Welcome to the Storytime at Home series! Every month, 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 FOXES
Let’s read about foxes this month! Foxes are a great main character option in books because they can take us on all sorts of adventures and show us many different behaviors and emotions. Foxes can be cunning, curious, charming, or conniving. They can teach us lessons about staying safe or exploring the world around us. Some fox books feature wintry settings – making them perfect for this time of year. The library has some wonderful books about foxes 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 themed storytime.
Preschool
- A Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson
- Fox Explores the Night by Martin Jenkins
- Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!” by David LaRochelle
- Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London
- The Fox and the Wild by Clive McFarland
- Fox is Coming! by James Patterson
- One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read
Toddler/Baby
- Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer
- Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle
- Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
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.
Song: Fox Has Got
Tune: Mary had a Little Lamb
Fox has got a long red tail,
Shake that tail, shake that tail!
Fox has got a long red tail,
Shake that tail now!
Other Verses:
Pointy nose… wiggle that nose
Two front paws… clap those paws
Two pointy ears… twitch those ears
Two bright eyes… blink those eyes
Long sharp teeth… bite those teeth
Source: Storytime Sparks
Counting Rhyme: Five Little Foxes
Count on your fingers as you say rhyme
One little fox on a playground oh so blue.
Along came another, and that made two.
Two little foxes playing hide and seek.
Along came another, and that made three.
Three little foxes knocking on the door.
Along came another, and that made four.
Four little foxes going down the slide.
Along came another, and that made five.
Five little foxes having so much fun.
Goodbye little foxes, playtime is done!
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 fox theme.
Dried Orange Fox Ornament Craft
Materials Needed
- Dried orange slices (tutorial here)
- White and black acrylic paint
- Ribbon or string
- Hot glue gun
- Knife
Source: Red Ted Art
Directions
- Cut orange into rounds and dry them in the oven (tutorial here). Using a piece of orange peel, cut two triangles for the ears and dry those as well.
- Paint two white sections onto your orange to make the fox face. Let dry.
- Add a black nose and black eyes. Let dry.
- Use a hot glue gun to attach the ears to the top of the fox.
- Use a knife or other pointy item to make a small hole in the top of the fox. Thread ribbon or string through, then tie to create a loop.
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:
- Play What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? This is a great game for practicing counting, moving little bodies, and having fun. Here is a great tutorial.
- Learn more about foxes with this detailed write-up from Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources.
- Feel like a day trip? Visit the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk or the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News to see foxes in person! (Maymont’s Wildlife Trail should be open in Spring 2026 and you’ll be able to see them locally again as well.)
- Want more inspiration? Child’s Play ABC created a wonderful round-up of fox-related activities and ideas. Check it out here!
We share these Storytime at Home posts each 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!
