This was an unexpectedly fun storytime to do! It really allowed me to do a varied set of topics all wrapped up in the summertime theme. We had over 60 attendees for this one, so I had to do a lot of managing energy with the kids, but overall they did so well! Here’s my full storytime script below:
Opening Song: We sang our opening song, and then got started!
Transition: Today, we’re going to read books, sing songs and have fun just like we were doing our favorite things on a hot summer day! Before we dive in, let’s learn our sign of the day!
Sign of the Day: Summer
Opening Question:I love summer [use sign] because there’s so many fun things to do! What are some things you like to do in summer[use sign] ?
One of my favorite things to do in summer is to swim! Our first book is about a young boy who also likes to swim, but he is going to try something new in the pool this summer if he feels brave enough! Do you have a guess of what he’s going to try?
Book: Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
This is such a sweet book that is about swimming and diving on the surface, but actually has some great social emotional value to it as well!
Transition: That was such a fun book! Have any of you ever jumped off a diving board like Jabari? Yes?! Has anyone ever swam in the ocean before? Me too! One of my favorite things to do at the beach by the ocean is to search for seashells. Our next rhyme is all about seashells.
Rhyme: 5 Little Seashells w/ Felt
Five little seashells lying on the shore, / Swish! Went the waves, and then there were four. / Four little sea shells cozy as could be, / Swish! Went the waves, and then there were three. / Three little sea shells all pearly new, / Swish! Went the waves, and then there were two. / Two little sea shells sleeping in the sun, / Swish! Went the waves and then there was one. / One little seashell left all alone, / I whispered, “SHHHH” and I took it home.
Song: I Had A Little Turtle (Bubble, Bubble, Pop!)
I had a little turtle, His name was Tiny Tim. I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim. He drank up all the water, He ate a bar of soap. And now he’s lying in his bed With bubbles in his throat. Bubble, bubble, bubble, Bubble, bubble, pop! Bubble, bubble, bubble, Bubble, bubble, pop!
Transition: We’re almost ready for our next book which is all about another activity that is fun for summer. Camping and hiking! I love camping and hiking because it’s like a mini adventure. Let’s take a look.
Book:When Summer Comes by Aimee M. Bissonette
I love the variety of activities shown in this book – showcased with a BIPOC family, too! It is a bit of a longer read, so I ended up shortening it a bit to keep the attention by skipping a few pages. However, it was a great book for having kids identify animals and activities in the illustrations.
Transition: Whew! Hiking can be tiring, even though it’s fun! The thing I love most after a long hike is a nice big glass of lemonade. So our next rhyme is about lemons.
Rhyme: Two Big Lemons
Way up high, in a tree, 2 big lemons smiled at me. So I shook that tree with all my power; Down came a lemon, and whoa! It was SOUR!!
Transition: You know, after a long day of swimming and hiking and other fun summer activities, I need to do something nice and easy in the evening. Something that’s fun and easy is to sit outside and watch the fireflies blink on and off! Have you ever done that? Our next book is a peaceful end to our long summer day.
Felt:Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges
This was a fun book/felt to try out! It’s a great counting story, but I didn’t anticipate it tricking the kids as much as it did. The book emphasizes counting the fireflies that get put in the jar, but since I began with all ten out on the board – moving them to the jar – the kids called out the number for the fireflies that were outside of the jar instead. We worked through it, though!
Closing: We closed out with our goodbye song and then went on to craft time!
Librarian Ginny 