After two years of working on special projects and acting as a manager, this August I am finally returning to my role as a children’s librarian.
Am I excited? Yes. Am I a little scared? Also yes.
I know some things will have changed, and some things will be exactly the same. One thing that has always been a constant for me is my love for storytime and the power it holds to build communities.
When I return in August I will be doing a weekly babytime for caregivers and their little ones ages 0 – 18 months. I’ve been looking through my old program plans trying to figure out which songs and rhymes I want to feature this summer. I just know there are some gems out there that I am either (1) forgetting or (2) don’t know yet. Which brings me to the title of this blog post:
What has been slaying in your babytime programs lately?
Give me all the songs, rhymes, and books you and your community have been loving. I hope the comment section will become a goldmine for all babytimers.
I recently re-read all the comments on Welcome and Hello Song Recommendations and have a few good ones to try out. Coming back is the perfect time to start fresh.
Please leave a comment with your recommendations!
I’m so happy you’re all back! My Storytime patrons will not release me from singing Bread and Butter, Marmalade and Jam.
One of the best! Here in Vancouver we started switching it to “Salmonberry Jam” for a connection to the local land.
The favorites in my storytimes for 0 – 18 months lately have been “Little White Fish” by Guido Van Genechten, “One Red Sock” by Jennifer Gordon Sattler, and “Dog’s Colorful Day” by Emma Dodd! I use a feltboard with my stories, so anything that I can create a felt story for as well is pretty successful. Best of luck with your return to the library!
My toddler storytime is really young this summer, all 16-20 months, and they loved “Dog’s Colorful Day” too! I think it’ll be a repeat for sure.
They also really liked “Bear Wants More” – I was surprised it held their attention. And “Toot, Toot, Beep, Beep” by Emma Garcia is a perennial favorite.
Thank you both for reminding me of these books. I think finding books for babytime is one of the more challenging aspects as you need lots of repetition and short simple storylines. Emma Garcia is one of my favourites for babies and toddlers.
Goodbye song:
Use hand motions that fit, repetition by participants in ( )
See you later, alligator
(See you later alligator)
After a while, crocodile
(After a while, crocodile)
Gotta go, buffalo
Here’s a ticket, jumpy cricket
Say goodbye, butterfly
Toodleoo, kangaroo
Better swish, jellyfish
Run along, King Kong
That’s the end, my friend
Oh, Wow.
Thank you, Amber! You’ve given me a great selection of critters to add to the Goodbye Song.
I use this for my Pajama Time Storytime. I’m so excited to add these to the song.
So many new verses I’ve never heard before! I think there is a board book with some of these that I didn’t pay close enough attention to when it came out. Thanks so much for sharing.
I sing a version of this! I include “Hang loose, silly goose,” “out the door, dinosaur,” “take care, polar bear,” and “give a hug, ladybug.” The kids love it, especially doing the ASL for “hang loose!”
Honestly, Wheels on the Bus always kills in my babytime. The parents love having a song that they already know well, and the motions are easy enough for them to either help their baby with, or for the older babies to learn and do along with the rest of us. Also, congratulations on returning to babytime! It’s always been my favorite program to do.
You are right and it’s what I tell all the new children’s librarians I help train. Don’t be afraid to stick with the oldies but goodies. I’ll definitely be incorporating this into my babytime.
I took over a 0-18mo baby program weekly in addition to my preschool Storytime in March and I have so much more fun with the caregivers and babies! You will transition back to it with ease! For me, I have really enjoyed at least one themed baby program a month and then I just repeat that same theme every three months, my favorite has been my Elvis theme! We read “Ten Little Elvi” which is the cutest book ever, our dance party is to Jailhouse Rock, and we close to playing “Love Me Tender” while reading the picture book of the same name. Each week I do a ‘dance party’ where I play one fun song (i.e. Mr. Blue Sky/ELO, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/Beatles, Under the Sea/Little Mermaid, etc etc etc) and the caregivers and babies just dance around the room or bop on the floor. And then weekly parachute time has been a gamechanger! The babies are so fascinated by the adults wiggling and bouncing the parachute above them, or when they get to pop bubbles by patting the parachute onto the ground with their little hands. It’s a fun interactive and sensory experience.
I’ve always wanted to do a baby parachute storytime but am not sure how to go about it. Could you share more please?
I will start with the parachute on the ground and the babies on the individual colors, then we will do our usual baby program. When it’s time for parachute activities I ask the caregivers to first place the babies in their laps and then we will do a song or two while sitting and holding onto the parachute, moving it up and down quickly and slowly (to familiar tunes such as Roly Poly, Zoom Zoom Zoom). Then I have carpet squares that the babies usually lay on for diaper changing tunes each program (but they can also lay on a blanket on the floor), the caregivers lay them on the carpet squares under the parachute while we sing a song or two lifting and gently shaking the parachute above the babies. I especially love “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” for that. And then we will end with the babies back around the outside of the parachute either in laps or sitting on their own, and do a bubble song such as “There are bubbles on the floor, on the floor” caregivers lift the parachute a little off the floor and show the babies to pat the parachute with their hands to “pop” the bubbles. Unlike a preschool age interaction with parachutes, that have lots and lots of rules and structure, with babies it’s a lot more experimental and play.
Very helpful, thank you!
Love this, Brittney! It’s been awhile since I experimented with the parachute but it was always a hit. I definitely recommend sticking with some tried and true songs at first as handling the parachute and their baby will be a lot to manage. It sounds like your babytimes are so much fun!
Good luck with your return to Storytime, it’s going to go great!
I’ve really been enjoying the scarf song ‘A Little Seed’ where you plant a seed in your scrunched up scarf and watch the scarf bloom like a flower at the end.
And I find the Higgildy Piggildy BumbleBee for a name rhyme always is a hit! Especially when I try to get sillier and sillier with every Higgildy Piggildy!
I love doing ‘A Little Seed’ with a scarves too! The parents’s oohs as the scrunched scarves “blooms” is such a treat. I then comment on the colors of the “flowers”. That rhyme is a gem.
Totally forgot about that rhyme – thank you for reminding me!
Hi Mia,
I was just wondering what the lyrics are for your Higgildy Piggildy BumbleBee rhyme? Currently, struggling with name rhymes…
Thanks!
Daniela
Hi, Dani! I think that’s just another spelling/alternative of Jbrary’s Heckety Peckety Bumblebee!
Hello! You can find all of my Book Babies plans and activities here! You will see Jbrary credited on so many things on my blog since you are such a great resource. Thanks for all these years of content!
https://msemilylibrary.com/tag/bookbabies/
Emily your blog is great, I recently recommended you to folks in my session at ALA.
Thank you so much, Alyssa! That’s such a compliment! I owe so much to the OG library bloggers.
Your blog is amazing, Emily!! You should write a guest post on Jbrary to raise awareness about all the cool things you share. Hit me up if you are ever interested.
Thank you so much, Lindsey! It would be an honor. I’ll send you a message. 🙂
“Love Somebody Yes I Do” is one that babies and parents always love – and I adapt it for slightly older kids by having them give themselves a hug and lift their arms up/stand up instead of being lifted. “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” is always easy and popular, for pretty much any age group. For some reason, parents seem to really like “This is Big Big Big” – maybe it’s because they all know the words right away. Kids and parents both have fun with “A Hippopotamus Got On a City Bus” – I usually do it two or three times so everyone learns the words and because it’s very short.
I’ve had mixed reactions doing “Roly Poly” with young babies – I actually had one older sibling get very upset because she thought her baby brother wasn’t enjoying having mom move his hands for roly poly and demanded that we stop. I find it goes more smoothly when we do it with a prop like scarves, or with older kids who can do the movements (or their best approximation) themselves. “Put Your Puppet On Your Heart” goes over well when the energy is quiet and cozy, but I find that babies and toddlers lose patience with the song if they have wiggly energy.
I also do an ASL hello song (“Hello Friends”) and “Wake Up Feet” to start every baby and littles story time and they both go over well. It makes me so happy when the toddlers who have been coming for a while start to do the signs (or their best approximation) on their own.
So many great ideas here, Tate! I am so excited to do A Hippopotamus Got On a City Bus again. Living in a city with a robust public transit system makes that one especially relevant to my families.
Hi, Glad to hear you are back! I have been doing baby story time in my position for a few years for infants who are not yet walking. I have learned some great songs from you all that I still rotate and use. They are Pudding on a plate, A Hippopotamus got on a city bus, and Wiggle Waggle went the Bear.
I have added some new songs and they can be real bangers. Milkshake, Milkshake from Old Town School of Folk Music used as a bounce. Have you ever seen a baby? from King County Library System I use as a movement song going side to side, then front and back, and up and down. Lastly, the Condiment Song has many variations, I used the Westerville Public Library. I use the phrase that babies love to hear your voice no matter what you are saying. Telling them they can be as silly with different voices will bring out the giggles. Adding in other condiments or other food is a easy way to make it your own.
I have a few scarf and beanbag songs that my group has liked. The Rain is Falling Down and any peekaboo song. Bean bags are a success for my babies since they are lap sitting. We use the lightweight bags that have letters on them so it is safe to use. The grown up will move the bean bag according to the song. Froggie is hopping on my toes to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” from Allegan District Library, is the best song for spring! I used any body identification song like head shoulders knees and toes grownups love how simple this is yet so fun!
Lastly, I found a pair of books that are great to encourage early word development in babies. In my story time I will read or show one board book and then we will book share another one each week of the session. By book share I pass out the title and let the grownup read to their child. The Let’s Go, Kitty and Let’s Go, Puppy books by Holly Rosensweig from Ninewise publishing are fantastic!
I can’t wait to see what you and others come up with. I love reading your blog and the great comments from your community.
I love all of these suggestions, Becca! The Condiments Song you are referring to I believe is from my library and originally written by my co-worker! Funny how far things travel online. We have a video of it on our library’s YouTube page that I have shared on the blog before. It’s one of my absolute favourites. I haven’t heard of those books and unfortunately my library doesn’t have them yet. Time to get ordering!
Not the most original, but I love doing scarves with our babies! They recently looooved On My Head I Wear a Hat (largely because the scarves were all going on baby heads even before I introduced the song). I also loved doing a peekaboo-themed babytime with selections from Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora and Peek-a-Moo! This went along well with scarves too, since I encouraged them to play peekaboo with their scarves as we were handing them out.
The Isadora books with scarves is a genius pairing and I feel like a great blog post would be “Books you can read with scarves.” Now you’ve got me thinking 🙂
Lindsay that’s so awesome you will be back in the baby storytime game! They are lucky to have you.
For a ready-to-use option I designed the song Hey, Hi, Hello. I recommend doing it using scarves with this age group. For young babies the caregiver can dance the scarf on the body parts, and the older children can do their own scarves while caregivers do theirs.
Here’s a list of my all-time favorite hello songs (so far) for other options. This also includes a cappella songs that sing the childrens’ names: https://lalalibrarian.com/favorite-welcome-songs-for-storytime/
I’ve also recently been trying out a canopy scarf from Bear Paw Creek and it is so wonderful for pre-walkers! Working on a blog post about that.
brb gonna go get lost in your blog! Thank you for the link and I can’t WAIT to read about a canopy scarf.
Welcoming each child with a puppet – my favorite is a folkmanis mouse that likes to eat pretend food from pockets and behind ears. I do one at the beginning, and one at the end as they are leaving – I go outside the door for them to say goodbye.
Oh yes, I always used to do this too! Such a great way to get to know each family and learn the names of the babies and caregivers.
My story time is technically ages 0-4, though most of the kids are 1- 2 1/2. Here are some things that have worked well recently:
If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It by Lil Miss Hot Mess was a HUGE hit in June
The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal also went over well
I Really Want To See You Grandma by Taro Gomi has been popular with my crowd, too
I started doing Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox again after I bought a green stuffed sheep. I brought it out after we read the book and most of the kids loved petting the sheep!
Those are all toddler gold, Lucy! I can definitely see using the singable books in babytime too.
Welcome Back Lindsay!
Baby Bounce at our Library is such a sweet spot for staff and families. What a community builder!
Some favorite rhymes:
tick tock (rock baby in lap back and forth with the rhythm)
tick tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock
Now it’s one o’clock!
Cuckoo! (up in the air baby goes!)
*repeat and add # of cuckoos as the clock time grows
(with a gentle bouncing rythym)
i’m toast in the toaster
I’m getting very hot!
1, 2, 3
Up I pop! (up in the air with baby)
* fun to add to this one:
Butter the toast!(rub baby tummy)
Add some jam (pat baby tummy)
sprinkle nuts! (sprinkle fingers)
Eat it up! yum yum
Favorite activities:
Babies lay on the mat in a circle (we are all in a circle for each gathering)
and all care-givers who can, lift the parachute to music up and down above babies
Can play peekaboo with this one. And the babies are often enchanted by all the color and movement
Dancing together to a rotating playlist of children’s music….in a circle, facing each other toward center, facing a neighbor, swinging legs, flying baby toward the center
OMG I am OBSESSED with the extension you thought of for “I’m Toast in the Toaster.” This is going into my rotation immediately!!!! Pure genius, Sue.
I loved the addition to the Toast in the Toaster, too! That’s one of my favourite rhymes/bounces to do and my participants love it so much. I just HAVE to try it next time. Thank you!
Oh wow! Exciting!
A new one to me is Zoom Zoom Zoom We’re Going to the Moon, which I checked and it’s on your website already.
A lot of great suggestions in the comments!!
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, the one storytime song to rule them all. That song was even more popular than Baby Shark in my storytimes.
In my baby storytimes we have “baby book club”. We pass out copies of one board book title to each caregiver, then they take 5 minutes to read the book to their baby.
A baby book club sounds absolutely adorable.
Love this! We don’t have sets of board books to use in this way, but if my group is small enough I could try getting enough copies from the circulating collection.
Zoom zoom zoom with scarves
A song like Hello Friends with sign language and then you can say hello to each child. They feel special.
Fun bounce: Horsey, Horsey ride with me
across the land and across the sea
Horsey, horsey ride with me
bubble gun at the end
but do not let me fall!
I got a bubble gun and I am so excited to bust it out at the end of storytime! Love the horsey rhyme too.
Congrats, Lindsey, you’ve got this!! Thank you for posting the question. These responses are so helpful.
A small thing that has been super helpful for community building in our baby groups is starting each week by asking attendees to quickly share their name, baby’s name, and one new or exciting thing that happened in the last week. I’ve noticed so many adults approaching each other afterwards and using those “new things” as conversation starters: “We went to that park on Saturday, too!”, “Congrats on him sleeping through the night!”, etc. I’ve steered away from doing this in the past because it seems like it would take up too much time, but for groups of 16 families or less, it sets such a positive & welcoming tone and has been a fantastic way for our caregivers to build connections.
There’s a list of favorite books and prop songs at: https://theyouthdesk.com/baby-storytime if anyone finds it useful, but Hippopatamus on a City Bus and Very Glad You’re Here Today by Beverly The Music Lady never disappoint. Beverly sings Very Glad during the 1st minute of this video, and if you go crazy with the “you and you and you and you…” part of the song, babies and kids alike love it: https://youtu.be/LrsvWkTkOEA?si=Uy76PtnAgdI7NZUI
Your blog is amazing, Marta-Kate! And I 100% agree about taking the time for introductions when the group is small enough. Honestly, I feel like this could be a whole blog post on its own. People are always looking for ways to build connections in babytime and it doesn’t need to be super complicated. If you’d ever like to write a guest post and promote your blog, hit me up!
Love your blog! Will absolutely add to my list of resources.
Oh, wow, that means so much to me, Alyssa. Thank you! I was just exploring your YouTube channel and could get lost in your videos for hours. I can’t wait to share your songs with our littlest patrons. Thank you for all you do!
We love “Ten Little Froggies” (to the tune of “10 Little Turkeys”); sung with baby on your lap.
One little, two little, three little froggies (caregivers count by holding up fingers)
Four little, five little, six little froggies
Seven little, eight little, nine little froggies
Ten little froggies jumped in the boat!
They jumped to the side and the boat tipped over (lean to one side)
They jumped to the side and the boat tipped over (lean to other side)
They jumped to the side and the boat tipped over (lean again)
Ten little froggies fell right in!
SPLASH! (lift baby up!)
I don’t think I’ve ever heard that tune before. I steer clear of the other “10 Little” tune due to the racist origins. Thank you for sharing!
I was having the same difficulties with that tune. I then realized that I could use the tune “What do you do with a drunken sailor” as a substitute! I feel better singing about drunk sailors 😉
I see many in the comments that have been so successful with the babies and their adults at my programs–tick tock, wheels on the bus, head->toes, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” w/ scarves…However, I have a couple songs that haven’t yet been mentioned (and no credit for them (shamefully), so feel free to add!): “Clap clap clap your hands, clap them all around (clap in a circle), clap them loudly, clap them softly, now don’t make a sound (library shush!).” It’s magic! I use it as a transition song. Also, “Where is Baby?” (Brother John/Frere Jacques tune) w/ sheer scarves (the babies face the circle–watching me and everyone else OR facing their adult…, either adult or baby holding the scarf) “Where is baby, where is baby, there you are, there you are, I’m so glad to see you, I’m so glad to see you, peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo!”
I also have a great book suggestion: “Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning” by Abigail Flesch Connors. It’s a goldmine of songs and rhymes with instruments, scarves and more.
Thank you, Nell, for these song and book recommendations. I love me a good peekaboo song!
I rely heavily on your advice from even 9 years ago. A combination or one song acapella, then one song from the iPad.
I use gilly gilly and bread and butter to start, and then bouncing songs, then flying songs (up and down), then floor songs, then scarf/shakers/bells songs and then we get up and have a few dance songs with bubbles too such as Wuki’s ” I’ve got sunshine” to end the program rocking with the babies and making mums smile which helps to foster conversation after. We have a digital presentation at the same time, with all the songs on the screen.
My favourite recorded song to play at the end of babytime is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It’s just so happy and it’s not too long. I’m glad my advice holds true after all these years!
Also Boogie Shoes is somewhat short and quite joyful!
A bounce rhyme that is a favorite in my Tiny Tots (12 – 24 mos) group is Smooth Road.
We’re riding on a smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road
We’re riding on a smooth road, but what’s that ahead?
We’re riding on a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road
We’re riding on a bumpy road, but what’s that ahead?
We’re riding on a rough road, a rough road, a rough road
We’re riding on a rough road, but what’s that ahead?
Pot hole!!!
If the kiddos are in their adult’s lap, I start with announcing we’re taking a ride and that everyone needs to buckle up. We all pretend to put our seat bealts on, and the song starts. The kiddos really love as the terrain gets tougher, the bouncing gets more active (me saying, ” hang on!” before we ride the rough road adds to the adventure). It’s become one of the highlights of storytime.
This is wonderful, Alisa! I know a shorter version of a Smooth Road, but yours is so much better, especially with the added play/pretend element. I am definitely stealing this and using it ASAP.
All Aboard the Alaska Train by Brooke Hartman
Who’s in Charge? by Stephanie Allain
Let’s Be Bees by Shawn Harris
Our most favorite song is “Breathe In, Breathe Out” to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle.”
“When I’m feeling scared or sad, worried, anxious, stressed, or mad,
all I have to do is breathe.
B-R-E-A-T-H-E
Now I know how to feel well.
B-R-E-A-T-H-E
(Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out)”
The parents love, the babies immediately calm down. It’s a winner.
Okay, but I am concerned about my ability to remember how to spell breathe, LOL. I guess that is what the song is for! Thanks for the book recs – I’ve only read Let’s Be Bees in that list.
My youngest group has really enjoyed Roly-Poly using shaker eggs this year. It’s a really small group, so they can each have two if they want, and we could probably do 100 verses before they’re ready to stop!
Yes to Roly Poly and yes to egg shakers. I love easy things to do with the egg shakers, especially with little babies.
Our baby story time is for ages 0-18 months. One of our biggest hits is the tub of board books we bring out after the songs and rhymes are finished. Each caregiver grabs a couple books and reads with their child. This has replaced me reading a book to the group (which always felt awkward) and the time is magical!
We also enjoy the use of large balls in baby story time. We do a few bouncing rhymes/songs and the caregivers sit baby on the ball and bounce them. The older babies love the bouncing! For the younger babies, we encourage caregivers to use the ball for tummy time…placing baby on her tummy on the ball. Babies who are normally adverse to tummy time enjoy this experience. We also have smaller balls to roll and bounce and play with.
Some of our favorite songs are Wake Up Toes, Hands Together, Hands Apart and Skinnamarink. We try to always incorporate a nursery rhyme or two since many of our caregivers are unfamiliar with nursery rhymes.
Thank you for being an invaluable resource!
How does Hands Together, Hands Apart go, Kelly?
I have never heard of this idea to put babies ON balls during bounces. This is why I love this community. I am always learning new things and being encouraged to think outside the box. You rock, Kelly!
Baby time is the best!!
I love singing “You Ought to See My Baby” by MaryLee Sunseri as a bounce and She/He/They Didn’t Dance by Kathy Reid-Naiman as a lift. The Little Feminist board book series is a new favorite and I will always love getting the adults to chant along to Monkey and Me by Gravett.
I really need to go back and refresh my Kathy Reid-Naiman repertoire. I sang those with Sophie and they were always favourites.
I raised my kids on Kathy Reid-Naiman and used them in many Parent-child MG programs over the years. I still have all her CDs! Total legend!
Cheers,
Tess
This is my new favorite:
The Roots of Reading – Songs & Rhymes
Early literacy skills for parents & caregivers of young children through songs & rhymes.
Website: http://www.vpl.ca/kids
Lyrics:
Sriracha, sriracha, sriracha (wiggle baby in lap or wiggle shoulders if dancing)
Ketchup! (small bounce in lap or hop if dancing)
Sriracha, sriracha, sriracha (wiggle)
Ketchup! (small bounce / hop)
Sriracha, sriracha, sriracha (wiggle)
Ketchup! (small bounce / hop)
Mustard, mustard, mustard, mustard (bigger bounces if baby in lap or bending at knees if dancing)
Mayo! (big lift or jump)
That’s my library 🙂 This one is so fun at babytime!
This year for summer reading, one of the themes was art. I passed out paintbrushes, and the parents “painted” each body part during “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” The soft paintbrush is a fun textural experience. I’ve also used scarves as washclothes for grownups to “wash” body parts during bathtime storytime.
I have always wanted to use paintbrushes in babytime! I think both the caregivers and babies would love it and what a great way to show how everyday items can be used to engage in play and language exchanges with your little one. I think this would make an excellent blog post. If you are ever interested in writing something up, send me an email anytime!
I did this same thing while reading “I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More” by Karen Beaumont during Family Storytime. It was a hit for all ages present. I definitely plan to us paint brushes again.
So exciting you’ll be doing Babytime again, Lindsey, can’t wait to see the new things you might share with us!
Okay, I’ve read through all comments now, so I’m sharing things that haven’t been shared yet.
A bee is on my toe, a bee is on my toe
heigh-ho just watch me blow
a bee is on my toe
I use the hand (or finger) as the bee and fly it around for the next body part, doing the buzzing sound. I ask caregivers “where is the bee landing next?”, and do a little narrative around the bee “shoo that bee away,” “blow it very gently…” You can also encourage tickling with this one.
We’re also having lots of fun with horse bounces, I’ve been collecting many horse songs: So fast, so fast my horse can go, A-riggety, jiggety, jig, you know; Trot Old Joe; I want someone to buy me a pony; Trot, trot, trot, little pony trot; I know a little pony, his name is Dapple Gray.
I also learned some new songs with the Sing to Your Baby CD. We had the book in the library, but it was in bad shape. Luckily it was also online! The songs I added to my repertoire were:
Baby’s Got a Giggle, and Wake Up. I even learned the ukulele chords for these songs and play it during the program.
Some new-to-me lullabies I’m loving right now: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE3v1WMBbAk"Rockabye you high, rockabye you low and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSGkJSHzjpU"I see the moon and the moon sees me.
Lastly, one book I read every season/run: I am a Baby, by Bob Shea. This one is for the parents!
Our babies have been LOVING A Smooth Road and Two Horsies Bouncing for a lap bounce, Pizza Baby is always a hit!, Pizza Pickle, You be the Ice Cream, Pop Goes the Berry, and the Baby Hokey Pokey. These have been our faves this Summer! Thanks Lindsey! I hope you have a great time with your Baby Storytime!
Thanks, Ashley! I need to learn Pizza Pickle – I have never heard that one before.
I’ve been adding “worrying has never changed a thing” by Mama Nous ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxUGJkwk4HE ) to my babytimes, first as a call-and-response, and then as a group while patting little’s backs or parent laps. It’s powerful, simple, and a great reminder for all ages, but is especially poignant for postpartum parents.
I would love to see you do this live, Alex! This is a new-to-me song and the messaging resonates deeply. Maybe I’ll bust a bluetooth speaker and let Mama Nous soothe us all.
All these comments are so helpful because I’ve been looking for more ideas! I’ve been doing baby/toddler story time since November for the first time. A couple favorites – Mr. Kitty is Lost (Pizzoli), Rrrralph (Lois Ehlert)!