Next week, July 26th is the last day of Summer Reading! We will be taking a break during the month of August to plan for the Fall and take our vacations. Please continue to visit the library during the break and we’ll see you again on September 4th!

This week’s storytime theme is “camping”! What did the camping tent say to the sleeping bag? “I’ve got you covered.”

Here are some wonderful books we might read in storytime and our recommendations for you to read at home:

Alfie is Not Afraid by Patricia Carlin

Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck

Our Great Big Backyard by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

Pete the Cat Goes Camping by James Dean

Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

Here are some songs and/or rhymes we might do in storytime:

Get Ready Song: If You’re Ready for a Story, Clap Your Hands (tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands
If you’re ready for a story, if you’re ready for a story,
If you’re ready for a story, clap your hands

Hello song: Clap Everybody and Say Hello
Clap everybody and say “hello”
Clap everybody and say “hello”
Clap everybody and say “hello”
No matter what the weather!

Verses: For July we are learning how to say hello in Swahili which is “Jambo”! Then we repeat again with the signs for clap, hello, and weather.

Song: A-Camping We Will Go (tune: Farmer in the Dell)
A-camping we will go,
A-camping we will go
Hi-ho and off we go
A-camping we will go

Verses: First we pitch our tent… let’s all get some wood… let’s light the campfire now… let’s cook our dinner now… let’s sing some campfire songs… it’s time to go to sleep

Song: Campfire Hokey Pokey
You put your marshmallow in, you take your marshmallow out,
You put your marshmallow in and you shake it all about,
You do the camping pokey and you turn yourself about,
That’s what it’s all about!

Verses: hot dog, potato, popcorn, fish etc.

Song: Popcorn Kernels (Tune: Are You Sleeping?)
If you’re singing at home this is best sang with a scarf or a light towel!
Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels                     (wave scarves around)
In the pot, in the pot                                                (bundle in fist)
Shake them, shake them, shake them,            (shake fist)
Shake them, shake them, shake them,            (shake fist)
Till they POP, till they POP!                                  (throw scarves)

Rhyme: Sleeping Bag
I was lying in my sleeping bag
I couldn’t go to sleep
I looked at my watch and wanted to weep!
I rolled to my left
I rolled to my right
but all I could hear were noises in the night!
I hear an owl! Hoo hoo hoo!
(have the kids name some things you might hear in the middle of the night, out in the woods, in your backyard. Some good options include a dog, a bear, a wolf, etc)

Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi
I’m gonna shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
And wiggle my waggles away!

Verses: Clap my crazies… Jump my jiggles… Yawn my sleepies… finish with a fast shake your sillies!

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
We wave goodbye like this,
We wave goodbye like this,
To all our friends at storytime,
We wave goodbye like this!

See you there!

Family Storytimes starting June 3rd until July 26th:
Thursdays and Fridays at 9:30, 10:15, and 11:00

No Family Storytimes week of July 29th and all of August.

Family Storytimes starting September 4th until Summer Reading: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30, 10:15, and 11:00, Fridays at 9:30 and 10:30 except the 3rd Friday of each month