• Activities

    Storytime Theme: Blankets

    Blanket Storytime Header

    Regardless of the season, you’ll most likely find me wrapped up in a blanket both at home and at work. Typically, the air conditioning is too cold and the heat isn’t warm enough, so I tend to keep a blanket handy. Now that the nights are beginning to cool down,…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Polar Bears

    polar bears storytime

    Today’s storytime theme is a perfect theme for the upcoming winter as nights get longer and the days get colder. While this can be a simple bear-themed storytime, you can also use this as a topic for a STEM program that discusses the effects of climate change on the polar…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Pajamas

    pajama storytime

    There’s never been a better lesson plan that one that involves wearing your pajamas! This is a cozy storytime that’s perfect for an evening time slot or some great ideas that you can use at home (especially if you build a blanket fort). With great authors like Sandra Boynton and…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Painting

    Painting storytime header

    While I’ve done an art themed storytime lesson plan, I haven’t expanded beyond just the general theme. So, for today, I’m focusing solely on painting. Obviously, the activities are all paint-based. And there are a number of different directions you can go in – different types of paint, paintbrushes, and…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Mother Goose

    mother goose storytime header

    This storytime lesson plan focuses on simple rhymes from the past and while I’m the first to admit these are very American/Euro-centric (I’m not familiar with rhymes like this from other cultures) they can provide kids with early literacy skills that are important stepping stones for the future. Nursery rhymes…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Messy & Clean

    messy and clean storytime

    Kids love to make a mess and they love it even more when they’re encouraged to be messy! Today’s storytime lesson plan is all about making a mess (and cleaning it up), but also experiencing new, fun textures by encouraging sensory play with a lot of really cool homemade recipes.…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Candy

    It’s time for such a fun storytime lesson plan – all about candy! This lesson plan can be used during all sorts of holidays – Halloween, Christmas, or other holidays where sweets are centered. But, what I love about this, is that you can also use this storytime any time…

  • Activities

    Storytime Theme: Clouds

    cloud storytime header

    I will always remember the afternoon when my nephew was maybe three years old. We were at my parents’ house on a beautiful piece of land with wide open skies. He looked at me and said, “Can we look for cloud shapes?” And he absolutely melt my heart, here’s this…

  • Lists

    Nonfiction Outer Space Books for Kids

    With the aurora borealis in full display earlier this year and the solar eclipse, plus your more typical events like full moons and meteor showers, it’s no wonder kids (and adults) are fascinated by outer space! Today, I’m sharing 15 nonfiction books about outer space for the littlest of readers…