Baby Storytime #5 - Birds

I enjoyed this one.

I talked about Reading to your baby.

We did Five Little Ducks as a big book. Then as a choral reading. Then as a song.

Worked out great.











Other things that we did:
2 little black birds - with puppets (not great)
Owl in the tree says hoo hoo hoo (with puppets)
Bounce: Mama Duck
Shakers: I know a chicken
Bubbles
Toys

A smaller group but very active. Difficult keeping them away from the doll baby and the big book.

Toddler Time - Pizza

I filled in for a colleague who was off Easter Monday.

I did my old stand by- Pizza

It went pretty well but doing 2 toddler times back to back is exhausting!

Songs:
Open shut them
I am a pizza (with uke)
Bean Bag Rock
What a miracle

Books:
The little red hen makes a pizza
Pete's a Pizza
Hi Pizza Man

Baby Storytime #4 - Babies on the Go!

Today I had some trouble with my music.

I used the Ipad for a Laurie Berkner song - I'm gonna drive my car - and it worked great. The problem was when I went to use it for bubbles. There was an ad on youtube that was so loud! Then I had to keep an eye on it for when it was done so I could turn the volume up again. Not a big deal but I might not use youtube with the babies since waiting is not there strong suit. Live and Learn.

Here is what I did this week:

Flannel - 10 little dump trucks

Songs

• The More we Get Together (with ukulele)
• I'm gonna drive my car (with motions)
• Wheels on the bus (with motions)
• Beep Beep Buckle up - The Wiggles (shakers)
• Down at the station (with motions)
• Bubbles- Raffi
• Splish Splash-Bobby Darin (with bubbles)
• Now It's time to Say goodbye (with ukulele)

Bounces

• This is the way the ladies ride
• Bumping up and down in my little red wagon 
• Hurry Hurry drive the fire truck 

Book
Babies on the Go by Linda Ashman
This book was pretty long so we did it as a choral reading in the beginning and then I stopped and they continued as I passed out shakers.


I had a good crowd of 19 babies and 17 caregivers. I set up the room with me at the small end - it worked last time - but this time they leaned against the doors. Then they had to move when I got out the toys and balls. Oh well. What can you do?

Flannel Friday - March 27th - Blue Shark, Blue Shark

This is a flannel story a previous storytime presenter made and I used this week.
Like Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Blue Shark, Blue Shark, what do you see?

I see a green turtle looking at me.

Green turtle, green turtle, what do you see?

I see a pink octopus looking at me.

Pink octopus, pink octopus, what do you see?

I see an orange seahorse looking at me.

Orange seahorse, orange seahorse, what do you see?

I see a red crab looking at me.

Red crab, red crab what do you see?

I see a yellow fish looking at me.

Yellow fish, yellow fish, what do you see?

I see a big whale looking at me.

Big whale, big whale, what do you see?

I see children looking at me.

Children, Children, what do you see?

I see a blue shark, a green turtle, a pick octopus, an orange seahorse, a red crab, a yellow fish, and a big whale looking at me .

Baby Storytime #3 - Ocean

Today went very well.
I wasn't nervous and that helped.
I had a big crowd, 23 babies and 17 adults.
I set the stage by telling adults to keep the kids away from my stuff (but in nicer words). It mostly worked. The one mom with twins wasn't able to take one of her daughters back but I did my best.
Here's what I did:

Early Lit tip - Vocabulary
Opening song: The More we Get Together - with uke
(some parents were doing sign language with this)

Song - Come along and sign with me, sing with me, sing with me, come along and sing with me on a Wednesday morning. (then clap, roll, and tap) - tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Nursery Rhyme - Rub a dub dub (showed drawing from book)

Flannel board - Blue Shark, Blue Shark what do you see? (like Brown Bear)

Fingerplay/Song - Waves at the Beach (to Wheels on the bus)

Tickle- Fishin' for a Ticklin'

Choral Reading - In My Ocean

Shakers - The Goldfish by Laurie Berkner

Goodbye Song - Now it's time to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye, Now it's time to say goodbye, we'll see you soon (with Uke) - to Mary had a little lamb

Bubbles - Octopus' Garden - Raffi

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My impressions:
Blue Shark very well received.
In my ocean also.
Should have memorized Waves on the beach
Tickle went better than I expected.
I forgot to bring out the doll for demo but it went okay. I missed it a little.
I am going to learn a few names each time - Kelsy, Hazel, Addie, and Ben

Baby Storytime #2 - Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!

Today we did bugs. I had fewer babies this week and I set up the room better.

 I used cloths to hid things I was going to use later and the babies were more under control.

Only one little girl was up with me most of the time because her mother had a lap baby as well.
I can handle one rover so things went very smoothly, however, it would be nice to have more energy in the room as well as being under control. It is a balancing act and I am still working on that.

 I made sure I gave the adults permission to rescue their babies from wandering into the dangerous librarian space and that helped also.

A few things I want to remember:

• Many of the adults want to sit on the side so they can lean against the wall. Should I put out chairs? I might ask if this has been tried before
• itsy bitsy and wheels on the bus were best
• uke was fine but limiting. I had to stop and do movements occasionally.
•  need a better closing song, this one didn't work (This is the way we say goodbye)

The order I did things:

• Opening song - The more we get together (uke)
• Bounce (Ladybug fly)
• Flannel (5 little butterflys)
• Scarves -rhyme and song (Butterfly by Mariah Carrey)
• Fingerplay (2) (Itsy bitsy and Caterpillar, Caterpillar)
• Shakers - song (Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner)
• Showed a pop-up picture in a book  (Butterfly, Butterfly by Horaeck)
• Bubbles (Bathtime by Raffi)
• Closing song - This is the Way (uke)

My early literacy asides today were about singing and phonological awareness.

Baby Storytime #1 - Farm animals

Well, I don't remember much of today's baby storytime but everyone seemed to have fun.
Lessons learned:

• Make my opening statement more inclusive: talk about leaving and returning, retrieving the kids, and having fun.
• Have my stuff more consolidated and hidden. Maybe in bins? 
• Only use things they can touch (not my bear)
• Bubbles are a pain but they love them
• One book max
• Lots of singing
• End on time
• lock the closet at all times

I had 20 babies - all but one walkers - and 22 adults. Some came in late because I didn't go get them which is what they expected.

It's a learning curve and it will get better...I hope!