Drop-In for lap sitters

From Tess Beck at the Stratford (CT) Library

This is a drop in program for lap sitters. I like the babies to feel safe, so only toddlers or walkers who will sit on a lap are encouraged to come. I usually get between 8 and 15 babies/creepers and their caregivers. Sometimes an aunt or grandparent or extra parent comes.  Sometimes older siblings come. We just make it work. Some of the creepers move around, and as long as they don't mow the babies down we are all fine with that.

Sample program

Opening

Hello Song

Hello Babies how are you? How are you?
Hello Babies how are you? How are you my darlings?
I hope you're doing very well, yes indeed, yes indeed,
I hope you're doing very well, yes indeed my darlings.

We sang it again inserting “Toddlers”

In the next rhyme I use whatever the baby is doing at the time, looking around, giving a smile, sitting up, etc.

Songs

Little Baby

Little (name) reaching up, reaching up, reaching up.
Little (name) reaching up, my sweet (name).
My sweet (name)

Down by the Station

Down by the station, early in the morning, (make a fist out of hands and pump them around and around like the pistons of a train)
See the little puffer-bellies all in a row;
See the engine driver pull his little lever,
Puff puff, toot toot, off we go! 

Baker Man puppet comes out and asks if everyone is ready to help him make a cake

Rhyme

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you.
Roll it and pat it and mark it with a "B"
And toss it in the oven for baby and me! 

Repeat with substitution of child’s first initial traced on their hand

Book

Baby Beluga by Raffi

Hand out multiple copies and sing the book while babies look at their copies

Mouse puppet (for me) and bells (for everybody) come out

Rhyme

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one, the mouse ran down, Hickory dickory dock!
Every baby has the mouse run up or down their body during the singing of this song. (then the mouse goes back in my magic box)

Songs

Frere Jacques (French)

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,
Din, dan, don! Din, dan, don!

2X

Fray Felipe (Spanish)

Fray Felipe, Fray Felipe
Duermes-tu? Duermez-tu?
Suenen las campanas, suenen las campanas,
Din dan don! Din dan don!

2X 

Put The Bells Away

We put the bells away, we put the bells away,
Hi Ho the Derry–O We put the bells away.
The bells go in the box, The bells go in the box,
Hi Ho the Derry-O. The bells go in the box. 

If babies are unable to put the bells away, (give them up) we either let them keep them until they lose interest or trade for a shaker toy from my box

Get out shakers and pass around

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir three bags full.
One for my master, and one for my dame,
And one for the little boy(girl) who lives down the lane.

2X          

Doggie in the Window                       

How much is that doggie in the window,
The one with the waggly tail,
How much is that doggie in the window
I do hope that doggie's for sale.

2X

My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine;
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you;
Please don’t take my sunshine away!

2X

Rhymes

I’m a Little Cuckoo Clock

I'm a little cuckoo clock, tick tock, tick tock
(sway child back and forth in front of adult)
And I'm striking one (two, three, four) o'clock,
Cuckoo, (cuckoo, cuckoo. lift child in air for each)
Go up to five o’clock.

Bounce:  Dump Truck

Dump truck, dump truck
Bumping down the road
Spilling gravel as we travel
With our heavy load
Bumpity – bumpity - bump!
Bumpity – bumpity - bump!
Bumpity – bumpity - bump!
Dump truck, dump truck – DUMP!

3X

Bounce:  Ride a Horse

Ride a horse to Boston, ride a horse to Lynn
Be careful little (child's name) That you don't fall in.
(open knees and let baby "fall" a little way)

Many X

Our scarves come out

Songs

Where are the Babies? (To the Tune of “Where is Thumbkin?”)  

Where are the babies, where are the babies?
There they are! There they are!
We are glad to see you, we are glad to see you….
Peek-a boo, we see you.

Where is Baby?

Where is (Child's Name), where is (Child's Name) ?
There she is, there she is! I am glad to see you, I am glad to see you
Peekaboo! I see you! (cover and uncover face with scarf)

Many X

Rhyme

All for Baby

Here's a ball for baby (touch fingertips forming ball)
Big and soft and round.
Here is baby's hammer (pound one fist on the other)
Oh how she can pound.
Here is baby's music…clapping, clapping so.
Here are baby's flowers (hold ten fingers erect)
Standing in a row.
Here’s the baby's trumpet (one fist in front of other at mouth)
Toot, too, too, too, too.
And here's the way that baby plays at peek-a-boo(scarves up!)
Here's a big umbrella(hold one index finger up and use palm of other hand as umbrella, or hold scarf over your heads)
To keep the baby dry
Here is baby's cradle (make a cradle of interlocked fingers)
Rock-a-baby bye (rock hands).

Gather up the scarves while we sing Rock-a-bye Baby

Songs

Rock a Bye Baby

Rock a bye baby on the treetop,(Rock baby back and forth)
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
Rock a bye baby, swing through the trees,
Hear the birds sing their sweet melodies.
Over the rainbow we’ll catch a train,
Until we arrive in lullaby lane

Time for our twinkle star song...

Get out the large cloth with stars on it. Have a caretaker hold one end while I hold the other and waft it over the babies’ heads while we sing

Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are. 

Estrellita Brillaras

Estrellita brillaras,
Todo lo iluminaras.
Desde aqui yo te vere,
Todo el cielo azul se ve.
Estrellita brillaras,
Todo lo iluminaras. 

Thank you

Well, our hands say thank you with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap. Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and we wave good bye.

Good bye

clapping or tapping knees along to the rhythm

Good bye (name), good bye (name), good bye (name)
We’re glad you came today.

Until everyone’s name has been used