Toddler Time

Toddler time, to me, is always 20 minutes of chaos. I feel like I'm walking a thin line between keeping them interested and having a small mutiny on my hands. While it's easy to engage them, you have to be quick. If you pause too long between the pages of the story or in your transitions, you start to lose them. With all that said, I do love doing toddler time. They are at that age where you can really have fun with music and movement and they are reallllly easy to please. Here's my typical todder time outline:

Opening: My rabbit in the hat puppet. This was one of the best personal investments I've ever made. I bought the puppet from Amazon through Folkmanis:

This puppet is my claim to toddler fame

I start out by saying "Bunny, bunny in the hat way down low. Won't you come out and say hello?" Then I ask the kids to help me say the magic words, "I love books". Only then, will the magic rabbit appear. I dramatically pause as I peer into the top to see if it worked and then he pops out! Then we sing to the tune of Frere Jacques:

Hello bunny, hello bunny

How are you, how are you? 

I'm so glad to see you, I'm so glad to see you

Yes it's true, yes it's true

Then I ask the kids to sing "Hello, bunny" with me to the same tune. Then they say goodbye and the bunny goes away.

Song: "Shake Your Sillies Out" by Raffi

Listening Rhyme: Criss-Cross Applesauce (see this post for the lyrics)

Book #1:

Song/Rhyme:

Book #2:

Song/Rhyme:

Fun Dancing Song: "Tooty-Ta" by Dr. Jean. This one is great for this age. It also inspires lots of laughs from the adults in the room!

Closing Song: Do You Know What Time It Is? (see this post for the lyrics)

Do you have any favorites that you use with toddlers?