Toddler Story Time - Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

Is there anything better than a fun bug themed story time in the summer?  I don't think so!  This week I had the toddlers up and marching to a buggy beat! 

We started off with the book I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd.  The little ones especially loved the last few pages describing creepy crawly bugs.  This book definitely got us talking about all types of bugs!

Next came the short but cute fingerplay, Beehive.  A great find from the Perry County Library Storytime page!

Beehive
Here is a beehive  (make a fist)
But where are the bees?  (shrug shoulders)
Hiding inside where nobody sees  (point to fist)
Soon they'll come out of their hives
1,2,3,4,5  (open fingers one at a time)
BUZZZZZZZ!  (wiggle fingers in the air!)
(credit: Perry County Library Storytime)

My original plan was to sing The Ants Go Marching, but at the last minute decided I really needed some cd help with that long of a song.  (I must admit, I am not a great singer but the little ones don't usually seem to mind!)  I am so glad that I made this decision because once the music started playing and I had everyone marching in place, it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to march around the room!  There are lots of children's cds with this song, but I chose the version from the cd Bugs, Bugs, Bugs. 

I used the action rhyme 1, 2, 3  directly after our dance break.  (A,B,Cs and my new favorite song, Clap Your Hands from the They Might Be Giants cd, No!)  This short little rhyme worked great to get their attention back after moving around for a few minutes!

1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
There's a bug on me!  (pretend to knock it off)
Where did it go?  (look around)
I don't know!  (shrug shoulders)
(credit: Perry County Library Storytime)

Our second book was Look Out, Ladybug! by Jack Tickle.  Ladybug is trying to learn to fly.  She meets several animals along the way and it has a super funny ending!

Sticking with ladybugs, we did the fingerplay Five Little Ladybugs.  Instead of inserting kids names in this rhyme, I used family members.  I have been having larger than normal groups during story time recently and didn't want to leave anyone out (or have to repeat the rhyme four times!).

Five Little Ladybugs
Five little ladybugs on our front door,  (Hold up five fingers)
One flew to Daddy, and that left four.
Four little ladybugs, oh so wee,  (Hold up four fingers)
One flew to Mommy,, and that left three.
Three little ladybugs saying "howdy-do,"  (Hold up three fingers)
One flew to Sister, and that left two.
Two little ladybugs snoozing in the sun,  (Hold up two fingers)
One flew to Brother, and that left one.
One little ladybug alone on the door,  (Hold up one finger)
It flew to Baby, then there were no more.
(credit: Perry County Library Storytime)

Can't have a bug themed story time without The Itsy Bitsy Spider!  We sang along with my flannel set to add a fun visual to the words.  So much fun we did it twice!

Our last book was Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book of Colors by Petr Horacek.  I have used this book before in story time.  The little ones love the pop-up butterfly on the last page!

As a special treat, I made all the little ones butterflies to take home with them.  They were very easy to make.  I just printed the outline of a butterfly on card stock, cut it out, and taped it to a popsicle stick.  We waved out butterflies to the the song Flutter, Flutter, Butterfly.  It is tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  I changed the wording a little bit to fit summer instead of spring.

Flutter, Flutter, Butterfly
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the summer sky.
Floating by for all to see,
Floating by so merrily.
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the summer sky.
(Credit: Storytime Katie)

I decided to try a fun, new activity to end story time this week.  We played Bug in a Rug!  I got the idea from the blog Falling Flannelboards.  I made a set of flannel bugs (different colored ladybugs) and a little rug.  I lined all the bugs up with the rug underneath.  Then I told them to close their eyes.  I moved one of the bugs under the rug and let them open their eyes.  They all did a great job guessing which bug was in the rug.  To make it more interactive, I chose volunteers to come up and lift the rug.  I also left this activity up on the board so they could continue to play with it after story time.  Several little ones had fun hiding bugs and making Miss Kristie guess!

And just in case you are not familiar with the They Might Be Giants song Clap Your Hands, here it is..

Isn't it wonderful?!?!

Miss Kristen also used a bug themed story time recently with the babies!  Check it out here.

I hope everyone is having a great summer!