Lap Sit Week of 9/14

Story times are back! The last month has been book-ended by crazy busy Summer Reading Club and crazy busy story times. This session, my library is trying out some new age groupings: Lap Sit (infants 0-23 months), Terrific Two's, Fabulous Three's, Big Kids (4 years and up), and an all-ages Family Story Time. I think parents are really going to appreciate the less confusing naming of the different age groups and we'll be able to plan better for different development levels.  Since we have 17 story times a week this season, we're splitting duties and I do all of our Lap Sits.

I'm trying out a couple new things this session. First, repeating opening songs seems to be a popular idea among infant/toddler story times, so I'm trying out doing the same opener every week. Second, I want to make Lap Sits a little more informative for parents but I've never found it quite natural to interject early literacy tips during the story time, so I've decided to make what I'm calling "tidbits of the week". This week's tidbit:

On to the plan!

If You're Ready For a Story (to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It)

Clap your hands, stomp your feet, wave hello

Big Big Big

This is big big big- this is small small small

This is short short short- this is tall tall tall

This is fast fast fast- this is slow slow slow

This is yes yes yes- this is no no no

ABCs

Open/Shut Them

Open/shut them, open/shut them- give a little clap clap clap

Open/shut them, open/shut them- put them in your lap lap lap

Creep them crawl them, creep them crawl them

Right up to your chinny chin chin

Open wide your little mouth- but do not let them in!

Book # 1: Hide and Seek Ribbon Book 

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Slowly Slowly

Slowly slowly very slowly creeps the garden snail

Slowly slowly very slowly up the garden rail.

Quickly quickly very quickly runs the little mouse

Quickly quickly very quickly to his little house!

A Bouncing We Will Go (to the tune of Farmer in the Dell)

A bouncing we will go, a bouncing we will go 

Hi-ho the derry-o, a bouncing we will go.

(Repeat with a-rocking and a-tickling)

Book #2: Barnyard Baby by Elise Broach

Wheels On the Bus

(Wheels on the bus go round and round, kids on the bus go up and down, grown ups on the bus go shh shh shh)

Roly Poly

Roly poly, roly poly

Up up up, up up up 

Roly roly poly, roly roly poly

Down down down, down down down

(Repeat with out and in)

Hands Are Clapping (to the tune of Skip to the Lou My Darling)

Hands are clapping clap clap clap

Hands are clapping clap clap clap

Hands are clapping clap clap clap

Clap your hands my darling.

(repeat with toes are tapping/tap tap tap and eyes are hiding/peekaboo)

Book #3: Five Hungry Pandas

Bubbles

Goodbye Song

Story time is over now, over now, over now

Story time is over now- see you next time!

I had so much fun being back at story time! It's great seeing returning faces and I also met a bunch of new friends this week. Even when it's sad having kids graduate to an older story time, there are always great new families to meet. Until next week!