Storytime Kids — a blog for parents about books and more

This is the Way We Get Ready For Bed (tune: Farmer in the Dell)

This is the way we brush our teeth,

brush our teeth, brush our teeth,

This is the way we brush our teeth before we go to bed.

(brush hair, take a bath, put on pj’s)

If You’re a Big Dinosaur (tune: If you’re happy and you know it)

If you’re a big dinosaur, show your claws,

If you’re a big dinosaur show your claws,

If you’re a big dinosaur then give a great big roar (ROAR)

If you’re a big dinosaur show your claws.

(show your teeth, wiggle your tail)

Walk in the Woods storytime

Who’s Hiding in the Woods (tune: London Bridge)

Who’s hiding in the woods today,

Woods today, woods today,

Who’s hiding in the woods today,

(animal sounds: ex meow, meow, meow)

(use pictures of the animals with their names spelled out)

Big and Little storytime

Little Fish (tune: All Around the Mulberry Bush)

Little (big) fish in the water,

Sitting so still,

Little (big) fish won’t you splash,

Yes I will! (kids jump up and “swim” using little or big movements)

Getting Buggy storytime

A Hunting We Will Go (tune: A Marching We Will Go)

A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,

We’ll catch a pretty (bug name) and then we’ll let it go

Creepy Crawly Caterpillar (tune: Wheels on the Bus)

Creepy crawly caterpillar

Munch, munch, munch

Munch, munch, munch

Munch, munch, munch

Creepy crawly caterpillar

Munch, munch, munch

All it eats are leaves for lunch

Butterfly, Butterfly (like Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear–suit actions to words)

Butterfly butterfly turn around,

Butterfly butterfly touch the ground,

Butterfly butterfly way up high,

Butterfly butterfly fly fly fly

Here is the Beehive

Here is the beehive but where are the bees? (hold up fist)

Hidden away, where no one can see.

Watch them come out of their hive,

1, 2, 3, 4, 5! (put up fingers one at a time)

Bunnies storytime

My Ears Are Starting to Wiggle (tune: Bear Went Over the Mountain)

My ears are starting to wiggle, (hold hands on top of head and wiggle)

My ears are starting to wiggle,

My ears are starting to wiggle,

Round and round and round.

(repeat with other bunny parts–tail, nose, etc)

Colors storytime

If You Like the Color ____ (tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you like the color (name a color),

Clap your hands (nod your head, stomp your feet, wiggle your fingers),

If you like the color (name a color),

Clap your hands (nod your head, stomp your feet, wiggle your fingers),

If you like the color ___ and you really want to show it,

If you like the color (name a color),

Clap your hands (nod your head, stomp your feet, wiggle your fingers).

City and Jungle Animals storytime

5 Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree

5 little monkeys sitting in a tree, (show five fingers)

teasing my crocodile you can’t catch me, (waggle finger)

Along comes MR. Crocodile

And SNAP! (make a mouth snapping motion with both hands)

4, 3, 2, 1

One Elephant Went Out To Play (tune: Five Little Ducks)

One elephant went out to play, (show appropriate finger/s)

On a spider’s web one day,

He had such enormous fun,

That he called for another elephant to come.

2, 3, 4

Five elephants went out to play,

On a spider’s web one day,

There just wasn’t enough room,

So they came down with an enormous BOOM! (slap hands on legs loudly)

Bird’s Nest activity

Talk about bird nests and how birds lay eggs. Why are nests shaped the way they are? Put a paper bowl on one hand and a paper plate on the other, and place a plastic egg on both “nests”. Have kids predict which is better shaped to hold the egg, then try it and see.

We’re Going Places (transportation) storytime

She’ll Be Drivin’ a (color) Car (tune: She’ll Be Comin Round the Mountain)

She’ll be drivin a (color) car when she comes, (really (color)

She’ll be drivin a (color) car when she comes, (really (color)

She’ll be drivin a (color) car, she’ll be drivin a (color) car,

She’ll be drivin a (color) car when she comes.

Wrong Animals in the House Storytime

Bones No Bones

pretend to be an animal with bones (moving as usual), then no bones (fall to the ground in a heap)

Little Mouse Little Mouse

Have a paper mouse and several paper houses in different colors.  Hide the mouse under one of the houses.  Chant refrain until child “finds” mouse.  Hide again.

Little mouse, little mouse,

are you in the (color) house?

Bath Time storytime

This is the Way We Take a Bath (tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)

This is the way we wash our (body part),

wash our (body part), wash our (body part),

This is the way we wash our (body part),

so early in the morning.

Tail of the Pig (tune: Wheels on the Bus)

The tail of the pig goes round and round, (spin fists around each other)

round and round, round and round,

The tail of the pig goes round and round,

All day long.

Repeat with other pig parts

Rhyming Thumbs game

Say two words.  Direct kids to put thumbs up if they rhyme, and thumbs down if they don’t.

For younger children, use the phrase “sound alike” rather than “rhyme”.  Don’t worry if they don’t “get it” right away.  Keep practicing and they will catch on quickly.

Fish storytime

Fish in the Sea (tune: Wheels on the Bus, suit motions to words)

The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim,

swim, swim, swim,

swim, swim, swim,

The fish in the sea go swim, swim, swim,

All day long.

sharks go chomp, lobsters go pinch, octopus go wiggle, clam goes open and shut

Chomp, Chomp, Oh No! (act out by making each ocean animal with your hands)

Slippery fish, slippery fish

swimming in the water

A slippery fish, a slippery fish

Chomp, chomp  (clap hands together)

OH NO! He’s been eaten by a

Jellyfish, a jelly fish

swimming in the water

A jelly fish, a jelly fish

Chomp, chomp  (clap hands together)

OH NO! He’s been eaten by a

Tuna fish, a tuna fish

swimming in the water

A tuna fish, a tuna fish

Chomp, chomp  (clap hands together)

OH NO! He’s been eaten by a

Great White Shark, a great white shark

swimming in the water

A great white shark, a great white shark

Chomp, chomp  (clap hands together)

OH NO! He’s been eaten by a

Big blue Whale, big blue whale

Swimming in the water

Big blue Whale, big blue whale

Chomp,chomp  (clap hands together)

BURP!

5 Little Fishes Swimming in the Sea (like 5 little monkeys)Five little fishes swimming in the sea

teasing Mr. Shark

you can’t catch me!

Along came Mr. Shark and

Chomp!

4, 3, 2, 1

Teddy Bear Picnic storytime

Little Bear Dancing (tune: Jingle Bells, suit action to words using a teddy bear)

Little bear, little bear, dancing on my nose,

Little bear, little bear, dancing on my toes, oh

on my legs, on my hair, on my elbows,

Little Bear, oh little bear,

You’re here and then you go

Animals Sounds Storytime

As I Went Walking To Town One Day…

As I went walking to town one day,  (walking motions with hands on laps OR children bounce)

Oh it was a beautiful day  (make big sun with hands)

As I went walking to town one day

I met a cow along the way.

And what do you think that cow did say?  (Moooo!)

repeat using other animals

can use puppets or an animal flannel board

5 Little Kittens

5 little kittens, all black and white (hold up fist)

sleeping very soundly all through the night

Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, (stretch up a finger on each word)

Time to wake up now! (wiggle fingers)

Where is Big Pig (tune: Where is Thumbkin)

Where is big pig, where is big pig, (hide thumbs behind back)

Here I am, here I am, (bring out thumbs one at a time)

How are you today, pig (wiggle one thumb)

Very well I thank you, (wiggle other thumb)

Oink, oink, oink (put thumb behind back)

Oink, oink, oink (out other thumb behind back)

repeat with little pig (pinkie finger)

repeat with other animals and their sounds

Who is in the Barn?

Use the flannel board.   Hide a picture of an animal under a barn picture.  Make appropriate animal noise and have children guess what animal is in the barn.  Lift up the barn to show the animal (1, 2, 3–peekaboo!) after they make their guesses.  Repeat with other animals.