Storytime: L is for Ladybug

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, L is for Ladybugs!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I had a Beanie Baby ladybug that I put in the box.


3) The Very Lazy Ladybug - Isobel Finn

The longest of our books today, this one kept the kids' attention with the bold pictures of different animals.


4) Song – We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner
This song has nothing to do with ladybugs. But the kids love it. Even my 18-month-old walks around at home, stomping her feet and saying "march! march!"


5) Let's Read About Insects: Ladybugs - Susan Ashley

Hurray for toddler-friendly non-fiction books! I did paperclip and skip the pages on the ladybug's life cycle... but it was good for the kids to see real photos, since it's currently winter and they probably have no clue what a ladybug looks like!


6) The Lovely Ladybug
This was a fun little rhyme I found from Kathryn. I've never done folder stories before, I think I need to add more to my collection! The younger kids had fun telling me the color name when I showed it to them, and I had the older kids guess the color based on the rhyme before revealing it.

Let’s play a ladybug color game, I’ll give you rhyming clues 
If you know it, say the name of each color that I use! 

The first color for our buggy fellow 
Is the color of sunshine - it’s the color yellow. 

Frogs in the pond and a fresh snap bean 
Did you guess the color green? 

The sky above and the ocean too 
Such a beautiful color, it's the color blue. 

Strawberry ice cream, come on now, think. 
You are right! It’s the color pink! 

Grapes for jelly on a P B & J
Purple is the color we say! 

 Pumpkins or basketballs rolling by 
 Orange is the color that we now spy. 

Fluffy clouds and the moon at night 
Did you say the color white? 

Roses that grow in a garden bed 
Are this beautiful color, the color red. 

Ladybug, ladybug up in the sky 
Thanks for the fun and now we say, “Goodbye!”


7) Can You Make a Scary Face? - Jan Thomas

I think the parents got more of a kick out of this book than the kids (especially the younger group), but they all did what the book said!


8) Song & Rhyme Cube
This week we rolled I'm a Little Teapot, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and If You're Happy and You Know It.


9) Ten Little Ladybugs - Melanie Gerth

Love love love this book. My copy at my house has a broken spine from being read (and stepped on...) so often. I'll admit (and I said this to the parents too!), the very first time I read this book I wondered what the heck was happening to the ladybugs...


10) L is for Ladybug coloring page (18-36 mo.) or L is for Ladybug craft (3-5 yrs)
I found on Pinterest the exact look I was going for with this craft. I didn't put it on a background though, and used a brad to attach the wings to the body so they could move. The dots are fingerpaint!

Other ladybug ideas:
The Grouchy Ladybug - Eric Carle
Ladybug Girl - David Soman
Five Little Ladybugs - Karen Henley (too much like 10 Little Ladybugs above)
Little Ladybug flannel 
Pretty Ladybug flannel song