Monday, August 30, 2010

Zoo Animal Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice
  • Activity - Zoo Animals (action song to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It")
(Suite actions to words)
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high
If you want to be a monkey, If you want to be a monkey,
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high

Parrot…flap your wings
Elephant…swing your trunk
Lion...roar out loud
Giraffe...stand up tall
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - Five Little Monkeys Swinging from the Tree (counting rhyme)
  • Book #2 - Ziggy the Zebra by Libby Ellis, illustrated by Salina Yoon (pop-up)
  • Activity - Can You Growl Like a Tiger? (action rhyme)
(Suite actions to words)
Can you growl like a tiger?
Can you hop like a frog?
Can you climb like a monkey?
Can you bark like a dog?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you fly like a bat?
Can you howl like a wolf?
Can you stretch like a cat?
Can you sit like a kid at storytime?
  • Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song " Goin' On a Bear Hunt" (found in Kids In Action by Greg and Steve)
  • Craft - Black crayons and pens on a white horse to make a one of a kind zebra

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fan Fancy

A make-and-take craft for all ages.

Step 1: Go to the Children's Desk to get your super cool fan from a staff member. (We used paper fans ordered from Oriental Trading. They were not too expensive.)

Step 2: Decorate your fan with the materials provided. (We set out color marker pens, stickers, bingo paint dabbers, glitter glue, glue, scissors, and sewing trim.)

Step 3: Keep cool!

My library used this simple craft project on a summer day in which there was a street fair going on outside the library. It worked out well. We set up two tables in the children's area for the craft supplies. For the most part the tables were clean and orderly and there wasn't too much mess. The artwork on the fans ranged from simple to elaborate.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Monster Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – Skateboard Monsters by Daniel Kirk
  • Activity –Monster, Monster (action rhyme, based on the rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around")
Monster, monster turn around.
Monster, monster touch the ground.
Monster, monster reach up high.
Monster, monster bug out your eyes.
Monster, monster bend your knees.
Monster, monster give a sneeze.
Monster, monster sit on your bed.
Monster, monster rest your head.
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - This Little Monster (counting rhyme adaption of "This Little Piggy")
This little monster went to the market,
This little monster stayed home,
This little monster had roast beef,
This little monster had none,
This little monster cried,
"Boo, hoo, hoo,"
All the way home.
Sleeping monsters til it's nearly noon
Come let us wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still, are they ill?
(pause, then shout)
WAKE UP LITTLE MONSTERS!
(kids wake up and stand and stomp)

Stomp little monsters, stomping, stomping
Stomp little monsters stomp, stomp, stomp!

Roar little monsters, roaring, roaring
Roar little monsters roar, roar, roar!

Sit little monsters, sitting, sitting
Sit little monsters sit, sit, sit!
  • Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song " Goin' On a Bear Hunt" (found in Kids In Action by Greg and Steve)
  • Craft - Decorate monster masks with glue and sewing trim

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Pirate Party

Library program for children ages 4 to 12 and their families.

To start the whole pirate she-bang off, we started with a reading of the book Dirty Joe the Pirate: A True Story by Bill Harley. We read this book in one of the meeting rooms to allow all the late comers to arrive before starting the party off proper.

Next we handed out a "Pirate Path" for our pirate horde to follow, scavenger hunt style. We had 12 activities planned plus the ending treat. To start off with our large crowd, we handed each family a sheet and told them to start at different numbers. This spread everyone out at the beginning.

1. Head due NORTH to make your own Jolly Roger.
In the North Meeting Room we had cut up bed sheets (less expensive than buying fabric, especially when purchased at Goodwill) for flags with puffy paints and fabric markers. Note to self: the puffy paints took too long to dry for this activity.

2. Where would you find information book about the ocean? When you get there, you can make your own ocean waves. Make them calm, make them wild, make the sea creatures stay in the water!
For this station we had a parachute spread out next to the children's non-fiction section. There were small marine animal stuffed toys for the kids to bounce on the waves of the parachute.

3. The dangers of the deep are vast. What animal will you find at j597? _____
Now we are making them work! This was one of the parts we actually got compliments about. So many parents commented that they had no idea where are non-fiction books were located. We weren't too picky about what they wrote down. Some families found j597.98 and thought they were in the right place. I say close enough.

4. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate hat's for you. Make yer necessary pirate garb in the TEEN ZONE of dread.
For this station we made everyone go upstairs to the second floor teen zone where we had tables set up to make folded newspaper hats plus markers to color them with, and a skull and cross bone to cut out and glue on if desired. Note to self: you need way more tables for this activity than you think you do. I put out 2 tables and this was not enough. Plus too many parents did not want to read the posted directions and kept asking the library staff to just make it for them.

5. HOLD onto yer hats! Polly wants a cracker and a safe perch to rest. Pin your favorite feathered friend to our lovely pirate lass. Cheaters will be taking a swim with Davy Jones.
This station was set up next to our hold shelves. The children got a paper parrot to color, if they wished to. Then there was some double sided tape and blind folds available to try to "pin" the parrot to the pirate party decoration on the wall.

6. Walk the plank if ye dare, make sure those wiley PICTURE books don't eat you up.
We set up two wood boards and a blind fold in the picture book area. The children were given four levels of difficulty for walking the plank. The easiest was to walk the wood board flat on the ground, with or without a blindfold. The harder level was to put the smaller board under the larger board to make a tiny teeter-totter, and try to walk from one end to the other, with or without blind fold.

7. Toss yer treasure into the chest, but be quick about it! Those librarians at the CHILDREN'S DESK might take that treasure away from ya.
This station was located in front of the children's reference desk. A staff member brought in an old steamer trunk and the children had to toss bean bags into the chest. Note to self: be sure to have a staff member or volunteer working this station. Almost all of our complaints came from this station and the rude parents who would not wait in line.

8. Get stranded in the SOUTHern isles and create your own treasure map.
The South Meeting Room is where everyone went to make maps on crinkled up brown paper bags. Note to self: some grocery stores wanted to charge for the privilege of using their grocery bags, so allow yourself plenty of time to drive and around to find the grocery store that will give them away for free.

9. A pearl of a treasure can be found in an oyster. Yet, an oyster is a type of _________, a group of soft-bodied animals that have no bones.
We didn't care how the families found this answer: online, in a non-fiction book, in an encyclopedia, or ask a librarian. It was all good and all used library resources. I made sure the answer was in the World Book Encyclopedia since we have this encyclopedia set in multiple locations in the library. We got a lot of compliments for this task, especially of parents with young children. These parents did not know we had a reference section or encyclopedias.

10. This book is a wonder to behold. The author of the book Flotsam is __________.
We got a lot of compliments from parents about this one as well, especially with parents of school-age children. This made them learn how to look something up in our online catalog. Of course, some parents took the easy way out and just asked a librarian.

11. Are you a member of the BOARD? No pirate is in his or her right mind without a proper tattoo. Don't forget your!
This station was located in our small meeting room which we call the "Board Room." Temporary tattoos, water spray bottles, and plenty of paper towels completed this station.

12. Beware when coming ashore at the beach. How many legs does a crab have?
This was another research question that we got complimented about.

When finished: You are a pirate sure and true. Yar, you passed the test and did the pirate deeds. Now sail SOUTH for a chance at some gold! But don't even think it, if you haven't walked the path!
We set up a table in the South Meeting Room where all participants could come get some gold fish crackers and gold chocolate coins as their reward for finishing all our pirate tasks.

This program was a HUGE success. We planned for about 100 children and their associated grown ups to attend this program. We actually ended up with over 267 people showing up for this event. The library was packed! Of course, we ran out of some supplies and had to make runs to the copy machine a few times to make more. We had directions at all the stations and the parents mostly did a great job moving their children from station to station. Since we were planning for far fewer attendees, our craft stations did not have enough tables. But most parents were resourceful and found spots on the floor nearby. If I was to do it again with the number of staff and volunteers I actually had, I would probably do one less craft. But wow! What a day!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Fathers Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – My Dad Is Brilliant by Nick Butterworth
  • Activity –Do It for Your Father (action rhyme to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," I'm not sure where I picked this one up)

Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
As hard as hard can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Jump, jump, jump your feet
As high as high can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be.
Do it now, let me see,
Do it for your father.
  • Book #2 - Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
  • Activity - Come A'Look A' See (fingerplay song I picked up at a workshop conducted by Jane Cobb)
  • Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song Goin' On a Bear Hunt (found in Kids In Action by Greg and Steve)
  • Craft - Chalk coloring on a construction paper fish

Monday, August 2, 2010

Duck Storytime

Storytime for 1-1/2 to 3 year olds:
  • Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
  • Book #1 – All My Little Ducklings by Monica Wellington
  • Activity – Little Duck, Little Duck (an action rhyme I adapted from the rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around")
Little duck, little duck waddle around.
Little duck, little duck touch the ground.
Little duck, little duck wings go flap.
Little duck, little duck beak goes "Quack! Quack!"
Little duck, little duck jump into the river.
Little duck, little duck give a little shiver.
Little duck, little duck find your feet.
Little duck, little duck find your seat.
  • Flannelboard/Math Activity - Five Little Ducks (counting down song)
  • Book #2 - I Went Walking by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas
  • Activity - Little Ducklings (action rhyme I adapted, still needs some work, doesn't feel quite right)
All the little ducklings line up in a row.
(stand up straight)
Quack, quack, quack.
(clap three times)
And away they go.

They walk behind their mother waddling to and fro.
(waddle walk)
Quack, quack, quack.
(clap three times)
And away they go.

Down to the big pond, happy as can be.
(make large circle with both arms)
Quack, quack, quack.
(clap three times)
And away they go.

They jump in the water to bob up and down.
(jump up and down)
Quack, quack, quack.
(clap three times)
And away they go.

They swim all around, and swim right out of sight.
(make swimming motions)
Quack, quack, quack.
(clap three times)
And away they went.
(wave good-bye)
  • Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song Goin' On a Bear Hunt (found in Kids In Action by Greg and Steve)
  • Craft - Duck, duck, goose pattern worksheet (found in Mailbox magazine Aug./Sept. 2008)