A word on lapsits 

• The goal of a lapsit storytime for babies and toddlers is to introduce caregivers to some new things to do with their children and model how to cater to key early childhood development. 
•  Don’t be afraid to do the same rhymes for many weeks, only changing a few out.   Repetition is extremely important for developing brains! 
• If your population is big enough, it is great to break your lapsit programs down into pre-walkers and walkers, but this is not necessary. 
• A typical lapsit program is usually 20 minutes long or so, with playtime at the end. 
• If you do themes in your baby storytime, keep some of your rhymes the same regardless of theme. 
• There are a million variations on baby storytime.  Find what works best for you and the families you work with, and don’t be afraid to change things! 

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Resources

Check out these suggestions from two well-respected youth services librarians: 

• Reading with Red (Brooke Newberry, LaCrosse Public Library) 
• Mel’s Desk (Melissa Depper, Arapahoe Libraries, Colorado) 

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General Lapsit

Greeting   Greet caregivers and babies as they enter the room. 

Welcome and Announcements

• Please don’t expect your baby to sit quietly in your lap at all times–we all understand that their worlds are about movement.  If you see them coming into this special circle, where I have all of my supplies, please redirect them. 
• That being said, if your child is having a hard time today, it is fine to leave and come back in later or try again another day. 
• This is a great time to engage with the kids you came with, please turn off your cell phones and enjoy playing with them during storytime.

Welcome Song (to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin”) 

 Where is [insert name here]?  Where is [insert name here]?
There (s)he is!  There (s)he is!  (point to child)
I’m so glad to see you, I’m so glad to see you
Peek-a-boo, Peek-a-boo (Play peek-a-boo with child) 

Rhyme 

bounce babies/children on lap for this one, then open legs and let them “fall” into the center 

Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Look out baby
You’re going to fall in! (do it twice!) 

Rhyme 

bounce children on laps for first two lines:
Mother and Father and Uncle John
Went to town, one by one 

lean to one side:
Mother fell off 

lean to other side:
And Father fell off 

back to center and keep bouncing:
But Uncle John went on and on and on and on! 

(do it twice!) 

Song 

“If You’re Happy and You Know It” 

Literacy Tip: 

I like to make literacy tips natural, not forced.  Put this in your own words, and just work it into the storytime as easily as you can: 

Even if you are not a great singer, your little ones don’t care!  You are their favorite singers, and when you sing together it is easier for them to hear the smaller parts of language. 

Book: 

Try a unison read.  Give everyone a copy of a board book of My Amazing Day  by Karin Fisher Golton (there’s a board book kit with 20 copies!) 

Rhyme: 

Wibbleton to Wobbleton 

Start out in a circle. 

From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is 15 miles (march in twoard center–paretns can carry pre-walkers)
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton is 15 miles (march backwards)
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton (march in)
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton (march out)
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is 15 miles! 

(do it twice!) 

Active Song: 

“Can’t Wait to Celebrate” from Jim Gill’s album Irrational Anthem 

Active Song 

“The Freeze” from Greg and Steve’s Kids in Motion album.  Parents can dance with pre-walkers.  Hand out scarves or shaker eggs before doing this one.  This is fun, plus it gives kids a chance to practice self-control in a fun and playful way. 

Rhyme 

use your hands to do the motions. 

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap!
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap.
Creep them, creep them
Creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin
Open wide your great big mouth
But do not let them in! 

Rhyme 

use your hands to do the motions, or little finger puppets 

Two little blackbirds, sitting on a hill
One named Jack, the other named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill 

Two little blackbirds, sitting in the snow
One named fast, one named slow
Fly away fast!  Fly away slow
Come back fast!  Come back slow 

Book: 

Babies Don’t Walk, They Ride!  By Kathy Henderson 

Goodbye Rhyme: 

Our hands say thank you with a clap, clap, clap
Our feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap
Clap, clap, clap; tap, tap, tap
We roll our hands around and wave Good bye! 

Playtime: 

Set out books for checkout and play, blocks, small soft balls, trucks, sorting projects, or even some art supplies and allow for at least 15 minutes of social play time.  This not only validates the importance of play time for children and parents, it allows you to model it and gives young children a chance to learn important skills about interacting with their peers. 

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Themed Lapsit:  Farm Animals 

Greeting:  Greet everyone as they come in 

Welcome and Announcements:  Today we are going to talk about animals who live on a farm! Here are some sample announcements.

• Please don’t expect your baby to sit quietly in your lap at all times–we all understand that their worlds are about movement.  If you see them coming into this special circle, where I have all of my supplies, please redirect them. 
• That being said, if your child is having a hard time today, it is fine to leave and come back in later or try again another day. 
• This is a great time to engage with the kids you came with, please turn off your cell phones and enjoy playing with them during storytime.

Hello Song: 

Let’s all bounce with (child’s name)
Let’s all bounce with (child’s name)
Bouncing and bouncing and bouncing around
Let’s all bounce with (child’s name) 

Rhyme: 

bounce babies/children on lap for this one, then open legs and let them “fall” into the center 

Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Look out baby
You’re going to fall in! 

(do it twice!) 

Rhyme 

bounce children on laps for first two lines:
Mother and Father and Uncle John
Went to town, one by one 

lean to one side:
Mother fell off 

lean to other side:
And Father fell off 

back to center and keep bouncing:
But Uncle John went on and on and on and on! 

(do it twice!) 

Rhyme 

Hickety, pickety my black hen
She lays eggs for gentlemen
Gentlement come, every day
To see what my black hen doth lay 

Song (with optional flannel board)
Baa, Baa Black Sheep 

Literacy Tip: 

When you point out pictures to your children as you are reading, you are helping build their vocabulary and ability to understand symbols. 

Book (unison read) 

I Went Walking by Susan Williams (there is a board book kit with 20 copies!) or Baby’s First Farm (by Danielle McLean) 

Song: 

Old MacDonald 

Song: 

Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon 

Scarf Dance: 

Pass out scarves and dance around the room to some peppy music.  Pre-walkers can be held by a grown-up 

(tip:  If you are dancing/playing with a baby, try playing peekaboo!  Not only is it fun, it also helps them develop the concept of object permanence.) 

Rhyme: 

Hickory Dickory Dare
The pig flew up in the air (pretend to fly around the room with arms outstretched, or caregivers can “fly” the pre-walkers around)
Farmer Brown soon brought her down (sit back down)
Hickory Dickory Dare 

(repeat at least once!) 

Rhyme: 

Bumblebee, bumblebee, come out of the barn (circle on child’s tummy) 

With a bag of honey, under each arm! (lift arms and tickle-if the child likes that) 

Book: 

Clip Clop by Nicola Smee 

Goodbye Song: 

The More We Get Together (you can include other actions, too) 

Playtime: 

Set out books for checkout and play, blocks, small soft balls, trucks, sorting projects, or even some art supplies and allow for at least 15 minutes of social play time.  This not only validates the importance of play time for children and parents, it allows you to model it and gives young children a chance to learn important skills about interacting with their peers. 

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