Last week was a doozy.
My son got sick and was refusing to eat.
I got a cold and couldn’t breathe through my nose.
The house was a mess and needed to be sterilized.
So when my son was like, “No Mommy, no storytime” (his words, not mine), I was like, cool. Let’s watch TV.
And that’s when I thought, “Oh, I wonder who else’s kid flat-out refuses storytime?”
Usually, during storytime, he’ll be engaged in the songs and activities, but when it comes to the actual reading, he’ll usually do his own thing. He’ll wander around, bring me a toy, or disappear into one of his conspicuous “hidey-holes.”
But last week?
He was moody, clingy, and fussy.
Storytime was a hard N-O.
So if your kid is sick, tired, teething, overstimulated, or simply not interested in the beautiful storytime activity you planned, here are a few things you can put on instead.
When You Still Want a Little Reading
Between the Lions
I LOVED Between the Lions as a kid. I knew that I wanted my son to watch it, but I didn’t know how educational it was until after I grew up, worked in childcare and education, got married, and had a baby.
I actually hadn’t watched it since I was a child, and I can say it aligns with a lot of the educational formulas I’ve learned about during my career in childcare and education.
The show is full of books, words, phonics, wordplay, and a quirkiness that offsets the actual learning. And if I had to be honest, this is our little morning show. I’ll put it on for him while I prep the kitchen and get ready for breakfast.
Sometimes I do actually sit down with him to watch it, and as an adult, there are times where I am:
1. Genuinely impressed at the show’s phonics awareness.
The method reminded me of the UFLI method of literacy education, which I loved in the classroom and fully intend to include in his homeschool curriculum.
2. Laughing at the show.
There are moments in the show that are so funny. Sometimes I’ll call my husband to tell him about a joke on the show, or I’ll replay a scene from the “Dancing Monkey Pop-Up Theatre” for my sister.
I loved the show as a kid, but as an adult, I consider it a staple in our house.
Storyline Online
I found this YouTube channel by coincidence at work. We were supposed to read A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon in class one day. It was essentially imperative that we read this book, but we couldn’t find it in the school library.
So we searched online and found a read-aloud version on YouTube, read by Sean Astin.
It was so good. I was an adult, but I felt like a child being read to in front of the fire. It was such a cozy energy that I knew I wanted my son to have read-alongs like it.
So I went through their catalog of videos and found as many types of books as you could find. There was a book about cats, books that made you think, books that celebrated your differences, and books that were just plain fun to read.
And they’re all read by actors or people in entertainment, so the stories were often very theatrical and fun.
I highly recommend this channel.
Reading Rainbow
This show is a classic.
My husband and I were so excited to have our son start watching this. We started having him watch it as soon as he could sit up by himself.
This might’ve been premature, but it was a good time for our family. We’d hold our son and take virtual trips to the rainforest, Egypt, the state fair.
I think as an adult, sometimes you forget how much wonder you can pull out of your own imagination, and I think books really pull that out of you. And Reading Rainbow takes it a step further by pulling this world out of your imagination and putting it on your TV so you can see it and feel a little closer.
I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, and maybe if I didn’t have my own kid I wouldn’t have that perspective… but I do.
Thank God.
When You Just Want Something Cozy
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Nobody hates Clifford, and if you do, you don’t.
We used Clifford as our wind-down show to transition from day to night.
It is such a calming, seaside-breezy show, and there’s the nostalgia of childhood, going to your school library, and sorting through the section dedicated to The Big Red Dog.
I haven’t tried this yet, but if you want to push it, you could probably find books with correlating episodes, read the book, and then watch the matching episode and have a Clifford-themed storytime.
Make a whole thing out of it.
Little Bear
Having our son watch Little Bear was my husband’s idea. It was a lot more nostalgic for him than it was for me, but I loved the aesthetic and thought the stories were cute.
I think what works well for Little Bear is the amount of whimsy he can pull out of a fallen tree branch or a button his mother lost in the garden.
Isn’t that what childhood is all about?
Franklin
I wasn’t big on the Franklin books, but I did play the CD-ROM game at my daycare when I was a kid.
I think Franklin falls into the same category as Little Bear aesthetically, but if I had to be honest, I like the books more than I like the show.
But hey, you might feel the opposite.
When You Want a Little Adventure
Arthur
I loved Arthur when I was a kid.
I used to watch it every morning while my mom did my hair for school. Every morning it was a bottle of Pink, Arthur, and blueberry Eggo waffles as my mom combed and tamed my hair into braids or puffballs.
It was a core memory and definitely a show I plan to watch with my son more, especially when he’s older.
Curious George
I was never into Curious George, but I get it.
A silly, mischievous little monkey causing chaos around town while still being super cute and lovable…
Where have I heard that before…?
When Mom Wants Something a Little Stranger
Jim Henson’s The Storyteller
OK, so this one I found by accident.
It was getting close to bedtime, and my son wasn’t quite all the way ready for bed, so I let him play in his little play area while I flipped through his Prime profile to see what shows were there because we didn’t really use Prime for kid shows.
Then I found this dark fantasy-looking thumbnail that looked a little too dark to be a kids’ show.
So, of course, I clicked on it, and I quickly found out that this was a show that a younger me would have found wonderful and extraordinary (if that tells you anything about my personal taste).
It was dark, but it was also fantastical, and it had a lot of mixed media with the puppetry stylings and live-action elements.
It was a Jim Henson production, but it wasn’t the Muppets, and it definitely wasn’t Sesame Street.
It was dark, weird, magical, and so cool.
My son could’ve cared less, but I wanted to watch more.
And to be honest, if you do decide to watch this show with your kid, let me make you aware that it might be too dark for some. On the spectrum of fairytales, it definitely sits closer to an accurate retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytales than it does Disney retelling, which I like but might be unsettling to young kids.
So watch with discretion, but it is worth watching.
Not Total Brainrot
Listen.
Sometimes you just need to put something on.
I’m not going to pretend every sick day needs to be an educational enrichment opportunity.
But if you’re looking for shows that are fun while still giving your kid a little something to think about, these are some of our favorites.
The Magic School Bus
Science, adventure, weird field trips, and Ms. Frizzle.
Need I say more?
This show also has a nostalgic factor, and maybe when your child is up to it, you could include the book in your storytime rotation.
The Backyardigans
There’s music, imagination, costumes, and storytelling.
And let me tell you, my son LOVES The Backyardigans. He watches it once a day after naptime, and it is his sweet treat at the end of the day.
This is a must in our house.
Sesame Street
Another classic.
You can also check out corresponding books once your child feels up to it.
There are letters, numbers, songs, stories, jokes, and enough familiar characters, and honestly, this would be a great show to pull songs and ideas for your own storytime program.
Barney
I LOVED Barney as a kid.
As an adult, Barney is OK.
But I really like the imagination elements, stories, and craft ideas you could pull from this.
There are also books to go along with the show as well. Honestly, this could be another storytime treasure trove as far as ideas and concepts go.
10/10 would recommend Barney.
The Big Comfy Couch
I didn’t watch this growing up, but I remember it being a thing when I was younger.
I watch it with my son sometimes, and I love the show.
The clowns, the stories, the little shorts they have during the show. It’s all super creative and silly. A really fun watch that promotes emotional and social awareness in a way that gets down to the kids’ level.
Another 10/10.
And Sometimes You Just Need to be on the Couch
I think one of the hardest parts of doing activities with your kids is remembering that you don’t have to do them perfectly.
Storytime doesn’t have to happen every day.
Your child doesn’t have to sit through the whole book.
You don’t have to finish the craft.
And you certainly don’t have to force a sick kid to participate in an activity because you had it planned.
Sometimes your kid says:
“No Mommy, no storytime.”
And you say:
“Okay.”
Because the goal isn’t to create the perfect storytime.
It’s to make stories, curiosity, and imagination part of your home, even when the day doesn’t go according to plan.
And honestly?
Sometimes a sick day on the couch is its own kind of storytime.
🌱✨
Happy reading. 📚
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