Numbers for Babies
Storytimes for babies and toddlers offer an opportunity to model great read-aloud techniques for parents, and gives them the confidence to read to their children every day. A baby-toddler storytime can be followed by an extra 20 to 30 minutes of playtime, which encourages parents to talk to each other and for the young children to learn to play with others. It also demonstrates the importance of play to parents.
Welcome song: “Hello Everybody, Yes Indeed”
Mother Goose rhyme: “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”
Get ready song: “Open, Shut Them”
First book: Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang. In this Caldecott Honor classic, a small little dark-skinned girl gets ready for bed.
Fingerplay: “Ten in a Bed”
Stretching song: “Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree”
Second book: Race Car Count by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. A car race is the setting for this lively counting book.
Movement song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
Fingerplay: “Five Little Ducks”
Third book: Bear Counts by Karma Wilson. Bear and Mouse count various items from one to five in this rhyming story.
Song: “This Old Man”
Extra book if needed: One Big Salad by Juana Medina. Using photo collage, this celebration of animals made from food items offers a new way to count.
Board book for parents: Numbers (Picture This), published by HMH. Filled with close-up color photos of animals in the wild, this includes both the numeral and word for the number.
Closing song: “The More We Get Together”