Storytime: Robots

Books

~*1 Robot Lost his Head by Marc Rosenthal

*Bitty Bot by Tad McCanna

~*Hello, Robots by Bob Staake

~Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! by Todd Tarpley

Junkyard by Mike Austin

Sometimes I forget You’re a Robot by Sam Brown

I'm finally finishing this write up though I did the storytime quite a while ago. Books marked with ~ were used for the toddler storytime and ones marked with a * were used for the preschool storytime. There are tons of great books about robots out there so this was a really fun storytime to do! I was inspired to do the theme when I saw Bitty Bot on on the return shelf waiting to be re-shelved in the children's area. It looked so cute and I thought there must be some other fantastic robot books out there. Hello, Robots has some great silly mishaps, so it's a lot of fun to read and have the kids tell you what the robots are doing wrong.

Click read more for extension activities

Songs and Rhymes

Action Song: “If You’re a Robot and You Know It”

(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils (clap hands)

If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils,

If you're a robot and you know it and you really want to show it,

If you’re a robot and you know it, clank your coils!

Verses: Clunk your gears (stomp feet), Press your buttons (“Beep beep”)

Source: Future Librarian Superhero

Action Song: “Lights on the Robot”

(Tune: Wheels on the Bus)

The lights on the robot go on and off

On and off, on and off

The lights on the robot go on and off

All day long

The arms on the robot go up and down

Up and down, up and down

The arms on the robot go up and down

All day long

The feet on the robot go clickity clack

Clickity clack, clickity clack

The feet on the robot go clickity clack

All day long

The antennas on the robot go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

The antennas on the robot go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

All day long

Source: Patricia Morrison

Action Transition/Song: “I’m a Little Robot”

(Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little robot, short and strong,

Here are my handles, just turn me on.

(put fists on hips for handles, then push your “button”)

When I get all warmed up, watch me go.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

(march in place fast and then slow)

Source: Anne's Library Life

Flannelboards and Fingerplays

Flannelboard: “Where is Robot?”

Robot, robot, we know you’re here!

Are you behind the (color) gear?

Source: I made this one up myself!

Flannelboard: “Five Little Robots”

There are five little robots in the shop this week.

This one’s fried and that one sprung a leak.

Let's give this one a look-see,

We know just what to do!

And when this robot leaves the shop,

It will be as good as new!

Verses: Count down to one

Source: What Happens in Storytime...

I didn't end up having time to make five robots, but maybe in the future, I will have more!

Craft

I threw together a quick craft that was just cutting robot shapes from card stock and decorating them with foam stickers. We had brads to make the limbs jointed. I don't have any images, unfortunately, but I'm sure you can imagine it!