Bears Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

• Book #1 – Bears On Chairs by Shirley Parenteau, illustrated by David Walker

• Stand-up Activity – Teddy Bears, Teddy Bears Turn Around (traditional jump rope rhyme)

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear dance on your toes
Teddy bear, teddy bear touch your nose
Teddy bear, teddy bear reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear jump to the sky
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your feet
Teddy bear, teddy bear find your seat

• Bridge - Open, Shut Them (fingerplay)

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

• Flannelboard - All Types of Bears (flannelboard rhyme written by Carol Hopkins to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Grizzly bears are big and brown.
Big and brown, big and brown.
Grizzly bears are big and brown.
And live in the woods.

Polar bears are soft and white.
Soft and white, soft and white.
Polar bears are soft and white.
And live where it is cold.

Panda bears are black and white,
Black and white, black and white
Panda bears are black and white.
And live with bamboo.

Koala bears have great big ears,
Great big ears, great big ears,
Koala bears have great big ears,
And live high in a tree.

Teddy bears are just my size.
Just my size, just my size.
Teddy bears are just my size.
To cuddle with at night.

• Book #2 – One Bear, One Dog by Paul Stickland

• Activity – The Great Big Bear (action chant written by Carol Hopkins)

The great big bear,
(sing language for bear)
Gives a warning with a soft little growl.
(growl)
Waves its paws in the air.
(move hands like claws)
Shakes its great big head
(shake head)
Rubs its furry little ears
(rub ears)
Gives a great big roar
(loud roar)
Then goes to sleep in its lair.
(hands to side of face for sleep)

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

• Art Experience – Bear coloring sheet with crayons

Summer Reading School Visits: A Silly Game

Over the last couple of weeks, me and my coworker have been extremely busy going out to the area schools to talk up summer reading.  At many of the schools we are requested to speak and then entertain individual classes for 30 minutes (usually during the students weekly library time).  The other children's librarian is a Master Storyteller and can easily involve and entertain the older elementary students for the whole 30 minutes.  As for me, I feel a little lost on how to hold the attention of 5th and 6th graders after doing my 5 minute summer reading talk.  This year I got a little inspired to try something new after reading some posts on other blogs and on PUBYAC.  This year, we played a silly game.

I started my game by dividing the room into two teams, usually right down the center.  Then I asked the teacher for assistance in choosing one student volunteer from each team that can be silly but knows when to turn off the silliness.  These volunteers were my score keepers.  I would keep score by dressing up the volunteers as superheroes.  I had a cape, a mask, a super power arm band, a button, and mustache stickers.  I had questions or challenges written up on note cards.  A student would pick a card at random and then the whole team could answer the question or complete the challenge.  The questions and challenges usually related to an event happening at the library so I would talk about the event before asking the question.

Here is a sample of the questions and group challenges:

The Tacoma Rainers baseball team is sending their team mascot to the library for a meet and greet.  What is the mascots name?  What animal is it?

The Pacific Science Center is bringing their Mathfinder Science Show to the library.  Each scorekeeper is given 4 dice.  The team with the highest roll gets a point.

What is the official start date of the summer reading program?

The library is having two superhero events.  Name 5 superheroes.

The library will be showing the movie The Man Who Walked Between the Towers followed by building towers with marshmallows and toothpicks.  Each table has a set of straw connectors.  The table with the tallest free standing structure gets a point for their team.

In one of our superhero events you can learn to sew a superhero cape and mask.  Who is the famous superhero costume designer who claims that no superhero should wear capes?

A packet of Wikki Stix is one of the registration prize choices.  Each table has 2 Wikki Stix and must create a butterfly.

How many hours do you need to read to get a free book and other goodies?

This game went over really well.  The kids seemed to like the mixture of questions and group challenges.  Almost everyone had a chance to get involved.  I only had one class of 6th graders who wanted nothing to do with it.  The school librarian warned me about this class before hand and we had a plan in place for when they chose as a group that talking among themselves was more important than listening to me.

I look forward to trying a game like this next year during my summer reading talks at the schools.

Summer Reading School Visits: Books

I just completed my last summer reading school visit today.  Unlike the other children's librarian at my library, I am not a Master Storyteller.  Therefore, I rely on using books to entertain the lower grades.

This year I could not get excited about any of the picture books that related to the "Every Hero has a Story" theme.  I usually look for books that has humor enough to make a kindergartner laugh as well as make a third grader laugh.  During the last couple of weeks, I used these books as my three main reads when visiting with classes:

• The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
• Peter Spit a Seed at Sue by Jackie French Koller, illustrated by John Manders
• I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow

I had a great time sharing these books with the students.  You know you have winning books when there is a hippo named Boo Boo Butt, watermelon seeds in underwear, and a kid covered in paint.