Storytime: (My Amazing) Body!

Learning about bodies is super important for kids and it makes for a fun storytime of movement! Kicking, stomping, jumping, wiggling and waggling! The things our bodies can do are amazing.

Introduction: I’m going for a broader topic of bodies in this storytime, but the possibilities with this one are numerous! You can center on bodies, body image and positivity, the five senses, or consent. All of these topics are really important for kids to learn about and I try to touch on each and every one of them, even if the books I read don’t focus on that. I keep it positive and say, “We’re talking about our bodies today! What’s something wonderful about your body or something wonderful your body can do?” Then we enjoy our hello song!

Sign of the Day:

Book: We’ve All Got Bellybuttons! by David Martin

This is a quick and cute story featuring all the kinds of movements your body can do with a tickle surprise at the end! It’s super similar to Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe in the movements.

Rhyme: Right Hand, Left Hand

This is my right hand (raise hand)
I raise it up high (lift up over head)
This is my left hand (raise hand)
I touch the sky (lift up over head)
Right hand, left hand (raise one then other)
Roll them round and round (Roll hands)
Right hand, left hand (raise one then other)
Let’s all sit down (sit down)

Book: Who Has Wiggle-Waggle Toes? by Vicky Shiefman

This book is great if you need a movement break! All sorts of movements from toe wiggling to feet flopping is encouraged while reading!

Song: Eyes, Nose, Cheeky Cheeky Chin. I learned this one from Jbrary, though my tune for it is just slightly different. This is a big storytime hit, whether you’re doing it with your infants and toddlers or with your preschoolers!

Book: Cold, Crunchy, Colorful: Using Our Senses by Jane Brocket

You can’t talk about the wonderful things your body can do without looking at the 5 senses! Especially since many of them are attached to different body parts! I make sure we talk a lot about how each body part helps us sense the world around us!

Felt: Head, Body, Legs by Won-Ldy Paye

This creation story is from the author’s Dan tribe of Liberia. A head by itself can’t do much – until he meets arms, body, and legs. Together they discover how delicious life can be! This is such a fun story to tell as the preschoolers guess what will come next and how they’ll attach. Our library’s felt story for this one is actually made of foam with velcro hooks and done in the same style as the illustrations.

Closing: We reviewed our sign of the day, then sang our closing song. Sometimes after a storytime like this, we do our Preschool Math and Science: My Amazing Body program. It’s always a big hit with activities, crafts, and experiments that are all things body.

More Books to Check Out: