Baby Time - Week 8
Goal for the week: Mental & Physical Health - Building Babies’ Brains - The Basics
Greet families upon arrival. Give everyone a large name tag with the baby’s name in one
colour, nice and big and with the parent’s name underneath in another colour.
Music playing: I Love to Hear the Sounds
Make a variety of books available on carpet for parents to read with their babies upon arrival.
You can put out the singing birds, as well.
Opening/Welcome Songs:
To transition from arrival to session start: Begin singing “Good Morning” Song. Encourage
parents and babies to turn to the family beside them to sing this song to the second time
around. Give them time to introduce themselves.
Good Morning (Jen Watson)
Good morning, Good morning,
Good morning to you.
Good morning, Good morning,
and how do you do?
Your face is like sunshine,
it brings me good cheer
Good morning, Good morning,
I’m glad you are here!
Pick one of the Naming Songs below for your group depending on the number of babies that
you have present.
1. Let’s Give a Cheer! (For up to 10 babies)
(Tune: “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dina)
Let’s give a cheer for _________________
Let’s give a cheer for _________________
Let’s give a cheer for _________________
‘Cause ______________ is here today!
Hooray!
or
2. Hello (For up to 15 babies)
(Tune: Goodnight Ladies)
Hello ________________
Hello ________________
We’re glad you’re here today!
or
3. Get Together (For more than 15 babies)
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together the happier we’ll be.
There’s _____________ and ____________ and_____________ and _______________.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be!
Welcome Rabbit (use rabbit in a hat)
Baby Bunny bounces high
Baby Bunny bounces low
Baby Bunny rubs his eyes
Baby Bunny waves hello!
Lap/Clapping Songs and Rhymes:
Little Babies (tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Come on little babies and wave hello, wave hello, wave hello.
Come on little babies and wave hello, so early in the morning!
Jelly in the Bowl (Jen Watson)
Jelly in the bowl, Jelly in the bowl
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble
Jelly in the bowl.
Biscuits in the tine, Biscuits in the tin
Shake ‘em up, Shake ‘em up
Biscuits in the tin.
Candles on the cake, Candles on the cake
Blow them out, blow them out
Candles on the cake.
Wake up Feet (Jen Watson)
Wake up feet, Wake up feet
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake and wiggle in the morning.
(Continue using other body parts)
Tip of the Week: “Building Babies’ Brains - The Basics”
A baby is born with more than 100 billion brain cells. Some of these cells are already connected
to other cells at birth. These connections regulate the heartbeat and breathing, control
reflexes, and regulate other functions needed to survive. But much of the brain’s wiring does
not happen until after birth. In the first months and years of life, brain cells form connections in
many parts of the brain. These connections are the complex circuits that shape our thinking,
feelings, and behaviors. During these early years, the brain cells make many more connections
than the baby will use. The developing brain is a little like a fertile garden. When we plant a
garden, we want the crops that we planted to grow and thrive. But when weeds start to grow,
there is less room for the plants we want to grow. By weeding out the plants we don’t want, we
allow more room for the crops to grow. The brain has a similar “weeding” process. By about
age 3, the brain cells have made many more connections than the child will ever need. But the
brain is also efficient at weeding out the connections. It keeps track of the connections that the
baby uses most. In time, the brain gets rid of the connections that it does not use regularly. The
least-used connections are weeded out so that the most-used ones have more room to grow.
ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE CONNECTIONS IN A BABY’S BRAIN: (c/o Jen
Watson)
Tickle Songs and Rhymes: Encourage parents to put their baby in a position so that
they can be face to face with their babies for these rhymes.
Pizza Pickle Pumpernickel
Pizza Pickle, Pumpernickel
My little baby shall have a tickle
One for his nose, one for his toes
And one for his tummy
Where the hotdog goes!
(Substitute the word hotdog for any food word)
Slowly
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
(walk fingers over baby)
Creeps the garden snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, up the wooden rail
(walk fingers up baby’s legs or arms)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse
(walk fingers quickly over baby)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly round about the house!
(walk fingers all over baby’s body)
I Can Make My Baby Smile
(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
I can make my baby smile, baby smile, baby smile
I can make my baby smile when I tickle her....toes!
(Sing again adding different actions)
Book: We Have a Baby
Bouncing Rhymes and Songs:
A Smooth Road (pg. 80 “”Baby-O”)
A smooth road, a smooth road
A smooth road, a smooth road.
(Gently rock baby side to side)
A bumpy road, a bumpy road
A bumpy road, a bumpy road.
(Start bouncing baby)
A rough road, a rough road
A rough road, a rough road(Bigger bounces)
A hole! (Spread knees and lets baby drop down through the hole)
I am a Little Cuckoo Clock
Tick tock tick tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock
Tick tock tick tock
Now the time is one o’clock!
Cuckoo (lift baby once)
(repeat up to three o’clock)
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon
Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon
If you want to take a trip
Climb aboard my rocket ship
Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon
5...4...3...2...1
BLAST OFF!
Story Song: Rock a bye Baby
Circle/Activity Time:
Activity:
Drum
Tap and Tap
**It is fun to make a circle and march to this one while you beat the drum.
Tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and STOP! (normal pace)
Tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and STOP! (quick pace)
Tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and STOP! (slow pace)
Tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and tap and STOP! (normal pace)
This is the Way
(Tune: This is the Way We Wash our Clothes)
This is the way we beat our drum
Beat our drum, Beat our drum
This is the way we beat our drum
So early in the morning.
…..stomp our feet
…..clap our hands
The Grand Old Duke of York (pg. 77 “Baby-O”)
The grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand me
He marched them up to the top of the hilll
(Parent lifts baby on their raised knees)
And he march them down again
(Parent lowers knees)
And when they were up they were up
(Parents knees up with baby)
And when they were down they were down
(Parents knees up with baby)
And when they were only half way up
They were neither up nor down
He marched them to the right
(Parent sways baby right)
He marched them to the left
(Parent sways baby left)
He marched them round and round and round
And he marched them out of sight.
(Parent gently drops baby down between their knees)
Book: Wiggle Giggle Tickle Train
Tickle/Touch/Finger Rhyme:
Buzzing Buzzing Bumblebee
(Tune: London Bridge)
Buzzing buzzing bumblebee
Bumblebee bumblebee
Buzzing buzzing bumblebee
Buzzing on your nose.
(Sing again having the bee buzz on different body parts)
Peek a boo (Jen Watson)
Touch your ears, pat your nose
Tickle baby’s tiny toes
Hide your eyes, where are you?
Baby’s playing Peek a boo!
Closing/Quiet/Lullaby/Rocking Songs/Rhymes:
You are My Sunshine (Jen Watson)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear
How much I love you
I love you more with each passing day.
It’s So Nice to Have a Cuddle
(tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?)
It’s so nice to have a cuddle, a cuddle, a cuddle
It’s so nice to have a cuddle with the person you love.
When you’re happy or in trouble
I’ll come running on the double
It’s so nice to have a cuddle with the person you love.
Goodbye Bunny (Rabbit in Hat puppet)
Baby Bunny bounces high
Baby Bunny bounces low
Baby Bunny hides his eyes
Baby Bunny waves bye bye!
Time to Say Goodbye
(Tune: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain)
It’s time to say goodbye to our friends
It’s time to say goodbye to our friends
Oh it’s time to say goodbye,
Oh it’s time to say goodbye to our friends.
**It is very important at this time to allow parents time to visit with one another after the
session.**