Storytime Kits: Do From Home!

Thursday, May 28th

We love a book that worms its way into our hearts! Today’s virtual storytime kit is all about bugs and other outdoor creatures.

1. Listen to Ryan T. Higgins read his new picture book What About Worms (featuring Mo Willems!): https://youtu.be/vPzqzS0pM7w

2. Sing the Ants Go Marching here: https://youtu.be/oOpfxps2Zsg

3. Have Play Doh or an alternative available? Create your own insects like these: https://www.pre-kpages.com/making-insects-with-play-dough/

4. We love a good scavenger hunt. This one is quick and easy, and children can practice the alphabet: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/…/alphabet-scavenger-hu…

5. Want to get outside and enjoy the spring weather? Try this chalk counting garden activity: https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/chalk-counting-gard…


Tuesday, May 26th

Choo choo! Today’s virtual storytime kit is arriving on a train!

1. Listen to Shark vs Train by Chris Barton for FREE on Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11792233

2. Learn The Wheels on the Train and some new verses: https://youtu.be/MY82ZSGQNxI

3. Kids can practice fine motor skills with this egg carton train craft: https://handsonaswegrow.com/toddler-fine-motor-activity-eg…/

4. This alphabet activity might take a little bit of prep time, but it’s an excellent way for kids to practice letter recognition in a fun way: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/alphabet-train-toddler-learni…/

5. This math shapes activity looks like so much fun! Using painter’s tape, create shapes on the floor that kids can trace with a toy train. Or, use a pencil to create shapes on pieces of paper and have kids dip their toy train tracks in some paint and paint the shape! https://www.icanteachmychild.com/tracing-shapes-with-train…/


Thursday, May 21st

You might want to break out your crayons for today’s virtual storytime kit!

1. Listen to Harold and the Purple Crayon for FREE on Hoopla here: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12206023

2. Head over here to learn the catchy 10 Little Crayons song: https://youtu.be/tgONMEtVMQs

3. Kids can have some fun tie dyeing paper towels with this fun activity: https://youtu.be/3yZ2XPVjz5c

4. Want to head outside today? Kids can practice their alphabet and letter recognition with this sidewalk “say and spray” activity: https://www.adabofgluewilldo.com/say-and-spray/

5. This activity uses math equations as an example, but young children can instead practice their numbers with this crayon resistant watercolor activity: https://happytoddlerplaytime.com/mystery-math-a-crayon-r…/…/


Tuesday, May 19th

Today’s virtual storytime kit is about monsters!

1. Listen to author Bill Cotter read his picture book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks23HDEm830

2. Learn some new verses to the popular storytime song Open Shut Them: https://youtu.be/lsuqa9U3wik

3. Take a walk outside and collect rocks that you can later paint on to create your own rock monsters: https://masandpas.com/rock-monsters/…

4. This paper bag activity is a fun and easy way to let kids practice the alphabet: https://www.toddlerapproved.com/…/feed-alphabet-monsters.ht…

5. This monster munch activity is a creative way to get kids counting: https://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/monster-munch-activity/


Thursday, May 14th

Arrr! Today’s virtual storytime kit is all about pirates!

1. Listen to a reading of author Melinda’s Long’s picture book How I Became a Pirate: https://youtu.be/jTz9WojaMIg

2. Learn new lyrics to a familiar tune: https://youtu.be/XDKlKiMIYv4

3. Create your own cardboard pirate ship in your house! Create in the Chaos explains this activity step by step: http://www.createinthechaos.com/pirate-week-cardboard-pira…/

4. Don’t have cardboard? Create a miniature pirate ship using an egg carton: https://www.momjunction.com/…/egg-carton-crafts-for-kids_0…/

5. Practice your sight words with this treasure hunt activity from The Imagination Tree: https://theimaginationtree.com/sight-word-activity-pirate-…/

6. Count by 10s and walk the plank in your backyard with this math activity: https://theclassroomcreative.com/…/pirate-math-activity-wa…/


Tuesday, May 12th

Today’s virtual storytime kit is all about sharks!

1. Enjoy author Bruce Hale’s reading of his early reader book Clark the Shark: Too Many Treats here: https://youtu.be/gys2buANKWk

2. Are you familiar with the song Bubble Bubble Pop? Our Children’s Librarian recorded this popular storytime song, and you can view it here: https://youtu.be/ZS1WYkq26o0

3. If you have a plastic bottle around, you can upcycle it by creating a sensory ocean bottle. The recipe calls for Elmer’s glue, but we’ve used hair gel before and it works just as well: https://modernmomlife.com/easy-shark-craft-kids/

4. Seashells can be turned into alphabet shells to use for this fun letter recognition activity: https://www.pre-kpages.com/ocean-theme-alphabet-shells-sen…/

5. Want to practice your numbers? Try this shark-themed number matching game: https://simplelivingcreativelearning.com/…/Shark-Number-Mat…


Thursday, May 7th

This Virtual Storytime Kit theme is dinosaurs! Enjoy listening to Tom Fletcher’s reading of his picture book The Dinosaur that Pooped a Princess.

1. Listen to the story on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Jgqk09OHG-A

2. After listening to the story, learn the 5 Little Dinosaurs song here: https://youtu.be/uMdTrXckJJM

3. Want to create your own dinosaur fossils? Salt dough is a quick and easy way to create them! Instructions found in this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/L7sH9bj-fl0

4. Looking for a fun new way to practice your alphabet? Create a sand box to write in, or go outside in the yard to practice drawing each letter. This video shows you how it’s done: https://youtu.be/e_X3InYzlDA

5. Caregivers, when your children are playing with salt dough, try to create your own dinosaur bones that kids can “dig up” for this math activity from The Imagination Tree: https://theimaginationtree.com/digging-dinosaur-bones-math…/


Tuesday, May 5th

This Virtual Storytime Kit theme is trucks! This kit features author Sherri Duskey Rinker reading her popular Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site picture book.

1. Watch and listen to the YouTube story here: https://youtu.be/dKCnH6aaBNA

2. Celebrate more trucks by singing the Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck song here: https://youtu.be/aD3LZe7IoOo

3. Enjoy this Diggers in the Mud sensory play activity outside (credit: The Imagination Tree): https://theimaginationtree.com/diggers-in-the-mud-sensory-…/

4. This alphabet activity uses rocks and letters to create words: https://theimaginationtree.com/alphabet-rocks-construction…/

5. This math and fine motor skills activity involves more trucks and rocks (credit: Little Bins for Little Hands): https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/develop-fine-motor-sk…/