Z718.3 → Toddler Storytime: Robots

This week's session of toddler storytime was all about robots! I loved the idea of this theme from the very beginning, but I'll admit that I was a little bit worried going in that the kids wouldn't understand what robots actually were. There were a lot of resources I consulted for this week's session, and a big thanks to Jbrary's Pinterest board, Anne's Library Life, Future Librarian Superhero, and Never Shushed for their posts on the theme.

Introduction Activity

Finding nametags - this is the same thing I start with every session after week 1 (when the craft is making nametags). I like it because it starts the toddlers on the course of name and letter recognition and allows us all to know everyone's names easily.

Opening Songs

Hands Go Up! (x2)
Hands go up,
Hands go down,
I can turn around and round.
I can hop upon two shoes,
I can listen, so can you.
I can sit, I'll show you how.
Storytime is starting now.

Open Them, Shut Them (x2)
Open them, shut them,
Open them, shut them,
Give a little clap!
Open them, shut them,
Open them, shut them,
Put them in your lap.
Creep them, crawl them,
Creep them, crawl them,
Right up to your chin.
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them in!

Books

Book 1: Ribbit rabbit / Candace Ryan ; Book 2: Robots everywhere / Denny Hebson

Extension Activities

Action Song: "I'm a Little Teapot" [from childhood]

Action Song: "Head and Shoulders" [from childhood]
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose!

Action Song: "The Wheels on the Bus" [from childhood]

Action Song: "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" [from childhood]

Action: "Stretching" [from Storytime Katie]
When I reach up, I feel so tall.
When I bend down, I feel so small.
Taller, taller, taller, taller.
Smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller.
Into a tiny ball.

Craft

Paper bag robot - inspired by this cute little robot I found on Pinterest (note: the Pinterest source doesn't seem to lead anywhere and a reverse-image search came up with nothing - if anyone knows, drop a line in the comments!), I immediately loved the idea of having a craft that didn't just involve basic glue-on-paper. I liked that it was a puppet, that it could be a toy of some kind, just as I had described robots as toys to the kids when I first introduced the theme.

Goodbye Song

The More We Get Together (x2)

How'd It Go?

Overall, it went really well. Our group has been displaced and not in our regular room because of construction but the toddlers handled it well. I think, in hindsight, the craft was a little bit advanced for the kids and involved a bit more grown-up help than I typically would do with a craft, but the pay-off was so great. It was clear that the kids loved the idea of a puppet and loved playing with their own creation, so the puppet thing is definitely something I would do again in another session (just with less gluing, I think).

Other Books to Consider:

Boy + Bot / Ame Dyckman
Roli Poli Oli / William Joyce
Sammy and the robots / Ian Whybrow
Doug unplugged / Dan Yaccarino