Babies' Night Out

Babies may not need a night out, but let me tell you - their parents sure do. As a children's librarian, I often forget that most parents don't remember Mother Goose rhymes, or fingerplays, or even little songs. Heck, I didn't even remember most of those things when I had my first daughter. That is why I decided to conduct a program specifically for parents with newer babies. The age limit for this program was babies birth to 6 months and their caregivers. One thing I was adamant about was no younger siblings. I know this is hard to do for most parents, but the reasoning behind it was I wanted the parent to be able to focus solely on baby. Sure, we have Baby Storytimes, but most of the time older children are in there as well and, at least at my current library, it's really crowded.

So far I've only had one session (part of a three-part series) and I had 3 babies and their caregivers. It was a lot of fun, and the parents were really excited to learn the games and rhymes. I conducted it like a regular Baby Storytime, but this week I added in 3 "games" the parents could play at home with their child.

Here's a quick layout of my plans for the first program:

Song: Humpty Dumpty (from the CD Wiggleworms Love You)

Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty

Book: You and Me, Baby by Lynn Reiser

Game: Happy Feet

Song: Baby Hop (from the CD Diaper Gym)

Rhyme: Here are Baby's Fingers

Book: Peek-a-Boo Baby by Margaret Miller

Game: Where is My Baby's Belly Button?

Song: Baby Hokey Pokey (from the CD Babyface)

Rhyme: Bumblebee, Bumblebee

Game: Buzzy Bee

Song and Bubbles: I Can Sing a Rainbow (from the CD Wiggleworms Love You)

I got the games from a great book called Baby Play and Learn: 160 Games and Learning Activities for the First Three Years by Penny Warner.

One thing I would recommend if you decide to do a similar program is market it and advertise. Get fliers out to the maternity ward for your nearest hospital, pediatricians, mothers groups, and more.