Author: Ingrid Christina (she/they)

Children's songwriter and musician with an ukulele! Gender-free, AuDHD.

June: Three Reasons to Jump for Joy | Join us in Solidarity!

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | SoundCloud

Welcome to my “community media” space for music and learning!

Photo of the Week

Ingrid Christina standing in front of a brick wall mural of butterfly wings and banner that says, "BE-YOU-TIFUL!"
Click photo for music!

Hot Take

June is jubilant! Here are three reasons I’m jumping for joy this month.

Reason 1 — Metamorphosis

Youtube Short Thumbnail for Ms. Christina's action rhyme, "Where Did My Caterpillar Go"
Ingrid Christina shares her original finger play, “Where Did My Caterpillar Go?” about metamorphosis.

Yes, I’m literally talking about all the new butterflies floating around out there. At my local preschool, I got to watch some caterpillars make their transition to butterflies and it was truly inspiring. Here’s a fun finger play you can do with your kids about metamorphosis.

Reason 2 – Transitions

In June, we look forward to brighter days ahead.

In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice is right around the corner. And there are graduations! Did you just start summer break? Maybe you got an award at the end of the school year, like I did!

A certificate with a unicorn on it that says "Unicorn Award for being one-of-a-kind with your own unique style — Presented to Ms. Ingrid on June 6th 2025 by Ms. Allison"
The “Unicorn Award” I received for substitute teaching at my local preschool.

This month, we also recognize Juneteenth—or, Jubilee Day—when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the whole United States. In June, we look forward to brighter days ahead.

Reason 3 – Pride

When I see the pride flag, I breathe a little sigh of relief and think my kid is safe here.

Jennifer Savage, Council Member, Missoula, Montana
Ingrid Christina stands under a rainbow balloon arch
Ingrid Christina standing under a rainbow balloon arch at the DC Library Georgetown Children’s Rainbow Festival.

The rainbow colors coming out in June really lift my spirits. Did you know that Missoula, Montana just made the Pride flag its official city flag?

Why? Because Pride is as much about relief as revelry. Sadly, I recently learned from the LGBTQ+ youth support organization, SMYAL, that bullying is on the rise.

Our LGBTQ+ kids have greater risk of stress, anxiety, and depression than their peers. As they grow, LGBTQ+ youth may face stigma, discrimination, family rejection, and other unequal challenges.

On the plus side, Pride promotes resilience. Every Pride flag contributes to coping. So this June—and throughout the year—let’s do our part to make all our kids feel seen, safe, and celebrated!

Give Your Input – What’s your favorite thing about June?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Creators

This week we’re featuring Storytime Solidarity and *all* the authors and illustrators in their Pride Everyday book list. Compiled and written by Auntie Anne, this post is a labor of love and belonging.

Click for an exhaustive Storytime Solidarity book list by LGBTQ+ authors and illustrators.

Do also check out Auntie Anne’s emergency Rainbow Storytime.

We don’t always get to plan our programs. Sometimes we have to urgently pull them together. Here, Anne bravely makes these readings available after a hate group disrupted a local event. Thank you, Anne, for tirelessly giving kids access to the books they need to feel secure in the world. I am honored to call you my colleague in Solidarity!

Quote of the Week

It is time to amplify, uplift, and celebrate LGBTQIA+ and allied creators.
Let us sing.

Auntie Anne

Important Dates

-Attend a Sing, Rhyme, and Play Program with Ms. Christina-

◊ Ukulele Baby Lap Time at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Fridays at 10:30 a.m., Ages 0-2

  • June 13, 20, and 27
  • July 11, 18, and 25
  • August 1

◊ Children’s Song and Story Time at the Georgetown Waterfront Park

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., All Ages

  • June 26
  • July 10, and 24

◊ Dinosaur Pajama Party at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Saturday—July 19—at 11 a.m., All Ages

Final Thoughts

We’re so glad you came! Until next time …

◊ Comment below and share this blog.

◊ Listen to SR&P on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you stream music.

◊ Visit Storytime Solidarity.

◊ Tell us what topics you’d like to see.

◊ Be the world we want for our kids!

Ingrid Christina with a yellow bucket hat, a blue shirt, and their ukulele. Text reads, "Sing, Rhyme, and Play" and "The Sing Rhyme and Play Song."
Ingrid Christina in a yellow bucket hat and a blue sweater holding their ukulele.

Want these posts as emails? Subscribe here!

Contact: info@singrhymeandplay.com

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Normalize Crying and Music Along with Rose Lani!

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | SoundCloud

Welcome to my “community media” space for music and learning!

Media of the Week

Ingrid Christina shares their original “Boo Boo Song” to normalize crying.
Coming soon to your favorite streaming service!

Hot Tip

Don’t say, “Don’t Cry.” Instead say, “Ow!”

Did you know that crying is actually good for us? Crying is healing—it’s the body’s natural mechanism for releasing pain. Both physical and emotional.

And yet, for some reason, even I can find myself telling hurt kids not to cry. Why? Crying is natural, healthy, and soothing.

As a test, try singing along to Janis Joplin’s “Cry Baby” and not feeling instantly better.

Crying is healing—it’s the body’s natural mechanism for releasing pain.

I believe we do our kids a disservice when we deny their discomfort. Saying, “Don’t cry,” or shushing them dismisses their distress and teaches them to doubt their feelings. It also sends a message about who’s there for them.

So the next time a kid bumps their head at the library, try a validating, “Ouch!” Or if they cry at preschool drop-off, remind them that goodbyes are hard for everyone.

Kids appreciate it when I tell them I miss my mom too. In my experience, letting them vent their pain and extending some solidarity gets them back in action faster.

And I guarantee, if you play them the “Boo Boo Song,” they will relate.

Give Your Input – What’s the best way to treat a boo boo?

Featured Creator

This week, I’m featuring children’s musician, songwriter, teacher, and storytimer, Rose Lani Oyamot! Ms. Rose has taught me so much about the ukulele. She showed me how to keep the Hawaiian language alive by pronouncing it: “Oo-koo-le-le.”

Ms. Rose and her band, the Rosie Posies, have three streaming songs available with more coming soon. I play them every week after my library program and you should too!

And if you want to learn ukulele, check out the virtual course we taught together: Ukulele for Librarians and Teachers. Thank you for all the music joy, Ms. Rose!

Quote of the Week

You can learn to play ukulele and make music magic!

Rose Lani Oyamot

Important Dates

-Attend a Sing, Rhyme, and Play Program with Ms. Christina-

◊ Ukulele Baby Lap Time at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Fridays at 10:30 a.m., Ages 0-2

  • June 13, 20, and 27
  • July 11, 18, and 25
  • August 1

◊ Children’s Song and Story Time at the Georgetown Waterfront Park

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., All Ages

  • June 26
  • July 10, and 24

◊ Dinosaur Pajama Party at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Saturday—July 19—at 11 a.m., All Ages

Final Thoughts

We’re so glad you came! Until next time …

Ingrid Christina with a yellow bucket hat, a blue shirt, and their ukulele. Text reads, "Sing, Rhyme, and Play" and "The Sing Rhyme and Play Song."

◊ Comment below and share this blog.

◊ Listen to SR&P on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you stream your music.

◊ Get more at Storytime Solidarity.

◊ Tell us what topics you’d like to see.

◊ Be the world we want for our kids!

Want these posts as emails? Subscribe here!

Contact: info@singrhymeandplay.com

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Sharing a Literacy Secret and Being the Action with Jim Gill!

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | SoundCloud

Welcome to my “community media” space for music and learning.

Photo of the Week

Board books laid out on brightly colored cushions in the programming room before Ingrid Christina's Ukulele Baby Lap Time program
Books laid out on colorful cushions at Ms. Christina’s Ukulele Baby Lap Time program.

Hot Tip

Let them hold books! Did you know that simply holding a book is an early literacy skill?

Babies enjoy books by grasping, opening, and closing them, and turning those thick cardboard stock pages.

Playing with books is not just fun and games, it’s a key skill!

When babies and toddlers handle books, they build manual dexterity, fine motor skills, and that all-important positive association. That’s right—playing with books is not just fun and games, it’s a key early literacy skill!

Because of their durability, board books are a good choice for young bookworms. Board books are especially good if your little one likes to bite into a good book—gross but also developmentally appropriate. Note: You can save the library’s collection by gifting board books to your favorite babies!

Watch Ms. Christina demo the “Parts of a Book Rhyme” on YouTube.

Listen to the “Parts of a Book Rhyme” on Spotify.

Listen to the “Parts of a Book Rhyme” on Apple Music.

Bonus: Build your child’s vocabulary. Say this rhyme before reading or handling a book together, as I do in my literacy programs.

PARTS OF A BOOK RHYME

Here’s a lovely book of mine,

Here’s the cover, here’s the spine.

Here’s some info that is vital—

Author, illustrator, title.

Open it just like a door,

Turn the pages to explore.

When you’re finished, say, “The End!”

And then you close it up again.

Just watch! Even before your tyke can talk, they will pretend to read by babbling along to the pictures. In doing so, they are cultivating memory and creativity. When you read the book to them, you can help them connect print and speech. Move your pointer finger along the words as you go.

That’s the secret all kids know. That books bring tangible benefits too. That the feeling of a good book in the hands is the first step to becoming a lifelong reader. So get their fingers on those pages ASAP and watch the learning unfold.

Funny story. Before my own child understood what reading was, she brought me books and said, “Mommy, talk to the words!” 🙂

Do you have an adorable anecdote about babies and books? Tell us in the comments below!

Give Your Input – What’s the best place for children to enjoy books?

Important Dates

Attend a Sing, Rhyme, and Play Program with Ms. Christina

◊ Ukulele Baby Lap Time at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Fridays at 10:30 a.m., Ages 0-2

  • May 16 and 23
  • June 13, 20, and 27
  • July 11, 18, and 25

◊ Children’s Song and Story Time at the Georgetown Waterfront Park

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., All Ages

  • June 26
  • July 10, and 24

◊ Dinosaur Pajama Party at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Saturday—July 19—at 11 a.m., All Ages

Featured Creator

This week, I’m featuring Jim Gill, a musician, author, and child development specialist I admire. Jim recently announced a new video series called, “YOU are the action!“

These new videos actually get children to *look away* from the screens and *toward* their trusted grownups. The fun comes from *listening* to the song and dancing along together.

Strengthening the child-caregiver bond is a goal of mine too, so I applaud Jim’s new video approach. Let’s get Jim on our playlists getting children to listen, move, and PLAY.

Quote of the Week

YOU are the action!

Jim Gill

Final Thoughts

We’re so glad you came! Until next time …

Ingrid Christina with a yellow bucket hat, a blue shirt, and their ukulele. Text reads, "Sing, Rhyme, and Play" and "The Sing Rhyme and Play Song."

◊ Comment with your answers and share this blog with others.

◊ Listen to SR&P on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you stream your music.

◊ Get more at Storytime Solidarity.

◊ Tell us what topics you’d like to see.

◊ Be the world we want for our kids!

Want to receive these posts as emails? Subscribe below.

Contact: info@singrhymeandplay.com

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Let’s Talk About Bubbles and Stevie’s Safe Spaces!

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | SoundCloud

Welcome to my “community media” space for music and learning!

Photo of the Week

In front of the children's desk in a library, Ingrid Christina holds up a pineapple bubble machine that is filling the room with bubbles. They are wearing a white hat, blue shirt, and black pants. In the foreground, a child is viewed from behind catching bubbles.
Ingrid Christina leads a bubble activity in the library.

Hot Tip

Make time and space for bubbles!

Bubbles are a great early learning activity. They foster that all-important positive association. They also help little ones develop spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and the eye tracking muscles they will need for reading.

Bubbles are not just fun and games, they’re serious learning!

Don’t worry if it takes time to perfect your approach. I tried a few bubble machines before I found this little pineapple. It makes Goldilocks bubbles—not too big, not too small, but just right.

I learned the hard way that bubbles can get slippery on a hard surface. That’s why, in my current library program, we do the bubble parade outside the programming space on the carpet in the children’s room. At another venue, I do the bubbles outdoors.

It’s also a good idea to have wet wipes and a towel on hand—just sayin’.

How about you—what are your hot tips for getting those bubbles just right? Any funny moments to report? Tell us in the comments below!

Give Your Input – Do you do bubbles with your kids?

Important Dates

Attend a Sing, Rhyme, and Play Program with Ms. Christina

◊ Ukulele Baby Lap Time at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Fridays—May 2, 9, 16, and 23—at 10:30 a.m., Ages 0-2

◊ Children’s Song and Story Time at the Georgetown Waterfront Park

Thursdays—June 26, July 10, and 24—at 10:30 a.m., All Ages

Featured Creator

This week I’m featuring Stevie’s Safe Spaces, where I got this awesome t-shirt. Check out their shirts, hats, stickers, and more items for spreading safety, kindness, and inclusivity.

With public hostility on the rise, it’s crucial for caregivers and children to know who they can trust.

Thank you, Stevie, for giving us an easy way to let people know we’re safe!

Ingrid Christina wears a purple brimmed cap and a black t-shirt with a floating astronaut on it and the words, "Safe Space."

Quote of the Week

The Safe Space is ALL of you.

Stevie’s Safe Spaces

Final Thoughts

We’re so glad you came! Until next time …

Ingrid Christina with a yellow bucket hat, a blue shirt, and their ukulele. Text reads, "Sing, Rhyme, and Play" and "The Sing Rhyme and Play Song."

◊ Comment with your answers.

◊ Share this blog with others.

◊ Listen to SR&P on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you stream your music.

◊ Get more at Storytime Solidarity.

◊ Tell us what topics you’d like to see.

◊ Be the world we want for our kids!

Want to receive these posts as emails? Subscribe below.

Contact: info@singrhymeandplay.com

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.