This was my first ever storytime with children in a face-to-face environment post-COVID and my first storytime with my new job that I got a month after graduating with my MSI. I was nervous and excited to see how my storytime would change with a room full of kids and their caregivers. The storytime was geared towards preschoolers ages 3-5, and all ages were welcome. I gave one storytime in the evening and another the following morning in my location.
Books we read
One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Polar Bear, Polar Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Songs, rhymes, and movements we did
10 Little Snowflakes
1 little, 2 little, 3 little snowflakes
4 little, 5 little, 6 little snowflakes
7 little, 8 little, 9 little snowflakes
10 little snowflakes on my tongue
Credit: Fantastic Fun and Learning
Snow on the rooftop:
Snow on the rooftops, snow on the trees
Snow on the green grass, snow on me.
Snow on my mittens, snow on my nose
Snow on my head and snow on my toes.
Whirling, twirling swirling down
Down and down and down and down.
Credit: https://kathyreidnaiman.com/track/1607329/snow-on-the-rooftops
Winter Hokey Pokey
You put your mittens in, you take your mittens out. (hands in circle)
You put your mittens in, and shake them all about.
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all about!
…boots (foot in circle), hat (head in circle)
Credit: https://nevershushed.com/2013/11/15/toddlers-snow/
Five Little Snowmen
Five little snowmen standing in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
Each with a hat (pat head) and a big red bow (pull at neck like a bow tie)
Along came the sun ”(arms form big circle over head)” and it shone all day (lean to the left)
And one of those snowmen melted away! (put down one finger)
Continue until there are no snowmen left.
Credit: King County Library System
How it went
Honestly, this experience was better than expected for my first go around. There were a few toddlers that were not interested in the book One Cool Friend because it was a longer book and geared towards preschoolers, but the older kids were definitely into it. They loved all the movements with the songs and rhymes I chose, and we all had a lot of fun which made it so worth it. If I were going to do this storytime again and had younger children registered, I would probably choose another first book, but the other two were a hit for sure. Snowmen at Night got the kids so excited and they laughed at all of the ridiculous activities the snowmen do and also mentioned that they love reading that book at home so they were already familiar. Polar Bear, Polar Bear was fun as well because it is repetitive, and they can figure out which animal will be on the next page and I had some kids reading it with me or mouthing the words which helped them stay engaged. I also love doing flannel board activities, but I just did not have enough time to plan and make one this time so hopefully my next one will include one of those activities.