Bunnies Sensory & Toddler Storytime
Choose two of the following bunny-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.
Bunnies Sensory & Toddler Storytime Books
I Am Wriggly by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling is my favorite storytime book for exploring bunnies, movement, and springtime with toddlers and children of all abilities. Children love the “higgledy-piggledy” rhymes, familiar objects, and large illustrations featured in the book. As the author Michael Rosen states, “Feel free to sing, chant, or dance the words of the book with the child you are sharing it with. If you can think of new rhymes, new ways to play with the words, do it! The most important thing is that you have fun.” Distribute a cardstock or flannel bunny to each child and encourage them to wriggle, wave, and move their bunnies to the beat as you read.
Pair it with one of these other great bunny-themed storytime books:
Bunnies Sensory Storytime Songs
The Shake and Stop Song
Just like the wriggly bunny, give kids the opportunity to practice “Stop” with this great song.
We shake and shake and STOP
We shake and shake and STOP
We shake and shake and shake and shake
And shake and shake and STOP!
We wriggle…jump…stomp…sit…
Five Baby Bunnies Flannel Board Song
Check out Raffi’s version of the traditional song “Five Little Ducks” for inspiration and the tune. Place five bunnies on a flannel or magnet board, and remove one each time the bunnies return. If you have a bunny puppet, use it as “Mama Bunny” and hop it along to the tune:
Five baby bunnies went out one day
Over the carrot patch and far away
Mama Bunny went, “Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!”
But only four came back to the stump
Four baby bunnies went out one day…
Sad Mama Bunny went out one day
Over the carrot patch and far away
Mama Bunny went, “Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!”
And all the babies came back to the stump!
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 bunnies
Sway little bunny sway, sway, sway…
Shake little bunny shake, shake, shake…
Bunny Sensory Play Activities
Ending Sensory Storytime with free play provides children and their caregivers an excellent opportunity to explore and socialize. Here are great bunny and spring-themed activities to enjoy.
Bunny Puppet
Do you have a bunny puppet or two in your storytime closet? Set it out for imaginative play. If you did the Five Little Bunnies Flannel Board Song, set the flannel bunnies out for children to enjoy. As for puppets, Folkmanis Puppets have been a favorite of mine for their quality and durability, but they can be expensive. Amazon often has better deals vs. purchasing directly from Folkmanis.
Green Grass & Bunny Tails Sensory Bin
Fill a bin with shredded green paper, pom balls, and any other spring-themed items of your choice. That’s it! Encourage kiddos to stream the green paper grass through their fingers and dig for the poms balls. Talk about how each of the items feels. See the blog Run Like Kale for more tips on how it went with her little one.
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.
