Playing with your baby and helping your child discover is a basic cornerstone for baby's development. One member of PUBYAC wrote: Don't force themes on babies! Just have fun...

---

 see also: Baby Storytime; Recorded Music Compilation

 

The grandfather clock goes tick-tock, tick-tock,            (slowly sway child)

The kitchen clock goes tick-tick, tick-tick,                      (sway the child a little faster)

And mama’s little watch goes tickety-tickety-tickety     (sway child quickly with tickle)

 

Tick-tock, tick-tock, I’m a little cuckoo-clock,            (move baby side to side)

Tick-tock, tick-tock, it’s now ____ o’clock.                  (lift baby the # of hours)

 

Here we go round the garden,                        (walk fingers around tummy)

Like a teddy bear.

1 step, 2 steps,                                                 (walk fingers towards baby’s chin)

Tickle you under there.                                    (tickle under chin)

 

Here goes a turtle up the hill—

Creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy.                             (walk fingers up the arm slowly)

Here goes a rabbit up the hill—

Boing, boing, boing, boing.                                   (make bunny ears & bounce up arm)

Here goes an elephant up the hill—

Thud, thud, thud, thud                                           (make a fist and move slowly)

Here goes a snake up the hill—

Slither, slither, slither, slither.                                 (use flat hand as snake)

Here comes a rock down the hill!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, CRASH!                    (land fist in child’s open palm)

            --Malaysian folk game

 

Here is baby’s ball, big and soft and round,                      (make ball with hands)

Here is baby’s hammer, pound, pound, pound.                (taps fists together)

Here is baby’s music, clapping, clapping so.                     (clap hands)

Here are baby’s soldiers standing in a row.                       (hold fingers straight up)

Here is baby’s trumpet, toodle-toodle-too.                      (hold hand to mouth)

Here is baby’s favorite game, it’s called peek-a-boo!       (cover eyes)

Her is her umbrella, to keep our baby dry.                        (hold hands over head)

Here is baby’s cradle to rock a baby by.                            (pretend to rock in arms)

 

Toast in the toaster getting very hot...

Tick-tock, tick-tock, up you pop!                                     (move baby side to side and then lift)

 

Jelly in the bowl, jelly in the bowl,                                    (jiggle baby’s tummy)

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle, jelly in the bowl.

Biscuits in the tin, biscuits in the tin,                                (bounce baby up and down)

Shake them up, shake them up, biscuits in the tin.

Sausage in the pan, sausage in the pan,                          (wiggle or tickle baby)

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sausage in the pan.

Candles on the cake, candles on the cake,                      (gently blow)

Blow them out, blow them out, candles on the cake. 

 

Zip, zip, zip, off it goes!             (Diapering a baby can be a challenge, use this rhyme.)

I see baby without clothes.

Zip, zip, zip, what do I see,

Diapers on one, two, three!

 

These are my eyes,                              

This is my nose,                                   

This is my belly-button,            

These are my toes.

 

What a surprise, here are your eyes,

And this I suppose is a nose,

And right here, I’ve discovered an ear,

But where, oh where, are your toes?          (tickle toes)

 

Leap frog over the ladybug.          (lift baby to one side of lap)
Leap frog over the bee.                 (lift baby to other side of lap)
Leap frog over the tickly clover,    (lift baby to other side of lap)
Then leap back home to me!        (lift baby to center of lap and big HUG)

 

Potato, potato dumpling         (bounce baby)
Boil him in the pot                   (tickle him)
Sugar him,                                (tap baby’s head lightly)
And butter him,                        (stroke baby lightly)
And eat him while he’s hot!     (hug and kiss baby)

Up, up, up in the sky like this,
Down, down, down for a great big kiss.
Up like this, down for a kiss-
you're my special baby.

 

Boing boing squeak, boing boing squeak            (bounce child on lap)

A bouncing mouse is in my house

He’s been there for a week

He bounced from out of nowhere

And quickly settled in

I’m thankful that he came alone

I heard he has a twin

He bounces through the kitchen

He bounces through the den

He bounces through the living room

Look, there he goes again!                                    (point)

Boing boing squeak, boing boing squeak

(Repeat)

 

Here comes a mouse, mousie, mousie, mouse.     (wiggle your fingers near the child)

On tiny light feet and a soft pink nose,

Tickle-tickle, wherever he goes!                              (tickle child)

He''ll run up your arm and under your chin,           (run fingers up child's arm to chin)

Don't open your mouth or mouse will run in!       

Mousie, mousie, mouse.                                        (Tap chin, nose or lips on last three words.)

          --Linda L. Ernst

Lapsit Services for the Very Young

 

Here’s a baby birdie, hatching from her shell                                       (hold baby ‘bird’ close)
Out pops her head, here comes her tail                                               (touch head, wiggle bottom)
Now her legs she stretches, her wings she gives a flap                        (stretch legs and arms)
Then she flies and flies and flies, now what do you think of that?       (lift baby up, up, up!)
Down down down down down down down ~ BOOM!                        (gently lower baby to floor)

 

The baby in the cradle goes rock, rock, rock.                                       (make rocking motions with arms)

The clock on the dresser goes tick tick tock.                                        (move index finger back and forth)
The rain on the window goes tap, tap, tap.                                          (tap child’s palm)
Now out comes the sun, so let’s clap, clap, clap!                                 (clap hands together)

 

Smooth road, smooth road, smooth road
Bumpy road, bumpy road, bumpy road
Rough road, rough road, rough road,
Hole!
(Bounce baby on your lap smoothly, then bumpy, then rough, then let them "fall through" to the floor.)

 

Dump Truck, Dump Truck,
Driving down the road,
Spilling gravel,
as you travel,
With your heavy load,
Bumpetty, Bumpetty, bump,
Dump truck, dump truck, dump!

 

Legs apart,
Legs together,
Legs apart,
Boo!
Legs apart,
Legs together,
I Love You!
One potato, (cross legs one over the other as you count)
Two potato,
Three potato,
Boo!

 

I can make my baby smile

When I tickle his little toes (tickle toes)
I can make my baby smile
When I tickle his little nose! (tickle nose)

 

 

Pickles in the pickle pot,

Cookies in the tin,

Tickles on the tummy,

And underneath the chin

 

Pizza, pickle, pumpernickel.

My little one shall have some tickles.           (Bounce on each word)

One for her nose.

One for his toes.

And one for the tummy where the yogurt goes.

 

What if your tummy were an apple tree?

What if my finger were a bumble bee?

I'd go buzz, buzz, buzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bumble bee, bumble bee, comes from the barn,

Tickles little baby right under the arm.

Bumble bee, bumble bee, comes from the _________,

Tickles little baby right (in/on/under) the __________.

 

You be the ice cream,           (kiss baby's cheek, smile, say,"mmmmmm")
And I'll be the freezer.           (give baby a shivery hug)
You be the lemon,                (kiss baby's cheek and make a sour face)
And I'll be the squeezer.       (give baby a little squeeze)
You be the hot dog,             (squirt some mustard on)
And I'll be the bun.              (enfold baby in a cozy hug)
You be the baby,                 (give a little bounce)
And we'll have some fun!   (give a hug and a tickle)

          --King County Library System

 

Wiggle, waggle, went the bear

Catching bees in his underwear!

One bee out,

One bee in,

One bee buzzed him

On his big bare skin!

 

Charlie Chaplin went to France
To teach the ladies how to dance.
First they did the rumba, the rumba, the rumba,
Then they did the kicks, the kicks, the kicks,
Then they did the samba, the samba, the samba,
Then they did the splits, the splits, the splits.
(I explain that moving the legs up and down and around like that can get things moving in their little tummies and can help with gas, or might cause a full diaper!)

               --Storytime Underground FB 1-30-2019

 

I have learned very quickly that baby storytimes are like herding cats.  You cannot keep all the babies' attention throughout and should expect some to be running around the room while others are crawling about attempting to grab the book you are reading aloud, etc.

 

Songs:

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Where is Thumbkin?

Mother Goose (any)