How to Host Baby Storytime @ Your Library
We’ve hosted a baby storytime at our library for years. But, since COVID we’ve had to rearrange a lot of our space and staff and our baby storytime leader decided that after many, many years, she was ready to take a break. A few staff members were a little nervous about taking over a well-loved program and having never led a storytime for such a young audience, they weren’t quite sure where to start. I thought I’d share our plan so you can try Baby Storytime @ Your Library too!
How To Begin
I knew that we had an opportunity to change things up a little bit, while still keeping all the things people loved about baby storytime. (We have a very famous monkey puppet that is a must-have at storytime!) So, I spent some time researching online how other libraries and storytellers offer baby storytime at their libraries. Everything I saw and read about was all about repetition, lots of music, and interaction. Honestly, not too different from toddler or preschool storytime, just for a much younger audience!
Music
I wanted to offer a mix of pre-recorded music and music we had to sing, if only to show parents and caregivers that songs are so important to early literacy. Some of my storytellers were a little nervous to have so much “a cappella” music, but stuck to my guns and kept a lot of it in the lesson plan. I also created a song sheet for families to use in storytime or to take home with a lot of the songs we sang, all in one place. It definitely encouraged families to participate more because they had the words right in front of them!
I also wanted it to be as easy as possible for each storyteller. This meant that the main part of the lesson plan stayed the same week-to-week. And there were only a few elements that needed to be changed out – two books and one song!
Before becoming director, I had done toddler storytime for about eight years. And I knew the attention span of toddlers is so short. And it’s even shorter with babies! Just remember, keep your books super short. Try focusing on concept books that share shapes or colors. Or try sing-along books which are a HUGE hit in storytime.
Lesson Plan
I have our whole lesson plan below for you to see with links to all of our music choices as well. I also added our guidelines, we go over these every week to remind our families of the expectations of storytime. We also like to share a quick little early literacy tip with caregivers. This can be at the beginning or end of storytime or connected to one of the stories or songs. It’s usually something super simple that most caregivers are already doing. It’s kind of like a reassurance that they’re doing a great job already! For example, maybe your early literacy tip might be “Singing is important for early literacy because it breaks down words into smaller sounds.” A lot of parents sing to their kids and knowing that what they’re doing is helpful to development is awesome!
Results
After a six-week session with three different storytellers, I think our babies and their families will be back for more storytime this summer! In fact, they’re looking for even more great programs to build a community of friends and neighbors. My library is also a designated Family Place Library so we offer some great workshops and play times for little ones too. I was really happy with how it turned out. And my other storytellers are really excited for baby storytime now too!
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Baby Storytime @ Your Library
Opening: Clap And Say Hello – Jbrary
Baby Storytime Guidelines
- No eating in the Little Theater. We keep this space as welcoming as possible and this includes our friends with allergies!
- If your child is crying or fussing, please don’t hesitate to take a moment to calm down in the library and return! If today’s not a good day, we welcome you to try again next week!
- If your little one is walking, please keep an eye on them as the steps can be a tripping hazard and we ask that they steer clear of our puppet stage area.
- We don’t mind if you pull out a phone to take a quick picture or a little video to share with other family members who can’t attend.
- Finally, and most importantly, we ask that you participate as you are your child’s first teacher! Be expressive, clap and sing with us (we don’t care what you sound like, but your baby LOVES to hear your voice!)
Rhyme: Open, Shut Them – King County Library System
Rhyme: Elevator Song – Jbrary
Book (changes weekly): We All Play – Julie Flett
Rhyme: This Is Big – Mel’s Desk
Song (changes weekly): If You’re Happy and You Know It – Super Simple Songs
Book (changes weekly): Down by the Station – Jennifer Riggs Vetter
Flannelboard (can change if you want): Bubble Bubble Pop – Jbrary
Rhyme: Shaker Egg Song (with shaker eggs) – King County Library System
Puppet Song: Shake Your Sillies Out – Raffi
Closing: Bye, Bye, Goodbye – Super Simple Songs
Leaving: Let’s Go – Laurie Berkner Band
