Toddler: Nursery Rhymes

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

1, 2, Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines**
Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker*
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Steve Scott*
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Jane Cabrera***

Early Literacy Tip
When you give your children positive reinforcement by clapping or telling them that they did a great job, you are encouraging them to act both independently and cooperatively.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Sing a Song of Wiggles***

Featured Track: #25 It’s Raining, It’s Pouring****

Flannelboard: “Humpty Dumpty”**

Flannelboard: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”*

Prop: “Baa Baa Black Sheep”***

Repeating Extension Activities

• Open, Shut Them**
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Thumbkin**
• Zoom, Zoom, Zoom***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
We lulled the toddler into serenity with our singing during “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and I asked parents/caregivers to remember this the next time they needed to calm their kiddos. It’s week three for this group and we’ve finally hit our stride. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” has many verses; I just sang the first one on the flannel.

Thursday morning (9:30)
This group was a bit riled up by a new classmate who had a hard time transitioning. He wound up only staying for the first ten minutes, but ten minutes is better than no minutes in storytime! One of my toddlers from last session (whose caregiver was very concerned about his lack of sitting still) has grown up so much — he sat for all of our books today! And every child pulled Humpty off of the flannelboard!

Thursday morning (10:30)
We read three books in toddler storytime today! Nursery rhymes are great soothers for rhythm and cadence. One of my toddlers shouted “AGAIN!” after “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”, so the group obliged! Some of my parents got tripped up during “1, 2, Buckle My Shoe” because of the “open the gate” line instead of the more traditional “lay them straight”. And another group full of Humpty success — everyone pulled him down off his wall!