Welcome to the Storytime at Home series! Every other week, we share a list of book options tied to a kid-approved theme, a craft you can set up to go along with the theme, songs/rhymes you can do during storytime, and additional enrichment activities. All books are available at Richmond Public Library, and crafts will involve items you likely have at home already! Our hope is that we can make it easy for you to share stories with your little ones and create a little bit of library magic at home.
P.S. Love library storytimes? Take a look at all in-library storytime options here. There is a storytime for your child every morning at our various branches!
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Today’s storytime theme is SNAILS!
A love for nature and creepy-crawlies seems to be an innate trait in young children. Picking up sticks, collecting rocks, watching bugs scurry by – nature is one of the best teachers and sources of entertainment for kids. Snails can be an especially fun topic for them because they’re slimy, have cool shells and weird eyes, and are generally fascinating. Reading about snails is a great way to talk about the outdoor world with your child and learn about the creatures that make up our environment. Plus, for such small animals, they sure do go on some big adventures in these stories. The library has some wonderful books about snails, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search for snails in our catalog or ask a librarian to help you find the perfect book for you and your child.
Books
Reading to your kiddos turns them into confident thinkers. Making books a regular part of your daily routine is a great way to build children’s love of reading and learning. Storytimes also help build excitement around reading to support their literacy development.
Here are a few book options you can choose from for your snail-themed storytime.
Preschool
- The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson
- The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman
- How To Party Like A Snail by Naseem Hrab
- Snail by Minu Kim
- Snail & Worm All Day by Tina Kugler
- Snail’s Birthday Wish by Fiona Rempt
- Jumpy Jack & Googily by Meg Rosoff
- Escargot by Dashka Slater
- Who Stole My House by Barbara Veit
Toddler/Baby
- The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson
- Boom Snot Twitty by Doreen Cronin
- Slow Snail by Mary Murphy
There are many ways to make reading fun and engaging for your little one!
Click here to see some of our favorite tips for bringing stories to life at home.
- Point at the pictures and ask your child what they see. Help build their vocabulary by pointing to pictures and saying the word aloud.
- Ask your child questions about the story: What do you think will happen next? How do you think this character is feeling?
- Read with expression and enthusiasm, and use different voices for different characters.
- Act out what’s happening in the story.
- As your child gets older, count objects in a book, discuss the different colors they see, point out shapes in the story, etc.
- Snuggle up and be patient. Reading is great bonding time for you and your child. Take your time walking them through the story. If your child wants to turn the page or be finished with reading, that’s OK too. You don’t have to read every word or even every page for reading with your little one to be beneficial for their development.
Songs and Rhymes
We love adding songs and rhymes to our storytimes. This is a great way to practice language with your child and support their physical (motor) development through movement.
Here are two songs and rhymes you can use for this themed storytime.
Movement Rhyme: Slowly, Slowly
Make a snail with your fist and thumb, creep it up your arm as you sing
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail. Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail. Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse. Quickly, quickly very quickly into his little house.
Source: Jbrary
Rhyme: Silly, Sticky Me
Do actions in italics as you recite
Silly, slimy, sticky me (hold pointer finger out)
I’m as slow as slow can be (wiggle finger like a snail)
In my shell (make fist with other hand)
Is where I dwell (hold fist over finger)
I’m a snail (show off your snail)
And that’s my tale (point to yourself with thumbs)
Arts and Crafts
Adding a craft along with a book is a great way to continue allowing your child to learn, explore, and grow. Crafts are a nice supplement as they encourage motor development, creativity, self-confidence, and more.
In fact, art and craft activities:
- Build fine motor skills. Actions such as painting, coloring, gluing, and cutting develop small muscles in small hands and improve coordination skills as children learn to use both hands at the same time.
- Support early literacy. When children make art, they learn vocabulary and how to follow directions when getting verbal instructions from parents and caregivers. They also boost their communication skills via talking about their work!
- Teach early math concepts. Math skills are used frequently in arts and crafts. Kids learn about and recognize different shapes, count and sort art supplies, and even measure out materials.
- Encourage creativity. Art helps develop creativity, self-expression, problem-solving, and curiosity.
- Boost self-esteem. Doing arts and crafts can give children a sense of achievement and allow them to take pride in their work, which builds confidence.
- Offer bonding time. Kids love spending quality time with parents and caregivers, and arts and crafts are a great opportunity for this.
Here is a craft activity you can do along with the snail theme.
Paper Plate Snail Craft
Materials Needed
- Paper plate
- Buttons
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers/crayons
Source: Made To Be A Momma
Directions
- Cut construction paper to create the eye stalks and the body shape. Cut eyes out as well, or use this template to print them.
- Help your child glue the stalks onto the body and eyes onto the stalk.
- Help your child glue the buttons onto the back of the paper plate (rounded side facing you). If you don’t have buttons, you could use paint and have your child add designs with their fingertips.
- Attach the paper plate to the snail’s body with glue. Let dry completely before hanging them up. Don’t forget to add a smiley face!
Additional Enrichment Ideas
The fun doesn’t have to end at books, songs, and a craft. There are many ways to enrich a storytime with additional activities and lessons. Here are a few ideas for you and your child:
- Make your own “snail slime” for a fun and squishy sensory activity.
- Visit a pet store to see snails in the fish tanks. See how they crawl up the glass and float back down!
- Pretend to be a Snail! Gather boxes that kiddos can put on their backs to pretend to be snails. Decorate the boxes as snail shells with your child. Add ribbon at each side of the box, so they can tie the boxes on their backs and let them move around like snails!
- Watch an educational video about snails (like this one) to learn something new together.
- Print out snail coloring sheets and create colorful mollusks together.
- Enjoy snail-themed snacks together. Here are some ideas. You can also make cinnamon rolls and talk with your child about how the spiraled treats look like snail shells!
We share these Storytime at Home posts twice a month, so be sure to check back soon for more. You can also search “#storytimeathome” to see all past posts.
Have a suggestion for the next theme we cover? Email Sarah at sarah.fenninger@rva.gov and let us know!
