I hardly ever make it to story time during the week. I’ve missed so many that I stopped trying to go.

I was getting discouraged because:

1. There’s not enough time in the day.
2. I was afraid my son wasn’t reading as much as he should.

Now, we are library regulars, but it doesn’t matter who’s reading to him, he’s not the type of kid who will sit down and listen to a book. Which makes it difficult because it’s hard to know what to count as “reading to a child” when that child isn’t listening.

I was stuck.

Story time at the library wasn’t happening, and just reading to him at home didn’t seem to resonate with him. So I did some brainstorming because I really wanted to take my son to story time.

I took some inspiration from the library story times I had been to and came up with the idea to do story time at home.

And when I did, I noticed my son was much more engaged at home than he was at the library because he was focused on me, and I could tailor it to him and his needs.

I still take him to the library, but it’s nice to know he’s getting just as much out of doing story time at home as he would at the library.

Anyway, if you’re like me, stuck between story time and a hard place, I made a whole outline to follow at home.

So pick a book. Pick a theme. Sing a song. And see what happens.

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📚 Story Time Structure

🌼 Welcome Song

2–3 minutes

Start with the same welcome song each time. Having a familiar opening can help signal that story time is beginning.

📚 Story #1

3–5 minutes

Choose a book that goes with the theme of your overall story time.

Examples:

• Farm
• Trucks
• Colors
• Animals
• Bedtime
• Nature

While reading:

• Point to things in the pictures.
• Ask simple questions.
• Let your child turn the pages if they want.

🎵 Movement Song

3 minutes

Get up and move around between stories.

Examples:

• Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Shake Your Sillies Out

📚 Story #2

3–5 minutes

Do the same thing you did with the first story, but choose a new book.

🫧 Sensory Rhyme

2–3 minutes

Try a finger play or rhyme.

Examples:

• Open, Shut Them
• The Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Five Little Ducks
• Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Finger plays are great for incorporating language and fine motor practice into story time.

🌿 Exploration Activity

8–10 minutes

This is where you meet your child’s needs.

Don’t be afraid to be realistic about any expectations you have for yourself. Story time doesn’t have to look the same every time, and the activity doesn’t have to be complicated.

Rotate activities like:

🌿 Nature Week

• Leaves
• Pinecones
• Flowers
• Magnifying glass

🐄 Farm Week

• Toy animals
• Straw
• Buckets
• Scoops

🌊 Ocean Week

• Water play
• Seashells
• Blue scarves

🎨 Color Week

• Pom-poms
• Blocks
• Sorting cups

🚗 Transportation Week

• Cars
• Cardboard ramps
• Wooden trains

The activity connects back to the books and gives your child another way to explore the theme.

🎶 Goodbye Song

2 minutes

Always end the same way.

A familiar ending lets your child know that story time is finished.

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🌾 Story Time Themes to Try

🍓 Backyard Summerween

Theme:
Spooky summer in the backyard.

Books

• A book with a ghost or monster
• A berry or picnic-themed book
• A book about weather or seasons

Songs

• Five Little Pumpkins
• Leaves on the Trees

Activity
Decorate a tiny pumpkin with stickers. If fresh pumpkins aren’t available, decorate paper pumpkins instead.

Snack
Apple slices or watermelon.

Craft
Leaf rubbing with crayons.

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🌲 Woodland Mysteries

Theme:
Mysterious animals, adventure, and fun.

Books that fit the theme

• Forest animals
• Owls
• Camping

Songs

• Going on a Bear Hunt
• Sleeping Bunnies

Activity
Nature scavenger hunt.

Collect:

• 🍂 A leaf
• 🪨 A rock
• 🌼 A flower
• 🪵 A stick

Snack
Dirt cup.

Craft
Suncatcher.