Toddlers: Play

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

Higher Higher by Leslie Patricelli**
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis*
Playground Day by Jennifer J. Merz
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia***

Early Literacy Tip
Playing with other children at a young age, experiencing the fun of taking turns and sharing are great ways to learn important social and emotional skills. During our break, schedule playdates to take place in our Family Center!

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Songs for Wiggleworms***

Featured Track: #18 Milkshake***

Flannelboard: “Go Away Big Green Monster”*

Flannelboard: “Red Crane, Red Crane”**

Finger Puppets: “Five Little Monkeys”***

Repeating Extension Activities

• Everyone Can March***
• Open, Shut Them***
• Roly, Poly**
• This Is Big, Big, Big***

How It Went

Tuesday morning
A huge group today, full of wiggles. I was, of course, sad to say goodbye to the kids leaving — moving up to preschool storytime. But one of my favorite families is moving away! 😦 I didn’t do the flannelboard with this group today and one of my kids was sad. Two of my caregivers shared stories with me: one little one says my name the whole drive home every week and the other one practiced our “Name-Oops” rhyme in his sleep!

Thursday morning (9:30)
“Red Crane, Red Crane” didn’t work so well with this group since the caregivers tried to recite it with me. “Higher Higher” worked much better as an opening book. This group was very concerned that the monkeys were okay so I put them on the glove again. Two of my kids loved jumping with the monkeys.

Thursday morning (10:30)
Once again, I’m sad to say goodbye to my toddlers. But I’m especially sad to say goodbye to a lot of the kids in this session since I’ve had them since I came to the library in the spring of 2014. This group really enjoyed “Go Away Big Green Monster” and shouting “GO AWAY!” with me.