Toddlers: Family

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell***
The Family Book by Todd Parr
Faster, Faster by Leslie Patricelli**
Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora*

Early Literacy Tip
Library programs like this can be considered a child’s first class. Encouraging personal interactions with a group leader help children develop a positive attitude towards learning.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Wiggleworms Love You***

Featured Track: #20 You Are My Sunshine***

Flannelboard: “Ten Little Babies”***

Puppets: “Five Little Ducks”**
Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only four little ducks came back
(Continue until…)
Sad Mother Duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
And all of her five little ducks came back!

Repeating Extension Activities

• Everyone Can March**
• Open, Shut Them*
• Roly, Poly**
• These Are My Glasses*
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Tick, Tock***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
With this group, I only did “Three Little Ducks” instead of five. The kids kept reaching for the puppets, so I wound up standing up to finish the song. This was a very full class with lots of new faces. My average age went from 26 months to 19 months, so expect more extensions with this group & more bounces/lifts than before. I did “Faster, Faster” as a bounce and that worked really well!

Thursday morning (9:30)
We had lots of dads and grandparents as additional guests at this storytime which was a lovely surprise for me! This group really enjoyed dancing to “You Are My Sunshine” and they really participated with “The Baby Goes Beep”. The kids loved the baby faces on the board!

Thursday morning (10:30)
I brought Mama Duck around the circle to say hello to everyone and continued to stand during the song for more control. “Everyone Can March” stretched fabulously and we did that rhyme for quite a while. As this was my oldest group, I read “Peekaboo Morning” instead of “Faster, Faster” with them.