Baby Time

40 babies
37 adults

Mr. Bear (comes out every week).  I play tracks 2 and 3 from this album.

Fingerplays:  Like Betsy Diamant-Cohen (Mother Goose on the Loose), I try to use props/flannels/pictures to offer babies a visual representation of what we are singing about.  Here are some of the puppets I used today.

Roly Poly (every week)

Roly poly, roly poly up, up, up
Roly poly, roly poly down, down, down
Roly poly, roly poly out, out, out
Roly poly, roly poly in, in, in
Roly poly, roly poly clap, clap, clap
Roly poly, roly poly lap, lap, lap

Mr. Bullfrog

This is Mr. Bullfrog (make fist)
sitting on a rock (place fist on other palm)
He jumps into the water... (lift fist, building anticipation)
Kerplop! (clap hands together)

The Leopard Has Lots of Spots

This is from Jbrary, except there is no way I could keep that tune.  I ended up singing it like this to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

The leopard has lots of spots (point to different "spots" on baby)
The leopard has lots of spots
The tiger has stripes (rake your hand up baby's belly)
Which are just as nice
But the leopard has lots of spots

Open Shut Them

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Put them in your lap, lap, lap

Raise them, lower them
Raise them, lower them
Give a little flap, flap, flap
Raise them, lower them
Raise them, lower them
Put them in your lap, lap, lap

Animal Song with Puppets ( "Down on Grandpa's Farm" (Every week, but I rotate the song each week):

Song with Manipulatives: Balls (Every week, but I usually hand out shakers)

"Roll Your Ball".  Everyone goes nuts over this song!

Bouncing Songs:   

"Peanutbutter Jelly" (Every week, but I rotate songs)
I love, love this version.  I always encourage lots of pizazz and everyone cracks up when the singer burps.

"I Wake Up My Hands" (Every week)

Prop Rhyme: "Hickory Dickory Dare" (Every week, but I rotate rhymes)
This may originally be from kindermusik, but I'm not sure.  The great thing about this rhyme is that parents can do it at home with their own stuffed animals.  They can even take turns throwing the animals in the air with their babies and toddlers.

Hickory dickory dare
The turkey flew up in the air
Farmer Brown
soon brought him down
Hickory dickory dare

(I used a turkey and rooster because they are farm birds... and of course pigs fly too.... but ANY animal works with this rhyme).

And we always end with bubbles!  Watching bubbles move, rise, and fall helps babies practice tracking objects with their eyes.  Reaching for bubbles helps develop motor skills and eye-hand coordination.