I run Storytime at the Penguin Bookshop and thought it would be fun to share my Storytime plans. While my Storytime is open to all ages, I do gear toward the younger crowd because a lot of 1 and 2 year olds attend. A few of these ideas are my own, but the majority I borrow from my favorite Storytime websites, which include Storytime Katie, Sunflower Storytime, Dog Earned Storytime, and Library Village.

Welcome Song:

(to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)

We clap and sing hello,

With our friends at Storytime,

We clap and sing hello!

(wave, stomp, march, wiggle, blink, waddle)

Alphabet Song: Use shakers while singing!

Introduce Letter:

Show kids a flashcard of the letter R.
Sing “The R says rrr, the R says rrr, every letter makes a sound, the R says rrr.”

Book 1: Outstanding in the Rain

Activity: Make a rainstorm

Give some kids egg shakers, some kids bells, and some kids rhythm sticks. Talk about the different sounds rain makes – shakers are light rain, bells are hard rain, rhythm sticks are thunder. Say “light rain,” “hard rain,” and “thunder” in different orders and have the kids practice listening and following directions to make a rainstorm.