By: Christina Shields
Are you missing library storytimes and your favorite songs? We are missing reading and singing along with you and your little ones, too! Happily, you don’t have to wait until we meet again to enjoy many of our regular storytime songs! You can practice along with some of our favorite musicians and artists below.
Watch The Laurie Berkner Band, a storytime favorite. The Laurie Berkner Band has many of your favorite songs available in music video format for children. Or use your library card to create an account on Hoopla and enjoy music from Party Day! where the band goes on “a musical adventure as they travel to a Costume Party, a Birthday Party, and finally a Pajama Party.” Explore more music from The Laurie Berkner Band here.
From sing-along stories to thought-provoking chapter books, Barefoot Books opens windows to cultures around the world. “Outdoor Opposites” written by Brenda Williams, “Over in the Meadow” illustrated by Jill McDonald, and “Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack” performed by SteveSongs are just a few of the books we’ve enjoyed singing along with at our library.
Raffi is one of our go-to artists for many early literacy programs, and he has made a couple of his songs, such as “Take a Breath,” available for free. Find more songs and videos on Raffi’s YouTubepage and through HEPL’s Hoopla
Another favorite storytime artist is Jim Gill! Some of his songs, fingerplays, and action-filled videos, such as “My Ups and Downs,” are available here.
Many of Eric Litwin’s popular songs/stories for preschoolers (such as “Pete the Cat,” “Groovy Joe,” and “The Nut Family”) are free on his website.
We have often read Pete the Cat books at our libraries, and you can read or sing along to many of these works on this fun site.
Hap Palmer’s Youtube channel is full of fun, classic tunes, where toddlers and preschoolers can “sing along with holiday favorites, practice math and phonics skills, or just have a good laugh with some of their silliest songs.” Here you’ll find songs we have enjoyed during storytime such as “Bean Bag Alphabet Rag” and “Tap Your Sticks.” Both encourage learning, singing, and moving for toddlers and preschoolers.
We hope you can enjoy these free, online resources until we can sing and dance to them together again!