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
Little Bitty Friends by Elizabeth McPhee**
Lulu’s Busy Day by Caroline Uff**
Now I’m Big! by Karen Katz**
What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell
Early Literacy Tip
Giving your children paper and crayons, markers, or pencils even when they can only scribble is the beginning of early writing. Posting your child’s work on the refrigerator or around the house will show them how proud you are of their efforts.
Theme Extension Activities
Featured CD: Songs for Wiggleworms***
Featured Track: #18 “The Milkshake Song”***
Flannelboard: Ten Little Babies
Repeating Extension Activities
- Egg Shakers Up***
- Put Your Shake On Your***
- Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
- This Is Big***
- Tick, Tock***
How It Went
Monday morning (9:30)
I read Lulu’s Busy Day and Now I’m Big! and both of them were great hits. I talked with the toddlers and caregivers about being big kids and the different things that we can do now that we’re big! (I did paperclip the diaper/potty spread in Now I’m Big! since the younger toddlers are often still in diapers and I didn’t want anyone to feel left out!) Since this was my last class with this group, I did THREE shaker songs, using Songs for Wiggleworms “The Milkshake Song” as my finale piece.
Thursday morning (9:30)
Since this is a quieter group, I read both Lulu’s Busy Day and Little Bitty Friends. Little Bitty Friends just barely ties into the theme of growing up, but I loved the soft illustrations and calming effects of the book on the group! This group did AMAZING with “Put Your Shaker On” and I stretched us by adding in new body words like: shin, thigh, heel as an example to caregivers on how to stretch vocabulary.
Thursday morning (10:30)
Both Now I’m Big! and Little Bitty Friends were wonderful. I especially made sure to read Now I’m Big! in this class because I have several friends who are expecting little siblings to join them within the next few months or so and I love how the book ends. I also did more body parts vocab with this group and it worked out just as well as the last!