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Bookbug Session Plans: Bookbug's Big Journey!

Learning type: Professional learning
Category: Talking and listening
Programme: Bookbug
Language: English, Scots
Genre: Family
Age group: 0-2, 3-5, Children
Audience: Pre-birth, Professionals, 3-5, 0-2
Topics: Bookbug, Bookbug Sessions

To celebrate Bookbug Week 2022, let's take children and their grown-ups along with us for Bookbug’s Big Journey! What transport will we use and who will we meet along the way?

If you're doing this session at home why not try just a couple of rhymes, a story, and then a calming song to finish? Little ones will love joining in and cuddling up for some special time with you.

Introduction song

The Hello Song

Benefits

Familiar start – lets everyone know a Bookbug session has started.

Tips

Smile and use names if you know them.

Transition song

Hurlin up and doon in the Big Green Tractor

Benefits

Fun for children and grown-ups to learn a Scots song and an opportunity to learn about yummy vegetables!

Tips

Babies and toddlers will both enjoy being bounced along to this song – encourage the grown-ups to have their wee ones facing them.

Familiar rhyme

Round and Round the Garden

Benefits

Touch and tickles encourage bonding.

Tips

Older children can do this on their grown up's hands. Remember to build up to the tickles!

Active rhyme

Mum and Dad and Uncle John

Benefits

Strong and steady beat is fun for children and also supports language development.

Tips

Build lots of anticipation after 'Uncle John went. . .' and then follow with some bouncing and tickles.

Song with actions

The Wheels on the Bus

Benefits

This is a familiar song which will help children and grown-ups feel confident joining in. The actions are fantastic for developing children's gross motor skills.

Tips

Why not add in some of your own passengers and actions? Maybe the children and families in your session will have some ideas!

Story

Trains Trains Trains! by Donna David and Nina Pirhonen

Benefits

Full of spotting and counting fun, Trains Trains Trains! has five trains to find on each page and an exciting fold-out race at the end. The rhythm, rhyme and illustrations in this interactive picture book will captivate both children and grown-ups!

Tips

Use the supporting sections at the end of the book for fun ideas on how to share this book with children and families in an interactive way.

Active song

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Benefits

Repetition of Z sound is great for speech development and there are lots of opportunities for bouncing, jumping and swaying.

Tips

Build up anticipation with the countdown and bring in some finger play to help children understand 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Calming song

The Skye Boat Song

Benefits

A traditional song to pass down the generations.

Tips

This can be a calming song for babies and toddlers, being rocked or bounced. Perhaps pre-schoolers might like to pretend they are rowing or sailing the boat.

Last song

The Goodbye Song

Benefits

Signifies that the session is over.

Tips

Thank all of the babies, children and grown-ups. Let them know about upcoming sessions!

Please read our guide on permission to read books aloud online.

Downloads