Laptime Songs

Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Fingerplays for Kids

5 Little Raindrops

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5 Little Raindrops

(Tune: “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider“)

Five little raindrops dancing on the walk
Pitter patter, pitter patter; that’s the way they talk
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky
And away goes one raindrop, bye, bye, bye!

Four little raindrops dancing on the walk
Pitter patter, pitter patter; that’s the way they talk
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky
And away goes one raindrop, bye, bye, bye!

Three little raindrops dancing on the walk
Pitter patter, pitter patter; that’s the way they talk
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky
And away goes one raindrop, bye, bye, bye!

Two little raindrops dancing on the walk
Pitter patter, pitter patter; that’s the way they talk
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky
And away goes one raindrop, bye, bye, bye!

One little raindrop dancing on the walk
Pitter patter, pitter patter; that’s the way they talk
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky
And away goes that raindrop, bye, bye, bye!

All gone!

15 Flower Poems for May

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Last month it was April showers and now we have moved on to May flowers. In honor of May Day (although I know I’m a few days late) I’ve collected 15 flower poems for you. I’ve tried to vary them so you have flower fingerplays, flower poems, and flower songs. There are also poems about flowers in general as wells as ones about tulips, daffodils and daisies. There is even a great bedtime poem. I’ve included it at the end of the list.

Flower PoemsIn addition to the flower poems you can teach your little ones and use in storytime programs, I’m also excited to share with you a new album from Charity and the JAMband. This album, Earth, has a great message for kids and families about taking care of the earth and showing kindness to each other.

Flower Poems

  1. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
  2. Growing
  3. If I Were a Little Flower
  4. Little Flowers
  5. Five Spring Flowers
  6. Daffodil
  7. I’m a Little Daisy
  8. Tulips
  9. Flower Garden
  10. The Flower Song
  11. A Song of Flowers
  12. I’m a Little Flower Pot
  13. Relaxing Flowers
  14. Five Little Flowers
  15. Bedtime

Be sure to click on the title of the poem to find the full lyrics. With 15 flower poems you will find something to work with any flower storytime program, or enough to create several programs around this theme.

I have heard that talking to plants encourages their growth. I thought of that nugget when I first heard “Sing a Summer Song” on the album Earth from Charity and the JAMband. The song speaks of singing a song for summer, singing a song for flowers, singing a song for dirt and singing a song for you and me. Music has such power to reach little ones. Music can guide them in their learning. Music can also broaden their understanding. This song would be a great addition to a storytime program. You could play it as a welcome song while little ones gather before storytime starts. Or it could be used as a song to play while little ones played with instruments.

Earth from Charity and the JAMbandYou can read more about the story of “Sing a Summer Song” on Charity’s blog. You can also connect with the band on their website or on Twitter (@jamband). You can also pick up a copy of Earth on Amazon or download it from iTunes.

I’m a Little Daisy

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I’m a Little Daisy

(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot“)

I’m a little daisy, tall and slim (Stand on tiptoes)
Here are my petals (Place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers)
Here is my stem (Hold arms down at sides of legs)
When the sun comes up (Make sun with arms)
And the rain comes down (Flutter hands to floor like rain-end in crouching position)
I grow, grow, grow- up from the ground! (slowly raise up bring hand over head)

Download this instrumental version of I’m a Little Teapot to listen and practice offline.

5 Spring Flowers

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Five Spring Flowers

Five spring flowers, all in a row.
The first one said, “We need rain to grow!”
The second one said, “Oh my, we need water!”
The third one said, “Yes, it is getting hotter!”
The fourth one said, “I see clouds in the sky.”
The fifth one said, “I wonder why?”

Then BOOM went the thunder
And ZAP went the lightning!
That springtime storm was really very frightening!
But the flowers weren’t worried–no, no, no!
The rain helped them to grow, grow, GROW!

Caterpillar to Butterfly Songs

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We went to the butterfly house at the zoo this past weekend. Oh my! Such beautiful butterflies. We had fun standing still and watching them flutter around us. We each held out a finger silently hoping a butterfly would land on one of us. Our favorite part of the butterfly house is looking through the window and seeing the caterpillar to butterfly process. All the cocoons of different sizes hung in rows; the newly emerged butterflies trying wings for the first time.

Caterpillar to Butterfly songs for kids

The process of caterpillar to butterfly is a great spring theme for toddlers and preschoolers. Spring brings so many changes to the world around our little ones. Butterflies are just one beautiful example of how spring transforms something plain into something colorful.

I love this list of songs because they all teach the caterpillar to butterfly cycle. Each song captures the beauty of this process in a unique way. These songs are a great way to reinforce the concepts taught in books, poems or activities. They would make a great soundtrack for a crafting session, a butterfly hunt, or free play time. They can also take front stage by letting kids explore instruments while listening.

Caterpillar to Butterfly Songs

Caterpillar to Butterfly Life Cycle

Butterflies begin as an egg. When the egg hatches, a caterpillar emerges. The caterpillar grows, eating leaves. Then the caterpillar spins itself into a cocoon. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Once the transformation is complete, the butterfly breaks out of the cocoon. At first the butterfly’s wings are still damp. The butterfly cannot fly until the wings have dried off. Once the wings have dried, the caterpillar to butterfly transformation is complete and the butterfly takes to the sky.

Caterpillar to butterfly life cycle

Find this and more caterpillar to butterfly coloring pages at Super Coloring.

Bari Koral: Anna and the Cupcakes     The Harmonica Pocket: Sundrops     Animal Tales from Key Wilde and Mr Clarke

in-a-heartbeat      in-the-nick-of-time

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5 Little Fish

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Five Little Fish

Five little fish
Swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark
“You can’t catch me!
No, you can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr Shark
As quiet as can be
And SNAP!

Four little fish
Swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark
“You can’t catch me!
No, you can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr Shark
As quiet as can be
And SNAP!

Three little fish
Swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark
“You can’t catch me!
No, you can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr Shark
As quiet as can be
And SNAP!

Two little fish
Swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark
“You can’t catch me!
No, you can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr Shark
As quiet as can be
And SNAP!

One little fish
Swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark
“You can’t catch me!
No, you can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr Shark
As quiet as can be
And SNAP!

Free Finger Puppet Printable

5 Little Fish Finger Puppet Printable

Click here to get the PDF printable for the 5 Little Fish (Teasing Mr Shark). Comes both in color and in black and white.