The love of reading starts young. Would you share what you offer children 3 months to 5 years? Also, tell why you do some of the things that you do, and how you store some of your storytime materials. (see also: Baby Storytime and Behavior Messages)

Fairport:

Our Infant Story Time ("Babies Love Books") is geared toward newborns-18 months with a caregiver.  Toddler Story Time ("Two Times") is for 18 months- 3 years with a caregiver.  Prsechool Story Time is for 3, 4, and 5 year olds who have not yet attended kindergarten, and is a first independent activity.

Here is our format for preschool story times:

Puppet

Opening Song or Fingerplay

Longest book

Fingerplay or Song

Book

Active song or fingerplay - get up and move

Book or Flannelboard

Fingerplay

Good-bye Song

Winton:

Our Toddler Storytime is geared for 2-yr. olds. Our Preschool Storytime is for 3-5 yr. olds. We use the same theme for each group adding a selection of poems, songs, fingerplays, and flannel board stories. It's only the books and their content that will vary according to age.

Opening Song

Intro poem/fingerplay

1st book

Rhyme/Song

2nd book

B-R-E-A-K (movement song/activity)

Flannel board/Paper cutting/drawing story

3rd book

Ending activity (2's - Ring-Around-the-Rosie; 3 & 4's - Sharing Circle)

I stamp the hands of the children at the end of storytime with a theme-related stamp. Just make sure that the ink is non-toxic.

Allison Davis, Storytime Underground FB post 8-4-2019

For 1's and 2's with caregivers. I tend to pick several songs for each activity and use them for three months, then switch up at a new quarter. That way there's repetition, but we get variety too.

1. Hello Song

2. Children's Song (usually something that bounces, so Pop Goes the Weasel etc. but something with stationary movement is good to)

3. Book (try to stick this to the "theme" of the storytime)

4. Instrument (sticks for two weeks, bells for two weeks, shakers for two weeks, then drums for two weeks. Typically steady beat work, but there are rhymes we occasionally use too.)

5. Flannel Board (focused around the theme of the story time)

6. Traveling Movement (Anything that gets us up and dancing. I prefer things that involve freezing for impulse control.)

7. Rocking Song (brings energy level down for next activity)

8. Focused Listening (typically two nature sounds)

9. Big Activity (rotates each week between Scarves, Parachute, Circle Dance, Hoops. Whatever song I do for the scarves will be the scarf song every time we come back to it that quarter. Same with the Parachute, Circle Dance, and Hoops.)

10. Goodbye Song (same as hello song)