Beary Toddleriffic

Sooo. Toddler storytime. Not like baby storytime and not like preschool storytime.

Here's the routine:
Welcome song using each child's name. To the tune of Fly's in the Buttermilk.

Name will you stand up and let us see your smile? 
We're so glad you're here today won't you stay awhile. 

I did not make this up, but can't remember where I found it. It is a great way to gauge how the kiddos are feeling that day. Grumpy, shy or clingy? then I will probably leave them alone. Stand right up and grin then they are ready to go.

Can You Growl Like a Bear? John Butler. Read it and the kids did what the animals did.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear  Eric Carle. Today I had the book and the flannel pieces for them to put up on the flannel board. I read the book, each child gets to put up a flannel. As we are waiting for each animal to be placed on the board, we made the animal noises together.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain with bear puppet substituting the children's names after the first go round. The bear crawls all over them if they want him to and I sing.. .

The bear went over Eric, the bear went over Eric, the bear went over Eric to see what he could see.

We did Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around

Dear Zoo: A Lift the Flap Book Rod Campbell was the finisher. Sometimes I let the kiddos lift the flaps, but we had 10! kiddos so I lifted the flaps and let them shout out what animal was behind the flap.

Then we have a brief playtime. Spongy blocks, bubble machine, board books, bear puppet and wash clothes (because one of the kiddos saw them and wanted to use them like we had in a previous program).

We sing the Barney Clean Up Song because everybody knows it. We clean up all the toys.

Then we close with This is the Way We Say Goodbye. . .

This is the way our hands say good bye, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
This is the way our hands say good bye, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. 

We do knees tap, feet stomp, arms flap, nose beeps. . . what ever I can think of.
We finish with:

This is the way we wave good bye, wave good bye, wave good bye.
This is the way we wave goodbye, goodbye until next time! 

Then I get high fives as they head out the door!