Storytime Theme: Sharing
Sharing is a concept that every child should learn at an early age, but often parents and caregivers don’t fully understand the concept of sharing and how it’s understood by a child’s brain. Did you know that the sharing concept isn’t really fully grasped until kids are between the ages of 3.5 – 4? I don’t think it’s uncommon for many caregivers to believe that kids should be sharing by the age of two and then often get frustrated when they are not.
“Learning to share with grace is a long process.”
Zero to Three
Zero to Three has a great article about sharing and how to help kids understand and learn how to share because it’s not always an easy road, but it is an important one. This storytime is another great example about how to introduce the concept of sharing to little ones. Allowing kids to see the action on the pages of a book, helps them to better understand what to expect when they encounter sharing in the real world. In fact, that’s what picture books (and really a lot of realistic fiction) allow – a chance to watch a situation play out on the page before having the experience in real life.
Is your four-year-old still going to have a temper tantrum when asked to share their favorite toy, it’s likely. But, that doesn’t mean that they’re never going to figure it out, allowing kids the chance to learn and grow in a safe environment is our job as librarians, educators, caregivers, and parents. And eventually, kids learn how to share well with others!
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Storytime Theme: Sharing
Books
- A Little Book About Sharing by Dulke Stebbins
- Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Brianne Farley
- Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
- Mine! by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
- One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl and Tom Lichtenheld
- People Share With People by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Molly Idle
- Share, Big Bear, Share! by Maureen Wright, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
- Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems
- Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Songs & Rhymes
- The Sharing Song – Raffi
- The More We Get Together – Super Simple Songs
- Sharing Song – Little Baby Bum
Crafts & Activities
- Pass the Ice Cream Activity – Sunny Bay Family
- Leaf Suncatcher (allow kids to make two, to share one with a friend) – Simply Special Ed
- Simple Friendship Bracelets (to share!) – Crafty Homeschool Mom
