Created for our youngest patrons and their families, this video library features Oak Park’s favorite librarians and storytime friends. There are also videos just for caregivers that focus on early literacy activities, social-emotional learning, and more. This page is updated weekly. To receive new video highlights via email, subscribe to our Early Bird Learner Letter and Kids & Families emails.
What’s new & featured
Grow a Confident Learner
Fred Rogers developed these six foundational learning skills in 1983, writing, “When I think of what ‘readiness’ means, there are six fundamentals that come immediately to my mind. They may not be everything a child needs to learn, but they certainly seem to me to be basic necessities.”
All Early Bird Learning videos, by topic (most recent first)
The foundation for all early learning at the library is The Very Ready Reading Program, but there are lots of topics we love to explore!
Art | Big topics | Early literacy | En español | Fingerplays | For caregivers | Going to the zoo | Life skills | Mindfulness | Music & movement | Nature | Professor Slughorn & friends | Social-emotional learning | Summer reading adventures | Supported storytimes & activities | More fun
Art
Big topics
- Explaining Votes & Elections
- Opposite of Hate
- What Is It Like to Be a Refugee?
- Wearing Masks
- What to Expect
- Real and Not Real
- Scary Things in the News
- Ruthie Misses Her Friends
- What Is a Protest?
- Fair & Unfair
- Ruthie Is Anxious
- Who Wears Masks?
Early literacy
- Grow a Confident Learner
- Snuggle up With Your Librarians’ Favorite Cozy Reads
- Let’s Make Reading Fun!
- 5 Little Pumpkins Rhyme
- Find Your Next Picture Book Read!
- Summer Reading
- Back-to-School Books
- Roll a Story
- Words to Use About Disabilities
- Share Disability-Affirming Books
- Preschool Books for Pride
- Summer Vibes at the Library
- Top 5 #EarlyLiteracy Tips
- Get Ready With Me Storytime Park Edition
- Summer Reading Is Coming!
- New Book Haul for Kids
- Reading Readiness Caregiver Event
- Sharing Stories
- Grow Your Little One Into a Reader!
- Did You Sign up for Early Bird Reader Texts Yet?
- 5 Good Authors to Read for #AutismAcceptance
- Good Books for Big Emotions
- Why Is Play Part of Early Literacy?
- 5 Great Songs for Kids
- Favorite Picture Books
- Share Words Everywhere You Go!
- Read More Books!
- I’m a Children’s Librarian!
- What Is Early Literacy?
- It’s Too Much! Holiday Solutions for Families
- Peek Into Our Storytime Collection
- Books for Fall on Hoopla
- Writing an Autumn Poem
- Let’s Play Monsters
- Fall Fun Books
- Play & Early Literacy
- Read Disabled Authors
- Bzz-y Bees
- Fiddle Fun
- Springtime Poetry
- Springtime Poem
- This Is How We Eat
- Child-Led Rhymes
- Popcorn Bounce
- What Is Early Literacy?
- Snow Books!
- Picture Books for November
- Spooky Books
- Rhyming Words
- Recommended Books
- No Pictures?!
- Books About Refugees
- Princess Puffybottom
- Love
- December Dial-a-Story
- National Picture Book Month
- Itsy Bitsy Spider
- Ghost in the House
- Color Hunt: Amarillo
- The Spring Book
- Lemons!
- April Dial-a-Story
- Hello! Bonjour! Woof!
- Daffs
- LEGO Amigos
- After the Fall
- March Books
- Opposites!
- A Thousand White Butterflies
- Rhyme Time
- Winter Stories
- Puppet Sounds
- Scavenger Hunt
- Telling a Story
- Five Little Pumpkins
- Counting Books
- Let’s Go on a Color Hunt
- Willoughby Wallaby
- Books About Black Joy
- Hello!
- Five Flowers
- Teddy Bear Fun
- Describing Words
- Jugando y Contando
- Counting Rhymes
- Who Lives in the Red Box
- Have Fun With the ABCs
En español
- Dia de Muertos
- Color Hunt: Amarillo
- Los Pollitos Dicen
- Lego y Amigos
- Itsy Bitsy Araña
- Uno Dos Tres Chocolate
- Red is Rojo
- Jugando y Contando
- Kathy y Munchy cantan Pin Pon
- Zoom Zoom Zoom
Fingerplays
- Bunnies
- Hooray for Springtime!
- Pitter Patter
- Garden Song
- Five Little Ducks
- Snowflakes 2
- Delicious Apples
- Five Apples
- From Caterpillars to…
- Butterfly, Butterfly
- Surprise Visitors
- Snowflakes & Snowballs
- Little Snowflake
- Mittens
- Snowflakes
- Zoom Zoom!
- Five Little Flowers: Black-Eyed Susans
- Sticky Mess
- Wiggling Fingers
- Un Bys Yn Dawnsio
- Peekaboo!
- Rain Is Falling Down
- Mr. Sun
- Itsy Bitsy Araña
- Rain!
- Itsy Bitsy & Family
- Five Little Aliens
- Ruthie’s Camel Song
- Five Little Raindrops
- Blastoff!
- Two Little Bluebirds
- ‘Open Shut Them’
- Zoom Zoom Zoom (en español)
For caregivers
- Quotes for Careivers, From Fred Rogers
- Child-Led Rhymes
- Popcorn Bounce
- What Is Early Literacy?
- Snow Books!
- Disabilities Are Normal!
- Picture Books for November
- Spooky Books
- Criss Cross Applesauce
- Support for Big Feelings
- Feeling Feelings
- Back-to-School Books
- Garden Science
- Nature Is a Classroom
- On-Demand Social-Emotional Learning Class
- How to Use Puppets
Going to the zoo
- Going to the Zoo (2023)
- Part 1: Making Plans
- Part 2: CAMELS!
- Part 3: Okapi
- Part 4: Seals & Sea Lions
- Part 5: Dinosaurs
- Part 6: Who Else Did We See?
Life skills
Mindfulness
- Let’s Be Grateful!
- Calming Your Jitters
- Take a Body Break
- Square Breathing
- Breathe Like a Sloth
- Quiet Time
- Rainbow Break
- Mindfulness at Meals
- Birthday Candles
- Rainbow Breath
- Gratitude
- Yoga Stories
- Hot Chocolate Breathing
Museum adventures
- Part 1: Exploring the Map
- Part 2: Chugga Chugga
- Part 3: Down on the Farm
- Part 4: Bicycles
- Part 5: Take a Break
- Part 6: Fairy Fun
- Part 7: Original Marvel Superheroes
- Part 8: New Marvel Superheroes
- Part 9: Read All About It!
- Part 10: Keep the Adventure Going
Music & movement
- Winter Movement & Play
- Grey Squirrel Song for Fall
- Autumn Movement Play
- Songs Are Important!
- September Rhymes
- Leaves Change
- Play & Early Literacy
- Summer Bugs
- A Smooth Road
- Tea Pots
- Flowers Are Growing
- Winter Is Here
- Cold Frosty Morning Song
- Move Your Body!
- Bodies Are so Cool
- Itty Bitty Seeds
- Lemondrops & gumdrops
- Animals in the Snow
- Rainbow Hearts
- Frosty Mornings
- Hibernation
- Autumn Leaves
- Kitty Cat
- Caw Caw
- Leaves on the Trees
- Trit Trot
- Los Pollitos Dicen (bilingual English/Spanish)
- Dandelions
- Flowers Growing
- Shake Your Sillies Out
- Pine Cones
- Dressing Warmly Song
- Whirling Twirling Snowflakes
- Snowman Song
- Uno Dos Tres Chocolate
- Sing Your Days
- Lemon Drops
- Move Your ABCs
- The Ants Go Marching
- When George Gets up in the Morning
- When Bingo Gets up in the Morning
- John Rabbit
- Slippery Fish
- Tootie Ta
- Kathy y Munchy Cantan “Pin Pon”
- Rolie Polie
- Mmm Ahh
- Down by the Bay
- Red Is Rojo
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Little Mousy Brown
- Hands up High
- Miss Shelley’s Farm
- Wake up!
- Rainbow Songs
- Bread & Butter
- Grey Squirrel
- When Animals Get up in the Morning
- Penguin Dance
- Go Bananas
- Row Your Boat
- Sticky Bubblegum
- Bugaloo Dance
- Miss Jenny, Mr. Matt, and Ruthie Go for a Walk
- Taking a Walk With Ruthie
Nature
- Apple Picking ASL
- Autumn Bingo Hunt
- Edible Gardens
- Visiting Door County
- Apple Picking (2022)
- Garden Science
- Garden Exploration
- Nature Is a Classroom
- Exploring Nature
- Nature Museum
- Thatcher Woods
- Growing
- Tweet Tweet
- There’s Something in the Snow
- Winter Walk
- Fall Sounds
- Bzzzzzzz
- Autumn Walk
- Fairies
- Picking Strawberries
- Comparing Plants
- Spring Word Hunt
- Seek App
- Trees: Earth’s Fresh Air Factories
- Animal Prints in the Snow
- Mother Nature, Did You Sneeze?
- Scavenger Hunt
- Apple Picking (2020)
- Autumn Animals
- The Sounds in the Park
- Nature Adventure
- Who Lives in Lake Michigan?
- Picked a Peach
- There’s Something on Our Walk
- Where’s Bear?
- Nature Hunt
- There’s Something in the Park
Professor Slughorn & friends
- ‘M’ Words With Marla
- I Spy Something….
- Rhyming Words
- Meet Marla
- Pets…Making Friends?
- Professor Slughorn’s Summer Adventure
- Snacks With Sluggy
- Playtime With Professor Slughorn
- A Minute (or so) of Zen With Professor Slughorn
- A Day in the Life of Professor Slughorn
Social-emotional learning
- Inside Our Emotions
- Social-Emotional Learning Kits
- When Does Self-Control Develop in Kids?
- Good Books for Big Emotions
- It’s Too Much! Holiday Solutions for Families
- Showing Love
- After a Nightmare
- Practice Stopping
- I’m Important
- Consent
- Opposite of Hate
- Visible Gratitude
- Support for Big Feelings
- Big Worries
- On-Demand Social-Emotional Learning Class
- Feeling Mad
- Change Is Okay
- Big Feelings
- Jenny Mei Is Sad
- Fill Your Cup
- Worries
- Handling Hard Days
- Bottling up Your Emotions: An Experiment
- Be Strong
- Sharing
- Piano Emotions
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
- Memory Book
- Memories of 2020
- Gratitude Chains
- Take a Play Break
- Stretch for Saturday
- If You’re Worried and You Know It
- Five Hugs
- Too Many Emotions
- When Routines Don’t Feel Right
- Miss Jenny & Ruthie Receive a Special Message
- Share Your Fun
- Ruthie’s Daily Check-in
- Miss Jenny and Ruthie the Camel Talk Teeth and Fear
Summer reading adventures
- Part 7: Making a Mood Board
- Part 6: Finding Shapes in Nature
- Part 5: Exploring Different Gardens
- Part 4: Taking a Break in Nature
- Part 3: Telling Stories With Clouds
- Part 2: Making Music With Nature
- Part 1: Read Somewhere Unusual
Supported storytimes & activities
- Words to Use About Disabilities
- Share Disability-Affirming Books
- 5 Good Authors to Read for #AutismAcceptance
- Apple Picking ASL
- Read Disabled Authors
- Social Narrative
- This Is How We Eat
- Snow Books!
- Disabilities Are Normal!
- Unbagging a Social-Emotional Learning Kit
- Community Sensory Garden
- We Move Together
- Spring Supported Storytime
- Supported Art
- Supported Storytime
- Supported Cooking: Ice Cream
- Supported Nature Class
- Let’s Retell Our Favorite Books
- BINGO With Guest Star Bingo
More fun
- Ice Cream & #EarlyLearning
- Scavenger Hunt Fun
- Discovering Discovery Kits
- Light in the Winter
- Book Bike Morning
- Talking About Pride
- What’s Your Pronoun?
- Where’s Bear?
- Happy Birthday
- Winter Solstice
- Beyond Books
- Holidays Around the World
- Winter Fun With Babies & Toddlers
- Playtime With Ruthie
- Learning Chess: Pawns
- Roll a Story: Pronouns!
- Hello, Friends!
- Spring Sensory Fun
- Bones Kit
- DIY Sensory Activities for Babies and Toddlers
- A Note From Miss Shelley and a Silly Day With Ruthie
Early Bird Learning posts
