Happy New Year everybody! I cannot believe it is 2019 but I am happy to be getting back to baby storytime. To celebrate the new year, I am going to try a few different things. Let’s see how it goes:
Hello Rhyme – Well Hello Everybody
Isn’t Jbrary just fabulous! I thought this would be a great one to warm up to. It has simple movements and should be great for baby and grown-up to interact together.
ASL Baby Signs – HELLO / MORE / ALL DONE
I’ve decided that for the babies, instead of teaching them a rhyme in sign language, that I am going to start teaching three vocabulary words each time. I generally use Baby Sign Language.com to check my signs.
Song – Roll Your Hands by Toddlers on Parade
This is a slow song with simple movements for baby.
Board Book – Yawn by Sally Symes
I like to pass out a board book to each of my baby/caregivers. This way we can promote one-on-one reading. I read up front and they read with me.
Rhyme – Row, row, row your boat
I haven’t done this classic in such a long time. So we are all going to row together with baby on our laps!
Book/Prop – My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael HallWe didn’t have this book in our system, so I made my own sort of popsicle stick story with the figures on the pages.
Stretch – This is…
I love this one. It’s so much fun to make the movements and it actually starts to get the kids thinking about opposites.
This is big big big Hold (arms out to side) This is small small small (cup hands together) This is short short short (hold hands with palms facing each other) This is tall tall tall (reach one hand above head) This is fast fast fast (circle fists quickly) This is slow slow slow (circle fists slowly) This is yes yes yes (nod) This is no no no (shake head)
Song – The Wheels on the Bus by Toddlers on Parade
Who doesn’t love this song!
Book – A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes
I’ve been trying to pick a lot of new to the library picture books lately, spice things up, and this is one of them. I also have an elephant puppet, which I’ve been dying to break out.
Lift – Up, Up, Up
This is one I made up and I think it’s fun!
Up, up, up (lift baby up) Down, down, down (bring baby back down) Up, down, up, down (up and down motion) And tickles all around (tickle baby)
Lift/Bounce – Giddy-Up, Giddy-Up
I love bounces!!!
Giddy-up, giddy up ride to town (bounce babies on knees) Giddy-up, giddy-up up and down (lift baby up and down) Giddy-up fast (bounce quickly) Giddy up slow (bounce slowly) Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, whoa! (dip baby backwards gently)
Song/Shaker – Put on my Dancing Shoes by Kathy Reid-Naiman
Time to break out the shakers and what better song to shake to!
Song/Bubbles – I Took a Bath in a Washing Machine by Jim Gill
Kids love bubbles and they are great for strengthening the eye muscles that we later use for reading.
Goodbye Rhyme – Clap and Sing Goodbye
This is a new goodbye song for me so we will see how it goes. I created a flip-chart with “hello” on one side and “goodbye” on the other. Same words, just sub hello/goodbye.
Song – Clean It Up
Any good clean up song will work.
Song – Goodbye, So Long, Farewell by Music Together
I will always put this one on in the background as everyone leaves because I just love it!
How’d it go:
Wow, such a big group to start off the new year! Overall, everything went great. We love our bounces and our lifts. Not sure about introducing the three ASL signs, instead of doing the rhyme, but I am going to give it another few weeks.
That’s all for now!
-M-