Preschool Interactive: It's Snakesss

• 4-30-14: I only have one more storytime, so of course a gazillion people and lots of new people showed up today! Like, more than 30! Storytime got even more exciting when one of the moms suggested she pop home and bring back her snake and I was like YES! So we not only read stories about snakes, and sang songs about snakes, and looked at cool pictures of snakes (yes, even the ones where it's eating whole rats) we also got to touch a real snake! She's promised to bring him back for the reptile science program this summer as well. We did end up with some paint on the chalkboard (totally my fault, since I was watching her kid because you can't watch a snake and an active child at the same time and I wasn't watching close enough....) but that's all good too since it's hardly noticeable, but enough that I now have a reason to request the chalkboard be repainted so that it's magnetic which it was suppose to be in the first place but somehow wasn't.

Dancing time and name tags: "Silly Dance Contest" by Jim Gill sings the Sneezing Song 

Introduction, welcome, and announcements: Closed on Friday, next week is the last week of programs.

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: My snake Blake by Randy Sieger

Early Literacy Aside: We're going to sing our next song with the help of some special toys - something you can make really easily at home! Having something to do with your hands while you're reading or singing can help you remember better - try looking around at home for simple props or check out some of our book and puppet bags.

Movement: I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor

Nonfiction: Snakes by Nic Bishop

Movement: Mr. Snake

Short story: On my way to the bath by Sarah Maizes

Short story: Monkey's friends by Ruth Brown

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Wiggly Snakes

Prep: Acrylic paint, brushes, paper plates, wooden snakes. Ask parents to help pour out small amounts of paint. Aprons.

Kids paint - snakes can dry on paper plates, works better if there is wax paper.

Take Home Insert

Preschool Interactive: That's Good, That's Bad!

• 4-23-14: I bought a used copy of Lexau's That's Good, That's Bad specifically for this storytime! Really small group - 9 people with a couple coming in later - but I am working on being calm and not stressing about this. 

Dancing time and name tags: "Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill sings the Sneezing Song

Introduction, welcome, and announcements: Pete the Cat on Friday

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: That's Good, That's Bad by Joan Lexau

Movement: It's a tiger by David LaRochelle

Early Literacy Aside: We've looked at some more complicated comparisons, now we're going to look at a simpler one - quiet vs. loud. Learning the words to compare things from simple ones like big and little to more complicated, like good and bad, are part of building vocabulary and other early literacy skills.

Nonfiction/Flannelboard: Loud Quiet by Leslie Patricelli

Short story: That's good, that's bad by Margery Cuyler

Short story: Umbrella by Ingrid Schubert

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Dry Chalk Wet Paper (from MaryAnn Kohl's Preschool Art)

Prep: Tub of water, construction paper, chalk

Kids dip the paper in the water then draw with chalk.

Take Home Insert

Circus Party

• 4-9-13: This is our annual massive collaboration, all-library party. It involves my colleague from the school district (the prime mover and shaker), two of our three four year old kindergartens and their staff, and is set throughout the entire library. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 people came this year, although it's impossible to really count, as well as around 15 kids from the local special education school, Lakeland School. We plan for it most of the year and it celebrates both Week of the Young Child and National Library Week (although it's not always on the specific date, since we have it on a no-4k day).
• Things to remember for next year
• Someone needs to direct traffic. I forgot that patrons would probably not remember that they can't park in the lots of nearby businesses. It might help to also include some parking directions in the flyers.
• Don't have limited/finite performers. I told myself this last year and then let myself be talked into getting a balloon artist again. Next year, get something that doesn't require a waiting line and a cut-off time! Some people were very sad that they didn't get a balloon.
• Facepaint - we do this every year and it's huge, but it's too big. We need to have, if possible, more than one station and at least 3 painters. 4 would be better.
• Scheduling an extra aide the afternoon before to help set up was a good idea. I also think I did a good job of keeping things from getting too overwhelming, even if I did have to be the NO librarian.

Giveaways

• Bag for crafts etc.
• Elephant mask

Lobby

• Sno-Cones
• Animal crackers
• Carrots and apples
• Mini hot dogs
• Photo ops and decorations (silly faces, masks, etc.)

Storyroom

• Circus music
• juggling station - scarves and light squishy things
• felt beanbags
• Cut out with die cut, partially sewed closed. The kids stuffed them with felt and we had darning needles available to close them.

Children's Area--play area tables

• Circus wagon craft
• Circus hat craft

Book display - Children's area

Young Adult room

• Tim Glander, magician/balloon artist, 10:30-11:30 (noted on sign, had to turn away people)

Upstairs Hallway - acrobatics

• Balancing beam
• Hula hoops on ground to jump through
• Bowling game in stacks

Local History nook

• Facepaint

Preschool Interactive: Hippos

• 4-2-14: I've done a hippo storytime before, but it was long, long ago. I didn't plan ahead enough for this one, so I had to use what I could get right away. I wanted a more nonfiction-ish book, but this one worked out fine and the kids loved it. I had 18 people in storytime, but another 9 came in as we were ending and did the project.

Dancing time (shakers) and name tags: "Silly Dance Contest" from Jim Gill sings the Sneezing Song

Introduction, welcome, and announcements: No PI next week - circus!

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: The Hippo-not-a-mus by Tony Payne

Movement: Hippo on a bus

Nonfiction: Hidden Hippo by Joan Gannij

Early Literacy Aside: Singing is an important early literacy skill. You can make up your own songs by putting new words to old favorites.

Movement: Hippo Hokey Pokey

Short story: Here comes firefighter Hippo by Jonathan London

Short story: Here comes Doctor Hippo by Jonathan London

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: I Spy pictures

Prep: Die cut large circles out of big paper. Markers, crayons

Kids draw pictures around the holes

Take Home Insert