Favorite Welcome Songs for Storytime

A great welcome song is so important because it will get your storytime off on the right foot! To help you find the best fit for your storytime, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite welcome songs of all time. Some are songs that you can chant, sing, or play yourself, and some are pre-recorded - and they all have three things in common. These songs work very well because they:

1. Break the ice.
2. Are interactive.
3. Focus the group. 

When working with young children, I recommend finding a welcome song that works well for you, then keep it the same every week to build a routine. That’s not to say you shouldn’t change things up the next semester or even the next year (because we adults can only take so much of the same song over and over) but generally speaking, don’t be afraid of repetition with young children as long as it is a high-quality activity.

Let me know which ones you choose! 

Songs by children’s musicians:

Hey, Hi, Hello by La La Librarian

I wrote this song to check all the boxes of a great welcome song! I wanted to incorporate the kind of head-to-toe body check-in people sometimes do before a workout or rehearsal - but for kids! It is intended to be done standing up as a silly dance, but if that is not your vibe you could have everyone stay seated and use scarves to “wave hello.” Kids could put their scarf on the parts of their body that I’m singing about, and still hold it in their hand to reach, shake, and twist. I hope you enjoy it!

Can’t Wait to Celebrate by Jim Gill

If you are following me, you’re about to get inundated with Jim Gill material because I LOVE HIS WORK. He creates “music play” which works so beautifully for young children in storytime. This is a lively song with clapping, stamping, waving, and bouncing about getting together with friends. 

Say Hello by Stephanie Leavell

Stephanie Leavell is a singer/songwriter, music therapist, and the creator of Music for Kiddos which is an amazing resource! This song invites children to “say hello” from their head to their toes with their hands, feet, shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips. It also has built-in boogie breaks. Yes. Everyone needs a boogie break!

Ready by Jazzy Ash

I have been a huge fan of Jazzy Ash for many years - and this is my personal favorite of her welcome songs. The jazz arrangement is fantastic, and I like how it prompts the children to check in with the storyteller or teacher if they are ready by waving hands, wiggling hips, tapping feet, sitting, nodding, and finally observing how other friends are also ready! 

I’m In The Mood by Raffi

Here is a Raffi classic that you may already be familiar with, which works great as a welcome song! It incorporates singing, clapping, whistling, a HARMONICA solo (yes Raffi!) stomping, then back to singing. Hey, hey what do you say, are you in the mood for that today?

Let’s Get Together by Bari Koral  

Here’s a romping welcome tune that encourages dancing like animals! Perfect for imaginative, silly groups, this song balances dynamics really well as the group navigates the different energies and tempos of the song together. They get to act like monkeys, crabs, bears, snakes, and finally (for everyone’s sake) they get to sit down.

Hello, Today by Lisa Loeb

Did you know that Lisa Loeb does kids music? It’s so wonderful. This welcome song is rooted in breath and mindfulness and is basically a sun salutation sequence. It incorporates standing tall, waving, opening the chest, looking up, bowing down, then growing up like a tree, and placing your hands on your heart. A great choice for a calming welcome song. 

Songs to chant, sing, or play:

Let’s All Clap

This song is ideal if you have a small group and want to welcome each child by name. If singing is not for you, this works as a chant with clapping. If you are comfortable singing, it can be sung acapella while clapping, or you can have children and grown-ups clap while you sing it and play the ukulele! 

Customize for older children by asking them to pick a movement that is different from clapping when it's time to sing their name (jump, snap, wiggle, twist, stomp, roll, etc.) For example: "Let's all jump 'cause Alyssa's here, Alyssa's here, Alyssa's here. Let's all jump 'cause Alyssa's here, Alyssa's here today!"

Hello How Are You

This is a simple, interactive welcome song with movement! It is very customizable to your group’s developmental abilities and needs. After waving hello, you can clap, stomp, wiggle, jump, twist, roll, snap etc. You can even end it with sitting for an easy transition into the next activity. 

With older children, you can go around the circle and ask them to choose what movement comes next. 

If you are doing a thematic unit or storytime, you can theme the movements (swim like a fish, wiggle like an octopus, pinch like a crab, chomp like a shark, etc.) 

Happy Days Are Here

This is a cute, interactive welcome song with movement! I learned this one from my friend, Christine, who is a wonderful school librarian. It is very customizable to your group’s developmental abilities and needs. After waving hello, you can clap, stomp, wiggle, jump, twist, roll, snap etc. You can even end it with the verse, "Happy days are here can you sit," for easy transition into the next activity. 

Peekaboo! I See You

This is a great welcome song for baby storytime! I have sweet memories of taking my kids to storytime when they were babies and seeing their little faces light up during this song! So simple yet effective. 

Lyrics & Gestures

Peekaboo! I See You

To the tune of Frère Jacques

Where is (NAME)? Where is (NAME)?

Palms up as if asking a question

There you are, there you are! 

Point to baby

I’m so glad to see you, I’m so glad to see you

Smile at baby

Peekaboo! I see you

Cover eyes then uncover for Peekaboo

Put Your Hands Up In The Air

This is a very cute welcome song for babies and toddlers. It encourages name recognition and imitation. It is so special when all of the caregivers sing and a child gets to hear their name being sung by the entire group. My children attended toddler storytimes that used this song and neither one of them put their hands up in the air the first few times we went. When they finally did do it though, it was so precious to see how proud they were! 

The tricky thing about welcome songs with names is SYLLABLES and making the cadence work with the rhythm of the song. In my video, I give examples of how to sing names of up to six syllables. 

Lyrics & Gestures

Put Your Hands Up In The Air

To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

(NAME) (NAME) If you're there

Put your hands up in the air!

Raise your own hands in the air to encourage imitation

The More We Read Together

A cute welcome song for library storytime or as a transition song to read-aloud time in a classroom setting. This is an adaptation of the tune "The More We Get Together." You can incorporate pats, claps, and hand gestures to make this more interactive.

I love the message of this song because it's so true! The more grown-ups and their littles read together the happier they both will be! Study after study show the positive impact of reading together from a very early age. It helps a young child's cognitive development and encourages bonding between caregiver and child.

Lyrics & Gestures

The More We Read Together

To the tune of Have You Ever Seen a Lassie

The more we read together, together, together

The more we read together the happier we'll be

With big books 

Hands out wide

And small books

Bring hands closer together

And short books

Shift hands so one is on top of the other 

And tall books

Raise upper hand up, drawing out the word tall for a bigger effect

The more we read together the happier we'll be!