Book Babies + Toddler Time: Hats!

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Hats!

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Hats!

Hats, hats, and more hats! Did you know that learning to put on and take off a hat is one of the developmental milestones for a baby? In addition, getting dressed and undressed can be a learning experience , too. Try some of these songs, rhymes, and activities to turn an everyday activity into fun activity with your child.

Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:30am in Community Room

Ages 0 – 10 months

Toddler Time: Monday & Tuesday @ 9:30am in Community Room

Ages 11 – 23 months

Welcome Songs

Here We Are Together

Here we are together, together, together! Oh, here we are together in our library. There’s (sing names)… Here we are together in our library!

Hello Everybody

Hello everybody let’s clap our hands*, clap our hands, clap our hands. Hello everybody let’s clap our hands today! *pat our head, stretch up high, wiggle our fingers, tickle our knees, kick our feet, bounce up high!

S, T, R, W, P

(Sing while pointing to each finger on your child’s hand.) Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play each day!

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip
When you read a book with your child, running your finger under the printed words helps her to know that it is the text you are reading, not the pictures. Did you know that without our guidance, 4- year- old children will give 95 percent of their visual attention to the pictures?

- Lambert

Activity

Read “Hats are not for Cats” by Jacqueline Rayner or another book with your child, and run your finger under the title as you read the words. If the book has a repeated phrase, run your finger under those words as well. Encourage your child to say the repeated phrase while pointing at each word as he says it. Then encourage him to point at the words.

Books Presented

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

These catchy stanzas frolic through the Australian author Sue Williams’s simple, funny read-aloud picture book that tracks a crazy-haired boy’s stroll through the countryside. The boy sees a black cat, then a brown horse, then a red cow, and so on, and before he knows it, he’s being trailed by the entire menagerie!

Who's Wearing a Hat? an Usborne baby book

Who’s wearing a hat? Is it the orange cat? Lots to look at and talk about in this colorful new title from Usborne. Babies will marvel at the colorful pictures and the fun rhyming questions and will share a delightful moment or two with their parents with this enjoyable new series. Do cows sing? Do cows coo? All I know is cows go–moo! Lift the flaps to find lots more barnyard animal sounds!

Pop-Up Peekaboo: Meow! by DK Publishing

A fun pop-up book!

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Giddyap, Giddyap

Giddyap, giddyap, ride to town
Giddyap, giddyap, up and down.
Giddyap fast
Giddyap slow
Giddyap, giddyap, giddyap, WHOA! 

Clipity-Clop

Horsey, Horsey don’t you stop, just let your feet go clippety-clop.
(clap/bounce in rhythm)
Your tail goes swish,
(slide palms together)
And the wheels go round,
(roll hands)
Giddy-up we’re homeward bound!
(clap/bounce in rhythm)

Silly Hat Song

Tune to This Old Man

On my head, I wear my hat.
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro
Where else can my silly hat go?
[Repeat using foot, elbow and knee]

These Are Grandma’s Glasses

These are Grandma’s glasses
This is Grandma’s hat
This is the way she folds her hands
And lays them in her lap
Here are Grandpa’s glasses
And here is Grandpa’s hat
And here’s the way he folds his arms
And takes a little nap

Baby Put Your Pants On

Tune of Shor’nin Bread

Baby put your pants on, pants on, pants on
(move baby’s legs)
Baby put your pants on, one, two, three
(gently poke baby’s belly)
Baby put your pants on, pants on, pants on
Baby put your pants on, one, two, three

Leg to the left, leg to the right
(move legs)
Wiggle and jiggle and pull them up tight
Leg to the left, leg to the right
Wiggle and jiggle and pull them up tight

Baby put your pants on, pants on, pants on
Baby put your pants on, one, two, three

As I Was Walking to Town One Day

As I went walking to town one day
I met an elephant on the way
And what do you think that elephant did say?
(trumpet like an elephant!)
But I kept walking!
Choose other animals to keep the song going!

Crafts and Activities

Make an adorable SPIDER HAT with your little one!

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NOVEMBER Book Babies + Toddler Time: Under the Sea

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Storytime: Hats

Storytime: Hats

Storytime: Hats

Let’s learn about the letter “H”! There’s hopping, horses, happy, hands, and… HATS! Hats are not only great for pretend play, they also have a purpose such as protection, like a bicycle helmet, or shade, like a sun visor. Some people wear hats for their job like a police officer or a construction worker. Others wear hats for fashion! So, grab some hats with your child and have fun pretending and learning about the part of clothing that’s totally on top!

Join us Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room.

Ages 2-5

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip

When you read a book with your child, running your finger under the printed words helps her to know that it is the text you are reading, not the pictures. Did you know that without our guidance, 4- year- old children will give 95 percent of their visual attention to the pictures?

- Lambert

Activity

Read “Hats are Not for Cats” by Jacqueline Rayner or another book with your child, and run your finger under the title as you read the words. If the book has a repeated phrase, run your finger under those words as well. Encourage your child to say the repeated phrase while pointing at each word as he says it. Then encourage him to point at the words.

Books Presented

Finders Keepers by Keiko Kasza

When a squirrel uses his red hat to mark the spot where he buried an acorn, he sets off a chain of events involving other creatures, each of which finds an unusual use for the chapeau.

Hats Are Not For Cats by Jacqueline K Rayner

A patronizing, plaid-hat-wearing dog informs a cat that hats are only for dogs but the cat, joined by others, dons a wide assortment of hats proving, at last, that hats are for everyone.

 

This is Not My Hate by Jon Klassen

A little fish thinks he can get away with stealing a hat.

Do You Believe in Unicorns? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Is that a horse wearing a hat, or is it a unicorn in disguise? It all depends on how you look at it in this charming story about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

 

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Silly Hat Song
Tune to “This Old Man”

On my head, I wear my hat.
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro
Where else can my silly hat go?

These Are Grandma’s Glasses

These are Grandma’s glasses
This is Grandma’s hat
This is the way she folds her hands
And lays them in her lap
Here are Grandpa’s glasses
And here is Grandpa’s hat
And here’s the way he folds his arms
And takes a little nap

Crafts and Activities

Make a fun hat!

Additional Books

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen

Two turtles find a hat that looks good on both of them, but, with fairness in mind, they decide to leave it be, until night falls and one of the turtles changes its mind.

I Had a Favorite Hat by Boni Ashburn

At the end of summer, a girl’s mother wants to put away her favorite beach hat but the girl asks to keep it out, then decorates it for each holiday and season from autumn through spring.

Hats Off to You! by Karen Beaumont

Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn, and Claire are busy trying on different hats, uncertain which ones to wear to the street fair.

Whose Hat is This? by Sharon Katz Cooper

Put on your thinking cap and guess whose hat is whose. There are hard hats and soft hats, square hats and round hats. There are even very tall hats. Some workers wear special hats to help them do their jobs. Can you guess whose hat is whose? Learn all about the different hats worn by construction workers, police officers, firefighters, and more.

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You will need:

  • Crisco (from the Blubber Bag) 
  • Pine cone
  • String
  • Sunflower seeds (or any seeds approved for bird feed)
  • Scissors
  • Optional: paper towels for cleanup 

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Storytime: Tiger Tales

Storytime: Tiger Tales

Storytime: Tiger Tales

“The wonderful thing about Tiggers… Is Tiggers are wonderful things!” Of course they are! Especially TIGERS. This week in Story Time we learned that tigers have patterns in their fur, live on the other side of the world in Asia, and and have very large paws. Try reading some of these books and singing the rhymes together. Then, in the words of the adorable Tigger, you and your child can, “Consider yourself pounced!”

Join us Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room.

Ages 2-5

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip

Have your preschooler tell you the story. By age 5, children can sit still for longer books and can create their own stories based on the pictures.

Activity

After reading a book with your preschooler, ask him to tell you the basic plot of the book or make up stories based on what he sees on each page. You can also pretend play the story and act it out with one another.

Books Presented

Tigers by Kate Riggs

A kindergarten-level introduction to tigers, covering their growth process, behaviors, the habitats they call home, and such defining physical features as their striped fur.

Who is the Beast? by Keith Baker

 A tiger is confused by jungle animals fleeing from a beast until he discovers he is the beast they are fleeing from.

 

Oh No! by Candace Fleming

 A series of animals falls into a deep hole, only to be saved at last by a very large rescuer.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Are you bored with being so proper? Do you want to have more fun? Mr. Tiger knows exactly how you feel. So he decides to go wild. But does he go too far? Bored with city life and the proper behavior it requires, Mr. Tiger has a wild idea that leads him to discover his true nature. From Caldecott Honor artist Peter Brown comes a story that shows there’s a time and place for everything…even going wild.

 

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Five Little Tigers

Five little tigers out for a stroll
One tripped on a rock and started to… ROLL.
She bounced down a hill and landed with a flop.
How many tigers are left walking through the swamp?
(count down until there are no more tigers)

The Jungle Song
Tune to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”

Tiger, tiger, orange and black,
He’s got stripes upon his back.
When he growls, sharp teeth I see.
He’s as scary as can be!
Tiger, tiger, orange and black,
He’s got stripes upon his back.

The Tiger
Tune to “Frere Jacques”

Orange and black, great big cat
(hold hands wide to side)
Four big paws (hold up hands)
Long sharp and claws (curve fingers like claws)
Through the jungle running (pretend to run)
Do you see her coming? (shade eyes)
What a sight! Will she bite? (clap hands)

I’m a Little Tiger
Tune to “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a little tiger in the jungle.
Here are my stripes.
Here is my tail.
When I get excited you will see
Just how loud that I can growl.

Crafts and Activities

Tiger Coloring Page

Paper plate tiger craft!

Additional Books

A Tiger Like Me by Michael Engler

A little boy—um, no, a tiger!—tells us all about what he gets up to on an ordinary day: how he wakes up in his tiger den, what he eats for breakfast at his feeding spot, and how little tigers feel when they are wide awake, hungry, thirsty, or in the mood for adventures. But at night, even the wildest of tigers is happy to curl up in bed with Tiger-Mom and Tiger-Dad and become a cuddly little tiger cub.

I Am a Tiger by Karl Newson

Despite the evidence, Mouse insists that he is a tiger–or maybe a crocodile.

Tiger Cubs by Ruth Owen

Young readers will learn about what some people consider to be the most beautiful wild cats in the worldSiberian tigers. Born in the bitter cold of Siberia in a safe hideaway of tall bushes or rocks, the cute little cubs of this species are well cared for by their mothers. They cuddle, lick, and nurse their babies and keep them safe. Through gorgeous pictures and simple text, readers will see how the babies learn all about hunting and living on their own in this coming-of-age introduction to tiger cubs.

Under My Bed

There’s a tiger under the bed! Luckily Mum knows just what to do…

More Story Times

January Programs for Kids ‘n’ Tweens

Story TimeJanuary Story Time is serving up something soup-er! Book Babies (infants/babies not yet walking and their caregivers) meet Wednesdays at 9:30 AM with songs, stories, and sensory fun for our "Soup’s On!" theme. (Library Closed Jan. 1) Toddler Time (walking...

Storytime: Something NEW, Just for YOU! in November

New things can be exciting. New friends, new shoes, or a brand new year. Check out these books that are new to the library. You might find a new favorite. ​ ​Join us Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Ages 2-5 Sing,...

Storytime: G is for Geese

Mother Goose has introduced timeless rhymes, songs and stories to children across the globe, but have you observed the role of the “goose” in today’s literature? Not only is she silly and inquisitive, but she’s friendly, kind, and smart, not to mention a significant...

Storytime: G is for Go, Go, Go

Join us for Idaho Family Reading Week 2024 and “Rev Up Your Reading” as we go, go, GO! ​Join us Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Ages 2-5Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play Tip Using books and stories to help children...

November Programs for Kids ‘n’ Tweens

Story TimeNovember Story Time is here, and our themes are “Duck, Duck, Goose!” for Book Babies and Toddler Time and the letter “G” for Story Time! Join us in the Community Room for songs, stories, and sensory activities perfect for each age group. Book Babies...

Storytime: Halloween

It’s time to put on a costume and have some Halloween fun! But first, try out some of these books, songs, and rhymes to enhance your spooky family activities!Join us Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Ages 2-5Sing,...

Storytime: Hibernation

When reading a book with your child, don’t skip or rush through the complex words. This is a great time to talk with your child about how to pronounce the word and its context within the book or story you are reading together. For example, the word, “hibernation,” can...

Storytime: Hedgehogs

Did you know that attending story time will not only help your children develop early literacy skills, but it also helps them with critical thinking skills and will improve their imagination? As they fall into the adventure of character, like a hedgehog who’s back...

Storytime: Horses & Ponies

Did you know that horses can sleep standing up, they have excellent hearing, can run shortly after being born, have bigger eyes than any other mammal who lives on land, and that a pony is actually just a small horse? Why of course, it’s a horse! For more fun facts...

Storytime: Something NEW, Just for YOU! September & October

Rhymes and spiders, duck and trucks, and cows that say, “Boo!” Look below and you will find something new for you! ​Join us Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Ages 2-5 Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play Tip Using books...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Cats

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Cats

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Cats

Meow – cats and kittens!

Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 0 – 10 months

Toddler Time: Monday & Tuesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 11 – 23 months

Welcome Songs

Here We Are Together

Here we are together, together, together! Oh, here we are together in our library. There’s (sing names)… Here we are together in our library!

Hello Everybody

Hello everybody let’s clap our hands*, clap our hands, clap our hands. Hello everybody let’s clap our hands today! *pat our head, stretch up high, wiggle our fingers, tickle our knees, kick our feet, bounce up high!

S, T, R, W, P

(Sing while pointing to each finger on your child’s hand.) Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play each day!

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip
It’s OK if your child can’t sit still for an entire book — toddlers’ attention spans will get longer soon. You might want to keep reading even if your child moves around. Before bedtime, allow your child to touch and play with favorite toys while you read aloud. The sound of your voice will be a soothing reminder of the bedtime routine and that books are a part of it.

- https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/reading-toddler.html

Activity

Create a “Favorites” or core nursery song list to sing with your child every day, then you can add other songs that match with books you like to read together.

Books Presented

"Cats" Discovery Kit

Check out our Discovery Kits all about CATS! Inside is full of books and activities all about our friendly felines.

Do Cats Meow? by Salina Yoon

Do cows sing? Do cows coo? All I know is cows go–moo! Lift the flaps to find lots more barnyard animal sounds!

Cat's Colors by Airlie Anderson

Cat spends the day collecting colors, and when she is finished something wonderful happens.

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

A Bouncing We Will Go

A bouncing we will go, a bouncing we will go,
High-ho the dairy oh, a bouncing we will go.
A rocking we will go, a rocking we will go,
High-ho the dairy oh, a rocking we will go.
A tickling we will go, a tickling we will go,
High-ho the dairy oh, a tickling we will go.

Kitten in the Box variation

Kitten in the box
Kitten in the box sits so still.
Will he come out?
Yes, he will!

Five Little Cats

5 little cats playing near the door, one ran inside and that left 4.
4 little cats underneath a tree, one heard a dog bard and that left 3.
3 little cats wondering what to do, one saw a little bird and that left 2.
2 little cats sitting in the sun, one ran to catch his tail and that left 1.
1 little cat looking for some fun, he saw a butterfly and there there were none!

Scarf Song: Peek-a-Boo

(cover your face with the scarf)
Peek-a-boo, where are you
Hiding in your…
place! PEEKABOO!
(throw the scarf off your face and tickle baby)

(cover your face with the scarf)
Peek-a-boo, I see you
and your smiling…
face! PEEKABOO!
(throw the scarf off your face and tickle baby)

Scarf Song: One Bright Scarf

One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow (wave it gently)
Toss it up high (throw it high in the air and catch it)
And wave it down low
Wiggle it FAST!
and wiggle it s…l…o…w……
Hey! (hide it behind you)
Where did it go?
…. Here it is! (bring it back out)

Additional Books

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.

Five Black Cats by Patricia Hegarty

Five black cats set out through shadowy streets and dark forests. Along the way, they encounter bats and glowing jack o’ lanterns. Then, they follow a tiny white mouse into a spooky old house for an annual Halloween party.

Cats Know Best by Colin Eisler

Cats know how to keep warm or cool, find food, play, keep clean, and take care of their kittens.

Hugs in the City

Jilly goes on a quest to hug all the cats in the city! 

More Book Babies

NOVEMBER Book Babies + Toddler Time: Duck, Duck, Goose

“Play is serious business when it comes to a child's health and development. From peek-a-boo to pat-a-cake and hide-and-seek to hopscotch, the many forms of play enrich a child's brain, body and life in important ways.” HealthyChildren.org. When reading books with...

OCTOBER Book Babies + Toddlers: Horses & Ponies

This is how the ladies ride… clippity-clop, clippity-clop. This is how the gentlemen ride… giddy-up, giddy-up. This is how the cowboys ride… Yee haw! Ride ‘em cowboy!! There are many rhymes and songs about horses which encourage parent and child communication,...

SEPTEMBER Book Babies + Toddlers: Feelings

Ah, emotions… however big or small, can be difficult to manage for everyone, especially children. There are, however, tips and tricks you can use to help your child learn how to recognize and regulate their feelings, and you can start early, even with an infant. The...

JULY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Adventures in the Dark

At the end of the day, it’s a great time to establish a routine to help your child prepare for bed. Some of the activities in your routine could include reading a book, taking a bath, singing a song, picking up toys, or perhaps doing a knee bounce. When you follow the...

JUNE Book Babies + Toddler Time: Adventures in Imagination

Did you know that imaginative or pretend play contains the building blocks of developing critical thinking skills, following directions, expressive language, and even managing emotions? So, grab those sheets, boxes, mud, dishes, and anything you can think of to help...

APRIL Book Babies + Toddler Time: Walking Together

As you look forward to the first steps of your infant, don’t forget the benefit of walking outside with your child. Not only is it a great self-care activity for you as a caregiver, but it opens up the world to your child as they develop and find themselves in a...

MARCH Book Babies + Toddler Time: Eric Carle

If you haven’t discovered the bold, colorful world of Eric Carle, you are in for a enchanting experience. “Eric Carle (1929-2021) was the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But that’s not the only reason why he received nearly 10,000 fan letters every year. Carle...

FEBRUARY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Music & Movement

Music and movement can improve a child’s mood and help to reduce stress all while stimulating the formation of important brain connections. So, sing those lullabies, dance in the kitchen, play an instrument, and sing a book with your baby each and every day! ​ ​ Book...

JANUARY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, we love you! We love the way you stomp! We love the way you chomp! We love the way you soar! And, we especially love the way you, ROAR! There are so many things to do with your budding dinosaur. ​Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:30am in Community Room...

NOVEMBER Book Babies + Toddler Time: Under the Sea

Glub! Glub! Glub! went the slippery little fish! Children love “diving” under the sea and meeting all the different creatures who reside in the deep blue ocean. In addition to the activities listed below, try filling a large container with water, possibly tinting it...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Trains

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Trains

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Trains

Children find trains fascinating. It could be its speed and motion as it moves on the track. Or perhaps it’s the unique sounds that it makes as it passes by. What ever it is, trains wake up excitement, curiosity, and creativity in a child’s mind. So, with plenty of “Choo, choo’s,” have fun with these books and activities.

Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 0 – 10 months

Toddler Time: Monday & Tuesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 11 – 23 months

Welcome Songs

Here We Are Together

Here we are together, together, together! Oh, here we are together in our library. There’s (sing names)… Here we are together in our library!

Hello Everybody

Hello everybody let’s clap our hands*, clap our hands, clap our hands. Hello everybody let’s clap our hands today! *pat our head, stretch up high, wiggle our fingers, tickle our knees, kick our feet, bounce up high!

S, T, R, W, P

(Sing while pointing to each finger on your child’s hand.) Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play each day!

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip
When your children have happy experiences, they want to repeat them. Starting kindergarten can seem as an extension of informal library classes. Children who have had joyful experiences in the public library often approach school with a positive attitude, ready and excited to learn.

- Lambert

Activity

Help your toddler make an “egg carton” train like this one: What Can We Use Egg Cartons For? Make a Train. Then sing some songs and rhymes about trains.

Books Presented

Choo Choo by Petr Horáček

What could be more fun than an old-fashioned train ride? Off go the passengers, past the town, into the woods (Shhh, Shhh), over the bridge (Clack, Clack), into the tunnel (Toot, Toot), and back out into the sunshine. Who could guess that the destination is–a day at the seaside?

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles

I'm Dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan

A busy backhoe loader describes all the items it hauls off a lot and all the fun it has getting dirty while doing so.

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Engine, Engine Number 9

Engine, engine number 9
Coming down Chicago Line
If the train goes off its track
Do you want your money back?
Yes? (sway to the side)
No? (sway to the other side)
Maybe so? (sway back and forth)

Chugga-Choo Freight Train

Chugga- chugga choo choo goes the freight train,
Chugga- chugga choo choo goes the freight train,
Chugga- chugga choo choo goes the freight train,
Uuuuuuup the hill!
Doooown the track!

The Wheels on the Train

Tune to “Wheels on the Bus”

The wheels on the train go clackety clack
Clackety clack, clackety clack
The wheels on the train, go clackety clack
All along the track.

More verses:
The whistle… goes whoo, whoo, whoo
The conductor… says, “All Aboard”
The people … go bumpety, bump

This Little Train

This little train ran up the track
Trail fingers up baby’s arm from fingers to shoulder
It went Choo Choo!
Tap baby’s nose!
And then it ran back.
Trail fingers back down baby’s arm.

The other little train ran up the track
Trail fingers up baby’s other arm from fingers to shoulder
It went Choo Choo!
Tap baby’s nose!
And then it ran back.
Trail fingers back down baby’s arm.

Flannel Board: Down by the Station

Down by the station early in the morning
See the little puffer trains all in a row
See the engine driver turn the little handle
Puff puff, chuff chuff, off we go! (remove one train, and count)

Baby Sign Language

“More”

“All Done”

Additional Books

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

 Although he is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys over the mountain.

Trains Chug by Rebecca Stromstad Glaser

There’s a lot of building going on in Playtown! There is so much to explore, learn, and discover inside this busy, busy book – diggers are digging holes, materials are being delivered, and roads are being laid. On every page there are fun flaps to lift which tell children more about the picture above, and at the back of the book is a big page to fold out that reveals a bustling construction scene

Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Cuddle up with the beloved animal friends from the bestselling Steam Train, Dream Train and count on lots of fun! Little train enthusiasts will love counting from one to ten along with the dreamy train cars!

Who Takes the Train

Naledi is taking the train to the beach with her Mum – and there is so much to see!

More Book Babies

NOVEMBER Book Babies + Toddler Time: Duck, Duck, Goose

“Play is serious business when it comes to a child's health and development. From peek-a-boo to pat-a-cake and hide-and-seek to hopscotch, the many forms of play enrich a child's brain, body and life in important ways.” HealthyChildren.org. When reading books with...

OCTOBER Book Babies + Toddlers: Horses & Ponies

This is how the ladies ride… clippity-clop, clippity-clop. This is how the gentlemen ride… giddy-up, giddy-up. This is how the cowboys ride… Yee haw! Ride ‘em cowboy!! There are many rhymes and songs about horses which encourage parent and child communication,...

SEPTEMBER Book Babies + Toddlers: Feelings

Ah, emotions… however big or small, can be difficult to manage for everyone, especially children. There are, however, tips and tricks you can use to help your child learn how to recognize and regulate their feelings, and you can start early, even with an infant. The...

JULY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Adventures in the Dark

At the end of the day, it’s a great time to establish a routine to help your child prepare for bed. Some of the activities in your routine could include reading a book, taking a bath, singing a song, picking up toys, or perhaps doing a knee bounce. When you follow the...

JUNE Book Babies + Toddler Time: Adventures in Imagination

Did you know that imaginative or pretend play contains the building blocks of developing critical thinking skills, following directions, expressive language, and even managing emotions? So, grab those sheets, boxes, mud, dishes, and anything you can think of to help...

APRIL Book Babies + Toddler Time: Walking Together

As you look forward to the first steps of your infant, don’t forget the benefit of walking outside with your child. Not only is it a great self-care activity for you as a caregiver, but it opens up the world to your child as they develop and find themselves in a...

MARCH Book Babies + Toddler Time: Eric Carle

If you haven’t discovered the bold, colorful world of Eric Carle, you are in for a enchanting experience. “Eric Carle (1929-2021) was the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But that’s not the only reason why he received nearly 10,000 fan letters every year. Carle...

FEBRUARY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Music & Movement

Music and movement can improve a child’s mood and help to reduce stress all while stimulating the formation of important brain connections. So, sing those lullabies, dance in the kitchen, play an instrument, and sing a book with your baby each and every day! ​ ​ Book...

JANUARY Book Babies + Toddler Time: Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs, dinosaurs, we love you! We love the way you stomp! We love the way you chomp! We love the way you soar! And, we especially love the way you, ROAR! There are so many things to do with your budding dinosaur. ​Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:30am in Community Room...

NOVEMBER Book Babies + Toddler Time: Under the Sea

Glub! Glub! Glub! went the slippery little fish! Children love “diving” under the sea and meeting all the different creatures who reside in the deep blue ocean. In addition to the activities listed below, try filling a large container with water, possibly tinting it...

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