Toddler Nature Storytime: Bears & Owls

It's Natural Areas Celebration Week (May 4th - 12th, 2013)

In the spirit of learning about and exploring our natural world, we had a nature-themed toddler storytime this week. Here's how it went:

We opened storytime by "shaking our sillies out," which is our weekly routine. I had never heard this song before I began working at this library, but it's definitely one of the favorites with our youngest patrons. Both Raffi and Bob McGrath (from Sesame Street fame) have great renditions of the song on their albums. There is even a sing-along book by Raffi.

Into the Wild by Lerryn Korda (Candlewick, 2010)

The illustrations are very cute and toddler-friendly in this book. Little Nye, Nella, and Lester would like to go exploring into the wild with Gracie, but she cautions them: You need to be brave! It could get dark outside! There might be grizzlies! Luckily Gracie decides to let them join her on exploring the wild patch at the end of the backyard garden.

We walked, jumped, danced, and sang together to "I Like to Walk" by Grenadilla. This is a very sunny, danceable album for children.

With the aid of owl puppets, I shared the story of owl siblings Sarah, Percy, and little Bill who are missing their mother in this classic book on dealing with separation anxiety:

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (Candlewick, 1992)

We got up and moved to this rhyme from Librarian Lisa's blog (which also contains more classic, movement-oriented rhymes):

Once I Saw a Little Bird
Once I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop:
So I cried, "Little bird,
Won't you stop, stop, stop?"

I was going to the window
To say, "How do you do?"
But he shook his little tail,
And away he flew!

We sang "Clap Everybody and Say Hello" by Kathy Reid-Naiman from her album Sally Go Round the Sun:

Sally Go Round the Sun (Kathy Reid-Naiman)

Next we shared:

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (Henry Holt, 2007)

A young bear sees a variety of animals from North America in this picture book illustrated by Eric Carle. We saw everything from a mule deer to a blue heron to a rattlesnake!

There is so much you can see just in your backyard or at a park around town! I shared with the group that I had seen several of nature's treasures in my garden over the weekend: a garden snake, earthworm, hummingbird, dragonfly, and even a roly poly. Toddlers are so naturally curious, this is a great age to start exploring the outdoors together.

One of my favorite songs to use with toddlers and preschoolers is "Stand Up, Sit Down" that I was introduced to years ago when I worked at another library in Washington state. This song is simple, but requires listening to directions and exercising a bit of self-regulation. The song is from this album by William Janiak, a music therapist:

Songs About Me by Bill Janiak

One of my all-time favorite authors and illustrators for sharing with young children is Nancy Tafuri:

Mama's Little Bears by Nancy Tafuri (Scholastic, 2002)

Mama's little bears are learning to fish, but curiosity leads them to explore the world around them. They meet spiders, river otters, and even an owl family up a tree. Luckily, mama bear is never far from these newly independent bears.

We explored the difference between big and small with our next rhyme and song. I love the "This is Big" rhyme from Mel's Desk (thank you, Melissa!). Of course, we had to sing Itsy-Bitsy Spider, too.

The last book I shared was:

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich (Chronicle Books)

This is a board book with an owl finger puppet integrated into the book. The illustrations are among my favorites and since I have a small obsession with owls, I couldn't resist featuring this one in storytime. Interactive books are great for toddlers, especially one-on-one. It helps hold their interest in the book and makes the story come alive through their senses. 

I try to end with the same rhyme every week:

Tickle the Clouds
Tickle the clouds
Tickle your toes
Turn around and
Tickle your nose

Reach down low
Reach up high
Storytime is over
Wave "goodbye!"

Happy Natural Areas Celebration Week!

Pick of the Week: In the Meadow

In the Meadow by Yukiko Kato, illustrations by Komako Sakai (Enchanted Lion Books, 2011)

A young girl's imagination and her exploration of the natural world is brought to life with the beautiful illustrations of Komako Sakai. You might recognize the Sakai's style from Emily's Balloon, The Snow Day, or Mad at Mommy.

Exploring & Learning Outdoors

Here's a quote for the day from Reading Rockets:

"Fun outdoor activities...nurture a young child's interest in science — and develop skills like observing and predicting." Reading Rockets suggests a variety of fun ways to create fun outdoors with your child - all the while helping boost their early and pre-reading skills!
Read more here...

Our community has such wonderful places to explore outside, like the trails at Peavy Arboretum, the Jackson-Frazier Wetland, Willamette Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Avery Park, and many more places throughout the county.

Find inspiration at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, too:

Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids: a Guide to Getting Your Kids Active in the Great Outdoors by Eugene Buchanan

Corvallis Trails: Exploring the Heart of the Valley by Margie C. Powell

Hug a Tree: and Other Things to Outdoors with Young Children by Robert E. Rockwell, Elizabeth A. Sherwood & Robert A. Williams

The Green Hour: Activities, Games, Crafts, Science Lessons, and Fun Facts the Whole Family Will Enjoy by Todd Christopher

Janice VanCleave's Play and Find Out about Nature: Easy Experiments for Young Children

Let's Go Outside: Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature by Jennifer Ward

Pond Year by Kathryn Lasky

Too Many Rabbits and Other Fingerplays about Animals, Nature, Weather, and the Universe by Kay Cooper

Raccoon on His Own by Jim Arnosky (see others by Jim Arnosky as well)

Nature Walk by Douglas Florian (good for the youngest listeners)

Nature Play

Is play out-of-fashion these days? Do children get enough free time outside to explore their natural surroundings and build connections with the environment? Are days of making mudpies, searching for bugs, climbing trees, and taking nature walks on the brink of existence? Articles in popular magazines, blogs, and newspapers (see The Washington Post's recent article, "Getting Lost in the Great Indoors") have discussed the debate. What do you think?

The subject of play and children's connection to nature is a topic addressed in the following books.:


Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv.

Author Richard Louv argues for the benefits of nature in childhood: creativity, science, connection to the Earth. He calls attention to a study indicating that 8-year-olds could identity media characters much more easily than they could identify the names of trees or insects.

The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places by Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble.

These naturalist authors describe their childhood experiences and offer an argument for why they believe experiences with the natural world are so important for children.


Nature for the Very Young: a Handbook of Indoor & Outdoor Activities by Marcia Bowden.

This book offers a variety of fun, nature-inspired activities geared for the preschool through second-grade set.



Janice VanCleave's Play and Find Out about Nature: Easy Experiments for Young Children by Janice VanCleave.

A practical guide for bringing nature experiments home to your young child.



Get Out!: Outdoor Activities Kids Can Enjoy Everywhere (except indoors) by Hallie Warshaw with Jake Miller.

"This guide to outdoor activities in the park, playground, schoolyard, or sidewalk encourage children to get outside and play. Activities include games with balloons and Frisbees, pet shows, running a lemonade stand, being a street artist, and much more."


Nature Spy by Shelley Rotner and Ken Kreisler.

A photographic picture book that encourages exploring the outdoors.



Check out your local library for more books on the subject of outside play and exploring nature.