Today saw a slightly smaller crowd at story time (due in no small part I’m sure to the gale that was blowing outside this morning…), and I felt emboldened enough to introduce a few new songs to the crew!
Welcome Song: Hello, Friends
Book 1: Ten in the Den / John Butler
Hand Rhymes
- I wake up my hands
- Wiggle your fingers
- The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
- Open-shut them
- Roly poly
Book 2: Can You Growl Like a Bear? / John Butler
Action Songs
- Bend and stretch
- Zoom zoom
- Say hello, can you touch your nose?
- Orca whale
- The elevator song
Goodbye Song: Goodbye, Friends!
The little song about the orca whale is a new crowd favourite – we sang it a number of times because it’s a new one, and everyone seemed to love it! “Say hello, can you touch your nose” is another new song for this group, but we use in our Mother Goose baby program. It works just as well for toddlers! I just inserted a bunch of actions (flap your wings, jump up and down, turn around etc.), and really, it’s just “If you’re happy and you know it” with a new tune. Learn a new song and use it in multiple ways, that’s my motto!
It felt great to introduce a few completely new elements into the program. While I do swap songs in and out, I sometimes find myself getting into a bit of a rut and looking to spice things up again. After last week’s gong show of a story time, today’s program felt really great.
Plus, a mother told me that her toddler talks about “library Jane” all week – my life is now complete.