Messy Art Club: Paper Projects

• Program Goals
• Encourage creativity and problem-solving
• Allow children to experience different art products and styles
• Develop fine motor abilities
• Attendance: 35

Project: Suncatchers

How it works: Kids cut or rip tissue paper and then tape it across the cut-outs, kind of like iris folding only much simpler. Lots of them like to hang their creations around their necks like necklaces afterwards. I only use markers in the community room b/c they're easier to clean off the tables than crayons.

Supplies:

• Paper cut-outs (recycling! I save all the paper cut outs from die cutting to use for this but I also cut some from my stash of shirt cardboard. The kids get the die cut shapes to keep as a bonus or we use them later.)
• Tissue paper
• Yarn
• Markers
• Tape, hole punchers, scissors

Project: Paper Weaving

Supplies

• Thick pasteboard strips (donated supplies)
• Construction paper (regular and 9x18)
• Scrapbook paper
• Paper cutter
• Tape (regular, packing tape, duct tape), staples, scissors

Other information

• Paper mat idea from Make and Takes 

Project: Valentines

Supplies:

• Paper
• 9x18 purple, pink, red
• handmade paper (donated by a patron)
• die cut paper hearts
• markers, sequins, glitter glue
• scissors, glue, popsicle sticks (for spreading), sink

Evaluation

Winter Wigglers: Obstacle Course

• Program Goals
• Offer an active program during winter
• Offer a program on Wednesday morning that will be open to toddlers and preschoolers
• Encourage parents to play with their children
• Attendance: 20

Supplies

• Obstacle Course pcs (in file cabinet behind Jennifer’s desk)
• Masking tape, stickers, easel with poster/instructions
• Boxes for airfield (use B&T boxes from basement or tech services)
• Hoops, beanbags, playground balls (basement)
• Bubble wrap and foam sheets (basement)
• Blocks from closet
• Puppets in Storyroom

There are five possible activity areas

• The Airfield OR Hoops and Beanbags
• Set-up in open area in front of children’s desk
• Use the masking tape to make a “runway” on the floor. Kids decorate boxes with stickers and then take turns “flying” their airplanes.
• OR
• Set-up in open area in front of children’s desk
• Lay out the hoops on the floor
• Optional - add “targets” or a line to stand behind with masking tape
• Kids jump or throw beanbags into the hoops
• Obstacle Course
• Set-up: Lay the obstacle course pieces out in order between the shelves
• Add a strip of masking tape for the “tightrope”
• Make sure the jumping dots are lined up
• Bouncy place
• Set-up: Ideally integrate it into the obstacle course, put it after the frog or kangaroo bouncing spots. Needs a fairly open area. Lay out the bubble wrap and foam sheets.
• Soft and Cozy Fun
• Set-up
• Put out tub of puppets. Pull curtain across. Remind kids NOT to go behind the curtains. Open puppet theater doors (tops). Lock ONE side of lower doors.
• You can put out some of the simpler/soft baby toys, but NOT the ball pits.a mistake b/c big kids get into it)

Evaluation

Outreach - Science Saturday

At the beginning, when everything was
still clean. It didn't last long!

Table 1: Lego Building Club

• Giant Lego tub

Table 2: Library promotion

• Osmo
• 3-D printer items
• Maker kits, science experiment books
• Tablet and scanner (to check out)
• Program calendars

Table 3: Mad Scientists Club

Recipe

• Mix 1/2 cup glue, 1/2 water, and food coloring
• Mix 1 tsp of borax and 1 cup of very hot water
• Pour borax solution into glue solution. Stir until cooled, then work with hands until all the water is worked out

Supplies

• Glue, borax, food coloring
• measuring cups, mixing bowls, spoons, pitcher
• tablecloth, wipes, ziplock bags

Take Home Storytime: Frogs

• Program goals
• Pass on early literacy message and encourage families to continue early literacy at home
• Encourage circulation and storytime attendance
• Reach families who are unable to attend storytime
• Notes
• Last used
• Supplies
• Brown paper lunchbag
• Die cut paper circle (white)

Miss storytime? You can practice many of the early literacy concepts we use in storytime at home! Don't forget to sign up for text alerts so you can make it to the next storytime!

Theme: Frogs

Use the five early literacy practices; talking, singing, reading, playing and writing with these books and projects!

TALK about the books. Reading nonfiction helps kids learn specific vocabulary words. Talk about the words you don't know or look them up online or in the dictionary.

Get ready to WRITE by using fine motor skills to make an egg. You will need a piece of paper, tape, and drawing materials.

Color your "egg" (circle) and tape it to the paper on one side. Draw a picture underneath of what's inside the egg. Write a story on the back of what's hatching!

SING a song. "Five green and speckled frogs" is a classic Raffi tune. If you've never listened to Raffi, try some out! He's a classic children's musician with music ranging from the get-up-and-dance to the slow and sweet. Fun for the whole family to sing along!

PLAY like a frog! How far can you hop?

READ together! Did you know children's books have three times more rare words than conversation and 25% more than television? The more rare words a child knows, the easier it will be for them to learn to read when it's time for school and formal education. Read these stories about frogs together and learn some new words!

Ribbit by Rodrigo Folgueira
Frog Song by Brenda Guiberson
That's mine! by Michael Van Zeveren
I don't want to be a frog by Dev Petty

For more library events, new books, and more, check out our website at www.elkhorn.lib.wi.us, join us on Facebook, or talk to a librarian. Please let me know if you have suggestions or questions!

Jennifer Wharton, Youth Services Librarian
jwharton@elkhorn.lib.wi.us, 262-723-9143

Take Home Storytime: Oceans

• Program goals
• Pass on early literacy message and encourage families to continue early literacy at home
• Encourage circulation and storytime attendance
• Reach families who are unable to attend storytime
• Notes
• Last used
• Supplies
• Brown paper lunchbag
• Bleeding art tissue paper
• Die cut (white) paper whales

Miss storytime? You can practice many of the early literacy concepts we use in storytime at home! Don't forget to sign up for text alerts so you can make it to the next storytime!

Theme: Oceans

Use the five early literacy practices; talking, singing, reading, playing and writing with these books and projects!

TALK about the books. Some of the books are poetry - how are they different from the storybooks? Read the nonfiction book About Crustaceans and talk about what crustaceans you have seen.

Get ready to WRITE by using fine motor skills to make a rainbow whale

You will need scratch paper (newspaper or paper bags), paintbrush, and water
Instructions - put your whale on the scratch paper. Lay your bleeding art tissue on the whale. "Paint" it with water and watch the colors bleed onto the whale!

SING a song. Take a familiar tune (the wheels on the bus) and change it up. Sing about "the animals in the ocean" or "the fish in the aquarium".

PLAY in the water! Can you float things in a sink or bathtub? Which things sink? Which things float?

READ together! The following books offer many different ways to read about oceans.

In the sea by David Elliott
I'm the biggest thing in the ocean by Kevin Sherry
About Crustaceans by Cathryn Sill
Octopus Alone by Divya Srinivasan

For more library events, new books, and more, check out our website at www.elkhorn.lib.wi.us, join us on Facebook, or talk to a librarian. Please let me know if you have suggestions or questions!

Jennifer Wharton, Youth Services Librarian
jwharton@elkhorn.lib.wi.us, 262-723-9143