LibraryAdventure.com: Meet Jess Crutchley, Storyville Coordinator

Check out The Library Adventure today for my interview with Jess Crutchley, coordinator of Storyville for Baltimore County Public Library.

Baby Story Time Planning Sheet

One of the most common Google searches that leads readers to my blog is a search for story time planning sheets. Up until now, I haven't had any to share, but after highlighting my best materials for baby story time over the past month, I thought it might be helpful to also provide an outline for planning a story time for babies.

The printable document linked below includes spaces to fill in each of the following: 

• Hello Song
• Opening Rhyme
• Book #1
• Song with Prop
• Bounce/Tickle
• Body Parts Song
• Book #2
• Song
• Bounce/Tickle
• Nursery Rhyme(s)
• Body Parts Song
• Closing Rhyme
• Goodbye Song
• Extra Songs/Rhymes

Download Baby Story Time Planning Sheet 

Browse outlines for all of my baby story times here. Read my lists of the best materials and activities for baby story time here.

12 Fantasy Series for Kids Who Aren't Ready for Harry Potter

It can be hard for a child to wait until he or she is old enough to read the Harry Potter series (or even just to read the later books.) Still, the stories are best enjoyed when a child is old enough to appreciate the subject matter. Luckily, there are plenty of wonderful fantasy series out there which focus on many of the same themes as the Harry Potter books, but which appeal to a slightly younger audience. Twelve of them are listed below and sorted into four main categories: Witches & Wizards, Supernatural Schools, Fantastical Creatures, and Magical Adventures.

Witches & Wizards

• The Familiars
  by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
  (Book 1: The Familiars)
  A supposedly ordinary alley cat is mistaken for a magical creature when a young wizard-in-training chooses him as his familiar.
• The Worst Witch
  by Jill Murphy
  (Book 1: The Worst Witch)
  Mildred Hubble does her best to get by in witch school despite her constant mistakes and disasters.
• Heidi Heckelbeck
  by Wanda Coven
  (Book 1: Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret)
  Heidi Heckelbeck is a lot like other kids her age - except that she is secretly a witch!

 

Supernatural Schools

• Dragon Slayers' Academy
  by Kate McMullan
  (Book 1: The New Kid at School)
  Eleven-year-old medieval peasant Wiglaf of Pinwick enters school at the Dragonslayers Academy to become a hero, as foretold by a traveling minstrel.
• Scary School
  by Derek the Ghost
  (Book 1: Scary School)
  Though Derek becomes a ghost after he is killed in a science experiment at Scary School, he continues to keep notes on everything strange or spooky that happens there, including events surrounding the arrival of Charles Nukid.
  
• Vampire School
  by Peter Bently
  (Book 1: Casketball Capers)
  At St. Orlok's kids like Lee learn all the skills required to become successful vampires.

Fantastical Creatures

• Beast Quest
  by Adam Blade
  (Book 1: Ferno the Fire Dragon)
  Tom sets off on a journey to help save his village from mysterious bad happenings, but he ends up battling many different beasts all over the kingdom.
  
• How to Train Your Dragon
  by Cressida Cowell
  (Book 1: How to Train Your Dragon)
  A viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third must catch and train a dragon to complete his viking initiation.
• Spiderwick Chronicles
  by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
  (Book 1: The Field Guide)
  Three kids find an old field guide that teaches them about the magical creatures living all around them.

Magical Adventures

• Little Wings
  by Cecilia Galante
  (Book 1: Willa Bean's Cloud Dreams)
  A young cupid with wild hair is nervous about starting school because she has not yet learned to fly.
• Magical Mix-Ups
  by Lynne Jonell  (Book 1: Hamster Magic)
  When the kids in the Willow family make wishes, things don't always turn out as planned!
• Secrets of Droon
  by Tony Abbott
  (Book 1: The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet)
  When Eric and his friends discover a portal to the world of Droon in his basement, they have many mysterious adventures.

Best of Baby Story Time: Bounces

After reviewing my baby story time plans, and attending a number of baby story times as a mom, I’ve pulled together my list of the best materials and activities I have found for this age group. Today, I'm sharing my list of the best bounces for baby story time.

Bounces are a key component of baby story time and one is that unique to this age group. I have a few favorites:

• All the Little Babies
  Originally found at Baby Songs and Rhymes; lyrics tweaked slightly by me.
  This song to the tune of "Shortnin' Bread" involves bouncing, leaning, and hugging - the perfect way to promote cozy child/caregiver interaction. I have sung this song at almost every baby story time I've ever done, and almost always, every adult in the room sings along.
• Bumpin’ Up and Down
  Original version can be heard here.
  I borrowed this song from Raffi and made it more baby-friendly. This is an especially fun bounce, because it also gives the babies the opportunity to practice a favorite skill - waving to their friends! I especially like to use this song for a colors theme, and for transportation-themed story times.
• A Bouncing We Will Go
  From King County Library System's Tell Me a Story wiki.
  This is another adaptation of a children's favorite, "A-Hunting We Will Go." It starts with bouncing, then moves onto tickling and rocking. Almost any action your group likes to do can be added to the song as well.
• Mother and Father and Uncle John
  Traditional nursery rhyme.
  This nursery rhyme is fun for slightly older babies because they giggle at the sensation of "falling off" a caregiver's lap. The best part of this rhyme is the way the rhythm suggests the galloping motion of a horse, so it's important to emphasize the rhythm as you bounce to the beat.
• Old Joe
  Heard at story time; tune available here.
  This bounce is brand-new to me, but it has quickly become my daughter's favorite. I like to sing the song three times through - first at a slow walking pace, then at a medium trotting pace, and finally at a quick (but still gentle) galloping pace. Each time, I slow way down for the "whoa Joe" and tip my daughter all the way back until she laughs. This is a great alternative for audiences that don't click with Mother and Father and Uncle John and also a great one for farm animals, cowboys, transportation, and fast and slow themes.

A full archive of my baby story times is available here. This is the final post in my Best of Baby Story Time series. Click here to view the full set of posts.