Blast Off Storytime

This theme is about space, complete with rockets and stars. Blast off into reading with this fun storytime theme.

Bugs in Space by David A. Carter
Get ready to blast off with Captain Bug Rogers on an intergalactic pop-up adventure.

This book is great for sharing during storytime because it is a pop-up book, but if left alone, it is not really suitable for little ones younger than three. The moveable parts are fun to use to talk about new things, like spaceships and planets, so let the dialogic reading begin!

Twinkle by Jane Taylor
The poem is repeated, with different illustrations, from the back and inverted. A fold-out illustration is bound in the center, readable from both directions.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is told forward and backward in this book. When you reach the end of the poem, there is a large pop out page, then you can flip the book over and start again! Reading and repeating classic nursery rhymes is a great way to build baby's vocabulary.

Here are some rhymes that can be used as knee bounces or movement activities with your little one. I have provided how we will interact with baby during Oh Baby! storytime.

We’re Going to the Moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom!
     (rock back and forth)
We’re going to the moon!
     (bounce three times)
Zoom, zoom, zoom!
     (rock back and forth)
We’re going to the moon!
     (bounce three times)
5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
     (slowly dip baby down low)
Boom!
     (lift/toss baby in air)

Twinkling Stars (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars
     (twinkle fingers)
Stand and twinkle where you are
     (stand and twinkle)
Twinkle high and twinkle low,
     (twinkle up high, down low)
Twinkle fast and twinkle slow.
     (twinkle fast, slow)
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars
     (twinkle fingers)
Now sit and twinkle where you are.
     (sit and twinkle)

Hugs and Kisses Storytime

What better way to share Valentine's Day with your little one than to read stories and sing songs about hugging and kissing? Here's what I've chosen to share during my Oh Baby! storytime.

If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler
A parent describes kisses in many different ways, all of which express love for baby.

This book has beautiful illustrations, which is great for dialogic reading, or reading and talking about the story with your little one. This helps build vocabulary, even if your little one isn't talking yet! Be sure to give some time for your little one to respond.

Won't You Be My Kisseroo? by Joanne Ryder
Rhyming text describes many different kinds of kisses.

The rhyming text in this book helps develop baby's phonological awareness, or the ability to hear and play with small sounds in words. It may be fun to make more rhymes with the words in the book.

Huggy Kissy by Leslie Patricelli

This is a board book with simple, rhyming text and colorful pictures about hugs and kisses.

This is a good book if you work in a library setting and are sharing storytime with families and have access to multiple copies of the same book. Even if you don't, this would be fun to read with your little one and will help develop print awareness, one of the six early literacy skills. This skill is all about learning to hold books and see words and pictures on a page, understanding that a book is a book!

Here are some rhymes that can be used as knee bounces or movement activities with your little one. I have provided how we will interact with baby during Oh Baby! storytime.

Kissing Rhyme
Up, up, up in the sky like this
     (swing baby up high)
Down, down, down for a great big kiss!
     (swing low and give a kiss)
Up like this,
     (swing baby up high)
Down like this,
     (swing low)
Up like this,
     (swing baby up high)
Down like this,
     (swing low)
Up, up, up in the sky like this
     (swing baby up high)
Down, down, down for a great big kiss!
     (swing low and give a kiss)

Bouncing Everywhere
I bounce you here, I bounce you there
     (bounce baby on knees)
I bounce you, bounce you
     (bounce baby on knees)
Everywhere!
     (bounce baby on knees)

I tickle you here, I tickle you there
     (tickle baby)
I tickle you, tickle you
     (tickle baby)
Everywhere!
     (tickle baby)

I kiss you here, I kiss you there
     (kiss baby)
I kiss you, kiss you
     (kiss baby)
Everywhere!
     (kiss baby)

Shaker Time

I like to take a break in storytime and play with egg shakers. This allows time for baby and toddler to move around instead sitting still listening to stories. Of course, I don't care if baby runs all over the room during storytime. Believe it or not, they're still getting something out of it, even if they're in the back of the storytime space being silly.

We Shake Our Eggs
We shake our eggs together
     (shake eggs)

We shake our eggs together

     (shake eggs)

We shake our eggs together
     (shake eggs)

Because it’s fun to do! 

     (shake eggs)

Shake them up high! 

     (shake eggs up high while singing in a high-pitch voice)
Shake them down low!
     (shake eggs down low while singing in a low-pitch voice)
Shake them in the middle!

     (shake eggs in the middle while singing normally)

Shake Your Eggs 

to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Shake, shake, shake your eggs, 

    (shake eggs) 

Shake your eggs with me!
    (shake eggs)

Shake them high, shake them low,
    (shake eggs high then shake low)

It’s easy as can be!

    (shake eggs)

Sing this one normally, then really quickly, then really slowly, shaking eggs appropriately.

Colored Eggs 

to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb

If you have a (yellow) egg, 

     (shake (yellow) eggs)
(Yellow) egg, (yellow) egg, 

     (shake (yellow) eggs)
If you have a (yellow) egg, 

     (shake (yellow) eggs)
Shake your egg right now! 

     (shake (yellow) eggs)

Sing this one with different colors and different numbers of eggs.

Scarf Time

During each baby storytime, I like to take a break and play with scarves. These are the songs I like to sing. Repeat these songs two or three times while baby plays with a scarf. Repetition is very important in developing baby's vocabulary, one of the six early literacy skills. Oh, and play with them! That's important, too!

We Wave Our Scarves
We wave our scarves together,
     (wave scarves)
We wave our scarves together,
     (wave scarves)
We wave our scarves together,
     (wave scarves)
Because it’s fun to do!
     (wave scarves)

Wave them up high!
     (wave scarves up high while singing high-pitched)
Wave them down low!
     (wave scarves down low while singing low-pitched)
Wave them in the middle!
     (wave scarves in the middle while singing normally)

Pretty Bird
Pretty bird, pretty bird, through my window
     (flap scarves like bird wings)
Pretty bird, pretty bird, through my window
     (flap scarves like bird wings)
Pretty bird, pretty bird, through my window
     (flap scarves like bird wings)
Oh, honey, I’m tired!
     (rest scarf on baby’s head)

Now play peek-a-boo with baby!

This Is the Way
This is the way we wash our face,
     (pat scarf on face)
Wash our face, wash our face.
     (pat scarf on face)
This is the way we wash our face,
     (pat scarf on face)
So early in the morning!
     (pat scarf on face)

Tummy, arms, legs, toes, ears, nose, hair, and whatever else!

Here We Go
to the tune of Here We Go Looby Loo
Here we go up, up, up!
     (wave scarves up high)
Here we go down, down, down!
     (wave scarves down low)
Here we go side to side!
     (wave scarves side to side)
Here we go round and round!
     (wave scarves in a circle and/or turn around)