Babies: Baby’s Day

For more information on how I plan and prepare my baby storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the baby rhymes/bounces/lifts/etc., visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books
For baby time, my library passes out individual copies of board books to each caregiver/child pair. I typically keep two or three to the side of me in case a baby tries to grab my copy. I read face out; caregivers read to their children.

I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy**
I See by Helen Oxenbury**
I Went Walking by Sue Williams*

Early Literacy Tip

Babies love to look at faces. In fact, they will focus their attention on faces longer than they will focus on anything else. Read books with faces in it!

Flannelboard: Shape Game

I temporarily taped the moon and star from “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” together to represent the entirety of baby’s day. I also like that these are fairly simple shapes and also simple words for babies to hear. It’s a bit abstract, but it got the job done!

Repeating Extension Activities

• Baa Baa Black Sheep*
• Icka Bicka Soda Cracker**
• Open, Shut Them**
• Round and Round the Garden**
• Tick, Tock**

How It Went

Tuesday morning
I was so unbelievably nervous to do my very first baby time. I truly, truly had a great plan that was laid out to me by my co-worker. She spent a good deal of a day teaching me all the regular rhymes, songs, and bounces in her rotation and I had more than enough time to prepare. But still — that morning, I thought I might throw up. (True story: I get pretty bad “stage” fright.) But the babies welcomed me with open arms and caregivers were instrumental in making me feel comfortable and letting me settle in the routine. I left smiling from ear to ear.

Thursday morning
I was at PLA presenting, so another staff member filled in! I was already missing the babies!