Age group: toddlers (24 - 36 months)
Group Size: about 12 kids and one parent/caregiver per toddler
Time: 10:30am to 11:15am
Parent/Caregiver Handout
One of my colleagues told me that one of the ways we can encourage
parents to participate is to give them printouts of the songs and rhymes
we use. This way, they can participate with the child beside them, or
on their lap, and the handout close by. Here are the ones we used for
this storytime:
The Plan
Up Down Turn Around*
Hands Are Clapping*
Book: Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone
Song: Where is Triangle?
Song: Do You Know What Shape This Is?
Book: I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec
Activity: Learning shapes with popsicle sticks and play-doh
Craft
Parachute*
Bubbles and Handouts*
*these are the ones I use for every toddler storytime session
_______________
Welcome Song
(sing to tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down”)
Hi hello and how are you
How are you? How are you?
Hi hello and how are you?
How are you today?
It’s a bright and sunny day
Sunny day, sunny day
It’s a bright and sunny day
For storytime and play!
Stretching Rhyme: Up Down Turn Around
Up, down
Turn around
Touch the sky
Touch the ground
Wiggle fingers
Wiggle toes
Wiggle shoulders
Say hello!
Song: Hands Are Clapping
(sing to tune of “Skip To My Lou”)
Hands are clapping
Clap clap clap
Hands are clapping
Clap clap clap
Hands are clapping
Clap clap clap
Clap your hands my darling!
Continue with …
-feet are stomping
-arms are flapping
End with …
Now let’s sit on the floor
Now let’s sit on the floor
Now let’s sit on the floor
Sit on the floor my darling!
Or continue more actions …
Toast in the toaster
Getting very hot
Tick tock tick tock
Up you pop!Book: Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone
Reaction: The toddlers really enjoyed this book! It has very simple, brightly coloured pictures, and the toddlers loved helping me find and count all the shapes.
Song: Where is Triangle?
(Tune: Where is Thumbkin?)
Where is triangle? Where is triangle?
Here I am. Here I am.
How are you today sir?
Very well I thank you.
Run away. Run away.
(Repeat with rectangle, square and circle)
Reaction: The toddlers really enjoyed having their own shapes to hold. In fact, some of them liked their shapes so much they started trying to eat the foam! I guess they sort of look like lollipops...whoops! This is why I only have 10 pieces above...the others were lost to bending-beyond-salvaging and bite marks.
Song: Do You Know What Shape This Is?
(Tune: London Bridge Is Falling Down)
Do you know what shape this is?
Shape this is? Shape this is?
Do you know what shape this is
and do you have one too?
If you do, give it a shake,
shake shake shake,
shake shake shake.
If you do, give it a shake
and shout “hooray for squares!”
(repeat with the triangle, circle, and rectangle)
Now we know all our shapes,
all our shapes, all our shapes
Now we know all our shapes
shake them and say “hooray!”
Reaction: I used the same shapes on popsicle sticks above. See notes for the "Where Is Triangle?" song above.
Book: I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec
Reaction: I was really lucky this time around. Usually, I am only able to read one picture book per session. This time, I was able to read a whoppin' 2 books, and it's all thanks to this little book right here. It looks like a lot of the toddlers in my group really like cats! Also, they had a lot of fun looking for the 'hiding cat' on each page.
Activity: Make Your Own Shapes With Popsicle Sticks and Playdoh
Reaction: I asked the kids to make triangles, squares, and rectangles with the popsicle sticks, and then to roll circles and ovals with the playdoh. This was a really good hands-on activity, though I think the playdoh had a lot to do with their enjoyment.
Craft: Shapes Puzzle
This is terrible, but I can't remember where I got the template for the below shape bird. If it's yours, please tell me! This craft takes a long time to prepare, but luckily we have volunteers that helped us cut out all the shapes. Afterward, I prepared individual bags for each toddler with 12 pieces for their own craft.
Materials:
coloured foam
coloured card stock paper
glue
Parachute
Unfortunately, we didn't have time for the parachute today.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time for the parachute today.
Bubbles and Handouts
Unfortunately, no time for bubbles today either, but I did give out a shapes themed colouring sheet!
_______________
Credits: I
took the songs and rhymes from a variety of sources, some from work,
and others from different parts of the internet. I will try to give
credit where it is due, so if something is yours and I haven't credited
you, please let me know and I will link back to you. Thank you!
