A surprise storytime!
A nearby library needed someone to cover a program, so off I trundled on the bus to deliver a baby storytime. I’m always happy to run storytimes, anywhere in the city – as long as there’s a bus route, I’ll be there (eventually)!
Here’s what we did this week:
— Program Outline —
Hello Song: Hello, friends!
Songs and Rhymes: When Cows Get Up in the Morning / I Wake Up My Hands / Roly Poly
Book One: Monkey and Me
Bounces: Have You Ever Seen a Baby? / Tik Tok
Book Two: Bottoms Up
Movement Songs: My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean / Zoom Zoom Zoom / Elevator Song
Cool-Down Song: An Orca Whale
Goodbye Song: Goodbye, friends!
Whenever I deliver a program with a new group I try to keep things simple and familiar, focusing on popular storytime songs that my group will likely have heard before, while also putting my own little spin on things.
It was a charming group, very enthusiastic and sociable, and I had a lovely time chatting with all the mums as their babies played with the baby toys after the program. Obviously you don’t have to be a parent to be a great storytime facilitator, but I’ve definitely found it’s given me new insight into the needs and experiences of my patrons, as well as providing a great starting point for conversations. All children are unique, and no two caregivers will experience parenting the same way, but there a lot of commonalities that make for great discussion starters!