Hello / Goodbye Routines

Welcome to 2015!! Woo-hoo! As we say hello to a new year and goodbye to an old year, it only seems appropriate to kick off our January with a collection of Hello / Goodbye library routines!

One of the topics presented at the Guerrilla Story Time presentation at WLA's annual conference this fall was favorite hello / goodbye songs, rhymes, and activities, particularly for story times and other early literacy programs.

Hello / goodbyes popped up again recently in the Storytime Underground Facebook group (which I highly recommend joining if you aren't a member already!) and I thought it'd be worth re-posting a couple of hello / goodbye song roundups here!

From the MCLS Kids Wiki: Opening and Closing Rituals

From Storytime Secrets: Hello and Goodbye Songs

We open our early literacy times with what we call the "drumbeat name song":

This is my name drum 

My name is Lau / ra (hit the drum with each syllable of your name to demonstrate)

What's your name?

Each child has the opportunity to hit the drum and say their name, or their grown-up can, if the child is too young or feeling shy that day! 

We got our Good-bye Song from the good folks at Hedberg Public Library's 2-3's story time routine:

Goodbye my friends, goodbye

Goodbye my friends, goodbye

Goodbye my friends,

Goodbye my friends,

Goodbye my friends, goodbye

How do you start and end your early literacy programs?