TODDLER STORYTIME
A storytime heavy on the ladybugs, bees and caterpillars….no scary creepy-crawlers here!
OPENING SONG: Mister Sun
OPENING RHYMES:
BOOK 1: Bye Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! by Ed Emberley
The mean and scary Big Bad Bullybug loves to pick on Itty Bitty Babybugs…but the babybugs get the last laugh in the end. With brightly colored die-cut pictures, this book reads as a conversation between the big bad bullybug and the itty bitty babybugs. I like to read this one using a small itty bitty babybug finger puppet. You can print out my Itty Bitty Babybug here. I laminated the picture and then glued it to a chenille stick that can be wrapped around a finger (see picture below). This helps me when reading this book out loud to a group. In addition to using a deep, growling voice for the Bullybug and a high-pitched voice for the Babybugs, using the fingerpuppet makes it easier for your audience to follow the conversation.
FINGERPLAY: Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar
Into a corner will creep (creep fingers up arm)
He’ll spin himself a blanket (roll hands)
And then fall fast asleep (rest head, close eyes)
Fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar
Very soon will rise (wake up)
And find he has grown beautiful wings (connect thumbs and flap hands like wings)
Now he’s a butterfly!
FLANNEL RHYME: Here is a Beehive
You can print out my bee clipart here.
You can print out my beehive template here. (Just print on yellow paper!)
For this rhyme I use my glove – a black glove with velcro glued to the tip of each finger. This allows your hand to become a moving flannel board. Start this rhyme by putting on the glove and hiding your hand behind the behive. Then I say something like this: Do you know what this is? It’s a beehive! Do you know what lives in a beehive? Bees! And what sound do bees make? Buzzzzzzz. Everybody buzz like a bee! Keep it going…
Here is a beehive. Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Soon they come creeping out of the hive (have one bee peek out)
1-2-3-4-5! BUZZ! (bring each finger out as you count)
(make your bees fly all around the hive)
BOOK 2: Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
FLANNEL RHYME: 5 Little Ladybugs
I use my glove for this rhyme too. Just change out the bees for ladybugs.
You can print out my five little ladybugs here.
I saw a little ladybug flying in the air,
But when I tried to catch her, two bugs were there.
Two little ladybugs flew up in a tree.
I tiptoed very quietly, and then I saw three.
Three little ladybugs–I looked for one more.
I saw one sitting on the ground, that made four.
Four little ladybugs–another one arrived.
I saw her sitting on a flower, and that made five.
Five little ladybugs, all red and black–
I clapped my hands and shouted, and they all flew back!
SONG: Can you move with me?
Tune: “Do Your Ears Hang Low”
Here is a youtube video of a little boy singing this song with the actions
Can you wiggle like a worm?
Can you squiggle? Can you squirm? (wiggle)
Can you flutter? Can you fly like a gentle butterfly? (flap arms like wings)
Can you crawl upon the ground (crawl hands on ground)
Like a beetle that is round?
Can you move with me? (clap)
Can you flip? Can you flop?
Can you give a little hop?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you give a little shake?
Can you dance like bee
Who is buzzing round a tree?
Can you move with me?
CLOSING SONG: Goodbye
CRAFT: Egg-Carton Caterpillars
To prepare ahead of time:
- Cut cardboard egg cartons in half lengthwise
- Glue colored pom-poms to the top of each section of the carton using a glue-gun
- Poke two holes in the top front section of the carton (for the chenille stick antennae)
- Cut pieces of chenille sticks to use as antennae
Directions for the children:
- Glue googly eyes to the front section of the egg carton (I use eye stickers) and draw a face
- Insert chenille stem sections into the holes to make the antennae
- Decorate as desired! (provide markers, stickers, glitter, etc.)
*These are songs and rhymes that I do almost every week. You can find the words to them on my Weekly Toddler Songs page.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS AND SONGS:
BOOK: The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn
ACTION SONG: A Fly is on my toe
Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”
A fly is on my toe,
A fly is on my toe,
Hi-ho, just watch me blow.
A fly is on my toe
Other verses: A fly is on my nose ,my head, my ear, my elbow, my knee,etc..
FINGERPLAY SONG: The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Great Big Spider, and the Teeny Weeny Spider
A variation on the Itsy Bitsy Spider: Sing this song three times, using a “great big scary spider voice” and a “teeny weeny spider voice” on those verses.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
The great big spider went up the water spout . . .
The teeny, weeny spider went up the water spout. . .
