Story Time Bites
Story Time Bites are short videos featuring one rhyme, story, or song. They aim to build early literacy skills and give kids a taste of their regular routine back. To keep their attention, we’ve made them short and quick. You can watch them here, anytime. Closed captions are available.
Roly Poly : Teaching Opposites
Caregiver tip: If your child is not able to do the movements (rolling, up and down, etc) in this song by themselves yet, you can help them. If you have a wiggly baby, try doing the actions with their feet and legs as they lay on their back on the floor.
Lyrics:
Roly poly, roly poly
Roly poly, roly poly
Up up up, up up up
Roly roly poly, roly roly poly
Down down down, down down down
Repeat with: Out and in, fast and slow, and yes and no
Five in the Bed (Plus memory game for toddlers and preschoolers)
This is a shortened version of “Ten in the Bed” followed by a game of “Who is missing?” where one of our teddy bear friends hides and viewers have to try to remember which color it is that is missing.
Caregiver tip: Participate with us! Kids mimic your behavior, so when you watch and do the actions along with us, it helps them feel comfortable participating too.
Lyrics: There were five in the bed and the little one said
Roll over! Roll over!
So they all rolled over and one fell out.
Repeat for 4, 3, 2, and then…
There was one in the bed and the little one said…Goodnight!
If you have a baby or toddler who isn’t able to count on their fingers yet, a grown up can sing this song and do the actions. It helps them learn to count and recognize fingers when they watch you do it! Encourage them to try one finger with you at a time, and help them form the shapes.
Lyrics: Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
One grew, two grew,
And so did all the rest
They grew and they grew and they would not stop
Until one day those peas went POP!
This is a fun story song featuring balloons! It is a great introduction to the different words we use for meals, like breakfast and burp. It also teaches story structure, which is important for children to understand when they start to read, write, and talk.
With simple actions to go along with it, this song is a great way to get kids working on their fine and gross motor control while they sing!
Lyrics:
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried out all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Ms. Neena sings “Five Green and Speckled Frogs” with finger puppets. You can sing this song at home with your child using your hands to count, or if you have a printer, you can print our Five Green and Speckled Frogs activity page. Cut out the frogs and move them in and out of the pool to play! Want more? Check out our Five Green and Speckled Frogs Tracing Page.
Lyrics: Five green and speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs – yum! yum!
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool
Now there’s only four green speckled frogs.
Repeat counting down to zero
This song is a great action song with movement, and you can use a scarf or bandana too, if you have one! It introduces words and concepts related to plants, like “sprout” and “watering.” If you’re spending time in nature, this song is a great way to connect what your child sees back to early literacy and learning.
Lyrics: I’m a little flower pot mom put out
If you take care of me, I will sprout!
When you water me, I grow and grow
And turn into a flower don’t cha know?
Well Hello Everybody: Learn Body Parts
This song is a great tool for teaching children to name and identify body parts. Caregivers and parents, you can use this song to introduce new body parts to your kids as they grow! Try it with your heels, hips, or spine.
Lyrics: Well, hello everybody
Can you touch your shoulders?
Touch your shoulders, touch your shoulders.
Well, hello everybody can you touch your shoulders
Touch your shoulders.
You can replace shoulders with any body part, though while social distancing, we suggest you don’t use parts of your face, to avoid touching it.
Fall is here, and the leaves are changing. This festive song is to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus.” Kids love pretending to be the trees as their leaves fall to the ground, plus this song reinforces learning about tree’s life cycles!
Lyrics: The leaves on the trees turn orange and red
Orange and red, orange and red
The leaves on the trees turn orange and red
All around the town
Repeat with…The leaves on the trees go swish, swish, swish (while pretending to wave in the wind)
…The leaves on the trees come twirling down (while pretending hands fall to the ground)
Looking for a fun way to interact with your baby, toddler, or preschooler while teaching them body parts? Look no further. Grab a puppet, stuffed animal, or rubber duck and try out this song, “Put a Puppet on Your Head.” Replace the word head with any body part you want to teach your child. If your child is not old enough yet to manipulate the toy/puppet by themselves, you can use the puppet and demonstrate on your body or theirs.
Lyrics: Put a puppet on your head, on your head
Put a puppet on your head, on your head
Put a puppet on your head, put a puppet on your head
Put a puppet on your head, on your head.
Repeat with other body parts or actions. We used: arm, shoulder, give your puppet a big hug
Lyrics: Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon.
If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon in 5…4…3…2…1! Blast off!
Dear Zoo
The lift-the-flaps in this story by Rod Campbell give children a chance to guess the animal as they think about categorization. Some great things to talk about after you read or listen. What types of animals can be pets? Are all animals pets? What animal from the story would you want as a pet? Thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving us permission to read and post.
You can find Simon and Schuster on socials at Twitter: @SSEdLib Instagram: @SSEdLib Facebook: @SSEdLibhttps://youtu.be/CQG_I1Tk6dk
I Can Do It Too!
I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max is read and posted with permission from Chronicle Books. This book is great for introducing the words we use to describe important people in our lives and families, The bright and colorful pictures are great for babies and toddlers, but even preschoolers will like the repeated chorus of “I Can Do It Too!”
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Pop-Up
This classic from author Michael Rosen and illustrator Helen Oxenbury has been beautifully transformed into a pop-up book by Simon and Schuster books. This is a fun book to act out together. Can you make your way through the tall grass? Or through the thick, oozy mud?
You can find Simon and Schuster on socials at Twitter: @SSEdLib Instagram: @SSEdLib Facebook: @SSEdLibhttps://youtu.be/CQG_I1Tk6dk