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 EARTH DAY!
Every April we celebrate our beautiful planet, Earth! This is a great occasion to share with young kids because it provides opportunities to teach them about the outdoors, natural resources, gardening, lifecycles, and more. Kids are naturally curious and sharing more about the world they see every day can help them better understand their place in it. Earth Day is also a great time to get your hands dirty with your kids – something that is not only fun but beneficial! Playing in dirt can release serotonin in the brain and make your child happier. There have also been studies finding that playing in dirt is helpful for boosting children’s immune systems. It’s a win-win-win! To celebrate Earth Day this year, grab a book or two to introduce your child to the holiday, do an Earth-based craft, find a local event to participate in, and spend some time talking to your little one about the world around them. The library has some wonderful books about Earth, 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 Earth-themed storytime.
Preschool
- The Great Big Green by Peggy Elizabeth Gifford
- A Year With Mama Earth by Rebecca Grabill
- And The Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson
- The Planet We Call Home by Aimee Isaac
- My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan
- The Earth Book by Todd Parr
- Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre
- To Change A Planet by Christina Soontornvat
- Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi
- ABCs from Space by Adam Voiland
Toddler/Baby
- Plant The Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
- Planet Earth by Jill McDonald
- Lola Plants A Garden by Anna McQuinn
- The Earth Book by Todd Parr
- We Share This Earth by Dan Saks
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: Be A Seed
Do actions in italics as you say the rhyme
Be a seed, small and round (make a fist)
Sprout, sprout, sprout up from the ground (open fingers)
Shake your leaves for all to see (shake hands and body)
Stretch your arms up, you’re a tree! (raise arms high)
Source: Jbrary
Song: Will Our Flowers Bloom?
Tune: Wheels on the Bus
Do actions in italics as you say it
The seeds from the pack go in the ground (poke with finger)
In the ground, in the ground
The seeds from the pack go in the ground
Will our flowers bloom?
Additional verses:
The rain from the sky goes drip drip drop (flutter fingers)
The sun above is bright and hot (arms make a circle)
Our little seeds are sprouting fast (fingers grow upward)
(last line) Look! Our flowers bloomed! (spread hands)
Credit: Storytime with Miss Jennifer
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 Earth Day theme.
Earth Day Sticky Wall Craft
Materials Needed
- Contact paper
- Scissors
- Green and blue tissue paper
- White cotton balls
- Masking tape
Source: Happy Toddler Playtime
Directions
- Cut a large piece of contact paper. Draw an Earth on the non-sticky, non-paper-backed side. Include continents and open space for the oceans.
- Tape the four corners of the contact paper to a wall, paper backing side facing out.
- Peel the paper backing off until one side is exposed. Tape that side down. Continue peeling and taping until all paper backing has been removed and all four sides are taped down.
- Decorate! Help your child add tissue paper to the Earth and white cotton balls for the clouds.
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:
- Get outside! There’s no better way to celebrate our Earth than by spending quality time with it. Check out one of Richmond’s many kid-friendly hiking trails, visit a park or playground, have an outdoor picnic, visit Maymont… there are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors!
- Plant seeds, flowers, or plants with your little one. Gardening is a wonderful activity to do with kids. They practice lots of different skills – from counting, to pinching and grasping, to digging, and more – all while getting their hands dirty and having fun in the mud!
- Go on an Earth Day scavenger hunt.
- Practice recycling with your child and talk to them about why it is important! Sorting and grouping are early math skills that promote your child’s development, and sorting recyclable materials is a great way to work on those!
- Get even craftier with these Earth-inspired crafts including nature bracelets, upcycled flower art, egg carton trees, toilet paper roll binoculars, 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!
