging for baby's eyes. There is also a lot of cute silliness in this book, especially on the page where pink pigs try on yellow wigs.


Flannel Board Song: Hickory, Dickory Dock (found here)
The flannel board component wound up being just for show, and I forgot to take it down, so it also became a distraction for the babies who could walk/crawl! Whoops!

Hickory, dickory dock (clap hands to the beat)

The mouse went up the clock. (run fingers up arm)

The clock struck one! (clap once)

The mouse ran down. (run fingers back down arm)

Hickory dickory dock. (clap hands to the beat)

Hickory, dickory dock (clap hands to the beat)

The mouse went up the clock. (run fingers up arm)

The clock struck two! (clap twice)

The mouse said, "Boo!" (cup hands around mouth)
Hickory dickory dock. (clap hands to the beat)

Hickory, dickory dock (clap hands to the beat)

The mouse went up the clock. (run fingers up arm)

The clock struck three! (clap three times)

The mouse said, "Weeee!" (run fingers down arm)

Hickory dickory dock. (clap hands to the beat)

Song: One, Two I Love You (Numbers Are Our Friends)
We had a lot of new faces this morning, so we did this song twice. I always do it twice when we have new folks because it's a story time staple, and a song that can be learned very easily after just a listen or two.

 Book: What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger (1998)

We only read the mom side of this book, but I felt ridiculous reading it to babies. Their mothers don't help them ride bikes, or teach them to bake, and they won't for years! Still, I wanted a book about mothers, and this is what I came up with. I'll probably use the flip side of the book again next month for Father's Day. (And kudos to this book for showing Mom and Dad in the exact same roles - no gender bias here!)


Flannel Board Rhyme: Five Little Flowers (Mother's Day edition)
I originally got this rhyme from Mel's Desk, but have since butchered it so many times, it's become its own unique creation. The last verse is one I wrote to suit my Mother's Day purposes.

Five little flowers

Growing in the sun

I came along 

and I picked one!

Four little flowers

Growing in the sun

I came along 

and I picked one!

Three little flowers

Growing in the sun

I came along 

and I picked one!

Two little flowers

Growing in the sun

I came along 

and I picked one!

One little flower

Growing in the sun

I came along 

and I picked one!

Five little flowers

make a nice bouquet.

I'll give it to my mother

because it's Mother's Day!

Song: Monkeys on the Bed
Our version of this song features an extra verse at the end where Mommy jumps on the bed, and the child has to call the doctor. I would normally not do this with babies, but it fit with Mother's Day, so I made an exception.

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Book: In the Tall, Tall, Grass by Denise Fleming (1995)
Denise Fleming books can sometimes be on the longer side, but this one is perfect for babies. The illustrations are large and colorful, and the different onomatopoetic rhyming words are a lot of fun to say. The babies were big fans of  the frogs, in particular.

Rhyme: Hop Your Bunny

Hop your bunny up (hold up two fingers and lift hand)

Hop your bunny down (bring two fingers down toward floor)

Hop your bunny to the side (bring fingers out to the right)

Hop him all around! (move fingers around in a circle)

Hop him on your shoulder,

hop him on your head, 

hop him on your tummy,

and then put him to bed! (hide bunny behind you)

(Repeat with two bunnies)

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (a cappella sing-along with hand motions)

Twinkle twinkle little star (open and close hands to mimic twinkling)

How I wonder what you are (point to temple)

Up above the world so high (point to ceiling)

Like a diamond in the sky (make a diamond with thumbs and index fingers)

Twinkle twinkle little star (open and close hands to mimic twinkling)

How I wonder what you are (point to temple)

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider (a cappella sing-along with hand motions)

Song: The Wheels on the Bus
This version is so long, but it was the only one I had. I need to track down a shorter 90-second version or something.


Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This