A Year of Storytime Fun 2026

JANUARY

Here are our top tips the next time you read Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell to your little one.

• Try adding an animal noise to each page.
  “TRUMPET!”
  “ROAR!”
  “HISS!”
  “RIBBIT!”
• Say: “Can you…?
  – Stomp like an …elephant
  – Stretch like a …giraffe
  – Slither like a …snake
• When they are ready, encourage your child to join in with the phrase,
  “I sent him back!”
• Take time before you lift the flap. This will help your child either name the animal or make the matching sound.

FEBRUARY

Here are our top tips the next time you read Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth to your little one.Here are our top tips the next time you read Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth to your little one.Here are our top tips the next time you read Owl Babies by Martin Waddall to your little one.

• Try adding some actions or sounds when reading.
• When the baby owls wake up: Stretch your arms out wide like owl wings.
• When they look for mummy: Put your hand above your eyes and peek out.
• When they wait for mummy: Wrap your arms around yourself for a cosy cuddle.
• Before you say, “I want my mummy” PAUSE… 
This will encourage your child to join in.
  Try commenting…
  “Look, the baby owls are waking up.”
“They can’t find their mummy.”
“They’re staying close together.”
  Say, “Twit! Twoo!” when you turn the pages.

MARCH

The Three Little Pigs by Mara Alperin

• Try adding the sounds of the pigs and the wolf.“Let’s meet the pigs. Can you make a pig sound?” OINK! OINK!
  “Here comes the wolf!” GRRRR
• Use “I wonder…” phrases:
  “I wonder where the wolf is going next.”
  “I wonder whose house is the strongest.”
  “I wonder what the pig will build his house from.”
• Encourage your child to HUFF and PUFF like the wolf.
• Try in a loud scary voice, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!” 
• Try in a squeaky voice,“Not by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin!”
• Try in a loud scary voice, “Then I’ll HUFF, and I’ll PUFF, and I’ll BLOW your house down!”

 APRIL

Here are our top tips the next time you read Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth to your little one.

• Try these actions…
  DIG – scoop hands
  PLANT – drop a seed
  WATER – tip a can
  WEED – little tugs
  WAIT – sigh, hands on hips
  CHECK – bend and look
  GROWN – stretch up
  CLIMB – big climbing moves
• Try these story prompts…
  “Jasper plants a seed.”
  “He works on it each day”
  “Waiting feels slow”
  “The beanstalk finally grows”
  “Magic seeds can grow anything”
• Try adding your own phrase at the start of each page: “Still no beanstalk…not yet.”
• After reading, pretend to grow from a tiny seed to a tall plant.

 MAY

Here some top tips the next time you read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle with your little one.

• Try using fun sounds when reading…
  • “POP”
  • “nom, nom, nom”
  • “mmm”
• Encourage your little one to put their finger through the holes of the food whilst you say the fruit names.
  • “mmm, yummy strawberries”
  • “I think he wants more food!”
  • Pause before saying “but he was still hungry”
• Try these actions…
  • Stretch out like a caterpillar.
  • Wrap up in a blanket like a cocoon.
  • Stand up tall and open your arms like a butterfly.

JUNE

Here are our favourite nursery rhymes.

• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• I had a Little Turtle
• Incy Wincy Spider
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Wind the Bobbin Up
• I’m a Little Teapot
• The Wheels on the Bus

Download the Nursey Rhymes here.