Spring Baby Storytime
Choose one of the following spring-themed baby storytime books and pair it with a few of these songs and playtime ideas for more engagement and fun in your next Baby Storytime. I recommend repeating many of your rhymes and movement songs each week (repetition is key for cognitive development), but sprinkling in new thematic songs and activities, such as those below, will keep things fresh and engaging. Visit The Youth Desk’s Baby Storytime page for more detailed guidance and outlines.
Spring Baby Storytime Books
Spring Baby Storytime Songs & Rhymes
Here are my favorite spring-themed movement songs and rhymes for babies.
Rain is Falling Down with Scarves
Rain is falling down–splash (Slowly lower the scarf and tap it on toes or ground on “splash”)
Rain is falling down–splash (Repeat)
Pitter patter, pitter patter (Tap scarf on each leg)
Rain is falling down–splash
Sun is peeking out–peek (Peek-a-boo with scarf)
Sun is peeking out–peek
Peeking here, peeking there
Sun is peeking out–peek
Rain on the Green Grass
Flutter a scarf on baby or rain down fingers on baby throughout the song.
Rain on the green grass, rain on the trees (Flutter on babies toes/ground, flutter on baby’s arms)
Rain on the rooftop, but not on me! (Flutter on baby’s head, hug baby )
Sun on the green grass, sun on the trees (Repeat)
Sun on the rooftop, but not on me!
Hop Little Bunny
Sing to the tune “Skip to My Lou.” Lift bean bags up and down or side to side in time with the lyrics. It’s an excellent song for scarves or shakers, too!
Hop little bunny hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunny hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunny hop, hop, hop
Hop my little bunny
Sway little bunny sway, sway, sway…
Shake little bunny shake, shake, shake…
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Use traditional movements, like these from the King County Library System, or turn it into a tickle song and tickle fingers up and down baby’s back.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
Then the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
When Ducks Get Up in the Morning
You can add puppets to this song or sing it as is. Repeat the song with other springtime animals and sounds, such as frogs, sheep, bees, etc.
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
When ducks get up in the morning, they always say good day.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.
Quack, quack, quack, quack, this is what they say.
(Credit: King County Library System)
Spring Baby Playtime Activities
Ending storytime with free play is an excellent way for babies and caregivers to socialize and observe others. You don’t need anything fancy. Simply setting out blocks, musical instruments, or bean bags would suffice, but here are some spring-themed ideas to further enhance your program.
Rain Sticks
Rain sticks are excellent toys for little hands to shake and enjoy. My favorites include the Hape Beaded Raindrops stick and Stoie’s Wooden Rainstick 2-Pack.
Rubber Duckies
Place rubber duckies in a bucket or on a pond sensory bag for open-ended play. Instructions for making a pond sensory bag are available on the Happy Toddler Playtime blog.
Springtime Puppets
Nothing captures a baby’s attention quite like an animal puppet. Set one or more out for free play or walk around to let babies “pet” the bunny. Our Folkmanis Floppy Bunny Rabbit puppet has been well-loved in both our baby and preschool storytimes for years. Other spring puppets could include a duckling, lamb, frog, butterfly, or bee.
