What’s this? A story time outline? I know – what a blast from the past!
This blog used to consist primarily of story time outlines, but as I currently focus on services for school-age kiddos, I haven’t had a regular weekly story time of my own in a number of years. Still, I sometimes get the opportunity to fill in for other colleagues, which is always an absolute joy. Older children are wonderful, but I do miss the energy (and unpredictability) of working with the wee ones! Here’s what we did at our most recent story time:
Hello Song: Well Hello, Everybody, Can You Clap Your Hands?
Wake Up Song: When Cows Get Up in the Morning
Book One: Monkey and Me
Hand Songs/Rhymes: Rolly Polly + Open Shut Them + Eyes Nose Cheeky Cheeky Chin
Book Two: The Bus for Us
Movement Songs/Rhymes: Zoom Zoom Zoom + The Elevator Song
Goodbye Song: The Goodbye Train is Leaving
A colleague commented on the fact that I don’t seem to pack a lot of content into my programs, and that’s absolutely intentional. I keep my pace upbeat but slow, and I repeat songs and rhymes more than once, especially if they’re new – I want families to feel comfortable joining in (Repeat after me – “story time is not a performance, and librarians are not children’s entertainers”), and to feel confident singing the songs with their children at home, and that only comes with repetition. Eyes, Nose, Cheeky Cheeky Chin, for example, we repeat with increasing frequency, which is always a hoot as everyone gets tongue tied by the end. When Cows Get Up in the Morning also leads itself beautifully to repetition, as I bring out a picnic basket stuffed full of adorable animals that all want to say good morning to the children. It’s heaps of fun!
As with many things in life, when it comes to story time, keep it simple, sweetie!