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 TREES!
There may be nothing better than walking through the woods, admiring the trees, and seeing the shine peek through the leaves. Similarly, reading stories about trees can provide us with a sense of groundedness and calm. A tree theme is great for learning about our natural world and how things grow. Trees also act as a clever vehicle for talking with your children about individuality and how we all have a special role to play in the world, as well as seasonal changes, having patience, and how small things can become big things that make a difference. Beyond the stories themselves, reading about trees lends itself well to exploring the outdoors and getting fresh air with your kiddo. The library has some wonderful books about trees, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search ‘tree’ 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 tree-themed storytime.
Preschool
- The City Tree by Shira Boss
- When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree by Jamie Deenihan
- The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
- Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
- My Tree by Hope Lim
- Little Tree by Loren Long
- We Planted A Tree by Diane Muldrow
- Only A Tree Knows How To Be A Tree by Mary Murphy
- Treehouse Town by Gideon Sterer
- Peter and the Tree Children by Peter Wohlleben
- Nell Plants A Tree by Anne Wynter
- The Jelly Bean Tree by Toni Yuly
Toddler/Baby
- A Bear, A Bee, A Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
- Maisy Loves Trees by Lucy Cousins
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
- Tap The Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
- Way Up High In A Tall Green Tree by Jan Peck
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.
Sing and Move: I’m An Old Oak Tree
Tune: I’m A Little Teapot
Do actions in italics as you sing
I’m an old oak tree
Tall and strong (hold arms up)
Trunk is wide (hold arms out wide)
And branches long (wave arms like branches)
Roots go underground to help me grow (wiggle fingers as you bring your hands down)
Underground below, below (point to the ground)
I’m an old oak tree
Tall and strong (hold arms up)
Leaves don’t grow the whole year long (shake head and wag finger no)
When the autumn comes, and acorns grow (hold tiny “acorn” in between fingers)
Leaves fall to the ground below (wiggle fingers as you bring your hands down)
Rhyme: Way Up High In The Apple Tree
Do actions in italics as you say it
Way up high in a tall green tree (stretch up high)
Two red apples smiled down at me (make hands into fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake your whole body)
Down came those apples (quickly drop hands and smack thighs)
Mmmmm were they good! (rub tummy)
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 tree theme.
Handprint Tree Craft
Materials Needed
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Tissue paper pieces, pom poms, or cut up pieces of paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
Source: Fun Handprint Art and Simple Everyday Mom
Directions
- First, help your child by tracing his or her hand and forearm on a piece of brown paper. Cut it out. This will be the base of the tree.
- Glue the base of the tree to another piece of paper.
- Use the tissue paper pieces, pom poms, or cut up pieces of paper to decorate the tree with “leaves.”
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:
- Go for a walk in the woods to admire the trees! Some of my favorite trails include Three Lakes Nature Center, Pony Pasture, Bryan Park, and trails at the 42nd Street entrance.
- Create a “plant the trees” sensory bin to learn about planting and growing trees.
- Create a Kandinsky-style tree with rolled up paper.
- Wrap paper around a tree trunk and create tree rubbings with your children!
- Practice early math skills like measuring and comparing with sticks. Find sticks of different sizes and then help your child arrange them in order from smallest to largest.
- Help your child improve their fine-motor skills with a leaf cutting activity. Grab some scissors and find leaves outside. Let your child experiment with cutting the leaves in different ways.
- Enjoy a tasty tree treat like this one.
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!
