Garden Sensory & Toddler Storytime
Select two of the following garden-themed sensory storytime books and pair them with these songs, crafts, and sensory play ideas for greater 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.
Garden Sensory & Toddler Storytime Books
Garden Sensory Storytime Songs & Rhymes
There’s Something in My Garden with Puppets
Hide puppets in a bin, behind a board, etc., and reveal each one when appropriate. I use this rhyme year-round because it’s so adaptable for whatever puppets you’ve got. You can replace “garden” with “snow,” “pond,” “backyard,” etc.
There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound…
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT.
A FROG is what I found!
RIBBIT – RIBBIT – RIBBIT.
THUMP – THUMP – THUMP…Rabbit
SQUEAK – SQUEAK – SQUEAK…Mouse
CAW – CAW – CAW…Crow
(Credit: SurLaLune Storytime)
Slowly, Slowly
A fun movement rhyme you can repeat twice for maximum giggles.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly (Walk fingers or thumb up right arm to shoulder)
Creeps the little snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly (Walk fingers or thumb up left arm to shoulder)
Up the garden rail
Quickly, Quickly, very quickly (Quickly dance fingers up right arm to shoulder)
Runs the little mouse
Quickly, quickly, very quickly (Quickly dance fingers up left arm to shoulder)
All around the house
(Credit: Jbrary)
Hop Little Bunny with Scarves
Sing to the tune “Skip To My Lou” and pass out bean bags, shaker eggs, scarves, or bunny cutouts to hop, sway, and shake to the beat.
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 Gardener Plants the Seeds
Sing to the tune “The Farmer in the Dell.”
The gardener digs the soil (pretend to dig)
The gardener digs the soil
Hi-ho, the derry-oh,
The gardener digs the soil
The gardener plants the seeds (pretend to plant seeds)
The gardener plants the seeds
Hi-ho, the derry-oh,
The gardener plants the seeds
The rain falls on the ground… (flutter fingers down to the ground)
The sun shines bright and warm… (hold hands in a circle overhead)
The seeds/plants begin to grow… (slowly raise hands from the ground)
Flowers grow everywhere… (hold hands outstretched)
Fresh vegetables to eat… (pretend to eat)
(Credit: Verona Storytime)
Garden Sensory Play & Craft 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 garden-themed play activities.
Garden Dig Sensory Bin
Fill the bin of your choice with soil and place garden tools, plastic insects, actual plants, and toy critters in it for exploration and fun! We dug up a couple of weeds from the library’s garden to “plant,” and a staff member donated a few seedlings purchased from Home Depot.
Cupcake Liner Flower Art
Create flower art using cupcake/muffin tin liners, glue, markers, and construction paper. Feel free to add stickers or other embellishments. You could also print pages with stem images, so children only need to glue the liners.
Flowerpot Find the Rabbit
Place flannel or paper pots on a board with pictures of rabbits or other garden critters hidden underneath! Challenge kiddos to find or hide the critters.
