Now Presenting Baby Story Time...

If you have been following along the past couple of weeks, you will have seen my big job change.  In addition to be really exciting for me professionally, it also means that I will now be doing a baby story time next week for the first time EVER.  It is a little intimidating as I have been doing 4 2 year old story times a week for at least the past 7 years, but I am looking at it as an awesome new frontier!  If you are like me and are starting from scratch, below are some resources to get you started.

Blogs
I will admit that blogs are my go-to resource to get started.  These people have real experience in the field.  Plus, they tell you what works and what doesn't.

• Let the Wild Rumpus Start
• Mel's Desk (Check out all of her themes!)
• Read Sing Play (I really like her rhyme page)
• What Happens in Storytime 

Looking for Baby Books?
I am one of those people who like it when people show me books that have worked.  These two blogs have great lists that are up-to-date.

• Abby the Librarian
• Show Me Librarian

Professional Books
These are my favorite at the moment, but there are plenty of other great reference works out there.

Mother Goose on the Loose by Betsy Diamant-Cohen
This is one of the original great programs for babies and young children.  It is chock full of rhymes and plans with ready-to-go programs.

Finger Folk by Marilyn Lohnes
While the plans in here are for older kids (ages 2+), the patterns for the felt board pieces are perfect for count up and down rhymes.  I like using them with a glove or a lapboard.

The Very Ready Reading Program by Sue McCleaf Nespeca
This first binder is for ages 0-24 months and they are planning on coming out with two more next spring.  Twenty different quality baby story time plans are included, plus handouts for the parents and notes for the presenter.  While it is expensive, it is worth at least checking out.

Now I am all set and ready to go!

Flannel Friday-Teddy Bear Puppet

As some of you may know, I am in transition between two buildings right now.  Below is what my old desk currently looks like.  Please note the number of boxes.  (Honestly, it is the cleanest it has ever been!)

Since I am traveling back and forth, often in the same day, I have been living out of this lovely Vera Bradley tote bag.  It contains my iPad and notepad, plus any folders I may need for meetings in the next 2 weeks.

Seeing this, you will understand why I am not cutting out new flannelboards this week.  Instead, I am going to show off my really simple puppet that I use with rhymes.  You can make them for anything and in vast quantities rather quickly.  It took me 2 minutes or less to make one this morning.

One sealed envelope (I cut off about 3 inches at one end) + 1 die cut + glue stick=1 puppet.  Since they are easy and cheap, I like to send them home with the kids after we do the rhyme, although I do have one set of laminated teddy bears.

With my teddy bear puppets, I like to do the following rhyme:

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, stand up tall.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, make yourself small.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, run in place.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, stand real still.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, hold your hands up

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, put your hands down.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, lay on your back.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, roll to your front.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, smile a smile.

Teddy Bear, Teddy bear, look real sad.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, stand up again.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, sit right down.

Because of the nature of the rhyme, if there is a part that you don't like, you can easily cut out that rhyming section.  I will often cut out the lay on your back/roll to your front part as we just don't have the space for it. 

This week's Flannel Friday round-up is hosted by Bridget at What is Bridget Reading?  Stop on by for some great ideas.

Flannel Friday-Apples!

Some of you may heard already, but I am starting a new position on Monday with my library system (yay promotion!).  Unfortunately, it means that all of the flannelboards that my colleague and I share need to be split up or copied as mine are coming with me and hers are staying at our current location.  We have always just shared back and forth.  Since I had some free time this morning while our computers were down, I made one for her.

Way up high in the apple tree,

Four little apples hung over me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could.

Down came the apples and mmmmm!

Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,

Three little apples hung over me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could.

Down came the apples and mmmmm!

Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,

Two little apples hung over me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could.

Down came the apples and mmmmm!

Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,

One little apple hung over me.

I shook the tree as hard as I could.

Down came the apple and mmmmm!

Was it good!

 

The pattern for these pieces came from Finger Folk by Marilyn Lohnes.  These smaller pieces work really well on our glove.  For those who don't use one, our kids here are fascinated whenever we bring out the glove.  Plus, it gives you more control over the flannelboard pieces, especially when you have an active group who likes to pull down pieces.  We use a lot of "5 Little" rhymes with our baby groups.

This second rhyme I copied from Kara's files as it is fantastic for apple story times, especially for the preschoolers.  Plus, it makes a nifty craft.  This one came from The Mailbox Companion from August/September 2008.

Here's a wiggly little worm

Looking for some lunch.

He sees a shiny apple

That looks good enough to much.

He opens up his mouth

And takes a bite so wide,

He pops right through the apple

And comes out the other side!

 

To make your own, we use small paper plates to make the apple shape.  We precut the leaves and the stem, which the kids glue on at craft time.  The kids also color the apple.  We have the hole pre-punched.   

Katie at Story Time Secrets is hosting this week's Flannel Friday round-up.  Stop by to check out all of the great ideas!