Z718.3 → Toddler Storytime: Fruits & Vegetables

This week's toddler storytime was all about fruits and veggies - though admittedly, it was fairly heavier on the fruit side of things. This session was so much fun to plan as there are so many rhymes and songs out there about fruits and vegetables!

Introduction Activity

Finding nametags - I like to do this activity as a way to welcome each child to the storytime session. I've found that nametags are a great way for the toddlers to engage with printed words that are personal to them and a way to work on their alphabet knowledge.

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!

The Books

Book 1: Orange pear apple bear / Emily Gravett ; Book 2: The watermelon seed / Greg Pizzoli

Extension Activities

Song: Bingo! [from childhood]
There was a farmer, had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o!
B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!

Action Rhyme: Grand Old Duke of York [from childhood]
The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men!
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
Then he marched them down again!
And when they were up, they were up!
And when they were down, they were down!
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down!

Action: The Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree, [arms above head]
Two little apples, I did see.
I shook that tree as hard as I could,
And down came the apples.
Mmmm, they were good. [rub belly]

Action rhyme/game: Pickin' Up the Fruits [unknown source] - I passed out construction paper cut-outs of different fruits (apples, bananas, oranges, and pears) and had everyone say the rhyme while the toddlers "put away" each of the different fruits.

Picking up the apples and puttin' 'em in the basket,
Picking up the apples and puttin' 'em in the basket,
Picking up the apples and puttin' 'em in the basket,
Way down yonder in the apple field.
[repeat with other fruits]

Craft

Watermelon slice - This ended up being a perfect craft for the group, because a lot of them had said at the beginning of the session that their favourite fruit was watermelon! So perfect that it ended up meshing well with that as well as the second book.

Goodbye Song

The More We Get Together (x2)

How'd It All Go?

In general it went well, though it certainly wasn't the best session I've had. I think some of the kids were a little distracted by being in a different room than usual (due to construction), and they were a bit less inclined to do the wiggle songs that they usually love, which was a shame. The Watermelon Seed may have gone over their heads a little bit - they didn't seem as engaged with the book as I thought they'd be. I ended up finishing up a few minutes earlier than normal only because there just wasn't the usual energy in the room. 

Other Books to Consider:

Rah rah radishes: a vegetable chant / April Pulley Sayre
Grow your own / Esther Hall
Apple / Nikki McClure