TODDLER STORYTIME
OPENING SONG: Mister Sun
OPENING RHYMES:
BOOK 1: Sail Away by Donald Crews
Crews has a gift for whisking his readers away on exciting trips in different vehicles; in the same form as Freight Train and School Bus, Sail Away takes us out on the water for a day of sailing.
FLANNEL RHYME: 5 Little Boats
Song Credit: Storytime Katie
You can print out my clipart file here.
The first little boat went chug, chug, chug.
The second little boat went tug, tug, tug.
The third little boat went row, row, row.
The fourth little boat went oh sooo slooooow.
Here comes the sailboat, watch it go!
SONG: Row Row Row Your Boat
This activity can be especially fun if you have a box large enough to sit in (e.g. a refrigerator box) and a crocodile and a lion stuffed animal. Hide the stuffed animals in your “boat” and pull them out at the appropriate times. At the end of storytime, let all of the kids take a “ride” in your cardboard boat. I usually start this song by saying something like this: “Now we’re going to sing Row Row Row Your Boat. Everyone knows that one right? So everyone hop into your pretend boat (pretend to step in a boat and sit down), grab your paddle, and start paddling down the river with me. Let’s sing …”
Row row row your boat, gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream.
Row row row your boat gently down the stream,
If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream! AHH!!!!
Row row row your boat, gently to the shore,
If you see a lion, don’t forget to ROAR!!!
Alternately, there is a really fun version of Row, row, row your boat on Old Town School of Folk’s album Songs for Wiggleworms. This song has you rowing, bouncing, wiggling, and swaying your way down the stream!
BOOK 2:I’m Mighty by Kate Mcmullen
From the author of I’m Dirty and I Stink, I’m Mighty is the story of a very strong little tugboat. Toot toot!
FLANNEL SONG: Riding Around in My Little Red Boat
Song credit: Storytime Katie
Clipart credit: Mel’s Desk – you can print her Color and Counting Boats clipart file from her website
Tune: 10 Little Indians
Riding around in my little red boat,
Riding around in my little red boat,
Riding around in my little red boat,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, Splash!
Repeat with other colors.
CRAFT: Halves Boat
Instructions and printable template from DTKL.
I precut the shapes, then asked the children to identify the shapes (circle, triangle, rectangle) before instructing them to fold each shape in half. Toddlers will need adult help with this part – folding the shapes in half will be tricky for them! Provide crayons, markers, cotton balls (for clouds) and/or blue tissue paper cut into squares (for water.)
Thank You to Storytime Katie for many of the ideas for this storytime!
