To read more about how I plan and prepare my Toddler Storytimes, please visit this post.
Each session, I pick some extension activities to repeat from week to week. Most of the time these have nothing to do with my theme of the day and just allow me to add more movement or songs if that’s what the toddlers need that week. Of course, I don’t use every activity every week. I’ll note in the individual theme summaries which activities I used. These are the activities that I had planned for Fall.
Action Rhyme: “Everyone Can March”
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
Everyone can march, march, march
And now let’s make a stop.
Verses: clap, jump, tap, etc.
Credit: Jbrary
Action Rhyme: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your knees
Teddy bear, teddy bear, sit down please
Credit: Childhood
Action Rhyme: “This Is Big”
This is big, big, big (stretch hands far to sides)
This is small, small, small (cup hands together)
This is short, short, short (hold palms close vertically)
This is tall, tall, tall (hold palms far apart vertically)
This is fast, fast, fast (roll hands quickly)
This is slow, slow, slow (roll hands slowly)
This is yes, yes, yes (nod head)
This is no, no, no (shake head)
Credit: Mel’s Desk
Action Rhyme: “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship,
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!
Credit: Jbrary
Fingerplay: “Clap Your Hands”
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
As s-l-o-w-l-y as you can.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
As quickly as you can.
(other verses: shake, roll, rub)
Credit: Northport-East Northport Public Library
Fingerplay: “Where Is Thumbkin?”
Where is thumbkin? Where is thumbkin? (put hands behind back)
Here I am! Here I am! (bring hands around from behind the back)
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you! (wiggle thumbs, one at a time)
Run away, run away! (hide hands behind back again)
Credit: Childhood
Lift/Song: “The Elevator Song”
Oh the city is great and the city is grand
There’s a whole lot of people
on a little piece of land
And we live way up on the 57th floor
and this is what we do when we open the door.
We take the elevator up and the elevator down,
take the elevator up, take the elevator down
Take the elevator up and the elevator down
And we turn around.
Credit: Jbrary
Lift/Rhyme: “Tick, Tock”
Tick, tock, tick, tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock
Tick, tock, tick, tock
Now I’m chiming one o’clock
Cuckoo!
(Count up to three o’clock)
Credit: My co-worker Jane
Song: “My Thumbs Are Starting to Wiggle”
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
And now so are my hands/arms/toes/feet…
Body is starting to wiggle: around and around and around!
(Sing about other body parts as wiggles spread!)
Credit: Jbrary
Song: “Open, Shut Them”
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth
But do not let them in, in, in!
Credit: My co-worker Sarah
Transition: “Wiggle Your Finger & Stomp Your Feet”
Wiggle your fingers in the air.
Wiggle them, wiggle them everywhere!
Stomp your feet upon the ground.
Stomp them, stomp them all around.
Now sit down and cross your feet.
Hands in lap and nice and neat.
Now we are ready to start our day,
We’ll listen first, and then we’ll play.
Credit: Teaching Mama
storytime katie 