My Basic Toddler Storytime Plan

Toddler storytimes are a relatively new thing for me. Previously, I almost exclusively did preschool storytimes, though I did sub a few times for toddler storytime. In my current position, when I first started in-person storytimes back up in 2022 I was only doing 1 family storytime per week, but then starting that summer I divided it into 1 toddler storytime and 1 preschool storytime. The toddler storytime is planned for ages 1-3, with the preschool storytime being for ages 3-5. However, those ages aren't strictly enforced, though I'm thinking of changing the toddler age range to 1-2 because I'm starting to get a lot of 3 year olds, which is taking away from the true toddlers, and many of them are ready for the preschool storytime.

I've played around with the format, and have finally settled on one that seems to be working pretty well for us, for now. There are some key differences between the toddler and preschool storytimes:

• Shorter
• More songs, fewer stories
• More movement
• Use shaker eggs, movement scarves, bells, or other "instrument" every time
• More repetition - use all the same songs & rhymes for 4-6 weeks (I do occasionally add a new one that ties into the book), in addition to the welcome and ending songs being the same all of the time
• Usually only 1 book
• Very short, simple books, preferably with bold illustrations, interactive, and a really good rhythm
• Always end with bubbles (before good-bye song and activities)
• Activities afterward, some overlap with preschool storytime as I always have at least 1 or two older kids, but I always put out the foam blocks, sensory tubes, sensory balls, and stacking cups for the younger ones.
  
  

Basic Toddler Storytime Plan:  

1. Open room and announce it's time for storytime (I found if I let them in early, they would get too restless and start running around and getting into stuff, better to let them stay in the play area and let entering the room signal it's time to settle down.).
2. Greet families as they enter and hand them program sheet.
3. Shut door after everyone is in to prevent escapees.
4. Greet and welcome the group, briefly go over expectations.
5. Sing short "Hello" song, then introduce myself and say hello to all the kids by name (I generally average 5-10, rarely more than 12.  I would not try that with a large group.)
6. Warm-Up Song - Something with a little movement.
7. Shaker Eggs/Scarves - With 2 songs or rhymes. I alternate; eggs one month, scarves the next usually. If doing scarves, I have them pick one up as they enter, if doing eggs I pass those out when we're ready to use them. I take things up afterward, before moving on, but I also tell parents it's not worth causing a meltdown if their child really doesn't want to part with them.
8. Lead-in song - I use "If You're Ready for a Story"
9. Read book - very short and simple!
10. Song/rhyme
11. On a very rare occasion, might attempt a second, very short book here
12. Bubbles! Sing "Ten Little Bubbles" count up, then blow bubbles to pop, then sing again counting down. Bubbles are not only fun, but encourage tracking and reaching across midline. (Letting kids blow bubbles also works their oral musculature for speech, but that's best left as a home activity. I use a bubble machine or gun; no blowing in a group to reduce germ spread.)
13. Good-bye song - first explain that there are optional activities after, but we're going to go ahead and sing our "Good-bye" song in case we don't get a chance to say good-bye to all of our friends later.
14. Activities - usually  2 or 3 plus other toys, if larger group add more. I try to keep them developmentally appropriate, play-centered, and working on some developmental skill. Sometimes do a craft, but not often for this age as it isn't developmentally appropriate. Some examples:
• Sensory bin, they LOVE this! I use a base such as water, sand, kinetic sand, shredded paper, rice, or water beads with manipulatives added (plastic animals, gold coins & jewels, figures, boats, ducks, measuring cups & spoons, fishing set, etc.)
• Sensory tubes & balls (always put these out)
• Paper & crayons
• Play dough - great pre-writing activity! Rolling and smooshing dough strengthens little hands and fingers.
• Dot painting - they loved these at first, but have gotten a little bored with it, so use infrequently
• Play food
• Counting & Sorting manipulatives
• Building sets (foam blocks, star builders, bristle blocks, etc)
• Toy cars & construction vehicles with activity mats
• Flannel sets on large flannel board
• Magnetic gears
• Magnetic letters
• Plastic animals
• Puppets & Finger puppets
The storytime part lasts about 20-25 minutes, and I do sometimes deviate from the above plan by throwing in an extra short song or rhyme or on rare occasions getting in a second book, and sometimes cutting it short. Some of the songs that I use can be found on the "Repeating Songs" tab above (even some possibly cringe-worthy videos of me singing them), or in the thematic storytime write-ups listed in the right-hand column. Jbrary.com is a great source for songs and rhymes, with videos so you can hear the tunes and see the motions.

The activities portion lasts anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on how many kids show up, their ages, and the activities. Occasionally I'll have a couple of families linger, but at 20-30 minutes I'll go ahead and put away anything they aren't using and go on out to the children's department, leaving the door open so I can keep an eye on things to be sure the room doesn't get wrecked and things don't "walk away" (sad, but true). Most families hang around in the children's department playing, socializing, and picking out books for a little while after storytime.


*Note for Outreach Storytimes - When I do classroom visits to daycares and preschools, I do not do crafts or activities, just the basic storytime. When I first start with a new client, or at the beginning of the school year, I usually shorten it a bit the first time or two. but I generally find I can do 2 books easily with toddlers in this setting as circle time is part of their daily routine. I currently am only able make visits once per month due to lack of staff and all the demands on my time, but my preference would be to visit every other week.



I'll add this plan to the "Storytime Plans" link above. If you'd like more detailed discussions of specific elements of storytime planning, check out all my posts tagged "Storytime Planning".

What does your Toddler Storytime look like?

Make a New Plan, Stan - Storytime Planning in the New Normal

How many of you have had to change how you do storytime in the new normal? I certainly have, and judging from the feedback I got when I gave my "Fearless Storytime" presentation at the state conference last year, I bet most of you have.

And why is this? Well, a few reasons that I believe are directly and indirectly related to the pandemic. A big one is that children born just before and during the pandemic (and their parents) spent their early years in relative isolation, so are not used to structured activities, have less well-developed listening skills (not that 2 year olds are really expected to have any, but 5 year olds usually do), and aren't used to being around other kids, so the fact other kids are present is in itself a big distraction. Also, as a result of the pandemic years young families have not integrated attending storytime into their weekly routines, so attendance is much more sporadic and less regular than families in the pre-pandemic era. And finally, attention spans are noticeably shorter than before, and while I have no proof of this, I strongly suspect screen time plays a part. 

Other than occasionally subbing for toddler and baby storytime, all my pre-Covid storytimes were Preschool storytimes for ages 3-5 (or family storytimes, which I basically did the same), so that is where I have seen major changes. I did not start regularly doing Toddler storytime until after we returned to in-person programming in 2022. These are the changes I've had to make in Preschool Storytime, and following that is my new Preschool storytime plan:

• Fewer books - Pre-pandemic, I would routinely read 3 books during a preschool storytime, only occasionally dropping to 2 if it was the beginning of the school year for outreach visits, or if the kids were just particularly restless that day. Occasionally I would even get 4 books in. Now, I very rarely ever get a third book in, and some days it's hard to get a second book in.
• Shorter books - I am finding that some of my favorite books that always worked before with this age, now no longer work, and I have to use shorter books that I would typically use with toddlers or brand new 3-year old classes. I am scrambling to find shorter books that are still fun and not boring. So many of the new picture books I buy that I think would be really cute and fun turn out to be too long and/or text heavy.
• More Behavior Management - I am also finding I'm having to do more "classroom" management, as young kids now often aren't accustomed to structured group activities, and since storytime attendance is much more sporadic, some of them don't come often enough to ever learn the routine. I find I have to do a whole lot more re-directing than I used to.
• More Explicit Expectations & Reminders - In my job pre-pandemic, I really never needed to go over expectations, it just wasn't ever an issue. But now, I've found I need to start my sessions by briefly reminding them what age each one is geared for and how they differ, and what the behavior expectations are. Some caregivers need to know that it's okay if their toddler isn't perfectly still or quiet, and that it's ok if they have to leave early because they get too restless and to come back in when they calm down, or for the activities afterward, or try again next week. Others need to know that it's not okay for their child to be racing at break-neck speeds around the room, or in my "bubble" (if they're too close, others can't see; if they get behind me, I might step on them or knock them down, or I might trip and fall; and I don't want them getting into my stuff). 
• Trouble Learning Names - Because attendance is so sporadic and irregular, it makes it very hard to learn and remember names!  
• Replace Crafts with Activities - This is one change for the better, and one I was going to do anyway in order to be more developmentally appropriate, but it became a necessity due to the sporadic attendance. Never knowing how many to plan for (it could be 3 or 23) or what ages (it could be mostly 1-2 year olds or mostly 5 year olds) made it so hard to plan and prep for crafts, resulting in either a lot of wasted time and materials, or scrambling to prep more. I did have to gradually wean them from crafts to activities, but I think now they love it. That doesn't mean we never do crafts, and I always have paper and crayons available, but the focus is activities that require little prep, focus on developmental skills and play, and involve re-usable items.

Post-Pandemic Preschool Storytime Plan:
This plan is of course not written in stone, and I always adjust on the fly to meet the needs and abilities of the group I get on any given day. I generally do themes, but not always (for a discussion on using themes, see "To Theme or Not To Theme". I generally pick 4-5 books, and decide which ones I'll actually use in the moment, and usually just 2. I also don't always use every song or rhyme I have planned. I make a little program sheet (half page, front & back) that lists storytime expectations, songs and rhymes, and a literacy/development tip or suggested activity, sometimes announcements.

1. Open room and announce it's time for storytime (I found if I let them in early, they would get too restless and start running around and getting into stuff, better to let them stay in the play area and let entering the room signal it's time to settle down.).
2. Greet families as they enter and hand them program sheet.
3. Shut door after everyone is in to prevent escapees.
4. Greet and welcome the group, briefly go over expectations.
5. Sing short "Hello" song, then introduce myself and say hello to all the kids by name (I generally average 5-10, rarely more than 12.  I would not try that with a large group.)
6. Warm-Up Song - Something with a little movement, use the same one all month.
7. If there's a theme, introduce it. Sometimes share a few photos & facts from a non-fiction book when possible.
8. Lead-In Song - I use "If You're Ready for a Story"
9. Read first book
10. Song, action rhyme, or flannel rhyme. Repeat. If they really like it, may do a third time. If it's really short, may do a 2nd short one.
11. Read second book
12. Possibly another song/rhyme
13. Good-bye song - first explain that there are optional activities after, but we're going to go ahead and sing our "Good-bye" song in case we don't get a chance to say good-bye to all of our friends later.
14. Activities - usually  2 or 3, if larger group add more. I try to keep them developmentally appropriate, play-centered, and working on some developmental skill. Sometimes do a craft, but less and less often. Some examples:
• Sensory bin, they LOVE this! I use a base such as water, sand, kinetic sand, shredded paper, rice, or water beads with manipulatives added (plastic animals, gold coins & jewels, figures, boats, ducks, measuring cups & spoons, fishing set, etc.)
• Paper & crayons
• Play dough
• Dot painting - they loved these at first, but have gotten a little bored with it, so use infrequently
• Play food
• Counting & Sorting manipulatives
• Building sets (foam blocks, star builders, bristle blocks, etc)
• Toy cars & construction vehicles with activity mats
• Flannel sets on large flannel board
• Magnetic gears
• Magnetic letters
• Plastic animals
• Puppets & Finger puppets

The storytime part lasts about 25-30 minutes, and I do sometimes deviate from the above plan by throwing in an extra short song or rhyme or on rare occasions getting in a third book (usually in my outreach visits), and at least once having to stop after 1 book! I occasionally use shaker eggs, scarves, or bubbles, but not as often as with the toddlers, and sometimes a puppet or other prop. Some of the songs that I use can be found on the "Repeating Songs" tab above (even some possibly cringe-worthy videos of me singing them), or in the thematic storytime write-ups listed in the right column. Jbrary.com is a great source for songs and rhymes, with videos so you can hear the tunes and see the motions.

The activities portion lasts anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on how many kids show up, their ages, and the activities. Occasionally I'll have a couple of families linger, but at 30 minutes I'll go ahead and put away anything they aren't using and go on out to the children's department, leaving the door open so I can keep an eye on things to be sure the room doesn't get wrecked and things don't "walk away" (sad, but true). Most families hang around in the children's department playing, socializing, and picking out books for a little while after storytime.

*Note for Outreach Storytimes - When I do classroom visits to daycares and preschools, I do not do crafts or activities, just the basic storytime. When I first start with a new client, or at the beginning of the school year, I usually shorten it a bit the first time or two. I currently am only able make visits once per month due to lack of staff and all the demands on my time, but my preference would be to visit every other week.

I'll add this new plan to the "Storytime Plans" link above, and I'll write up my general Toddler storytime plan next. If you'd like more detailed discussions of specific elements of storytime planning, check out all my posts tagged "Storytime Planning".

What changes have you made in your storytimes in the new normal?

Annual Reflection & Goal Setting - 2024

 
I have to say, 2023 was a very difficult year for me (and my co-workers). While there were no huge events like a pandemic, it was actually more difficult and stressful than 2020. I continue to struggle to make progress in my position as youth services manager, for a number of reasons.

First, people in general are just different now - they are more entitled, more selfish, less patient; families are even more overscheduled than before, families are no longer in the habit of coming to the library and attending programs regularly, and kids have even shorter attention spans and are more challenging to engage than before. Second, this particular community is a bit of a challenge as they are fairly insular, very conservative, in general not as supportive of the library as other communities I have worked in, and it's much harder to make community connections as an outsider. Third, I don't have appropriate staffing so that I can truly be a manager and do things they way they should be done, which became even worse after I lost my awesome teen librarian at the end of February due to the low pay when another opportunity fell into her lap. Fourth, I did not have adequate funding due to my programming budget being slashed in half.

And finally, the director that was hired at the beginning of the previous year (right after me) proved to be the most unprofessional, dishonest, and unethical person I have ever met and created a very toxic, stressful, work environment. Their management style was basically emotional abuse, chaos, and reckless spending (which resulted in programming and materials budgets being cut in half). Instead of being supported, I was constantly undermined, sabotaged, steam-rolled over, and bad-mouthed behind my back. I felt I had to walk a very fine line, so that I was doing a good enough job that there were things she could take credit for and make her look good, but not so good a job that *I* actually got attention.  

Despite all these challenges, I did still manage to accomplish or make progress toward many of the goals I had set for myself and the department.

• I developed and implemented a proper weeding schedule, which had to be abandoned after two months when our teen librarian left. I've come to accept we just will never have enough staff to do weeding and collection development the way it "should" be done, but will have to find a compromise that is logistically feasible for us.
  
• I have continued to improve the collections, in particular doing a massive weed of J fiction, which freed up shelf space to expand the juvenile graphic novels, and made significant progress in improving the juvenile non-fiction section, which was very shabby and outdated. Also added some new Manga series, and continue to expand picture book collection.
• Gave a presentation on "Fearless Storytime" at our state public library conference
• Had another successful summer program, with solid program attendance and higher participation in the reading challenge after ditching Beanstack and switching to a simple paper "log".
• Made some progress with developing community partners, but it is slow going.
• Storytime attendance has grown, attendance for school-age and family programs during school breaks is generally good, but after-school programming just doesn't work for this age here.
  
• Teen programming has been re-established with new staff, still trying out things to see what will stick and developing staff.

Now, for 2024....I am not really setting a lot of big or specific goals, just some general ones, because I expect 2024 to be a fairly rocky year, so mainly my goal is just to survive! The good news is, our horrible, toxic director is GONE!!!!

This is such a huge relief, but also unfortunately a little too late to completely head off the mass exodus that was beginning, and we are now also without an adult services librarian, an IT person, custodial service, and a children's assistant. So we have a lot of rebuilding to do, in a time where hiring qualified staff is extremely challenging, if not impossible at times. The future is very uncertain at this point, and we worry about who the next director will be. For the time being, the interim director who hired me (retired former director) is coming back to be interim director for the second time, which is a good thing! He treats all staff with professionalism and respect and this will give us some time to decompress, heal, and begin to sort through and repair the all the damage the outgoing director did to our finances, staffing, staff morale and mental health, and community relations.

My only goals for 2024 are:

• To survive!
• Continue to improve youth collections through weeding and development
• Get my office straightened up and organized 
• Work on staff training and better communication - improving customer service, programming, and general professionalism, breaking bad habits that developed due to director's interference and toxicity leading to stress and low motivation (myself included)
• Get my programming budget back!
• Hopefully hire an assistant with experience working with children & families to help with both customer service in the children's area and children's programs
• Hope to attend the ALSC national conference in Denver this fall. I've always wanted to go to this conference, but never have been able to.
• Continue to network within the community and with other local/state library staff
• Finish the deep-dive into incentivized reading research I've been promising to do (I have been working on it, but time and energy has been in short supply!)
• Again, keep trying for a healthier work-life balance. I just can't ever seem to manage that; as a manager it is so much harder to leave work at work than it was as support staff or as a non-supervisory librarian

I've come to realize and accept that things are never going to be like they were before 2020, and I'm probably never going to love my job like I loved the job I had when the pandemic hit and everything went to hell. But I am REALLY hoping things will get a little easier, at least less tumultuous, and at some point the rewards will outweigh the stress. I still enjoy my storytime families and other regulars, and occasionally get that high from a program that just goes perfectly or a really great patron interaction; it's just that the good has been so overwhelmed by stress and toxicity lately. Hopefully that is about to change!

For all of us, I wish a calm, peaceful, and Happy New Year!