Birth to 18 mos

Today is my first time ever leading a storytime for ages birth to 18 mos. Last night I was really nervous -- can't take in paint, they'll eat it! Ditto with crayons. Can't take in puppets, they'll eat them! Can't do anything!!! Then I realized that the point of stories for infants and toddlers is to bathe them in language. Give them safe and enjoyable things to explore in the world, stimulate them with textile experiences. Adult-wise I am there to support moms, give them some helpful information, and help them feel a sense of community.

So we are going to begin with a our morning song, Good Morning Dear Earth. Then talk about storytelling. Story (according to a book I just read and very much enjoyed: From Lullabies to Literature) is events plus emotion. A child jumping up and down in a pile of leaves singing, "I am jumping, I am jumping" is telling a story. Another good point I enjoyed from that book is that we must remember to look at the young child as "being" not just "becoming." In other words, instead of thinking, well, soon they'll be able to walk, they are almost people but not quite yet... you have to look at them as they are now and celebrate their amazing gifts.

Morning song, then the verse I just made up today in the bathroom, while I was looking out the window at the gorgeous color outside.

Autumn leaves falling down, down down.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
We find them on the ground.

This can be whole body: fingers fluttering in the air and feet stomping. Then a nature walk. You can move the baby's arms as the falling leaves and gently tap their feet on the ground. You can lift the infant and bring them slowly down as if they were the leaf falling. You can have fun with it! You sing it, say it, whatever. So I want to model that spontaneity and joy with the parents. I am going to sing the Squirrel Nutkin song with my little squirrel finger puppet and a log. And then we are all going to play with a big pile of boxes.

After birth-18 mos will come my 2 and 3 year olds. For them I am going to do a reprise of The Little Red Hen with finger puppets and homemade playdough as our "bread dough". The notes for this are on the website under Infant & Toddler (bottom of the page).