Baby Wordplay

Autumn is here. 🍂

All for Autumn and Autumn for All.

Songs and rhymes for the season and more.

🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃

Please rate and review and share with a friend!

⁠SUBSCRIBE⁠ for premium feed - lyrics, treats and more.

⁠PEANUT BUTTER PODLETTER⁠ Substack.

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⁠YOUTUBE⁠⁠: For older toddlers. Miss Pam reading, rhyming and singing. Make the most of your screen time!

Read a book and listen to this episode with your little one as you wind down to sleep...

hopefully! ;)

Episode Inspired by with excerpt from

Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?

by Brianna Sayres

Warmly,

Miss Pam

Experience more joy with your baby during the fourth trimester - that special period - birth to 3 months.

Warmly,

Miss Pam

How can I experience more joy when I'm with my baby?

And how can I raise a child who loves to read and loves to learn?

I'm Miss Pam. I'm a children's librarian, a trained teacher, and a grandma of three.

Baby Wordplay is a podcast for you and your baby to do together!

You build your baby's brain moment by moment with each touch and each word.

Your baby's brain can only develop to its full potential through interacting with you.

You're the secret sauce.

This might be your first episode of Baby Wordplay podcast since your baby was born.

So welcome.

I'm so glad you're here.

Click to subscribe to the entire library.

https://babywordplay.com/

This is Miss Pam,

We know from research that babies and toddlers don't learn language through video or audio alone.

Our podcast is not for babies to passively listen to (although once he knows the opening songs and rhymes, he will be transfixed & you can get a break!) , but it is best used as an activity for parents and babies to do together. Great for fussy moments and in the car!

It shows in real time how to interact with their babies in ways that are proven to support language development and early literacy.

For us, it is key not to just tell parents what to do, but to show them on the spot, in their living rooms, on the changing tables, in their cars, and give them tips on how to offer babies and toddlers invitations to connect around singing, talking, gesture, and age-appropriate books.

This is what the podcast can do for you. ..

and after 1.3 million plus downloads and hundreds of five-star ratings and reviews, many families around the world with babies and toddlers agree.

Warmly,

Miss Pam librarian, early literacy specialist and baby podcaster.

Please head to our website, www.babywordplay.com to learn more.

For access to all 100+ episodes - please subscribe:

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*Authors Stephanie Cohen (My First Learn-to-Talk Book) and Jorg Muhle (Poor Rabbit) join Miss Pam to read excerpts of their books on this episode that is all about feelings - BIG feelings!*Remember to rate and review - that really helps us! Thank you!

REMINDER Subscribe to our large catalog of episodes - So much vocabulary, so many songs, so much fun! Get the whole shebang!

THIS EPISODE

Knife! Fork! Spoon! Spa-tu-la! Cha - cha - cha!

WATCH this in action! You'll be doing this one before every meal, trust me! 🔉Listen to author Atinuke read an excerpt of “L is for Love”

My grandchildren - and their parents - especially my son-in-law, who is British-Nigerian!) love Atinuke’s books.

📚

“L is for Love” is about a family travelling into Lagos to sell lemons at the market. There is a lizard 🦎 lurking on each page, which Arinze was excited to bash.

We love this book. Your little one will too! Thank you Atinuke!

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

📚The Rice In the Pot Goes Round and Round at the table where my family gathers round! by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

📚Whole World - Barefoot Books - an excerpt.

🎵 Shake, shake that mango tree!

🎵 It was under the coconut tree!

SUBSCRIBE for access to 100+ episodes of BABY WORDPLAY including Toddler Phonics!

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🐈 Sing along! Subscribe HERE

Miss Pam's Cat Song:

sing along...

Cats are independent pets, quiet friends, keep us calm.

Cats are independent pets, they like to play and hide.

Cats like bubbles, catch and pop, hide and seek hunt and stop.

Cats like bubbles, catch and pop, they like to play and hide.

⁠Cats as pets

We’re so glad you’re here. Warmly, Miss Pam

🇯🇲 🇯🇲JAMAICA ON MY MIND 🇯🇲 🇯🇲

Since Hurricane Melissa landed on Oct. 28, 2025, I have no words.

Here is my gift, a little balm for our broken hearts. Share it with the children in your life.

Some of the songs are from Jamaica or the Caribbean. This is the first of 3 special episodes devoted to the Caribbean.

Subscribe to Miss Pam's Podcast for Babies and Toddlers: Baby Wordplay. *Over 1.3 million downloads & over 400 positive reviews.

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With Love and Gratitude,

Miss Pam

Children's Librarian, Trained Teacher

❣️ ❣️ ❣️

For more information:

https://babywordplay.com/

"We help families engage with their babies and toddlers in ways that support cognitive and social development. And we have fun!"

Episode Content:

Peanut butter marmalade and jam. Let's say hello! Hola, Konichiwa, Ciao! Jambo!

Flutter Flutter Butterfly

10 Little Candles

Tingalayo

Color Song

*Wings of a Dove and

*Whole World

*Go Down Emanuel Road

*with Mama Marcy Francis and Ms Jan Jeffries - percussionists extraordinaire!

And more.

Enjoy and share.

🇯🇲 🌄🇯🇲 🇯🇲 🌄🇯🇲

WELCOME TO a new season from Miss Pam - TODDLER PHONICS!

In this season Miss Pam uses rhythms and rhymes, games, songs, stories, movement and more to help you feel confident in supporting your toddler's reading path and build their strong oral language skills.

I created Toddler Phonics to help your older toddler build the foundational skills that are essential for learning to read:

• sound discrimination: identifying speech sounds and words.

• sound manipulation: changing sounds by altering speed and volume; breaking down and swapping sounds
• blending sounds

Teaching young children these foundation skills early on, helps them have longer to practice.

TIPS:

🦋 Keep it light and interactive

🙃 Keep it playful and fun

🐢 Keep it slow-paced and relaxed.

HOW TO USE THE PODCAST

1. Listen to just two episodes (2 letter sounds) each week and listen to them on repeat, multiple times during the week. 2. Use your environment to practice sounds. For example, point out words on street signs, billboards etc. that can help to reinforce the sound.

3. Play games such as "I spy something with my two little eyes that begins with the sound /s/"

Short, interactive episodes to keep your mover and shaker interested!

Transcript

Baby Wordplay (00:43)

We rely on listeners to support this production. Thank you.

Baby Wordplay (00:49)

This is Toddler Phonics and this is your host, Miss Pam. Thank you for being here.

Baby Wordplay (00:58)

Howdy-doo, kangaroo. Looking fine, porcupine. Hello, hello, buffalo. Glad to see you, spotted cheetah. Stay a while, crocodile. Hey, hi, penguin. Let's begin, penguin.

Hello, hola!

hello, hello. And how are you?

You say, I'm fine. I'm fine.

And I hope that you are too. Now everybody clap.

Clap your hands, clap your hands, clap your hands everybody clap your hands, come on and clap your hands.

Baby Wordplay (01:53)

Let's welcome our first guest. /s/

Can you say that with me?

Put your teeth together and keep that tongue behind your teeth. Let me hear you say

Baby Wordplay (02:15)

/ss/ so nice to hear you. Hello, ss, so nice to hear you.

Baby Wordplay (02:27)

Sss, as in snake.

The snake is in the grass. Sss, the snake is in the grass. Sss.

Hi ho the dairio, the snake is in the grass.

Baby Wordplay (02:48)

Sit, said Sam.

Stand, said Sally.

Stop, said Samira.

Sing, said Sita.

/s/ said snake.

Let's do that again. You can do the actions to match the words.

Sit, said Sam. Stand, said Sally. Stop, said Samira. Sing, said Sita.

Sssss, said Snake.

Baby Wordplay (03:43)

I'm Sadie the slimy slug.

You might think that I am, but I'm not a bug.

You might think that I don't, but I do like hugs.

I'm Sadie the slimy slug.

Say that with me. Sadie the slimy slug. Sssss

I'm Sadie the slimy slug.

You might think that I am but I'm not a bug.

You might think that I don't but I do like hugs.

I'm Sadie the slimy slug.

I'm Sadie the slimy slug.

(Song used with permission from Nancy Stewart)

Socks and shoes, socks and shoes, stripes and spots, reds and blues, boots for rain, boots for snow, slip them on and off we go!

Let's do that again.

Socks and shoes, socks and shoes. Stripes and spots, reds and blues. Boots for rain, boots for snow. Slip them on and off we go!

Sally Square has just four sides, just four sides, just four sides.

Sally Square has just four sides, one, two, three, four.

Sally Square has just four sides, just four sides, just four sides.

Sally Square has just four sides, and they are all the same.

👂🏽 What did you hear? What did you hear?

What did you hear? Ssss.

𖧵 Remember to put your teeth together and keep that tongue behind your teeth.

Let me hear you say sss/

See you later, alligator. Got to go, buffalo. Toodle-oo Kangaroo

Ciao now, brown cow!

Wave goodbye, butterfly!

(Resource list upon request)

Short excerpts read aloud from:

HELP YOUR CHILD LOVE READING

by Alison David

[Begin in utero!]

"A practical guide for parents in the real world!" published by Farshore.

KEY POINTS

There are so many things that reading brings to children == Reclaim quiet time==Make a commitment to reading every day.

REMEMBER

+Play is the work of children, from birth. It is through play that babies learn about the world—themselves and others. Every episode of Baby Wordplay podcast is a screen-free invitation to play with words and language.

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Thank you so much Ashley Causey-Golden for joining us - creator of Afrocentric Montessori - ⁠⁠HERE

*Did you know that there are two Emancipation Parks that I know of? In Houston, Texas and Kingston, Jamaica.

June 19, 1872, was the day that the enslaved people of Texas learned they were free legally- long after (2 years!) the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln: The holiday became known as Juneteenth in the US.

"Black people freed themselves"

"According to Britt Hawthorne "Enslaved Black folks did fight back. They resisted captivity through various actions such as escape, organized rebellions, planned revolts, abolition, self-education and more.

The first official Juneteenth celebrations were held on June 19, 1866, in Galveston Bay Texas.

Black Americans especially in Texas, often celebrate with community festivals, but education and civic engagement -- like registering to vote -- are also central to Juneteenth's commemoration."

+ from Britt Hawthorne, Best selling author and speaker.

| | | | | | | | | | |

This episode was inspired by "They Built Me For Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park" by Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed, illustrator.

| | | | | | | | | ||

ANOTHER EMANCIPATION PARK - Kingston, Jamaica

The Park was created to be a symbol of Freedom to Hope, to Excel and to Be.

The Emancipation Act was passed on July 31, 1834 in the British West Indies at midnight.

However, full freedom to over 300,000 enslaved Africans was not granted until four years later by Queen Victoria of England on August 1, 1838.

The opening of Emancipation Park in July 2002 is a significant milestone in the journey of the nation.

Thank you so much, for reading and for tuning into me and your baby!

THIS is a free episode! Subscribe to all 100+ episodes.

Gather around! It's storytime with Miss Pam!

Geared to 6 months - 5 years and... for all ages!

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From Miss Pam, Children's Librarian and Early Literacy Expert with over 35 years of experience.

- 100+ episodes each 15 minutes - for babies and toddlers and the grownups who love them!To subscribe to the complete catalog of over one hundred episodes:

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SUPERCAST https://misspamsbabypodcast.supercast.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our premium feed of all episodes.

Storytime! Get cozy with your little one as Librarian Miss Pam takes you on a 15 minute music and language adventure for Black History Month.⁠

🎼 Peace and justice, bravery and hope -- sing along with me!

Remember research shows that young children don’t learn language through video or audio alone - so join in and model how much fun it is to learn!

THIS EPISODE:

Rhyme, sing, gesture and move along to:

🎵 A familiar rhyme with a new twist : 👀

Eyes can do so many things. Get ready to open your eyes and shut your eyes!

Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Give a little blink, blink, blink. Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Give a little blink, blink, blink

Open, shut them. Open, shut them. Now let's try to wink. Wink with one eye, then wink with the other.

📚 Please, Puppy, Please! by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee - practice those /p/ sounds with this playful puppy!

🎵 Sweet Honey In The Rock - I Love to Laugh!

I love to laugh. I love to giggle from my head to my toes. It makes me feel so good. A real feel good song that you makes you want to giggle!

...second verse.... aaah, you'll have to listen to the episode!

🎵Ashley Causey-Golden creator of Afrocentric Montessori sings for us!! A sweet, sweet song. Listen to the end where she talks about why she wrote it!

📚 I Got the Rhythm Connie Schofield Morrison

📚The Idea in You. A picture book by Questlove.

"Are you with me? Reach up into the sky and unhook a star. Did you get that star?"

- "Books" a poem by Eloise Greenfield

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Baby Wordplay is a wonderful gift to give to new parents.

You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook at Baby Wordplay and sign up for our newsletter at our website.

www.babywordplay.com.

Subscribe for ad-free access to 100+ episodes

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I am delighted to share the audio stage with

Grace Lin

NY Times Bestseller and Caldecott Award winning author of "When the Mountain Meets the Moon"and "A Mooncake for Little Star" and

⁠⁠Maria Adcock ⁠⁠https://biculturalmama.com/

author of "It's Chinese New Year, Curious George!"

+++++

INSIDE THE EPISODE

1: Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (新年快乐)

Pronounced: shin (like above your ankle) nian (knee-yen). kuai (like the bridge over the river kuai). le (luh ).

2: Chopsticks, noodles, tea and tofu.

3: The lyrics and the music of the song "Gung Hay Fat Choy" was written by Nancy Stewart from Sing With Your Kids:

Gung Hay Fat Choy – Chinese New Year Song (wishing you good fortune and happiness)

CHORUS: (Keep a rhythm patting hands together one hand up, then the other)

Gung Hay Fat Choy, Gung Hay Fat Choy
Sing Happy New Year, Gung Hay Fat Choy

The new moon tells us, exactly when

(hold up hand in C shape for crescent moon)

To celebrate with family and friends
(clap hands in rhythm)

Clean up the house and get out the broom

Sweep out the old year, bring in the new

(pretend to sweep)

Bring out the apples, the oranges too

(hold out one fist, then the other)

Their colors bring us joy and good luck too

The dragon dances, the lanterns light

(place hands together, and snake around )

The firecrackers light up the night

(alternate right and left fist with fingers opening quickly to mimic shooting fireworks).

4: I added a tune to a few of the pages of the book Dragon Dance by Joan Holub, illustrated by Benrei Huang to make the song about the awesome color 'red'.

🐍 Thanks Amber for your New Years' greetings straight from China!

and MASSIVE THANKS to

🐍 Grace Lin and to

🐍 Maria Wen Adcock

2025 Year of the Snake

+++++

Tag us in your doggie pics :) @babywordplay :)🚼

BOOKS:+The Babies and Doggies Book by John and Molly

+Please, Baby, Please by Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee

+Tic Toc Dog by Emma Dodd

+Vocabulary words:Loopy, goofy, sniff, sags, zig-zag, paws, and soo many more!

RESEARCH:

People use similar facial expressions when communicating with babies and dogs.Researchers identified six specific expressions that participants used when interacting with babies and dogs, but not when interacting with another adult.

The ‘special happy’ expression was particularly common in interactions with both babies and dogs, the team reports. It is thought to express genuine, intense happiness and to signal a strong desire to interact. With a pre-verbal infant, it functions as a clear expression of engaged, positive feeling towards that child.

Clearly, adults – or at least adults with both a baby and a dog – use it to try to signal the same thing to their non-verbal dog.(The British Psychological Society 2023) Watch YOUTUBE channel @babywordplay for Miss Pam's Babies and Doggies accompanying videos.

NOTE: Screens for older toddlers please.