Size (Big and Small) Toddler Story Time

This week we are learning about size- big things, little things, and everything in between! Size is a fun thing to explore with the toddlers, because they are totally not little kids any more, they are BIG!!! Also, if they can describe how big something is in words, they are using adjectives, which is crazy advanced vocabulary, yo.

Opening rhymes:  
  Bread and butter & Open Them Shut Them

Thematic Rhyme:
Yay, SIZE! Look at these balls? Do you think you can tell what one is the smallest, or what is the biggest? Let's try together!

(Flannel and rhyme adapted from the fabulous Storytime Katie. Check out the original here! Pictures blatantly stolen from Google image searches. Lil' Bub and Snoopy the Cat both deserve credit.)

Little, big, and the biggest!

A little ball, a big ball, and the biggest ball I see
Now help me count them, one, two, three!

A little cat, a big cat, and the biggest cat I see
Now help me count them, one, two, three!

A little truck, a big truck, and the biggest truck I see
Now help me count them, one, two, three!









Before-our-first-book-Rhyme:
These Are My Glasses
These are my glasses, this is my book.
I put on my glasses, and open up my book.
Then I read read read, and I look look look.
Then I take off my glasses, and whoop! close up my book!

Book #1: I'm The Biggest Thing In The Ocean, by Kevin Sherry

THANK YOU, KEVIN SHERRY! This book is so great, it is pretty much the greatest thing in this whale. Kids love pointing out the little fishies, and the shark, and parents love/hate the dark twist at the end.







Consistent movement activity: DICE PLAY!
Our return to ACTIONS! Guys, this is easily the most popular part of my story time. Highly recommended. Our actions were: dance, sit, sleep, stand, walk, and wild/blank/storytime-lady-forgot that-a-cube-has-six-sides. We took turns throwing it, and as a group, we did whatever the dice told us to do. So cute. We were inspired for these "Get Up & Move Dice" by the blog Growing a Jeweled Rose.

Action rhyme: I'm A Little Teapot
Bet ya know this one, but just in case, here is a cute, choreographed, costumed, catchy  little version to jog that memory and get your little teapot movin:

I’m a little teapot short and stout,

Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout! (wooo!)
Tip me over and pour me out!

 

 

AND CHECK IT OUT, SUPER SECRET B SIDE VERSE BELOW!:

I’m a special teapot, yes it’s true,

Here’s an example of what I can do.
I can change my handle and my spout,
Tip me over and pour me out!

Book #2: The Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake, by Thomas Taylor

This one may have been a little long for the toddlers, especially so late in the game, but I chose it over Big Hungry Bear, because cupcake. Also, there are cute animals to point out, and voices, and sharing and new friends and it all works out in the end.

Also, an aside, did you know how many great "Little Mouse" books there are? So many. Enough to do an entire story time.




Flannel Game: Little Mouse, Little Mouse are you in the _______ house?
This fun little game has been floating around my library system for years. I was also inspired by Guybrarian's wonderful script, found here. This game was requested almost every time last year, the kids lovvve it.)

Little mouse, little mouse, are you in the pink house?
No, he isn't in the pink house... what house should we guess next?
 and on, and on, until...

Little mouse, little mouse, are you in the green house?
SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!
You WERE in the green house!!

SHAKING EGG DANCE PARTAY!
Rock n' Stop, by Eric Chapelle
We have this wonderful CD of funky jazzy instrumental dance music that we got from a training with Nurturing Pathways- it is called "Nurturing Pathways Dancing Feet: Creative Dance Music" and it has the jams, I tell ya. Rock n' Stop is as good as the freeze dance music genre gets- groovy beats, perfectly timed breaks, good length.. check it out! We swear by it in Book Babies, and it lends itself well to Toddler Time as well. Super cute, silly fun. Also, we have these shaky eggs filled with popcorn kernels and sealed with magazine tape. The kids LOVE those things.

Calming rhyme: Here's a Cup
Here's a cup, and here's a cup, (make cups with your hands)
and here's a pot of tea! (stick one thumb up- bam! pot of tea!)
Pour a cup, and pour a cup, (pour from pot hand to cup hand, then switch)
and have some tea with me! (mmm.. delicious!)

Because one finger-play is never enough...
Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,
One named Jack, and one named Jill.
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill,
Come back Jack, come back Jill!
(super repeat-able and adaptable and pretty much a universally accepted story time standard at this point)

Book #3: Charlie Chick, by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker

 

Easily the most popular book of the day. Also, we have a little boy named Charlie in our group, so this book is pretty much about him.

Closing Rhyme: Bread and Butter
Welcome and Goodbye Song: Bread and Butter
Marmalade and Jam
Let's say goodbye as quiet as we can
(whisper: goodbye)
...loud as we can (slow, fast, silly, nice)

Happy storytiming, friends!

--Emily