Baby Bookworms

Singing

Singing develops listening and memory skills and makes repetition easier for young children — it’s easier to remember a short song than a story.

Playing

Pretend play helps children think symbolically and develop oral language skills. As children play store or pretend to be an animal they talk about what they are doing, putting thoughts into words.

Reading

Being able to tell or retell a story helps your child understand what they read. Read a book that you have read before but let your child tell it or ask your child to share something that happened today.

Writing

Encourage drawing and scribbling – your child can draw a picture of what happened in the story, but they can also “write” the words to the story on a piece of paper by scribbling.

Talking

Talk to your child about what’s going on around you. When your child babbles or talks, listen carefully and answer back. Ask your child lots of questions, even if they cannot respond they learn that questions invite their response.

Welcome, Welcome

Welcome, welcome everyone,
Now you’re here let’s have some fun.
First we’ll clap our hands just so,
Then we’ll bend and touch our toes.
Welcome, welcome everyone,
Now you’re here let’s have some fun.

Willoughby Walliby Wee

Willoughby walliby wee
An elephant sat on me
Willoughby walliby woo
An elephant sat on you

Willoughby walliby wamy
An elephant sat on Amy
Willoughby walliby walex
An elephant sat on Alex

My Thumbs Are Starting To Wiggle

My thumbs are starting to wiggle
My thumbs are starting to wiggle
My thumbs are starting to wiggle,
Around and around and around
// hands, arms, feet, legs, etc.

Old MacDonald Had A Band

Old MacDonald had a band
E-I-E-I-O,
And in that band he had some shakers
E-I-E-I-O,
With a shake shake here,
And a shake shake there.
Here a shake, there a shake,
Everywhere a shake shake.
Old MacDonald had a band
E-I-E-I-O
// sticks, bells, scarves

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum,
See your shaker, sing-a-long,
Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum,
Shake your shaker, play-a-long!
// ring your bells, tap your sticks, see my fingers, thumb, goodbye fingers, thumb

Butterflies

Butterflies, butterflies, flapping around.
Visiting flowers, not making a sounds.
Flapping your wings, as you go.
Flap your wings up high, then down low.
Butterflies, butterflies, flapping around.
Visiting flowers, not making a sound.

Ring Along With Me

(tune: Mary Had A Little Lamb)

Can you ring along with me?
Along with me, along with me?
Can you ring along with me?
Put your bells on your knees!
//tummy, head, toes

Roly Poly

Roly poly, roly poly
Up, up, up
Up, up, up
Roly, roly, poly
Roly, roly, poly
Down, down down
Down, down, down
… clap and stomp
… Ma and Da

Little Arabella Miller

Little Arabella Miller
Found a fuzzy caterpillar.
First if climbed upon her mother,
Then upon her baby brother.
“Ugh!” said Arabella Millar
“Take away that caterpillar!”

Five Green And Speckled Frogs

Five green and speckled frogs, (bounce)
Sitting on a speckled log,
Eating the most delicious bugs,
Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool, (lift baby up)
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are two green speckled frogs!
// four, three, two, one

The Grand Old Duke of York

Oh, the grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up
And when they were down, they were down
And when they were only half-way up
They were neither up nor down.
And he marched them to the left
And he marched them to the right
And he marched them around, and around and around
And he marched them out of sight!

Tick Tock

Tick tock, tick tock,
I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
Now I’m striking 12 o’clock!
Tick tock, tick tock,
I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock,
Now I’m striking 6 o’clock!

Out In The Garden

Out in the Garden
growing in the sun,
are five pretty flowers
and I picked one! (kiss)
//4,3,2,1 until no more flowers!

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 (gulp, gulp, gulp!)
He ate a bar of soap (nom nom nom!)
And now he’s lying sick in bed with bubbles in his throat.
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, pop!
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, pop!