DIY Virtual Storytime
We miss seeing you at the library and at Storytimes. Although none of us are at the library in person these days, you can visit Facebook on Monday mornings at 10:30 am for Virtual Storytimes with Miss Beth! Videos will stay up on Facebook for a few days after the live event.
If you aren’t on Facebook or want a Storytime you can access at any time, follow through the videos below for a Virtual Storytime you can use at home. Please note: These books are a little longer than the ones normally used in Storytime due to author’s commentaries, etc.
Today’s theme: Family
Our theme is family because we’re spending a lot of time with ours these days.
Opening song: We Clap and Sing Hello (to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
We clap and sing hello, we clap and sing hello, with our friends at Storytime, we clap and sing hello.
We wave and sing hello, we wave and sing hello, with our friends at Storytime, we wave and sing hello.
We stomp and sing hello, we stomp and sing hello, with our friends at Storytime, we stomp and sing hello.
(Note: I have carpet, socks on, and downstairs neighbors, so I want to thank my fiancé for providing the stomping sound effects.)
First book: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems on BookFlix 
This book is adorably enhanced on BookFlix as a cartoon with the voices of Mo Willems and his daughter reading the book. Click on the BookFlix link in the heading above or the logo to the right, sign in using your Huntingdon Valley Library card number, and search for Knuffle Bunny in the search box a the top of the screen.
If you do not have an HVL card, find BookFlix in the e-Resources on your home library’s website or, as an alternative, visit YouTube for Kevin Henkes’ read aloud of Owen.
Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we’re going to the moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we’re going to the moon.
If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, we’re going to the moon
In 5…4…3…2…1…blast off!
Second book: Love, Sophia on the Moon by Anica Mrose Rissi
I love the letters between Sophia and her mom, especially the way that Sophia’s mom handles her “trip.”
Rhyme: This Is Big, Big, Big
This is big, big, big.
This is small, small, small.
This is short, short, short.
This is tall, tall, tall.
This is fast, fast, fast.
This is slow, slow, slow.
This is yes, yes, yes.
This is no, no, no.
Song: Sesame Street “We’re a Family Song”
For the words to sing along, click on the closed captions (CC) button at the bottom of the video
Third Book: Dandy by Ame Dyckman
What an adorable story and I love that Ame reads it in her lion outfit!
Closing Song: We Clap Goodbye Like This
This song is just like the opening song (still sung to A Farmer in the Dell tune, clap on the first verse, wave on the second verse, and stomp on the third verse), but instead, sing the following words:
We clap goodbye like this, we clap goodbye like this, with our friends at Storytime, we clap goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this, we wave goodbye like this, with our friends at Storytime, we wave goodbye like this.
We stomp goodbye like this, we stomp goodbye like this, with our friends at Storytime, we stomp goodbye like this.
DIY
Thanks for visiting my Virtual Storytime! You can also create your own Storytime at home. The simple formula is to have an opening and closing song, use 3 or 4 books, and break up the books with 2-3 rhymes, songs, or activities between each book.
Here’s a secret: most of us library storytime facilitators get our songs and rhymes from the wonderful ladies at Jbrary (they are ROCK STARS in the Library Youth Services world). Visit their YouTube channel for TONS of great content. The videos are directed at storytime facilitators, but you can certainly use them to learn new songs & rhymes and follow along.
For preschoolers, we usually do a simple craft after the closing song (there are SO MANY ideas for these on Pinterest). For toddlers, we often sing a couple songs with the parachute before the closing song. Keep Storytime moving. If something isn’t working, be adaptable and just move on to the next activity.
I also highly recommend checking out the Montgomery County Youth Services private YouTube Channel with lots of videos from the librarians who miss seeing your faces.
There are so many options for people looking for information and activities for their children to use at home right now. We compiled many of the links in our Resources for Families During Library Closure webpost, but if you have any Youth Services questions, please feel free to email me (Vanessa Nelson, Head of Youth Services) any time at [email protected].