Morning Invitations probably saved my life as a mama. I said this on Instagram a couple of years ago and immediately started fielding questions about what was a morning invitation? Did I really do this every day? Wasn’t it a lot of extra work? I wrote a post about the life changing powers of these […]
Antarctica has become the subject of more and more picture books in recent years. With growing information, fascinating animals, and visible affects from climate change it is understandably a place we want to know more about. This post has storytime ideas and group time resources for learning a little more about Antarctica with kids. affiliate […]
Learning to ride a bike is one of those big milestones in childhood. I remember my kids teetering on their bikes around the basketball courts by our house around their fifth birthday learning to pedal. Today’s booklist is a collection of stories celebrating bicycles, bikes, and learning to ride them. affiliate links are included below. […]
Hey Elephant is one of my favorite songs to sing with Toddlers and Preschoolers. They love animals and silliness and this one is full of both. As a bonus, counting songs like Hey Elephant offer young children an opportunity to practice counting with one to one correspondence in a fun way. Below are directions for […]
Catherine Rayner is the September author for the 2021 Author Study Challenge. If you have kids that love animals then she is a great author to know. Catherine Rayner is a picture book author and illustrator that is a big favorite in our house for her gentle, lovely stories about animals. Her books are consistently […]
Tomie dePaola is the December author for the 2021 Author Study Challenge. Tomie dePaola was a children’s literacy world treasure. He is the author and illustrator of so many wonderful books. While I have spent most of the year and the author study challenge focusing on newer children’s book authors, Tomie dePaola felt like the […]
Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I will take it in just about any variety from thin crust to New York Style to cheese filled crust. I love pizza. Happily that seems to be a pretty popular opinion. Today’s storytime leans into that delicious pizza pie craving and celebrates it with delightful read alouds […]
Morning Invitations probably saved my life as a mama. I said this on Instagram a couple of years ago and immediately started fielding questions about what was a morning invitation? Did I really do this every day? Wasn’t it a lot of extra work? I wrote a post about the life changing powers of these […]
Bees are starting to buzz around the bushes in my yard. For me, that’s one of the signs that Spring is here and Summer is on it’s way. As a child I was terrified of bees, but I have since come to appreciate these incredible creatures. In part, my change of heart came from incredible […]
The Summer Olympics are coming up soon. I love the Olympics. There are definitely negative things about it, but I love the competition, the team spirit, the world coming together for something. Below is a list of books from general picture books about the Olympics to more specific books about sports and athletes that we […]
Hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities in the Fall. Between going to the Apple Farm and picking out pumpkins for Halloween, I love just getting outside and observing the changing seasons. This is a storytime that I would love to do before a Fall Hike walking field trip, but even if you can’t […]
If I was going to pick just one book to read at Thanksgiving it would hands down be this one because it’s gorgeous and interesting and I’m slightly obsessed with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. However, when I want to explain the meaning of Thanksgiving to my twins I would start with one of the […]
Salina Yoon was born in Korea and now lives in San Diego. I had the opportunity to hear her talk last year at my local Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators meeting. She wowed me. I am so excited to delve into her books more this month and share her with you guys. Salina […]
Picture books has the incredible ability to capture and inspire your imagination. They bring to life new places and different experiences. The best make you temporarily get lost in their pages. Below are some of our favorites. This post was originally shared as part of our A Read A Day Challenge. affiliate links are included […]
Have you met Little Excavator? He’s darling and perfect for all construction truck fans….aka pretty much every toddler in existence. Little E is the inspiration for our storytime, but this is also perfect for anyone working on Big and Little. This is one of the many simple opposites that toddlers are working on mastering. The […]
Morning Invitations probably saved my life as a mama. I said this on Instagram a couple of years ago and immediately started fielding questions about what was a morning invitation? Did I really do this every day? Wasn’t it a lot of extra work? I wrote a post about the life changing powers of these […]
Have you ever noticed the contradiction that babies and toddlers are both sensitive to loud noises and supremely loud themselves? Understanding the differences between quiet and loud are a complicated pair for babies and toddlers to get a handle on. My son could frequently be found as a toddler open mouthed watching trains or trucks […]
Opposites are a fun story time theme for babies and toddlers that you can use any time of the year. There are great read alouds, fun songs, and simple activities to play and learn about a variety of opposites with little ones. This opposites story time has some of my favorites. affiliate links are included […]
Dance has been a part of life in our house since my kids were tiny. I think most kids enjoy dancing, even if it’s just the informal bouncing to music or participating in sing alongs with lots of motions at the library. My twins did their first ballet class together when they were two. They […]
The flurry of snowflakes, the drizzle of rain, the assault of hail, the bright sun warming your face – we have experienced the full range of weather in the past month. It is now officially part of our morning routine for my son to holler “Alexa? What’s the weather?” before he decides what coat and […]
Dragons are fascinating creatures. Depending on the story they are impressive or silly or inspiring or maybe a little scary. No matter what they are never boring creatures and therefore kids seem to love dragons. This story time was inspired by three children’s books about dragons that my kids want to hear again and again […]
Andrea Davis Pinkney is a best selling author acclaimed for the way she captures and brings to life moments and people from American history. Andrea Davis Pinkney is our pick for March’s 2020 Author Study Challenge. You can of course do an author study at any time and at your own pace, but I’d love […]
Colorful eggs and adorable chicks are two of the best things about Spring and Easter. It is a safe bet that most kids are anticipating an egg hunt or visiting sweet little peeping chicks at the farm or zoo this time of year. Today’s story time is all about those two things: chicks and eggs. […]
Welcome to week 7 of our A Read A Day Challenge! If you want to learn more, the details are in this intro post. Otherwise, on to the books! affiliate links are included below. Book Suggestions for Week 7 Monday: Listen to an Audio Book Most libraries have books on CD that you can borrow. We also […]
Does literacy have a place in STEM curriculum? I think yes, but let’s start with STEM. For those of you who aren’t sure, STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There has been a lot of talk lately about integrating the arts in STEM areas – enter STEAM. But what about literacy? Truthfully […]
Steve Light is the August author for the 2021 Author Study Challenge. We pushed the higher end of children’s books last month with Kate DiCamillo and her extraordinary chapter books and middle grade books. Steve Light writes and illustrates for the other end of the spectrum. If you have a kid under 5 then he […]
Colors are another one of those key concepts that we hope kids will master in their first few years. Similar to learning shapes I also love to talk about colors with picture books. How could you not when illustrations are bursting with beautiful colors? The list below is perfect for a week of colors unit […]
Do you have enough snow for sledding yet? After two winters in Mississippi my twins are anxiously anticipating their first snowfall. They can’t wait to sled down the hill in our nearby park before mom urges them back inside for a mug of cocoa. Below are some sledding books to love that are inspired by […]
“You have to see this one!” a little girl called pulling her brother over to a shelf of new releases. She proceeded to read him PRESS HERE while they both slapped the book giggling with glee. When they were finished and had bounded away with ear to ear grins I had to see what all […]
Morning Invitations probably saved my life as a mama. I said this on Instagram a couple of years ago and immediately started fielding questions about what was a morning invitation? Did I really do this every day? Wasn’t it a lot of extra work? I wrote a post about the life changing powers of these […]
My voice is starting to go hoarse from the stack of pirate books I have spent the afternoon reading. My twins are suddenly map reading, treasure hunting, surly pirates and I’m honestly not sure where it started. Is it the gleaming treasure? The adventure? The big ships blowing in the wind? The eye patches? Truthfully […]
Mother’s Day is approaching. I dream of my kids bringing me breakfast in bed and lazing in the backyard with a book…reality will probably be different. I do know that our day will involve some reading aloud. I hope yours will too. Although I’ll be pulling out some old favorite Mom books, I am also […]
There are a lot of things that go into a successful storytime, but planning is a huge part. Whether you are doing a storytime with kids at a library or in your classroom, having a plan in your mind beforehand will eliminate those engagement killing moments where you putz with a CD player or ponder […]
I walk into the living room to find one of my twins standing on the couch, pretend sword in hand (thanks birthday party guest) about to leap into the “sea” where my other child is swimming “surrounded by sharks” (which might appear to be pillows to the naked adult eye). There is lots of loud […]
I have a vivid memory of my twins running from tree to tree in our backyard in Wisconsin staring up at the branches and loudly shouting “robin!” It was late Fall and I was freezing cold, but I couldn’t help but smile at their excitement. We had just come from the library where our wonderful […]
St. Patrick’s Day is a merry holiday of folk tales and fairies, energetic music and dancing, and, at least in my family, loaves and loaves of Irish Soda Bread. It is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Holidays are always a little difficult to explain to toddlers. With my twins, I took a […]
Jan Brett is an incredible author and artist. Her books have filled the shelves of our homes and libraries and bookstores for decades. She is a wonderful choice for an author study – especially in the chilly Winter months. If you are joining us for the 2020 Author Study Challenge then she is also our first author! […]
You remember lying on your back watching the clouds on a warm spring day right? The grass tickling your legs while you spot bunnies and airplanes in the pillowy clouds floating above? When you are a little kid weather is fascinating. Clouds are fascinating. Rain is fascinating…well pretty much everything is fascinating but today we’re […]
Signs of climate change seem to be everywhere. Our summers are warmer than ever. Our winters are colder. Hurricanes and wild fires seem more prevalent and ferocious. It is hard to escape little signs of the changing climate wherever we go. For our children, this is an even more necessary topic to understand. They are […]
Bear Snores On is not only a fantastic read aloud it also offers a chance to learn about hibernation and build literacy skills. This read and play is a fun way to work on literacy skills such as storytelling, re-enacting, and understanding the parts of a story. Affiliate links are included below. Thank you for […]
“Mama? What does that say?” He asks as we slug along in the rain towards school. “No parking.” I answer glancing at the sign on the wall. “Mama? What does that say?” My daughter asks as she skips ahead of us. “Opticians” “Mama?” All the way to school. All the way to the park. On […]
Collecting rocks, roasting marshmallows, canoeing on lakes – we love camping. The weather is warming up. It’s time to start reserving campsites and dusting off camping gear. Whether you’re getting ready for a camping trip or preparing for a Camping Story Time, these are some great picture books about camping. I found camping books for […]
There was a pond in our old neighborhood. Every morning after I huffed our double stroller around the neighborhood, my twins would pop out at the pond and we would spend some time exploring. Chasing ducks, watching for the elusive egrets, and finding endless entertainment in the bounty of sticks on the shore was the […]
