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 BOATS!
Are boats the best type of transportation? Let me lay out their case: They can have loud honking horns, travel fast or slow, enjoy riding the waves, and – oftentimes – show us that even small things can have grand adventures. Books about boats take us on journeys far and wide and encourage young readers to use their imaginations. Reading about boats can also help us share lessons like how to manage turbulence and how to help take care of our water systems with little ones. You and your children alike are sure to enjoy this theme! The library has some wonderful books about boats, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search 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 boat-themed storytime.
Preschool
- Sail Away, Little Boat by Janet Buell
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera
- The Bedtime Boat by Sital Gorasia Chapman
- Charlie’s Boat by Kit Chase
- River by Elisha Cooper
- Lighthouse and the Little Boat by Katie Frawley
- Boat by Eric Kentley
- How It Feels To Be A Boat by James Kwan
- Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden
- Mouse On The River by Alice Melvin
- The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey
- I Want A Boat! by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon
Toddler/Baby
- Boats by Byron Barton
- Stanley’s Boat by William Bee
- Go, Boats, Go! by Addie K. Boswell
- Little Bear’s Little Boat by Eve Bunting
- Mighty Tug by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
- Little Boat by Taro Gomi
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.
Counting Rhyme: Five Little Boats
Put fingers up as you count; do movements in italics as you say the rhyme
The first little boat went chug, chug, chug.
(chug arms back and forth)
The second little boat went tug, tug, tug.
(pull arm up and down)
The third little boat went row, row, row.
(row your arms across body)
The fourth little boat went ohhhh sooooo slooooooow. (roll arms slowly)
Here comes the sailboat, watch it go!
(put hand over your brow to watch)
Movement Song: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
A classic boat song! We love this version that encourages different movements and new ways to sing this familiar tune. Happy rowing!
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 boat theme.Â
Rocking Paper Plate Boat Craft
Materials Needed
- Paper plate
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Popsicle sticks
- Coloring materials
- Scissors
- Tape
Source: Red Ted Art
Directions
- Decorate the paper plate. Color it, add stickers, glue paper on it – get creative! Once done, fold it in half.
- To make the sail, cut a triangle from the construction paper or cardstock. Decorate as desired.
- Tape the sail to a popsicle stick. Then, tape the stick to the back of the sail boat. You can also make a small hole in the paper plate crease, feed the stick through, and tape it to the inside of the plate.
- TIP: If your boat doesn’t stay upright fully, you can add a little glue/ or rolled up tape to the inside of the paper plate halves to keep them together.
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:
- Explore STEM concepts like buoyancy with a penny boat challenge.
- Make your own boats using popsicle sticks, pool noodles, or ice. Then, take them to a creek or pool to watch them float!
- Take a trip down Richmond’s canals and learn more about the Canal Walk’s history. Children 4 and under are free!
- Go kayaking on the James. Waterfront RVA offers hourly rentals.
- Take a day trip to Norfolk to visit the maritime museum and see a battleship!
- Play boat at home! Use pillows and blankets, a cardboard box, etc. to create a boat at home! You can pretend to sail across the ocean, go on a river journey, be pirates, and more.
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!
