Toddlers: Animal Sounds

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

Hello Day! by Anita Lobel
Moo Baa La La La! by Sandra Boynton
Peek-a-Zoo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti**
Say Hello Like This by Mary Murphy**

Early Literacy Tip

Children love being able to identify animals and imitate the sounds they make. Use some stuffed animals and make up new verses for each one. What sounds would they make?

Theme Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Seals on the Bus”**

Puppets: “There’s Something In My Garden”**
There’s something in my garden
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound…
RIBBIT RIBBIT RIBBIT
A frog is what I found!
RIBBIT RIBBIT RIBBT
(SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK, A mouse is what I found! / CAW CAW CAW, A crow is what I found! / THUMP THUMP THUMP, A rabbit is what I found!)
Credit: SurLaLune Storytime

Song: “You Can Hear…”**
(Tune: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain)
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo, ROAR! ROAR!
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo, ROAR! ROAR!
You can hear the lions roaring, you can hear the lions roaring
You can hear the lions roaring at the zoo! ROAR! ROAR!
(Elephants trumpeting, zebra braying, monkey eeking)
Credit: Perpetual Preschool

Repeating Extension Activities

• Dance Your Fingers**
• Open, Shut Them*
• This Is Big**

How It Went

I had a lot of fun planning this theme since I had never done an animal sounds storytime before. (I’m trying to repeat some classic themes, but I don’t want to just repeat exactly what I had done at my old library at my new library.) My favorite part is either class was when I opened up to suggestions after “You Can Hear” and had to come up with a dolphin sound and a raccoon sound. Dolphins clearly whistle and raccoon tap on garbage cans, right? Everyone’s favorite was “Peek-a-Zoo”, because it’s awesome and has pop-up flaps.