The Basics

Equipment
I have the following things handy just in case every time:  A flannelboard, a tape player, a mixed tape with five second pauses between each taped item, any flannel animals/objects that relate to songs, activities, or books, at least one puppet, a clip to hold print-outs of words for adults to read on the flannelboard, pillows for everyone to sit on, and more books than seems reasonable.

Opening
I like to read a book while people are settling in, to orient them to the literacy focus of the program.  The story and illustrations of this book can be aimed at the older participants, as long as it had good rhythmic rhyming language for the younger babies to absorb.  Don't worry about everyone following along closely, just read while the group gets settled..

It's helpful to open the activity part of the program with the same thing each time, both for the librarian and for the participants.  That way, the participants always know the signal for when the program is beginning and the librarian has something sturdy to begin with should the day have been hectic or frazzling prior to the program!  I chose to open with "Open Them, Shut Them," which is a rhyme and simple handplay that I found in Mother Goose Time (see Resources).

Use a Variety of Activities
I have three basic categories for activities that I use in Babies' Lap Time programming:

1) Finger/Hand Play Rhymes (done as a group activity)
2) Songs on tape (the group may sing along or do gestures with the song)
3) Reading books

For each session, I try to intersperse these evenly so that babies that don't have the skills yet to focus on one kind of stimulus are quickly rejoined by another.

There are many great books on activities for babies.  Take a look at the Resources page and particularly scan the list of Play Books and Nursery Rhymes for some widely available titles.

How Much To Do
Approximately twelve "activities," meaning songs, books, and play rhymes, will fill a half-hour program, and you may even have to cut something at the end.  Always read your audience.  If they seem patient, throw in another rhyme.  If they're restless, cut the program a little short.