Let’s Get Dressed Sensory & Toddler Storytime: All About Clothes!
Choose two of the following clothing-themed sensory storytime books and pair them with these songs, crafts, and sensory play ideas for more engagement and fun in your next Toddler or Sensory Storytime. Visit The Youth Desk’s Sensory Storytime page for a complete sensory storytime overview and more detailed guidance.
Sensory Storytime Books All About Clothing
One Shoe Two Shoes by Caryl Hart and illustrated by Edward Underwood is my favorite storytime book for exploring both shoes AND counting with toddlers and children of all abilities. Children love the sing-song rhyme and vibrant illustrations, plus, animal lovers adore the dogs and mice. Pass out cardstock shoe shapes for children to lift/sway/bounce along with while you read.
Pair it with one of these other great clothing-themed storytime books:
Clothing Sensory Storytime Songs
If You Have a Red Shoe
After reading One Shoe Two Shoes by Caryl Hart, get kiddos moving with this shoe version of “If You’re Wearing Red Today.” Encourage children to bring up their paper shoe and put it in a bucket when their color is called. However, if they prefer to hold onto their shoe throughout storytime, that’s fine too!
If you have a red shoe
A red shoe, a red shoe
If you have a red shoe
Please put it in the bucket!
Blue…Green…Yellow…
If You’re Wearing Red Today
Don’t hesitate to repeat songs! Follow up the Shoe version with the original!
If you’re wearing red today
Red today, red today
If you’re wearing red today
Stand up and shout hooray!
If you’re wearing blue today…stand up and spin around!
If you’re wearing pink today…stand up and stomp your feet!
If you’re wearing black today…stand up and jump around!
Teddy Wears a Red Shirt
Put a teddy bear on a flannel or magnet board and add different shirts as you sing. Ask the kids to pick the next color or surprise them by pulling the colorful shirts out of a bin/bag.
Teddy wears his red shirt
Red shirt red shirt
Teddy wears his red shirt
All day long
Hat Coat Pants and Boots
Sing to the tune “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”
Hat, coat, pants, and boots, pants and boots
Hat, coat, pants and boots, pants and boots
Mittens (wiggle hands), earmuffs (hands over ears), scarf (hands swipe neck), and we’re ready
Hat, coat, pants, and boots, pants and boots
Fox in Socks Flannel Board
Place a fox on a flannel board, select a color from your mystery box (or bucket, bag, etc.), and invite children holding that color felt sock to place it on the fox and/or the board.
A hunting we will go (pat knees)
A hunting we will go (pat knees)
We’ll catch a fox
Put him in RED socks
And then we’ll let him go!
What color socks should our fox wear next? (pull out color)…
(Credit: Storytime with Miss Tara)
Clothing Sensory Play Crafts & Activities
Ending Sensory Storytime with free play provides children and their caregivers with an excellent opportunity to explore and socialize. Set out any puppets or flannel board pieces you used during storytime for attendees to enjoy, and offer one of these great clothing-themed play activities. Please note that many of these activities were lovingly stolen from my dear friend Miss Bekah, Toddler Storytime Librarian extraordinaire.
Buttons Sensory Bin
Fill a bin with large buttons. Yarn or pipe cleaners for threading and pinchers or cups for sorting make nice additions as well.
Clothesline Activity
Tie yarn between two chairs to serve as a clothesline. Provide clothespins and baby clothes or clothing cutouts for children to pin and unpin from the line. I like to set the “clothes” and clothespins out in a laundry basket.
Socks Toss
Set out fun socks and a laundry basket or bucket. Encourage kids to toss their socks into the basket!
Design Your Own T-Shirt
Provide a t-shirt coloring page printed on cardstock, along with crayons or dot markers, for kids to design their own shirts. Try this printable from Tim’s Printables or this one from Nurtured Neurons.
