by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
We’ll have so much fun...hooray! 

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin
Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in! 

Wise Old Owl (action rhyme)

There is a wise old owl,
With a pointed nose,
He has pointed ears,
And claws for toes!

He sits in a tree,
And looks at you,
Then he flaps his wings and says:
Whoooooo! Whoooooo!

Puppy Dog (bounce)

Did you ever see a puppy dog,
A puppy dog, a puppy dog
Did you ever see a puppy dog
Go this way and that?!

Go this way...and that way...and this way..and that way!
Did you ever see a puppy dog,
Go this way and that?!

(It’s fun to use any and all animals in this song! Did you ever see a kitty cat? A bunny rabbit? A great big elephant?!)

Sleepy Bunnies (song/movement)

See the little bunnies sleeping ‘til it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still...are they ill?!

No! Wake up bunnies!

Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop aaaaaaaand...stop!

“  “

Jump little bunnies!

“  “

Dance little bunnies!

Scarf Opposites (prop song)

Wave your scarf up high,
Wave your scarf up high,
Wave it up high! Wave it up high!

Wave your scarf down looowwwwww
Wave your scarf down looowwwwww
Wave your scarf! Wave your scarf! 

Wave your scarf fast/slow

Wave your scarf in front/behind

Wave your scarf a little/a lot! 

Colors in the Air (prop song)

Colors, colors
Colors, colors
Floating in the air!
Floating in the air!

Red, Orange, Yellow
Green, Blue, Purple
Floating in the air!
Floating in the air!

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye! 

This week our theme for First Friends was the great outdoors! This theme was inspired by the Museum’s week full of Earth Day programming!

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play

We’ll have so much fun...hooray! 

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin
Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in! 

Bumble Bee (action song, tune: Jingle Bells)

Move wiggly fingers around baby as you gently touch the different body parts the song mentions. If your little one is a toddler--help them find their body parts that the song mentions using their hands! 

Bumble bee. Bumble bee
Landing on my nose

Bumble bee, bumble bee
Now it’s on my toes!

On my arms, on my legs
On my elbows

Bumble bee, bumble bee
It lands and then it goes! 

I’m a little Beetle (bounce) 

I’m a little beetle and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little bumble bee and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little lady bug and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little dragon fly and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

Splash! Fall the raindrops (action rhyme)

Splash fall the raindrops (clap hands together softly)

To the ground they go (tap on the floor)

We need raindrops (wiggle fingers down from the “sky”)

To help the flowers grow! (stretch up high!)

Everyone can shake! (prop song)

Everyone can shake shake shake
Everyone can shake shake shake
Everyone can shake shake shake
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can tap tap tap
Everyone can tap tap tap
Everyone can tap tap tap
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can clap clap clap
Everyone can clap clap clap
Everyone can clap clap clap
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can wave, wave, wave
Everyone can wave, wave, wave
Everyone can wave, wave, wave
And now it’s time to stop!

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye! 

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

These bubble blowers are a BLAST and can be made with upcycled items easily found at home! This craft is perfect for Earth Day week. What else could you upcycle to make into something new and fun?!

Materials Needed:

• Plastic bottle
  • You can use a plastic cup as well
• Piece of a mesh vegetable bag
• Duct tape
• Bubble solution (store bought or DIY)

Directions:

• Find a plastic bottle for each bubble blower
• Cut off the non-drinking-end of the plastic bottle
  • Cutting about an inch off the end is plenty
  • If using a plastic cup - cut a small opening on the bottom of the cup. This will be the spot where little ones put their mouths to blow their bubbles.
• Fit your piece of mesh vegetable bag over the cut end of your plastic bottle and secure to the bottle using duct tape
  • If using a plastic cup, put the mesh over the wide end of the cup (where you would normally drink!)
• Put some bubble solution inside a container
  • To make your own you will need:
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 Tbsp light corn starch
    • 4 Tbsp dish soap
      • Mix all ingredients together!
      • There are a lot of recipes for bubble solution - I used this one because I had these materials at home!
• Invite bubble blowers to dip their plastic bottles into the bubble solution and then try blowing bubbles!
  • Big bubble snakes will appear!

Thank you to our Earth Day week sponsor, D. F. Richard!

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week’s Tinker Time was inspired by Earth Day! These activities are all easy to do with materials that you probably have in your household recycling bin or trash can. Try out one or two and let us know what you think! 

Sensory: Cork Boats

• Gather your materials: three wine corks, two rubber bands or hair ties (or duct tape!), a straw or craft stick, a piece of paper, scissors. 

• Assemble your boat! 
  • Rubber band the three corks together so they form a raft-like structure
  • Wiggle the straw or craft stick between two of the corks
  • Cut your piece of paper into a triangle and decorate
  • Cut two slits on your triangle so you can slide it onto the straw or craft stick to become a sail!
• Have some sensory fun playing with the boat in the water! 

Building: Egg carton building blocks

• Cut egg cartons into small sections (the parts that hold the eggs!)
• Optional: color or paint the egg carton pieces
• Explore using the egg carton pieces as building blocks! 

Sorting: Old crayons become new!

• Place liners in mini or regular muffin tin
  • You can also use silicone shape molds, if you have them! 
• Sort old broken crayons by color into the different sections of the tin
• Bake the crayons for ~12 minutes at 250 degrees
  • Don’t go too far away--keep an eye on them and make sure to take them out if they start smoking!
• Let your “new” crayons cool completely and then gently ease them out of their cupcake liners
• Use your new & improved giant crayons! 

Art: Jar lid banjo

• Find a jar lid
• Place some rubber bands around the lid
• Tape a handle of some kind--a craft stick, paint stirrer, or piece of paper towel tube
• Decorate!
• Play your jar lid banjo! 

Thank you to our Earth Day week sponsor, D. F. Richard! 

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This is such an easy and fun project and is a perfect one to do during Earth Day week! 

Materials Needed:

• Magazines or other scrap paper
• Pencils
• A glue stick
• String
• Mod Podge or DIY Mod Podge (white glue mixed with water)
  • This is optional!

Directions:

• Prep this activity by cutting magazines or other scrap paper into long skinny triangles
  • Cut the paper vertically to make the longest triangles possible!
• Starting with the wide end of one of your triangles, start rolling it tightly around a pencil
  • Sometimes little ones need help with this beginning step!
• Keep rolling until you are about 2” from the end of the triangle--it should just be a skinny little strip left
• Cover that strip with glue and continue rolling to complete your bead
• Wiggle the bead off your pencil
• Make more beads!
• String your beads to make a necklace or bracelet. 

If you’d like, when you’re finished with your beads--you can paint them with Mod Podge and let them dry. This will make your beads more secure and sturdy and also make them shiny!

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week, all of our online programming will focus on the earth and being environmentally friendly! 

Try making seed flyers this week. These are fun to make and fun to throw or plant! Plus, the wildflower seeds that you use to create them will be helpful to your neighborhood pollinators. 

Materials Needed:

• Newspaper or construction paper (torn into small pieces)
• Water
• A blender or food processor
• Wildflower seeds
• Mini muffin tin (optional)

Directions:

• Start by tearing up your paper into small pieces
• Put the pieces in a bowl or a couple different bowls
• Pour water over your paper pieces and allow them to soak
  • This will take about 20 minutes with construction paper and less time with newspaper
• Once your paper is soaked, add it to your food processor or blender
  • Process or blend until the paper is fully broken down
• Now it’s time to make your seed bombs!
  • Smush the paper into your muffin tin or use your hands to smush the paper into spheres
  • If using the muffin tin, put a layer of paper and then sprinkle some seeds on top, then add another layer of paper on top of that and smush it all down
  • If using your hands, put some paper and seeds into your hands and then roll into balls
• Let your seed flyers dry
  • Let them dry for a few hours in the muffin tin (if you used one)
  • Once they’re a bit dry, transfer them to a drying rack and let them fully dry overnight

Now what do you do?!

• When seed planting season starts...plant your seed flyers! Or, as the name implies, THROW THEM and see them fly through the air! They will land and start to work their way into the soil. 

Thank you to our Earth Day week sponsor, D. F. Richard! 

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

Things That GO! Fast and Slow

This week in Baby Storytime we talked about things that GO! And moving fast and slow!

Some of the songs/rhymes this week were repeats from previous videos - but repetition is so important for this age group. When little ones hear the same songs or rhymes over and over again, it becomes extra fun for them because they start to anticipate what comes next and sing/play along. It also helps them with language acquisition and memory skills. 

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play

We’ll have so much fun...hooray! 

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin
Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in! 

Sugar Babies (action rhyme)

Roll, roll sugar babies
Roll, roll sugar babies
Push! Pull! Clap-clap-clap!

“   “
Fast! Slow! Clap-clap-clap!

“   “
Up! Down! Clap-clap-clap!

My Little Red Wagon (bounce)

Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling? 

Slowly, Slowly (action rhyme/tickle)

Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Creeps the garden snail

Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the wooden rail

Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Runs the little mouse!

Quickly, quickly, very quickly
All around the house! 

This is the way the ladies ride (bounce)

This is the way the ladies ride
Trit-trot, trit-trot

This is the way the gentlemen ride
Jiggity-jog, jiggity-jog

This is the way the farmer rides
Hobbildy-hoy, hobbildy-hoy

And this is the way the hunter rides
Gallopy, gallopy, gallopy, gallopy

Oooooooover the fence! 

Scarf Peekaboo (prop song)

We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!

We wave them up high!
We wave them down low
We wave them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun

We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!

We throw them up high!
We throw them down low
We throw them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun! 

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye! 

by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

Materials needed:

• One piece of aluminum foil per young scientist/participant (roughly the size of a standard piece of paper) Make sure all participants have the same size piece of foil. 
• Sink/tub/plastic bin with about 6 inches of water in it
• Weights to put in your boat (pennis work great for this!)
• Optional: other building materials
  • Cardboard, tape, straws, popsicle sticks, etc

Directions (prep):

• Fill up your water station (sink/tub/plastic bin)
• Prep materials for each scientist participant--make sure they all have the same materials to use for their project
• Collect boat weights (ex. pennies)

Directions (activity):

• Explain to your young scientist(s) that today you will be making boats! 
• Challenge them to make a boat that they think will hold the most weight and not sink using the materials provided
• Test your boats by putting them in the water and gradually adding weight!
• Feel free to re-design and test again. 

The Science:

• We are seeing two forces at work in this science experiment: gravity and buoyancy!
• Gravity: gravity is trying to pull your boat and pennies downward towards the center of the earth
• Buoyancy: buoyancy is pushing the boat towards the surface of the water! 
• Your boat will float if the force of buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity.