Archive for the ‘Free Printable Rhymes, Songs and Fingerplays for Children’ Category

Teaching children traditional songs and reading books about each of them is a wonderful way to extend learning and encourage critical thinking.

In this post, we will look at four traditional songs and suggest picture books for each of them. We can use these books or others to encourage children to compare illustrations and listen for differences in the language in each book. Songs like these are great for a preschool or kindergarten circle time.

You’ll find many resources for a kindergarten or preschool storytime or circle time on our “printable downloads” page. You will find rhymes, songs, chants and fingerplays here.

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

Lyrics –

  I've Been Working on the Railroad

Lyrics for the traditional song include 'Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o, Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o, Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o' Switch up the initial consonant sound to help children develop phonemic awareness: 'Ree–ri-rid–lee-i-o, Ree–ri-rid–lee-i-o, Ree–ri-rid–lee-i-o'

I’ve been working on the railroad,
All the livelong day,
I’ve been working on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away.

Can’t you hear the whistle blowing?
Rise up so early in the morn.
Can’t you hear the captain shouting,
“Dinah, blow your horn?”

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah,
Strumming on the old banjo and singing,
Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o, Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o,
Fee–fi-fid–lee-i-o, Strumming on the old banjo

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad Picture Books

She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain

She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Deborah Allwright

Lyrics –

  She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

Lyrics for the traditional song

She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes,
Toot! Toot!
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes,
Toot! Toot!
She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes.
Toot! Toot!

She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes,
Whoa back!
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes,
Whoa back!
She’ll be driving six white horses, She’ll be driving six white horses, She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes.
Whoa back! Toot-toot!

We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes,
Hi-Babe!
We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes,
Hi-Babe!
We’ll all go out to meet her, We’ll all go out to meet her, We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes,
Hi-Babe!

She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain Picture Books

The Bear Went Over the Mountain

Lyrics –

  The Bear Went Over the Mountain

Add actions when you sing this song

The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see,
To see what he could see,
To see what he could see.
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain was all that he could see.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain Picture Books

Over in the Meadow

Over in the Meadow written by Olive A Wadsworth and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Lyrics –

  Over in the Meadow

Can be adapted for a felt board story

Over in the meadow, in the sand, in the sun,
Lived an old mother frog and her little froggie one.
“Croak!” said the mother, “I’ll croak!” said the one,
So they croaked and they croaked in the sand, in the sun.

Over in the meadow, in the stream so blue,
Lived an old mother fish and her little fishes two.
“Swim!” said the mother, “We swim!” said the two,
So they swam and they swam in the stream so blue.

Over in the meadow, on the branch of a tree,
Lived an old mother bird and her little birdies three.
“Sing!” said the mother, “We sing!” said the three,
So they sang and they sang on the branch of a tree.

Over in the Meadow Picture Books

Here is one of our many free PDF printables for children – a Father’s Day Wordsearch PDF. Enjoy!

  Father's Day Word Search

Free printable Father's Day-theme wordsearch for children

Our early literacy printables, including our Father’s Day Wordsearch are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.

You will find our selection of free printable alphabets here and all of our early literacy printables here.

Celebrate warmer days with our spring-theme writing and language arts activities for kindergarten and early primary grades.

Here are some ideas to help you celebrate the first warm days of spring with children…

Spring-Theme Wordplay

Choose a “spring” word and see how many words you can spell with the letters –

daffodils – ad, Dad, did, do, fad, fads, foil, lid, lids, off, oil, slid, soil

rainbow – an, bin, bow, brain, brow, in, now, rain, ran, rib, row, win

flowers – few, flow, foe, lose, low, lower, lowers, owl, owls, rose, row, rows  

See how many Spring-theme compound words you can discover

Here are some examples to get you started – buttercup, butterfly, ladybug, rainbow, raindrop, raincoat, sunshine

Make a list of words you can substitute for rain

Cloudburst, downpour, drizzle, shower, sprinkle

Make a list of words that rhyme 

with kite

bright, bite, delight, fight, flight, height, knight, light, might, night, quite, right, sight, site, sprite, tight, white, write

with rain

brain, cane, drain, gain, grain, Jane, lane, main, pain, plane, sane, Spain, strain, train, weathervane

with Spring

bring, cling, ding, fling, ping, ring, sing, sting, string, swing, thing, wing, wring

Try one of these Spring-theme writing prompts

The first sign of spring….
I planted a magic seed….
My friend’s amazing umbrella…
Five new baby chicks…
When I looked up at the clouds…
Jumping in puddles on my way home…
Yesterday we saw a rainbow…

Make a colorful poster to advertise Spring. Use words and pictures to explain what is special about spring.

Don’t forget to download some of our free Spring-theme printables

  Spring Picture Dictionary

Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

  Springtime Fingerplay and Song

  Writing paper for kids- Spring

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Our free printables, including our kindergarten springtime-theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.

You will find our selection of free printable alphabets here and all of our early literacy printables here.

I am starting to look forward to warm, spring days so thought I would post some new spring printables for kindergarten today.

Why not make some pussy willow pictures? Begin by drawing or painting stems using brown paint, markers or crayons. Allow to dry. Dip a fingertip into light grey or white paint and add “fingerprints’ along the stems. Alternatively, cotton balls or pieces of puffed rice can be glued to the stems.

Enjoy our downloads: some pussy willow writing paper for kids and a traditional poem, “Pussy Willow”.

  Writing paper for kids - Pussy Willow

Spring theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

  Pussy Willow Poem

Our early learning printables, including our spring printables for kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access our early literacy resources.

You will find all of our early learning printables here.

See You Later Escalator Rhymes for the Very Young
Chosen by John Foster and illustrated by thirteen artists

Lively illustrations and a delightful selection of poetry make See You Later, Escalator: Rhymes for the Very Young great fun to browse. Useful as a classroom resource (check out ‘Finger Paints’ and ‘Sorting Out the Kitchen Pans’) or as a playful alternative to bedtime stories. Have fun!

96 pages, Ages 4+

See You Later, Escalator: Rhymes for the Very Young at Amazon.com

See You Later, Escalator: Rhymes for the Very Young at Amazon.ca

Our free “Building a Snowman” printable for kids has been enormously popular this month so I thought I would pull together some more snow-related materials that would be great for a preschool or kindergarten snow theme. I have added more Snow and Snowmen materials today. I would love to hear about your favourite snow and snowman theme resources for preschool and kindergarten.

Snow and Snowman-theme Board Books

Welcome Winter written by Jill Ackerman, illustrated by Nancy Davis
Winter theme board book published by Scholastic

This sturdy, fun board book caught my eye and will have great appeal for toddlers. The illustrations and text are simple and yet very engaging. I especially liked the description of “snow crunching under boots” and a matching slippery, noisy surface that begs to be touched. Very young children will thoroughly enjoy checking out a variety of textures as they learn about the season of swirling snowflakes, cold temperatures and wind.

Welcome Winter at Amazon.com

Welcome Winter at Amazon.ca

Winter and Snowman theme Picture Books

All You Need for a Snowman written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
Snow theme picture book published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers

All You Need for a Snowman is a book that I have used with 4, 5 and 6 year olds many times. Bright, energetic illustrations and lyrical rhyming text tells the story of a group of children who build two enormous snowmen. This is a book that preschoolers gravitate towards – they enjoy watching the process of building a snowman and celebrate the end product, a giant, happy snowman.

All You Need for a Snowman at Amazon.com

All You Need For a Snowman at Amazon.ca

In the Snow written and illustrated by Peggy Collins
Snow theme picture book published by Applesauce Press

In the Snow tells the story of a young boy who is excited when he awakens to snow. Eager to have fun, he dresses in warm clothes goes outside with his father. They fill the bird feeder and notice some animal tracks in the fresh snow. The father and son have a happy, playful relationship and soon get to work and build a huge snowman. Also vividly illustrated, In the Snow will be enjoyed best by preschoolers.

Note: the brief mention of animal prints in the snow as well as the action of filling a birdfeeder, provide opportunities for a discussion about urban wildlife and further extension activities.
In the Snow at Amazon.com

In the Snow at Amazon.ca

Owl Moon – written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr
Winter theme picture book published by Philomel Books a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

In 1988 the Caldecott Medal was awarded to Owl Moon. A special 20th anniversary edition is now available and provides an opportunity to discover the picture book’s wonderful, timeless magic.

It is very late at night when a father and his young daughter venture into the cold. They are seeking a glimpse of a great horned owl. The companions walk together silently and eagerly under an Owl Moon.

Beautifully illustrated, this is a remarkable book that will be enjoyed by the entire family. The depiction of the young girl’s excitement will no doubt inspire parents to bend their bedtime rules and enjoy a moonlit, late night walk.

Owl Moon at Amazon.com

Owl Moon at Amazon.ca

Perfect Snow written and illustrated by Barbara Reid
Snow theme picture book published by North Winds Press, an imprint of Scholastic Canada

Great for school-aged children, Perfect Snow features a combination of Plasticine artwork complimented by ink and watercolour illustrations. It tells the story of the excitement of a snowy day at school and the students’ decision to work together and build “The World’s Greatest Totally Massive Snowman Fort”

Perfect Snow at Amazon.com

Perfect Snow at Amazon.ca

Snow written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Snow theme picture book published by Harcourt, Inc.

What could be more wonderful for a young child than waking up to freshly fallen snow? Ms Rylant’s evocative writing and Ms Stringer’s lovely paintings beautifully capture the wonder and delight of a snowy day in Snow. An exuberant young girl shares the special day with a friend and her grandmother. This beautiful book will surely leave you wishing for a magical snowy day to share with your youngster.

Snow at Amazon.com

Snow at Amazon.ca

The Snow Day written and illustrated by Komako Sakai
Snow theme picture book published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic

When an overnight snowfall grounds flights and forces the cancellation of kindergarten, a young rabbit spends a quiet day at home in The Snow Day. Mommy and her child play cards together and enjoy a day together at home. Late in the evening, when the snowfall stops, the two go outside for some quiet play in the cold, snowy darkness. Gentle, evocative illustrations beautifully depict the peace of a snowy day. A great choice for kindergarten.

The Snow Day at Amazon.com

The Snow Day at Amazon.ca

Snow Song written by A. Kate Riley and illustrated by Dawn Lo

Snow theme, free verse picture book published by Kids Can Press

Fine pearls of snow

Then a twirl of snow.

Around the eaves

A curl of snow.

Beautiful, poetic, metaphorical descriptions of how a blanket of snow transforms the world. Whether watching out a city window, bundled up and walking in knee deep powder, skating, or toboggining with friends, a snowy day is simply magical.

Lovely contemporary, exuberant illustrations match the happy, celebratory tone of the text.

Snow Song at Amazon.com

Snow Song at Amazon.ca

The Three Snow Bears written and illustrated by Jan Brett
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

When Baby Bear’s soup is too hot and burns his mouth, he and his snow bear family leave their igloo and go for a stroll. Meanwhile, Aloo-ki is searching for her sled dogs. She happens upon the bear family’s igloo and is soon inside, tasting soup, trying on boots and sleeping in Baby Bear’s “just right” bed. Beautifully illustrated, this is a truly inspired adaption of Goldilocks’ story.

The Three Snow Bears at Amazon.com

The Three Snow Bears at Amazon.ca

Snow and Snowman Theme for For New Readers

Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time – Written by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

When Houndsley and Catina are unexpectedly snowed in, Houndsley is quite happy to relax and enjoy The Quiet Time. Catina is not nearly as content. She has things to do and places to go. Eventually, the two settle in and spend an enjoyable day playing board games, baking cookies and writing poetry. In the evening, they join their friends for a snowy outdoor concert. The musicians, “began to play so softly that the notes fell on the listening ears like snowflakes on waiting tongues, gently, softly, there for a flicker before melting away.”

Beautiful language and equally special illustrations are terrific for newly independent readers, the Houndsley and Catina books are also a very good choice for younger children who are ready to enjoy a longer read-aloud book.

Highly recommended.

Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time at Amazon.com

Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time on Amazon.ca

Snow and Snowmen Theme Printables for Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade School

Step 1 – Make sure you have Adobe Reader. If you don’t have it, please click on the ‘Get Adobe Reader’ button to install it for free.

Step 2 – Pin this page, bookmark this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook.


Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free Snow and Snowman theme printables.

  Building a Snowman Sequencing Activity

  Writing paper for kids - Snowman

Snow theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

  Winter Picture Dictionary

Free printable Winter picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

Winter and Snow Theme Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten

  Counting Snowmen Rebus

  A Winter Alphabet

Free printable wintertime theme letters for preschool or kindergarten

  Winter Fun Word Search

A free printable Winter theme word search for children

Winter Preschool or Kindergarten Circle Time

  Winter Snow Fingerplays

Winter snow theme fingerplays for preschool and kindergarten

  Five Little Snowmen

Use as a fingerplay or felt board story

  Frosty the Snowman

We invite you to check out Storytime Standouts’ Snow and Snowmen Board on Pinterest

Follow Storytime Standouts’ board Snow, Snowmen and Ice for Preschool and Kindergarten on Pinterest.

Free Valentine’s Day printables for children, their teachers and parents. Today we’ll highlight the printables alongside some great picture books for Valentine’s Day

Young children, parents and teachers are sure to enjoy these free Valentine’s Day theme printables.

* Two kinds of free printable Valentine’s Day writing paper for kids
* A Valentine’s Day picture dictionary for children who are beginning to read and write
* Five Little Valentines – a rhyme that could be perfect for your Valentine’s Day preschool circle time , adapt it as a felt board story
* Counting Valentines – a Valentine’s Day song, sung to a familiar tune, also great for Valentine’s Day circle time
* Making a Valentine – a Valentine’s Day sequencing activity. This could also be used as a matching game.
* Make New Friends – a song sheet

Five Fun Picture Books for Valentine’s Day

The Day it Rained Hearts written and illustrated by Felicia Bond
Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins

You are no doubt familiar with Felicia Bond’s lively illustrations in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Here she tells the story of Cornelia Augusta, a girl who is caught in a rather unusual rainstorm.

On The Day It Rained Hearts Cornelia collected hearts of all different shapes and sizes and then set to work making Valentines for her special friends. Before setting to work, she thinks carefully about each individual and she creates cards and gifts that suit each perfectly.

She found seven that were more or less alike and strung them together with a needle and thread.”I know just the right person for this one,” she thought.

The Day it Rained Hearts encourages thoughtfulness and creativity. A lovely choice for your young Valentine or for sharing at a February storytime.

Extension activities could include a search for hidden hearts, comparing and categorizing hearts and creating Valentine’s Day cards and gifts.

32 pages, Ages 3 to 5

The Day It Rained Hearts at Amazon.com

The Day It Rained Hearts at Amazon.ca

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins

Lilly is a beloved picturebook character. Best known for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse , she also appears in Lilly’s Big Day, Chester’s Day, Wemberly Worried and Julius The Baby of the World.

Before going to bed on Valentine’s Day, Lilly must decide what to do with her one remaining foil-wrapped Valentine’s Day chocolate.

“Lilly wanted to find the perfect place to keep the heart. She looked under her bed, but it was too dusty. She looked inside her dresser, but it was too messy.”

Those who know Lilly, will agree that she is exhuberant and sometimes just a little bit impulsive so finding the perfect place for the precious chocolate is quite a challenge.

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart will be a delicious treat for Lilly fans who will no doubt notice her purple plastic purse hanging from a dresser drawer handle and a painting of the purse that hangs on a wall.

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart at Amazon.com

Lilly’s Chocolate Heart at Amazon.ca

Love is You & Me. written and illustrated by Monica Sheehan
Picture book about love published by Simon and Schuster

Just in time for February 14th, Monica Sheehan’s celebration of love arrives on bookshelves. Intended for very young children, my copy is in a boardbook format. Fun, breezy illustrations introduce a handsome mouse and his dashing canine friend. They adore spending time together; driving in a convertable, sharing a milkshake, holding hands. riding a roller coaster. Whether doing something exciting or nothing at all, true friends know, “Whever we go love will always be…because…love is you and me.”

A perfect book to share for Valentine’s Day, Love is You & Me. (Monica Sheehan’s warmhearted follow-up to be happy!) delivers a reassuring message that will be enjoyed equally by young children and all those who care deeply for them.

Love is You & Me. at Amazon.com

Love is You & Me. at Amazon.ca

You written and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Picture book about friendship published by Greenwillow Books

Light and breezy, You: A Story of Love and Friendship has got it right. The world is more colourful, more musical and more exciting when shared with a true friend.

In this picture book about friendship, happy and engaging illustrations invite us to watch as a friends work together to transform a drab birdhouse into a bright and inviting home. When the work is done, they joyfully play music together and manage to endure the highs and lows that life brings.

The world is an exciting place, with ups, downs, around and arounds, and far-far-aways. But the most exciting place in my world is with… you.

Well-suited to very young children, You is a picture book about friendship and love. It would be a a great story to share before a parent or friend leaves on a trip.

Be sure to visit the author’s website (link above) and read about Stephen Michael King’s experience as a hearing impaired child and his path to becoming an author-illustrator.

You: A Story of Love and Friendship at Amazon.com

You: A Story of Love and Friendship at Amazon.ca

Zero Kisses for Me written by Manuela Monari and illustrated by Virginie Soumagnac
Picture book about affection and independence published by Tundra Books

I have the good fortune to share read alouds with children regularly in my classes. I always look for engaging stories that will hook my students. Sometimes I am lucky enough to find a book that doesn’t just hook the kids – some books have children talking about the story a week later and begging for a reread. Zero Kisses for Me is one of those delightful books that children love to see, listen to and cheer about.

Life is tough when you’re “always being kissed.” When you’re kissed before you go out in the rain and when you’re kissed and called, “Honeybunch” or “Flower Bud.” By the end of the day, you can be “tired of being everybody’s tootsy-wootsy… huggy-bear… kissy-snooks.” You might even demand, “No more mush!” And, you might exclaim, “BLEAH” – the perfect word to make a story memorable and a great word for young children to hear and relish.

Fun illustrations add to the atmosphere in Zero Kisses for Me and convey the little bear’s determination and frustration beautifully. A great read aloud for boys and girls, aged four to six, especially those who enjoy many, many kisses each and every day. Although not a Valentine’s Day book, this would be a terrific choice to reach for on February 14th.

Zero Kisses for Me at Amazon.com

Zero Kisses for Me at Amazon.ca

Storytime Standouts Has Free Valentines Day Printables for Preschool, Kindergarten and Homeschool

Our early learning printables, including our Valentine’s Day theme printables for preschool, homeschool and kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.

Valentine’s Day Circle Time Rhymes and Chants for Preschool or Kindergarten ~

  Counting Valentines

Free printable fingerplay for a Valentine's Day circle time or storytime.

  Five Little Valentines

Use as a chant or felt board story

  Make New Friends

Make New Friends is a traditional song that can be sung as a round

Free Valentine’s Day Printables for Young Readers and Writers ~

  Valentine's Day Picture Dictionary

Free printable Valentine's Day picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.

  Writing paper for kids - Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

  Writing paper for kids - Valentine's Day Swirling Hearts

Valentine's Day theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

Free Printable Valentine’s Day Sequencing Activity

  Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity

Cut this Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity apart and have children put it together in the correct order or print two and use as a matching game.

Free Valentine’s Day Printables for Older Children ~

  Valentine's Day Crossword Puzzle

Free printable Valentine's Day crossword puzzle for children.

Storytime Standouts is on Pinterest

Follow Storytime Standouts’s board Valentine’s Day for Kids on Pinterest.

Use these squirrel theme materials to celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day January 21st! We think they are perfect for preschool, kindergarten and home use

A number of years ago, my father-in-law was frustrated by some pesky critters in his beautiful garden. Stellar jays were not the only visitors who liked the peanuts he offered, not surprisingly the neighbourhood squirrels were also attracted by the treats. Unfortunately, the squirrels were much less appreciated as guests than the jays – the squirrels dared to dig up his daffodil bulbs! We were sympathetic about the destruction of his flower beds, but we couldn’t resist celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day with him once we heard about it.

Since January 21st is fast-approaching, I put together some squirrel theme preschool materials for anyone who’d like to join in the fun. These resources will be useful when planning a squirrel theme circle time for preschool or kindergarten.

Let’s begin with some squirrel-theme picture books for preschool and kindergarten:

Will and Squill written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

Will and Squillis the story of two very unlikely friends. Will and Squill meet as infants and, although discouraged by their parents, they persist in playing, swimming and swinging together. All is well until Will’s family aquires a kitten and Squill reacts badly to the intrusion into their friendship. Thankfully, it is not long before, Will discovers that a kitten is not nearly as good a companion as Squill and the two mismatched friends are reunited. Well-suited for read aloud, will be enjoyed by children aged four and up.

Will And Squill at Amazon.com

Will And Squill at Amazon.ca

Matthew and the Midnight Hospital written by Allen Morgan and illustrated by Michael Martchenko

The Flying Flingallees are the stars of the show in Matthew and the Midnight Hospital. When Matthew decides to put together a circus act, he hopes to enlist the help of some neighbourhood creatures. At the end of a performance for his mom, he scrapes his knee and needs some first aid. Just as the bandaid is applied to his knee, a young squirrel in a tree above misses his branch and falls to the ground. Matthew and his mom are both concerned for the animal. They make the injured squirrel comfortable for the night. Matthew worries about the squirrel’s well-being and is thinking about him as he drifts off to sleep. Shortly after midnight, he discovers that the injured squirrel is to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. Unlike any hospital I’ve ever visited, the midnight hospital offers the perfect antidote and soon Danny and Matthew are flying high. Also well-suited for read aloud, this is part of Matthew’s Midnight Adventure Series and will be enjoyed by boys and girls aged five and up.

Matthew and the Midnight Hospital at Amazon.com

Matthew and the Midnight Hospital at Amazon.ca

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach written and illustrated by Melanie Watt

Scaredy Orville Squirrel whose initials are S.O.S. is an immensely popular character in an equally popular series of picture books. In Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach Scaredy the worrywart is very careful to avoid any sort of real or imagined danger. Rather than encounter pirates, jellyfish, seagulls and sea monsters, he decides to create his very own private backyard beach paradise. After carefully constructing his safe haven, Scaredy realizes that, although his beach “look” is great – his backyard just doesn’t sound like the real thing. The only solution is “Operation Seashell” – a carefully planned and executed mission in search of a seashell that will provide crystal clear ocean sound. Featuring detailed descriptions of Scaredy’s beachware and plans for his mission, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach will be enjoyed best independently or in a small group or one-on-one read-aloud setting. Best-suited to children five and up.

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach at Amazon.com

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach at Amazon.ca

Also read our post about Unlimited Squirrels in I Lost My Tooth!

To enhance a squirrel theme circle time for preschool or kindergarten, we hope you will enjoy our free early learning printables

All of our early learning printables, including these Squirrel theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the files.

  Brown Squirrel

An action rhyme celebrating squirrels

  Writing paper for kids - Squirrel with nuts

Squirrel theme interlined paper for beginning writers.

  Five Little Squirrels

Use Five Little Squirrels as a fingerplay or a felt board story (or both)

  I'm A Little Acorn Brown

A fun addition to a squirrel circle time

6 Free Printable Nursery Rhymes to Share With Young Children

Enjoy these nursery rhymes with babies and children. Help them discover rhyming words and gain phonemic awareness. Our free printable nursery rhymes are perfect for home and school.

A substantial part of my work is with young children. I have found printable nursery rhymes very beneficial. If they have enjoyed wordplay and stories at home, children are often somewhat familiar with the rhymes, they enjoy the rhyming and repetition and they welcome the opportunity to create a “book” of nursery rhymes and “read” text. “Reading” along while repeating a familiar rhyme, is an opportunity to practice directional tracking by sliding a finger along the familiar words (from left to right, top to bottom).

For children who are new to English, learning nursery rhymes also introduces characters that they will encounter again and again and the rhythm of English.


Nursery rhymes introduce many literary devices: repetition (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; Polly, Put the Kettle On), onomatopoeia (Baa Baa Black sheep; This Little Pig; Old King Cole; Ding, Dong, Bell), alliteration (Little Boy Blue; Sing a Song O’Sixpence; Goosie, Goosie, Gander; Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater; Wee Willie Winkie) and imagery (Humpty Dumpty, Little Miss Muffet).


Nursery rhymes also introduce rich vocabulary. Jack and Jill introduces fetch, pail, crown and tumbling. These are probably not words that are used in everyday conversation so, just by sharing and talking about nursery rhymes, a child’s vocabulary is expanded.


Another key benefit of enjoying nursery rhymes with young children is the boost it will give to their phonemic awareness. We want young children to notice that words are made up of sounds. Hearing rhyming (diddle/fiddle, star/far, horn/corn) and alliteration (Boy blue, Grey Geese, Simple Simon, Tommy Tucker)

Prior to creating my own printable nursery rhymes, I often visited Webbing Into Literacy and used A Rhyme a Week.

The Storytime Standouts printable nursery rhymes can be used to create a nursery rhyme booklet and/or as learning activities.

Be sure to check out our selection of free printable alphabets here, rhymes, songs, fingerplays and chants here and all of our early learning printables for children here

To Download our Free Nursery Rhyme Printables –

Step 1 – Make sure you have Adobe Reader. If you don’t have it, please click on the ‘Get Adobe Reader’ button to install it for free.
Step 2 – Pin this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook.
Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free printable nursery rhymes.

  Hey Diddle Diddle

Traditional English nursery rhyme that includes repetition, rhyming and imagery.

  Humpty Dumpty

Traditional English-language nursery rhyme. Usually includes an anthropomorphic (possessing human traits, emotions) egg.

  Jack and Jill

Traditional English-language nursery rhyme. Includes alliteration and rhyming.

  Little Boy Blue

Traditional English-language nursery rhyme featuring alliteration and rhyming.

  Old Mother Hubbard

Traditional English-language nursery rhyme.

  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is a classic Nursery Rhyme written by Jane Taylor

Sing a Song of Mother Goose illustrated by Barbara Reid
Nursery Rhyme Picture Book published by Scholastic Trade

If you are interested in nursery rhyme books, I can personally recommend Barbara Reid’s Sing a Song of Mother Goose. Ms Reid is renowned for her marvellous plasticine artwork. Sing a Song of Mother Goose features beautiful, bold illustrations of fourteen well-known nursery rhymes. A lovely gift for a new baby, it is available as a board book, paperback and in a hardcover gift edition.

Sing a Song of Mother Goose at Amazon.com

Sing a Song of Mother Goose at Amazon.ca

Do you have a favorite nursery rhyme to share with children?